Trivia and Treats at Campbell’s HQ

Campbell's

Imagine if your employer rewarded you for knowing the company’s history inside and out. Campbell’s partnered with Allen & Gerritsen’s A&G Labs for an innovative employee engagement initiative that does just that. Campbell’s added an interactive level to their cafeteria’s vending machine and in doing so, they prove that vending machines can do extraordinary things.

As you can see in the video, the screen on the vending machine asks employees trivia questions about Campbell’s. If they get two out of three questions correct, then a prize will drop out at the bottom. Usually it’s a small snack, but a few lucky winners can win a GoPro camera or Fitbit.

The element of mystery adds to the fun and it’s not surprising to see that employees want to gather around and watch as their peers answer questions. What a unique thing to do during a break!

[2025 Update: Unfortunately, the YouTube video has been removed.]

March 13, 2015 by

All Stars Wear Converse

Converse - Made By You - Andy Warhol
Photo Source: Esquire

It’s Throwback Thursday and that calls for a spotlight on a campaign from a classic brand: Converse. I’ve never doodled on my Converse, but I love to wear them. I suspect they’ll be a wardrobe staple indefinitely.

Every owner of Converse sneakers has the option to personalize their footwear to reflect their personality and interests. Converse is celebrating consumers’ flare for customizing sneakers with their latest Made By You campaign.

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March 5, 2015 by

Movie Review: Fed Up

Photo Source

Make room for another documentary about the obesity epidemic. In Fed Up, narrator Katie Couric walks viewers through history to explain why so many Americans are overweight.

In addition to featuring numerous interviews with professors, politicians and doctors, Fed Up chronicles the lifestyles of a few students. The students provide testimonials in between clips of them at home, school and doctor appointments.

In 1977, when a government report was released encouraging the food industry to manufacture food with less fat, food manufacturers responded by decreasing calories and increasing sugar. I like one doctor’s approach to explaining how consuming sugar affects our metabolism. “You can eat a bowl of Corn Flakes with no added sugar or you can eat a bowl of sugar with added Corn Flakes,” he says. “They might taste different, but below the neck, they’re metabolically the same.”

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February 25, 2015 by

Movie Review: Still Alice

Still Alice tells the story of a talented Columbia professor who’s married with three kids and diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alice (Julianne Moore) plays Words with Friends regularly, but can’t remember the right words to say during lectures.

Her supervisor refuses to pretend that everything’s normal when students start writing less than favourable reviews of her classes. In a performance review, Alice feels obliged to confess that she has a medical condition. Despite urging her supervisor to let her continue teaching, she must give up her teaching gig long before she anticipated retiring.

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February 18, 2015 by

As Seen On TV: The Social

Hot On The Street - The Social Stage

I don’t need an excuse to apply for tickets for a live taping of The Social. Now that they’re in season two, I decided to go back. On my way to the taping, I stopped at Starbucks across the street from the studio. I was delighted to see Jess Allen in line. I spotted her immediately and she was very friendly.

Chloe Bent, The Social’s audience coordinator was as friendly as I remembered. She ensured that everyone was excited to join the live audience and encouraged us to cheer by telling us that the biggest fans would receive gift bags with makeup products. One fan was visiting from San Francisco, so she took home a special prize. According to Chloe, the easiest way to look good on TV is to simply nod and smile, without looking like a cheerleader.

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February 7, 2015 by