The Week on AdFreak: Jan. 20-27, 2012

The 10 most-read AdFreak stories from the past week:
1. H&M in Social-Media Scuffle Ahead of Its Super Bowl Spot
2. Stinging From SOPA, Go Daddy 'Leaks' First Super Bowl Spot
3. Apple Gets 'Samsunged' Yet Again in Latter's Super Bowl Teaser
4. Ferris Bueller to Return in the Super Bowl, but for Whom?
5. Save Yourself for Marriage, With Help From Purity Bear
6. GM Turns Car Windows Into Fantastical Digital Playgrounds
7. Long Island Man, 26, Wins Chevy's Super Bowl Ad Contest
8. Burger King Tests Home Delivery
9. Rice Company Serves Up a Different Kind of 'Super Bowl' Spot
10. Two More Super Bowl Ad Teasers: Kia and Bridgestone

Jcpenney Gets All Patriotic With Its New Logo

Resist the urge to salute as you admire jcpenney's spanking new logo, a lovely red square with a superimposed blue square that's intended to evoke JCP's proud American heritage and commitment to treat customers "fair and square." (Ha! It's a pun, get it?) In a statement, the company adds: "The new jcpenney logo, which combines the elements that have made jcpenney an enduring American brand, by evoking the nation's flag and jcpenney's commitment to treating customers Fair and Square. The square frame imagery will be evident throughout all of jcpenney's marketing, to remind customers to frame the things they love." I think it's a good change from one of the worst logos of 2011. The last logo (at left) was designed by graphic design student Luke Langhus from the University of Cincinnati. His entry, while it may have been the best of the 200 submissions, was just plain bland. The new version is simple, modern, iconic, and harkens back to that old ugly red square they hauled around for a few decades that we all still remember. The logo change is accompanied by a new ad campaign from Mother New York, launching Feb. 1, which includes the teaser spot below and a "No Meter" that frustrated shoppers can scream into on the Facebook page. Now, JCP, you can turn your attention to selling better clothes.

FirstBank Urges You to Go Pee During Its Super Bowl Spot

FirstBank's regional Super Bowl debut (the ad will air only in Colorado) via agency TDA in Boulder, touting superior service, features a banker type who sits in a comfy chair and says, "If you’re a FirstBank customer worried about missing one of the exciting commercials, or the game, now would be a great time to go to the bathroom." He takes a long pause before adding, "Seriously." The commercial is, as we've been known to say in Boston (home, more or less, of the soon-to-be NFL champion New England Patriots), a wicked pissah. That's a good thing—usually. I guess folks in the other 49 states will have to make their own decisions about when to take a bathroom break. For me, Go Daddy's ads present the perfect opportunity. They're always piss poor, and even the company name suggests making a dash to the can.

Google+ and Why Every Healthcare Organization Needs a Social Profile

With Google's privacy policy shift this week and the integration of Google+ content into search results, every organization needs to create, monitor and proactively manage its online profile and social reputation.

The Fundamentals of a Strong Social Media Plan

Nothing is worse than playing catch-up. The key to an effective campaign is creative ideas facilitated by preparation and execution. Similar to any marketing or public relations effort, a social media plan should include all the essential components of an equipped strategic foundation.

#McFail: Why McDonald's Should Have Followed the ABC’s of Responding to Negative Feedback on Social Media

McDonald’s most recent PR stunt is more-commonly being referred to as “#McFail.” The campaign was intended to shift consumer opinions using the hashtag #McDStories, by tweeting facts about their organic potato farmers in an effort to more closely associate themselves with the positive attributes of organic food. To avoid having your own #McFail, be sure to follow the ABC’s of Responding to Negative Feedback on Social Media.