"The Smurfs 2" will hit theaters on July 31, 2013, and promos for the film are already well underway.

Yesterday, pop star Britney Spears released her new single, "Ooh La La," which is featured on the movie soundtrack. "I have always loved the Smurfs as a kid and now my boys are the biggest Smurfs fans ever," Spears said in an official statement back in April. "I wanted to surprise them with a song in the movie. I know they'll think it's Smurftastic!" The song played hourly on New York's biggest radio station, z100, all day yesterday. Listen to the track here.

McDonald's will also help promote the upcoming film. According to a press release, "The Smurfs 2 is McDonald's most anticipated promotion for 2013, with a focus on positive nutrition messages for children." The fast food chain will unveil a "Smurfs 2" Happy Meal worldwide, which will highlight fruits, veggies, dairy and, of course, Smurf toys. Can't wait to check it out!

Some very special promotional food items will help build hype for "The Smurfs 2," as well: Smurfberries! "In anticipation of the release of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s The Smurfs 2, in theaters July 31, Gourmet Trading Co. is bringing back the iconic characters to the labels on its packages of California, Oregon and British Columbia blueberries," reports The Produce News. Yum!

Other promotional partners include Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Discover the Forest.

Will you see "The Smurfs 2" when it premieres this July?

It really could have been the greatest promotional product of all time, at least for Whopper-lovers.

Last week, DLC/Ogilvy & Mather in Puerto Rico released an ad campaign for a "Hands-Free Whopper." A video featuring the fast food-focused promotional product revealed that the gift would be distributed to "members of BK’s loyalty program with the highest 50 scores." Check out the giveaway below:

The ad agency even created a microsite for the campaign: handsfreewhopper.com. Sounds legit, right?

Unfortunately, today Burger King revealed to CNBC that the ingenious item is actually just a joke: "...the product depicted in the spot was not produced, or distributed to guests as some reports indicate.” Tragic, I know.

Hey, at least the burger chain finally put out a good ad.

This morning I read an article about how "skinny" has become one of the hottest phrases in the marketing world. And while the piece focused on food and drink, it got me thinking about other industries that employ the same strategy.

Consumer-research psychologist Kit Yarrow told Ad Age that "Skinny is the new 'baby,' as in baby carrots [and] baby spinach. It personifies food and makes it more endearing." But what about skinny jeans or skinny hair serum? If you ask me, the marketing power of "skinny" reaches far beyond what we eat and drink.

Heck, there are even skinny promotional products! Take our hot & cold skinny tumbler, for example: 

Do marketers really apply the term "skinny" to our clothes and hair products for the cute factor? I'm not sure I'm buying it.

If you ask me, it's pretty obvious that marketers use "skinny" in order to tap into the consumer's psyche. In today's looks-obsessed society, we're constantly being offered solutions for trimming down. I'd go as far as to bet that even something as simple as holding a skinny water bottle might make some people feel more slender.

What do you think? Is the term "skinny" in marketing meant to mess with our heads? Or is it, as Ms. Yarrow said, simply the lighthearted 'it' phrase of today?

It's on the fridge!

I would be lost without my fridge magnets with logos from different businesses and organizations. They are my rolodex. We have everything from the local pizza place to the emergency contact numbers for the pediatrician's office and the local police and fire.

They used to be nicely organized on the side of the fridge, but now they are used to hold up the artwork from my three-year-old. We are running out of space, so I think it is time to buy a bigger fridge.

Another weekend has gone by way too fast!  On Friday I took my puppy to the vet to be "fixed."  So most of the weekend was spent nursing and babying her!  The weather was gorgeous out, and I was able to enjoy some nice sun on Saturday with her.  Bailey and I lounged in my backyard and took in some much needed vitamin D.

I didn't want to leave her so I was unable to go food shopping.  Luckily on Friday I had brought home some custom food products home from work. We had gotten a bunch of samples in the day before.  Here is the little darling Bailey Cocoa tanning.  I think she is growing to like the cone, she realized that it props up her bone!

Looking for a perfect giveway for the summer season? Look no further! Motivators offers many products to keep you cool and comfortable this summer. Some great ideas include; koozies, coolers, water bottles, and sun umbrellas. My favorite is the custom iced tea bottle drinks, which are tasty and perfect for a hot summer day. These are great for trade shows during the summer, bbq, picnics and outdoor weddings. The label offers lots of room for printing and since these can be digitally printed, most logo's/images would work.

I finally got to use my new Promotional 3 Peice Salad Shaker Set today for lunch.  Last week I got this bad boy in but had zero food in my fridge. I finally went food shopping over the weekend and bought some fresh vegetables so I could shake it up! I saw this item at one of our Friday morning product meetings and new I had to have it.  I always loved me some salad, and now that I stopped eating meat I love it even more! In college at the cafeteria I would take 2 bowls and put them face to face just to shake my salad properly.  A little dangerous but it got the job done. Not this 3 piece set makes it so easy to enjoy a salad on the go.  It provides it's out dressing holder as well as a to-go fork!

If you want to start your week out on an emotional note (and who wouldn't?), you've got to check out Apple's latest iPhone 5 ad. Because it gives us feels, and in the best way possible.

The TV spot shows people across the world using the iPhone 5's popular camera for a variety of reasons, from recording a live concert to sharing photos of custom food products on Instagram.

Apple's new commercial makes you feel like the camera, and indeed the iPhone 5, was designed with you in mind. And there's something about the soft piano playing in the background that reeks of nostalgia.

Watch it below:

P.S. Don't you think the video is vaguely reminiscent of our custom cell phone cases commercial?

Who doesn't love free food? I am sure everyone grabs at free things; I know I do (and so does my co-worker Adam).

I don't really go food shopping, since I still live at home and my parents take care of all that stuff. But, when my parents do go food shopping, my favorite place to go with them is Costco!

Why you might ask? Because I love the food samples that they hand out.

Custom food products also make for great giveaways at tradeshows. What a fantastic way to be remembered! 

My choice of drink for the day is lemon/ginger tea. This drink may fall under the category of teas, but all it requires is boiled ginger and a few lemon drops. These two ingredients are recognized to be a few of the most natural herbs available to us. They offer us a variety of treatments to common colds, sore throat, and nausea. Other benefits may include reducing inflammation, stomach problems, dizziness, and it is a great source of vitamin C. Next time when you are feeling under the weather, try one of natures best medicines that offers no side affects and is cheaper than a drug store.