Thursday, 30 June 2011

NEWS FROM UGG AUSTRALIA


UGG AUSTRALIA GIVES TOP TIPS ON HOW TO BUY GENUINE 100% AUSSIE MADE SHEEPSKIN BOOTS

Thursday, 30th June 2011 - In light of the ACCC claim resulting in Marksun Australia Pty Ltd being penalised for false and misleading Australian Made claims, Luda Production Pty Ltd (manufacturer and distributor of UGG AUSTRALIA sheepskin boots), are urging Australians to buy Australian Made sheepskin boots over imported goods, and offering tips on how consumers can ensure they are buying genuine 100% Australian Made products.

Sheepskin boots have a special affinity with Australia so being an ‘Australian Made’ boot is a valuable selling point. Many companies promote the Australian heritage associated with sheepskin boots to sell their products both here and overseas, but some do this regardless of where the goods are actually made. 

Lena McDonald, General Manager of Luda Production Pty Ltd, lists some of the terms commonly used to associate sheepskin boots with Australian Made: 

-          Australian Sheepskin
-          Truly Australian
-          Australian design
-          Original Australian

However, these terms may be referring to goods which are not wholly sourced, tanned, stitched, labelled and finished in Australia.  These terms do not guarantee that boots are 100% Australian Made.

“We tan our own sheepskins in Laverton, Victoria. Cut, stitch and glue every pair in Brunswick, Victoria. We have introduced a stitched in label, deep inside our boots, to communicate to our consumers that UGG AUSTRALIA boots are 100%Australian – all being hand cut, stitched & produced in Australia from 100% merino sheepskin processed in Australia.” Lena said

“Without this label, consumers may be buying a product that is made partially or entirely made offshore. Parts may be using unknown chemicals and tanning methods, part may be cut and partially stitched offshore but finishes, labelling and packing may be done in Australia,” she said.

 “Choosing our range of sheepskin boots is supporting Australian business and helping to keep 100% of the manufacture of this great Australian icon on home soil where it belongs. We are committed to quality and local manufacturing and we will forever fight to keep Australian jobs, supply our customers with top quality, well priced and innovative sheepskin boots and, most importantly, keep this Australian icon ours,” she said.

- ends-

For more information, please contact:
 Elizabeth Anderson: elizabethanderson@frankpr.com.au or (02) 8202 0555 or 0420 785 9901
Mike Maurice: mikemaurice@frankpr.com.au or (02) 8202 0555 or 0406 977 193

UGG AUSTRALIA is proud to produce the only sheepskin boots which are 100% owned and made right here in Australia. We are the last company to tan sheepskins here in Australia, using the thick pelt and dense wool that only comes from Australian sheep. We cut, stitch and glue every pair of sheepskin boots right here in Australia, as we have done for the last 30 years. For more information, please visit http://uggaustralia.com.au.


Monday, 13 June 2011

News from Schweppes

BEAR GRYLLS TAKES ON AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC
SOLO offers Aussies the chance to take on Bear Grylls at their own game

Extreme adventurer and Man Vs Wild star, Bear Grylls, today announced his biggest challenge to date: the Australian public.

Aussie thirst-crusher SOLO has launched Beat Bear Grylls, a challenge that will see a man who’s climbed Mount Everest, wrestled crocodiles, and even slept inside a dead camel take on daring members of the Australian public at their own game. Having already faced some of the world’s toughest terrains and most ferocious creatures known to man, challengers will have to man up and think big if they’re going to beat Bear.

Bear Grylls said: “Facing mountains, the freezing cold and wild animals has been tough, but who knows what the SOLO Beat Bear challengers will throw at me. My guess is that they will be adrenalin loaded and competitive. But hey, game on SOLO!” 

From June 1st 2011, ball-busting contenders are encouraged to purchase a specially marked SOLO product for their chance to Beat Bear Grylls. One person each week, for 10 weeks, will win the chance to take Bear on in person when he visits Australia in August. And if that wasn’t enough, they also get $10,000.

For more info, dare to head to www.beatbear.com.au

~ENDS~
For more information, please contact Frank PR:
Stuart Terry- T: 02 8202 0555 / M: 0404 411 155 / E: stuartterry@frankpr.com.au
Mike Maurice- T: 02 8202 0555 / M: 0406 977 193 / E: mikemaurice@frankpr.com.au

ABOUT SOLO
Since 1973, SOLO has been the drink of choice for Aussie guys looking to crush a big thirst.  Throughout its history, SOLO has established deep connections to physical challenge & activity – from the iconic SOLO man ads, to the current ‘Game On’ campaign.    In continuing to build the popularity of SOLO today, we are incredibly proud to be the official thirst crusher of Football Federation Australia, Hyundai A-League and the QANTAS Socceroos. For more information about SOLO’s football partnership and products, visit www.thirstcrusher.com.au

Promotion Starts 1/06/11; Ends 9/08/11.
Entrants must be Aust residents 18yrs+. Major prize must be claimed by 5:00pm 18/08/11 and taken on specified dates (Aug/Sept 2011).
Major prize entry: Buy a specially marked Solo product for your unique code and enter at www.beatbear.com.au. 10 major prizes: 1 per week (2 day trip for 2 people to Sydney on specified dates). Major prize pool: up to $120,000 (inc GST). Multiple entries allowed (1 per code). Full T&Cs: www.beatbear.com.au. Promoter: Schweppes Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 51 004 243 994) L5 111 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, Victoria 3205. HELPLINE: 1800 244 054. NSW LTPS/11/01974; Vic 11/475; ACT TP 11/ 00667.2; SA T11/610 

Sunday, 5 June 2011

NEWS FROM EA


EA UNLEASHES THE HOUNDS IN THE SIMSTM 3 PETS

For The First Time, The Sims Brings Fully Controllable Pets To Console, Handheld and on PC/Mac

Sydney, Australia June 4, 2011 – Man’s best friend is now your Sim’s best friend. The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced The Sims™ 3 Pets, the newest title from the critically-acclaimed studio that created The Sims 3. It will be an entirely new standalone game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™ and an expansion pack* for the PC/Mac computer systems. The Sims 3 Pets enables anyone to play as they want, whether it’s the builder who creates the ultimate pet sanctuary, the achiever who solves all the mysteries in town, the experimenter who has a lone Sim and a house full of cats, or the storyteller who expresses himself through the adventures of his Sims and their pets.
“The Sims 3 Pets marks the biggest undertaking in our franchise’s history, melding the best ofThe Sims 3 with an even deeper player experience with the addition of pets,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio. “For the first time ever, players will be able to play as their pets and see life through their eyes.”
Players take creativity by the reins and play out the stories they want to tell whether it’s the single guy in the dog park picking up women or the criminal overlord and her evil cat. Across all platforms, The Sims 3 Pets players will be able to create, customize and control over a hundred different kinds of cats and dogs like the Australian Shepherd and the Maine Coon, and can breed and share them with friends providing endless possibilities to create new and exciting breeds. Each platform brings a new world for players to explore from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions where players will unlock achievements by solving mysteries around town, the Nintendo 3DS with new lots to unlock to the PC/Mac version where they’ll be able to take their pets on play dates or meet other Sims at the dog park, cat jungles and even a horse ranch. With The Sims 3 Pets, players will be able to create, control and play with life with their pets.

Unique to the Xbox 360 experience and for the first time in The Sims’ history players with Kinect™ can take control of their pets and Sims by voice commands, like telling their Sim to be romantic or feeding their dog.

The Sims 3 Pets for Nintendo 3DS takes advantage of the hardware’s built-in pedometer that tracks player’s real life movements. The more a player walks the more Karma Points they earn, which they then can spend to make mischief or give wealth. Using the Nintendo 3DS StreetPass™** function, players can gift pets to other The Sims 3 Pets owners in their proximity.

As the next expansion pack to The Sims 3, the best selling PC game of 2009***, The Sims 3 Pets Expansion Pack for PC/Mac brings the exclusive new opportunity to create, customize and play as horses. Players will be able to use their horses as a form of transportation to get around town and also to raise and train them with activities like racing or jumping hurdles.

Starting today, players will be able to pre-order**** to get the Limited Edition game with exclusives. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players will be able to obtain new breeds such as a dog tiger retriever, a dog panda chow, a cat skunk birman as well as other additional pets. PC players will get the exclusive pet store where they’ll be able to meet and mingle with neighborhood Sims and get new and unique objects. For more information on the Limited Editions, please visit www.au.thesims3.com

Whether the player prefers to customize the newest designer breed or be mischievous with their dog or cat, The Sims 3 Pets gives them the tools to play with life and create the perfect pet. The Sims 3 Pets for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS and PC/Mac is being developed by The Sims Studio. For more information about The Sims 3 Pets, please visitwww.au.TheSims3.com. To download artwork, please visit www.ea-anz-press.com

*Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play
**Owners of The Nintendo 3DS must have installed an in/outbox and played The Sims 3 Petsat least once
***In North America and Europe according to NPD data, Chart-track UK, Gfk France, Gfk Spain, Gfk-MCC Germany and EA internal estimate.
****While quantities last

About The Sims
The Sims™ franchise, the groundbreaking game series that allows players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer, celebrated its ten year anniversary in 2010 with an impressive more than 125 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims series has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. Since its June 2009 launch,The Sims 3 has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide across multiple platforms and was the #1 best-selling PC title for 2009 in North America and Europe. Fan intensity is evidenced through nearly 250 million downloads of player created content including: The Sims characters, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 community site,www.au.thesims3.com, welcomes up to seven million unique visitors monthly, handles more than 240 content downloads every minute and more than 3.5 million uploads have been made to date, including 11 movies each hour.  The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is within the top 10 most viewed sponsored channels of all time with more than 45 million video views. VisitThe Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.au.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSimsThe Sims 3 is available for PC, Mac, iPhone®, iPod touch®, mobile devices, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, and Nintendo 3DS. Join The Sims 3 Facebook or Twitter communities atwww.facebook.com/thesims3 and www.twitter.com/thesims3.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries. In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFLFIFA SoccerNeed for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at www.ea-anz-press.com

The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect are a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. KINECT, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft Group of Companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii and Nintendo 3DS are trademarks of Nintendo. iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Thursday, 2 June 2011

NEWS FROM LYNX



To celebrate the launch of the new deodorant, Excite, Lynx launched the first experiential augmented reality stunt in Australia on Friday 27th May. 


The activity uses a mixture of live compositing and specialist software, and saw people directly interacting with the angels on a digital video screen at Federation Square. As passers-by walk onto the Lynx markers on the floor, angels will literally fall to earth on the screen and interact with whoever is on the marker at the time.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/lynx and choose your angel. 

New Lynx Excite, even angels will fall.

NEWS FROM UBANK

The home-naming revolution: add character and value to your property

Rob Palmer launches new home naming website: NameYourHome.com.au

Australia is destined to see a spike in home naming, with new research revealing that two thirds of the population believe that a named house or apartment would affect their purchase decision and therefore add value to their property[1]. In addition, a further 42% believe that naming their home, would add character and help them show appreciation for one of life’s biggest assets[2]

UBank has teamed up with TV handy-man and home-owner Rob Palmer to revive the old tradition[3], by encouraging consumers to head to www.NameYourHome.com.au to learn about the art of home naming. The microsite encourages Australians to personify their place and make their house feel like a home, by taking inspiration from humorous sayings, the geographical location, home features and eccentric personal loves; to create their very own bespoke house plaque.

Home naming guru Rob Palmer, has always named his homes and comments:

“Buying your house is the biggest financial commitment you’re likely to make in your lifetime and there is no better way to show your love and commitment to your home, than by giving it a name.

When the universal numbering system was introduced 150 years ago, home naming almost became reserved for ‘exclusive properties’ – but these days you don’t need to have a multi-million dollar mansion to see the benefits. The great thing UBank’s Name Your Home campaign is that it reminds Aussies it doesn’t cost a thing to give your house that injection of character and personality- just a bit of creativity!”

Alex Twigg, General Manager of UBank says the site gives interested home owners a destination for inspiration and to share ideas:

“In the past month 38,000 Aussies jumped online and searched for home naming[4], but until now there has been no site which offered a step by step guide to naming your home. We hope NameYourHome.com.au can be that hub that kick-starts the revival of the classic home naming tradition in Australia.”

Ray White Victoria also shared their industry opinion and supported the claim that naming your home can in fact increase its value.

“Naming a home can be one of those emotional trigger points, creating that connection with potential buyers and attracting more people to the property," he said.

UBank will create free plaques for the top fifty most creative home names lodged on NameYourHome.com.au

Ends

Media contact:
Mike Maurice
Frank PR

Jessica Forrest                                              
UBank (NAB Corporate Affairs)                    


About UBank:
UBank was launched in October 2008 and is developed and backed by the financial strength and global capabilities of NAB. Although a part of NAB, the ideas, people, philosophy and brand are uniquely UBank. UBank aims to simplify banking – being entirely online or over the phone means there are no fees and no queues. In addition to UHomeLoan, UBank currently offers the USaver high-interest, online savings account and a range of Term Deposits (which can be used by Self Managed Super Funds), with new products under development.



[1] Ray White ‘Home naming’ survey – April 2011
[2] Ray White ‘Home naming’ surgery – April 2011
[3] Home naming has been on the decline since the universal numbering system was introduced in 1854
[4] Google Search results sourced from Google Insights – April 2011

NEWS FROM PARKLIFE