In the beginning of 2005, as a part of the development for a new design for the look of their currency, a competition was launched.

Twelve artists were invited to take part in the challenge for designing all six denominations on the theme mentioned above.

The first place winner was Krebs Manuel from Zurich and his designs pictured here.

You may view the other designs here.

According to Wikipedia online: Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users’ updates known as tweets. 

Starbucks is looking to utilize the power of social media by hosting an online photography scavenger hunt. The goal of the contest is to have Twitterers photograph posters from the most recent US outdoor campaign and post them online. The prize? Starbucks Gold Cards.

Click here to see Starbucks’ page on twitter: twitter.com/starbucks 

The idea for the Starbucks photo contest came from watching what people already do on Facebook and Twitter, said Chris Bruzzo, vice president for brand, content and online at Starbucks. Each year, people race to post the first photos of Starbucks shops decorated in red for the holidays.There will also be a related YouTube channel, where Starbucks coffee experts will talk up the importance of quality in their beans and coffee.

The Twitter photo contest is a part of a fresh marketing campaign launched this month in United States newspapers and magazines. The campaign is described by Starbucks as the biggest marketing effort it has undertaken.

Quality is key. Print ads will be text-heavy, impressing upon viewers the importance of quality rather than cheap alternatives, such as their direct competitors McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. Phrases on the posters take a dig at the competition, including “We think making coffee is an art form. They think it’s a new revenue stream.”

The Texican Whopper, according to Burger King, is “inspired by the land where a man ‘ain’t afraid to sink his teeth into something hot and spicy.”

The burger consists of a flame-grilled Whopper topped with taco-coated chili con carne, spicy jalapenos, onion, lettuce and Canjun mayonnaise.

The television commercial described the new Texican Whopper as “the taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican.” Literally depicted by a tall Texan cowboy living with a vertically challenged Mexican wrestler, named “Just a Little Bit.”

To view the commercial on youtube click here.

Mexico’s ambassador to Spain wrote a letter to Burger King regarding the inappropriate way the Mexican flag is displayed in the  advertising campaign, as well as the improperly used stereotypical image of Mexicans.

Burger King has apologized for the advertisement and stated they have “made the decision to revise the Texican Whopper advertising creative out of respect for the Mexican culture and its people.”

There are strict rules about the use of the Mexican flag.

No more stuffing envelopes, filling out slips and entering totals via a keypad. The technology is called “check imaging” or “envelope-free deposits.”

For printed checks, the system automatically determines how much the check is for, and then presents you with an on-screen image and asks for confirmation of the amount. For hand written checks, it asks you to enter the amount and then shows a picture of the scanned check and asks for confirmation that the amount you entered is correct. The ATMs should cut reliance on tellers and deter fraud from “empty envelope” deposit scams.

The best part?

The ATM will print a receipt with small images of the scanned checks. And before you start worrying about security, the images have the routing and account numbers blacked out across the bottom.

However, there is a downside … it’s S-L-O-W. Each check has to be inserted individually and the deposit amount verified. Also, longer lines have started to form as ATM users struggle with the new process.

According to an Article by Dan Beighley for the San Diego Business Journal:

The new ATMs could save Bank of America and other banks about $1 per transaction by cutting manual processing of deposited checks and the need for envelopes, according to consultant Tower-Group Inc. of Needham, Mass.
Deposits are up by 50 percent at machines with the scanners, according to Bank of America.
“When customers see an image of their checks on their receipts, they’re more confident that the deposit has been accepted and they have assurance in hand,” said Kirk Lindsey, Bank of America’s ATM executive.

Rivals Wachovia Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. also have introduced check scanning at some of their ATMs.

A simple addition of your company’s logo onto the card would not only enhance the company’s image and recognition, but there would be no confusion about who was paying when an employee was taking a client out to lunch. No, they are not using their personal bank card, but the company card – reinforced by the simple logo addition.Now it would be amazing to be able to make completely customized cards for your company but I’m sure this will not be available anytime soon. Regardless, I have created the Stackpole & Partners future credit card below:

For those of you who are artistic and enjoy a craft project like myself, make sure to check out this other hit I received from my search on Google regarding different techniques one person has used to personalize their card.