INRIX®, Inc., a global leader for transportation analytics, today released its 2015 Traffic Scorecard, a benchmark for governments and agencies in the U.S. and Europe to measure progress in improving urban mobility.
The report reveals the U.S. faces large challenges to solve congestion issues, fueled by continued economic and population growth, higher employment rates and declining gas prices. Cities that have experienced the most economic improvement during the past year are at highest risk for consequences related to worsened traffic conditions, including reduced productivity, higher emissions and increased stress levels. For example, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Boston all saw reduced unemployment rates bringing them below the national average of 5.3 percent for 2015.1 However, according to the INRIX Traffic Scorecard, congestion in those cities alone combined to waste 1.5 billion hours for daily car commuters last year. Nationwide, commuters spent a total of more than eight billion extra hours stuck in traffic, representing almost 50 hours per driver.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7775551-inrix-2015-traffic-scorecard/
hello® naturally friendly™ oral care is bringing smiles to the aisles of Walmart stores nationwide with its line of kids’ toothpastes. With hello, parents can end brush time negotiations with their kids: kids get flavors so awesome they’ll rush to brush, and parents get thoughtfully selected ingredients they can feel good about, with formulations free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, parabens, triclosan, or microbeads. hello kids fluoride pastes are ADA accepted and clinically proven to prevent cavities and strengthen enamel. For little ones who may swallow paste, or for folks who don’t dig fluoride for their kids, hello has introduced new fluoride and SLS free toothpaste in natural watermelon flavor. hello’s kids’ toothpastes are also available at other great retailers across the US.
Today, hello is sharing the brand’s first ever advertising campaign, including spots that tap into the frustrations and negotiations parents can face when it’s brush time. hello’s kids’ delicious bubble gum and blue raspberry pastes are featured as the no compromise key to a consternation-free brush time in digital units and videos debuting online.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7781251-hello-naturally-friendly-kids-toothpastes/
According to the 2016 Franchise Business Economic Outlook report, employment growth in the franchise sector will continue to outpace the growth of employment in all businesses economy-wide, as it has in each of the last six years. The franchise industry is set to grow by 1.7 percent in 2016 which added over 13,000 new franchise businesses, generating over $900 billion in economic output and 278,000 new jobs in 2015.
Kumon, the world’s largest education franchise, continues to flourish as it surpassed company milestones in 2015 with nearly 300,000 students enrolled in its math and reading programs nationwide.
“Many of our 1,500 franchise owners opened Kumon centers after experiencing first-hand how Kumon gave their own children an academic advantage that put them ahead of their peers,” says Larry Lambert, vice president of franchise recruitment at Kumon North America. “Kumon is helping thousands of aspiring small business owners transform their lives with a career that rewards them and changes the lives of youth every day.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7720256-kumon-franchise/
The countdown to Super Bowl 50 has begun! As fans nationwide finalize their Super Bowl Sunday plans and snacks starting lineup, it’s hard to choose which delicious dishes make the final cut! Will it be helmet shaped cookies? Or football fields made from guacamole and sour cream? Once you have your half-time snacks lined up, it’s also important to not fumble when it comes to the perfect beverage.
This year, why not try a new spin on an old favorite with some Fizzology, an innovative approach that reimagines the way you can enjoy soda through non-alcoholic mixology. Fizzology combines unexpected flavors and ingredients that excite your taste buds – imagine sprinkles and shredded coconut topping your favorite Pepsi soda. It’s a great way to be creative and playful in how you experience and enjoy drinking a soda – especially when you’re watching Super Bowl 50!
Whether you are celebrating at home or in the stadium, you can elevate your Super Bowl 50 experience by bringing some fizzology to the party. At the NFL Experience in San Francisco visit F!ZZ, a playful celebration of bubbles with unexpected ingredient combinations -- including flavor shots, bursts, garnishes and foams -- creating a fun, adventurous way for consumers to deconstruct and reconstruct soda.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7743251-pepsi-fizz-drinks-super-bowl-50/
The period between Christmas and New Year’s typically has one of the highest rates of impaired driving fatalities, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In an effort to reduce drunk and buzzed driving related incidents during the holidays, NHTSA, the Ad Council and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) launched their 12th annual “Project Roadblock: Local TV Puts the Brakes on Drunk Driving.”
Project Roadblock was created in 2004 in support of NHTSA and the Ad Council’s Buzzed Driving Prevention public service advertising (PSA) campaign. To date, broadcast TV stations across the nation have donated more than $40 million in media to support this effort. The partnership aims to unite local television stations in creating a nationwide advertising roadblock by airing Project Roadblock PSAs (Public Service Announcements) between December 26 and December 31. Local broadcast stations voluntarily participate in the campaign by donating on-air, online and mobile time and space with a special push at 10 p.m. local time on New Year’s Eve. In addition, TV stations will be reaching out to their communities on social media to share social graphics and messaging to further reach audiences.
“Drunk driving remains a serious threat on our roads and claims more than 10,000 lives a year,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. ”Local broadcast television is an effective tool in reaching consumers, and we thank the TVB, all the stations, and the Ad Council for their ongoing support of drunk driving prevention, especially during the holiday season.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7701751-ad-council-nhtsa-buzzed-driving-psa/
Mighty, motorized micros! Playmates Toys announced today the launch of T-Sprints, an innovative new figure and wheels play pattern that goes beyond traditional vehicle play, available first at Toys“R”Us® stores nationwide for the month of December, and rolling out to additional retailers beginning in January. The highly stylized figures, which capture the personalities of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, each come with a different vehicle and feature a unique flywheel so kids can rev and send them sprinting into action.
“As the company behind the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line for decades, Playmates Toys continually strives to develop innovative new play patterns which allow fans to experience their favorite characters in unique and entertaining ways,” said Karl Aaronian, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Playmates Toys. “The T-Sprints collection offers fans a humorous, unique new experience, bringing the personalities of each Turtle to life in whole new way.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7404458-playmates-toys-t-sprints-toys-r-us-tmnt/
Following FDA approval of the AspireSR® generator for the VNS Therapy® system in June 2015, more than a thousand patients with drug-resistant epilepsy across the United States have received this new treatment option. Many of these patients are experiencing benefits which have positively impacted their lives – and are sharing their stories during Epilepsy Awareness Month with the hope of encouraging others to seek new treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy. Numerous hospitals nationwide have begun providing the AspireSR device to patients with drug-resistant epilepsy – a condition that affects as many as one-third of people with epilepsy, causing them to have seizures in spite of treatment with antiepileptic medications.
The VNS Therapy system is a minimally invasive option in which a medical device is placed under the skin in the upper chest area during an outpatient procedure. The device sends mild electrical pulses through the vagus nerve to areas of the brain known to be associated with seizures. The new AspireSR generator takes the VNS Therapy technology a step further – detecting relative heart-rate increases that are often associated with seizures in people with epilepsy and providing responsive stimulation in an attempt to stop and shorten seizures and improve recovery.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7651751-livanova-aspiresr-treatment/
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is vigorously preparing for Thanksgiving, so you don’t have to. Last year, according to the National Restaurant Association, over 33 million Americans relied on restaurants for at least a part of their Thanksgiving meal. Dickey’s sold 400,000 pounds of holiday turkeys and hams nationwide in 2014 and that number is projected to increase by more than 20% this year.
With the recent bird flu outbreak, many Americans have supply concerns when it comes to their holiday turkey. Some chains have even pulled turkey from their menus nationwide due to the shortage leading to increased costs. The national barbecue chain worked to secure its holiday supply early, prior to the shortage, which is just another way Dickey’s prepares for the holiday season so you don’t have to. Guests can rely on Dickey’s Barbecue Pit to provide holiday meats and complete feasts for an affordable and delicious holiday celebration.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7434753-dickey-s-barbecue-pit-thanksgiving/
Portland, Oregon has the best preterm birth rate of the top 100 cities with the most births nationwide, while Shreveport, Louisiana has the worst, according to the 2015 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, which for the first time graded cities and counties around the nation and revealed persistent racial, ethnic and geographic disparities within states.
The U.S. preterm birth rate ranks among the worst of high-resource countries, the March of Dimes says. Worldwide, 15 million babies are born preterm, and nearly one million die due to early birth or its complications. Babies who survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7653351-march-of-dimes-premature-birth-report/
LG Electronics USA today celebrates the launch of the highly anticipated LG TWIN Wash™ laundry pair with SideKick™ pedestal washer with an all-day, Broadway-inspired event in the heart of New York’s Theater District.
Aptly titled “LG TWIN Wash presents: Divide & Conquer on Broadway,” the launch event features six performances from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. taking place in Father Duffy Square and stars LG’s newest laundry innovation – with the help of world-class puppeteers, performers and an award-winning choreographer. The new LG laundry pair designed to make laundry a breeze will be available nationwide Dec. 20.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7671151-lg-electronics-twin-wash-launch/
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. continues to innovate and redefine the barbecue experience with the opening of a completely redesigned concept store in Dallas, and plans to roll out nationwide with all future locations. The model features a modern, rustic technology-driven experience while offering the same authentic, slow-smoked barbecue that Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been known for over the last 74 years.
From the design and décor to square footage and improved efficiencies, the location based in Dallas at 2525 Wycliff Ave. Ste. 130 is now open. Many existing Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations will also be retrofitted with aspects of the new model. The redesign features a holistic sensory experience, from décor made largely of sustainably-sourced, reclaimed wood to the hand-crafted design elements highlighting Dickey’s history on the walls paired with a specially curated Texas singer/songwriter playlist heard from a Bose surround sound speaker system. The new design showcases an open kitchen floor plan so that guests have full visibility into where and how their high quality meals are smoked on-site. A custom glass butcher case displays fresh meats behind the cashier while the pit sits directly behind the block, where Dickey’s seven featured meats are pit-smoked low and slow daily on-site, in a real hickory wood pit, unlike much of the competition.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7434752-dickeys-barbecue-pit-redesigned/
Toys“R”Us® today announced the launch of its annual nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Now through Sunday, December 6, customers can spread holiday joy to some of the 15.5 million U.S. children living in poverty by donating new, unwrapped toys at any Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us® store across the country and online at http://www.Toysrus.com/ToysforTots. The company will also collect monetary donations in-store and online through Christmas Eve.
NBA Legend, philanthropist and entrepreneur, Shaquille O’Neal once again joins the company’s campaign as his alter ego Shaq-A-Claus, to encourage shoppers to donate to Toys for Tots. Throughout the campaign, Shaquille will also invite social media users to #PlayItForward, an initiative designed to further spread awareness of the millions of children living in poverty and to inspire families to donate to the cause.
“Making wishes come true around the holidays is especially important to me, as I know how much one toy and one act of kindness can matter. When I was a kid, I was given my very own Dr. J autographed basketball, inspiring me to believe I could grow up to be a basketball star,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “For years, I would shop for presents at Toys“R”Us and distribute them to underprivileged children on Christmas morning. Now, in partnership with Toys“R”Us and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, I’m making it my mission as Shaq-A-Claus to give back and spread holiday cheer to the millions of needy kids in the U.S. I encourage everyone to join me this year and remember – every toy counts!”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7476351-toys-r-us-toys-for-tots-playitforward/
