College students like brand activities during spring break as long as they aren't too heavy-handed, according to a study by ad agency Euro RSCG Worldwide, New York City.
Half the participants of the study said Spring Break has become too commercialized--although only 15 percent said they remember the brands they encounter after they return to school.
What's most important is whether a brand belongs on break: "Promotional events and sampling opportunities for condoms, beer, and sunblock make sense to [Spring Breakers] and are appreciated; branding efforts for 'irrelevant' products are considered annoying distractions," says Euro RSCG global director of strategy and planning Marian Salzman.
Brands labeled as relevant include Budweiser, Miller Lite, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff Ice, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Code Red, Coppertone, Trojan, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy, Nestle, Nike, Playboy, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Kleenex, Listerine, Mentos, and MTV.
Most popular Spring Break spots, according to the survey: Las Vegas, Miami's South Beach, New York City, Daytona Beach, FL, and South Padre Island, TX.
Survey details also show what's fab and what's drab on campus this spring. Fab: Xbox (cited by 77%), "Sex and the City" (59%), Britney Spears and Madonna (48% each), oversized tote bags (45%), looking older than your age (44%), and Diet Coke (44%). Drab: Nintendo 64 (cited by 25%), and hippie (31%) or prairie (15%) fashions.
