Chemistry World Blog

Nice turns away Yervoy – Diabetes market to grow in Russia – And Arkema announces R&D centre in China (more…)

Continuing its push to be the world’s best known chemical company, as well as the biggest, BASF has kicked off a new advertising campaign on televisions around the world. The company says that its We create chemistry campaign is all part of a bid to increase the public’s awareness of the chemical major, as well as influence opinion formers and dabblers in the stock market.

Apparently, after a bit of a hiatus in its global ‘corporate awareness’ campaign, thanks to the global recession, the ads going out now in the UK could reach 26 million people alone. The company is also running TV ads in various other European countries, as well as Turkey, and also in Brazil, the US, China, India, South Korea and Japan. And it has stumped up some serious money to go for prime time slots, including during the rugby world cup.

BASF’s chemicals are formulated into thousands of products, such as paints, paper, concrete and plastics and people come into contact with them every single day. And despite revenues of €63.87 billion (£55.7 billion) – greater than Latvia’s and Estonia’s GDP combined – the chemical giant still seems to be something of an unknown with the general public.

Are you old enough to remember these?

Perhaps among those of us old enough to remember tape decks, this is still our lasting memory of a BASF product.

The ad features the slick production values that you’d expect from a company with the cash to hire the top ad agencies. But does it say enough? I was left with the feeling that I didn’t know much more about the company by the time the ad ended. UK BASF spokesperson Chris Wilson says that the ad isn’t about getting into the minutiae of what the company makes – it’s just about getting people to recognise their name and the industry they’re in. (more…)

Gas masks at the ready! Brian Clegg is hoping the wind doesn’t change as sulfur mustard drifts across the Chemistry in its element battlefield this week.

Virgin to fly on fuel from steel waste – Sinopec buys up Canadian oil and gas – And $200m new AstraZeneca site in China (more…)

9 October 2011: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…

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Are you sitting comfortably? Even so, you’re breaking down and reforming this compound at a rate of 28g per minute. Hayley Birch reveals why ATP is the ‘goldilocks’ of energy-carrying molecules in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast

Styrolution goes live – Bayer looks to boost business in Japan – And Merck KGaA buys back into MS pill game (more…)

PPD to go private for $3.9bn – Row about pharmacies and supplements – And nutrient boost broccoli goes on sale in UK (more…)

Tune in to this month’s podcast to hear Laura, Patrick and Phillip discuss why ketchup squirts, magnesium-sulfur batteries for electric cars and a fuel cell that cleans up wastewater to generate electricity.

Plus we have exclusive interviews with Paul Shearing from University College London, UK – who wants to be one of the first people to replace his home boiler with a fuel cell – and Afton Chemical’s John Bennett, who reveals what it is in premium fuels that help you go further, faster and smoother and keep your engine clean.

You may or may not know, but this month’s recording marks the 5th birthday of the Chemistry World podcast. That’s right, it’s the 61st episode since it all kicked off in October 2006. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, and I hope you guys have enjoyed listening as much as we enjoy making them. Don’t worry, we have no plans to stop just yet! To celebrate, here are a few highlights from the archive. Looking back at the download stats, it seems that food, drugs and sex are the way to win listeners – I guess some things never change:

Way back in March 2007, we were talking about how LSD trips out your brain, in February 2008 we revealed a new kind of edible antifreeze for ice cream, and June 2008 was a particularly good vintage, with a wine-related story and conundrum.

Are sex and grapefruit the keys to eternal life? Find out in the November 2009 issue (plus check out the interview with newly minted Nobel laureate Tom Steitz while you’re there). In March 2010 we discovered a microfluidic male fertility test aimed at home use, which prompted an interesting logistical discussion, and we debated the merits of glowing LED tattoos in November last year, along with another Nobel double-header for graphene and palladium cross-coupling.

And if that hasn’t whet your appetite, you can browse the entire archive here. Hours and hours of your favourite chemistry podcast – enjoy!

2 October 2011: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…

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