"Engaging in spec work is eroding the image of designers. It perpetuates the falsehood that what we do is easy or valueless." -Drew Davies, founder of Oxide Design I was happy to see Omaha designer, Drew Davies, in the CA Design Annual this year. Not as a winner, but as a judge--which may be even more impressive. This is pretty refined air for Nebraska, as Drew himself states on his updated home page. On top of all …
Wherever You Look There HP Will Be
Kris Oser reporting in AdAge writes: In its quest to be close to consumers wherever they are online, HP has bought the rights to tens of thousands of search engine keywords, according to the company's interactive global brand marketing chief. Speaking yesterday at the AdTech Conference at the New York Hilton, Mary Bermel said HP has recognized there has been a marketplace revolution and that consumers now control …
Japan Toys With American Advertising Icon
Steve Hall reports that McDonald's Japan has ditched the iconic Ronald McDonald in favor of a couple of "McHotties," one male and one female. Maybe an outing to McD's is something special in Japan. Never been there. I have been to a McD's in Berlin, however and I was shocked to learn they sold beer and that the quick service restaurant was popular among hipsters out on dates. …
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Elway Who?
Not since the high-flying days of David Thompson have the Denver Nuggets had any real star power on their roster. That changed last year, thanks to Carmelo Anthony's outstanding rookie season. Now, Nike and Mr. Michael Jordan are preparing to launch the player's first shoe--the Jordan Carmelo 1.5--and signature clothing line, available in stores the day after Thanksgiving, according to Brandweek. …
Jonesin’ For The Holidays
Some may question the wisdom of introducing holiday-flavored sodas, for they do sound disgusting. -Turkey & Gravy Soda -Cranberry Soda (okay, this one sounds good) -Mashed Potato & Butter -Green Bean Casserole -Fruitcake Soda Yet the latest offering from Seattle's Jones Soda Co. is already sold out (in three days time). Maybe all those carb avoiders are loading up on this liquid meal alternative. …
VCs Like Technorati
from Business Week: Ask David Sifry when his little San Francisco startup called Technorati will turn a profit, and he laughs contagiously. No, Technorati, which tracks Web logs, or blogs, and will soon offer blog searches, is a long way from turning a profit. But it has big-league venture-capital backers like Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Mobius Venture Capital, and they're willing to wait as blog entrepreneurs cast …
GM Wants You To “Lock ‘n Roll”
Sales promotions tend to be distracting from the brand promise. For instance, a sweeps that awards one winner a trip to Disneyworld may appeal to a brand's core target, but in most cases it has nothing whatsoever to do with the product or service offering the pie-in-the-sky vacation. General Motors, with the help of McCann and campaign spokesperson Suze Orman, is taking a different approach. For a limited time …
Just Add Levitra
The Independent reports that the US Army and Chicago manufacturer International Truck and Engine Corporation are jointly developing a replacement for the venerable Humvee troop transporter, from which the Hummer was derived. Last week, prototypes of the so-called "Smart Truck 3" were displayed at a trade show in Las Vegas. The commercial version will not have the electronics designed to detect anthrax, the Kevlar …