Gareth Kay, a planner for Modernista, posted this gorgeous plateware on his blog recently. In his comments area, one person suggests that this item would be perfect for a lovely afternoon of skeet shooting. I concur. A more responsible type (and former Deutsch staffer) says "The Donny" did not, in fact, commission this personal artifact. His staff did. Whatever. It exists. …
Resisting The Resisters
Decorated copywriter Ernie Schenck recently wrote, "According to Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, consumers are like roaches. They've been sprayed so much, they're beginning to develop immunities. Can't argue with that. How else to explain the emergence of alternative branding tactics of every ilk, everything from experiential marketing to product placement to television programming developed around brands. Klein made …
ODB’s Passing Inspires Journalistic Flourish
May O.D.B. R.I.P. Here's one of the more interesting sentences I've read in awhile: "Somehow an entropic octet obsessed with obscure kung fu movies and even more obscure neo-Gnostic theology became one of the decade's most visible pop-culture brand names." -Kelefa Sanneh, for the NY Times …
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Goat Cheese Sales Expected To Soar
Euro RSCG Chicago, an agency on the mend, has won a $2 million account without a review. According to Adweek, European crackers brand, Wasa, offers some interesting creative opportunities and serves as the first small step toward rebuilding the shop, executives said. "A snowball starts small at the top of the hill," said the Havas shop's President and Chief Creative Office, Steffan Postaer. …
Show Us The Money (While We’re Still Cheap)
from Wired: According to Sam Whitmore, editor of Sam Whitmore's Media Survey, over the next 12 to 24 months you will probably see big media companies scarf up these cult destinations (blogs), where a growing number of people are going for opinions, analysis and community. "Look at what happened politically," Whitmore said, when blogs hit the big time during the presidential campaign. "The same thing will happen in …
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(Copy) Cat Fight Breaks Out In Florida Court
Hooters is fighting for the sanctity of its "intellectual property rights," according to the Orlando Sentinel. Since opening its first sports bar in Clearwater in 1983, Hooters now earns more than $750 million a year from nearly 400 restaurants encircling the world. And a host of copycats followed, according to a deposition by Hooters' Senior Vice President Michael McNeil, who cited competition from such sports bars …
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Young Minds Exposed To Entertainment Industry Propaganda
from Downhill Battle: MPAA has hired Junior Achievement to go into schools and teach an anti-filesharing, "safety on the internet" class, intimidatingly-dubbed, "What's the Diff?". The Business Software Alliance, meanwhile, is paying the Weekly Reader to include their anti-piracy curriculum in the publication which goes out to millions of students. Putting aside the extremely problematic nature of an education …
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Edward Lampert Is A Value Shopper
I first came across Edward Lampert's name earlier this week, while preparing for a phone interview with Kmart (yes, I'm open to a client-side move). I was surprised to discover that this old-school discount retailer was run by such a young man. Lampert, a Yale grad, is 42. Today, Lampert is all over the news, due to his arranged marriage between Kmart and Sears. Some pundits suggest that Lampert will take a page …