Greg Storey at Airbag has written a pensive peice on "blahgs." His piece was inspired by Jeffrey Zelman's question, "Are you still fired up about blogging?" Storey's answer: Not so much. Our content is all starting to look the same because of the tools used to manage it and web-two-point-dough has homogenized the Internet. For sure, anyone who spends a great deal of time researching and organizing content will …
It’s Not A Website, It’s Your Customer’s First Point Of Contact
Randon Culture points to this Financial Times story on corporate websites. At the center of the story is BP's decision not to scrap its site altogether in 2002. For companies, websites are often a first point of contact with the outside world. So how can they make the best impression? Someone – though not necessarily in corporate communications – must be given sole responsibility and must have heavyweight back-up. …
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Revolutionary Toothbrush? You Be The Judge
USA Today reports on a new line of toothbrushes that play music while you brush: The brush, in development for two years, will come in 18 varieties, each with a different two-minute song clip — the amount of time dentists recommend for a good brushing — from a popular artist. When the user pushes a button on the manual toothbrush, it "plays" a song. As the bristles are brushed across the teeth, they send sound waves …
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Find The Viral Strand In The Brand’s DNA (Or Don’t Do A Viral)
From Ad Age: How much buzz does it take to sell Milwaukee's Best? Apparently a lot more than 3 million hits on YouTube and 197 blog mentions. Proving that viral sensations don't always immediately translate into sensational sales, the bargain beer's video of its "Beer Cannon" that fires cans of Milwaukee's Best Light to destroy such unmanly targets such as china dishes, house plants and fruit has inspired discussion …
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A Screen Is A Screen Is A Screen
The New York Times reports that celebrities appear in 20 percent of TV commercials, up from 10 percent a decade ago. And it's not just more celebs, it's better celebs that are finding their way into brand's mini-productions. Oscar-winning actors like Nicole Kidman, Sally Field, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro no longer avoid the 30-second spot. Hollywood snobbery toward commercials has evaporated, …
“Sev” Buys Start Time At The Cell
USA Today looks at a Texas-based convenience store's wishful thinking. The Chicago White Sox have agreed to start weeknight home games at 7:11 p.m. under a sponsorship deal struck with the convenience store chain known for its Slurpee frozen drinks, the team announced Wednesday. White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert would not disclose the value of the three-year deal with Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc., but he said the …
Decorating The Cat
Idolator and FishBowlNY are both reporting that American singer/songwriter Cat Power is the new face of Channel's jewelry line. She has previously made commercials for GAP and Cingular. Ms. Power, a.k.a. Charlyn "Chan" Marshall is known for her minimalist, often pastoral music, sparse guitar and piano and ethereal, Southern-styled vocals. She's also known to be somewhat erratic in concert. Her latest album, The …
Audi Defines Its Space
Ad Age reports on Audi's latest experiential offering. Aiming to elevate its brand in the U.S., Audi of America held the official grand opening today in New York for its first U.S. Audi Forum, a "brand experience" center that can be rented out for events. Audi Forum in New York, the largest of nine such forums in the world at 6,400 square feet, will feature displays of the automaker's vehicles designs past, present …
Talent Zoo Launches The Break Room
The ad world is filled with juicy gossip and wild stories. Talent Zoo has launched a new section on its website called The Break Room (accessible from the home page) where you can share your anecdotes and read others pertaining to the biz. Like this one: The account manager at the ad agency I work for always messes around with one of our senior copywriters in an empty office at different times throughout the day. …
Breaking News: Ads Are Everywhere
Well, it's not news to us, but it is in today's USA Today: Companies are under more pressure than ever to deliver rosy quarterly results, and top marketing executives have less time than ever to prove their mettle. The average tenure of a chief marketing officer at a major U.S. company has declined to 23.2 months, according to search firm Spencer Stuart. It's no wonder they'll sign off on increasingly bizarre …