The New York Times looks at a strange wintertime activity on the shores of Lake Erie. The strongest winds and waves come in winter, just before Lake Erie freezes. Waves up to 10 feet have been surfed, but the largest swells are usually chest-high. Instead of curling into a vertical wall, the waves are round like haystacks, and they collapse onto the shore like soggy paper. “Surfing Lake Erie is basically disgusting,” …
If You Were Howard Draft, What Would You Do Today?
The Chicago Tribune, which I think rarely publishes interesting stories about the ad world compared to the Sun-Times' inimitable Lewis Lazare, ponders the immediate future of DraftFCB: DraftFCB needs to act quickly to restore its reputation, say public relations experts who specialize in crisis communications. If Draft and his team determine the agency did nothing wrong, they should write a strongly worded letter to …
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Montgomery Ward Is Back. Or Is It?
Here's an issue that branding gurus don't address all that often: Brand names, ones with long histories, that simply get bought or licensed and used by unrelated companies. The AP reports on a new iteration of the Montgomery Ward brand: Five years after Montgomery Ward went out of business, its brand name has been revived on the Internet and there's even a 21st-century version of the Wards holiday catalog that was …
Have New Money? Buy Old Advertising
Bally, 1968 35.5" x 50" $680 …
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The Edible Business Plan
BusinessWeek asked Roxanne Quimby, who founded Durham, NC-based Burt's Bees about innovation. The innovation came in the way that I marketed Burt's Bees rather than the way it was manufactured. The products were good enough to eat. The skin is the largest organ of the body and anything you put on it ends up in your bloodstream. If people are conscious about what they eat, then they ought to care what goes on their …
Green Onions Get The Nix
Taco Bell ordered the removal of green onions from its 5,800 restaurants nationwide after tests suggested they might be responsible for the E. coli outbreak that sickened at least three dozen people in three states. The fast-food chain said preliminary testing by an independent lab found three samples of green onions appeared to have a harsh strain of the bacteria. "In an abundance of caution, we've decided to pull …
Carey Vs. Carey
According to China View, pop star Mariah Carey is worried fans could confuse her with American porn star Mary Carey. Mariah Carey filed suit Friday in Los Angeles to prevent the star of movies such as "Double Air Bags 11" and "Boobsville Sorority Girls" from trademarking her similar-sounding stage name. The adult film actress, whose real name is Mary Cook, said Friday she would not be intimidated by the …
If You Want More On Roehm And Wal-Mart
Each article takes its own tack on the news: Ad Age: "Unruly Julie and the Scandal That Rocked the Ad World" The New York Times: "Rocky Return to the Roots at Wal-Mart" The New York Post: "Draft Exec Out in Cold After Wal-Mart Move" (the new biz head of DraftFCB is leaving for Digitas) …
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