I was watching Current on Comcast cable last night and was struck by the number of consumer generated spots the channel was serving. These ads even have their own acronym, VCAM, which stands for Viewer Created Ad Message. Here is Current's pitch: We've teamed up with the world's biggest brands and they want you to make their commercials to run on Current TV. Get creative and break the mold. Make the ads you want to …
Blasting Swift Boats From Fortified Positions Onshore
Spending on political advertising -- which includes candidates' as well as third-party ads -- is expected to reach about $3 billion this year, compared with $1 billion in 2000. According to The Wall Street Journal, attempts are increasingly being made by lawyers from the campaigns to negate the damaging effects of third party ads against them. Negate, as in, having the spots pulled by the stations. Compared with …
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An Actual Client Who Actually Likes Creative. Maybe.
MediaPost reports on a Unilever exec who had some interesting things to say at Advertising Week: In the continuing tug-of-war between what drives the train--creative or media--a top Unilever executive Thursday came out in favor of creative. While there is an argument that lackluster ads can still deliver a message with shrewd placement, Babs Rangaiah said if the creative does not drive demand, a strong media plan is …
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Demand Compressed Natural Gas Now! Not Tomorrow, Now.
CNGNow.com is part of PickensPlan. …
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Before You Speak Persuasively, You Must First Speak the Language
Stop slap and pasting anglo-centric messages on people of color. This is 2008 man, get your micro-targeting together! Pete Blackshaw, writing for Ad Age, says the same, albeit with a bit more tact. "If we really want the right insights, we need to advertise and enable feedback in Spanish (and perhaps also other languages over time). We might even use the power of Spanish-language video to better communicate key …
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Care More
Tom Asacker (who has a new book out) is a fountain of good advice. Here's some of his latest: Are you feeling the increased pressure of this highly competitive economy? You will. And when it hits you, here is an effective way for you to handle the inevitable stress: Care more and worry less. Care about how you can help clients save time; save money; deepen their relationships; grow their businesses. Demonstrate that …
Seth Godin Is A Man of Action
If you want to become popular enough to have your own action figure, take a clue from Seth Godin. According to BusinessWeek, the man is "hyperkinetic." Given all the business writers competing for attention, how did Seth Godin reach the top tier? How, in the lingo of his new book, has he become the leader of such a large tribe? Was it through remarkable ideas. Or has he just been remarkably good at …
Are You Well Suited for Account Management?
Adweek listened to Anomaly co-founder Carl Johnson, speak at an account management panel in midtown Manhattan yesterday. He argued that being a "suit" is the best job in the business. Johnson cited the "all-access pass" nature of working in account management, the breadth and variety of tasks associated with the role and the "sheer unexpectedness" or unpredictability of it all. "It's the agency's only white-knuckle …
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