March 1, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Former Talking Heads star David Byrne has a new book, available to people who stay in hotels and motels across America - for free.

His tome, The New Sins, has been distributed to cheap roadside hotels, where it will be placed in bedside drawers next to Gideon's Bible.

Byrne admits he was surprised how easy it was to get the book placed in hotel rooms. He says, "You just ask them. You don't ask them to pay for it. You say, we'll pay for it and we just want you to have this in there, a little thing for your guests."

Thanks to Golden Fiddle for the pointer.

March 1, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

From CNN: Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push for applying broadcast decency standards to cable television and subscription satellite TV and radio.

In the wake of Nipplegate, Congress is seeking to increase the fines for indecency on broadcast TV and radio. But if Stevens got his wish, Howard Stern would still have to watch his mouth when he moves to Sirius Radio. "The Sopranos" would be about 10 minutes long. And I have no idea what would happen to the Spice Channel, or Spankvision, or whatever they're calling it these days.

By the way, Ted Stevens is a Republican Senator from Alaska. And he's 81 years old. Do you think he should be dictating what you pay to watch on TV?

March 1, 2005 by Wade Sturdivant | Permalink | 2 Comments

Copywriters: You know that book about advertising you always wanted to write? The one that takes all the things you hate about the way most big ad agencies operate and exposes them for the waste of client money that they are, then offers up sound business solutions that would fix nearly all of it?

Well, you're too late. Mark Silveira beat you to it.

Read this excerpt, then buy a copy and send it to a Brand Manager you love.

From Ordinary Advertising:
Over on the agency side, you’ll find more than enough people happy to sign on to performance metrics commonly referred to as “moving the peanut”. In many cases, they’re equally clueless when it comes to turning out great advertising. Besides, there’s plenty of money to be made in doing campaign after campaign, backup after backup, concept boards and test campaigns. Who needs to mess with that golden goose? Thus the prevailing agency philosophy of “you’re happy, we’re happy”. And lest you think I’m being unduly harsh, here’s how John Hancock CEO (and former ad guy), John D’Allesandro characterized agencies in his book Brand Warfare:

“One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a brand builder is to assume that advertising agencies want to help you build your brand and sell your products. Don’t be silly; what they really want is to keep you as a fee-paying client for as long as possible. The general character of the advertising business is sycophancy. A lot of agencies will produce any nonsense you want, so long as it keeps you happy and you can pay for it.”

March 2, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

We received an e-mail this moring from Rich Siegel, author of Tuesdays With Mantu, a "nonfictional work of fiction" that chronicles the e-mail correspondence between Siegel and the Nigerian spammers famous for promising millions of dollars to millions of Americans.

"It isn’t just opposable thumbs that sets man apart from the rest of
the animal kingdom. We’ve also been blessed with the gift of literature.
Stories, poems, novels, books, these are the pillars of Western
Civilization. The written word has shaped us, guided us, counseled us
and inspired us to all that we dream we can be.

This book does none of that."

According to his web site, Rich Siegel has been an advertising copywriter/creative director for more than 20 years. He learned the business the old fashioned way, reading confidential memos while working as a mailroom clerk.

Reviewing the book, Lee Clow asks, "Why wasn't he this funny when he worked here?"

March 2, 2005 by Wade Sturdivant | Permalink | 0 Comments

I read an investment book once that contained the following advice: When it comes to money, be an owner, not a loaner.

Being an owner in that case meant owning a home versus renting, or owning stocks versus loaning a bank money in the form of a Certificate of Deposit, etc. Good advice, I think. Especially when it comes to the ownership of creative content. Those who own what they create can live off the proceeds for years. And those who don't? Well, anyone who ever watched VH-1's Behind The Music knows that it's often the publishing deals and songwriting credits that make the difference between having a lifelong music career or having to go to work for your brother-in-law's pest control company after the band breaks up.

Ownership is also the reason DVDs of TV shows often don't include songs by famous artists that aired in the original show. And why fans of the radio-station comedy WKRP in Cincinnati may never see DVDs of the show released at all. As reported by Wired, "For many TV shows, costs to license the original music for DVD are prohibitively high, so rights owners replace the music with cheaper tunes, much to the irritation of avid fans. And some shows, like WKRP , which is full of music, will probably never make it to DVD because of high licensing costs."

You don't have to tell most ad creatives about the value of ownership. We sign away all rights to it the first day on the job as a condition of employment. (Which reminds me: Anyone know why practically everyone else in the creative arena (screenwriters, musicians, actors, directors) seems to have a guild or a union protecting their ownership interests (and a lot of other interests), while ad creatives don't?) Imagine how much different your world would be if you owned even a fraction of the success your ideas bring to your clients or your employer. Sure beats the hell out of some lame profit sharing plan you won't even be fully vested in for another 7 years. (And I'm sure you'll be at your current job at least that long, right?) Nope. Don't know about you, but I'll take ownership over being owned any day of the damn week.

March 3, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Writing in the New York Times today, Nat Ives sheds light on the newest scam: click fraud. Since pay-per-click advertising (and there's some on our site) is the newest cash cow for companies like Google, this could be a huge problem very soon.

It's also the latest gotcha for marketers who are desperate to precisely measure their results (or ROI for you DM dorks). The more we rely on back-room technology to track an ad's impact and determining its ultimate cost, the easier it will be for hackers and scammers to screw with the system.

March 3, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Ad Age: The president of beer giant Anheuser-Busch said at an industry conference the company has contemplated buying its way into the spirits business. In response to a question, August Busch IV said there has been a lot of internal dialogue about making an acquisition outside of beer.

An executive who attended the conference said Mr. Busch did not identify any potential targets and that no deal is imminent. Mr. Busch also said the company might go into higher or lower alcohol products on its own but didn't elaborate, the executive said.

Mr. Busch's remarks come as Anheuser-Busch and other brewers struggle to grow while spirits sales are on the rise. Spirits have taken share in bars and nightclubs.

Anheuser-Busch has retaliated by stepping up bar promotions –- a key part of spirits marketing -– and rolling out new products. One of them, pronounced "B-to-the-E," is a caffeine- and ginseng-infused brew aimed at 20-somethings who imbibe vodka-and-Red Bull drinks and sweet cocktails.

March 4, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

from New York Times: After 18 years, the National Pork Board is taking "the other white meat" in another direction.

The organization, seeking to promote pork as a more contemporary choice at mealtime is tripling its advertising spending and playing down the theme it has used since 1987 of pork as "the other white meat."

A multimedia campaign by the Richards Group in Dallas - hired last year to help increase pork consumption, particularly among urban women ages 25 to 49 - is instead declaring, "Don't be blah." The idea is to remind consumers that they have alternatives to the same old same old for dinner.

Steve Murphy, chief executive of the pork board, based in Des Moines, said the more aggressive strategy was adopted because research found what he called "barriers to demand growth" for pork.

Specifically, Mr. Murphy said, women in the target audience said they perceived pork as "grandma's Sunday dinner" and believed it to be "more complicated to prepare than beef or poultry."

March 4, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Tim Nudd of Adfreak points to Zippo's response to a recent ruling by the Transportation Security Administration banning lighters from commercial flights, including checked luggage.

"We strongly oppose the interpretation by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that prohibits packing lighters in checked luggage. In testing performed by Zippo engineers, as well as investigations done by the Lighter Association, Inc., not a single bit of evidence points to lighters being hazardous in checked luggage. Specifically, we have not uncovered one instance in which lighters in checked luggage exploded, caught fire or otherwise posed a danger to the aircraft.

Ironically, DOT regulations permit such items as ammunition, as well as aerosol cans, which could contain isobutane propellants, to be carried in checked luggage, and considers these items to be non-hazardous. If the DOT considers gunpowder and isobutane to be non-hazardous, it should logically conclude, based on all the evidence available, that lighters are non-hazardous as well."

Zippo claims their sales could decline by as much as 30 percent.

March 4, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Having recently moved to a small town, I suppose I ought to feel lucky that we have a Starbucks (I don't). After all, I'm hopelessly addicted to espresso. I won't bore you with my anti-Starbucks rhetoric in this space, but I will redistribute this vitriolic post from Gawker.

As if their complete domination of New York City’s every street corner didn’t prove their evil mettle, the corporate caffeine-pushers behind the human drone refueling station known as Starbucks have sunk to a new low. They destroyed the Starship once and for all.

Let us explain. Over in Seattle, where the devil wears a green apron, Stranger writer David Schmader attended the Starbucks Licensed Store Awards, a sort of pep rally for the brave men and women who risk steam burns day in and day out to keep your latte-addicted heart pumping. While there, he taped an awful cover version of Jefferson Starship’s anthemic “We Built this City” with groan-inducing Starbucks-centric lyrics.

We warn you, this isn’t pretty: “We Built this Starbucks.”

It’s enough to put us off of coffee. Until tomorrow morning.

Thanks to Adrants for the pointer.

March 5, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

In the mid-1980s I was a college student in Lancaster, PA. As such, locally produced beers like Yuengling and Rolling Rock were a regular part of my party diet. They were also incredibly cheap back then, like nine bucks a case.

Over time, I acquired a taste for finer things and turned to Anchor Steam, Pilsner Urquell, Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, Bells, Three Floyds and so on. Now that I'm back on the East Coast, I've taken notice of Yeungling's much expanded presence here and come full circle in my beer tastes, once more enjoying the malted beverage from the decidedly working class town of Pottsville, PA.

By the way, the banner above is provided on the brewery's site, for brand evangelists like me to freely post. Good move, Yuengling.

March 7, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

This week's Adweek features an article (for subscriber access only) highlighting some ad folks who are also bloggers.

We, however, are not among them. They do highlight The Mario Blog, Adblather, Jack Cheng, psfk.com, Gareth Kay's BrandNew, Caffeine Goddess, and AdLand.

Hey, I'm a 10-year Adweek subscriber. How about a little love for the Adpulpers?

March 7, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

AdAge is running a "Special Report" on marketing to Luddites. The report seeks to prove that Luddites are not only found among the old and poor.

Nearly half of cellphone-less adults are age 18 to 44, and one-fifth of Net-less adults have household income of at least $50,000, according to NOP World's Roper Reports.

28% of American adults -- 60 million people -- have no wireless phone, while 21% -- 45 million people -- have no access to the Internet at home or at work.

These facts lead me to wonder which products Luddites might be most likely to purchase. I'm thinking gardening tools, books, candles, bicycles and home brewing equipment. Hey, except for my love of the internet, I might be a Luddite.

March 8, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from New York Post: Reality TV kingpin, Mark Burnett, claims a Hollywood product placement firm lied to him and the makers of Crest toothpaste, Levi's and Mars candy bars to get their products onto "The Apprentice" — and pocketed millions of dollar in fees in the process.

The company, Los Angeles-based Madison Road Entertainment, marked up the estimated $2 million-to-$3.5 million product placement fee to as high as $7 million, according to the suit.

The alleged scam went something like this: Madison Road would approach the marketers and tell them it was associated with Burnett so they would agree to work with Madison Road and negotiate a fee with the company, the suit charges. Madison Road would then approach Burnett and tell them it was the exclusive representative of those companies and Burnett had to do business with it to get the products on the show, court papers allege.

In fact, Burnett charges that he had no prior relationship with Madison Road.

According to Media Week, Madison Road was formed in 2002 by Tom Mazza, the former president of Columbia TriStar Television with Jak Severson, a longtime marketing exec and Rob Long, a former writer for Cheers. The firm’s other projects have included deals for Tyra Banks’ America’s Top Model show on UPN and a proposed sitcom based on Coors’ “Wingman” ads.

A rep said the company had not yet reviewed the lawsuit but issued the following statement: “Madison Road prides itself with its integrity and fair business practices, and is astounded by this suit and disappointed in Mark Burnett Productions. Madison Road exists to protect brands and the advertising community in the branded entertainment space, and the company’s deals all reflect this protection. Madison Road strongly looks forward to defending the integrity of their company.”

March 8, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from New York Times: The trade organization for the liquor industry is for the first time offering the public a look behind the scenes at how it handles complaints about advertising, like the one for a vodka that declared, "Remember: Tonight is only a success if it ends with breakfast."

Three Olives Cherry Vodka giving 'em something to complain about.

The organization, known as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, plans to release today a report reviewing the rulings made by its code review board in the last year. Under what the council calls its code of responsible practices, the board is charged, as part of a self-regulatory process, with reviewing and ruling on criticism of the content of liquor ads.

A major goal of the council in ending its secrecy is to demonstrate that self-regulation works - the better to forestall intervention by outside regulators like the Federal Trade Commission. In responding to its critics, the commission has called on liquor marketers in recent years to sharpen their scrutiny of ads to avoid appeals to anyone under the legal drinking age.

Although the board has been making such decisions for decades, the council had not previously shared information with anyone other than the complainants and their targets. Now, the decisions will be available in printed form as well as online at www.distilledspirits.org.

March 8, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Forbes is running a feature on the top corporate hate sites. "To honor these quixotic champions, we spent hours trawling the Web looking for the very best corporate hate sites." I must say, this seems an odd thing to do for a magazine which regularly covers these very corporations in a positive light. At any rate, here's the list:

KBhomesucks.com
Paypalsucks.com
Allstateinsurancesucks.com
MS-Eradication.org
Amexsux.com
WalMart-Blows.com
Verizonpathetic.com
Untied.com
UnitedPackageSmashers.com

While it did not make the list, BestBuySux.org is one of my personal faves. Best Buy is a retailer I will never again visit, after becoming aware of (and subject to) their draconian restocking fees.

March 9, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

Ad Age has an article today on BBDO's resignation of the Stainmaster carpet account.

Here's a telling quote from BBDO COO Jeff Mordos: "It has become clear that current management is seeking a level of service that is more consistent with its own economic realities. As such, we have determined it is no longer a viable match for us."

Translation: Either BBDO has way too much overhead to service the account profitably, or Stainmaster is too cheap and doesn't want to run the $1 million TV ads that BBDO loves to do.

But now, 2 other Omincom shops are pitching the account. Won't they have the same problem?

March 9, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

CNN reports that The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is bringing back their iconic Doublemint twins. The move is the company's biggest investment in its Spearmint and Doublemint brands since they were introduced in 1893 and 1914, respectively.

Wrigley's longtime agency, BBDO Chicago, has penned a new jingle to support the campaign.

We're Back Jingle

We're the Doublemint Twins
And we're back to say
You didn't double your pleasure
You just doubled your pain

Deodorant's extreme
Water's got caffeine
Even the news is mean

It doesn't make sense
Even Yoga's intense

Why not enjoy something that's just fun

Like the delicious mild mint flavors of

Wrigley's Spearmint
And Doublemint gum

Additionally, all "twins" -- identical, fraternal, uncanny lookalikes, even people who resemble their pets -- can participate in a casting call via the Web at twinscastingcall.com or at live casting events in New York's Times Square Studios on April 19 and Chicago's Michigan Plaza on April 26.

March 9, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

A shameless plug-ola for my new column on Talent Zoo called "Boeing and Banging." Enjoy.

March 10, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

And here...print out this coupon for 25% off at Borders and Waldenbooks.

March 10, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

from New York Times: A resolution asking the National Collegiate Athletic Association to end alcohol advertising on radio and television broadcasts during college athletic events will be introduced today in the House of Representatives.

Representative Tom Osborne, Republican of Nebraska, the former football coach at the University of Nebraska, is the author of the resolution. He introduced a similar one last year, but it never came to a vote.

The four-page resolution claims alcohol producers spent $52 million on radio and television advertising for college sports in 2003, including $21 million for the N.C.A.A. tournament.

That was down from 2002, when $58 million was spent on alcohol advertising on radio and television, including $27 million in the tournament, the resolution said.

The resolution points to a 2002 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that says two in five college students are binge drinkers, 1,400 college students die each year of alcohol-related injuries and more than 70,000 college students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault. The resolution has the American Medical Association's backing.

March 11, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Adweek reports that entertainment marketing firm Madison Road, which was sued last week by Mark Burnett Productions for allegedly misrepresenting its relationship with Burnett to clients, has countersued Burnett for $40 million for defamation and trade libel.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in Santa Monica, Calif., charges that after Burnett's success with placements in the second season of The Apprentice, the company began upping fees for placements to $5 million (from what sources said was $2.5-3 million) and tried to cut out third parties.

Madison Road disputes the claim in Burnett's suit that Madison Road misrepresented its relationship with Burnett and charged up to 250 percent more than Burnett's fee for placements.

The suit cites an e-mail purported to be from Kevin Harris, co-executive producer for Mark Burnett Productions, to Madison Road and AIM Productions, a New York-based product placement firm, asking for a $5 million fee for placements on the third season of The Apprentice.

March 11, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Sun Times advertising columnist, Lewis Lazare, tends to see the industry he's charged with covering on a daily basis, as one full of posers and hacks. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Lazare finds Steve Karmen's new book a good read.

In his colum today, Lazare writes, "Karmen had us in his grip right from his book's blunt introduction, when he admits he was stunned to find everyone he interviewed almost invariably prefaced their remarks with 'you can't quote me,' what the author calls an 'instinctive, but telling, response.' Indeed."

Karmen is famous (inside the industry) for writing several jingles, including "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All."

"In their quest to be perceived as art and not commerce, Madison Avenue succeeds in just being bad commerce," Karmen argues in his book.

March 11, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Given that I am from Omaha, and having plied my trade in several small markets, I always appreciate when the advertising press looks in on the excellent work being done far from Madison Avenue. Communications Arts does precisely that in its current issue, choosing to feature Indianapolis agency, Young & Laramore.

Shiel Sexton headquarters, Indianapolis, IN

The caption for the above piece reads:

"It began as a logo-and-letterhead project for a construction contractor. As we worked with them, we came to realize that they were a lot more than number crunchers in hardhats: they were creative entrepreneurs and kindred spirits. We eventually developed a system of logos, inspired by the materials they work in, which culminated in this work: a landmark three-story sculptural representation of the spirit of their company and its mission." -Charlie Hopper, VP/Creatve Director

Y&L is the brainchild of David Young and Jeff Laramore, who met in 1979 while visiting an art gallery in Chicago. Tiffany Meyers, who penned the CA feature describes Young thusly:

"Young—who references James Joyce, Vermeer and epistemology in one breath—is that rare breed of creative leader who managed to marry a vigorous intellectual life with business. Every ad Y&L produces is built on his belief that marketing is applied philosophy. “As a student,” says Young, who earned a philosophy degree from Indiana University, “I learned that the opinions I’d grown up with were sloppy opinions, and philosophy swept that away. In advertising, I also couldn’t start with an opinion and work in that direction. I have to wipe away everything that exists and instead build up from zero, gathering facts and building arguments from them.”

March 14, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

Ad Age this week features an interesting point-counterpoint between Rance Crain and Scott Donaton over whether the ad industry needs to refocus on its tradtional media roots or embrace new forms of advertising. Both columns are accessible from the Ad Age home page.

March 14, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

from USA Today: "The world does not need another clothing line," U2 frontman Bono pronounces.

But the self-described "big-mouth Irish rock star" and his wife, Ali Hewson, are entering the fashion universe with their collection, Edun, co-created with designer Rogan. Edun's earthy but chic duds, which are created from organic materials, are made in family-run factories in South America and Africa with fair-labor practices.

"We're not preaching that we're going to save the planet. But we're doing our best," says designer Rogan, who goes to each factory and meets with workers.

"It's tiny footsteps, small choices," Bono says. "Where you shop, what you buy, the questions you ask. It's a different kind of label consciousness."

"I'm sick of Bono — and I am Bono!" he says. "But this is our moment, and let's see what we can do. I'm just trying to get value out of my life."

March 14, 2005 by Wade Sturdivant | Permalink | 0 Comments

Fresh on the heels of the Ogilvy time sheet case, Adweek reports a new courtroom drama will soon be unfolding. The plaintiff this time is Saatchi & Saatchi. The defendant is a former employee. The reason for the suit? Leaving Saatchi for another agency and allegedly convincing 17 other Saatchi employees to join him a few days later.

Maybe I’m missing a crucial piece of the puzzle here, but I’m a bit confused by the suit. Granted, the circumstances are dramatic and I wouldn’t expect Saatchi to be happy about 18 people quitting in one week, especially if they were all senior employees with solid links to clients. But if leaving was a contractual no-no, why did any of them even consider doing it? And I can’t see the new agency that hired them doing so if they really thought they’d be legally prevented from working there. Plus, they didn’t take any business with them, and according to the article, sources at Saatchi's clients say they don’t plan on moving any business from Saatchi.

Sure, if the defendant violated a specific part of his contract, then case closed. But what if it's not so clear cut? Are we all in “breach of loyalty” any time we find a better job?

March 14, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

According to San Francisco Chronicle, the city of Oakland plans to introduce a new weapon in its fight against prostitution: shame.

Those caught by surveillance cameras and convicted of solicitation will be at risk of having their faces plastered on bus stop signs or even 10-foot by 22-foot billboards. Clear Channel is providing the advertising space.

"I tell people who say to me that prostitution is a victimless crime they should know about the 217 under-age girls who were arrested for prostitution in Oakland last year," said Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. "We're going to shame the out-of-towners and locals who drive to our neighborhood to look for prostitutes," he said.

Shaming and shunning were popular punishments in 17th century colonial America, when jail was largely unknown.

March 15, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Here's one ad from Cossette Post's new print campaign for Hunter Douglas—the leading manufacturer of custom window coverings in North America. The headline reads, "In the proper hands, its the world’s most powerful mood enhancer.” The tagline reads, "Light Can Change Everything."

“While we have traditionally advertised the beauty and functional performance characteristics of our custom products, we felt it was time to suggest that these unique products do much more,” explained Jim Mathews, VP of Corporate Marketing at Hunter Douglas.  “Just as nature's light can effect how we feel, our products can affect the light entering a window to create those same feelings in our homes."

March 15, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

A NYC agency called Anomaly was started last year amidst a barrage of hype and sycophantic press releases, which claimed the agency's founders "decry tradition and embrace revolution."

So the entire ad industry has been waiting for the first fruit of this revolution.

Well, according to Adweek they're breaking their first work for Dasani, a bottled water brand owned by Coke. And indeed, it's revolutionary—the work consists of little mini-movies that the Anomaly folks are calling "spots." Each "spot" is 30 seconds long, which fits the format now embraced by the newfangled medium called "television."

Wow. That's frickin' genius. Vive la revolucion!

March 15, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Click on any news site. You'll see any number of stories about this former WorldCom CEO.

A federal jury in Manhattan returned guilty verdicts on all nine counts, including securities fraud, conspiracy and lying to regulators — a decision that could send Ebbers to prison for the rest of his life.

In his defense, Ebbers testified, “I don’t know about technology and I don’t know about finance and accounting.” Which leads to me to wonder what Ebbers actually knows about, if anything.

As a former WorldCom stockholder who drank the PR Kool-Aid, I want to see him stamping license plates and cleaning up Taco Bell wrappers on the side of the highway. He got what he deserved.

March 16, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 3 Comments

I haven't read it yet, but there's a new book called House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time by Martin Kihn.

What makes this book very intriguing is that Amazon also has an exclusive, tongue-in-cheek 3 minute video overview of the book.

After watching the video, I'm sold on the book--but now I'm gonna try to either go to Borders in my neighborhood and buy it right away, or surf the net to find a lower price. I'm not sure if that's what Amazon had in mind.

March 16, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Manchester Online: Adverts featuring a giant blob of Marmite spread left children "terrified" and having nightmares, it emerged today.

The TV commercials centre around a large brown "amorphous" object described as reminiscent of the monster from the 1950s science fiction film The Blob.

Six viewers lodged complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about the commercials.

They said the adverts had caused "distress" among their children, who were aged two and three, after being broadcast around programmes aimed at youngsters.

The advertising watchdog said: "All the viewers said that their children had been terrified by the advertisements; four said their children refused to watch television after seeing it and a further two said their children had nightmares as a result."

Unilever Bestfoods, which makes Marmite, said it would change the scheduling of the adverts.

Thanks to Steve Hall for the pointer.

March 16, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Adweek: BBDO is moving its campaign for the Peace Corps to outdoor media, marking the first time the volunteer service organization has used that outlet, the shop said.

The Atlanta agency's ad will be placed on billboards and transit shelters in 27 markets, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit and Atlanta. The Peace Corps relies on donated space for its advertising.

March 17, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 7 Comments

from New York Times: The Pepsi-Cola Company, long famous for elaborate, expensive spots stuffed with celebrities, music and special effects, is forgoing them for the multimillion-dollar Pepsi One campaign, now getting under way.

The TV commercials that helped introduce Pepsi One, which ran from 1998 to 2001 during high-profile programs like the Super Bowl and featured stars like Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kim Cattrall, are being replaced. In their stead are offbeat alternatives that include promotional events, online films, posters put up on construction sites, even trading cards.

The campaign features oddball characters created by Geoff McFetridge, a Southern California graphic designer who has worked for ESPN X Games, Nike and the young directors Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze.

Its theme, "Oneify," is intended to bounce off the brand name as well as address seemingly contradictory trends in the youth market signaled by the word "one." Twenty-somethings often say they want to be perceived as individuals but also identify collectively with their peers.

"Kids are so smart, they'll call you out on overt marketing in a minute," said Lee Clow, chairman and chief creative officer at TBWA Worldwide, the agency responsible for the Pepsi One work. "So telling them a 'one-calorie, great taste' story is so ho-hum to them."

"If you engage them in unorthodox ways, with a bit of grace, charm, whimsy, fun and discovery," he added, "you can actually ask them to buy something."

March 17, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Wired: Yahoo is preparing to introduce a new service that blends several of its website's popular features with two of the internet's fastest-growing activities -- blogging and social networking.

Yahoo is testing the hybrid service, called Yahoo 360, with a small group of employees. The service is designed to enable Yahoo's 165 million users to pull content from the website's discussion groups, online photo albums and review section to plug into their own blogs.

Yahoo also is making it easier for the service's users to connect with others who share common interests and friends -- a practice known as social networking. Participants can either choose to open their blogs to the entire world or restrict access to people invited through e-mail.

When it becomes available later this month, Yahoo 360 initially will be restricted to users invited by the company. Those early participants will then be able to invite others.

March 17, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Red Ink is running an interesting piece on Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program.

Reuse-A-Shoe is a key component of Nike's long-term commitment to waste elimination by helping to close the loop on the life cycle of literally millions of pairs of old, worn-out or otherwise unusable athletic shoe material.

Nike Grind Rubber, from outsoles and manufacturing byproduct, goes into baseball and soccer fields, as well as golf products, weight room flooring and running tracks.

Nike Grind Foam, from midsoles, is used in synthetic basketball courts, tennis courts and playground surfacing.

Nike Grind Upper Fabric, from textile and leather uppers is used for padding under hardwood basketball floors.

Red Ink surmises, "Nike's working on fading some of the black marks on their human-rights record by becoming a beacon of environmental consciousness."

For a company based in Oregon (and one with seemingly unrelenting P.R. problems), I would expect nothing less.

March 17, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Business Week: Venerable luggage maker Samsonite Corp. has sold its 100-acre campus in Denver to a California developer for $14.16 million, creating questions about its future in the city.

Founded in Denver as Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Co. in 1910, Samsonite will continue to lease two buildings on the campus for a couple of years. It was not immediately clear Thursday whether the company would stay in Denver after the lease expires.

Panattoni Development Co., based in Sacramento, completed the purchase of the campus Tuesday.

Panattoni, among the nation's largest developers of industrial property, plans to replace the campus' aging facilities with more than 1.75 million square feet of new industrial space in the next three to five years, said Geoff Kreusser, senior vice president of Denver commercial brokerage Colliers, Bennett & Kahnweiler, which represented Panattoni.

Samsonite closed its Denver manufacturing plant in 2001 and moved those operations overseas but has maintained its headquarters in Denver.

March 18, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Ad Age: Charging that the food industry's goal is to get children to eat unhealthy foods, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa also mocked the industry's attempt at self-regulating its advertising messages aimed at children.

Standing in a Capitol Hill hearing room behind a long table crammed with food and toy products featuring characters such as Shrek, Spider-Man and even Barbie clad in a McDonald's uniform, Mr. Harkin held up a book titled The Oreo Counting Book: 10 to 1 Is so Much Fun and called the marketing efforts by the food industry "obscene."

“We got rid of Joe Camel. We’ve got to get rid of Shrek,” he said, holding large pictures of both.

Shrek is a character from two wildly popular animated movies from DreamWorks that has been used in a variety of promotions and tie-ins, notably with General Mills for a number of brands, including cookies, cereal and popcorn.

March 18, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from USA Today: Chevrolet will introduce an entertainment-system option on its Uplander minivan this spring that has hard-drive memory capable of storing 40 movies, 10,000 song tracks or basic video games. It will be offered in General Motors' other minivans by the year's end.

Storing music and movies on the hard drive cuts clutter. "As the mother of two kids, you have CDs and DVDs floating around the vehicle. It's nice to consolidate," GM spokeswoman Lynda Messina says.

The system is made by Los Angeles technology company PhatNoise, which has produced an audio-only version as a dealer option for Volkswagen and Audi since 2003.

It's "like an automotive iPod," CEO Sharon Graves says. The units are built into the car like regular car stereos. To load music, owners download their CD collection onto a personal computer, then transfer the data to a cartridge, which is inserted into the car player.

March 18, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Saying that U.S. public diplomacy must do a better job, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has announced President Bush’s intent to nominate Karen Hughes as under secretary for public diplomacy.

If confirmed, Hughes will conduct a broad review and restructuring of U.S. public diplomacy efforts, Rice said.

During her March 14 announcement at the State Department, Rice noted the success of public diplomacy in the 20th century, but said the “new challenges” of the War on Terror require a review and restructuring of U.S. public diplomacy efforts.

Secretary Rice said too few in the world today know the truth of the goodness, compassion and generosity of the U.S. people, or the respect held for those of other faiths and cultures.  “We must do much more to confront hateful propaganda, dispel dangerous myths and get out the truth,” Rice said.

To counter these myths, Rice said, the administration will work to increase exchanges with the world through educational institutions, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, and will encourage citizens to learn foreign languages, understand different cultures and welcome others into their homes.

“Our interaction with the rest of the world must not be a monologue.  It must be a conversation,” Rice said.  She noted her interactions with world leaders, many of whom were educated at U.S. institutions, and said “our openness to the world is one of our strongest assets.”

Fred Caplan writing for Slate applauds the State Department effort, but cautions:

In consumer marketing, it's not just the slogan that counts; it's ultimately how the product tastes, feels, looks, or sounds. The same is true with public diplomacy. The product matters: What's important is what the U.S. government does. As a recent RAND Corporation paper on public diplomacy put it, "Misunderstanding of American values is not the principal source of anti-Americanism." Sometimes foreigners understand us just fine; they simply don't like what they see. The study concludes that "some U.S. policies have been, are, and will continue to be major sources of anti-Americanism."

March 18, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

I love discovering new blogs of substance. Especially when they have charming names like We Make Money Not Art. Here's an interesting piece lifted from Régine Debatty's site:

Siemens has developed a communications device which recognizes voice commands and allows its user to control home communications and automation systems. The device can be worn like a badge or pin on clothes and transmits commands via Bluetooth to a central home communications server where a software converts the words into commands for the hooked-up systems.

The wearer can, for example, control the intercom system of a house, communicate with a visitor standing at the front door and instruct the master locking system to open the door. She can also accept phone calls and conduct phone conversations over a loudspeaker. A connection with an e-mail inbox on a PC is also envisioned. The voice recognition software reads incoming e-mails and recites the text.

The program doesn’t have to be "trained" to recognize the user’s voice. It can recognize 30,000 words, and predefined commands can be spoken.

This seems like the perfect device for folks living in 10,000 s.f. mansions in Los Altos Hills and Atherton. If it could beam me up to The Enterprise, I might even want one.

March 21, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

New York Times advertising critic, Stuart Elliot, today explores the staying power and charm of ensemble casts in advertising.

Last month, BBDO New York introduced a campaign for Sierra Mist lemon-lime soda, sold by the Pepsi-Cola North America division of PepsiCo, that is centered on an ensemble cast called "The Mist-Takes." There are five comedians, featured in a dozen television commercials as well as on posters and a Web site (mist-takes.com).

The first use of ensemble casts may have been in commercials heard during the so-called golden days of radio, when advertisers and agencies produced the programming. During episodes of hits like "Fibber McGee and Molly," "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" and "The Jack Benny Program," the casts would help deliver the pitches.

The practice continued into the early years of television, on series like "I Love Lucy," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and even "The Flintstones," in which - hard as it is to believe now - some of the cartoon characters smoked Winston cigarettes.

Since then, ensemble casts have returned from time to time, most notably in television spots known as sitcommercials because they mimic the look and feel of episodes of TV situation comedies. Brands like Bell Atlantic, 4C Foods and Ragú pasta sauce used ensemble casts in commercials in the 1980's and early 1990's. The commercials for Verizon and the antismoking foundation are also in that vein.

The Sierra Mist campaign offers a twist to the ensemble idea: The same cast members appear throughout, but play different characters in each commercial, in the style of an improvisational comedy troupe.

Perhaps the most interesting item in Elliot's piece is the fact that Sierra Mist and BBDO New York are considering using their ensemble cast in live performances or having them star in their own show.

March 21, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

According to USA Today, "Cadillac is cool again."

So, is it the Led Zeppelin-infused soundtracks, care of Caddy's agency of record, Chemistri, that's doing the trick? Nada.

The brand is benefitting from the kind of buzz that can not be bought (although it can be comped). Shaquille O'Neal, Calista Flockhart and Adam Sandler all drive Escalades. Rapper Snoop Dogg has talked about launching his own line of $80,000 "Snoop DeVilles," featuring mink-covered seats, TV sets and DVD players. Jennifer Lopez doesn't sing about Lexus in "Love Don't Cost a Thing"— her new lover rolls up in an Escalade.

Since 2000, the average Cadillac buyer's age has dropped from 64 to 57.

March 22, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Ad Age is reporting that Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO of Kaplan Thaler Group, will appear as co-judge Making it Big, a new Apprentice-like reality show that debuts April 25 on cable's female-oriented Oxygen Media.

"She is probably one of the most gifted executives that I know in terms of emotional intelligence. She lives what she says," said Geraldine Laybourne, founder and CEO of Oxygen Media. The two women met not long ago at a charity luncheon; after that introduction, Ms. Laybourne said, she bought a copy of Ms. Kaplan Thaler's book, Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, and found it "great -- one of the more fun weekend reads." She also encouraged the show's producers to consider Ms. Kaplan Thaler as the show's host.

All this on the heels of Ken Auletta's New Yorker profile, which purports to analyze the ad industry, but reads more like a fluff piece on Kaplan Thaler.

March 23, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 5 Comments

This article on Adweek.com highlights the new AARP campaign done by GSD&M.

According to the article, the ads are an "effort to combat the Bush administration's Social Security proposals." One ad shows a house being destroyed simply because of a broken sink--a metaphor for what the AARP thinks the Bush administration wants to do with SS.

I have only one question:
What are the ages of all the people at GSD&M who were involved in this campaign?

March 23, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

USA Today, proving it employs hipster copy editors, used the word "gnarly" in a headline today announcing Quicksilver's acquisition of Rossignol.

According to the article, "The ups and downs of their key selling seasons can now be evened out," says P.K. Kannan, professor of marketing at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business.

A $1.3 billion company based in Huntington Beach, Calif., Quiksilver primarily sells surf goods under the brands Quiksilver, Raisins and Roxy. Also, golf apparel is sold under QuikSilverEdition and Fidra.

It gained its introduction into winter sports in 1997 with its purchase of Mervin Manufacturing, maker of Lib Technologies, Gnu, and Bent Metal snowboard products.

Rossignol is a $625 million company based in Voiron, France, and its skis, ski boots, snowboards and related apparel are sold under brand names Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange, Look, Kerma, Hammer and Risport. It also makes Cleveland Golf products.

March 23, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

According to USA Today, Yahoo is acquiring Canadian photo-sharing company, Flickr.

The startup, Flickr, lets people upload digital photos from computers and camera phones, publish photos in their blogs, share digital photo albums with anyone else who uses the service, and alert other users whenever they upload a new photo or album.

Flickr, which currently offers a free beta product on its Web site, reassured members Monday that Yahoo wants to keep Flickr's management team and preserve the "flavor" of its online community.

"It means that we'll no longer have to draw straws to see who gets paid," one Flickr worker wrote Monday in a post to the startup's official blog. "The best thing is we no longer have to worry about finance, HR, legal, or things at which we are completely incompetent and were taking our time away from building Flickr."

USA Today is also reporting HP's intention to acquire Snapfish, a San Francisco-based company with 13 million members. Snapfish's Web site contains roughly 350 million photos, which users can organize into digital albums, share with other members, turn into calendars or mouse pads, and have printed for as little as 15 cents per photo.

Larry Lesley, senior vice president for H-P's Consumer Imaging and Printing division, said the computer maker plans to ask all 1.5 million HPphoto.com customers if they'd like to migrate to Snapfish when the deal closes next month. Then Snapfish's 80 employees will work with H-P to produce new products and services — including promotions that help people who don't have fancy photo printers print images from their digital cameras.

"This is absolutely a natural extension of our digital photography strategy," Lesley said Monday. "It's not just about printing 4-by-6 photos. We're talking about creating things with images you couldn't possibly do at home or at retail — personalized neck ties, baby blankets, all kinds of things."

March 23, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Wired reports that Fiona Apple finished her latest record Extraordinary Machine in 2003 but it was never released by her label, Epic Records, because the suits apparently claimed it lacked a hit single. Epic is a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

Fiona Apple with Jon Brion, producer of Extraordinary Machine

When questioned about the situation by Wired, an Epic representative e-mailed a statement, which didn't address questions about the album's availability on the radio and online. In addition, the statement indicated Apple has yet to deliver the album.

"We are extremely proud of our long association with Fiona Apple," the statement said. "She is a uniquely talented and much-loved artist, with dedicated fans across this country and around the world. Fiona has not yet delivered her next album to Epic, but we join music lovers everywhere in eagerly anticipating her next release."

The absurdity of this statement cannot be overstated when BigChampagne, which monitors songs available on file-sharing services, found that at any one time about 38,000 users in the United States are downloading songs from Extraordinary Machine. The album has also found a champion in Seattle's 107.7 The End.

Additionally, a handful of Fiona fans protested outside the Sony building in subzero weather last January to let the record honchos know they wanted the album. Free Fiona, an online community is also pressuring Sony to release the work.

March 24, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

from Lewis Lazare: On Wednesday, Leo Burnett formally launched a Musical Artist in Residence program in hopes of bringing today's musical artists and the creative side of the advertising industry in closer harmony.

This week, Burnett welcomed its first musical group, the multi-platinum rock band Collective Soul.

Cheryl Berman, Burnett chairman and its outgoing chief creative officer, said having the musical artists in residence will help them get a better feeling for where the artists' music can fit into ad campaigns in development.

While in residence, artists also will be able to explore how to create and license music specifically for advertising purposes.

March 24, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 8 Comments

Lee Garfinkel is at it again. DDB's New York Chairman and Chief Creative Officer worked as a junior copywriter on Subaru in the early 1980s, when he was with the agency Levine, Huntley Schmidt and Beaver. Today he is back on the car account and the author of Subaru's new long copy campaign.

Think. Feel. Drive.

It's not just a theme line.
It's an automotive ideal.
It's a philosophy and belief system.
It's a way of designing and building cars
that is totally unique to Subaru.
In essence, creating a category of one.

To think. To feel. To drive.
Here is where Subaru and the Subaru owner converge.
A higher level of automotive expertise meets a higher level
of automotive expectations.

To read Garfinkel's entire poem, I mean copy, visit www.thinkfeeldrive.com. And feel free to use our comments to confirm that you're on your way to the local Subaru dealer, if in fact you are so moved.

March 25, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Promo Magazine reports that Maserati is using direct mail to dangle a trip for two to Italy in front of households with $500,000+ incomes.

The promotional prize package includes:

• Round-trip, business class airfare from the U.S. to Italy on Alitalia • Five days and nights in Emilia Romagna, Italy • "Maserati Master GT" 2-day Driving School lessons • Tours of the Maserati factory and racing department • Luxurious accommodations, Hotel Real Fini San Francesco • Fine dining at the region’s most celebrated restaurants

Sounds good, but for the wealthy Italian sports car enthusiast, I don't think an overseas trip in business class is appropriate. A chartered Gulfstream V is more like it.

March 25, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Thanks to Adfreak for the pointer.

March 25, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

The BBC reports that clothing brand Lacoste spends 3m euros (£2m) a year on fighting fakes. Vuitton, whose distinctive LV label leather goods must be among the most distinctive - and most copied - in the world, spends 15m euros (£10.4m).

Figures released by French customs on 21 March show that the number of counterfeit articles seized in 2004 was up 76% on the previous year's figure to 3.5 million items.

"All sorts of things are counterfeited: from Viagra to car parts," says Marion Guth, Secretary-General of the National Anti-Counterfeit Committee which brings together representatives from government and business to fight fakes.

In the 16th Century, counterfeiters had their hands chopped off.

March 25, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Thanks to Room 116 for the pointer.

March 27, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

The New York Times weighs in today with this lengthy article--which made it to the front page of the Business section in the always-thick Sunday edition.

March 28, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Denver-based gourmet burrito purveyor, Chipotle, is making some waves on PBS with "something resembling commercials," according to New York Times.

The psuedo spots--which mock a typical PBS pledge drive--were created by TDA Advertising + Design in Boulder, CO. The spots had to toe some very fine lines. For example, the guidelines allow people in the spots to consume a product as long as they do not appear to enjoy it overtly. So the producer instructed the actors in its pledge drive spoof not to look too thrilled.

Dan Fogarty, who oversees advertising at Chipotle, said that he was sorry if the spots offended anyone, but that the company's intent was pure.

"I'm all for the guidelines of noncommercial radio and television," Mr. Fogarty said. "Our goal is to just not bore people."

March 28, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

from Ad Age: Hip-hop artists have plugged in virtually every high-end brand from Cartier to Versace into their song lyrics. But now the Big Mac is about to get name dropped.

McDonald’s Corp. has hired entertainment marketing firm Maven Strategies to help the fast-food giant encourage hip-hop artists to integrate the Big Mac sandwich into their upcoming songs.

The goal is to have several tracks hit the radio airwaves by the summer.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) denounced the move by McDonald’s to pay hip-hop artists to plug Big Macs in their lyrics.

“This campaign undermines McDonald’s claim that they are serious about combating childhood obesity,” said psychiatrist Alvin F. Poussaint, of the Judge Baker Children’s Center and Harvard Medical School, who noted hip-hop’s enormous popularity with preteens and teens. “Even as McDonald’s is drawing praise for pushing salads and apples, they are finding new ways to market high calorie standbys like the Big Mac to children.”

March 28, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from Boston Globe: There are some things that even a $40,000-a-year Ivy League education can't buy. At Harvard, it's Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms.

Angry cereal fans are lashing out after Harvard University cleared its dining halls this school year of brand-name cereals, such as Fruit Loops and Cap'n Crunch, and swapped them for less expensive, apparently healthier options like Tootie Fruities and Colossal Crunch.

''I was shocked to see they had done this to our cereals," said Harvard senior Cameron Moccari, who last week launched the group ''Harvard Students for the Reimplementation of Brand-Named Cereals" on Thefacebook.com, a popular website that allows students to meet new friends or form study groups. ''They replaced all of the familiar cereals with ones that have weird names and don't taste good."

Thanks to Adfreak for the pointer.

March 29, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Having worked on the Coors account for a number of years, I can report what a dog and pony show the annual distributors conventions is. So, it comes as no surprise to read in Brandweek the lengths August Busch IV went to to impress his distributors.

August Busch IV had whipped up the crowd of Anheuser-Busch distributors into a frenzy with an impassioned speech, promising that the No. 1 brewer would tell America the truth about those foreign beers, namely SABMiller-owned Miller Brewing and Molson Coors.

Distributors already were feeling good before August's battle cry speech on March 22 because company executives already announced that they would lighten up with equity contract compliance. Wholesalers now could spend more time selling beer and rolling out new product and less time dealing with redundancies like brewer audits and ride-alongs to customer accounts with A-B reps.

The audience was standing by the time a full complement of Clydesdales pulling the Budweiser wagon charged onto the raised convention center stage. They watched the convention hall big screens as August IV walked to the floor where his father August III, chairman, sat and knelt before him in homage. The senior Busch was visibly moved to tears.

Maybe August IV's ascendancy to top executive was on the line. But if his test was to energize the brewer's distribution channel, he passed.

Here's what Sun Times advertising columnist, Lewis Lazare had to say about the stunt:

The pressure from a newly aggressive competitor must be really getting to the top brass at Anheuser Busch. In what must have been a bizarre sight to behold, President August Busch IV -- acting like a vassal paying tribute to his king 300 or 400 years ago -- reportedly kneeled down in front of his father, Chairman August Busch III at an annual meeting of AB distributors last week in San Diego. Weird.

March 29, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 11 Comments

Your caption here

One of the great things about a blog is the level of interaction with readers made possible by comments. AdPulp has some incredibly witty readers and to showcase that wealth of wit, we're conducting a caption wrting contest for the above image. The best caption (as judged by yours truly) will be taken from the comments area and placed here, in the post.

Thanks for playing.

March 29, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

H&M's desecration of The Flatiron Building

Thanks to Room 116 for the pointer.

March 29, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 8 Comments

Fortune--a magazine I generally find useful--has added "Advertising and Marketing" to its list of industries for their 2005 America's Most Admired Companies report. Here are the winners:

1-Omnicom Group
2-Vertis
3-Grey Global Group
4-Interpublic Group

I've never heard of Vertis, until now. I once worked for an Omnicom agency and it was an okay experience. Grey and Interpublic are probably okay to work for, as well. But "most admired" seems like a stretch. I don't know too many people who admire holding companies. Individual agencies held by said companies, yes. Men in suits pushing numbers, no.

AdPulp's most admired advertising companies:

Google (for letting everyone play)
Fallon (for keeping it real)
Wieden + Kennedy (for staying independent)
Goodby Silverstein + Partners (for their exceptionally good taste)

March 29, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

We all know about the prevalence of prescription drug ads, but now the scrunity is turning to hospital advertising and marketing, as noted in this AP article.

Now the ad industry has to watch out.

While pharmaceutical advertising is kind of a niche that some ad agencies pursue--and it's pretty easy to snicker at Cialis and all the side effect-laden commercials--hospital and other health care-related advertising is a cash cow for many, many small local and regional agencies. And as Americans are getting older, fatter, and sicker, it's a growth area. Trust me, as a freelancer, I've done many a hospital ad, and the competition amongst health care providers is just as fierce as any other category.

March 30, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

Frankly, I think this is just disgusting.

A New York Times article suggests that Terri Schiavo's parents have agreed to sell a list of their financial supporters to a direct marketing firm.

Just think of the types of organizations who have been most vocal in wanting to re-insert Schiavo's feeding tube and you'll get a sense of the type of junk mail that will be sent to people who just might have been moved enough by her plight to send a few bucks.

This is why advertising people--of which DM is a part of--get no respect.

Ever wonder why Direct Marketing is called "below the line?" Because often, it's below the line of taste and decency.

March 30, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

from San Jose Mercury News: Looking for the latest Norteño gangsta rap CD? How about a Sureño 13'' T-shirt?

Shopping around for "gangsta garb'' and other related merchandise is just a couple of clicks away -- on eBay.

Some local groups and a national gang expert accuse the world's largest online marketplace of promoting gangs by allowing such merchandise on its popular Web site. And they say the Internet purchases could put naive buyers -- gang "wannabes'' and others -- at risk for violence.

"The bottom line is, if you can go into a store or online to buy something that basically puts a target on your back to get killed, it's a huge concern,'' said Angel Rios, who heads the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force in San Jose.

Currently, eBay's offensive material policy prohibits any items that "promote or glorify hatred, violence, or racial intolerance, or items that promote organizations -- such as the KKK, Nazis, neo-Nazis, and Aryan Nation -- with such views.''

eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said he did not believe advertising the sale of a red or blue bandanna or a T-shirt with the number 13, a symbol for the Sureño gang, violates the policy. Such items would be banned if they contained the word `"kill'' or explicitly promoted a violent act.

March 30, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Adweek reports that John Livengood has been promoted to executive creative director at DDB Seattle. No doubt for lucid thinking like this:

"My whole perspective is, creatives need to change the questions we ask," he said. Instead of asking clients what they want in terms of campaign components, Livengood suggested, "ask them what they want people to do. Not, 'Do you want a print campaign?' But 'What's the business problem here? What's the challenge?' "

Livengood said he has found this "problem-solving first, tactics second" method to be a productive and "fundamentally different way to drive [consumer] behavior." Getting messages noticed and acted upon relies on a strong combination of creative, account planning, strategic and production efforts, he said, and it's harder than ever to achieve.

While I agree with each and every syllable uttered by the good Mr. Livengood, he assumes a solid agency-client partnership, when few such relationships exist today. Agencies, even the best of them, are vendors, not partners.

March 30, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Boing Boing's Xeni Jardin caught up with Mark Cuban recently to discuss his latest, and perhaps greatest, business challenge--building the first all-digital theater empire. Here are some excerpts from her Wired article:

Getting to the Bunker, as Mark Cuban's assistants call his underground office, means tunneling deep into the American Airlines Center, the 20,000-seat stadium that's home to his Dallas Mavericks basketball team. A maze of curving corridors leads to a narrow hallway ending in two gray doors - no nameplates, no keyholes. Controlled by a keypad, the doors open to reveal a blinged-out hideaway. All that's missing is the theme song from Get Smart.

Hunched over a PC in the corner of the room, wearing a Mavs jersey and white sweatpants, Cuban is doing what he likes best: swapping email with fans, posting provocative entries on his blog, BlogMaverick, and figuring out new ways to make a buck.

But he's eager to talk about his next big idea, which has nothing to do with sports or TV. This time, the firebrand CEO is taking on Hollywood. As co-owner of Landmark Theatres, a chain of 60 cinemas he purchased two years ago, Cuban is building the first all-digital theater empire. His goal is nothing less than to take the film out of the film industry.

Going digital would be a boon for studios, theater owners, and moviegoers. If studios no longer had to make thousands of copies of each film to deliver to theaters, they could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the studios spent more than $631 million in 2003 on film prints for the North American market alone.

Likewise, switching to digital exhibition systems would give theater owners unprecedented flexibility. If a blockbuster packed more seats than anticipated, an owner could quickly reallocate screens that weren't selling as well to handle the overflow. In a film-based world, such changes can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and costly - requiring an additional print from the studio and a reel swap.

Moviegoers, for their part, would be treated to a future that promises no more out-of-focus projection, out-of-order reels, or scratchy footage on heavily played film. Even more exciting to Cuban is the broader range of content that digital systems make possible: Beyond movies, theaters could offer live, hi-res broadcasts of sports events, Broadway plays, fashion shows, and multiplayer electronic games.

March 31, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

A shameless plug-ola for my new Talent Zoo column. Enjoy.

Avid Adpulp readers will note I briefly touched on this before.

March 31, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

GoDaddy's Super Bowl ad, in which a buxom woman assures a panel at a Senate hearing that her top won't fall off during a commercial, received the highest recall rating of all the game's advertisers, according to ACNielson. The day after the game, site visits spiked to 1.1 million, about five times more visits than a typical day.

Despite this performance, Adweek is reporting that GoDaddy.com is letting its contract with The Ad Store expire. The Scottsdale-based domain name registrar is moving its account in-house, where the focus will be on direct marketing.

Directly contradicting his firm's Super Bowl success, GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons said, "When you do branding advertising, you really don't know what's working and what's not immediately. With direct response, we're able to track on our Web site how well each of those ads work."

March 31, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

eBay is making industry news this week for dumping Goodby Silverstein + Partners and calling them a "vendor" in the process, quite possibly a first for GSP. But Adpulp is more interested in the seedier side of eBay.

According to Local6.com, a Knoxville, TN woman has auctioned off her last name on eBay for $15,199. The winning bidder is GoldenPalace.com, an internet gambling site. From now on the woman will be known as Terri GoldenPalace.com.

No, this is not an Onionesque post. It's real.

March 31, 2005 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Adfreak, New York Daily News and The Wall Street Journal are all reporting on the richest man in the world's preference for Diet Orange Crush.

While Bil Gates needs no income from an endorsement deal, maybe Cadbury Schweppes could provide the 20,000+ square foot Gates' home with an Orange Crush vending machine. Or not.

March 31, 2005 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

"They've [Goodby] done a great job, but we got to a point where we needed an agency that could handle all of our marketing," said Henry Gomez, an eBay spokesperson. "At the end of the day, Goodby is a boutique in San Francisco, and we got to the point where we need a bit more creative firepower and a bit more executional firepower."

That taken from this article on clickz.com.

A boutique? Lacking creative firepower? Whoa...them's fightin' words.