March 1, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 5 Comments

Adweek reports on a war of words between Arnold and Glenn Sacks, a blogger who thinks Arnold's commercials denigrate men.

Glenn Sacks, on his Web site glennsacks.com, yesterday wrote, "We are asking Volvo not to award the contract to Arnold and instead award it to one of the other agencies, preferably Euro RSCG."

He objects to several of the agency's recent commercials, notably an execution for Fidelity Investments, in which a dad jumps up and down after besting his daughter in a game of Ping-Pong.

Sacks derided as harmful the portrayal of men in general, and fathers in particular, as "stupid" and "insensitive."

While it's true that making men look like doofuses is fairly standard in many ads, it's a trend that comes after decades of commercials that made housewives look in desperate need of the newest household cleanser/detergent/TV dinner.

It's interesting to see an agency formally respond to a blogger's efforts--and Sacks is directly trying to influence Volvo's decision making.

March 1, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Web Host Industry Review offers a concise look at some possible uses for Twitter, a Web 2.0 darling du jour.

You can use Twitter as a shorthand newsletter. The example that LifeHacker gave was a video store, whose employees can post new movies now available for rental, holiday business hours, limited-time sales promo, etc. Likewise, web hosting providers can keep customers posted on network status ("some DC2 circuits scheduled for maintenance @ 2-3am") or announce new products ("this just in: quad core servers for $199!").

Technorati, CNN, BBC Video and Google News all have Twitter channels, so clearly business is finding the service useful.

Meg Pickard takes a look at how individuals use Twitter.

She says, "different people use it in very different ways."

Her Twittering classes are:

• The Briefers, who provide only bulletins relating to current location or status. Example: Waiting for the bus. Cold.
• The Detailers, who use Twitter to give an insight into what they’re thinking, eating, listening to, looking forward to, planning, and so on. Example: Wondering what to have for tea tonight. Pasta, maybe.
• The Kitchen Sinkers, who use Twitter as a new form of blogging, recording thoughts and links and opinions and ideas, addressed to no-one in particular. Example: Traffic lights broken at the corner of high street. Phoned work and told them I’ll be late. That’s the fourth time this week. Sigh.
• The Pongers, who respond publically to other users whose updates they are receiving via Twitter (so called because they return each IM ping with a pong). Example: @Jim: Hahaha! Yes!

According to Twitter, the service was born as an interesting side project within the offices of Odeo in March of 2006. There's more on the firm's blog.

[UPDATE: Book Two is using Twitter to republish James Joyce’s Ulysses, line by line.]

March 1, 2007 by Matt Bergantino | Permalink | 1 Comments

In the New York Times today, a great example of how faith in your art can pay off, if you're smart, resourceful, and have something people want.

Most first-time novelists only sell a few thousand copies, but Scott Sigler, a San Francisco-based sci-fi writer, has built a sizeable audience for his "steel-tipped boot on your throat, speed-metal fiction” by podcasting from a makeshift studio he set up in his walk-in closet.

After being snubbed by publishers for years, Mr. Sigler began recording his first book, “EarthCore,” in 2005. He offered it as a podcast in 22 episodes (roughly 45 minutes each) that he posted online and sent free to subscribers for downloading. Before long, Mr. Sigler had 5,000 listeners; by the time he finished releasing his second novel, “Ancestor,” last January, he had 30,000, as he does for “The Rookie,” which is playing now.

If you're in a boot-to-the-throat kinda mood today, check out Sigler's offerings.

March 1, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 3 Comments

Senators Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. and John Cornyn, R-Texas, along with 29 sponsors from both sides of the aisle, recently introduced a bill designed to significantly restrict tobacco advertising--particularly to minors--by giving the FDA authority over the product's marketing.

In the House, Reps. Henry Waxman D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va., introduced a similar measure with nearly 100 co-sponsors, and that number is expected to grow.

Ad Age looks at the ad industry's repsonse.

Ad groups are pinning the "unconstitutional" label on Sen. Edward Kennedy's bid to let the Food and Drug Administration regulate tobacco and to impose a decade-old plan that imposes draconian marketing curbs on tobacco advertising.

"While the government has a legitimate interest in fighting the use of tobacco products by minors, the FDA's proposed regulations sweep far too broadly and result in massive censorship of truthful speech aimed at adults," the Association of National Advertisers, the American Advertising Federation and American Association of Advertising Agencies said in the letter.

According to Forbes, Kennedy said, "FDA action can play a major role in breaking the gruesome cycle that seduces millions of teenagers into a lifetime of addiction and premature death."

An earlier Forbes piece from Feb. 19 explains the twisted logic behind Phillip Morris' support for the bill.

Philip Morris USA, a subsidiary of Altria Group and the nation's largest cigarette manufacturer, with a 50.3% market share, roundly supports the bill. The company says FDA regulation would create a national tobacco policy, providing clear standards for the industry.

But just about everyone else in the industry is worried that the bill would diminish tobacco companies' current advertising clout, putting them at a disadvantage compared with Philip Morris, which owns the ubiquitous Marlboro brand.

The thinking is diminished advertising allows Marlboro to "lock in" its market share. In fact, RJ Reynold's has refered to the bill as "The Marlboro Monopoly Act."

[FULL DISCLOSURE: I work on RJR's Camel brand at BFG Communications. Therefore, I have more than a passing interest in this legal development.]

March 1, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 5 Comments

Pamela Grossman at Getty Images reports that the Dove spot depicted above has been banned by the FCC for showing too much skin. However, the ad is airing in Canada, according to Canoe. And on the internets, obviously.

Grossman fights the Feds logic with:

How can it be that Ms. Spears is allowed to gyrate in a bikini top on MTV with a snake whilst singing “I’m a slave for you” to 12 year olds, but 50-something women are not allowed to be shown sans clothes in what I would argue is a completely tasteful, if not downright elegant manner?

How, indeed?

March 2, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

According to this this news story from A.P., Absolut is for sale.

The vodka distilled in the southern Swedish town of Ahus is the world's No. 3 premium spirit and one of the country's most recognizable brands. It's owned by the Swedish government, who will likely make billions on the transaction (while gratifying those Swedes who contend their government needn't be in the spirits business).

March 2, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 7 Comments

The line between advertising and content becomes thinner by the day. Here's today's example from Variety.

Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project.

"Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta.

Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials.

Banterist interviewd Lawson in 2005. Here's something he said, "Every once in a while, if you are lucky, you catch the tail of an opportunity and put something on TV that doesn't annoy people, but most of the time 99% of us are producing crap."

[via American Copywriter]

March 4, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Rob Walker has a good gig. He writes about consumer culture for TNYT Magazine. This week's installment looks at Rosemary Williams, an artist and an assistant professor of new media at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Williams finds shopping anxiety-laden, which makes her choice to pursue "The Wall of the Mall" an act of bravery as well as an act of art, for she had to make recurrent trips to the Mall of America to create her work.

Her choice to "look critically at the ways in which shopping dominates our mental and physical landscapes" eventually took sculpted form (see photo above). She continues the theme in an audio series available from her site, Rosemary Goes to the Mall. In episode 16, Rosemary discovers the unadulterated joys of pure oxygen at Oxynate, an oxygen bar on the 3rd floor of the Mall. High on oxygen, she then drops $580 on a Magellan Portable Auto Navigation System at Radio Shack.

Good stuff.

March 5, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

According to USA Today, Wal-Mart is giving High-Def Radio a fighting chance.

The world's largest retailer will carry a high-definition car radio from JVC in 1,989 of its stores in 85 markets, priced at about $190.

Being on the shelf at Wal-Mart "underscores that HD Radio is ready for prime time, it's ready for the masses," says Peter Ferrara, CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance, a consortium that includes radio broadcasting powers such as Clear Channel and CBS Radio.

Stations in the 85 markets will donate airtime for Wal-Mart-produced ads about the HD Radios. The ads fit into the larger effort to popularize HD Radio. Stations have pledged $250 million in ad time in 2007, an average of 126 ads a week on each of the alliance's 700 stations.

Developed by Ibiquity, digital radio broadcasts provide listeners with radically improved audio quality, reception and new data services. HD Radio is free for consumers. A HD Radio receiver is all that is needed.

March 5, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

Over at The Hot Mic at Radio Talent Zoo, TZ's Bobbin Wages scores an exclusive podcast interview with Peter Krivkovich, CEO of Cramer-Krasselt.

C-K, if you'll recall, decided to tell CareerBuilder.com to take a hike when the client decided it wasn't happy with its agency because its Super Bowl commercial failed to make the Top 10 in this year's USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter.

Krivkovich also talks about agency-client relationships in general. It's an enlightening discussion.

March 5, 2007 by Matt Bergantino | Permalink | 0 Comments

By 2010, Microsoft will shift most of its $1 billion in U.S. ad spend to digital formats, according to senior VP Mich Mathews. Traditional media will play a role, but the goal will be to involve consumers in the brand. From MediaDailyNews:

That [involvement] mantra has become so critical that it's taken into consideration when creating TV spots and other video ads. Providing content that consumers can take ownership of via mashups and other tinkering is key. "It's now a factor in the creative process," Mathews said.

For example, an Xbox spot for the "Gears of War" game featured creative from agency McCann-Erickson that an amateur mish-mashed into his own version, complete with the "Stayin' Alive" track from the Bee Gees. It generated loads of streams on YouTube.

...Mathews said she is so committed to digital dominance--or at least its strong role in an integrated campaign--that she wants her digital marketing team in all planning sessions.

March 5, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

With the recent bi-partisan effort to enact further restrictions on tobacco advertising, I decided to explore the issue further.

Just how much does advertising and marketing need to be regulated?

It doesn’t matter who’s in power in Washington—there are both Democrats and Republicans who want to impose the additional tobacco regulations. It seems we are living in an ever-growing nanny state, and there are other types of advertising in the regulatory crosshairs, most notably fast-food, pharmaceutical, political advertising, and anything that kids could potentially see. That’s just for starters.

Now, I’m no fan of excessive government regulation, and I find it deeply strange to ban advertising of any product that’s perfectly legal to make and sell. But every time the threat of more regulation emerges, the leading trade groups for marketers, manufacturers, and advertisers along with their attendant lobbyists always say, “We don’t need federal regulation. Self-policing is the best way to go.” Bullshit. That’s letting the fox guard the henhouse, and frankly, our industry has never displayed much capacity for trustworthiness.

It's the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo.

I hope you enjoy it. I know these tubes of the Internets reach an audience around the world, but most of what I wrote applies primarily to American advertising and our government's regulatory abilities.

March 5, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Ad Age explores reactions to the much ballyhooed Red campaign designed to benefit the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The campaign's inherent appeal to conspicuous consumption has spurred a parody by a group of San Francisco designers and artists, who take issue with Bono's rallying cry. "Shopping is not a solution. Buy less. Give more," is the message at buylesscrap.org, which encourages people to give directly to the Global Fund.

Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator, which rates the spending practices of 5,000 nonprofits, expressed concern that the campaign "gives young people an excuse to feel good about themselves while they buy an overpriced item they don't really need."

Mark Rosenman, a longtime activist in the nonprofit sector and a public-service professor at the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, said the disparity between the marketing outlay and the money raised by Red is illustrative of some of the biggest fears of nonprofits in the U.S.

"There is a broadening concern that business is taking on the patina of philanthropy and crowding out philanthropic activity and even substituting for it," he said. "It benefits the for-profit partners much more than the charitable causes."

I hear the above concerns and believe they're valid. Yet, there's no question that the great causes of our time need corporate support. And corporations are right to want more for their money than a check writing ceremony. Red allows the corporate sponsors to actually make a profit, and this fact has some traditionalists stirred up, but it's a good idea nonetheless.

The companies supporting this charitable cause include Motorola, Apple, Converse, Gap, American Express and Emporio Armani.

March 5, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Can I get the U.S. rights to do this over here?

March 5, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 5 Comments

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best consumer-generated ads we've seen out there are for political campaigns. And this is just a sample of what we're in for in 2008:

As I understand it, this wasn't sanctioned by the Obama campaign. But I love it.

March 6, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Talk about some big time brand extensions: BusinessWeek reports on Disney's new line of designer bridal gowns.

Disney is taking a bold step into a market dominated by designers like Vera Wang with high-end cachet. But Mickey Mouse is no stranger to the altar. In 1991, Disney World in Orlando, Fla., launched its Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons service. The popularity of the program and the number of available options and extras have grown over the past 16 years. Disney now plans and hosts more than 2,000 unions a year—typically costing between $8,000 and $45,000—in both Orlando and at Anaheim (Calif.)-based Disneyland.

I could actually see this being kinda fun if you're into that sort of thing and you don't take it *too* seriously. Would you want a Disney wedding?

March 6, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 5 Comments

According to Seattle Times, Starbucks fields thousands of calls each year from customers phoning from the road to find the nearest Starbucks store.

Customers with cellphones and mobile devices can now save themselves the call. Mobile users can send a text message with the area's zip code to MYSBUX (697289), and a list of nearby Starbucks stores will pop back.

I just tested it and it works. Now, if someone comes up with the same system for indie coffee shops, espresso addicts will be hooked up.

March 6, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Advertising Age's Emily Tan asked some of digital's top movers to identify the biggest trends and challenges that lie ahead for brands and those who would serve them.

Shane Steele, director-emerging media and online advertising at Coca-Cola Co. offers a client's perspective:

"The ideal is to identify and test new platforms that offer a first-mover advantage, that are measurable and that can be scaled effectively to deliver a significant return on investment. From a process perspective, this requires risk tolerance, rigor and speed, which can be significant challenges for organizations to overcome."

Nick Law, chief creative officer, R/GA offers an agency perspective:

"The emergence of digital as the hub of marketing. More and more agencies with a robust digital discipline at their center will be asked to steer clients' brands."

March 7, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Stuart Elliott ponders, "Why is Ray-Ban saying, 'Don’t shade your peepers'? The idea is to find a playful way to encourage younger consumers, particularly those ages 18 to 25, to assert their individuality by revealing their sense of personal style."

Naturally, Ray-Ban's new campaign from TBWA/Chiat/Day San Francisco needs a consumer generated media component. It has one. You can upload a picture of yourslf wearing Ray-Bans and the image will appear on 11 mega screens in Times Square, starting tomorrow.

March 7, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

"Blogs, like podcasting and virtual worlds such as Second Life, offer a passionate niche audience. At the same time, they typically are not suited for repurposed content, and require special attention from marketers to work well as part of a campaign. This is partly why blogs are not considered very effective by most US advertising executives, according to the American Advertising Federation."

[SOURCE: eMarketer]

March 7, 2007 by Matt Bergantino | Permalink | 1 Comments

Facing increased competition from MySpace and YouTube for the hearts and minds of young people, MTV will launch an ambitious and risky Web strategy, according to Reuters. MTV's web presence is already 150 sites strong, but the new plan is to build literally thousands more.

[MTV] aims to build Web sites related to every personality and aspect of its shows, hoping to catch viewers wherever they happen to be on the Internet and on mobile phones, [Mike] Salmi [digital president of MTV Networks] said in an interview.

It has created three virtual worlds -- Laguna Beach for teenagers, Nicktropolis for children and Virtual Hills for young adults -- and says more Web sites can help it go deeper to promote individual shows and personalities.

The move is a risky one for Viacom as it could breed confusion and dilute corporate branding.

..."The goal is hopefully to tie it all together over the next year, and to be far more open," said Salmi.

...Salmi said the company plans to open up more of its archives, allowing Internet users to take videos and post them on their own sites and also re-edit some clips.

March 7, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

I don't like what I'm reading today about new fee structures for internet radio.

Orbitcast and Arts Technica warn of the format's demise. While Kurt Hanson of Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN) breaks down the mathematical implications:

Because a typical Internet radio station plays about 16 songs an hour, that's a royalty obligation in 2006 of about 1.28 cents per listener-hour.

In 2006, a well-run Internet radio station might have been able to sell two radio spots an hour at a $3 net CPM (cost-per-thousand), which would add up to .6 cents per listener-hour.

Even adding in ancillary revenues from occasional video gateway ads, banner ads on the website, and so forth, total revenues per listener-hour would only be in the 1.0 to 1.2 cents per listener-hour range.

That math suggests that the royalty rate decision — for the performance alone, not even including composers' royalties! — is in the in the ballpark of 100% or more of total revenues.

Given that I listen to WNCW's internet stream pretty much all day at work, anything that threatens them, threatens me. If you come here often, you already know I have an enormous appetite for media consumption. Now you know which type of media I cherish most.

March 8, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

The Wall Street Journal is reporting Michael Roth's strategy for growth in China.

The chairman of Interpublic Group of Cos. said the advertising and marketing-services firm is working to expand in China by cultivating more local clients in addition to the multinational customers it serves in the market.

"The untapped opportunity is with local clients and, eventually, with local clients trying to be global," Interpublic Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Roth said. "This is a very important market for us."

New York-based Interpublic, which is the parent company of ad agencies McCann Erickson Worldwide and Draftfcb, among others, now reaps 9% to 10% of its world-wide revenue from Asia, and Mr. Roth said he expects the business to continue growing.

March 8, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 6 Comments

The New York Times looks at Next New Networks, a New York-based Internet start-up run and backed by former executives of MTV and Nickelodeon. NNN plans to offer a series of video-oriented Web sites — what the company calls micro-networks — on niche topics like do-it-yourself fashion, comic books, car racing and cartoons.

The video above is from ThreadBanger (threadbanger.com), which offers a five-minute weekly show with anchors who discuss the homemade-clothing culture.

March 8, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 5 Comments

Seriously, can someone tell me what it was like to concept, present and shoot an idea like this? Because I just can't imagine working in an ad agency that would've done this. It's so far removed from the reality of my life as a copywriter in 2007.

March 9, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Over at AdFreak the comments have been coming in hot and heavy over this ad for a Boise bagel shop that ran in a local alt-weekly:

But scroll down through all the cream cheese and schmear jokes and you'll find a comment from Brian at Idaho Ad Agencies:

There's no reportedly about it -- it did run in the Boise Weekly. Even though it was supposed to be in support of the Vagina Monologues, what you see here is what was printed in the paper.

The annual production of The Vagina Monologues at Boise State University is always an attention-getting, controversial event. Which helps explain the ad. Context is everything. Particularly in print, where some of the best ideas have to do with where and when they're placed in the media. On the tubes of the Internets, there is very little context or explanation of what you see.

March 9, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Ecko Enterprises is planning to open 150 full-price retail stores across the U.S. by the end of 2009, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Ecko says he understands the risks. "If you want to grow a business in American malls...it's more than just being able to have the money for the key," he says. "There's theater to it. [Customers] want to feel something when they walk into a store. It's not enough to say, 'We've got a great sense of style."'

"I'm a designer, right? But because I've kind of encompassed this whole lifestyle attitude," Mr. Ecko says, "I'm kind of given license to explore other businesses that are more contemporary but still embody the lifestyle values. And this isn't necessarily clothing."

In 2002, Ecko launched Complex, a lifestyle magazine for men, so he has some experience with breaking out of the clothing box.

March 9, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Shawn Waite's Shedwa Six--a six question interview series with ad geeks and bloggers--this week features Ariel Waldman from Shake Well Before Use.

I find this exchange interesting:

S: What impact, if any, do you think blogs serve in the ad community?

AW: I find that blogs have really broken down the barriers between competing agencies over time. Rather than operating in isolated pods, we're sharing ideas and networking on a broader scale with our competitors, and it only makes the ad community stronger.

I have to concur. AdPulp has served as an introduction to a bunch of ad peeps I wouldn't otherwise know.

Speaking of, I'll be in Austin starting tonight and all next week for SXSW. If you're there and want to meet up in person, email me at dburn @ adpulp dot com.

March 10, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 2 Comments

Sometimes, I like Rachael Ray.
Sometimes, I like Dunkin' Donuts.
But together? I'm not sure about that.

However, we're all just gonna have to get used to it:

As its new brand representative, Ray will appear in a multi-platform marketing campaign for Dunkin' Donuts. Ray will also lend her perspective to the Dunkin' Donuts culinary team in the development of new, "better for you" food and beverage options. In recent years, the company has introduced several new products that provide customers with additional on-the- go options, including Smoothies, Latte Lite and the reduced carb bagel; in addition, the company has been working since 2004 to remove trans-fats from all of its menu offerings.

"We believe there is tremendous synergy between Dunkin' Donuts and Rachael Ray," said Robert Rodriguez, Dunkin' Donuts brand president. "Rachael's philosophy of creating quality meals quickly and without pretense for busy people living busy lives is the same driving force behind the Dunkin' Donuts brand."

She's all about cooking at home. And she's even got an endorsement deal for cookware. So why is a good idea for her to push Dunkin' Donuts on us?

March 11, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

SXSW is sensory overload. I finally waded through my film, interactive and music schwag bags. Lots of junk, of course, with several good mags tossed in--HOW Design Annual, Paste, Paper, Relix, Utne Reader, etc.

In the interactive bag, I found three white pieces of paper stapled together. Simple black type on white pages. No design at all. All copy. Here's some:

Not only can you interview while at SXSW for a shot at working in CP+B's Interactive Department, but in this handy-dandy resignation toolkit, you'll find a professionally crafted resignation letter. Pefectly worked to help you cut the ties to your current company. Simply look on the next couple pages, complete the checklist and you'll soon be on the fast track to working with the innovative minds behind subservientchicken.com, comeclean.com, MINI's roofstudio.com, vwfeatures.com, and BK's Xbox games.

I don't see the resignation letter in my packet. Maybe someone forgot to staple it. That can happen with a schwag bag.

March 11, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 4 Comments

Here's an interesting article from the Washington Post about Sears and its chairman, Edward Lampert.

Lampert bought Sears in 2004. He has no retail experience. Actually, he's a Wall Street guy. So he's taking the money he makes from Sears and is turning it into a hedge fund while letting the stores die:

But, if Sears the Retailer is ailing, Sears the Hedge Fund has never been healthier. Hedge funds are massive unregulated investment pools typically open to only institutional investors and wealthy individuals. The company's stock soared 45 percent in 2006, driven by high-risk trades that produced $101 million, or a third, of Sears Holding's pretax income in the third quarter. These investments did not perform well in the fourth quarter, and the firm had to sell off properties to cover its losses, according to a Morgan Stanley report.

Under Lampert, Sears has spent far less on its retail business than competitors. Gone are the days of heavy television promotions such as the "softer side of Sears." The Sears Roebuck Foundation, the firm's charitable arm, has dried up in generosity, several Chicago-based institutions such as the Children's Museum report.

Whether or not Sears as a store is worth saving, well, that's debatable. But there's an interesting lesson here for any business, brand, even an agency: The business will always be run and managed as a reflection of whoever owns it. In this case, Sears is no longer worth much as a retail brand, because Lampert isn't a retail guy.

March 13, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 4 Comments

Nike has used other shops for advertising before (i.e, Goodby and Chiat/Day), and they use other agencies for projects and things, but this Adweek article suggests a real big shift may be on the way:

The first piece of business likely to be up for grabs, sources said, is the client's U.S. running shoe account, currently handled by Wieden + Kennedy.

The Nike rep, Dean Stoyer, would not discuss potential contenders or assignments. But sources said that on Friday Nike informed Wieden, the client's primary agency for 24 years, that the running shoe account would be put into review. Spending is undisclosed.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which has been in talks with Nike for months, is said to be a likely contender for the business. While one source said the account is already headed to the Miami-based MDC Partners shop, the Nike rep said, "No decision is imminent to give a piece of business to any agency."

Wieden + Kennedy made Nike what it is today. And vice versa. Is this a good move? Bad move? What agencies should (or shouldn't) try to get the sneaker side of the business?

March 13, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

Well, for a second this seemed like a shocking piece of news:

MTV owner Viacom Inc. sued the popular video-sharing site YouTube and its corporate parent, Google Inc., on Tuesday, seeking more than $1 billion in damages on claims of widespread copyright infringement.

Viacom claims that YouTube has displayed nearly 160,000 unauthorized video clips from its cable networks, which also include Comedy Central, VH1 and Nickelodeon.

Then, I checked on it. And realized that Google could show up on Viacom's front door with a truckload of $100 bills and not miss a beat.

They have $11 BILLION in cash and investments that they're sitting on. Now that's how you make a shitload of money in advertising: One click-through at a time.

March 13, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

See if you can figure this one out. From the AP:

Levon Helm, former drummer for The Band, is suing a Manhattan advertising firm over the use of the band's signature song, "The Weight," in a television commercial.

In a lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in December, Helm asks for information about BBDO Worldwide's profits from the commercial for Cingular cell phone service and for financial compensation for the use of his performance.

Pinsky (Helm's lawyer) said Helm received a royalty payment from the use of "The Weight" in the commercial, but doesn't feel he has been adequately compensated.

"Profits from the commercial"? How does one figure that out? A media buy? A production markup? He's putting the load on BBDO's accountants, I guess.

March 13, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Danny G. asked me earlier today if I'm too hung over to post. He asks because I'm in Austin for SXSW and I haven't been blogging about it on this site. I have made a few posts at BFG Blog about my experience, and I made one at Leftover Cheese about the film "Silver Jew."

I have been taking notes during the panels. I don't "live blog" because my typing skills are not great. Plus, I like to absorb the information before processing it for an audience. It's frustrating in a certain sense (given our cultural need for immediacy), but it's how I work.

At any rate, I'm sitting in Room 10 A-B at the Austin Convention Center waiting for a panel on "Global Microbrands" to begin.

Hugh MacLeod of Gaping Void, Kathy Sierra of Creating Passionate Users, Gabe Rivera of Techmeme and David Parmet are on the panel. Hugh coined the term, so after a quick introduction from Parmet, Hugh introduces his concept.

Here are some opening remarks:

Hugh: I went to Univ. of Texas in the late 1980s. Because of blogs I'm recession proof. I have a global network of people. Some give me money. Some don't. I still work 18 hours a day. The key is personal sovereignty. So thank you.

Gabe: You're not going to advertise in magazines if you're a global microbrand. But you might appear on Techmeme if you put stuff out there that people want to link to.

Kathy: The big moment for me was when I had a higher Technorati rating than my publisher at O'Reilly. That changed my book deal for the better. (on blogging) Be grateful. Peoples' attention is a gift. Everything I do is driven by that. Our job is to make people feel better about themselves.

Parmet: You're gonna piss some people off. But you will also find work through your blog, so it balances out.

Highlights from the Q + A:

Hugh: Link to people who read your blog, not to Scoble or Kathy. (about his involvement with Stormhoek) Two years ago, when I started working with Stormhoek they were selling 40,000 cases a year. Now we sell 40,000 a week...so it works!

Kathy: Sometimes I go two weeks without a post. Don't just post to post, take the time to think and offer something of value.

Hugh: (speaking about Thomas the "English Cut" tailor) He makes suits for Brian Ferry of Roxy Music. That's how cool he is. Every time he makes a suit, he gets an order for three more. But he doesn't give a damn about his Technorati rankings. He cares about suits.

Parmet: It's not about reaching the most people, it's about reaching the right people.

Hugh: I used to work in advertising on Madison Avenue. It was horrendous.

Rivera: Sometimes when you forget about the metrics and find your own voice, your metrics improve anyway.

Parmet: (on working from home) I want to show my kids that when you graduate from college you don't have to work in "the glass building of death for Mr. Dickless." (he's quoting Hugh)

Hugh: I'm sorry, real jobs do suck. The more people who can succeed on their own terms, the happier I'll be. I want everyone to succeed.

Hugh: Everybody Google "social object." It's the future of marketing, in my opinion. It's not about technology, it's about love. We're here today because of love.

March 13, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 3 Comments

Tim Gideon of PC Magazine wrote an article about a SXSW panel I walked out on yesterday--"What Does the Future Hold for Video on the Internet?" Before I vacated the room, I did hear this exchange, and upon reflection believe it's worth repeating here.

Kent Nichols, from Ask A Ninja, pointed out that most "user-generated" sites like MySpace own all the uploaded content and can do whatever they want with it, including use your videos for their purposes or police the links you include on your page.

Nichols seemed to think that companies like MySpace and YouTube were succeeding very well at tricking people into basically giving them content. The creators of LonelyGirl—the YouTube phenom from last year—are, according to Nichols, kicking themselves for using YouTube as their launch pad instead of just using the YouTube player and embedding it on their own, separate site. Why? Now everything they do involving LonelyGirl must pass through YouTube.

March 13, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

According to Wikipedia, Crowdsourcing is a neologism for a business model that depends on work being done outside the traditional company walls: while outsourcing is typically performed by lower paid professionals, crowdsourcing relies on a combination of volunteers and low-paid amateurs who use their spare time to create content, solve problems, or even do corporate R&D. The term was coined by Wired magazine writer Jeff Howe and editor Mark Robinson in June 2006.

On Saturday, during a SXSW interactive panel on "Commercialization of Wikis," Moderator Evangelo Prodromou, founder of Wikitravel, made fun of the crowdsourcing concept. He likened it to the popular fable, "there's a sucker born every minute" (that will do your work for you for free). Essentially, he believes crowdsourcing is exploitation.

Prodromou said, "Our job is to provide a platform for people who have information and for people who need information." He also said wikis, commercial and otherwise, need to have a noble purpose. Unlike blogs or social networking sites, wikis are not about ego and not about making friends, he said.

March 14, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 1 Comments

Having recently bought a car myself, I can attest that one's experience at a car dealership can make or break everything. No amount of image advertising that ad agencies do can reverse a really bad experience with a dealer who tries to screw with you or a salesman who doesn't know much about the car you want.

Over at The Truth About Cars, there's a bit of a "Point-Counterpoint" discussion going on about the current state of auto dealers and salespeople. A Honda dealer and a TTAC contributing writer weigh in, along with plenty of comments from readers.

Car dealers are actually having a rough time of it in general--now that consumers are savvier about the purchase price and using the Net to comparison shop, it's getting harder and harder for them to make profits. (I'm talking about the dealerships, not the manufacturers.) So many of them still try to find sneaky ways to extract more of your money from you. And no one seems to be in a huge rush to end all of this price haggling. While there are some good dealers and salesmen out there, you just never know what's in store for you when you walk into a dealership.

At the moment, Hyundai, Jeep, and Volvo are all searching for new agencies. Until the dealer system gets a radical overhaul, it may not matter who does the brand advertising because the consumer experience is what truly needs a makeover.

March 15, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 26 Comments

Last year, I wrote about the Addy dominance of Tampa agency Pyper Paul + Kenney. They won 127 Tampa Addys.

This year, they only had a modest increase in performance, winning a mere 129 Addys.

Will we see more substantial improvement from PP+K next year? Let's hope so. I still wanna know how much in entry fees this costs them.

March 15, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

Back in ad school, one of my teachers told me that Ernest Gallo would have his agencies come out to his house and present new work to him by the pool. And they'd lay out the ads on the ground, and Gallo would piss on the storyboards he didn't like.

I'm not sure if the story's true, but it sounds true.

But now that Gallo's dead, Hal Riney looks back at the man with a sense of fondness. Riney's work for Gallo made Hal Riney & Partners the shop that it, well, used to be.

March 16, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 13 Comments

The New York Times reports on a new campaign for Avon, the largest in its 121-year history.

But here's the part of the article that gets me:

The campaign, now getting under way, carries the upbeat theme “Hello tomorrow.” The ads are the first work from a new Avon creative agency, Soho Square in New York, part of the WPP Group, which has been developing the campaign since September 2005.

“It was a journey in getting there,” said Elizabeth Smith, executive vice president at Avon Products in New York, who is president for Avon North American and global marketing.

So we're talking about an ad campapign that took 18 MONTHS to get developed. What took so long? Who has that kind of time anymore? Even if you factor in everything from initial research focus groups to copy testing and production, there's no ad campaign that could possibly be worth taking that much time to develop.

Or is there? Can anyone top 18 months working to develop one major campaign?

March 17, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 11 Comments

Seems that there's been a bit of Scott Baio bashing amongst the commenters on this board lately. To counteract such negativity, I present to you a commercial he did on behalf of the Los Angeles Sherriffs Star Organization in 2003.

And I shouldn't have to point out the delicious irony of Mad Mel playing the cop that pulls him over.

Now, many of you creatives may be saying, "Well, what if I want a little Baio in my radio or television commercial?" Guess what? He's available! I present to you Scott Baio's voiceover demo reel.

March 17, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Dutch beer brand, Heineken, is rolling out airport bars on five continents, according to The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.).

In recent years, a range of consumer goods makers have tried creating a "brand experience" in retail outlets to exert more control over how their products are presented to buyers. In 1992, Nike Inc. moved beyond its Oregon base to launch an elaborate "Niketown" flagship store in Chicago. After years of selling its electronics through other retailers, Apple Inc. in 2001 began running its own sleek branded stores and now has 176 around the world. Weber-Stephen Products Co., the maker of charcoal and gas grills, runs a chain of Chicago-area restaurants called Weber Grill, where the food is cooked on its own giant grills.

"Social experiences are in many ways stronger than advertising. They create an opportunity to showcase your brand at its very best," says Tim Riches, the Australia managing director of branding agency Futurebrand at Interpublic Group of Cos.

March 18, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 0 Comments

I know our friend George Parker has an opinion or two about the CEO of WPP, but how did Sorrell get to be one of the most powerful people in the advertising industry?

Here's a good overview of Sorrell's background, which is in the news again as he's currently involved in a pretty nasty lawsuit with some ex-employees:

Borrowing a million pounds, like you do, he set up a business from a one-room rental in London and bought a shell company, Wire & Plastic Products, which made baskets for supermarkets. Rechristened WPP, it was to become the vehicle through which Sorrell became one of the 1980s' leading acquisition machines, buying up some of Britain's best-known advertising agencies, marketing groups and public relations companies. It was one of the swiftest multinational creations of the Thatcher years.

Its workaholic boss later put the company's success down to "10 per cent perspiration, 10 per cent aspiration and 80 per cent luck" but there was more to it than that. Sorrell had a keen eye for spotting undervalued companies. And he loved doing deals. In 1987 he stunned the advertising world by successfully launching a dramatic $566m "hostile" takeover of J Walter Thompson, one of the biggest names in the business and a firm that was 13 times the size of WPP. Two years later, he launched another daring hostile bid to buy Ogilvy & Mather for $825m, which was twice the size of WPP.

Yes, he's a finance guy, not a creative guy. But as one of the most high-profile, globetrotting people you'll ever see in this industry, he's become a guy world leaders and business leaders pay attention to--and a guy you probably don't want to screw with.

WPP controls JWT, Ogilvy, Y&R, Wunderman, Grey, Uniworld, Mindshare, Hill & Knowlton, The Bravo Group, and many, many others. Will we ever see the day when holding companies lose their dominance?

March 18, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

In February, John Amaechi spoke about his homosexuality on ESPN's Outside the Lines program. He also released a book, Man in the Middle, published by ESPN Books, which discusses his career and life as a closeted professional athlete. Amaechi is the first NBA player to speak publicly about being gay.

Now, according to The New York Times, he has an endorsement deal as a result.

The journeyman center for such teams as the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz “is the perfect storm,” said Todd Greene, chief executive at the HeadBlade Company in Culver City, Calif., which specializes in products for bald men, because “he’s African-American, a basketball player and gay, and those are all huge demographics for us.”

“And he uses the product,” Mr. Greene said, adding that he learned Mr. Amaechi was a “HeadBlader,” as Mr. Greene calls his customers, while deciding whether Mr. Amaechi would make an effective spokesman.

Conversely, Tim Hardaway, who said he "hates gay people" after learning of Amaechi's sexual orientation, lost his endoresement deal with Bald Guyz.

March 19, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Nissan wants African-American consumers, ages 28 to 38, who live in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington to drive its new Altima. So they hired True, an agency that specializes in attracting the attention of that audience.

According to The New York Times, True's campaign to promote a push-button ignition system on the 2007 Nissan Altima sedan begins this week and continues through March 30. For the promotion, 20,000 key rings will be deliberately “lost” in bars, concert halls, sports arenas and other public places in seven large markets.

The key fobs on these "lost" sets features drive-to-the-web copy, where participants can enter a sweeps and learn more about the car in question.

March 19, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

The official SXSW site is offering several podcasts from the Interactive Conference last week. One I feel good about recommending here is Rob Weychert and Jason Santa Maria's talk on "Design Inspiration."

Sketch of the panel by Varick Rosete

Jason is Creative Director at Happy Cog Studios in Philadelphia. Rob is an Art Director there.

March 20, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 4 Comments

Man, this is really airing dirty laundry in public. From today's New York Times::

Wal-Mart asserted yesterday in a court filing that two of its former top marketing officials had engaged in a sexual relationship during the process of selecting new advertising agencies and had sought jobs with one of the agencies they ultimately recommended.

Wal-Mart backed up its assertions with what it said were e-mail messages sent by Ms. Roehm and Mr. Womack, both married, from their work and private accounts.

“I hate not being able to call you or write you,” Ms. Roehm wrote early last fall, according to an e-mail message Mr. Womack’s wife provided to Wal-Mart. “I think about us together all the time. Little moments like watching your face when you kiss me.”

But it doesn't stop there:

Wal-Mart said in the filing that Ms. Roehm and Mr. Womack had lengthy career discussions with Tony Weisman, then the global growth officer of Draft FCB, and that those discussions had tainted the agency review process. Wal-Mart also asserted that Ms. Roehm shared internal company e-mail messages with Mr. Weisman and Mr. Draft, the chief executive of Draft FCB.

Mr. Womack wrote e-mail messages to Mr. Weisman signing them “Sean and Julie” that discussed the two leaving Wal-Mart to work in a venture with Draft FCB, Wal-Mart said in its filing. In one message cited, he said they would want an equity stake and discussed timing: “What do the next 60-360 days look like for your guys? When will it be too late?” he wrote in August.

Today's lessons:

1) Watch those e-mails. They live forever.
2) Keep in mind that when you sue a company that hires lawyers by the dozen, you're in for a tough fight.

March 20, 2007 by Matt Bergantino | Permalink | 0 Comments

Anyone who owns P&G stock knows that the company would never split profits with anyone, least of all Satan. But for those who still entertain doubts, be advised: P&G just won $19.25 million in a decade-long civil suit against four former Amway distributors accused of spreading rumors that the company was affiliated with the Church of Satan. The rumor was basically this: P&G's CEO "came out of the closet" on the Phil Donahue show, and admitted that his company donated a substantial amount of its profits to the Church of Satan. Of course, no P&G CEO has ever appeared on Donahue. And even if one did, Satan wouldn't come up in conversation. Everyone knows P&G employees are bound by blood to eternal silence. Duh.

The International Herald Tribune reports:

The U.S. District Court jury in Salt Lake City on Friday found in favor of the Cincinnati-based consumer products company in a lawsuit filed by P&G in 1995. It was one of several the company brought over rumors alleging a link with the company's logo and Satanism.

Rumors had begun circulating as early as 1981 that the company's logo — a bearded, crescent man-in-moon looking over a field of 13 stars — was a symbol of Satanism.

The company alleged that Amway Corp. distributors revived those rumors in 1995, using a voice mail system to tell thousands of customers that part of Procter & Gamble profits went to satanic cults.

March 20, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Stuart Elliott lets us in on a new interactive campaign meant to sell "the world's most refreshing beer."

Coors Light is planning an interactive initiative, scheduled to start in mid-April, that promotes 4:53 p.m. as the new 5 o’clock.

At 4:53 p.m. local time on weekdays, the Coors Light brand symbol, an old-fashioned train called the Silver Bullet, will race across entertainment, news and sports Web sites that are frequently visited by the brand’s core audience of men ages 21 to 34.

In other words, the brand managers in Golden think beer drinkers of the world (at least those with jobs that require them to sit in front of a computer screen all day) need a reminder to log off ESPN and head to the bar.

March 20, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Kathy Sierra has been attending conferences for 20 years, but speaking at them only for the past few.

In the following passage from her blog, she describes why so many of us climb aboard cramped airplanes for hours on end to gather in a central real-life place.

The most underrated benefit of the face-to-face effect of conferences is INSPIRATION.

For me, the single biggest reason to attend an event like SXSW is the feeling of motivation and--as David Seah so aptly put it -- "Rededication". Almost everyone I talked with at SXSW said they were newly inspired. Was it from the ideas they were hearing in the sessions? Some of it, sure. But again, those same ideas are going out to everyone with a browser. No, there's more to it. There's mirror neurons, for one thing, and the effect of emotional contagion that happens when you're around a pile of people who share the same interest and enthusiasm. Everyone comes out re-energized. And you don't need to go to SXSW to get that benefit! Simply attending any live event--from the three-person lunch meetup to the 100-person local user group can give you the most positive effect of being at an event like SXSW.

I was thinking these same thoughts on the plane home yesterday, but I was less convinced that everyone at SXSW actually benefitted from human contact.

Here's a poem I scribbled out en route to DFW:

Running On Batteries

At the great gathering of minds
Eyes all around me are downcast
Lost in the electronic maze of Xs and Os.

Fingers fly over QWERTY keys
Making meaning inside the ubiquitous machine.

Is this what we came all this way for?

Is this the new “conversation”
The Technorati loves to trumpet?

Here in the Austin Convention Center
There is no distance between souls.
No bridges need to be built.
Everyone is within earshot.
We can talk.

But to talk means unplugging from the machine
That forvever demands to be fed.

I dare you, brave communicator
To walk these halls with no handheld friend.

I challenge you to sit still
And listen. You can type later.

Now is the time to connect,
To smell,
To taste,
To feel.

March 20, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Adrants reports that Amanda Congdon is shilling for DuPont. On her blog, Amanda says, "I see nothing wrong with doing commercials." She apparently felt the need to defend herself, after Huffington Post wrote this headline about her: ABC Videocaster Congdon Caught Working For DuPont On The Side.

March 21, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Stuart Elliott reports that TV execs are exploring changes in the way they deliver commercials in attempt to better hold viewers' attention throughout the program.

At a meeting scheduled for today in Burbank, Calif., ABC, part of the Walt Disney Company, will show several ideas to executives from media agencies gathered for the network’s annual spring development meeting. The meeting offers ABC a chance to share program concepts that are being considered for the 2007-8 season.

Along with the program proposals will be suggestions for what Michael Shaw, president for sales and marketing at the ABC Television Network unit of ABC, called “ways to hold the audiences the best we can” during commercial pods.

The tactics in question are not discussed in Elliott's article. He does remind us of tactics past.

Viewers in the 1950s and 1960s kept watching commercials because the spots were often delivered by the hosts or stars of the shows in which they appeared. The industry coined a term, cast commercial, to describe spots in which, say, Jack Benny and Don Wilson bantered about Jell-O or Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore puffed Kent cigarettes together.

March 21, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Biz Report looks at the importance one retailer places on maintaining an active MySpace profile.

Five percent of the TopShop fashion store's online traffic was driven from its MySpace profile, five times more than a year ago. MySpace traffic accounted for more than twice as much traffic than was received from MSN and Yahoo Search combined.

TopShop.co.uk’s profile page describes the store as a 24-year old, single female looking for networking and friends and who doesn’t want children. It currently has just over 3,100 friends. User interactivity is encouraged via a photo contest and the profile page showcases new and special fashion collections, provides links to the TopShop homepage and promotes discounts.

In a separate report, LeeAnn Prescott at HitWise says traffic to MySpace was up 107.3% over the last year.

March 22, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Randall Rothenberg is letting go of his Ad Age column in order to assume the helm of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. In his farewell piece, he delivers some delcious prose, the kind found in Where the Suckers Moon, his landmark book about Weiden + Kennedy's handling of the Subaru account.

Although I was to the manor born, a child of marketers in a house guested frequently by creative revolutionaries, we baby boomers were raised to be conflicted by commercialism. Taking cues from our extremist manifesto, Mad magazine (a periodical then without advertising), we ridiculed the crass vulgarism of prime-time television, excoriated celebrities who sold out with product endorsements and pitied the fast-talking neurotics on Madison Avenue.

Except we secretly envied them. Ogilvy, Bernbach, Chiat -- more recently Wieden, Goodby, Crispin -- we revered the way they could move the culture. Sure, we recognized the detritus in our commercial environment. But we also understood that many of our privileges as Americans derived from a democratic capitalist economy premised on novelty-driven growth. And advertising is its fuel -- "capitalist realist art," in sociologist Michael Schudson's famous phrase.

Rothenberg also mentions, Vinny Warren's new enterprise, Escape Pod, in his farewell. Warren (an AdPulp reader) mentions that we all must "earn our audience" today.

March 22, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 13 Comments

I had a weird dream the other night. Alex Bogusky--a man I have never met--came to my current workplace. He went through my book with the entire creative team looking on, then offered me a job at CP+B's Paris office. My cube was kind of small over there.

March 22, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

I like Scott Karp's take on disaggregation:

All the focus on the digitization and online distribution of music — and now video — has been on piracy. But what if that’s just a red herring?

You could argue that the most striking consequence of digitizing media and distributing it online is that all content is now available in a discrete, granual form. Music file. Article page. Video clip. Podcast. Photo. There are very few places on the web that require you to buy a whole package in order to get one item.

This is a radical transformation of the content business. Think about it.

How many CDs have you bought for just one song? How many magazines have you bought just to read one article? How many cable channels do you subscribe to in order to watch just one channel? How many radio stations have you kept on in the car because you heard one song that you liked? How many newspapers have you bought just to read one section?

The media business has always been about selling you content that you don’t really want by stapling it (literally or figuratively) to the content that you do want. The digitization of media on the network has obliterated this model.

As makers of these fine "granuals" of content, do we need to worry about the collapse of traditional distribution channels? I don't think so. Media distribution models are rapidly evolving to address this granualization. And ultimately, there will be a market for well produced rich content. It may be a micro-market, or several micro-markets stitched together, but content worth consuming will be found, shared and in many instances paid for.

March 22, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Bruce Springsteen once grumbled about having 57 TV channels, with "nothin' on."

Now, the average American has nearly double that. The typical American home received 104 television channels in 2006, Nielsen Media Research said, up from 61 in 2000. In 1990, the typical number of channels was 33.

Last year, viewers watched only 15 percent of the stations available to them for any appreciable length of time; in 2000, they watched 22 percent of what they could surf through, Nielsen said.

[ via Associated Press]

March 23, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 5 Comments

Ad Age reports that Crispin Porter + Bogusky staffers will go back to drinking Fat Tire and other kind beers, effective immediately.

"We just have fundamental differences over creative and strategy," Alex Bogusky, chief creative officer at Crispin, said in a statement released this afternoon. "And although we made every attempt to find common ground, the process of multilayered approvals of creative and strategy has made doing work we can be proud of increasingly difficult. So it seems to be in the best interest of both parties to part ways. We wish them the very best."

March 23, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

New York City-based writer and editor, Jim Hanas, has an interesting piece in this month's Creativity about where the next generation of interactive creatives will come from. According to his article, and several others I've read, there is a dearth of talent avaialble.

"We cleared out an entire generation of talent when the bubble burst, so the true believers and the ones who had enough talent to make it through have become rarer and rarer birds," says Matt Freeman, CEO at Tribal DDB Worldwide. "You layer on top of that the fact that now the most prized skills are not just pure interactive skills but the ability to integrate interactive thinking with broader marketing thinking, and those people become rarer still."

I'm glad I moved my work to the interactive realm when I did. It's hard to see the progress sometimes, but we've watched interactive go from a curiosity on the fringes of the agency business to its centerpiece in no time at all.

March 23, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 4 Comments

Random Culture points to an article in Adweek today about brand icons on MySpace.

Travelocity is the latest advertiser to seek out friends on MySpace through an ad icon.

The company's Roaming Gnome mascot, introduced in 2004, has established a profile on MySpace (www.myspace.com/roaminggnome) that offers users special perks and deals when they add him as a friend.

Ad icons have proven big draws on the social network. Burger King has used its King mascot to gather 135,000 friends, Wendy's used its Square character to attract 70,000 friends, and Honda's Gil the Crab has also established a healthy following.

Travelocity's page is one of the nicer layouts I've seen on MySpace.

If you know of other advertising characters active in the social networking space, please tell us about it the comments.

March 24, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Todd Anthony, a.k.a. Bullshit Observer, gets his Craigslist Crumedgeon on in this riff concerning lame job offers for writers:

Here's the gig, it's a 30 page tri-fold brochure. Here's the catch: I don't have really any money. How about 300 clams? Does that sound fair? Oh, did I mention that I get to comment at every stage of the approval process until I see a stream of tears coming down your beet red face? Did I mention that I'll be briefing you on the project by email one little trickle of critical information at a time? Did I mention that I'll let you get to the 17th round BEFORE I show it to my boss"? Did I mention that those are actual clams, not dollars? We're a seafood distributor.

March 24, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) writer Andy Kessler met with Mark Zuckerberg, 22, of Facebook for an interview at the company's Palo Alto offices.

Kessler tries to hone in on the social networking site's peculiar "magic":

Users have the ultimate control of who they hang out with electronically, and "only see the people that are in their networks" usually meaning the same college, "and the people that are their confirmed friends around Facebook," perhaps old friends at another school.

This exclusivity has a certain magic. Zuckerberg says, "the power here is that people have information they don't want to share with everyone. If you give people very tight control over what information they are sharing or who they are sharing with" (share that beer bong photo with my roommate, but not with my sister) "they will actually share more. One example is that one third of our users share their cell phone number on the site."

With Facebook, exclusivity and control somehow means freedom. The more personal control, the more people are willing to let their guard down. "One billion page views a day is cool," Mr. Zuckerberg admits, "but really what I care about is giving people access to connect and the information they want as efficiently as possible."

I don't use Facebook (yet), so I'm at a loss. MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks have exclusivity buttons. Facebook must have a deeper allure, or Zuckerberg woud have taken Yahoo's billion dollar offer. But can anyone put their finger on it? What exactly, makes Facebook nearly four times as expensive on the acquisition block as MySpace?

In related news, Wired reports that the CIA uses Facebook to recruit. Which may answer my question. If one can scope hotties and get a job to make parents proud, all in a few clicks, that is powerful.

March 25, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 7 Comments

The promo brochure for the Dubai Lynx Awards sets a real haughty tone for the new awards show, as written by Jonathan Harries, the global Creative Director of Draft/FCB:

What if we had an awards show where we took all the good things from other awards shows, and none of the bad?

If we said to people, “Bring your great ideas, your brilliant layouts, your mindblowing copy, your wonderful sense of design and editing, your awe-inspiring digital and, of course, your imagination.

But please, those of you who wish to enter, leave behind the scam and the hype and the dull and the dreary and most of all, your delusions.

If we could say all of that then we would truly have one of the best advertising awards shows in the world.

The good news, as I see it, is we can. This is the inaugural. The first ever Dubai Lynx Awards show.

It’s one of the greatest opportunities we will ever have.

It goes on to say: "The launch of the annual Dubai Lynx Awards in the Middle East and North Africa brings with it a great opportunity to establish standards of creative excellence in advertising throughout the region. The Dubai Lynx Awards is organised and presented by the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival."

OK, so far, so good. Then you get to the rules section:

All entries must be conceived and created in one or any of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Western Sahara, Yemen.

Hmm...notice anyone left out? Let me just say this, that when you ban Israeli advertising agencies (which include subsidiaries of every major global ad agency you can name, including Mr. Harries' own Draft/FCB) from entering an awards show honoring creative excellence in the Middle East, then you've blown one of the "great opportunities" to do something positive in that part of the world.

Certainly it isn't a language barrier, as many of the winning ads seem to have their share of English (the print work does, and at least some of the tv commercials are subtitled that way).

Not to start a jihad here, but can anyone tell me the reasoning behind this? 'Cause if there's a legitimate reason, I'd like to know.

March 25, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 3 Comments

I've often said that when it comes to marketing themselves, ad agencies are usually clueless and pathetically bad at it. A couple of recent stories have enlightened me as to how some agencies ensure that they maintain the reputations they have.

When Adweek selected Goodby its 2006 Agency of the Year, Adweek devoted much of its article to Goodby's own determination to remake itself for the digital age:

The agency hired a PR company, named an internal communications strategist, revamped its Web site and crystallized its mantra, “art serving capitalism.” However, it wasn’t just the industry at large that needed to take a closer look at the agency’s creative output, noted [Managing Partner Derek] Robson, but the agency itself.

Then there's this week's story in Ad Age which looks at Crispin's split with the Miller Lite account:

When Crispin Porter & Bogusky President Jeff Hicks called Miller's CMO Randy Ransom to quit the brewer's advertising account last week, a surprised Mr. Ransom tried to talk the agency president out of resigning. "Is there anything we can do to stop this?" he asked. Mr. Hicks replied that he'd already issued a press release.

So it seems that even if you do work at the level that Goodby and Crispin do, it's incumbent upon you to promote your work and your agency through public relations efforts to spin stories your way.

Does your ad agency have a PR plan? Don't give me that "We're so busy, you know, the cobbler's children have no shoes" bullshit. If Jeff Goodby and Jeff Hicks can put a high premium on agency self-promotion, when they're seemingly the last ones who would need to, then other agencies should, too. That's how the game is played. Perception is reality, you know.

March 26, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) is running an eye opener this morning—a feature on how Nike is looking for better digital content, something Wieden + Kennedy has been unable to deliver to the sportswear brand's critical youth market.

Industry executives say the move was a wake-up call to Madison Avenue. The message is clear: No matter how talented an agency's creative team or how well the client's management likes the firm's executives, the agency is of limited value unless it embraces digital media.

Wieden had hired some digital thinkers, but they were scattered through its offices around the globe. It wasn't until earlier this year, when it hired Renny Gleeson, a digital expert who had a top job at Aegis Group's Carat Fusion, that the shop began to take digital more seriously and teach digital know-how to the rest of its troops.

Even so, Wieden could be doing more, people at the firm admit. Digital has long been "an afterthought here," says a person at the agency. "We do it but haven't done it to the level we need to."

The article goes on to say Dan Wieden passed last summer on the opportunity to partner with AKQA, a move that might have prevented Nike from looking elsewhere.

March 26, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Have you been following the Blendtec YouTube story? Adweek has.

Blendtec, a small Utah blender maker, is a certified cult hit with the YouTube generation, with its product demonstrations drawing 15 million views since debuting in November. Without the marketing budget of larger rivals Hamilton Beach and Waring, it turned to something it's long done: test blenders by placing in them all manner of unlikely objects. Blendtec created the Will It Blend? series out of such experiments, starring its CEO Tom Dickson.

Thanks to offbeat demonstrations of Blendtec blenders taking on everything from golf balls to glow sticks, Web sales of blenders have tripled, said George Wright, director of marketing at Blendtec. The series is so popular that the company's marketing department actually turns a profit by doing Will It Blend? demonstrations at corporate events. "[The video] has to be fun and it has to be awesome," Wright said. "Barring those two things, it won't take off."

March 26, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Out-of-home by Saatchi & Saatchi, NY

[via Adrants via Advertising for Peanuts]

March 26, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Former adman turned blogvertiser, Hugh MacLeod, is hearing things.

So a lot of clients have been recently asking their ad agencies, "So what can you do for us in Web 2.0?" And the agencies have been replying, "Lots! Lots and lots and lots and lots!" Bullshit. Ad agencies have so far been hopeless in this space. I don't know of ONE SINGLE piece of work coming out of a traditional ad agency in the last five years that has been even halfway original, thought provoking or effective.

Hugh loves to challenge and provoke. Plus, tearing Madison Avenue a new one is good for his new paradigm business.

In answer to the MacLeodian provocation, I might say Fallon's United spots make great TV. Or I could say Crispin Porter + Bogusky has turned in some great work. I particularly like the inroads they're making into content. Their Dr. Angus coffee table book is one example.

Hugh's Web 2.0-specific challenge is tougher to defend. User generated content, while all the rage online, is a total 180 for most of the craftsmen and women who carefully make communications. See the Nike/Wieden story from earlier today for more on that topic.

Since "Madison Avenue" is the place, or thing, Hugh rails against, let's pause and examine it. It's an imaginary place and a real place. To me Madison Avenue is like "the music industry." I'm in it, but firmly on the indie side. Thus, my own stance, and standing therein, is that of an outsider. It always has been, thanks to my career in high tech B2B, sales promotions and event marketing. Never given the opportunity to make prime time TV, I've had to find another way. Every time.

If I have a point to make in this ramble it is this—it's simply a matter of time before the ad biz figures Web 2.0 out. There have been some ugly stumbles and there will be more. But there will also be notable successes. I'm working on one now. Hopefully, you are too.

March 27, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Yahoo is making headlines this morning, as the portal seeks to reach beyond the desktop and "own" a sizeable piece of mobile search.

According to Info World:

The company is offering to help publishers retool their content so it can be accessed through Yahoo oneSearch, Yahoo's mobile search service for consumers. It is also launching a mobile advertising network that will serve syndicated ads beside the publishers' content.

Mobile phone users are unlikely to relish the idea of more ads on their phones. But Yahoo said the services will increase the content available to them, which includes local business listings, TV programs and games.

Yahoo has only three publishers in its ad network today but it plans to add more in the coming months. The first are MobiTV, which provides TV and music services; go2, which provides local business listings, and Opera Software, the Norwegian browser company.

The article points out that Google is also busy rolling out new services for mobile phones. On Monday, it announced a service that lets users retrieve flight information via SMS. The information is provided by flightstats.com

March 27, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Kathy Sierra is receiving death threats and is scared out of her mind. I just read her post about it. It's sickening.

[UPDATE] Kevin Lawver gets to the heart of the matter with this insightful comment at Micropersuasion: "The dehumanization of relative anonymity empowers people who would otherwise keep their fetishes and rage to themselves."

March 27, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Client: Can you bring us some of that Web 2.0 stuff we've been reading about?

Agency: You bet your ass.

We looked at this issue last night. Now we have Fast Company senior editor, David Lidsky, breaking it down in his March column.

The number-one question lurking in every executive's heart, whether he's a corporate titan or founder of a Valley startup, boils down to this: Just what should I be doing with my Web site to engage with my customers?

You know what? Nobody has the answer.

Why are we still so flummoxed by the Web? Why does every ripple in the water, whether it's social networking, user-generated content, or the popularity of video, produce such an outsized tidal wave of frenzied--and wasteful--activity?

Lidsky goes on to suggest that lack of discipline, ease of entry (into areas like online video), myopia and asking the wrong questions all play a part in corporate America's inability to solve the Web riddle.

One guy is asking the right questions, however. Ted Shelton, founder of news aggregation tool the Personal Bee, says you should ask "where your users are, rather than the other way around." Once you've found them, then you can find a way to join the conversation--without being a tool.

March 27, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

USA Today looks at The Onion's foray into web video.

Having already blossomed as a newspaper, website and book publisher, The Onion — perhaps the most dominant provider of fake news anywhere — is bringing its brand of humor to the hot medium of the moment: Online video.

The dispatches on the Onion News Network, which goes live Tuesday, aren't likely to be causing much missed sleep over at CNN and Fox News Channel, unless those outlets start covering fake news stories like Civil War re-enactors being dispatched to Iraq.

The Onion's network will start out with two new video clips per week, supported by ads. An in-house staff of eight people will work on the videos, which have a professional look to them despite the buffoonery being discussed.

Dewar's Scotch is supporting the launch effort, making "the joke" no joke.

March 28, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 1 Comments

Fuse Sports & Entertainment Group is Omnicom's latest foray into sports and entertainment marketing, according to The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.).

"Sports and entertainment are two areas that people are passionate about," Ceo Steve Grubbs says. "Our clients are looking to attach themselves to passion points."

Fuse will oversee four Omnicom-owned companies, including Full-Circle Entertainment, a content-development and production firm, and Optimum Sports, a sports-marketing firm. The announcement marks Madison Avenue's deepening interest in both entertainment marketing and content creation.

No word on how youth marketing agency, Fuse Marketing is taking the news.

March 28, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

San Jose Mercury News looks at one company's progressive work culture and how it produces results for them.

When it comes to vacation, Netflix has a simple policy: take as much as you'd like. Just make sure your work is done.

Employees at the online movie retailer often leave for three, four, even five weeks at a time and never clock in or out. Vacation limits and face-time requirements, says Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings, are "a relic of the industrial age."

"The worst thing is for a manager to come in and tell me: `Let's give Susie a huge raise because she's always in the office.' What do I care? I want managers to come to me and say: `Let's give a really big raise to Sally because she's getting a lot done' - not because she's chained to her desk."

March 28, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 2 Comments

Bob Garfield is trying to scare us with his "Chronicles of the Media Revolution" series in which he explores ongoing technological upheaval across the media and marketing industries.

Perhaps you believe that vast structures on which vast societies and vast economies depend do not easily lose their primacy. Perhaps you believe that the TV commercial and magazine spread -- and radio spot and newspaper classified -- are forever and immutable, like the planets orbiting the sun. Good for you.

Now, say hello to Pluto -- the suddenly former planet. Forever and immutable, it turns out, are subject to demotion. This could be grim news for the agency business, which continues its erratic Pluto-like orbit around marketing budgets as if unaware that it has lost its stature -- and its relevance is next to go. In due course, you shall see how circumstances have conspired to threaten its place on the cosmic map altogether.

But David Jones, CEO of Euro RSCG is not hiding from the big bad new media monster.

"The huge thing for our industry is that, actually, what we have been great at for the last 50 years, and what we will be great at for the next 50 years, is developing and delivering entertaining, engaging, short-format content. And in a world where your screens get smaller and attention spans get kind of shorter and shorter ... is where we need to focus. The fundamental thing that our industry is focused on is delivering brilliant ideas, and if we do, people will engage with them."

Garfield believes agencies are ill equipped to make the transition to content creation. Sure, the ones in denial are poorly equipped. But many agencies are already well down the "adapt or die" path. I don't understand the need to paint ad people as stooges incapable and unwilling to change. It seems to me that Jones is much nearer the truth—ad people are creative, hence they will find creative solutions to this problem and the next and the next. It's our job.

March 29, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 7 Comments

Adweek reports that Rick Colby said he is leaving Dentsu's Colby & Partners.

He declined to detail the reasons for his departure, which leaves the Santa Monica, Calif., agency without its chief creative officer. Colby plans to open a new shop focused on Internet advertising and local clients.

Colby launched a shop called Larsen Colby in 1984. He soon partnered with New York-based creative director George Lois and the agency went through various name changes before Colby left in 1997 to run the Lord Dentsu shop in Santa Monica. After a year as Colby Effler, the company was rechristened Colby & Partners.

March 29, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Where's My Jetpack sees too close a connection between this viral video made by a young man in Montana and the above spot for Altoids made by Leo Burnett.

George Parker would call this an "homage." I call it a hosejob.

March 29, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 18 Comments

I'll admit I've never been a fan of Circuit City, but this story is just a whole new level of sick:

Circuit City Stores is firing about 3,400 workers at its stores who are paid "well above the market-based salary range for their role" and will hire new associates for these positions who will earn less, the consumer electronics retailer said Wednesday.

In a news release, the Richmond, Va.-based company said the layoffs were made to improve its cost and expense structure.

Circuit City did not provide details on how much the affected workers are compensated or how much the new hires would earn at what the company calls the "current market range."

Mark my words: Circuit City will go out of business in the near future. When you run a retail store, the in-store experience is everything. It doesn't matter how good or bad you think their service is right now: by deciding to get rid of thousands of employees to replace them with cheaper, less experienced staff, customers will get lousy service. And be less inclined to ever return. Since they don't offer the lowest prices ala Wal-Mart, there's simply no reason to shop there.

No amount of advertising or marketing can save them after a pathetic business decision like this. Saving money in the short run isn't going to help. The retraining costs and the inevitable turnover you get with the new bottom-of-the-barrel workers will hasten the decline.

They're killing their brand. It's that simple.

March 29, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 4 Comments

Clay Parker Jones has an interesting "lo-fi blog" series going on his exitcreative site. Here's an example of his pen-to-paper approach:

March 30, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 6 Comments

The New York Times examines the revival of "a racially charged advertising character."

The character is Uncle Ben, the symbol for more than 60 years of the Uncle Ben’s line of rices and side dishes now sold by the food giant Mars.

Uncle Ben, who first appeared in ads in 1946, is being reborn as Ben, an accomplished businessman with an opulent office, a busy schedule, an extensive travel itinerary and a penchant for sharing what the company calls his “grains of wisdom” about rice and life.

Vincent Howell, president for the food division of the Masterfoods USA unit of Mars, said, “What’s powerful to me is to show an African-American icon in a position of prominence and authority. As an African-American, he makes me feel so proud.”

I want to say something here, but I'm left dumbfounded by Howell's pride.

March 30, 2007 by Dan Goldgeier | Permalink | 6 Comments

Someone passed this along to me. On Craigslist, there's some helpful advice for those looking to get into the ad biz:

ive been a creative director for 6 years now. here, i offer my wisdom if you want a job in advertising.

1. be a dick. you dont necessarily have to have a large one, just gotta know how to act like you do. not just a 7 incher either. we're talking 12 inches. preferably larger. now that you've fooled yourself into thinking that youve got this gun in your pants, treat everyone like shit. you'll be a creative director in no time. if you're a woman, wear victoria secret.

2. read a thesaurus. regardless of what you're saying at a meeting, just say SOMETHING. it makes you feel important and everyone gets intimidated by the fact that you are saying more than they are. the more you say, the more they respect. if you have nothing to say, start throwing words around like Search Engine Optimization and Ajax. This will seal a raise come holiday.

3. duh. this is obvious. APPLY FOR AD AGENCY JOBS! "but i dont even know what ad agencies exist out there????" well, heres a tip, go to some creative job sites (coroflot, creativehotlist, and plopt - all .coms) and look for ad agencies who constantly post jobs and make a list. DONT JUST EMAIL THE HR MANAGER! Get creative! - for example, one year when i was 17 and internship hunting, i applied for rollingstone and someone told me that they got 1000 resumes a day. I got creative. I found out the editor's personal fax number and faxed my resume. He realized it was faxed to the wrong person and dropped it off at HR. The HR manager thought this resume was directly from the editor. I got a call for an interview the same day. I got the internship a week later. I looked hot at my interview. Which brings us to the next point.

4. have really good cheekbones. in other words, on a scale from 1 to 10, try and aim for a 7. If you're not even close, don't apply for a job in advertising. Looks kill here and if you are a 2, you're dead. If you're a 8 or 9, then welcome to 600k a year later on in your career. If you're a 10, go to Hollywood.

5. know how to raise your voice to interrupt. I cannot STRESS how important this is. In meetings especially, when you have a point (yes, sometimes you will), and somebody else is saying something that may either mimic your point or one up you, you have to know how to raise your voice so that you're not yelling, but overrides what the other person is saying just enough that he or she has to stop cause you're already mid sentence and all attention has turned to you.

6. look busy. when you're not doing something creative, the other 6 hours of the day need to be filled. look busy. for example, if you're on ichat, which is used by 10 out of 10 agencies to communicate internally, always have a business related line in your clipboard. that way, if someone higher than you comes by to your computer, you can quickly apple-v and paste that excellent line and when they see it, they'll know even in ichat, you're conducting business. what should you write? again, talk about SEO and AJAX.

7. kiss ass to those higher than you. tell them how handsome/pretty they are. they usually work really late anyway that they're not getting laid so any kind of sexual hint will make them horny and that will reveal itself as a raise and promotion come christmas. im serious. the more you compliment, the more the money. and dont say something stupid like "you're soooo hot". you're a dick if you do that. (and not the #1 kind).

8. be a dick. wear victoria secret. (had to stress this)

- b2d
new york
ad agency asshole
mar 28 07

Does anyone want to add to this advice? I know we've got some regular readers who can top this. Add your comments below.

March 31, 2007 by david burn | Permalink | 0 Comments

Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting that 7-Eleven has plans to rebrand 11 of its stores as part of a promotion to support the July 27th release of The Simpsons Movie.

The convenience store chain plans to refit 11 stores across the U.S. to resemble the front of the Kwik-E-Mart, the convenience store that Homer and other characters frequent in the classic cartoon TV series.

Customers also will be able to buy products inspired by the nearly two-decades-old show, including KrustyO's cereal, Buzz Cola and iced Squishees (the cup says Squishee, but the contents will be Slurpee).

The chain also will use pictures of Simpsons characters to promote 7-Eleven's line of fresh foods, such as placing the face of Homer and his classic "Mmmm . . . sandwich" quip on sandwich wrappers.

[via Adfreak]