NYT: Amanda Congdon is a big star on really small screens - like the 4½- inch window she appears in on computer monitors every weekday morning or the 2½ inches she has to work with on the new video iPod. Ms. Congdon, you see, is the anchor of a daily, three-minute, mock TV news report shot on a camcorder, edited on a laptop and posted on a blog called Rocketboom, which now reaches more than 100,000 fans a day. What …
Tom Sherman Too Cool For Blogs
Last January, I attended Blog Walk 6.0 in Evanston. There were some impressive people in the room that day, but I particularly liked Tom Sherman. He was young, brash, smart, cynical, unaffected and angry (and I imagine he still is). After a recent hiatus from blogging, he returns with panache: Okay, so I haven't written in my blog in about two months. Everyone's been hassling me about it: people online, my dad, I …
I SAID EARRINGS, YOU ASSHOLE
The CA Advertising Annual arrived on my doorstep the other night. I recall how much I used to look forward to pouring poring over of the industry's finest work displayed therein. For me, those days are gone. I'm not exactly sure what happened. I guess I finally let go of the idea that I would someday see my own work in CA. Don't get me wrong. I still examine the winning entries. I just do it with detachment, like I'm …
Making The Most Of One’s Marquee
Allen Michaan, owner of the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, California, posts his political views for hundreds of thousands to see. The theater's marquee faces the MacArthur Freeway (I-580). The Flickr page where these images are housed is maintained as a public service by David Gans, author, musician and longtime host of the syndicated radio program, "Grateful Dead Hour." He is also an Oaklander. …
Yahoo’s Buying Spree Continues
Yahoo continues to acquire Web 2.0 companies. Today, it's Del.icio.us, the social bookmarking site. According to Tech Crunch, Yahoo now owns the two most important tagging properties on the web - flickr and del.icio.us. Greg Yardley speculates that Yahoo paid between $30 to $40 million for the company. His thinking considers that Union Square Ventures, the VCs that backed Del.icio.us in the first place, would need a …
The Sweet Scent Of Money
Japan's Corporate News: JCB, a leading international payment brand and the largest credit card issuer in Japan, is celebrating its success with the JCB LINDA Sweet card featuring a refreshing citrus-based fragrance. The number of cards to be issued is limited to 20,000, and applications will be accepted starting December 10. JCB has recently started offering the scented card option to all of its issuing partners …
Worst Buy Even Worse Employer
I loathe Worst Buy. These feelings stem from the fact that they charged me an unspeakable 15% "restocking fee" when I returned a laptop computer I had in my possession a mere 18 hours. It's a fine I refused to pay at the time, yet bill collectors still call me, hoping I will come through. I won't. So it pleases me to see this lawsuit, even though it's meant to correct another of this heinous company's traits. USA …
Hire Me Hire Me Hire Me
A man, who has chosen to remain annonymous, has created Hire Me Google, as a way to attract attention to his cause. A lot of people want to work for Google. I’m one of them. In order to increase my chances of ever getting noticed (let alone hired) by them I have to stand out. This website is my attempt to do so. I’ve wanted to work for Google for a long time but until now I’ve been busy with my studies. However, I’m …
Mini USA Picks Up Another Hottie
BSandS riding high in a Mini If you read all the way to the bottom of this NY Times article on Butler Shine & Stern's Mini Cooper account win, you will find this nugget. Ms. Hardy and Mr. McDowell (Mini USA marketing execs) notified Butler, Shine's employees that they won the review in a nontraditional way: A bulldog was sent into the agency's office, wearing a collar decorated with clues to the decision written on …
Change The Music, Change The Meaning
Product Shop NYC: Spike Jonze produced one of the best Nike commercials ever, so it's no surprise that the GAP wanted him to direct a commercial for them. His GAP commercial, titled "Pardon Our Dust", which is promoting a massive remodeling of GAP stores, is scored with Edvard Grieg's revolutionary masterpiece "Peer Gynt Suite". While the executives were okay with the concept of customers and employees demolishing a …
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