Maybe they have to pay out lots o' life insurance for all those spontaneously combusting drummers, but as a huge fan of This Is Spinal Tap, I can't help but be bummed out about this. Why Ogilvy has to do this to a good song, particularly by using it in a completely humorless way, I don't know. I mean, it's such a fine line between stupid and clever, isn't it? …
Tight Pants…Not Just For Indie Posers Anymore
LA Times looks at the popularity of Santa Ana-based lifestyle brand KR3W. "KR3W's smoking," said Steve Carlson, general manager of Central Coast Surfboards in San Luis Obispo. "Each time I look at a new season line from them, I'm like, 'Whoa, doggie man. This one's testing me out.' " KR3W's appeal is linked to the popularity of its skaters and what Carlson calls an "urban crossover attitude" that attracts young …
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Bill Green’s Phat List Of Beefs
George Parker is the most pissed off ad blogger we know, but Bill Green can get peeved too. Here are some selections from his list of "12 or so things that bothered me this year." 2) Cellphones + drivers. 3) Chillabrations, ‘Fash’-ons and anything blinged, pimped or ‘phat’-ted. 4) No Geico cavemen sitcom. 5) Non-drunk racist celebrities who aren’t really racist. 6) Drunk racist celebrities who aren’t really …
A Christmas Eve Message From A Billionaire Blogger
On Christmas Eve, Mark Cuban, founder of HDnet and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, published a lengthy piece on his blog about advertising opportunities in high definition television. In route, he takes shot at the momentary darling of media planners everywhere. HDTV is the Internet video killer. Deal with it. Internet video won't replace TV. It wont even complement TV offerings. It will flourish in the office. It …
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Ryan And Montague Conduct JWT’s DNA Transplant…Receive Accolades From Business Press
Fast Company is rehashing some old articles to make up a year end feature called, "Top Ten Creative Minds of 2006." Rosemarie Ryan and Ty Montague of JWT, profiled in June, made the cut. It's a long piece, so I'll just offer one small bit that I like. It's about Montague's first meeting with Kimberly-Clark's new president of North American Family Care, Mark Scott. Montague related his philosophy of advertising as …
Our Country Tis Of Thee
The Wall Street Journal reports on the potetnial downside for recording artists who license their songs to commercial enterprises prior to official release of their music on disc. John Mellencamp's 21st studio album, "Freedom's Road," isn't due out until next month. But his record label is already worrying that one song, "Our Country," may be suffering from overexposure (thanks to the Chevy Silverado ad that uses the …
It’s The Network (For Ads)
Thanks to this latest development from Verizon, cell phone users on their network are now primed to be distracted not just by calls, text, games and the mobile web, but by banner advertising. The New York Times has the story. Beginning early next year, Verizon Wireless will allow placement of banner advertisements on news, weather, sports and other Internet sites that users visit and display on their mobile phones, …
Iron Mike Dabbles In Vinyl
Lewis Lazare reports that former Bears coach Mike Ditka--a man with many business interests--has started a record label. The label's first release contains Frank Sinatra songs performed by crooner John Vincent. Chicago's DiMeo & Co. was tapped to assist with marketing, Web site design and CD label design. …