American Copywriter points to a broadcast campaign for the Utah State Fair. The spots feature Jon Heder, the actor best known for his role in Napolean Dynamite. By the way, the film is set in Preston, Idaho, a short distance from the Utah state line. In a related note, this quiz can help determine which Napolean Dynamite character you are. …
Emotion Kicks Information’s Ass
Medical News Today: Consumers who are very skeptical about the truth of advertising claims are more responsive to emotionally appealing ads than ones peppered with information, according to a new study. The finding comes from work by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle University, and Washington State University who examined consumers' responses to advertising, including brand beliefs, responses to …
Ceviche Please
Ad Age: Out of bankruptcy and under new ownership, "fresh Mex" restaurant chain Chevys has named Maiden Lane of San Francisco its advertising agency following a review. The win was the first for the shop, formerly Gardner Geary Coll, since it changed its name to Maiden Lane this summer. Other contenders in the review included Amazon Advertising and Eleven, both San Francisco. The chain has about 100 Chevys Fresh Mex …
Turning Text Into Photos
Looking for an interesting application for Short Message Service, or SMS? Restaurant 11 in Amsterdam found one. Developed by Dutch new-media developers Mediamatic, Playing Flickr lets visitors of Club/Restaurant 11 in Central Amsterdam call up pictures by sending in SMS (text) messages on their phones. The pictures in Flickr with matching tags appear on the surrounding screens so that while patrons dine the backdrop …
Econometrics: Sorrell Says “Yes.” Porter Says “Whaaa?”
Today's Wall Street Journal (you'll need a subscription or pick up a hard copy of the real thing) has an interesting article on "econometrics" and its impact on the ad industry. Here are the highlights: "There is no doubt in my mind that scientific analysis, including econometrics, is one of the most important areas in the marketing services industry," Sir Martin [Sorrell] says in an interview. Econometrics uses …
Continue Reading about Econometrics: Sorrell Says “Yes.” Porter Says “Whaaa?” →
Maximizing The Brand
According to Money, Maxim magazine is getting in to tthe night club business. With a radio station on satellite radio carrier Sirius and a number of consumer products such as bedding on the market, creating a nightclub with the Maxim brand was a natural progression, Stephen Colvin, the chief executive of Dennis Publishing, Maxim's publisher, told the paper. "We feel that we have an understanding of how to translate …
VC Wins Merit Badge For Honesty
Johnnie Moore and Adrian Trenholm point to Bessemer Venture Partners anti-portfolio. In other words, their miscalculations, which in this case cost them hundreds of millions (or more). It's hard to imagine someone in advertising being this real. Can you imagine an ad agency showcasing their anti-portfolio? "Hey, look at all the truly stupid ads we've made!" …
Worry Warts
Ad Age editor Scott Donaton needed an idea for his latest column. So he wrote to 100 of his closest associates and asked them, "What keeps you up at night?" Here are some of the answers from the captains of our industry: "Will consumers under 30 feel they should ever pay ANYTHING for content?" "Clients who get way too involved in execution." "Delivering on the demand for accountability." "The trend toward …