Tim Nudd of Adfreak points to Zippo's response to a recent ruling by the Transportation Security Administration banning lighters from commercial flights, including checked luggage. "We strongly oppose the interpretation by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that prohibits packing lighters in checked luggage. In testing performed by Zippo engineers, as well as investigations done by the Lighter Association, Inc., …
“Don’t Be Blah” A Bit Blas
from New York Times: After 18 years, the National Pork Board is taking "the other white meat" in another direction. The organization, seeking to promote pork as a more contemporary choice at mealtime is tripling its advertising spending and playing down the theme it has used since 1987 of pork as "the other white meat." A multimedia campaign by the Richards Group in Dallas - hired last year to help increase pork …
AB IV Thinking About Getting His Drink On
from Ad Age: The president of beer giant Anheuser-Busch said at an industry conference the company has contemplated buying its way into the spirits business. In response to a question, August Busch IV said there has been a lot of internal dialogue about making an acquisition outside of beer. An executive who attended the conference said Mr. Busch did not identify any potential targets and that no deal is imminent. …
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Those Pesky Scammers
Writing in the New York Times today, Nat Ives sheds light on the newest scam: click fraud. Since pay-per-click advertising (and there's some on our site) is the newest cash cow for companies like Google, this could be a huge problem very soon. It's also the latest gotcha for marketers who are desperate to precisely measure their results (or ROI for you DM dorks). The more we rely on back-room technology to track an …
Own Or Be Owned
I read an investment book once that contained the following advice: When it comes to money, be an owner, not a loaner. Being an owner in that case meant owning a home versus renting, or owning stocks versus loaning a bank money in the form of a Certificate of Deposit, etc. Good advice, I think. Especially when it comes to the ownership of creative content. Those who own what they create can live off the proceeds for …
Making Something Savory With Spam
We received an e-mail this moring from Rich Siegel, author of Tuesdays With Mantu, a "nonfictional work of fiction" that chronicles the e-mail correspondence between Siegel and the Nigerian spammers famous for promising millions of dollars to millions of Americans. "It isn …
Read All About It
Copywriters: You know that book about advertising you always wanted to write? The one that takes all the things you hate about the way most big ad agencies operate and exposes them for the waste of client money that they are, then offers up sound business solutions that would fix nearly all of it? Well, you're too late. Mark Silveira beat you to it. Read this excerpt, then buy a copy and send it to a Brand Manager …
Abstinence And The City
From CNN: Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push for applying broadcast decency standards to cable television and subscription satellite TV and radio. In the wake of Nipplegate, Congress is seeking to increase the fines for indecency on broadcast TV and radio. But if Stevens got his wish, Howard Stern would still have to watch his mouth when he moves to Sirius Radio. "The …