Adweek: After more than 20 years working in New York at some of the nation's biggest agencies, Bob Potesky abandoned the capital of advertising for the capital of Mississippi. A former creative director at WPP Group's Young & Rubicam, Potesky last month accepted the position of executive creative director at The Ramey Agency, a 55-person shop in Jackson, Miss., that claims about $30 million in billings. That may seem …
Nazis Adopt New Logos
According to Spiegel, German neo-Nazis are sporting New Balance running shoes and other brands that meet their approval (for reasons surely lost on the brands themselves). So now they wear something they call the secret insignia of the right-wing scene: New Balance shoes. The "N" on the shoes is supposed to stand for "national." Brands like Masterrace, Pit Bull Germany and Thor Steinar are especially popular among …
Lay Your Hard-Earned Green On Blue
Given that only slightly more than half of our eligible voters make an effort to go to the polls during any given election, we know what people think about the political process. But hey, you can (and do) vote with your pocketbook--a more meaningful and frequent act. Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas points us to Buy Blue, a site that analyzes the campaign giving of major corporations. Naturally, Red Staters can …
Rousting Rost
While watching 60 Minutes last Sunday, I was impressed with their piece on the artificially high pricing of pharmaceutical drugs in this country (and the simple remedy to this corporate ill). The centerpiece of the story, Pfizer's marketing vice president, Peter Rost, impressed me as a brave and honorable man. Of course, Pfizer is going to see him a bit differently, since he's calling them on their bullshit on …
Well Done Web Sites
The Webby Awards--the leading international award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality--held their gala celebration Monday, June 6, in NYC, at the landmark Gotham Hall, a majestic turn of the century ballroom. The Webbys were emceed by comedian Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (which was surely worth the price of admission). There are simply too many winners to list …
VCs Handing Out Cash Again
Kevin Maney, USA Today's technology writer, claims now is the time to launch a web-based business. "A savvy entrepreneur can get to proof-of-concept with a consumer Internet idea on less than $500,000 of capital," says Dave Whorton, a venture capitalist at TPG Ventures. "Five years ago, it required 15 times more capital and three times more time. Experimentation can happen faster and at lower cost." If VC money is …
Celebrating Creative Genius
The Newest Industry points to Google's logo de jour. The logo commemorates Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday in 1867. And while Wright had nothing to do with advertising, the man was truly a creative's creative. …
Social Networks On Slippery Slope
Molly Wood, a CNET editor, has published a piece claiming social networking doesn't work. I've gotten a lot of invitations to Friendster over the years, which, to be honest, I ignored. I always just assumed I didn't have time for that tomfoolery. Plus, I already had a boyfriend, and I already had friends. I know that all sounds horribly snobby, but there it is. But then, along came Orkut. Suddenly, because I was …