Q. Hi, I was wondering if you could help me with my A-level media studies coursework. I am a student at King Edwards VI school in Bury St Edmunds. I have a question that I have to research and was hoping you could give me some information or your opinions on my research question? My question is "with the continuing development of technology in the 21st century is it now more beneficial for companies to advertise on …
Moving Lunches Through Mumbai
Idris Mootee is educating us on India's dabbawalas, or box persons. In Mumbai dabbawalas collect freshly cooked food in lunch boxes and deliver them to the workplace. The Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association is a streamlined 120-year-old organization with 4,500 semi-literate members providing a quality door-to-door service to a large and loyal customer base. It is probably one of the best ran organization in India …
The Fantasy of Reality-Based Advertising
Are we going to see more marketers like Hyundai confront the reality of today's economy head on? Don't bet on it. That's the focus of my new column on TalentZoo.com, which you can also read after the jump. …
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What’s Good For CEOs and CMOs, Is Good For The Gander
Microsoft wants to sell something called "people ready business solutions." So they asked JWT/New York to come up with something. JWT came up celebrity endorsements. Kind of. The campaign. with print and TV executions, features Coca-Cola North America CMO Katie Bayne, WestJet CEO Sean Durfy, Quiksilver CEO Robert McKnight and Eric Ryan, the co-founder and chief brand architect for Method. [via MediaWeek] …
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Shift Happens
Musicians Imogene Heap and Little Boots are active in social media. Their proficiency inspired Ian Tait to write about them, which in turn led Ed Cotton to ponder why brands and the agencies that assist them can't come up with something authentic to say. Somehow we've gotten into our heads that business should only talk when it has something to sell and beyond that there's nothing really that they can or want to talk …
Radiohead Has Heart
Getting the precise music to fit your spot is one of the tricky but crucial steps in making a commercial, video or film. According to Ad Age, the National Coalition for the Homeless got extremely lucky when the directors of their spot sent Radiohead's management a cut featuring the band's music. Radiohead decided to donate the song's use, which the band has never done before. [UPDATE] According to commentators on …
An Army Of Swindlers
Over at the BNET Advertising Blog, Jim Edwards takes a very good look at the recent Leo Burnett/U.S. Army overbilling scandal and others like it: Perhaps the most worrying part for employees and clients of Burnett, however, is the failure of leadership. When ex-CFO Eric Martinez objected to Burnett keeping a secret account filled with Army overcharges, ex-CEO Linda Wolf fired him. Note to management: If you have to …
Good Form
Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin is appearing in Max Azria's new online ad campaign. New York Magazine has the details. …