Today's New York Times takes a look at the implications of AdBlock Plus, a Firefox plug-in that keeps ads from appearing on the browser: The larger importance of Adblock is its potential for extreme menace to the online-advertising business model. After an installation that takes but a minute or two, Adblock usually makes all commercial communication disappear. No flashing whack-a-mole banners. No Google ads based on …
When You Watch Too Much CNN…
...you get commercials like this stuck in your head: So has anyone ever worked for/with The Ad Council? Is this the best we can do, pro-bono wise? Oh, and while we're on the subject... When is "Cop Rock" going to come out on DVD? …
Agency Spy Wants Your Bits O’ Ad News
Special thanks to the folks at Agency Spy, a blog started by Mediabistro.com, for linking my newest Talent Zoo column. Agency Spy isn't shy about calling it like they see it, since they have a series of posts entitled Why Fallon Is In The Shitter. I wasn't quite that blatant in my TZ column. But like a good group of snoops, Agency Spy is always on the hunt for tips, rumors, and well-founded insider info. If you've …
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Labor Day Isn’t Just Another Day Off…
A blast from the past, courtesy of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union: Though outside of American Apparel, clothing made in the U.S.A, or by anyone paid over a dollar an hour, ain't all that easy to find these days... …
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Web Advertising Overtakes Radio
From Forbes: U.S. Internet advertising spending is poised to overtake radio advertising for the first time, providing a reminder that broadcasters need to be more aggressive in their embrace of online opportunities. U.S. radio ad spending is expected to inch up 1.5% in 2007, to $20.4 billion, short of online ad expenditures of $21.7 billion, which will be up 22% from last year, eMarketer senior analyst Ben Macklin …
Earthlink, Mindspring, And The Fall Of A Great Brand
Today's news that Earthlink is laying off 900 people, or half its staff, is kind of shocking, but I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised. I signed up for Mindspring dial-up service in January 1995. I was living in Atlanta and they were based here. They had a set of "core values" that impressed me--and they lived up to them. When I signed up for service, they overnighted me the startup kit and free book. But they …
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What The World Needs Now Is Another Baio
Nothin' like your own reality-TV show to fix your life. From CNN: Scott Baio will be back on VH1 with another season of "Scott Baio Is 45 ... and Single" and a new set of issues -- this time, over impending fatherhood. The first season of the reality show found the former "Charles in Charge" and "Happy Days" star struggling with commitment issues. The finale, which aired at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, showed Baio wrapping …
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Quite Possibly, The Worst Ad Ever. Or One Of The Worst.
We've all seen bad trade pub ads, but I think I've found the worst one ever. This one, for Matthews Cremation, which ran in the July issue of American Funeral Director magazine. (Yes, we had a copy in the agency today.) Click on the ad to see a larger version: But it's not enough to say "this ad sucks." I'd like to point out all the egregious aspects of this ad that I can spot, and I'll just start at the top and …
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