George Parker has a spot-on review of last night's pilot episode of "Mad Men," along with some perspective of what it was like back in those days. Lewis Lazare gives it a C+, calling it "a grim story about the dark underbelly of humanity that has precious little to do with the ad world." Like George, I thought it was good, but not great...of course, a pilot episode just sets the stage and introduces characters. I can …
Michael Vick, The Face Of A Brand, Is Indicted. What Now?
Here in Atlanta, it's the biggest story going: Michael Vick's indictment for allegedly running a dog-fighting operation is the talk of the town. Why? Because he's the $130 million man for the Falcons. The face of the franchise. And he's equally loved and hated around here. He's put butts into seats, brought excitement to a team that never had much, but hasn't quite lived up to his potential. And now all this. He's …
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Louisiana Auto Ad Agency Fined $5 million by Georgia
The state of Georgia, which has always seemed a little lax in the regulatory area, continues to go after deceptive auto advertising. From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs announced fines of $1.66 million apiece against Smart Automotive Group and its owners, Michael Burst and Ben Burst, charging them with violating the Fair Business Practices Act. State officials say the fine …
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Mad Men: Coming Thursday
Once upon a time, advertising was glamorous hucksterism...for white people in suits living the dream on Madison Avenue, growing fat on three-martini lunches and TV media commissions. From the AMC website: Mad Men is AMC's provocative new original series from writer and executive producer Matthew Weiner of The Sopranos. Set in 1960 New York, Mad Men pulls the viewer into an unexpected new world - the high-powered and …
Condom Ads Get Cock Blocked In Pittsburgh
According to The New York Times, TV execs in Pittsburgh are saving the local populace from the harmful effects of condom advertising. Controversy over a new advertising campaign by Trojan, the condom maker, has trickled down to the local level, with television stations in Pittsburgh roundly refusing to show it, and stations in Seattle giving it the green light. When Trojan introduced the condom commercial last month, …
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Modernista vs. Reebok
Some agencies don't simply bend over and take it, I suppose. From The Boston Business Journal: In a rare instance of an ad agency fighting back against a client, Modernista of Boston is suing a former client, a unit of Reebok International Ltd., for breach of contract. The case hinges on Modernista's allegation that the Reebok unit, shoe retailer The Rockport Company LLC in Canton, failed to pay for advertising …
Baio Is Back!
Set those DVRs: "Scott Baio is 45...and Single" premieres tomorrow (Sunday), at 10:30 ET on VH1. Here's an interview with his Chachiness: Was it tough dredging up the past? Scary, not tough. A lot of women wouldn't talk to me. Some women I was afraid of because I wronged them and hell has no wrath like a woman scorned. In the later episodes, you'll see me flinching a few times because I really thought some of these …
The Challenges Of Being A Cause Marketing Professional
Over at The Huffington Post, Jake Brewer, Director of Partnerships for Idealist.org, makes the case for the skills of nonprofit marketing professionals. Professionals who make the decision to work in the nonprofit sector are often seen by their corporate counterparts as "nice folks who can't cut it in the real business world." The funny thing about that myth is many Directors and VPs of Marketing for nonprofits left …
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