Greenhorns take note. Philadelphia-based XLNTads will pay you $20 Large if you make a spot an actual advertiser wants to run on TV. Ad Age compares the startup to Revver. Like Revver, which pays a share of ad revenue to the video producers that use the site, XLNTads is part of a cottage industry that has popped up to help independent video producers tap into at least a piece of the fortune normally reserved for …
Topix 2.0
Paid Content reports that Topix--a news aggregator owned jointly by Gannett, Tribune and McClatchy--launched a site makeover last night. Rich Skrenta, CEO of Topix, offers insight on his blog regarding the company's soul searching. This was a painful process. We crammed the entire company into a room, but no rah-rah speech this time. Instead we treated ourselves to a brainstorming session about why the site was lame. …
Rafat Ali Discusses “The Economics of Content”
Paid Content's Rafat Ali is profiled in Media Bistro. The piece looks at his background, exploring his moves from journalist to blogger to a business owner backed by venture capital. Here are a few of the highlights: Q. Obviously you've always wanted to be an entrepreneur… A. No, I did not. In 2000 and 2001, I came out of school (Ali has a Masters in Journalism from Indiana University), and like everybody, I wanted …
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Cute Is The New Big: Nissan’s Minicar Exceeding Expectations
The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) looks at Nissan's ability to reach young Japanese women with a "cute" minicar, a class of vehicle that features engines of under 660 cubic centimeters -- about half the size of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Nissan Motor Co. had a tough challenge in launching its Pino minicar: Make it appeal to young female consumers who couldn't care less about cars. While these deep-pocketed …
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Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Times Eleven
Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting that 7-Eleven has plans to rebrand 11 of its stores as part of a promotion to support the July 27th release of The Simpsons Movie. The convenience store chain plans to refit 11 stores across the U.S. to resemble the front of the Kwik-E-Mart, the convenience store that Homer and other characters frequent in the classic cartoon TV series. Customers also will be able to buy products …
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Uncle Ben Gets Big Promotion
The New York Times examines the revival of "a racially charged advertising character." The character is Uncle Ben, the symbol for more than 60 years of the Uncle Ben’s line of rices and side dishes now sold by the food giant Mars. Uncle Ben, who first appeared in ads in 1946, is being reborn as Ben, an accomplished businessman with an opulent office, a busy schedule, an extensive travel itinerary and a penchant for …
Success Is Overrated
Clay Parker Jones has an interesting "lo-fi blog" series going on his exitcreative site. Here's an example of his pen-to-paper approach: …
Viral Hunters Find Their Trophy Buck
Where's My Jetpack sees too close a connection between this viral video made by a young man in Montana and the above spot for Altoids made by Leo Burnett. George Parker would call this an "homage." I call it a hosejob. …
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