Downtown Partners/Chicago has a minimalist, but well designed web presence. Having said that, I fail to grasp the significance of the darkness their imagery conveys other than polished concrete. I keep thinking Spiderman or some other superhero is going to swoop in, but that doesn't happen. Rather, a few pigeons make their way across the screen. What's your take? …
AgencyScoop Gives You…The Scoop On Agencies
While doing a Google search on a recruiter I used to know, I stumbled on to AgencyScoop. It's an interesting site, I'm just beginning to delve into it, but it seems to be a place where folks can comment on agencies, recruiters, jobs, etc. It was started by Jason Culbertson, who says: This site was created as a result of my own struggles trying to get a foot into the advertising industry. As I looked around I found …
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The All Knowing Kevin Lynch Strikes Again
I'd forgotten all about Hadrian's Wall recent merger with Toronto agency Zig, an MDC Company. Somehow, the very sharp minds at Zig knew this about me-that I'm sometimes forgetful. So they set up an eBay auction of old Hadrian's Wall gear to remind me. Do these people know how to "surprise and delight" or what? …
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Big Ideas In Bend
After I mentioned the StrawberryFrog ad that ran in Fortune magazine, I got a nice note from Peter Levitan of Ralston360 in Bend, Oregon. Peter mentioned that his agency too believes in promoting itself through ads, and he passed along a few examples that have run in Oregon markets. These ads use traditional print advertising to highlight the agency's non-traditional thinking. Click on them for a larger view. He …
A Little Venting
I guess that when you read a blog called Why Advertising Sucks you know what you're in for, but still it's some good reading. There's a perfectly well-timed and well-crafted rant entry: You won’t matter for however much people insist that you do because no matter what, someone else will do your job and since your full potential shall never be utilized, then no worries, because someone half as good as you can provide …
Kraft Drops Axe. Heads Roll.
Ad Age and the Chicago Sun Times are both writing about JWT's Chicago office today. Lewis Lazare leads with: It didn't take long for the other shoe to drop at JWT/Chicago. Just weeks after a quarter of the agency's staff was axed, JWT/Chicago also is jettisoning its top managers -- President Ros King and executive creative director Graham Woodall. This latest management upheaval comes in the wake of Kraft's recent …
Wexley Goes On Sport Fishing Expedition And Other Tall Tales
Ad Age looks at one of the more interesting developments in the agency business of late—a move to income-producing models other than commissions, retainers and consulting-type hours and fee models. Seattle shop Wexley School for Girls really wants to profit not just from selling a tagline, a viral video or even a high-concept marketing strategy but from patents, trademarks or other intellectual property with the …
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Interweb Gold Rush Continues
The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) reports that Internet advertising has grown into a $16.9 billion industry. Lots of firms are scrambling for a piece of the action—WPP, Google and Microsoft have all made recent headline-grabbing acquisitions that speak to the ongoing industry shakeup. For decades, advertising has been a relatively simple process dominated by a clubby world. Long-established advertising and …