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Real money is being spent on virtual goods--estimates put the outlay at a cool $1 billion this year. Some say the pixel dust industry could grow to $17.3 billion in 2015. Alex Pham of L.A. Times reports that about one in 10 Americans reached into their wallets last year and spent an average of $30 on pixelated swords, outfits and other non-real items used in online games such as Habbo, Pet Society and Club …

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UroClub may look like something The Onion cooked up, but it's not. Hear from the man who brought the club to market. He developed it in conjunction with his urologist. [via The Chuckler (the blog formerly known as Vulture Droppings)] …

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According to The Wall Street Journal, Interpublic Group of Cos. reported a 71% drop in second-quarter profit. The New York-based parent company of DraftFCB and McCann-Erickson reported earnings of $27.8 million, down from $95.1 million a year earlier. Ouch. Interestingly, the paper seems to be taking the news in stride. There's no big article, no line of questioning, tough or otherwise. Maybe it's up to the bloggers …

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North Korea wants its people to drink beer and they've made a commercial to prove it. When asked, Sonya Grewal, award-winning creative director for Young & Rubicam in Chicago, told Global Post: It's 2 minutes and 34 seconds too long. I think we're looking at a viral version. The unedited, director's cut that got out of hand. Frankly, it's a low-budget production with zero concept. Looks like some kid learning …

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So, there's no degree needed to get into advertising. No certification. So what should advertising's new professionals need to know? Four-year colleges and universities do practically nothing to prepare students for a career in advertising, particularly as a creative. Most of the professors at these schools have little in the way of relevant, recent industry experience, nor do they provide much insight into how …

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Burger King seems to be having lots of trouble with its overseas ads. The Huffington Post explains: The ad, which appeared in Spain, shows the goddess Lakshmi sitting above a beef burger. The 'Texican Whopper' is an affront to Hindu sensitivities in its own right - it includes an all-beef patty, a beef chilli-con-carne slice, egg-based Cajun mayonnaise, all forbidden by strict Hindus. Some devotees would even be …

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Cinema advertising is a good venue for stretching the brand's voice. The Economist is certainly stretching its well trained voice here with the help of tight rope artist Florent Blondeau. The ad is meant to be a metaphor for the pleasure one derives from connecting different ideas, something the magazine is particularly good at doing. …

Continue Reading about The Economy Is Much More Than Numbers. LIkewise The Economist. →

News broke on Adweek yesterday that the Current Media agency review, first announced via Twitter, has been put on hold and that the person who initiated the review, Jordan Kretchmer, has left Current. From Adweek: When reached via e-mail, [New SVP of Marketing Michael] Streefland acknowledged the pause in the review, indicating that Current executives needed time to chart the brand's strategic course. "The Current …

Continue Reading about Current TV TwitteRFP Stalls Because Some Things Never Change →