In February, John Amaechi spoke about his homosexuality on ESPN's Outside the Lines program. He also released a book, Man in the Middle, published by ESPN Books, which discusses his career and life as a closeted professional athlete. Amaechi is the first NBA player to speak publicly about being gay. Now, according to The New York Times, he has an endorsement deal as a result. The journeyman center for such teams as …
So Just Exactly Who Is Sir Martin Sorrell?
I know our friend George Parker has an opinion or two about the CEO of WPP, but how did Sorrell get to be one of the most powerful people in the advertising industry? Here's a good overview of Sorrell's background, which is in the news again as he's currently involved in a pretty nasty lawsuit with some ex-employees: Borrowing a million pounds, like you do, he set up a business from a one-room rental in London and …
Continue Reading about So Just Exactly Who Is Sir Martin Sorrell? →
Painting Airports Green
Dutch beer brand, Heineken, is rolling out airport bars on five continents, according to The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.). In recent years, a range of consumer goods makers have tried creating a "brand experience" in retail outlets to exert more control over how their products are presented to buyers. In 1992, Nike Inc. moved beyond its Oregon base to launch an elaborate "Niketown" flagship store in Chicago. …
A Little Baio For Your Weekend
Seems that there's been a bit of Scott Baio bashing amongst the commenters on this board lately. To counteract such negativity, I present to you a commercial he did on behalf of the Los Angeles Sherriffs Star Organization in 2003. And I shouldn't have to point out the delicious irony of Mad Mel playing the cop that pulls him over. Now, many of you creatives may be saying, "Well, what if I want a little Baio in my …
Hello Frustration
The New York Times reports on a new campaign for Avon, the largest in its 121-year history. But here's the part of the article that gets me: The campaign, now getting under way, carries the upbeat theme “Hello tomorrow.” The ads are the first work from a new Avon creative agency, Soho Square in New York, part of the WPP Group, which has been developing the campaign since September 2005. “It was a journey in getting …
And Riney Thanks Gallo For His Support
Back in ad school, one of my teachers told me that Ernest Gallo would have his agencies come out to his house and present new work to him by the pool. And they'd lay out the ads on the ground, and Gallo would piss on the storyboards he didn't like. I'm not sure if the story's true, but it sounds true. But now that Gallo's dead, Hal Riney looks back at the man with a sense of fondness. Riney's work for Gallo made Hal …
Continue Reading about And Riney Thanks Gallo For His Support →
Pyper Paul + Kenney Wins 0.98% More Addys This Year
Last year, I wrote about the Addy dominance of Tampa agency Pyper Paul + Kenney. They won 127 Tampa Addys. This year, they only had a modest increase in performance, winning a mere 129 Addys. Will we see more substantial improvement from PP+K next year? Let's hope so. I still wanna know how much in entry fees this costs them. …
Continue Reading about Pyper Paul + Kenney Wins 0.98% More Addys This Year →
Car Dealers Are Great. Car Dealers Suck.
Having recently bought a car myself, I can attest that one's experience at a car dealership can make or break everything. No amount of image advertising that ad agencies do can reverse a really bad experience with a dealer who tries to screw with you or a salesman who doesn't know much about the car you want. Over at The Truth About Cars, there's a bit of a "Point-Counterpoint" discussion going on about the current …
Continue Reading about Car Dealers Are Great. Car Dealers Suck. →
