Ariel Waldman's blog has been taken over (for a few days) by Steve Hall. I'm rendered speechless, so I'll let Jetpacks do the talking for me. "This is akin to the cast of The Simpsons showing up in guest roles on 24." …
Hugh The Vulnerable
Stormhoek's Hugh MacLeod has been travelling around jolly old England offering grocery shoppers samples of the South African wine he helps market. Johnnie Moore has some interesting things to say about the activity. It's all a million miles away from high-powered branding from the top down. You let go of the trappings of high office when you follow this path, and get down to the grassroots, taking the risk of having …
Tagline Du Jour
WSJ (paid sub. req.) looks at one department store's attempt to redefine itself via advertising. J.C. Penney Co. today will unveil a new marketing campaign centered around the slogan "Every Day Matters," the latest step in its long-running push to update its image to reflect more stylish offerings. The new campaign comes just a few months after J.C. Penney abruptly switched its account to Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & …
Theatre of the Mind
Mark Ramsey of Hear 2.0 conducted an interview with Watts Wacker, the noted futurist and author. When dealing with Wacker, there's an abundance of great matter to slice from (as if his thoughts are prime rib of beef). Here's a plateful on radio for you: Q. Where do you see the future of radio? A. One of the reasons that I think radio could have such a vibrant next 50 years or so is the issue of imagination and …
String Theory 2.0
Tech Dirt is pointing to a neat social media idea from The Economist. They've decided to publish, in the form of a blog, all of the letters they receive (excluding ones that are patently offensive). There's also a comments section for each one, so that the letters they receive don't just serve as static items, but as conversation starters. Already, within a few days of launching, plenty of people are commenting on …
Death Of The Spec Book
Mike Byrne, chief creative officer at Anomaly on how to find fresh talent today: "I met with a guy last week who, when he was 18, got a DUI, drove into a ditch, ended up going to the Army instead of jail. Then he decided to design tattoos and did this documentary on this Christian rock band he followed around. He's never done an ad in his life, and I'm going to hire him. For me, that's the future. These self-made …
Pontiac Finds Innovative Way To Market Cars On MySpace
Pontiac has found a way to combine social networking and an incentive program to drive sales of its G5. The program is called Friends with Benefits, and has its own MySpace page. The idea is this: buy a G5, register your purchase on the MySpace page and receive a Friends with Benefits debit card. The more people that do this, the more the debit card increases in value (up to $1000 by year's end). If you don't buy a …
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The Red, White and Blue Is Turning Green
Wal-Mart is going green. The company, which is often criticized for its labor practices, is getting serious about sustainability. The truly interesting thing here is how this initiative perfectly fits their corporate culture, for sustainability pactices, when properly implemented, will lead to reduced costs and increased profits. Speaking in London on Feb. 1, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott said: "Sustainability …
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