Equal parts vanity project and career suicide, Words & Pictures is a new webcomic produced by a creative team eager to bite the hand that feeds them. New strips are published every Monday, with the latest weighing in on the Neil French scandal. …
Blogging Is Good For Business. No, Blogging Is Bad For Business
Two interesting stories about blogging & business pop up today. Read 'em back to back and then make up your mind. In Ad Age: "What Blogs Cost American Business" About 35 million workers -- one in four people in the labor force -- visit blogs and on average spend 3.5 hours, or 9%, of the work week engaged with them, according to Advertising Age’s analysis. Time spent in the office on non-work blogs this year will take …
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If You’re Thinking It Someone Else Is Doing It
I wrote this iota on October 4th. Because blogs are structured in reverse chronological order, they lend themselves to tracking a campaign through time. Imagine a promotional tour that stops in 16 cities over a 16-week stretch, where contestants show up and participate with the brand in some fashion. A blog can be used to track this tour from city to city, building anticipation for those who plan to particiapte and …
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Freakonomics For Supper
Steven Levitt, a University of Chicago professor and author of Freakonomics, will share his insights on how ad executives can tell if their ads are working at an invite-only workshop at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place later today. The event is the first of three to be conducted by the Advertising Research Foundation. …
More Brains Less Bravado
"Wideeyedgirl," an award-winning creative in Australia--commenting on the Neil French story that won't go away-- believes we need higher standards in advertising creative departments. In fact, she's so discouraged she may opt to become a suit, in order to be viewed as a professional with something valuable to say. I believe there is a strong link between mysogynistic beliefs and an incredibly poor education. I am …
Shut Up And Commute
I used to ride the Brown Line into the Loop, so it was with piqued interest that I followed Adrants pointer to this great piece of front line reporting from the CTA Tatler, a blog that covers Chicago's rail and bus lines. I ride the brown line from Western to Chicago during rush hour. At Fullerton, an eye-catching gent gets on the train, cell phone pressed to his ear. He wears gray pants, a blue zippered hoodie, and …
Janet Kestin Weighs In On The Neil French Firestorm
Janet Kestin is a Creative Director at Ogilvy Toronto. She works alongside Nancy Vonk, whose comments about the Neil French event got the brouhaha going. We haven't heard much from Nancy since Neil offered his resignation last week, but today, on I Have An Idea, Janet throws in her 2 cents. And she's right on. Two snippets for you: It’s embarrassing how slowly we change. Of course, advertising isn’t unique. Many …
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New Beetle Vs. Banana Hammock
VW is going with a decidedly retro/dayglo/superhero pitch to sell the new Beetle. Here's some "Force of Good" copy from a print execution: Who will champion snooze buttons, clouds that look like furry animals, and all-you-can-eat buffets? Who will step into the ring and become A Force of Good? The print and online components encourage interaction, as the user/consumer selects an everyday foe which will "do battle" …
