The New York Times points to the downside of celebrity endorsement. Christian Dior, the French fashion brand, has become the latest global company to learn a hard lesson about the danger of offending Chinese pride. Facing the possibility of a boycott of its products, the luxury company said on Thursday that it had dropped the American actress Sharon Stone from its advertising in China after she suggested last week …
Using That Gold Pencil As A Back Scratcher
Over at Ad Age's The Big Tent Cat Lopez makes the surprisingly honest admission that he has to butter up other people in order to win awards. I've been on a few awards juries, and they've all been great experiences, if not for the advertising itself as much as the lessons I've learned in human behavior. If an agency is on a hot streak and winning awards left and right, they usually get the benefit of the doubt for …
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Wherefore Art Thou, Hill | Holliday?
Hill | Holliday hasn't updated their website since April 11th. I'm certain there are good reasons for it. Most likely the people who have been chosen to update the site are busy solving client problems (like finding Rachel Ray a new scarf). I get it. But, I also get that a blog as agency site isn't the right answer if you can't keep it up to date. I don't mean to pick on Hill | Holliday. They are far from the only …
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Ground Zero Adds Some Creative Muscle
Don’t Pooh Pooh The Choo Choo
According to The Wall Street Journal, railroad companies are starting to market themselves as the ultimate eco-friendly, low-fuel-consuming industry. For instance, a new CSX Corp. radio ad declares that even the most fuel-efficient hybrid car can't compete with a train, which "can move a ton of freight 423 miles on a single gallon of fuel." "Too bad we can't all drive a train," the announcer says before urging …
Ad Guy Wants To Make Ecology Popular
If I read the press release correctly, Los Angeles agency 86theonions is now calling itself ecopop. In Chad Rea's own words, "ecopop is about merging capitalism and global responsibility with a populist/iconic slant. Unlike the current trend, which involves corporate grandstanding and asking consumers to change, ecopop is committed to creating demand, influence, social currency, and profitability for businesses …
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Good First Impression
I've never heard of Toms Shoes until a couple of minutes ago. I'm sorry to say I'm not attracted to their footwear, but I love where they're going with their give-away concept. [via Fresh Creation] …
Tell The Truth
Brian Brooker, CEO & chief creative officer of Barkley, writing for Talent Zoo asks agency personnel to consider doing something radical to improve the work. Here’s a thought on how advertising could move up a few notches: Tell the truth. Tell the truth in a way that inspires rather than dulls the mind like a double scotch. Tell the truth in a way that reflects real life, not an advertiser’s pipe dream. Tell the …
