Homeless Person Advertises the Truth

Honesty in Advertising

Acknowledging the often assumed, rightly or wrongly, reason a homeless person asks for money, this gentleman decided to advertise the truth.

Interestingly, it looks like he is on a cell phone. I guess everyone really does have a cell phone now.

KFC Looking for Great Creative

In Search of Great Creative

With its marketing director leaving and two agencies battling for the account, KFC is apparently not getting what it wants creatively and has turned to the public for salvation. KFC is offering a $10,000 prize to the person who submits the best television commercial. The winner will also see their spot aired in prime time on October 2.

Entrants are asked to submit commercials that promote KFC's "Bigger Better Popcorn Chicken." Submissions must be made by September 23. Details are available on KFC's website.

Ford Launches 'Evil Twin' Movie Spoof For SportKa

Ford's Evil Twin SportsKa Spoofs Mothman Prophecies

In a viral spoof modeled after the movie, The Mothman Prophecies, Ford U.K. has launched a campaign called 'Evil Twin' to promote its new SportKa. In the spoof, the car, apparently tinged with evil, has been sighted playing evil tricks on innocent victims such as whacking a bird with its hood as the bird attempted to land.

An entire website, mirrored after a movie site, has been put up including a back story saying police have spoken with Ford "in an effort to understand how such a successful, popular car could be so deranged." On the site are downloads including screen savers, wallpaper and posters. Users are led to the site either from the Ford website or from a viral video.

Unlike some viral spoofs, this one is done in a way that does not hide Ford as the company behind the car. It's moderately amusing and more so if you have actually seen the Mothman Prophecies movie.

NBC Vivendi Deal to Further Blur line Between Advertising and Content

The pending deal between General Electric's NBC and Vivendi Universal could bring together an intriguing combination of assets leading to further product placement opportunities and a further blurring of the line between commercial commerce and content.

The rise of TiVo and the proliferation of cable channels has fragmented viewership forcing marketers to turn to alternative means of reaching consumers. The method dejour is product placement or branded shows such as Pepsi Smash.

The downside to all of this, and we already see it on radio courtesy of Clear Channel, is the blanding of programming choices. As companies consolidate, originality seems to become an afterthought.

There were once three major networks. There will now be three major corporations handling thousands of media outlets. Some call this progress. Others wonder.