Incumbent Initiative Wins $300 Million AOL Media Account

America Online has confirmed Initiative has landed its $300 million media planning and buying account. The Interpublic Group shop beat out Aegis Group's Carat in the final round. Publicis Groupe's Starcom, citing a conflict with its Disney account, withdrew from the review last week.

Ad Spoofs All Computer Ads

Calling it "Bio Optical Organized Knowledge," this Zapvision spoof reminds us that a book can be so much more friendly and enjoyable than most computers. After all, with a book, you can access any page you want, you don't have to plug it in, you don't have to use a mouse and you won't get spam. Nifty. After viewing this ad, you just might seriously consider tossing your laptop out the window.

The Post Super Bowl Boob Over-Reaction Continues

With everyone freaking out over Janet's boob baring stunt, who would have thought a standard horror movie trailer would come under fire from congress and be deemed "too intense for the time period in which it was shown"? The Universal Picture's trailer for the movie "Van Helsing" aired during the Super Bowl is the ad in question. Not that violence should be glorified but the ad is no more or less violent than any other horror movie trailer we've seen over the past ten or so years.

Just as we had the post-911 effect, we now have the post-Super Boob effect; the over analyzation of content to the point of ridiculousness. Perhaps, in some sense, this will be a good thing. Who really wants to see Tampon and Viagra ads anyway?

Echo Boomers Expect More Control Over Programming, Don't Trust Advertising

Echo Boomers, kids age 12 to 24, have a declining trust in advertising according to a new study by Yankelovich. With all the media choices and the increasing control consumers have over those choices, there is little patience for advertising and programming that is a one way conversation and does not allow for participation.

Of all media, trust of online advertising has dropped from 25 percent among 12 to 17 years olds in 1999 to 18 percent today. This distrust and desire to participate in the outcome leaves the door wide open to smart marketers and programmers to forge ahead with permission-based programming and marketing initiatives.