Gum Goes Virtual With Bubblicious Buddy

YesBut points out Bubblicious bubble gum has added a new feature to it website called Bubblicious Virtual Buddy. It allows you to pick a character, style them, call an 800 number, record a message which is then spoken by the created character. The entire creation can then be emailed to a friend. Similar to Wedding Crashers' Trailer Crashers promotion, this should make for some interesting inter-teen communication.

Google Sells Magazine Ads

In a move that seems counter to the online advertising giant's genesis, Google has purchased print ads in technology magazines including PC Magazine and Maximum PC and has resold portions of full page ads to online AdWord advertisers. The ads, which contain five to six advertisers contains a URL which points to an online version of the ad page. The ads do not contain a Google logo but only the descriptive copy on the top of the ad, "Ads by Google" and "Google advertisers offer these products and services" at the bottom.

Kicking Hamster in Ad OK'd

Finally, common sense has prevailed and humor may be reborn. Adland points to an ad for UK Powerleague which shows a woman playing with a hamster in a ball until her boyfriend comes in, does some soccer moves and boots the ball out the window with the hamster still inside was not banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority. While one complainant said the ad could encourage animal cruelty, the ASA said it was all done in fun and is clearly not condoning animal cruelty. Humor people. It's called humor.

Dead Andy Warhol To Sell Levi's

To persuade hipster fools to spend $200 on a pair of jeans, Levi's has enlisted the help of Andy Warhol, the granddaddy of all things hip. Called "Warhol Factory X Levi's," the jeans are priced between $150 and $250 and will be available next Spring.

GM to Market Hummer-Branded Laptop

General Motors has signed a deal with computer maker Itronix to manufacture a Hummer-branded laptop, ruggedly designed for those who work outside or just plain love all things Hummer. Priced at $2,988, the laptop isn't cheap but it is said to survive repeated 30 inch test drops and remain functional.

'Real' Sport Ad Says Wrestling Fake, McMahon Pissed

Apparently the only human alive who still believes professional wrestling is real, World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon is upset over an ad for Spike TV's Ultimate Fighting Championship which says, "What's real? Pro wrestling? No. Boxing? Not anymore. The UFC is real!" The ad aired during a Spike TV broadcast of WWE RAW angering McMahon. Perhaps to save itself from the wrath of McMahon, Spike TV removed reference to pro wrestling from ads aired during WWE RAW but left the reference in ads aired during other programming.

Scion Hip Hop Promotion Backfires

Bucky Turco reports Scion's latest hip hop promotion, NEXT UP, an unsigned emcee search, has recently faced backlash from the very community it was trying to reach. The car company disqualified an emcee because of his politically charged lyrics about President Bush and the war. The track, entitled Black Gold, is an obvious reference to oil and the war.

The rap artist, Bavu Blakes, was willing to alter his lyrics a bit so he could advance to the next round of the competition and potentially win a $50,000 marketing deal, but Inform Ventures, the marketing company handling the promotion for Scion, said he was disqualified because his lyrics were too political.In fairness to Scion, Bavu entered the "underground" category rather than the "political" category but many still believe Bavu was censored.

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