- Starcom has reeled in the $100 million United Airlines global media business beating OMD and Mediaedge:cia
- Rosie O'Donnell's in a tiff over the American Idol Frenchie Davis/Antonella Barba picture thing. American Idol Exec producer responds, "Without wishing to add to the obvious self-promotion of Ms. O'Donnell, I feel as though I must refute her absurd and ridiculous claims that American Idol is racist and/or weightist. Ms. O'Donnell has, once again, spoken without thought or knowledge. Viewers need only look at the show tonight to realize that American Idol constantly confirms to America that talent has nothing to do with weight or color."
- According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, Internet ad spending grew 34 percent to $16.8 billion in 2006.
- If you're having trouble sleeping on those long business flights, British Airways has the solution: a soothing podcast.
- Here's a decidedly different look at outdoor advertising.
- The LAist will be rockin' during SXSW in Austin this Sunday hosting its own party at Room 710. If you're there, check it.
Using the Indonesian earthquake, September 11 and Black Tuesday for imagery, a blood drive campaign for India's Jeevan Blood Bank goes for the dramatic reminding people it's not just during disasters that people need blood. It's every day. Of course, to get the campaign's message, one has to read the tiny red type at the bottom of the ad. See the other two ads here.
At this point we don't know if Rosie's trying to get attention or if she genuinely does have a problem worth noting. In any case, she recently stated that after being treated for depression post-Columbine, she now hangs upside-down for 30 minutes a day to improve her mental state.
We find it hard to believe she endures that awkward state a half-hour at a time to improve her well-being. Then again, of late she's dealing with positions far less comfortable.
Think gender pressures in advertising are bad now? Nothing like a good throwback ad to put things in context. This ad for Zonite, a feminine hygiene solution, impresses on good wives the humiliation and loathing they'll experience if hubbies have to deal with their natural aromas.
But that's okay - the text considerately reads, "Is a wife to blame if she doesn't know these intimate physical facts?"
Off-topic, Lysol used to be a douche. Not to be icky, but we don't know how much of an improvement that dead-flower smell is over human musk.
Jetpacks points us to this ad for Cesare Paciotti.
A date rape scenario definitely showcases the dress at a good angle. We often wonder how well our clothes look on us as we lie across the bathroom floor next to a pool of vomit that missed the loo. Next print ad, Cesare Paciotti?
Aside from maybe the coffee, we can't really think of a reason why a visit to McDonald's is necessarily an activity that will help you wake up and face the day. Well, other then the fact you have to actually be awake to go to a McDonald's but let's not get bogged down in the details. One would assume a nice big, greasy, artery-clogging McDonald's breakfast would make you sleepy and want to crawl back into bed or, more likely, barf but McDonald's, with it's Moroch Partners-created Morning Impaired site thinks otherwise.
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Nothing is safe from an awkward rap spoof. CS Rapper Monzy appears at Stanford University to rap hardcore about the merits of Unix. Appropriately, the footage was later used in a documentary called "NERDCORE for Life."
Considering Linux/Unix are slowly taking schools by storm, it won't be long before it's been appropriated beyond the realm of its l33t h8x0r geek demographic.
"Unix geeks are among the most endearing geeks," a colleague observes with an almost pitiful expression. Yeah.
As a guy with a girlfriend or a wife, you know you've found yourself in situations where, if you were to view them as a third party, you'd cringe and wonder what the hell happened to your manishness. That's the plight in which the guy in this Texas Rangers commercial finds himself. Thankfully, the campaign's tagline, "You could use some baseball," has the cure.
The campaign, created by Austin-based Door Number 3, consists of three television commercials and an outdoor effort (PDF).
If you've ever read a farming magazine, you know they're full of bland looking ads for tractors, milking equipment, barn stantions, feed mixtures, silage blowers and all sorts of other things you've never heard of. To cut through all that boring clutter John Deere (yes, the tractor people) have, with help from Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie, created some decidedly different looking ads to promote their Farm Plan accounting program.
The two ads, Disco Ball and Skateboard, are certainly not your average milk tank ad and we think we think they just might catch a bit of extra attention from your average farmer.
After stylishly offing everybody at his old agency, Chuck McBride prepares to start afresh with a new San Francisco agency. Called Cutwater, it'll mainly consist of employees and clients from TBWA's SF location. TBWA will consequently be bowing out of the SF market.
PETA posts an article on the passing of Anna Nicole Smith, comparing the organization to her influence in a way that kind of makes sense but isn't immediately obvious to the casual observer: "We always thought that Anna Nicole was a perfect fit for PETA because, just like us, she not only hated cruelty to animals but also couldn't be ignored and because, no matter what people thought of her, they always had an opinion one way or another."
Touching stuff. To solidify the comparison, both were pretty good at performing stripteases for selected audiences.
Adrants reader Chris Peterson, a principal at entertainment company Ballad Enterprises and former strategic planner for Disney, thinks he has the answers to the GAP's branding woes and offers some free advice, writing, "There's a simple solution to fixing Gap, the brand. Get rid of the celebrities and start investing in the emotional meaning of the word Gap itself. The brand name has gotten lost in the celebrity shuffle.
The feelings that rub off on the word Gap need to come from a genuine place, not from a never ending parade of celebrities. The core values of the brand need to be defined in a personal and intimate way that plays off the word itself.
Example: A teenage boy and a girl are sitting on a bench with a "gap" between them. Neither one has the courage to start a conversation, but clearly they are enamored with each other. Suddenly a no name street musician sits down between them and starts belting out a soulful ballad. Then he walks away. The two kids immediately start talking to each other.
Gap logo...Tagline: Get Together.
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