Fox Could Have First Ever Sweeps Win

A CNN story points out that Fox could have its first sweeps win for the 18-49 demo. With the help of Joe Millionaire, American Idol, Simpsons 300th episode, and a Married With Chirldren special (did I miss that?), Fox could very well seal it up.
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New Adrants Feature

Maybe you never noticed, but there are newsfeeds in the left column of this site. They were provided automatically by Moreover. As you can see, there are still newfeeds on the left but they are now human-reviewed and manually added if they are relevant to the mission of Adrants: To provide news and musing on the oddities and wonders of advertising.

If you are reading this via email or RSS, you will have to visit the site to see this change. There are plans to add these headlines to the Adrants Daily email newsletter as well as to provide a separate newsfeed.

Take a minute to re-look at that left column. Stories will be added daily as they happen. Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment.
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The Latest in Reality TV: Melissa Jon Hart's Wedding

Melissa Joan Hart is producing a television show that will be based on her preparations to wed musician Mark Wilkerson as well as the actual wedding.

Cameras will follow her and Mark around as they prepare for the big day. There may be a reality series in the making.

"ABC, I think is going to do a TV show based on (the wedding)," Hart said. "I actually asked for it because I thought it would be cool to have professionals really shooting the bachelorette party and the bachelor party and the engagement party and the bridal shower and going with me to try on my dress. And I'll have it all on video. I'm going to produce it so I'll have total control. "
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Jamie Kellner Leaving Turner for WB

AOL Time Warner is losing Jamie Kellner to the WB. Kellner is chairman and CEO of Turner's cable business and will be replaced by Philip Kent who was a former Turner exec.

Kellner is leaving to go back to California, where the WB is located, for family reasons.

More from Media Daily News.
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Government Launches 'Ready' Campaign

Our own U.S. government is launching an ad campaign. The campaign, called 'Ready' is designed to offer information to citizens about the prospect of war, terrorism, and biological warfare. Happy topics for sure.

The campaign promotes a web site that offers information on what to expect and how to prepare, urging Americans to put together emergency kits and plans to deal with any potential attack.

Tom Ridge, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, says he hopes the campaign won't make people feel an attack is coming.

"Is it a possibility? Yes. Is it likely? Probably not," Ridge says. "We're saying if you want to do something to prepare for that unlikely moment, hopefully it'll make you feel more secure."

Somehow, that just doesn't sound all that comforting.
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Google and Blogger: The Advertising Angle

OK, so there have been at least 5000 stories about Google buying Blogger. What does this mean to the advertising industry? A lot.

Blogger is the software tool behind weblogs. Weblogs, for simplicity's sake, are online diaries/content sites that focus on topic specific info. It takes the niche approach to targeting to the extreme. Two good examples of this "nanopublishing" approach are Gawker and Gizmodo. As an advertiser, how do you reach these very small but very focused audiences? You could use a service called blogads which is designed to place ads on weblogs but each buy has to be placed specifically on each site. I like blogads. I am considering using it on Adrants. But is a scale issue. How does an advertiser easily target that fast changing, fast moving topic matter that is the cornerstone of the blogosphere (term used to describe the weblog world)?

Google. Google is the answer. Google indexes the web. Google indexes weblogs. Google categorizes weblogs. Google will, no doubt, begin to index weblog activity in real time so that as soon as an entry is made, it is in Google's database. Google sells advertising in the form of paid links and Adwords. Paid links are the text links you see at the top of search results. Adwords are the boxes you see on the right and are placed based on click-through.

I envision a Google page that would show blog headlines and perhaps the first paragraph of each entry. Almost like Google News in fact. Call is Bloogle News, Glogger News. Pick your name. Perhaps it's a separate page. Perhaps it is integrated seamlessly into Google News as it would be in Google Search Results. Typical sponsorship could be purchased on those pages not unlike the links you see (on search result pages) already.

The interesting thing would be if Google extended this advertising network out to every weblog (not just Blogger weblogs, although undoubtedly, they will be first) so that based on Google's unique search and categorization abilities, paid links and Adwords, or some yet to be launched ad format could be seamlessly placed on weblogs that matched with the advertisers criteria. Ads would be trafficked based on either keyword relevance or by specific weblog as requested by the advertiser.

Sure, it isn't much different then an ad network buy but it's weblogs we are talking about and weblogs are the new content format of the web. Every conceivable topic is covered in real time. In fact, the announcement of Google buying Blogger was all over every weblog two days before the major news web sites picked it up. The fact is that weblogs move faster then typical web sites do. They are more relevant. It won't be long, though, before big media catch on to this.

I'm no advertising superhero or a publishing prodigy but it sure seems like there is some incredible potential here that is waiting to be unleashed. It fascinates me. Someone please tell me if there is anything to this idea or if I should just pack up and call it quits.

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US Magazine's Bonnie Fuller Gets the Big Bucks

"I've never seen a more talented editor. She's the hardest-working one in the business," said Jan Wenner, US Publisher. "I'm turning Us over to her and letting her run with it."

Bonnie Fuller and Jan Wenner reached an agreement with "just a few shouting matches" and Fuller will now pull in $1 million a year for three years as editor of US magazine.

Fuller has been credited with turning around the sagging US magazine increasing its newstand sales by 55.2% and bringing in $2 million in profits last year.
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Reality Programming Cannabalizing Scripted Programming

"The miracle ratings cure of reality programming for the networks has temporarily obscured the disease of more viewers avoiding scripted comedies and dramas," said John Rash, chief broadcast negotiator at Campbell Mithun. "The networks need to examine this trend carefully. The reality is that reality programs have seized the country's short attention span, and right now they are an undeniable success. But this immediate gratification for the networks can disappear just as fast. Advertising investment is an indicator of audience interest."

Well said. And that is why media buyers are looking to cable's scripted shows to maintain reach to the 18-49 audience.

More...
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Online Advertising Headlines

From MarketingFix:

MTV's European Winterjam 2003 Viral Advergame
God and Wireless Marketing
ZDnet Relaunches as IT Buyers Hub
Workers Want Stricter Spam Laws
Guerrilla Marketers an Endangered Species in South Africa
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Ad Age Weekly Review of Interesting Commercials

This week in Ad Age's TV Spots of the Week, take a look at the new spot from Doritos illustrating how easy it is to eat their junk from the new "Pringles-like" container. That, and weird beer, mannequins ogling a Mercedes, newscasters acting stupid, and odd characters in a bar. --------

by Steve Hall    Feb-17-03