Everyone needs to wallow in self gratification once in a while and I'm about due for some self promotional flatulation. Today, I received an email from Richard Botto, publisher and CEO of Razor Magazine and one of People Magazine's 25 Most Eligible Bachelors, letting me know he's a reader and fan of Adrants. If you've been sleeping under a rock in the media world, Richard is the guy who came out of the e-commerce world to start Razor, an independent men's magazine that fills to void between literary/fashion mags like Esquire and GQ and the beer and boobs magazine such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. It's a great magazine giving guys the visual stimulation they will always need yet not pandering to the lowest editorial common denominator.
Richard said in his email, "Just wanted to drop you a note to say that I really enjoy your site/blog. Terrific combination of dry humor and pertinent information. Makes for a great daily read." He went on to say, "I think it (Adrants) has attained a certain level of "hip-ness" that you may not have realized."
I, of course, emailed him back to thank him profusely telling him Adrants, was born out of unemployment and boredom whose purpose is to mock the advertising world while covering the kind of advertising news that Ad Age and AdWeek deem too sleazy or too racy. Is that hip? Maybe so. It's sure fun.
Thank you very much Richard. Adrants is now officially hip! But does that follow my "once your cool your not cool" rule? Is Adrants now not hip because someone said it is? I think I'll shelve that rule for a while and wallow in my ten seconds of fame.
"I am running for governor to lead a movement for change and give California back its future," Mr. Schwarzenegger says in the ad, created by media consultant Don Sipple. The ads tagline is "Let's bring California back."
Arnold will spend $1-2 million on the campaign.
From Amy Coor's MediaPost Out to Launch, Discovery Channel launched a campaign that included decals placed on the bottom of swimming pools to promote their Shark Week special.
Also mentioned this week are a gay travel ad from Orbitz, an upcoming campaign for Old Spice featuring Chicago Bear Linebacker Brian Urlacher, a back to school campaign from Foot Locker, a Spanish language campaign from La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados for Just For Men, a mobile marketing promotion from Panasonic featuring some ugly butts, a new TV spot from AutoTrader, and a local print campaign for Miller Brewing using its old stand by headline, Great Taste, Less Filling.
 Test Caption Really Long So It WillWrap, Really Really Long Abercrombie's new fall catalog is out and it looks more like Maxim than a clothing catalog. The "magalog", which costs $7 in stores or by subscription features young hotties in various stages of near nudity. In one shot a woman (girl, really) pushes her breasts up against a window and a guy pushes his butt against a window. There's also the standard plaid skirt, prep school girl thing where a chic ends up looking like she's having sex in the back of a car.
"It's just like one big orgy," observed Zoe Paolantonio, 19, after a store visit.
"It seems like they're selling a lifestyle, and it's unrealistic considering their clientele and who they're marketing to."
As erotic as it is, it seems most in the target group see right through the ploy.
"They're not modeling clothing so I don't see what the point is," said shopper Dan Langlitz, 20, of Marlton, an advertising major at Penn State.
"It doesn't make me want to buy more clothes," said his girlfriend, Jen Braytenbah, 18.
The question is whether this is appropriate or not. Obviously teenage sexual desire is being exploited here and some fear it perpetuates promiscuity and reaches for the lowest common denominator to make a buck. But, teens aren't stupid. Today's teens are more savvy than previous generations and can filter though advertiser's crap and see it for what it is: a shameless ploy at gaining attention using teen's most powerful emotion. That said, the catalog is sure to be a hit.
If you have an interest in public relations or just want to read some good verbal volleyball between a marketing consultant and a PR professional, than this link is for you.
Having read all this, it does appear the public relations practice really does need to leave the press release behind and take a greater ownership of the Internet as a communications medium.
Chinese visitors watch dancers promoting U.S. soft drink Pepsi at a booth in China's financial hub of Shanghai, August 21, 2003. Pepsi, which competes against Coca-Cola Co. in the world's most populous country, has invested nearly $800 million in China since 1981. It has 40 ventures and nearly 10,000 employees in the country, the company said. Bigger picture here.
This German ad for Independence Cigars claims handrolling cigars may not be the best method and claims two other, softer body parts may yield a better product.
you can view the commercial here thanks to Viralmeister via TTR2.
Porn star Jenna Jameson has graced one of Times Square's displays this week with an ad that is sure to cause comment. She's up there promoting her web site and her production company.
The 48-foot high, 32-foot wide billboard faces Broadway between 47th and 48th streets. An eight-foot side panel announces, "See Jenna Now" with an invitation to visit her on the Internet at ClubJenna and to promote the studio that distributes her films, Vivid Entertainment Group. The current visual will be on display for three months and then will be replaced by a new slogan and sexy photo of Ms Jameson.
The billboard is owned by Artkraft Strauss of New York City and has been co-leased by Ms Jameson's company, ClubJenna, Inc. and the studio that distributes her films, Vivid Entertainment Group.
Listen closely and you can already hear the conservative groups whine about this one.
Three years ago, Coke, in an effort to persuade Burger King to run a national promotion for its Frozen Coke product, gave a consultant $9,000 pass out in Richmond, VA to clubs an non-profits telling them it was to buy value meals if the kids finished their homework.
While this was happening in the background, Burger King ran a two week test campaign offering a coupon for the Frozen Coke to test its appeal prior to national roll out. The catch to redeem the coupon? You had to buy a value meal.
Apparently the scheme was cooked up by two mid-level Coke managers without the knowledge of top executive. Plausible deniability, of course. This just illustrated the lengths to which some marketers will go to insure the achieve a bigger slice of the pie.
What you see in ads is not always what was originally photographed. Photoshop and other photo altering tools are used to a greater degree now to acheive sometimes un-lifelike results. Original and then re-touched:
 
See more here.
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