Leeds Real Radio DJ Guy Harris placed an eBay ad for his co-host, Lorna Bancroft selling her as an escort girl. Needless to say, Bancroft was pissed.
Bancroft said, "I got nice emails from listeners after my photo was put on the radio website. Guy got jealous and this was his way of having a go at me. It (the eBay ad) made me look like a prostitute and people believed I was for sale. I am really angry with him. It was bang out of order and it will take time for me to calm down."
Harris has apologized and hopes Bancroft can forgive him.
Commenting on eBay's recent firing of agency Goodby Silverstein, eBay spokesman Chris Donlay said, "Our policy is not to comment on vendor relations," to which we ask "why the fuck not?" Sidestepping the nasty habit of clients disrespecting agencies by calling them "vendors" versus business consultants for now, what is so crucial about an agency/client relationship that's so important it must be hidden from the rest of the industry. It's not like we're talking about national security secrets here. Haven't we all had enough of this bland, say nothing PR bullshit? Yes, we thought you'd say yes.
Is it asking too much for companies to at least come up with statements of interest like, oh, "We fired the agency because the account director is a self-important, pompous wind bag" or "We dumped that client because they are clearly clueless when it comes to effective advertising" or "The fuckers think the Internet 'isn't there yet' as a medium." Come on, a little honesty, inventiveness and effort would make all our lives more exciting. Please, PR, give it a try.
 OK, Like WTF? Below is the meta data from the source code of CokeBadger, revealing it to be one of the latest, wacky viral promotions which, in turn, promotes another site which promotes a new movie, It's All Gone Pete Tong, already a fave on the festival circuit, to be released April 15.
meta name="description" content="The Coke Badger wants you to do coke. Nothing else. The Coke Badger will come after you if you don't. Coke, coke, coke. Coke addicts are the best society has to offer, so why not be one of the best? Oh, and, the Coke Badger is holding Frankie Wilde in hell."
You see. Frankie Wilde is the fictitious, central character of the upcoming movie, "It's All Gone Pete Tong." The phrase "it's all gone Pete Tong" is Cockney slang that plays off the name of real superstar DJ Pete Tong. It means "it's all gone wrong." The film is a mockumentary based on the life of fictitiously legendary DJ Frankie Wilde, a talented and envied European DJ and the central focus of hedonistic youth vacationing in Ibiza, Spain. As the movie progresses, Wilde, who eventually cokes out and goes deaf from too many throbbing throw downs, hires a lip-reading instructor, accepts a new way of life and rediscovers the dance rhythms that originally defined him. Wilde's redemption then returns him to the top of the DJ scene with a renewed connection to music and fame. And then he disappears, just in time for a sequel.
The campaign is deep and extensive, including an "unofficial" fan site, a site for "author" Eric Banning who wrote about Wilde's life, a site for his cheesy manager, Max Haggar and even a site his record label, handicapped artist focused Motor City Records (be sure to view the videos of "CEO" Jack Stoddart here and on the main page). Surely there are more sites tied into this elaborate promotion but we have other things to do today. We do give a big "brilliant" to this engaging effort. The usual suspects are behind this one.
In a move to satisfy complaints over its so called "No More Late Fees" ad campaign in which the video chain's elaborate and twisted return policy confused and angered consumers, Blockbuster has agreed to pay $630,000 in legal fees to settle claims from 47 states and the District of Columbia. The settlement calls for Blockbuster to refund anyone who claims the ad campaign misled them into believing they could keep their rental for as long as they liked rather than, as the details explain, having to return it within 8 days or face the full price of the rental added to their account only to be refunded if it was then returned in 30 days along with a $1.25 restocking fee.
Confused? Yes and that's the whole point behind Blockbuster finding itself in this mess. Sure, all the T's are crossed and the I's dotted in the rental agreement but when Blockbuster goes out and spends millions to scream, "No More Late Fees," without divulging details clearly, something is amiss and the chain is now paying for that oversight. We don't know who said it first but there's an important little tidbit to keep in mind when marketing: KISS - keep it simple stupid. Clearly, Blockbuster did not adhere to that notion.
Apparently at his wit's end over the conservative journalistic bias of FOX News, Tulsa Oklahoma resident Sam Kimery is selling a device that blocks cable subscribers from receiving FOX News. The device, just like the device cable companies install to block premium analog channels, this device is set to block only FOX News.
Canadian pop star Celine Dion has teamed up with perfume maker Coty to launch a new fragrance called Belong. Dion says, "This fragrance is about celebrating life. It's about a woman's inner beauty, her confidence, her passion and her sensuality. It's the way I like to feel about myself." The ad campaign, as with the product's packaging was photographed by Peter Lindbergh.
Private equity firm Francisco Partners, yesterday, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the WebTrends business unit, a provider of web analytics, of NetIQ Corporation. The transaction is being undertaken with the full participation and support of the WebTrends management team, members of which will be investing in the new business together with Francisco Partners. Greg Drew, currently general manager of WebTrends, will continue to lead the business and will assume the role of president and chief executive officer of the new standalone WebTrends business.
According to a survey of U.S. senior executives, marketing will be the most important area of expertise for the next-generation of business leaders. The survey was commissioned by the Institute of International Research, organizers of LEADERS LIVE -- a two-day forum on strategic leadership that will take place in New York City on June 13-14, 2005 .
Of the responses from more than 1,300 business executives, marketing was the clear choice with 29 percent of votes, followed by 22 percent for operations and 14 percent for financial expertise. Sales and engineering were deemed least critical to leadership with 8 percent each. Seems there's hope for us advertising folk.
To protect itself from a Microsoft initiated law suit claiming the company engaged in alleged acts of spamming, email marketing firm OptInRealBig filed Chapter 11 last week ADBUMB reports. Microsoft is reported to have seeked damages of $38 million from OptInRealBig but other sources have said the figure is much higher and that OptInRealBig, by filing for bankruptcy, will push the suit to federal levels where damages are limited favoring the outcome for OptInRealBig.
Aquent, a global professional services firm, has launched an interim marketing services initiative, called Interim Marketing Professionals, to better serve the burgeoning needs of marketing. This latest strategy is designed to address the challenges brought on by fluxuating business conditions. The new site hopes to illustrate the value of interim marketing professionals, formerly referred to as temps, and how these interim marketers can provide expertise in many areas of marketing — from brand management to online strategies — in a manner that is quick, efficient, and cost-effective for companies.
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