Viral Ads Help Sell Books

As the use of online promotion increases for book authors, so has the use of viral book marketing courtesy of VidLit, BookShorts, TeachingBooks and BookWrapCentral, companies that produces videos to hawk books and their authors. VidLit charges about $3,500 to create a :60 video and recently helped authors Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman sell 150,000 copies of their book, Yiddish With Dick And Jane.

Transit Campaign Promotes Marital Bliss

Already in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and debuting soon in New York, is a transit campaign, called Marriage Works, from advocacy group Campaign for Our Children promoting the sanctitiy of marriage with the idea respect for the insititution will reduce teen pregnancy. Not to be snide or anything, but the only thing that will reduce teen pregnancy is surgically implanting a permanent female condom inside every girl under the age of 18. Oh, and a little dose of open, parental discussion about sex and its consequences.

Frank Perdue Dead At 84

Frank Purdue, founder of Purdue Chicken and, until his son, Jim, took over as CEO in 1994, frequent face of the company's televisions commercials died Thursday night at the age of 84 after a short period of illness. Known for his "it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken" tagline, Purdue appeared in 200 commercials from 1971 to 1994. His son continues as spokesman in the long running campaign.

Donny Duetsch Separates From Wife

Page Six reports ad man Donnie Deutsch and his wife, apparel executive Stacy Josloff are "trying a trial separation," according to a Deutsch spokesman. As if to somehow make light of the situation, the spokesman continued, "They're still very close friends and speak all the time. Donny and Stacy continue to love and support each other."

Stuart Elliott Spices UP TVB Panel

Apparently New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliott rocked the house last week during a Television Advertising Bureau panel questioning the quality of TV audience measurement taunting, "They're still using paper diaries. Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle's ratings are still being counted!" Elliott also took pot shots at the industry's Prime Time bias saying, "Oh, you mean you all just watch 'Desperate Housewives,' but not 'Nip/Tuck' because it's on cable? Oh, come on!" He might not have been so right on that one. "Desperate Housewives is just a tad bit more popular than "Nip/Tuck" but that's not really the point. Elliott added a bit of much needed spice to the usually staid event.

Agency Offers $100K Salary, New Car For New Business

Fans attending this weekend's NCAA Championship will be greeted on the downtown streets by a flame-adorned, vintage Cadillac limousine ejecting bright orange ping-pong balls emblazoned with the Web address www.zipatoni.com/yourehired. It's all part of a promotion launched by St. Louis-based marketing agency Zipatoni to get its next big client over the Final Four weekend.

The "You're Hired" promotion promises fans and passersby "100K, an open bar and the company car" to refer the agency to a legitimate, high revenue producing client. The agency is prepared to give one diligent, industrious, well-connected participant $100,000 and a "Night of Zipatoni Entertainment," which includes a happy hour at the office bar and use of the Zipatoni limo. Zipatoni's headquarters are located just a block away from the Edward Jones Dome, where the NCAA Final Four will take place.

Coors Light Introduces New Ad Campaign

Yesterday, Coors CMO Lee Buxton unveiled the brewers new Coors Light ad campaign at a distributor's convention in Orlando. "The heart of Coors Light marketing is to communicate that in every bottle, can and glass of Coors Light is the taste of Rocky Mountain cold refreshment," said Buxton. "In everything we do this year, we will engage our drinkers and dramatize our unique Coors Light benefits." This link provides a description of all the new commercials

One Armed Surfer Launches Fragrance Line

Following the path of celebrities, Sanj tells us teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, in 2003, lost her arm to a shark, has launched two fragrances, Stoked and Wired which, appropriately, smell like the ocean.

Produced by Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics and available later this year, Stoked is aimed at girls and Wired at boys. Stoked blends notes of clementine, pineapple, tropical orchids, lotus blossoms, sandalwood and coconut. Wired includes notes of orange and Asian pear, jasmine, juniper, cedar wood and sandalwood.