Moblog: The Mobile Weblog

Nothing stays status quo for long on the Internet. Just as Weblog are becoming more mainstream, we now have talk of the "moblog" or the mobile weblog. Here's an article about it.

From Weblog to Moblog

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Ellen Feiss Speaks!

The famous 15 year old stoner chick who appeared in Apple's Switch campaign has granted her first interview with the press. As reported in Wired, it was the college newspaper, the Brown Daily Herald that had the honors of interviewing this mysterious advertrend.

Wired News: Apple 'It' Girl Breaks Silence

In that (Brown Daily Herald) article, Feiss reveals she was, as many of her "fans" had guessed, under the influence of drugs during filming of the infamous commercial that shot her to Internet fame, but exactly what she took, editors at the Herald aren't saying; all is revealed in the interview. The best guess is allergy medication, according to online scuttlebutt.

Other information Ellen Feiss items have been covered on this site here.

You can also go to the unofficial Ellen Feiss Web Site.

Bachelor Beats Victoria Secret

I guess the protesters have some good news this week.

UPDATE - "Bachelor" crushes Victoria's Secret TV special

In one of the hottest prime-time matchups this season, ABC averaged 24.1 million viewers during the first hour of the "Bachelor" finale Wednesday night opposite the controversial "Victoria's Secret" special on CBS, which drew an audience of 10.5 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Great. Mindless hunks and hotties beat out babes in lingerie. Only in America, baby!
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Nextel Rips Off Pong Banner

Fellow marketing blogger, Rick Bruner rants on about a pop up he saw today for Nextel. It is an apparent rip-off of the pong banner execution done years ago for HP.

Most Annoying Ad So Far Today...

But what does this ad do with this precious commodity of my attention and interest? Absolutely nothing! That is because whoever designed this ad (and if you know who, please tell me, as I'd like to mock them by name) thought it was a better idea to make the ad just look like an interactive game than actually be an interactive game. In fact, it is nothing but an animation, which you cannot play with. I cannot fathom why that is a good idea.

As if that weren't bad enough, the "close" button in the lower right did nothing. Nada.

I love my Nextel phone but yea, that's a bad ad!

UPDATE: Nextel Begins Talks with Agencies

Coincidence?
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Ford Marketers Promote New Taurus Design

Ford freshens Taurus� ad image

FORD MARKETERS are trying to alter prevailing impressions of the Taurus as cheap, no-frills transportation. They want people to take another look at the vehicle based on its quieter ride and �simple luxury� improvements like wood paneling and softer seat leather. Ford will tout the vehicle in television commercials on widely viewed programs such as NBC�s �Friends� and CBS�s �Everybody Loves Raymond,� and in magazines such as Time and Newsweek.

The ad work, by WPP Group PLC�s J. Walter Thompson, is Ford�s first national campaign for the car in two years. Ford had been spreading out the majority of the Taurus ad dollars among regional dealer groups.

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Magazine Covers: More Non-Whites Needed

On Covers of Many Magazines, a Full Racial Palette Is Still Rare

A survey of 471 covers from 31 magazines published in 2002 � an array of men's and women's magazines, entertainment publications and teenagers' magazines � conducted two weeks ago by The New York Times found that about one in five depicted minority members. Five years ago, according to the survey, which examined all the covers of those 31 magazines back through 1998, the figure was only 12.7 percent. And fashion magazines have more than doubled their use of nonwhite cover subjects.

But in a country with a nonwhite population of almost 30 percent, the incremental progress leaves some people unimpressed.

Just like the post below, we are fearful of moving away from our puritanical conservatism.

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America The Uptight and Victoria Secret's CBS Special

Panties in a Bunch

CBS' Victoria's Secret show prompts indecency inquiry. After receiving hundreds of complaints, Commissioner Michael Copps thinks broadcast indecency standards should be tightened

Now, I did not actually watch this but I have to assume that the models did have all the particular parts covered that should have been covered. And, granted, the whole show is just one big ad and ratings ploy. But, indecent? By some standards, maybe. But indecent enough to be banned from TV? I don't think so.

The problem with our society is that we allow the most grotesque forms of violence to make their way into movies and even television while anything more then the "kiss/fade/cigarette in the morning" sex scene gets labeled porn.

Something is so wrong with that. Sex is normal. Sex is natural. Sexuality and sensuality are natural. Ripping the guts out of a mummy is not. It's backwards. Sure, watching a sex scene is uncomfortable but only because we have been taught to think it is "nasty" versus normal. Ever watch a foreign film? Sex and sexuality is always treated as just another normal part of life. It isn't hidden and feared.

Do we want our kids watching people having sex on TV? Of course not but I think you get my point.

Sex should be celebrated. Violence is what should be banned.

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More on Advergaming

The technique of embedding commercial messages and product placements within video games is becoming ever more pervasive.

Advergame Touts BellSouth's DSL Service

You could say telco BellSouth is "racing" to sign up customers to its DSL service. Today, BellSouth and online game technology firm WildTangent announced the launch of BellSouth FastAccess DSL Racing. The new advergame, built by Redmond, Wash.-based WildTangent, educates consumers on the benefits of a DSL hookup -- while providing some high-speed entertainment.

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Wireless Messaging To Be Bigger Then Wireless Internet

Here's some interesting news on where wireless is predicted to go.

Wireless Messaging Will Outpace Wireless Internet

In-Stat/MDR reports that there are some very bright spots in the wireless data market. Overall, the messaging market (thanks to the newer Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) that support graphics and video) will continue to outstrip the wireless Internet market, in terms of subscribers, through 2006, growing from an estimated 305 million at the end of 2001 to more than 1 billion by the end of 2006. While smaller than the messaging market, the wireless Internet market is growing at the same pace.

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Britney Spears on the Cover of New York Times

Yahoo! News - N.Y. Times Execs Talk News Coverage

Popular culture, meanwhile, is "the pulse of the country," and influences everything from the business world to governments overseas, Raines said, praising a recent front page story about pop idol Britney Spears. "It was about the fame machine, the economic engine that's behind it," Raines said. "Our readers are interested in reading a sophisticated exegesis of a sociological phenomenon like that."

OK...everyone...1,2,3...PULEEEEEZE! "...exegesis of a sociological phenomenon..."?

Come on. Have some honesty here. You put her on the cover because she is a scantily clad, sexy, young girl...uh...sorry...woman who happens to sing. Or rather, tries to sing. And you did it because it would sell papers.