There is definitely a trend here in advertising. I don't know what to call it. Maybe "grossvertising" or "sexvertising" or "orgasmertising". Whatever it is, I love it. It's hilarious. Of course, some of them are real and others are spoofs. It's all good though. First, we have Jenna Jameson in the Pony ads, then the Gucci Crotch Shot Ad, then Miller Lite's Cat Fight Ad, then Puma's Splooge Ad...and now...the Nokia Spinning Kitty!
That is actually a cat swinging around on a ceiling fan. Click the pic and watch to see what happens to the poor cat...and how Nokia fits into this whole thing. Don't worry cat lovers, it's just a spoof. Nokia doesn't hate Kittys. Video is a 476KB mpeg [via Adverb]
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"It has been brought to our attention that several unauthorized, sexually suggestive advertisements portraying the PUMA brand have been released over the Internet. We are appalled that images like these would be created and distributed under the PUMA name. As a brand, we seek to take a unique perspective toward our advertising in an effort to challenge the boundaries of our industry; however we would never consider using these tactics. We are in the process of researching the circumstances and reserve any legal steps available."
That is apparently a statement from Puma is response to these ads.
And...they contacted Salon where the ads appeared on reverse cowgirls weblog.
All very interesting.
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President Bush, today, has signed into law a bill that will create a national "do not call" list allowing consumers to block themselves from telemarketers. This is a HUGE win for consumers and a HUGE loss for telemarketers.
The program will go into effect this Summer.
The Direct Marketing Association has already filed a lawsuit stating the law unlawfully restricts free speech.
Telemarketers will be fined $11,000 for each person they call if they are on the list.
Telemarketing has changed forever.
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After both Kraft and P & G made a big deal about not running commercials on "The Savage Nation" because the show "did not meet its guidelines for acceptable content", spots appeared anyway.
I sure wouldn't want to be the media buyer at the agencies for Kraft and P & G right now!
More...
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James Gandolfini sued HBO to get out of doing the fifth season of HBO's the Sopranos. Now, in typical fashion, HBO is counter-suing. The whole thing is stupid. Gandolfini's got a great thing going. Why screw with it just to go back to second rate parts in movies?
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Michael Ramsey, CEO of TiVo doesn't think that having TiVo-like technology in every cable set top box will hurt his business model. He has plans in place for TiVo to offer services far beyond just the time-shifting and recording capabilities of the device. Branded advertainment and home networking are just two.
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NEW YORK, March 10, 2003 - Total advertising expenditures for all media in 2002 showed stronger than expected growth of 4.2% compared to 20011, according to the latest figures from CMR/TNS Media Intelligence, the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing communications information.
CMR/TNS reports that total ad spending for 2002 came in at $117.3 billion, compared to $112.5 billion in 2001. "This year's growth is a result of a strong second half reflecting the vibrant network upfront, the elections and holiday spending," comments Steven Fredericks, president and CEO of CMR/TNS Media Intelligence.
"Despite geo-political and economic uncertainties, the marketplace outperformed our expectations for the year," adds Mr. Fredericks.
More...
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Leo Burnett has won the creative portion of the $150-200 million Gateway account beating out GSDM.
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Here's a good one that illustrates what we'd all like to do when our fat boss inhumanely fires us while spouting off about the financial success of the company. Oh, by the way, it's a spot for AirTran. [via Ad Age]
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Ad Age's Rance Crain thinks so:
"To me, Cisco's huge ad commitment is the surest sign I've seen that tech business is on the way back."
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