Comcast Makes Play For Disney

Comcast has made an unsolicited $66 Billion offer to aquire Disney. The aquisition would bring the large cable giant together with Disney's media properties including ABC, ESPN and a host of major market broadcast stations.

Marketer's Shift Budget to Web and See Success

Attendees at this week's iMedia Conference listened to large marketers explain how they have shifted more marketing dollars to online initiatives. DaimlerChrysler Director of Interactive Marketing Bonita Stewart said the car manufacturer increased its online spending by 30 percent this year and that integrated TV-to-web programs are showing great success. ING Direct Chief Marketing and CTO Dave Lewis reported direct marketing, including Internet, has yielded acquisition costs of $10 to $15 per account as compared to television's $150 to $200.

Rick Dees Leaves the Airwaves

Rick Dees told his audience yesterday morning he is leaving his morning show on Clear Channel station KIIS in Los Angeles. Details of his exit have not yet been released but on-air personality Matt Siegel of WXKS in Boston, another Clear Channel station, said he was "let go." In the past year, Dees' ratings have slipped from a share of 4.0 to a share of 2.9 according to Arbitron. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is rumored to replace Dees. A press statement is expected today.

Pepsi's 100 Million Free Songs iTunes Promotion Goes Bad

So after promising to give consumers who purchase Pepsi with coded bottle caps free downloads, it turns out the ink under the bottle cap is not resistant to the mysterious ingredients in the soft drink. Consumers have complained that they cannot read the codes under the caps because they have become blurred.

Pepsi is offering to email you a code that can be read but not until consumers submit via this website their name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, email address and date of birth. That's one hell of a way to build a database. Did Pepsi do this on purpose?

America Idol Stars Rumored to Perform in Next Year' Super Bowl Halftime Show

With MTV taking the hit for the halftime show debacle, it's rumored that the American Idol winners and contestants will serve as halftime entertainment during next year's Super Bowl. It makes sense as FOX is airing the game next year and unless Kelly Clarkson decides to bare her ass in a thong, it should be a safe, G rated show. Of course following that show, which will be compared to the conservative "Up With People" years, upstart UPN, the only network left the NFL can turn to, will do it's own thing the following year and have Maxim magazine produce a thong-a-thon. It will make Janet's boob look like a Disney character.

Janet Jacksons Boob to Spawn More Desperate Stunts

Those that work in the public relations field have taken notice of Janet's Super Bowl stunt calling it extremely successful and are now plotting how it can be topped. Topped? Stopped would be the recommended line of thinking from a smart PR person. Sure, it grabbed worldwide headlines but it's not going to guarantee her long term success. While everyone is either talking about it or disgusted by it, everyone is acknowleging that it was a tasteless stunt by an aging pop star who is still doing 80's dance moves. Let's move on and use PR not as a stunt but as a method to promote something that is actually worthy of promoting.

Starcom Mediavest Named Ad Age's Global Media Agency of the Year

After battling furiously to win the $350 million Coca-Cola media review last year as well as its unique approach to research and media planning, Ad Age has named Starcom Mediavest its Global Media Agency of the Year.

Stolichnaya Brings Back 'StoliBride'

In another viral advertising campaign, Stolichnaya vodka brings back StoliBride, a play on the once (and perhaps still) Russian bride trade. Visitors can enter their bride requirements such as hair color, eye color, breast size (hey, it's a game) and StoliBride will find a match for you. While there appears to be a very large database of very attractive women, you may not like the results of your search. Try it.

Recording Academy Fights Back With Music Anti-Piracy Ad

On the heels on Pepsi's Super Bowl ad wagging 100 million free songs in from of the RIAA's face, the Recording Academy will launch an ad campaign during the Grammys that says downloading and sharing music over the Internet (without paying) is just plain wrong. Pepsi bought there way into the minds of teenagers by buying songs for them. The RIAA is pissed. There is a valid point that if no one ever pays for music, it won't be produced and therefore it won't exist to be downloaded in the first place. The other point, of course, is that music is free. It will be created for free out of the goodness of the musician's creativity and be there for anyone and everyone to appreciate.