Jessica Simpson Loves Fat Girls

Derogatory headline aside, Jessica Simpson realizes all her fans are not stick-figured, tiny little size 1 and 2 chicklets (who is?) and, according to her spokesperson, include "girls from 90 pounds all the way up to 300 pounds." With that realization, Simpson has launched a line of plus-sized jeans for women available through Avenue stores. Sizes range from 12 to 26 and cost about $60.

BMW Agency RFP Letter Examined

Joe Jaffe, upon seeing BMW's RFP letter to agencies, offers the manufacturer some advice. His advice comes in the form several bullet points along with a bit of self promotion for his new book which we really, really want to read but the post office, apparently, can't seem to find us. One of Jaffe's suggestions. While we haven't seen BMW's letter ourselves, Jaffe feels BMW is being "delusional, greedy, unrealistic or all three. You want an 'agency' to reach a 'broader, more diverse audience' on roughly half of last year's budget; you're looking for a shop that can create integrated marketing aimed at a niche audience; you feel the need to turn $1 into $5 and state that 'if you don't have a track record of creating stuff like this, this is probably the wrong opportunity for your agency' - come on, why stop there: if it were me running this pitch, I'd demand that the 'shop' come up with a 3-step program to cure both cancer and AIDS, and while we're at it, let's throw in ending poverty in Africa, which seems to be all the rage right now. Aim high my friends, aim high." Point taken but on the flip side, why aim low?

Ask Jeeves Agency Review Down to Two

A little bird tells us the Ask Jeeves account, which is up for review, is now down to two agencies. There were originally six agencies involved in the pitch. Two of the four agencies which have been eliminated are Butler Shine and Mullen. The two remaining agencies are Hanft Raboy & Partners and incumbent TBWA Chiat Day. A final decision is expected within two weeks.

Smog And Fog Make For Billboard Guessing Game

Flickr user Ke Wynn has put together a billboard guessing game. While driving through the smog or fog filled streets of Malaysia (we think), Wynn took two pictures of each board. The first is blurred by the smog/fog. The second is readable. The point of the game is to guess the advertiser. There are five questions. Wynn provides a clue to each. Have fun.

Librarian Fantasy Promotes Librarian Bar

As male fantasies go, right up there with school girls clad in plaid skirts are librarians dressed as though they were too busy reading to finish dressing. New York City's Library Bar created an ad that maximizes this fantasy in a way that aligns nicely with the brand. Oh, screw that marketing blather. They dressed their hot bartenders up in sexy librarian-wear to attract drooling men incapable of resistance. The ad features Erinn and Elizabeth who both work at Library Bar.

Very Pink Hotties Provide Football Fantasy

We received these spots from a very kind and very knowledgeable public relations professional who knew we simply couldn't resist sharing them with you. The spots are part of a Wieden + Kennedy created campaign promoting ESPN's Fantasy Football. Leveraging every man's fantasy in which the perfect football team would be a bunch of hotties dressed in sexy pink outfits frolicking on a very pink bed in a very pink room, the spots certainly grab attention but not in a purely T&A fashion. You see, the models in the fantasy are in on the joke and know they are just pawns in the mind of a daydreaming football fan. Well done.

Miller's Deal With Hip-Hop Artists Questioned

Recently, Miller beer tapped an all star line up of hip hop personalities to promote its Miller Genuine Draft brand. Rappers like Common, Q-Tip, Cypress Hill, Talib Kweli, and Big Boi of Outkast kicked off the 1st ever "Flavor 2 Savor" concert series as an "acknowledgment of the influence, and pivotal role that urban music has played in shaping popular culture."

Culture critic and self professed brand bouncer Bucky Turco wonders why these black community icons would knowingly work with Miller, part of SABMiller which was recently criticized for its treatment of black workers. Turco said in an email to Adrants, "MC's like Common, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and Cypress Hill constitute a strong part of the black intelligentsia and they tend to be brand conscious. It is surprising that the leaders of black thought in hip hop would be so supportive of Miller since it is owned by SABMiller, (the SAB standing for South African Breweries), the world's 2nd largest brewer, and the 3rd largest company in South Africa behind DeBeers and Anglo American Corp. SAB has often been criticized for exploiting its black workers and, for their intense marketing efforts to the poor black working class, especially miners. Something tells me no one told these guys what the SAB stands for."

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Advertising Week Announces Speakers And Content

The content and lineup of global advertising, media and marketing leaders have been confirmed for the initial round of keynote presentations and panels to be held during Advertising Week 2005, running September 26-30, 2005 in New York. Comedian Jon Stewart and PBS's Charlie Rose join Maurice Levy, Andrew Robertson, Marc Lefar, Lee Clow, Alex Bogusky, David Lubars and others as confirmed speakers. Additional speakers and program content will be announced shortly.

Infinity Broadcasting will podcast and stream audio content from select events.

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Coke Re-Invents Itself With Art

Adopting the next new buzz word, Coke has embarked on an "experiential" marketing concept that will, as Ad Age writes, "interpret what the marketer calls the brand's 'optimism' through a series of short films and breakthrough bottle designs." The project, called M5, involves five design shops which will create "iconic" designs that will affect packaging and other branding elements all designed to increase appeal to younger generations. The new designs will debut beginning in September. The first is called "Love Being" and was designed by Designers Republic in London.

While the endeavor to make the brand relevant again is worthy and commendable, the endless marketing blather used to describe the effort is quite comical and well worth wallowing in for a while.

Underwear Clad Hotties Promote National Underwear Day

Yes But No But Yes found their way to Times Square today for National Underwear Day sponsored by underwear seller FreshPair. There;s really no other news to tell other than it's yet another attention getting Times Square stunt and an excuse to look at hot human beings. And not just women. More pictures here.