Female Body Builders Wanted For BBDO Germany School

Hmm. This promotional piece for BBDO Germany's eighteen-month Junior Training Program for creatives makes the W + K School look like it's a place for, well, less aggressive types. No matter. We're sure both schools are good but we do like the very strange promotional piece for the BBDO school. Interested? Email them at [email protected]

Agency Launches Bilingual Online Video Advice Comedy Column

Here's another fun little time waster from Boston's Captains of Industry (yes, it's an agency and that's their name) has launched Ask Dr. Clark (go to the site, click the "fun" tab ) in which a 60's style doctor answers important questions such as "My snoring keeps my wife awake. What can I do?" and "My voice is too low to get a date. Can you help?" The answer to the snoring question is ridiculous but quite funny. The site is bilingual and Dr. Clark speak Spanish with a curiously German accent.

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Account Exec Starts Charity For India's Orphans

Todd Copelvitz, formerly with The Richards Group in Dallas tells the story of an account person with whom he worked while at the agency named Tanya Pinto who's launched a charity called Baal Dan which she set up to aid orphans in India. She's done it one her own time, with her own money and while still working at The Richards Group.

Having grown up in India until the age of 13, Pinto was motivated to start Baal Dan after a sabbatical to India to help orphans. Now, back at The Richards Group, she is receiving help from co-workers on the charity. Why not get behind one of our own and, as Todd writes, "...take a moment from reading about the latest viral campaign and check out Tanya's work. Then do something that will really matter, and donate." Indeed.

Agencies Make Plans to Face Diversity Issues

In a move to avoid embarrassment during Advertising Week, several Interpublic and WPP agencies, have promised to set goals for increasing black representation at their firms and signed agreements with the City of New York that call for the agencies to provide reports on hiring, promotion and retention and to develop recruitment programs. The City's Human Rights Commission has plans to hold hearings beginning September 25 at which agency executives would have to testify to their company's position in the area of diversity.

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Launch of Anheuser-Busch Bud.TV And Bud Tube Confirmed

We knew it was coming. We knew it was only a matter of time. Well, now it's official. Anheuser-Busch, in February 2007, will launch Bud.tv, an online content channel with entertainment, news, celebrity interviews, comedy and sports and Bud Tube, a YouTube-like site whereby people can upload the usual consumer generated media type stuff. The brewer has invested 30 million on the project and content will come from Kevin Spacey, Vince Vaugh, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-owned production companies as well as from the agencies that currently produce the brewer's advertising. With a February 2007 launch, it's likely we'll see Super Bowl spots promoting the launch - that is if the TV net doesn't see it as too competitive.

Agency.com Raked Over Coals Again

George Parker (the new Ariel...woo hoo...for those of you who can't handle Adrants linking to anyone more than twice in a week! Oops, we linked. Sorry) wonders why Agency.com can't just lay down and die...along with everyone else who feels the need to spoof the poor agency to death like TransitionalBlueBlood - whose site has an annoying header graphic that makes you think it's still downloading as in the days of dial up when you were drooling over your first Internet image of the opposite sex. Anyway, there's a cartoon and Ariel...I mean George...says it's funny. We do too.

Kaboom Advertising Wants to Be Your Friend

Yes, they do. They really do. They asked us. Maybe they'll ask you. Yup, Kaboom Advertising has a MySpace page and they invited us to be their friend. Cool. We're not sure how much awareness or business a MySpace page for an ad agency will generate given that the average MySpace member is, oh, 16 and nowhere in need of an ad agency but, thankfully, Kaboom's page looks nothing like a MySpace page.

Search Consultants Unnecessary, P Diddy Pisses on YouTube

- We're in full agreement with George Parker who says agency search consultants don't add much value other than taking a cut of the client's marketing budget and treating agencies like early-round American Idol contestants.

- STACK magazine and Nike's Jordan Brand have partnered to create a custom publication for teen athletes. The magazine will focus on helping young athletes pursue a healthy athletic development.

- Shawn Waite brings us important news informing us P Diddy has pissed on YouTube. Literally. Like we needed to see that.

- Ha, ha, ha. Like we didn't all see this coming. Time has closed down its pitiful attempt at humor known as Office Pirates.

- In winning the Safeway account, DDB now has the pleasure of creating an insane amount of newspaper FSIs, POPs, shelf talkers, circulars, goofy radio ads and piles and piles of direct mail. Hey, for $200 million, it just might be worth it.

Agency.com Fist Bumps Way Out of Subway Pitch

Hmm. Well it's not like anyone didn't see this one coming. As soon as we woke up this morning, we saw that Ariel, who had her own eloquently negative opinion on the subject, sent us an electronic fist bump to let us know Agency.com had pulled out of the Subway pitch. The reason apparently, is related to a conflict with another piece of business the agency was pitching. Right. Agency.com claims the video debacle had nothing to do with its decision to pull out of the pitch with a spokesperson telling Ad Week in typical face saving fashion, "Our decision was based solely on this conflict of interest." Yes, there's only so many fist bumps a single agency can handle at one time. We guess everyone can't roll big all the time.

Newsflash! Agencies Use Other Agencies' Work In Portfolio

Certainly this practice is not a new one but one Minneapolis Adrants reader took note of the new agency Pocket Hercules' use of its founders work done while they were at Carmichael Lynch and wrote, "You didn't hear it from me. (Minneapolis is a small town) You should look at the site of the agency started by super star creatives from Carmichael Lynch. pockethercules.com Their marketing strategy is " little agency vs. big holding company agency." But then look at the work they have on the site. It's all Carmichael Lynch work. (GREAT CL work) Now, I'm no lawyer, but isn't it illegal to use another shop's work even if you worked there? Anyway, I thought it was ironic."

We don't think it's illegal and we're sure someone will tell us if it is but what agency on the planet hasn't done this before?