Caffeinated posts from a copywriter/adgrunt. I write about advertising, design, astronomy, cooking, and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy, including random bits of reference info for work purposes. You may also know me as 'that other gal' who helps run Adland. | make contact | RSS Feed | ATOM

Thursday, July 31, 2003
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Looking into Community Supported Agriculture
Last weekend, I caught part of Sara's Secrets on the Food Network. She did a show that was based on the fresh produce avaliable during this time of year and even more specifically the farms involved in Community Supported Agriculture.
Find farms near you who participate in this program here. You can search by state or zip code. Some places deliver and for some you have to pick up. There's even a European Commission for a similar thing.

Alton Brown has a new book coming out. And he's doing some touring for signings!

Gallery of Regrettable Food has a section on Ads from the 40s, 50s, and 60s.This one is pretty funny.

Okay enough of this...must get back to work.

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Pluots
What is a pluot you ask? It is a "fruit invented in the late 20th century by Floyd Zaiger. It is a hybrid of plum and apricot, being 75% plum and 25% apricot in parentage."
Varieties include:
Blue Gusto: large, medium sweet, yellow flesh.
Candy Stripe: medium, pink-yellow striped, with very sweet and juicy flesh.
Cherry: small, bright red skin with white flesh.
Dapple Dandy: large sweet with pale green to yellow, red-spotted skin, red or pink juicy flesh.
Flavorella: round, medium-sized, golden-yellow, with sweet and juicy flesh.
Flavorglo
Flavor Grenade
Flavor Heart: very large, black with a heart shape, and yellow flesh.
Flavor King: very sweet, medium or large, with red-purple skin and red flesh.
Flavorosa: very sweet or tart, medium-sized, flat round dark-purple fruit with red flesh.
Flavor Prince: large round and purple, with red flesh.
Flavor Rich (flavorich): medium-sweet, large black round fruit with orange flesh.
Flavor Supreme: medium or large, greenish purple skin, juicy red flesh.
Flavor Queen: large light-green to yellow, very juicy.
Frugi: round, purple-green-yellow skin, very juicy and very sweet.
Green: green skin, clear, sweet, juicy flesh.
Hand Grenade: large, oblong shape, sweet and juicy flesh.
Last Chance: large and sweet with green skin and flesh.
Red Ray: medium, bright red with dense, sweet orange flesh.

Pluots, or some varieties, are sometimes called dinosaur eggs. The ones I purchased at the local produce market, which is amazing, have the cutest little stickers on them with an orange dinosaur with blue spots on its back on a blue background. (I'll try to get an image of it up. So cute). The sign next to them called them Dinosaur Eggs. I am usually up for trying various fruits and veggies, since I like almost all of them, so I picked up one to taste. It really is amazing how much flavor they have. Plus, they are also lower in acid than plums, which is good for those who have to watch out for that kind of thing. They sure do have different names! hehe. I like "Flavor Grenade".

This site has some pictures and descriptions of the various varieties as well.
Looking for what to do with your pluot? Try Dapple Dandy soup. Or just eat them as is. Sometimes that's the best way to enjoy fresh produce.

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Argh Blogger ate my post Attempt #2
Thursday Threesome ::Three Dog Night::
Onesome: Three- Lucky happenings are supposed to come in threes... What else comes in triplets and trios in your experience? I've never heard of good/lucky things in threes...only bad things.
Twosome: Dog- Dogs and cats... Got a preference? ...and how about pedigree vs pound puppies/kittens? What do you think? I like them both but prefer cats...more cuddly and thier independant attitude is great. I'm not really one for pedigrees. Besides the "saving animals at the pound", pedigrees often have more medical issues from inbreeding, etc.
Threesome: Night- Hey, do you ever do a Sports Night and head out to watch a local team/event? What draws you out? Is it baseball, football, hockey, racing, lacrosse? Once in a while but it's not what I'd prefer to spend my money on.

Thursday Thumb-Twiddler
1. How much more income would you need to significantly affect your day-to-day life? At the moment, even a few dollars more an hour would be sweet.
2. At what point would you (did you) no longer feel responsible to pay for something your child did, e.g., vandalism? I think it's an age thing, and seriousness of the crime. I'm not sure but I think that kids need to see there are consequences to their actions at a rather early age.
3. If you could go back in time and avert any tragedy in American history, what one would you choose? Just one...um, slavery.

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Fry, Bender, Zoidberg
Okay, now I find this extremely odd. I was just checking out the situation on AdultSwim.com because they have taken my beloved Futurama off the air. Apparently it was due to running too many re-runs, so they put Home Movies on instead. Now I like that show too but it's no Futurama. Anyways, on the message boards at adultswim.com, someone posted that Futurama is on TBS at 2pm and Family Guy is on afterwards. Crikey! In the middle of the day? Who the hell is around to watch it at that time? Dang it, I wish they'd air it a bit later in the evenings! Maybe it's time to invest in one of them TiVo or Replay thing-a-ma-jigs.
I'd love to see Adult Swim pick up new Futurama, and apparently some of the newer episodes will start airring again on Nov. 2nd...which is tooo far away. Bastards. I'm glad they will be bringing it back though, so I suppose I shouldn't swear at them too much, but...gak, us Futurama fans get screwed by F0x(them idiots!) and now...a break on Adult Swim. Although I guess it being on TBS is a bonus...if you set the VCR. And only two more episodes of the show left until the end...

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In the running for "Stupidest brainwaves ever emitted"
As reported by MTV.com: "The afternoon kicked off on a low point for Timberlake when a concertgoer's sign questioning the singer's sexuality made it to the jumbotrons for about 15 seconds. Timberlake took to the stage with an obvious awareness of audience cynicism, beginning his set with a small attempt to mitigate the crowd's frustration: 'This will be over before you know it.' During his mini-set of "Cry Me a River," "Senorita" and "Rock Your Body," Justin gracefully dodged water bottles flung by anti-pop audience members, and winced slightly at their less than playful jeers. After quietly thanking the city of Toronto for generally being welcoming to him and his tour crew, Timberlake left the stage to make way for more crowd-pleasing acts including the Guess Who, Rush, AC/DC and headliners the Rolling Stones."
Now why...why oh why would any manager, concert planner, or anyone else who is responsible for this *ever* think that fans of bands like Rush, AC/DC and the Stones would be fans of Justin Timberlake?? Hello? It's like putting Kenny G on stage with Ozzy. It doesn't work and the fans don't want to see it.
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
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Swathed in a blanket of candy
Funky site. Toaster Museum Foundation has more information on toasters than you'd probably ever want to know. Send a toasty e-card, test your toaster knowledge, check out the vintage toaster ads, and check out toasters from 1900-2000. Or if you're in the Charlottesville, Virginia area, you could just stop by.

After 189 complaints that the ads were demeaning to women and trivialized the war in Iraq, EasyJet "Weapons of Mass Distraction" ad gets the green light. From the ASA site:
"The advertisers stated that the advertisement was the latest of a series of topical, humorous and irreverent advertisements. The advertisers said they believed the advertisement was not sexist or demeaning to women; they asserted that they had received positive feedback from both male and female customers. They said they believed the advertisement did not trivialise the recent war in Iraq; the term "weapons of mass destruction" had been in the news for several weeks and they had changed the last word to "distraction" to highlight one of the attractions of being on holiday in the sun. The advertisers explained that they had thought of the phrase first and had sourced a picture to support it. The advertisers stated that the number of complaints received was a small proportion of those who had seen the advertisement.
The Evening Standard said they believed the advertisement was a witty play on a phrase in common usage and did not trivialise the Iraqi war. They belie! ved the woman's body was modestly clothed and not exaggerated. They said they believed the advertisement would appeal to their open-minded and modern readers and they had received no complaints. The Independent and Independent on Sunday said their readers were mostly young and open-minded people who would recognise the humour of the advertisement. The Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph said they believed the advertisement used traditional "Carry On" humour and did not trivialise the war in Iraq. They said they had received four complaints but the vast majority of their readers had seen the advertisement as humorous and had not been offended. The Mail on Sunday said they had received one complaint. The Daily Express, the Daily Star and the Sunday Express said they had received no complaints. The Times and the Sunday Times said they had run the advertisement because of a fault in their internal procedures but had received no complaints from their readers about it. The Sun said! they had had a very positive response to the advertisement from their readers. The Metro said they believed the advertisement used a clever play on words and was not degrading to women. The Sunday Mirror did not respond."
Media Guardian has it's own article and couple samples of the print and interactive ads here and here.

Lack of support from within can doom a branding campaign. Rob Reuter points out that instead of blaming failed brainding campaigns on the strategy, execution or advertising, they should be blaming themselves. Lack of establishing roots deep within the organization results in failing to receive proper respect or support in the company.

"The face may be new but the Maytag Repairman will still be lonely. Actor Hardy Rawls will take over the part of Ol' Lonely in Maytag advertisements from Gordon Jump, 71, who is retiring from the role, the company said Tuesday. 'I've never been so excited about something in my life," said Rawls, 50, another veteran character actor. "I feel it's truly a heartwarming and lovable character that is so much fun to play.' "

The last Beetle is produced today in Puebla Mexico. After 58 years, the last Beetle to role off the assembly line at the VW plant will be #21,529,464! Such cute cars.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
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I was dosed by you
First there was the ads for the beef industry. Then the milk, pork, cheese, and orange juice industries. Should we be all that surprised that the grapefruit industry has joined in? "Out with the stodgy image of grapefruit juice. In with 'Sass in a Glass.' That's the theme of an upcoming $3 million media campaign from the Florida Department of Citrus, aimed at convincing active women ages 21 to 44 that grapefruit juice isn't just their grandparents' drink any more. Commercials expected to begin airing this fall on hip cable networks such as E! and VH1 depict young women drinking grapefruit juice while engaged in various assertive acts, such as kung-fu kicking an elevator button with a spiked heel."
Sounds a bit to me like the feminine hygiene ads. They'll be wearing white trousers and jumping all around, riding bikes, and spinning in fields.

UGH! As if McDonald's new tagline "I'm lovin' it" isn't bad enough, they are just about to sign Justin Timberlake...who will possibly be singing the new jingle. The new campaign is being kept in secrecy and won't be unveiled until September.

Scrapbooking is the new hot trend. Funky.

Telemarketers are suing the FCC over the Do Not Call List, which now includes about 17 million names. ""Unfortunately, the FCC ignored its obligations under the federal law and the Constitution to carefully balance the privacy interests of consumers with the First Amendment rights of legitimate telemarketers." The ATA estimated that implementation of a national "Do Not Call" list will cost the US economy "up to two million jobs in an industry that produces over $660 billion of sales per year".

Monday, July 28, 2003
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Cola for you, cola for me
"The stats on Vanilla Coke's plunge arrive just as another vanilla heads to the market: Pepsi Vanilla. Consumers should start seeing the drink in early August. Jabbonsky said the company has high hopes that the brand will boost sales for Pepsi, just as orange-flavored Mountain Dew LiveWire has done this summer. 'What we've seen with LiveWire is that it's had a very positive effect,' Jabbonsky said. While it's no surprise to see a falloff for new drinks, the question is whether they offer any lasting benefits."

"'dnL Believe in Green' is the tagline for the campaign, which reinforces dnL's uncommon color, differentiating it from the rest of the carbonated soft drinks on the market. The television campaign, which targets 12- to 24-year-old consumers, features a character known as Willie the Leprechaun, who serves as the dnL spokesperson and works to promote the new soft drink." I've always thought there haven't been enough leprechauns used in ads.

Adland has the buzz on the Chevy Chase ad for the Turkish alternative Cola 'Turka'.

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Unconcious Mutterings::I say … and you think … ?
Partner:: Pal
Goddess:: Caffeine
Village:: Town
Relationships:: Induring
Irrational:: Crazy
Volcano:: Eruption
Fabulous:: Absolutely
Unencumbered:: Free
Coyotes:: Howl
Fulfilled:: Happy
Friday, July 25, 2003
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Employers need a reality check
Starting with the requirements they are putting into their ads. " 'So many job adverts these days are just unreal," he says. "You see adverts asking for x number of years' experience in a skill, but it has only been out for six months. And you often see adverts where they want someone with eight skills. It is a wish list, because people can only really be expert in one or two skills and very good in another couple, with bits and pieces of other languages and techniques.' Phil Newman, a Citrix consultant, agrees. 'If they mean expert, then you can only be expert at two or three skills at the very most. Any more and you wouldn't be effective.' Newman thinks it is impossible for any one person to have a solid understanding of numerous skills, let alone be a specialist in all of them. Should anyone be able to prove him wrong, he says he would wonder about how they had managed to acquire all that knowledge. 'You would end up with someone who knows a reasonable amount about each thing, but has no social skills.'" I've seen ads for people to basically be an entire advertising department and the salaries are $30K US. It's unbelievable!

Bossavit.com has some points on the subject too, after reading the Slate article Take this tech job and shove it. As it says " The author, Farhad Manjoo, points out several clues which suggest that something odd is going on. Job postings that require combinations of skill, expertise, length of experience, and low salary requirements which are simply unrealistic, or at least (I suppose some people take on some of these jobs in desperation) quite unreasonable. Job postings which, on top of that, advertise for candidates who will be 'excited' and 'motivated' by these non-opportunities. As fuckthatjob.com aptly puts it, the attitude is 'fuck you, you need a job'. Myself, I've seen a little bit of that. There are the countless recruiters who don't even do you the courtesy of a reply to your application. Worse, there are the job listings bearing the mention, 'If you don't receive a response from us within three weeks, please assume that we have turned down your application.' I'm tempted to put up a site somewhere that says, 'If you don't receive an application from me within three years, please assume I've come to the conclusion that you're a bunch of a weasels.' "
And it's true. There is a lot of abuse on the side of the employers now that they have the market back on their side. Before it was employees who had the upper hand. I wasn't in the fulltime job market long enough to really experience this but I've heard the tales. Now the employers are basically asking for (well, it's not asking since there is no option to do otherwise) whatever they want.

There have been some people who have attempted to fight back and take a stand. Online you'll find Verbal Attack On Employers which is a site full of emails from a guy who responds to job postings and just messes about with the companies. Then there is Fuckthisjob.com where people are incouraged to send in ridiculuous job postings, either in content, salary expectations, skill sets, etc. On occassion the webmistress informs the company that they have been posted to the site.
On the site I also came across this story by dgeffen. Here's a bit of it: "Clearly gone is the time when an employee was loyal to their company, working long hours and supporting the goals and objectives of the corporation. This recession and downsizing mentality, for the good of Wall Street, in many cases, has spawned a generation of "free agents". When the chips are down, more employees will be updating their resumes and re-igniting their network, rather than staying and helping save the ship. Many who helped try to "right-size" their corporate ship found themselves seeking unemployment payments after being personally right-sized by the same organization. When the economy improves, corporations will find that their current attitudes toward employees and candidates will cause them irreparable harm as free agency kicks in and loyalty becomes an antiquated term. What can corporations do to alleviate this eventual backlash? Show common courtesy to employees and candidates. Treat the candidate, earnestly seeking a new opportunity, seeking to earn a salary to feed their family, with respect and dignity. Compassion shown can go a long way. For employers, seek alternative ways to “right size” the corporate ship before tossing your once-valued "employees of choice" overboard. Survivors and victims have long memories." There are some very good and valid points there.
Some of the worst things I've seen for myself have been the lower salaries. Now, this is a total catch-22. The unemployed don't want to take these jobs, but they know that there is always someone desperate enough to need the money and will work for the pay. Or they *need* the money themselves because they haven't been working and some money, no matter how little, is better than none. But people taking the jobs and working for lower pay than they should be create a precident for the employers to expect that they can offer that amount and there is nothing wrong with it. It's frustrating. Maddening. And it's stress that the unemployed/underemployed don't need on top of the screwed up employment situation.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
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On the down low...too slow
Consumers find Diet Coke ads flat- "And behind regular Diet Coke are ads that show cavorting Diet Coke drinkers who "canoodle" and "nuzzle" their way around a room as they sip Diet Coke. The message:'Do what feels good.' The campaign behind the low-calorie bubbly brand had little fizz, however, for consumers surveyed by Ad Track, USA TODAY's weekly exclusive consumer poll. Only 8% like the "canoodle" Diet Coke ads "a lot," vs. a 22% average score for all ads surveyed by Ad Track this year. And 19% disliked the work, vs. a 13% average. Castell says the results may reflect that the campaign aimed predominantly at current Diet Coke fans. They represent about 80% of the brand's business. The approach is evident in the ads, which show a mix of fit-looking men and women, many of whom are north, not south, of age 30."

Advertising shtick from the 70s works for Old Navy - "'The decade had such a strong hold on our psyche because it covered so much territory and was so revolutionary,' says Irma Zandl, president of trend-watching and marketing firm The Zandl Group. Even those too young to have experienced the decade firsthand have been soaking it up with help from popular reruns on Nick at Nite and Fox's That '70s Show."

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A meme kinda day
Thursday Threesome ::Chicken Pot Pie::
Onesome: Chicken- Chicken, beef or pork? What's in the barbeque or on the grill this summer? ...or is it just too hot and a salad is all you're up to putting together? Chicken and beef would be if we had a grill or bbq...although there are days when all I do is a salad because I don't want to get near a hot oven.
Twosome: Pot- Okay, really, did you inhale? I mean, what happened to all the side dishes that were served with the meat? ...and what side dish is essential to make your meal complete? hehehe. Some nights we don't even do a side dish...which is bad but it doesn't happen often. I usually try to get at least one in. But there's nothing in particular. Although lately I have gotten into making oven fries. mmm.
Threesome: Pie- Hey, are you a pie or cake kind of person? ...or is it ice cream that 'floats' your dessert boat? Really depends on my mood. I love pies and cakes. Ice cream is one of those that I can deal without and don't crave. I have cake/cookie cravings. It's bad.

Thursday Thumb-Twiddler - Thick Thursday
1. Would you rather become extremely successful due to a lucky break, a smart gamble, or hard work? Hmm. If I had to pick one I'd go with hard work I guess. Although ideally I think a bit of all three is really what happens.
2. Do you think you would be more, or less, easily corrupted by power than your closest friend? Um. I don't know. I guess about the same I think.
3. If drinking fountains could dispense another liquid besides water, what would you prefer it to be? Hehehe...tequila. or Coffee.



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Just an old fashioned frog pond

There are some days an afternoon nap would just make my whole day. And "research shows napping improves visual skills, learning and alertness". In her study released last month, researcher Sara Mednick discovered that 60 to 90 minutes of rapid-eye-movement sleep allowed the same improvement in visual learning as six hours of shut-eye. "Nappers could actually make their workday more effective," says Ms. Mednick, who recently started work at the Salk Institute. But even she won't bed down until she proves she's not a slacker. Naps just get a bum rap despite the fact that we all grew up with nap time. Every father knows how naps can soften the patricidal edge of his toddler. Studies show adults also feel it makes them less cranky. But you apparently have to be a napper on the level of legendary bunkers Da Vinci, Churchill, Einstein and Edison to feel secure in doing it." But dang it, I missed National Workplace Napping Day! Hopefully I'll catch it next year. "National Workplace Napping Day will fall on April 5, 2004. Because of the loss of one hour's sleep the night before due to the return of daylight savings time, everyone in the country will be more sleep deprived than usual—and therefore more nap ready. National Workplace Napping Day is designed to make more people aware of the health and productivity benefits of napping. It is the perfect day for workplace nappers to lie down and be counted."

Pot Noodle uses scents in their POP ads to get out their new flavor The Sizzler. A canister on the shelf is squeezed by the consumer and the aroma of bacon is released. It's definitely different and interesting, but I wonder if it will work.

Thank Bob! Dion to take backseat as Chrysler moves from branding to products in ads. "The Chrysler group's new sales chief will stress products in Chrysler brand advertising and de-emphasize brand building. That tactic might have given the 2004 Chrysler Pacifica a stronger start, says Joe Eberhardt, who took over as Chrysler group executive vice president of global sales, marketing and service on June 1. In recent months, Grammy winner Celine Dion has been the centerpiece of a high-profile brand-building campaign for the Chrysler brand. The company is trying to use her image and music to move the brand upscale." Although they may retain her screechy voice in the background music. Dammit.

Tweens are spending early and often. "They found that tweens have plenty of cash, from allowances, gifts from grandparents . . . and considerable influence on their parents' buying decisions on everything from cereal to cars.
Once marketers discovered this gold mine, they went to work in unprecedented ways. Although marketers know that teens and tweens may be cynical about advertising, studies suggest that knowing advertising is false does not affect tendencies to buy, said Susan Linn, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Linn said that the advertising industry has funded dozens of studies on children to learn how to sell more effectively to them. USA Today reported recently that grade schools in Connecticut accepted $5,000 from a company to interview 10-to 12-year-olds in classrooms after school."

Playtex reshapes it's brand image through some new TV spots.
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
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Tequila lift me up where I belong...
BA has to shelve multimillion-pound ad campaign due to union strikes. "Newspaper advertising has also been cancelled at the last minute. In its place, BA will publish a letter from its chief executive, Rod Eddington, apologising to passengers for the chaos caused by the strike."

Kohl's slow to comply with ad laws- It's hard to believe that this company is breaking the law and yet no one seems to be actively doing a thing about it. Or as quoted in the article..."'I don't know which is more troubling,'' Dworsky said. ''On one hand, you have an otherwise well-respected retailer which appears to continue to flout the law and mislead the public as to the actual savings they offer. On the other hand, you have an attorney general's office that seems to have let them get away with it. Either way, the consumer loses.' "

Apparently the economy is recovering but, "the question is: When will jobs come back? The last recession ended in March 1991 and ad spending turned up in 1992, but advertising employment didn't surpass pre-recession levels until November 1994. Given the weak overall job market, it's hard to envision a real upturn in advertising jobs in this recovery. More problematic, a recovery without jobs has the potential to slip back into recession."

Typefaces Helvetica and Ariel duke it out. (via dab)

A federal judge in San Francisco has acted appropriately in dismissing the absurd lawsuit filed by R.J. Reynolds (RJR) and Lorillard Tobacco Companies in their effort to silence California's highly successful tobacco prevention program. The two tobacco companies alleged that California's anti-smoking advertisements, which tell the truth about the tobacco industry's harmful practices and products, "vilify" them and violate their constitutional rights. The judge rightly found no merit to the charges."
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
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Dis o' Dat
1) DVD or VHS? Both...although DVDs are nicer...there's something comforting about the VHS.
2) Best Literary/Movie Villan: Voldemort (Harry Potter) or Sauron (LoTR)? Sauron.
3) Meat: rare or well-done? Well-done. No pink for me.
4) High Speed Internet-Cable or DSL? I'm still not sure what the diff is...which ever is faster ;)
5) Women: 1-piece bathing suit or Bikini? I like both...but 1-pieces are much more flexible for various sports stuff.
6) To be fair--Men: Boxers or briefs? Boxers.
7) Beer or Liquor/Wine? Both. Depends on my mood really. Or what's available ;-)
8) Coke or Mountain Dew? Um...Mountain Dew.
9) In honor of my 10/18/03 nuptials: Morning or Afternoon/Night Wedding? I'd go with a afternoon or night one I guess.
10) Carpet or Hardwood Floors? Both...I like that you don't have to vacuum hard wood but carpets are nice and cooshy.
11) American cars or foreign? Either...as long as I can afford it and it gets me where I'm going. :)
12) Cutest TV Twin: Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen? Uh...yeah as if I know which one's which.
13) Coffee: Caffeinated or Decaf? CAFFEINATED!! ;)
14) Thought-Provoking Question of the Week: Computers: Do they make life better or worse? Why? Both. Because they make things easier and because they make things easier. That and they create a new thing to have problems with and freak out over it not working.

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Dancing in the rain
From Fortune Cookies to Tokitos- expanding food advertising to include the Hispanic market. Hmmm. I dunno about this idea.

Bad advertising/marketing idea taken to the cemetary- Actually, taken out of the cemetary..."The prominently displayed signs at Alderwoods Group Inc. cemeteries in Everett, Lake Forest Park and more than 200 other resting places across the country advertised a "Celebrate Life Sweepstakes," a series of seven random drawings offering one $25,000 prize and six $2,000 prizes. Entrants can sign up for free at company cemeteries and funeral homes, including Acacia Memorial Park in Lake Forest Park, Evergreen Cemetery in Everett and Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home in Marysville; no purchase necessary, the advertising stated."
Seems like it was a very odd idea to begin with. "Visit your loved one and sign up for our sweepstakes!" Tsk.

New campaign might be a pain in the butt- "Though TOTO entered the U.S. market in 1989 to sell its water-conserving toilets, it's just now beginning to aggressively market this next generation of super-loos. Within the next two months, the company plans to roll out an unprecedented national campaign of print and television advertising -- including an infomercial -- to enlighten Americans on toilet hygiene."
It will be interesting to see what these campaigns are like, which direction they choose to go in.

Hollywood fights back against movie piracy. No it's not the piracy you'd think- no Pirates of the Caribbean or Hook or anything like that. It's a new effort to combat what is not a major issue yet, before the movie industry has a situation on their hands like the music industry did/does with file sharing online. "The 30-second television advert will have its first run Thursday night on all the main TV networks. The first of several trailers will begin running Friday in most major cinema chains around the US. The first trailer features David Goldstein, a set painter who says that piracy hurts him more than film industry executives. Each ad ends with the tag line: "Movies. They're worth it." The campaign will also include a website that outlines the implications of illegal downloading as well as the legal and practical consequences. "Taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong," said Jack Valenti, president of the MPAA."

Found more neato ascii movies. I like the Bart Simpson one best I think, although Breakdance is cool too.

Think you have an ugly couch? Compare it here at the Ugly Couch contest.

Have you ever wanted to walk the Great Wall of China? Do it from the comfort of your chair/couch/home/office.

Find the perfect cliche! hehehe.
Friday, July 18, 2003
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Things I now will not be able to live without!
Found the link to this on popculturejunkmail blog...I think it's been linked to before on this blog too. But now that I've seen a couple of these things...I must get them...some how....some way.
Tin Nibbler Wind up toy! and Bender Tin Windup Toy Gimmmmmme!
Futurama Tin Toys- Sweet! Dr. Z yay!
Bunch of Nodders, I always called um bobbleheads. But there are some sweet ad icon ones I'd like. Be nice to decorate an office with them :)

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Get it on bang a gong

A purple polar bear? Yup, in Argentina.

Mouse Art- No not Mickey...but computer mice. Neat.

Virtual Bubblewrap- pop...pop...pop!

BananaSlug is a site to get you to see sites you might not have found otherwise. You enter a search term, then click on a category that adds a randomly chosen word to your search. Neato beato.

Apple iPod and VW Beetle Unite. "The video on Apple's Web site is part of a larger promotion that runs through the end of September. The "Pods Unite" promotion will be highlighted in newspaper, television and radio advertising nationally and locally, and iPod kiosks will be presented in VW dealerships around the US. VW buyers who purchase the new Beetle will get a 15GB iPod and a connectivity kit to enable their new car's soundsystem to play the music they store on their iPod. The combination is valued at about US$600, according to a statement released earlier this week." That's pretty cool. Now, if only I could afford a new VW. :-)

A nice article on not letting award shows run your life as a creative in the ad biz. "We easily become spoiled in this industry. We forget how fortunate we are, even if we don’t win awards. Both my parents are librarians. They’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending their days around their passions: books and reading. And I’m pretty sure they’ve never won best of show at the Dewey Decimal Festival."

Advertisers finding truth a good tactic- "Jaded consumers no longer believe slick advertising campaigns and marketing must now focus on providing evidence of the product's worth. That conclusion has come from advertising agency FCB, which completed a worldwide survey and found consumers have largely dumped the timeless trust once enjoyed by brands."

Nowadays, lurking in the shadowy periphery of creative departments is an increasing number of experienced, talented writers, art directors and strategists who have chosen to freelance. Not because they can't cut it - because they're very good at what they do. And smart agencies use this to their advantage."

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Start the day right
New kind of painted cow- a spray painted one. Interesting I suppose, but a little odd as well. "One of the UK's most feted underground artists, Banksy, has launched a rare exhibition featuring live cows, sheep and pigs."

Go to a random blog hosted on blogger. I should put this over in the linky area.

Viagra rival signs NFL deal - "Marketing experts say that men relate to sports figures, making them effective promotional tools. 'They lend instant credibility to the product," said Michael Kelley, managing director for the New York office of Relay Sports and Event Marketing, which is part of Publicis, the ad agency. "I don't think their primary goal is getting men to go to the doctor. It's about selling their product.' "

"Last summer, Apple Computer began airing the TV commercials that were supposed to chip away at Microsoft's empire and sell more of its underdog Mac computers. There was the girl who switched to a Mac after her Windows computer ate her homework, the daughter who used her Apple laptop to rescue digital photos on Christmas. With a year's worth of sales numbers under their belts, three major market research firms show roughly the same thing -- Cupertino-based Apple is holding its ground, but the only PC company attracting a lot of switchers is Dell Computer." I wonder if it's due to the price difference between the two. Hmmm.

New Heineken ad to break Monday is "a joint venture between Publicis/New York and Vigilante/New York, "Rooftop" does two things remarkably well in a mere 30 seconds. It wickedly skewers the thousands of commercials that over time have trotted out voluptuous vixens and horny guys in the name of selling this or that brew. And "Rooftop" also simply and unaffectedly points out that good beer is really about people getting together and sharing simple good times."

Models submit suit against agency commissions. "America's top model agencies may be forced to pay their models millions of dollars in damages as the result of a class-action case accusing them of fixing charges for all but the most famous."

This image from viralmeister.com is just too cute. I wish they had TB on their posts so that I could link to it...anyways...it's cute.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
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Catching up with some posts

A helfpful graphic ;-) and some cool five-line art.(via dabitch)

This isn't a bad idea really- "Vietnam has prohibited commercials for condoms, sanitary napkins and toilet paper from being aired during evening mealtimes, saying they offend cultural sensitivities and traditions, state-controlled media reported Wednesday."

Fun on the washing machine sells phones. Does your phone vibrate?

Very cool snowflake pictures upclose. (via dab)

Bud teams up with Williams-BMW Formula One team- "It's the worldwide audience Budweiser is actually after, said Anheuser-Busch vice president Tony Ponturo. The company will begin advertising immediately, promoting Budweiser with a "very high-end sophisticated image'' as an American import." Very high-end spohsticated??? Huh? It's Bud...is there any bit of this sort of image of the product in other countries? Do you think they can pull this off?

Here you'll find some interesting Red Stripe ads.

Beer news- "On Wednesday, Miller Brewing Co., now part of SABMiller, lowered the boom on J. Walter Thompson/Chicago, dropping the shop from its agency roster. A Miller spokeswoman declined comment, but a JWT spokesman wished Miller well and described the development as a 'mutual parting of the ways as Miller shifts its focus to Brand Miller.' " For some reason I don't find this all that surprising.

New PETA campaign bothers me. Why can't they stop with the extreme ads and all? Enough already.

"The Coca-Cola Co., is seeking creative ideas on its estimated $45 million Sprite account from roster and non-roster shops, the client confirmed. The Atlanta-based client said it is considering incumbent WPP Group agency Ogilvy & Mather in New York, independents Modernista! in Boston, and DiNoto in New York, as well as roster shop Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore. (which handles Powerade), and two undisclosed shops." Come on local shops!!
Monday, July 14, 2003
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Heineken gag- Kinda fun. Interesting marketing...in the viral sense.

Frankenstein's mosnter advertises for arthritis medicine. I saw this ad for the first time yesterday and I'm still not sure what I think. It was odd. I guess that's what I think. But in the realm of good or bad...I think I'm going to have to get back to you on this. As the Slate article points out, it is different, and subtle in its humor. Funnily enough, I saw this ad yesterday too. Rather disgusting but it's only an animation. ;)

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Monday morning news
Seems to be a slow morning...but here's a few things I've found so far.
Proposal to end misleading or vague claims in advertising. "A Commission proposal due to be adopted this Wednesday (16 July) could spell the beginning of the end for well-known advertising slogans and claims used by food and pharmaceutical companies across the EU. The proposal will harmonise rules concerning vague or misleading claims used by advertisers in the food industry such as "this product combats stress" or "helps your mood". The Commission is angling to ban such claims because they are not only too vague, but they are also difficult to verify scientifically and confusing for consumers."

Art exhibit at The Milwaukee Art Museum will feature the Industrial Strength Design: How Brooks Stevens Shaped Your World, June 7 – September 7, 2003. The exhibition, organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum, highlights one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century and one of the most significant artistic personalities ever to work in Milwaukee. Virtually all Americans have been affected by Stevens’ creations, ranging from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and the Miller Brewing logo to the wide-mouthed peanut butter jar.
Sunday, July 13, 2003
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Unconcious Mutterings: I say … and you think … ?
1. Natalie:: Wood
2. Concrete:: Hard
3. AIDS:: Condom
4. Rubber hose:: Condom
5. Paper clip:: Secured
6. Route 66:: Speeding
7. Summer camp:: Scary
8. Coin purse:: Empty :(
9. Orion:: Above
10. Instigate:: Fights

Saturday, July 12, 2003
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Hurrah for weekends!
Friday, July 11, 2003
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Space, ads, and the kitchen sink
Ancient and most distant planet discovered!- "Prospects for extraterrestrial life soared yesterday with the discovery of a "Methuselah" planet twice as old and 25 times farther away than any of the 110-plus planets so far found in our Milky Way galaxy. It lies in a stellar region dated at 13 billion years, only a billion years younger than the Big Bang that created the universe." This is very cool news. Also found this bit of information regarding some doubts of the claim had by a few people.
Moon/Mars eclipse will occur in the after-midnight hours of Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, July 16-17 when the Moon will appear very close to the now-brilliant planet Mars.

Branding for Life- "The Edinburgh Consultancy, which, although a tiny company, is one of the flag-bearers in the global "experiential" marketing sector. The aim of such marketing is to take brand consumers and turn them into brand ambassadors by inviting them to deepen their relationship by tapping into the story and cementing their emotional values with the brand."

Why online ads do not work- "Admiring a British Gas advert on a showcase website is like reading an advertising magazine or going along to an awards ceremony. You see the work in isolation, and look at it carefully, having decided to spend the time doing so. But when I am online, looking for information, reading the news or simply surfing around aimlessly, the ads are in the way and I block them out."

Another book slams advertising and says if your ad agency enters any award show you should fire them. Because apparently to him, advertising is all about selling. Hmm.

"Featuring cocktail recipes in new Absolut ads is a first for the 24-year-old print campaign, created by TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. But "it's not like shifting gears," said Patrick O'Neill, group creative director at the New York agency. "It's continuing to add a dimension to a campaign that's exciting." The print campaign has featured writers, designers and artists renderings of the iconic bottle in the past."
Thursday, July 10, 2003
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Good ol' Thursday Threesome
::From the Summer Picnic Basket!::
Onesome- Honey: Hey there! Not that you personally need any sweetening, but just in case: what goes in your summer drinks to sweeten things up? Honey? Sugar? Artificial sweetener? ...or are your taking things straight up this time 'round? Usually it's artifical sweetner. But sometimes it's sugar.
Twosome- Mustard: Okay, what condiment has to come to the table for that burger or hotdog? Ketchup? Mustard? Salt? Pepper? Just what is it you 'relish'? Ketchup, honey mustard, mayo, relish...all great on burgers and yellow mustard and relish on hotdogs.
Threesome- Sauce: ...and along with that, which sauce do you simply have to have around? BBQ? A-1? That special sauce you learned to make when you worked fast food at the mall? How about it? You brought those napkins along for a reason! Worchestershire and Ketchup.

Color Mix is a way cool site for web design, or just design in general. Pick your color and the neat-o mice in the program create a gif to add to your color palette. Nice!

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Mid-day things
Young Gun Awards are taking entries. They even have a bottom drawer award for those ads that never got to make it to production. Wonder if that is a new category. I wish I had known about this awards show before, when I had a job and work that met the qualifications. Bummer man. I've got a few more years yet, before I'm not eligable though, so, *fingers crossed* ;-)

Sadder news is that there doesn't seem to be any new business coming this way for agencies. Normally I suppose it wouldn't matter as much as it does now, with the state of the economy and all that. This area needs to try to get new business and new accounts in order to help fix the economy and get jobs to the masses of unemployed creatives and other ad/marketing professionals. Looking at the list of account action on adweek and adage, there are no local agencies in the reviews. There was one but they got knocked out of the running recently. But that was it. Unless they are undisclosed contenders...but, it'd be nice to see that the new biz guys are doing their jobs. Heck, if they aren't getting the agencies into pitches, they should be fired and someone better should be found. Part of the reason for the state of unemployment in the industry in this area is that accounts have moved away from the area, and no new ones have come in to fill their place. I can't be the only worrying about this but, it feels like I am. Especially since the market here was hit first and rather hard due to the technology bubble bursting.
Update: There appear to be a few. I missed this link on adweek. But overall there still is a lack in activity in the new biz department.

Sweet! The Illustrated Catalog of ACME Products!! Brilliant. (via milkandcookies)

Useful info on border slants.

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Thinking, Surfing, Procrastinating

"In advertising not to be different is virtually suicidal." ~ William Bernbach

Good ol' Will. How true. And it's really amazing how many companies don't seem to realize this. They want to be just like their competitors. Why? Find your niche. Be different. It's really ok. Heck, even if you do what 'the other guy' is doing, but have a lower price, that's something. I've been working at a company that seems to be stuck in the "they are doing it, so we should do it too" state of mind and it's really making me nuts. There's a lot of potential I see but from the bit I see (which I do have to say isn't all that much), they really are missing the bullseye. Sometimes the only thing I can do to not have it drive me crazy is to put on my headphones, and crank up the music while I work. It's sad really. And a bit depressing for me to see that these people have jobs and seem not to know what they are doing. And it's not only here I see this but throughout the marketing/advertising world. Clients become afraid to be different. They may not have a unique selling point (USP) but that doesn't mean that they cannot brand themselves in a different fashion from their competition. Can anyone say "image"? Sometimes it seems like the most basic of advertising and marketing principles get forgotten.

The creator of the Beanz Meanz Heinz campaign, Maurice Drake has something to say about Heinz threatening to ditch their 35-year-old slogan in favour of something more modern. "Mr Drake, a former copywriter at ad agency Young & Rubicam who also worked on the "Everyone's a Fruit and Nut Case" campaign for Cadbury, said the trend was symptomatic of a malaise in the advertising industry. 'Creatives used to be quite interested in the business of advertising. They'd be really keen to find out the sales figures because then they'd know whether their campaign had worked. But why bother using your imagination when you can spend £100,000 on special effects? Now you have all these, 'Look at me, aren't I adventurous' campaigns that are full of special effects and are instantly forgettable,' said Mr Drake."

Check out the results of a recent survey of the top 10 advertising slogans in the UK. Interestingly enough, no slogans from the last decade made it to the list. Maybe Mr. Drake is on to something...

State of creative biz- survey done by the Creative Group says that morale is picking up in the advertising and marketing industries. Let's hope so! I'm tired of freelancing.
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
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It's all gnu
Well not totally but I have been tinkering around with the look of this place during the last couple of days. Do you like it? Hate it? Speak out. ;-)

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Feeling a little bit meme
Summer Potpourri - This Or That Tuesday ( yeah yeah it's a day late...calm down)
1. Strawberries or blueberries? Both.
2. "Legally Blonde 2" or "Terminator 3"? Neither. Although I guess if one must choose I'd go with Legally Blonde 2, because I can only take so much Arnold.
3. Hamburgers or hot dogs? Both, but usually hamburgers over hot dogs.
4. Boating or hiking? Both are fun.
5. Suntan lotion or sunblock? Sunblock.
6. "Big Brother" or "The Amazing Race"? Neither.
7. Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffett? Um...yeah.
8. Grow your own produce or buy from supermarket/greengrocer/farm stand? I'd like to grow some of my own at least but, alas I have no room for that right now.
9. Drive with car windows/top down, or with air-conditioning on? Depends on how hot it is out.
10. Go away for vacation, or stay at home? Both.


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Wishing I was somewhere else...
Bernstein-Rein Advertising Inc. Chairman and CEO Bob Bernstein confirmed Tuesday that he plans to open an advertising icon museum in Kansas City, possibly in the downtown Crossroads District.

Soup advert 'made misleading claims'- "A range of soup promoted as being high in vegetable goodness made misleading claims, the advertising has watchdog ruled. A magazine advert for Knorr Vie said the range provided up to three of the five daily portions of vegetables you need. The Food Commission, a healthy eating campaign group, said it was wrong to compare Knorr Vie with fresh vegetables when it contained added salt, sugar and fat."

WWF launches new campaign "Force for Nature" featuring Jessica Lange.

Mars and Nestle battle it out over 'have a break' in Australia.

Beef. It's What's For Dinner campaign funding found unconstitutional- "An federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the beef industry's marketing program is unconstitutional because it violates the free speech rights by forcing beef producers to pay for the ads. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling against collecting marketing fees from cattle producers that went to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board. The fee, $1 per head of cattle, was authorized under 1985's Beef Promotion and Research Act." This decision will most likely have reaching affects on the milk, orange juice, pork, potato, and other similar marketing programs. Although I have always wondered why this type of marketing is necessary- does it really increase sales that much? I wouldn't think it would since these products are everyday type of things that people by at the market every day. But, I suppose that if there was a stigma attached to the type of product it would make sense in a way- like beef.

Yogurt eaters like their cup size smaller, according to Dannon.

What does your office say about you?

Tuesday, July 08, 2003
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Doesn't amount to a hill o' beans
What a bummer. I missed the SCAA and it looks like it was a crazy time. Found the info at coffeegeek.com, a site with all kinds of goodies to drool over!
There's some more coffee sites I should probably add to my list on the side over yonder like Coffeekid.com and wholelattelove.com and freshcup.com.

Update on Juan Valdez ad campaign to break in September. "The $9 million media blitz will coincide with the slated September launch of Colombia's first gourmet coffee shop abroad, in New York City. There, coffee aficionados will be able to snap up premium beans as wells as T-shirts and coffee cups bearing Valdez' mustachioed grin." Now I would love to get one of them funky coffee cups with Senor Valdez on it. I wonder if his burro will appear on them as well. Snazzy stuff and good marketing too, since that kitchy kind of stuff is always great.

Play tennis as Shakespeare, John Lennon, or Queen Victoria over at the BBC site. Sweetness! (via Very Big Blog)

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Tuesday AM news bits

Suing over sour milk?- Oakhurst Dairy in Portland is being sued by Monsanto Company, which alleges that Oakhurst's marketing campaign that touts its milk as being free of artificial growth hormones is misleading.

Promotion of Olympic proportions- "Advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi New York will develop the next global promotional campaign for the International Olympic Committee ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the IOC said Monday. The ad campaign, for launch in early 2004, will be based on the "Celebrate Humanity" theme developed for the IOC in 2000 by TBWA/Chiat/Day, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc."

Bringing back the fashionable brands of the 80s- From Jordache to Esprit these companies are returning to the "hip" side of the spectrum. The article says so is Op, but I've always liked their stuff, so I guess I will have to admit to being "uncool" for the last decade. ;-)

Advertising, detergent, and social behavior- "A whole new approach to selling washing powder is about to turn this much-derided advertising genre on its head. But asks Mark Jones, is the public ready to think differently about dirty laundry?"

Coffee and the bean biz- "Seeing how these Web-connected coffee evangelists had driven up their market, the high council of high-end coffee, the Specialty Coffee Association of America, recently invited 50 of them to join. In exchange for insights into espresso lust, these outsiders get inside tours and industry briefings."

Smirnoff advocates moderation in new ads airing in the UK.

Home Depot bogarts tagline-When Home Depot broke its "You can do it. We can help" multi-media ad campaign in February, it struck a familiar note with Sunshine Ace Hardware. That's because the four-chain Naples, Fla.-based retailer has been using the exact same tag for "a matter of years." So, in a case of David vs. Goliath, Sunshine Hardware has filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers, Fla., claiming that it "is the owner of all right, title and interest in the mark," according to the lawsuit, which also seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to block Home Depot from using the slogan in its $350 million national campaign, via The Richards Group, Dallas. Atlanta-based Home Depot said it is in "discussions" with Sunshine Hardware and "hopes that a resolution can be reached," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sunshine Hardware began selling home improve! ment products in 1964 and uses the tag in local marketing, including on its Web site." Whoops. Talk about someone not doing their job. Don't most agencies run taglines through legal so that this sort of thing doesn't happen? Tsk. Tsk.
Monday, July 07, 2003
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Little Green Bag

Heinz is concerned their tagline, created by Y&R in 1967 is no longer relevant to British families. So, they are considering a change. "Rather than making the decision behind closed doors and with carefully selected focus groups, the company is running a contest in coming weeks in which people can decide whether they want to "Save Our Slogan" or "Vote For Change". The company will be re-running some of its classic beans TV commercials from next week."

"News Corp.'s Twentieth Television this week begins testing a reality TV show on 25 of its Fox-owned stations based on the popular Classmates.com Web site. Classmates, along with next year's launch of eBayTV, represents a new breed of syndicated TV programs seeking a promotional lift from strong Internet brands. Classmates will extend the franchise of Classmates.com, a site where school friends, lovers, prospective lovers and even enemies look to reacquaint themselves."
I thought we were going to be seeing the end of the "reality" tv shows...*sigh* And eBayTV?? Oy vey.

Maybe sex doesn't sell beer after all.

Pissin' in the great outdoors for profit.

Oh geez. So I clicked on a link to read about the Kobe deal and on this page was an advert for viagra. Tsk Tsk. Talk about bad placement.
Thursday, July 03, 2003
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Yabba-dabba-doooooo

Reality TV Meets Small Business - "The Restaurant is a six-episode series, debuting July 20, that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the life and struggles of real life chef Rocco DiSpirito as he creates, launches and operates his own Manhattan eatery. In a clever integration of reality meeting reality TV, the series is being sponsored in large part by American Express' small business division. As a sponsor, OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express will launch an integrated marketing campaign that includes television and radio advertising featuring Rocco DiSpirito and a Web site (www.openrocco.com) where he will chronicle his experiences as a business owner and engage in a dialogue with other business owners. In addition, Rocco DiSpirito will be shown during the series using the products, tools and services provided by the OPEN Network as he manages his business. "Running a small business is the ultimate reality show, and many of the issues that Rocco DiSpirito faces in starting up his restaurant are similar to the daily challenges that many business owners and their employees face," said Kerry Hatch, executive vice president and General manager of OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express. American Express is hoping to engage small business owners in a dialogue about the ups and downs of running a business, and hopes to highlight the tools it has available to small business owners through both the television series as well as integrated advertising campaigns for American Express featuring Rocco DiSpirito himself."
Perhaps this is going to be the new trend? I wouldn't be all that surprised. Especially as clients look for new ways to get around the TiVo and Replay type devices.

"Fattist" Toyota ad- 115 people have complained about a Toyota Corolla ad in which "couples are seen pairing off at a suburban home after women choose their partners by selecting car keys. But the men have a look of horror when a larger woman takes her turn to make a selection."

Sign painters head to Atlanta to 'revive and preserve the nearly lost art of outdoor advertising while helping the community restore its connections with historic Route 66." Pretty cool. I like that idea.
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
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Well what'da ya know...

Seems Al Roker has a blog of sorts. Some how this amuses me. Then again I'm easily amused too. Did you know he did cartoons? He even has an ad related entry about the advertising in fortune cookies (mentioned here before- yes I *am* too lazy to look up the link...surf around and I'm sure you'll find it.)

For all those who have been coming here for the Toohey's ad...here's a link to where you can watch it

Sweet. A new Sting album is being released this summer. Listen to the new single at his site.

Can't Live Without It is the new tagline for Dasani Water...owned by Coca Cola Co. The New York Times reports that "in one Dasani commercial, a man and woman frolic in an elevator as a security camera captures the action, but they turn out to be husband and wife. In another spot, a woman spends a night out on the town with an extremely attractive man, then heads home where she gets undressed and jumps into bed — with her teddy bear." The goal is to borrow the trappings of the emotionally evocative lifestyle advertising used typically in soft-drink campaigns, rather than the more rational tack traditionally taken to sell bottled water, which focuses on product benefits like purity and refreshment. "People may not immediately say, `That's water advertising,' because there are no spas, babbling brooks or yoga," said Kellam Mattie, senior brand manager for Dasani at the Coca-Cola North American division in Atlanta. "But they'll come to say, `This is what water advertising can be.' "
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
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Uncreative Title for Today

ASCII movie of fight scenes from the Matrix...it's very cool. (via boingboing.net)

Agencies (not the advertising kind) fear beer ads look like too much fun - "Sex seems to be on everyone's mind in the beer business these days," says George Hacker, director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "It's the particular portrayal of essentially drunken, riotous behavior by young people that is so problematic." Hacker, who also serves on the Coalition for the Prevention of Alcohol Problems, in late May sent a letter to Adolph Coors on behalf of that organization. The letter takes issue with a number of ads Coors has aired in recent months, including one that asked: "Why do we party?" The response: "Because we can-can-can!" Coors says it agreed not to run the ad any longer after a consumer brought it to the attention of the Better Business Bureau as part of an internal program that Coors has in place.

Adage asks the question "is consolidation hurting creativity?" Here's an exceprt: "Since public companies are responsible first and foremost to their shareholders, so the argument goes, clients come second and consumers a distant third. Smart chief executives realize that if they serve consumers and clients, shareholders will win. But that's a long-term view and public companies care mostly about short-term results.
That sentiment, the belief that being big has hurt agencies' ability to be good, was something of an unofficial theme of the International Advertising Festival in Cannes. Typically, the business of advertising doesn't make an appearance at this weeklong spectacle. For better or worse, the awards show remains the one place where the product of advertising -- "the work" -- is the obsessive focus. But it has become clear that the two are inseparable, that creative does not exist in a vacuum and that the ability of creatives to do good work has been affected by the risk-averse cultures of their publicly held parents."

O&M scraps their probono ad in order to keep peace with tabacco client.
A charity campaign warning of the dangers of passive smoking has been scrapped by an advertising agency to prevent an embarrassing run-in with one of its most valued clients - British American Tobacco. Ogilvy & Mather had offered to devise a free advertising campaign entitled "passive smoking kills" for a leading anti-smoking charity. It featured a hard-hitting and disturbing poster, showing a cigarette, designed like a barrel of a gun, firing a bullet. View the poster here at the meadia.guardian.co.uk.

P&G is just one among other clients who already have their SuperBowl air time purchased. This year a :30 is going for $2.4 million.

Kraft gets "responsible"- Kraft is cutting portion sizes, changing it's marketing because of obesity concerns.

P&G is making changes in order to return to Cannes next year as a winner. This means more testing. Yay. *cough* But perhaps it might allow for something slightly more creative to hit the airways, since the shinny happy people and authoratative approaches are overused and so blaaaaaaand!

Corbis vs. Amazon.com- New court case where Corbis is suing Amazon for copywright infringement. Hooboy.

Here's some This or That since it's Tuesday....
1. Lemonade or Ice Cold Beer? Lemonade is definitely more refreshing. Although a nice cold beer is good sometimes too.
2. Swimming pool or beach? Beach.
3. Long weekends here & there, or a 2-week vacation? Here and there...unless going away somewhere.
4. Destination: Acapulco or Hawaii? Hawaii. Loved it there.
5. Destination: Mountains or Beach? Beach.
6. Hotel/motel/B&B or camping? Both are good...depending on what I feel up to doing.
7. Carefully planned vacation, or play it by ear? Little bit of both.
8. Sneakers or sandals? Sandals.
9. Air-conditioning or fans? Air conditioning.
10. Concerts in the park or baseball games? Depends who's playing at the concerts/what type of music it is. Baseball games are fun to go to though.