Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Adverganza's Wednesday morning picks, 10.29.08

Wherein I scan the Wednesday morning headlines so you don't have to.

From Advertising Age:

--I'm dreaming of a private-label Christmas.
--FDA tells Bayer that aspirin plus dietary supplements is a no-no.
--So, after all of the other attempts at creating buzz for Microsoft, here's the new idea: consumer-generated media! Here's a look at an "I'm a PC" ad, complete with amateur direction:



--Are you ready for Pomegranate Iced Coffee? I'm waiting for MADD to get all over one of the lines in one of the ads, which is: "Yes officer, I'm completely buzzed."
--So HBO decides to launch a "Sopranos" wine now?
--3 Minute Ad Age: A close-up of those video billboards planned for the sides of buses, because having video in cabs and in your pocket isn't nearly enough.

For Adweek:

--Obama will probably appear live at the end of his infomercial tonight, where he'll sell the latest skincare products developed by Cindy Crawford's French dermatologist. Kidding!
--From frenemy to friend: WPP and Google team up on academic research about online marketing.
--Like it or not, online video ads have reached critical mass.
--Shocker! Children actually see less ads online than you do.
--Interpublic numbers improve, but will they stay improved with that icky economy and all?
--Publicis numbers not so bad either. As far as next year, Maurice Levy's cup appears to be half full. Of what, I don't know.
--Levi's may have picked Zenith to handle its media.
--Univision remembers about the Zune.

From Brandweek:

--Here's to the value meal.
--Coors, now with a two-sided cold activated label.
--Are you interested in McRib-related content on your mobile? Neither am I.

From Mediapost:

--Karl Greenberg talks to Michael Sprague, the new head of marketing at Kia. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen and Spike Lee -were also there.
--So, senior marketing executives don't understand the value of their brands.
--The rich are still different than you and me.
--Carmakers like events in a tight economy.
--It's not just food, it's functional food.
--For better or for worse, "White Gold" is back. Here's the new clip, "Is It Me Or Do You Love My Hair?
--Depressing read of the day: a roundup of magazine layoffs.
--Should I care that Verizon is now offering ABC content on Verizon?
--Jack Feuer thinks we're about to be attached by brand-attached maniacs, and they are us.



--The Charmin port-a-potties are back.
--Nike rolls out eco-friendly products in all its divisions.
----If you've never understood VivaKi, here's your chance for enlightenment. David Kenny explains it all.
--Razorfish says consumers actually act on social media ads.
--Report says that lots of advertisers use keywords that are three or more words. In the search world, that's big time sophistication.

From Mediaweek:

--As part of major reorg, Time Inc. will layoff hundreds of employees. Also, Ed McCarrick, worldwide publisher of Time Inc., will retire.
--McGraw-Hill to cut 140 people in its Information & Media unit, which includes BusinessWeek.
--The Christian Science Monitor closes its daily print edition in favor of that thing called the Web.
--Group of Northeastern newspapers has met to talk about sharing content. Screw you, Associated Press!
--Hold that thought. Interep is still with us ... for now.
--CBS cancels The Ex List, which, I must admit, I never heard of.
--Marc Berman's Programming Insider: ABC wins the overnights.

From The New York Post:

--Holly Sanders' take on the earnings results from ad holding companies.
--Keith Kelly gives you the skinny on the Time Inc. layoffs.
--Wal-Mart re-opens its MP3 store, offering songs for only 74 cents. Take that, Steve Jobs!

From The New York Times:

--David Carr on print's problem, and it isn't an audience problem.
--The NYT pegs the Time Inc. layoffs at 600, or six percent of the workforce.
--Gannett to layoff 10 percent of the workforce, but no one at USA Today.
--So how is Hulu doing?
--Doubleday Publishing lays off 10 percent of staff, but it's only 16 people (though, aCheck Spellingdmittedly, it would suck if you were one of them).
--Ad revenue in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's publishing division declines by 18 percent. Ouch.
--Dealbook tells Steve Ballmer it's just about time for Microsoft to buy Yahoo.

From The Wall Street Journal:

--The Obama ad by the "Whassup" guys. If you haven't seen it, here it is:



That's it for today. If you read to the bottom, it's a depressing one.

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