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Advertising News and Know-How

Advertising news and know-how.

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Ad Chatter: Joe Cole Talks About Clean Creatives and We Are Rosie

A new generation of ad pros is getting more vocal about what they’re willing (and not willing) to work on, and how to do their work. Joe Cole is at the intersection of both of those ideas. He’s the Creative Strategist for Clean Creatives and a Creative Recruiter for We Are Rosie. In this 35-minute Ad Chatter episode, I chat with Joe about whether fossil fuel advertising could become as verboten as tobacco …

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The Best Gifts Don’t Come from Amazon, They Come from the Heart

Amazon.com is the information economy’s superstore. One can buy just about anything one desires from Bezos and company. If you’d like, Amazon's Prime will even rush it to your doorstep. Such is the state of retail today. The mass appeal of fast-moving goods (that are just a click and a local warehouse away) is a winner for the consumer goods-based economy, and for Amazon and its investors. Sadly, the obliteration of …

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Best of Adpulp 2021

The year is not yet concluded, but I have concluded that the following articles on Adpulp.com are my favorites of 2021 (so far). A Book for ‘Ad People’ with Brains The Machines Have Moved In. The Machines Have No Feelings. Ad Legends Who Shaped the Modern Craft of Advertising Introduction to Marketing Effectiveness (A Primer) How To Stop Boring People and Make Your Presentations Sing Ad Chatter, the …

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Job Number One: Ask Good Questions and Take Good Notes

I started interviewing people when I was 18 years old and a freshman at Franklin & Marshall College. One thing I know about myself—I have a journalist's temperament, which I bring to the ad business, sometimes successfully. In this new collection of 18 interviews with 19 advertising professionals, there's a series of successful moments where people I admire and respect get a chance to wax poetic about life, …

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See Yourself In A Pair of Wranglers

Ad makers are mirror makers but our mirrors are made to reflect the dreamy you. And the dreamy you looks great in jeans. Here, do you see yourself in this new 'American portrait' from Wrangler? Do you see yourself looking good and living free in the brand's denim? Wrangler is counting on it. “We continue to draw inspiration from the resilience of those around us, and our new campaign showcases people from all …

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Guy Kawasaki Interviews Patti Sanchez About the Power of Story

People who work in marketing communications spend a significant amount of energy and time making presentations. A great presentation is often the difference between failure and success, whether it's a new business presentation or an internal creative review. Making remarkable presentations—just like making remarkable work—is a learned skill and there are smart people and companies in the business of helping us …

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Wendy’s Won’t Let Cold and Soggy Fries Through the Window

Food advertising is best when it serves up a healthy dish of appetite appeal. What does this mean? It means the ad ought to make a hungry person want to drop what they're doing and eat. This ad for Wendy's new Hot & Crispy Fries is a good example of the appetite appeal approach at work. https://youtu.be/IgQbhJEaWtA In this ad, Wendy's also directly challenges the top fries dog—McDonald's—in a …

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Meta Is Working On It

Most of us know what we want from Facebook. Family updates and sensational fake news! No, what we want is reform from within and regulation from the federal government. Have we properly considered what the company that owns Facebook wants? The company that owns Facebook wants "updated internet regulations to set clear guidelines for addressing today’s toughest challenges." Facebook also "supports a safe and secure …

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A Book for ‘Ad People’ with Brains

One of the best things about Adpulp.com is the people we meet. The site opens many doors and behind many of these doors are amazingly unique people with fascinating stories. My new ebook—Ad Brains: Conversations with Advertising's Icons, Rebels, and Rulers—captures some of these stories. Ad Brains is now available for $10 from Amazon.com, Kobo.com, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books, and Google Play. All …

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The Machines Have Moved In. The Machines Have No Feelings.

I am a writer. I write ad copy, journalism, poetry, fiction, and essays—not necessarily in that order. Because I am a writer, I want to laugh at the idea that a machine can do what I, or what any writer does for a living. Sure, a machine can spit out words, I get that part. But is that good enough today? Can machine-generated words move customer automatons to respond favorably? Can an AI copywriting platform (that …

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Ad Chatter Featuring Sean Looney of Looney Advertising

This episode of Ad Chatter features a revealing conversation with Sean Looney of Looney Advertising in Montclair, New Jersey. Sean and his wife Debbie Looney started the agency more than 20 years ago. Today, Looney is one of the industry's fastest-growing agencies in the industry and we ask Sean what his secret is. The short answer is Looney believes in a healthy work-life balance. They also believe in …

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Young Love Interrupted By A Taco

Ah, summer nights at the beach. Bonfires. Starry skies. The steady crash of waves. Budding romance. What could be better? According to Taco Bell, their new Cantina Crispy Melt Tacos could be better. https://youtu.be/IzNO5UgRiow Is this spot funny? Is it empowering for young women? Is it additional proof that we're mostly incapable of living in the moment? Is it a good way to sell more tacos? I'm open to …

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Facebook Rebrands, The Company Is Now Known As ‘Meta’

Remember Second Life? Facebook didn't buy it, but now the social networking behemoth wants to become it. This is not a joke. Facebook has changed its company name to Meta. The word 'Facebook' now refers to just the social networking application and site. Meta was chosen as the new name because it points to Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to creating immersive virtual experiences or a so-called 'metaverse'. The …

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Agency Habitat in Fort Worth, Texas Is Making Bold Moves

Agency Habitat, a content-focused, full-service advertising agency will celebrate the grand opening of its new home by inviting Dallas-Fort Worth’s creative community to explore the company’s headquarters at an open house next week. The event will feature complimentary food and drinks from Fort Brewery, as well as music by DJ Sober. DFW creators, professionals, the curious, and their friends and families are invited …

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Carhartt Wants America’s Workers To Be “Fit For The Next Frontier”

In the United States today, our problems have problems. Did you know that the country faces an unprecedented skilled labor shortage – with more than 3.2 million skilled trade jobs sitting open as of August 2021? While the Biden administration is busy selling their "Build Back Better" vision for the future, Carhartt is rallying America’s workforce and inspiring people to claim these good jobs with its new "Fit For …

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Indulge At Your Own Risk, a.k.a. “Eat It Like You Own It”

Go ahead, eat the butter. Stack the cheese. Have more pie. Everything in moderation. In this new ad campaign from Land O’Lakes, the dairy brand speaks to indulgers in a language they can understand. The work also reminds us that the more Land O’Lakes products you choose to consume, the better things will be for the 1,000 dairy farmers that supply their raw milk. https://youtu.be/F7Uec3u0mdk Directed by …

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