426,000 cell phones are "retired" in the U.S. every day The photo above (zoomed in version) from Chris Jordan's "Running the Numbers" exhibition is currently showing at Von Lintel Gallery in NYC. Here's the opening paragraph of his artist's statement: Exploring around our country’s shipping ports and industrial yards, where the accumulated detritus of our consumption is exposed to view like eroded layers in the Grand …
Grandpa Joke Takes Home The Bacon
Smart Power is a nationwide, non-profit marketing campaign promoting clean energy. As part of their efforts, Smart Power conducted a consumer-generated advertising contest with a $10,000 grand prize. The winning entry, shown above, is the work of Dan Sheppard, a 19 year old advertising major at University of Nebraska. Sheppard is currently interning at Grey in New York City. Sheppard's reel (link removed at Dan's …
Word of the Day: Granularity
In a Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) article about brands' success with behavioral targeting, this little gem popped out. "We've never been able to get to this level of granularity," says John Vail, director of the interactive marketing group at Pepsi-Cola North America. I know what granular means. It means powdery. As for this client-speak specimen, I have no idea. …
One Place For All Your Data
When I was flying last Wednesday evening I started thinking about a tool that would allow users of multiple social networks to manage their content from one place, as opposed to all the individual places they must now log into and become comfortable with. I often say, "If you're thinking it, someone's doing it." And that has proven true once again. BusinessWeek published a story today that reveals a handful of …
One Green Egg Leads To Another
Egg in Seattle is one agency committed to making a difference in the world. The focus of their work is on sustainable brands, but they're also putting plans in place to reduce their own footprint. Our goals: full carbon neutrality for our agency, and carbon-neutral print advertisement and website development options for our clients. Kevin Wilhelm, of Innovative Strategies, a sustainability consulting firm, paid a …
The Snow Job Is On
According to The New York Times, MTV unveiled its latest public service advertising campaign last week. Its aim is to promote environmentally friendly lifestyle choices among youth (without upsetting MTV's carbon-sucking underwriters). The advertisements, created by six agencies — 180 Los Angeles, Cake, Lowe Worldwide, Ogilvy & Mather, Wieden & Kennedy and Young & Rubicam — will be shown in 162 countries. The Web …
Sunday Sermon: Towards A Sustainable Communications Practice
I’ve learned some things in my ten plus years working in advertising. Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is that I’m ill suited for this business. Simply put, I have the wrong temperament. I lack all patience for the daily compromises that must be made. That’s what this business is, like politics, one compromise after the next. I also have zero interest in serving “corporate America.” I loathe corporate …
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Saturn Asks That We “Rethink American”
I'm posting this print ad for Saturn's Aura because what they're saying here is key to the resurgence of the American car market. Simply "Buying American" is not sufficient when the product is inferior. Then one's patriotism and concern for American labor actually costs a great deal, unnecesarily. …
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