BusinessWeek's Blogspotting blog endeavored to discover "voices of innovation" in social media. But "discover" may be too strong a word, since the list they provided features all the usual suspects. Seth Godin, for one, doesn't like it. Trolling for traffic like this is beneath BW. This was a state of the art traffic trick about six years ago, but now, most of your readers will just roll their eyes that you're …
It Takes Brains
Brains on Fire has a new website and it's well worth your click. Not only is the design of the moment, the copy sings. Here's how they describe themselves: We are a tribe of true believers... Protagonists. Pirates. Optimists. Disco-junkies. Brutally honest superheroes. And if the walls come tumbling down tomorrow, no worries. We've still got this company we call Brains on Fire. Because we've still got our people. …
Personal Statements
Self-promotion is a big part of the ad biz. Every agency has a self-promo site and many make self-promo print ads to run in specialty publications. Then there's the whole "make an ad for yourself" thing that happens, as ad people seek higher and higher realms. One might even argue this site is a self-promo campaign of some sort. Anyway, Casey McKinnon doesn't say she's an actor, writer, producer in the video above. …
Monetize Me!
People are thinking a lot about how to monetize “new” media, such as podcasts and blogs. Well, prepare for a game-changing bomb drop right here on AdPulp. What I’m talking about is monetizing old media; namely, me. Case Study: Gavin Gavin is a 14-year-old developmentally disabled boy who lives in my neighborhood. For a few bucks, he’ll cut my grass, take out the trash, etc. I’m one of Gavin’s biggest customers. As a …
A Fresh Dose Of Attitude
Dillon Snyder has attitude--the kind it takes to get a great job in this business. I am a copywriter, which means, once you edit out all the fluff, I fill in the blanks. Simply put, blanks are what separate brands from the smiling faces of the general public. Using words, big ideas, strong concepts, green ink, and on occasion a bar napkin or two I fill in these blanks. Once filled, brands and people are united and …
Pitch Or Perish
Hugh MacLeod has produced some doodles for his friends at Cravens Advertising in Newcastle, England. While snooping around their site, these etymological gems surfaced. I've been reading "Which Lie Did I Tell" by William Goldman (the guy who wrote Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid). A fantastic book about his experiences as a screenwriter in Hollywood. He also gives some tips and observations about the screenwriter's …
Pixel Pusher Rakes It In
Adland and The Telegraph point to this brilliant advertising idea from 21-year old university student, Alex Tew. Tew, 21, who is due to go to Nottingham University next month to study business management, launched www.milliondollarhomepage.com in an attempt to raise enough money to pay for the three-year degree course. Companies can buy one or more boxes for $100 each (£54) and cover it with a logo, which, when …
Can You Relate?
One of the things that drew me to advertising in the first place was the ridiculously naïve idea that the business was a meritocracy. "The work is all that matters," was the mantra I gleefully chimed in the mid 1990s. I picked it up from some true believers and even with all the turmoil my career has seen, I have clung to it mightily. But I'm confident I'll get over it someday. Adweek: Volkswagen's sweeping shift …