Gavin Heaton, has metered out the components of digital storytelling the way a conscientious chef would when writing a cook book. Like anything, you need to start with an idea. This is the 1%. A good idea will get you started but an idea on its own is dormant. There is another 9% that is planning. You need to think through the what, why and how of your story. You need to consider the methods you will take to bring …
People Who Read The Label Won’t Be Impressed
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Corn Refiners Association, an industry group led by ADM and Cargill, is launching a big ad and public-relations campaign today. Their goal? Convince Americans that high-fructose corn-syrup isn't the evil it has been made out to be. The group is running full-page ads in more than a dozen major newspapers around the country saying its product is no worse for you than sugar. And …
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Ugh.
That's all I have to say. George Carlin was the best. Nobody had a better understanding of the nuances of language. I can't say I'm totally shocked--his last couple of specials on HBO showed him to be a little slower than usual. But I have at least 10 of his comedy albums and they're wall-to-wall hilarious. US comic George Carlin dies at 71. …
Are Ad Men As Hollow As The Fantasies They Create?
Alex Witchel, a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine spent some quality time with Matthew Weiner (pronounced WHY-ner). Weiner is creator, producer and head writer of "Mad Men," the original series on AMC. The show begins its second season on July 27th. It's a long article with lots of interesting detail, like the fact that Weiner is a meticulous control freak from an over-achieving family and somewhat …
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Striking Green Poses
You can rate the ad above, and others like it at EnviroMedia's Greenwashing Index. …
How To Become Irrelevant Online
It's kind of sad to see Associated Press limping weakly through its struggle to determine what "fair use" means to them. Or is it? Perhaps, it's equally entertaining in a physical comedy sort of way. I suppose it depends on where you stand. Whether you belong to the old guard or new media? Saul Hansell of The New York Times frames the story: A.P. — a not for profit group of 1,500 newspapers, including The New York …
Do What The Client Says. Or Else.
According to The Financial Times, a Y&R subsidiary in Zimbabwe has been assisting the re-election campaign of Robert Mugabe. Below, an example ad courtesy of British political commentator Iain Dale. Now that the light has been shined on this batch of cockroaches, WPP is divesting itself of the Y&R subsidiary. I really like the "100%" callout at the top. What's next? "Now--with extra thuggery!" …
Rupe Belittles Facebook In Cannes
When your brand is number one, never acknowledge the runners up. This is a long-standing rule of marketing. But one that Rupe willfully broke at Cannes. According to Brian Morrissey of Adweek, Rupe dismissed the online service as little more than "a directory." He said the attention lavished on Facebook is not in line with the challenges it has faced in building its audience into a sustainable business. "They've …