So if an agency monolith like Publicis can outsource production work in the new world-new media-order, what about the rest of the creative jobs in advertising? At some point, when marketers ultimately look at the efficiencies they’ve achieved with third-world interactive servants, they may decide to that the writing and the art direction doesn’t matter so much as long as they’re mashed up quickly. The best and …
Digital Disorder Breeds Collective Intelligence
video courtesy of YouTube user, Michael Wesch When I was in Cambridge last month, I picked up the hardbound first edition of David Weinberger's new book, Everything Is Miscellaneous. I just started reading it, so I'll need to circle back in order to offer deeper analysis, but I can say "so far so good." Here's a pickup from his chapter "Social Knowing" that grabbed me: In a miscellaneous world, an Oz-like authority …
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‘Tis The Season For Ironic Endorsements
Today's Yahoo! home page prominently features an ad for American Express starring Tina Fey. I'd say she's got one less thing to worry about, given that's she raking in some nice endorsement cash while she and other, more starving WGA writers are on strike. …
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Medical Device Advertising: It’s Stenterrific!
If you're sick and tired of pharmaceutical ads on TV, wait 'til you get a load of the next trend: marketing medical devices directly to consumers. From The New York Times: The Cypher television spot might be mystifyingly vague to viewers who have never heard of stents, which are implanted in blood vessels to prop them open after blockages have been cleared. Cypher was designed for the vital network of arteries that …
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Dell To Pay Big Bucks For Unrealized Promise of Integration
Dell will spend $4.5 billion over three years with holding company WPP, which will "go into business" with Dell by creating a new agency brand that will ultimately be available to other clients. According to The Wall Street Journal: One condition laid down by Dell in the review was that the companies vying for its business figure out a way to foster more collaboration between the people who create ads for TV and …
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Bay Area Allure Is Strong
Ad Age looks at two agencies opening outposts in San Francisco—Olson and R/GA. image courtesy of Flickr user, http2007 Harold Sogard, vice chairman, Goodby Silverstein said, "I welcome R/GA to the center of true creativity." Olson CEO John Olson said, "We, for one, like it there. The people who share our beliefs are there and the talent vein is so rich." I hear that. …
Buy An Expensive Phone, Get Free Music
Nokia is morphing into a media business, according to The New York Times. Next year the handset maker will team with Universal Music Group, and other labels that opt in, to offer consumers free music. Under the agreement, Universal will let users download its entire catalog at no cost for 12 months, and keep the songs at the end of that time. Users will be able to download the songs to new Nokia phones or to their …
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America’s Talking About Stay At Home Servers
Creature, the Seattle agency that creates things and reinterprets advertsing, has come up with some quirky materials to support Microsoft's new Windows Home Servers. Their Stay at Home Servers campaign includes online films, a microsite, banners and a children’s book, Mommy, Why is there a Server in the House?. The campaign draws a parallel between the server and a father who chooses to stay at home, which is quick …
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