One Show game offers illusion of self-worth

Hm
For a fun Friday diversion, check out Hack Man, a Pac-Man knockoff from The One Show in which you play a creative executive who exacts revenge on four work-related monsters: the confused planner, the “yes sir” account director, the scared client and (somewhat oddly) the client’s wife. The game diverges from real life in one significant respect: the monsters remain vulnerable for quite a while after the creative eats a light-bulb-shaped power pellet—i.e., comes up with a good idea. The game was created by La Comunidad. Entries to The One Show 2008 are due by Jan. 31.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Money Tops Relationship Woes – “Can’t Buy Me Love” Survey

According to PayPal’s 2nd annual U.S. and UK based “Can’t Buy Me Love” survey, 60 percent of young couples in the U.S. argue over money at least once a month. The survey looks at the effects that money, sex, work and household responsibilities have on a romantic relationship and rank them ag…

RBS supports Sport Relief

LONDON – Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has signed a marketing partnership with Sport Relief to raise money for the charity through its sponsorship of the RBS 6 Nations 2008.

PUMA Creates Football Shoe For 2179

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If you want to know what sort of “footwear” football (soccer) players will be wearing in the year 2178, PUMA has the answer for you.

Media industry gives Burnham a cautious welcome

LONDON – The advertising industry has broadly welcomed the appointment of Andy Burnham as culture secretary in the wake of James Purnell’s shock move to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Has Our Day Arrived?


With all of the negative news about the economy out there (I know, I wrote about it here last week!), I'm noticing a very positive trend for small-to-mid-size agencies: the ability to win business from leading advertisers.

Most Americans Ready for ITV


NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — While everyone keeps waiting for interactive TV to arrive, it may have already snuck into American's living rooms. A new survey conducted by Harris Interactive revealed that 66% of Americans use their remotes for basic interactivity.

Sneezing Billboard Promotes Science World

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We love it when outdoor boards spit at us, don’t you?

Glatt Kosher Subways and Car Insurance for Dogs?


About 40% of the U.S. population owns a dog. But only about 2% of the U.S. population is Jewish, and fewer yet are glatt kosher. Still, marketers have found innovative and insightful ways to create products and services that are relevant to the lifestyles and tastes of these two highly valued consumer segments. So when it comes to U.S. Hispanic marketing, it has always been a mystery to me when clients say they can't make culturally relevant modifications to their product or service offerings.

Fashionistas Take to Streets of Hong Kong to Promote Mall

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So what do you to to promote yet another shopping mall in a place as big and busy as Hong Kong?

See My South Savannah Tweets

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I’m using Twitter today for note-sharing on the panels I’m attending at BlogSavannah Unconference 2008.

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about unconferences:

An unconference is a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants (generally day-by-day during the course of the event) rather than by one or more organizers in advance of the event. The term is primarily used in the geek community.

Talk of the site: ethical marketing, Wife-o-meters and Swiss trains

LONDON – Brand Republic users have gone all philosophical, asking if there can ever be ethical marketing and whether advertising has any influence. But before getting to the heavy stuff, there’s Wife-O-Meters and digital train spotting to discuss. Read on for this week’s roundup of what community members are talking about in response to our forums, blogs and news articles.

P&G Moves Crest Digital Account to Digitas


BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) — Procter & Gamble Co. has handed one of its biggest digital accounts — Crest oral care — to Publicis Groupe's Digitas, Boston, following a review, the company said.

Pfizer’s Thomas appointed to TNS Healthcare as EVP

LONDON – TNS Healthcare, the medical market research sector of TNS, has appointed Ceri Thomas to the new position of executive vice-president of global accounts.

Property24.com: Better Neighbourhood

Property24.com: Better Neighbourhood

Mobile billboards were parked around Jo’burg and Cape Town. Each billboard was then vandalized. This communicated the idea that Property24.com helps people find their ideal neighborhood.

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy, Cape Town, South Africa
Creative Directors: Chris Gotz, Gordon Ray
Art Directors: Jennifer Macfarlane, Wayne Nestadt
Copywriter: Cuanan Cronwright, Kelly Putter
Illustrator: Alexi Mccarthy
Published: November 2007

Shape Fitness Clubs: Photo

Shape Fitness Clubs: Photo

Advertising Agency: EURO RSCG Warsaw, Poland
Creative Director: Jacek Szulecki
Art Directors: Sylwia Rekawek, Marcin Kruk
Copywriter: Justyna Nakielska
Photographer: Jason Hindley
Other additional credits:
Postproduction: Happy Finish
Published: September 2007

Egmont promotes Cordy to innovations director role

LONDON – Egmont UK’s director of magazines, Dawn Cordy, has been promoted to the newly created role of innovations director and HR partner of Egmont’s international division.

Emap shareholders approve Bauer deal

LONDON – The sale of Emap’s Consumer Group to German publisher H Bauer has been approved by shareholders at an EGM held this morning.

Premier League pair sign up to Bluepod units in stadiums

LONDON – Bluepod Media has signed up Premier League football clubs Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur to install its Bluetooth units in stadiums.

Banish nightmares with McDonald’s coffee

Noses People in Sweden don’t sleep very well at night, judging by three new McDonald’s ads produced by DDB Stockholm. Each one takes place in a disturbed dreamland, where men share long noses, birds anchor motocross coverage, and blobs moan inconsolably. McDonald’s coffee, it turns out, can help you emerge from your troubled bed and get on with your day. As we learned earlier this week, Swedes want to ban sexist ads. But they may have bigger issues to wrestle with first.

—Posted by Tim Nudd