Hasta La Creative!

“This campaign is about cravability … and the ability to customize the ice cream.” That quote is not from the power-suited marketing lady on The Simpsons. It is, in fact, the rationale for Cold Stone Creamery’s upcoming commercials. So says the chain’s senior director of marketing. Cravability. Excellent. Cold Stone has trashed last year’s ad motif of conjuring up childhood fears in its scoop shops (good!) and will instead target women 18-44 with lines such as, “Millions of combinations mean you can change your mind as often as you like.” Do women change their minds a lot? Thanks for the insight, Cold Stone! OK, that was snide, and I apologize. Really, I’ve changed my mind: It’s great copy. At least I haven’t mentioned my abundant Davability. AdFreak’s other two Davids are always bragging about theirs. They’ve got some childhood fears they’re still working through. I was pretty traumatized by Fudgie the Whale at Carvel. Don’t even get me started on Cookie Puss.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

If you’re looking to compete with YouTube, make sure your brand isn’t associated with people mauling each other for no reason. It’s simple advice, but currently a hurdle that CashTomato.com is having difficulty leaping. The company’s cash-giveaway promotion in New York on Friday turned violent enough to send someone to the hospital. The cruel humor that powers the universe demands that the video of the melee be hosted on YouTube, which it is. CashTomato svp Jason Buzi is quoted as saying “Maybe next time, I would plan this better.” At least he wasn’t handing out tomatoes.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

LONDON – Senior Bauer Consumer Media executive Nial Ferguson is leaving the company to join Future Publishing as group publisher of its gadget brand T3.

LONDON – TNT Magazine Group, publisher of titles aimed at the Antipodean community in the UK, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by a start-up formed of a trio of publishing veterans.

Most wanted brands.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Dubai, UAE
Executive Creative Director: Malek Ghorayeb
Copywriters: Jerome Argelich, Chermine Assadian
Art Director: Thomas Derouault
Account Supervisor / Strategic Planner: Nicolas Chidiac
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Shajan Thomas
Post Production Company: Clockworks
Photographer: Benjamin Dauchez

A whole new range of binoculars available at Optique et Vision.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Dubai, UAE
Executive Creative Director: Malek Ghorayeb
Copywriter: Chermine Assadian
Art Director: Thomas Derouault
Account Supervisor: Carole Hanna
Photographer: Benjamin Dauchez

Don’t waste your time.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Dubai, UAE
Executive Creative Director: Malek Ghorayeb
Copywriter: Chermine Assadian
Art Director: Thomas Derouault
Account Supervisor: Dimitri Papadimitriou
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Will Brockbank
Post Production Company: Julien Lyons
Photographer: Benjamin Dauchez

Don’t waste your time.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Dubai, UAE
Executive Creative Director: Malek Ghorayeb
Copywriter: Chermine Assadian
Art Director: Thomas Derouault
Account Supervisor: Dimitri Papadimitriou
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Will Brockbank
Post Production Company: Julien Lyons
Photographer: Benjamin Dauchez

Advertising Agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
Executive Creative Director: Chafic Haddad
Art Directors: Sally Tambourgi, Rania Makarem
Copywriter: Sally Tambourgi
Illustrator: Nabil Kamara
Photographer: Tina Patni
Published: February 2008

In the wake of Paul Tilley’s suicide, advertising industry blogs are getting a closer look, including some quotes from George Parker.

From today’s New York Times:

After Mr. Tilley’s death was reported, the comments beneath the AgencySpy blog posting turned sharply to recriminations from people identifying themselves as friends, colleagues or relatives of the DDB executive. “You should all be ashamed. Because you contributed to this,” a message from someone who signed as LSA said.

A similar post on AdScam said: “I knew him. And I know that the vile attacks inflicted on him by you and others tortured his soul. He told me so.”

Advertising blogs have a reputation, even among bloggers, of being particularly wounding — in part, Mr. Parker said, because of conditions in the business.

“They do tend to be a little more acidic than general informational blogs,” Mr. Parker, a former ad executive who now works as a consultant, said. Since many agencies are now part of publicly held companies, he continued, employees are under increasing pressure to show short-term results, where in the past they might sometimes have had more than a year or two to build a successful campaign.

Asked if posters on ad blogs sought to gain competitive advantage by disparaging rivals, he replied: “It’s more than possible. It wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

It’s worth noting that the NYT article also has a section for open and anonymous commenting.