Hasta La Creative!

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Federated Media wants to be viewed up there with the web's big boys — and it's got a fresh $50 million in funding to back that up, said John Battelle, CEO and cofounder.

LONDON – Moving People, a consortium of mental health charities, is looking for a creative agency.

Advertising Agency: The Martin Agency, USA
SVP/ Creative Director: Joe Alexander
Senior Art Director: Ron Villacarillo
Senior Copywriter: Lee Remias
Agency Producer: Dan Kaplan
Assistant Producer: Kate Chirgotis
VP/Management Supervisor: Kevin Cronin
Account Supervisor: Jed Dutton
Account Executive: Caroline Denton

Prod Company: Identity
Director: Robert Leacock
EP: Joe Masi
Head of Production: Alana Hall
Producer: Bill Curren
Line Producer: Kevin Noonan

Editorial: Cosmo Street
Editor: Tessa Davis
EP: Yvette Cobarrubias

Advertising Agency: The Martin Agency, USA
SVP/ Creative Director: Joe Alexander
Senior Art Director: Ron Villacarillo
Senior Copywriter: Lee Remias
Agency Producer: Dan Kaplan
Assistant Producer: Kate Chirgotis
VP/Management Supervisor: Kevin Cronin
Account Supervisor: Jed Dutton
Account Executive: Caroline Denton

Prod Company: Identity
Director: Robert Leacock
EP: Joe Masi
Head of Production: Alana Hall
Producer: Bill Curren
Line Producer: Kevin Noonan

Editorial: Cosmo Street
Editor: Tessa Davis
EP: Yvette Cobarrubias

Advertising Agency: DDB Melbourne, Australia
Executive Creative Director: Michael Faudet
Art Directors / Copywriters: Michael Davey, John Akritidis
Other Additional Credits: Anushka Oosterloo, Jade Horton, Fleur Crawford, Sarah Tonner

Spike Jones is on the box.

Ninety-two percent of word of mouth happens offline (so says Keller Fay Group). 92%! And that’s not going to change.

Working from that factual place, Spike’s premise is a brand has to have an offline, real world dimension to any community building efforts it undertakes.

Why is it the more I am connected online, the more alone I feel? Because I an missing the one thing that online can help facilitate, but never replace: the magic of a face-to-face encounter. Not webcam to webcam. But looking someone in the eye, shaking their hand and experiencing the presence of other people who share the same interests. And that, my friends, is the difference between yet another online social community and a successful, sustainable movement.

Sing it from the mountaintop, brother!

To me, this fundamental truth is one more reason to shoot interactive out of its silo.

Interactive–where these so-called online communities are curated–needs to be everyone’s job. No, everyone needn’t run out and learn PHP, ASP and Ruby on Rails. But all agency and client personnel need to fully grasp what the web can and can’t do for a brand.

You may not know this, but there is a professional women’s football league here in America and their season starts next weekend.

LONDON – Rubik’s has ramped up its digital offering with the launch of a new-look website.

LONDON – Shoe brand Kickers has launched a digital push as part of a six-figure integrated campaign, ‘MeetTheKickers’.

“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is just lights and wires in a box.” –Edward R. Murrow in 1958

Members of the National Association of Broadcasters are in Las Vegas for their annual get together. Like any such meeting of minds, it’s a time for some networking, learning and fun.

According to Variety, the keynote speech–delivered yesterday by actor, director and producer, Tim Robbins–checked a couple of those boxes.

In a keynote speech laced with wry irony and winking sarcasm, Tim Robbins managed to slap back at his right-wing critics, recount an entertaining history of radio and TV and urge broadcasters to “appeal to our better natures,” saying news directors and producers have a responsibility to “the health of the nation.”

The fun started to get uncomfortable when Robbins referred to both the Reagan and Clinton administrations having eased limitations on media ownership — all to the “benefit” of communities, which then no longer had to listen to diverse, complex opinions “or alternative rock.” NAB has supported relaxing ownership rules.

Robbins peaked with what he called a three-pronged proposal that broadcasters should adopt in order to eliminate “confusing, complex issues” such as diversity of thought and opinion.

“First, erase all diversity,” he said. “You only need two opinions. Second, stay focused on sex scandals. We don’t want any kind of reporting outside the soundbite. I don’t know about you, but show me a drunk starlet getting out of a car with no panties on, and I think the world is a better place. Third, more distraction. The economy sucks? Chaos in Iraq? It is a moral responsibility to distract.”

Variety’s reporter notes that “two-thirds of the packed ballroom rose to a standing ovation” to thank Robbins for his clarity and bravery on matters important to them.

Broadcasting & Cable has more, including audio from the event.