Hasta La Creative!

Jack Haire, the former publisher of Time Magazine and president of Fortune/Money group who last week joined Balihoo’s board of directors, talks about industry chaos, advertising networks and the movement of media dollars [emphasis mine].

“In spite of the challenging economic times we’re in, I like to think of the media business as one of the sectors showing the greatest innovation and development. The media pie continues to grow, even though the ad spend mix is shifting. At the moment new technologies are the rage providing new levels of customization and accountability. Share, and in some instances, absolute dollars have shifted away from broadcast TV, magazines, newspapers and radio to the web, cable TV and outdoor, which has shown an exciting ability to reinvent itself using technology to better target and deliver value. When you think about all the new interactive brands, both new and associated with traditional media, it’s pretty exciting.”

In some ways, I think of this shift from traditional venues to online as a swing of the pendulum to a new more accountable medium, and the need for marketers to test and refine their approach. But as the pendulum finds middle ground, the one constant will be that great brands will draft off this competitive threat and get stronger or be marginalized. I am often reminded of how efficient and effective traditional media is at getting the word out to a large audience of readers and viewers. And they do this in very clean uncluttered, effective environments that are time tested at generating efficient results. The web is only one piece of the pie.”

On online ad networks:
“I’m not a huge fan. And it is interesting to note that really strong web brands like espn.com and Martha Stewart are eschewing them because they realize that they are the crown jewel brands that advertisers want and will pay for. In essence they are the lead brands that “legitimize” the network. As an advertiser, I’d want to make sure I know where, and in what environments my ads will appear in. As a publisher, I’d worry about being commoditized by being a part of these networks. That said, with new behavioral and contextual targeting available, these networks do give you a way to reach your targets efficiently. So if I’m looking for an efficient way to reach hand raisers, I’d have them in the mix. One of the huge benefits of these networks, is that they are an efficient way to buy multiple sites. Balihoo can help marketers be far more efficient, and still allow them to buy brands they know and trust.”

More about Balihoo on AdLab. Balihoo provides a platform for media planning and buying, and is AdLab’s advertiser.

Agency: Golley Slater
Kudos:
Phil Hickes (Creative Director)
Martin Bush (Creative Director)
David Abbott and Paul Williams (Art Director)
David Abbott and Paul Williams (Copywriter)

South Carolina may be a lot of things—humid, leech-ridden, barely habitable—but it is not gay. And it is definitely not so gay. Its Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has made that clear by canceling an overseas advertising campaign targeting gay tourists. The offending slogan, “South Carolina is so gay,” is part of London-based Amro Worldwide’s attempt to turn a phrase often used disparagingly into a compliment, and has been adopted by a few other American destinations, namely Atlanta, Boston and New Orleans. But South Carolinians, especially spokesmen for the governor, feel that “using tax money to support a social or political agenda is inappropriate.” Good thing these guys don’t know what North Carolinians say about them.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

In today's high-tech world, it's not particularly fashionable to refer to lessons learned from yesteryear's ad leaders.

There's a "secret sauce," as a friend would put it, to creating a recipe that works for serving up innovation success. But if businesses have trouble getting it quite right, it's because they're short on a critical ingredient: inspiration.

Good friend Veggie just showed me this kickass website named This Is Sand. An online application that uses your screen’s pixels as sand grains that you can spread and change colors as you wish.

Plus, you can upload your creations to the online gallery.

Sweet.

An article in NY Times about a Belgian inventor Paul Otlet who in 1930s created a proto-Web that “relied on a patchwork of analog technologies like index cards and telegraph machines”:

“In 1934, Otlet sketched out plans for a global network of computers (or “electric telescopes,” as he called them) that would allow people to search and browse through millions of interlinked documents, images, audio and video files. He described how people would use the devices to send messages to one another, share files and even congregate in online social networks. He called the whole thing a “réseau,” which might be translated as “network” — or arguably, “web.””

***

“He hired more staff, and established a fee-based research service that allowed anyone in the world to submit a query via mail or telegraph — a kind of analog search engine. Inquiries poured in from all over the world, more than 1,500 a year, on topics as diverse as boomerangs and Bulgarian finance.”

Do banners that allow standard right-click navigation options — “open in new window” and “open in new tab” — have higher click-throughs, other things being equal?

I’m a fan of WordPress.

I started using it a couple years ago and from then on I’ve applied it to almost every website I’ve developed. Its capacities are just huge, plus it has an enormous community willing to help you out whenever you get stuck.

Today via Design:Float I came across this nifty help guide that the guys from DBS Interactive just released for free.

A list eith several functions you’ll use oftenly when it comes to create or edit your templates on WordPress.

I’m sure it’ll come in handy to more than one out there.

(TrendHunter.com) The Jaambaaro is a pedal-powered ambulance designed by Benoit Angibaud for regions that barely have roads and certainly very little transportation.

“It features a canopy for keeping people out of the…