Hasta La Creative!

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) — Wal-Mart Stores is talking to agencies about creative work for its fledgling Marketside convenience and fresh-foods stores, inviting as many as seven agencies on Friday to discuss the account, which is separate from the flagship retail brand, according to people familiar with the matter.

Apparently as punishment for playing a terrible Big Brother in the crap sandwich film Role Models, Paul Rudd had done this PSA for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The star of films such as Clueless, Anchorman and The 40 Year Old Virgin says Big Brothers Big Sisters is no laughing matter. I’d believe him if it weren’t obvious that this was take No. 28 and that he ruined takes 1 through 27 by cracking up. He barely contains it in the final cut: You’ve seen that smirk before in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Reno 911! And you know what comes next—the ultra-sarcastic laugh that makes you want to punch him in the nose until it bleeds Big Brother blood. So, ignore Paul Rudd, but check out Big Brothers Big Sisters anyway.

—Posted by Jeremy Greenfield

LONDON – How does marketing work in social media? Marketers from EDF and Allianz, and social media experts from Facebook and iCrossing talk on video about how important the internet’s new direction is to business and how they are adapting to it — watch it now.

(TrendHunter.com) I’m ecstatic to announce that I’ve locked down a book deal with famed publisher William Shinker at Gotham Books, a Penguin imprint. The book centers around EXPLOITING CHAOS, a Trend Hunter’s guide to filtering…

(TrendHunter.com) The red and black Narciso Rodriguez scoop-neck dress that Michelle Obama rocked on Election Night has received a lot of attention from the fashion-focused. The fact that Mrs. Obama accessorized the wardrobe,…

LONDON – Reed Elsevier, the publishing and information provider, warned that it might not succeed in selling its trade magazines division, but said it is on course to meet its full-year sales targets.

(TrendHunter.com) Wired Magazine called it a ‘freakin transformer.’ How else could a shape-shifting, high performance, 16 foot kayak fit into a portable 4 foot bag? Through 10,000 years of R&D;from Inuit of the North.…

LONDON – Insurance giant Aviva has bolstered to its internal marketing team as its gears up for its 2009 rebrand of Norwich Union.

(TrendHunter.com) This super cool movie trailer mashup called ‘The Incredible Quantum of Solace’ sees a merging of the kids flick, The Incredibles, with the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

Inspired by a previously…

LONDON – Culture secretary Andy Burnham has said the government is committed to self-regulation of online advertising, while speaking at the IAB’s Engage 2008 conference yesterday.