Hasta La Creative!

LONDON – Subway, the global submarine sandwich franchise, has called a review of its £10 million in-tegrated advertising account through the AAR.

LONDON – The Co-operative Group, which includes the Somerfield supermarket chain, has called a pitch for its £32 million UK media business.

Advertising Agency: Net#work BBDO, Johannesburg, South Africa
Executive Creative Director: Rob McLennan
Creative Director: Graeme Jenner
Art Director: Angie Batis
Production Company: Velocity Films
Director: Anton Visser
Editor: James Hosking
Agency Producer: Caroline Switala
Producer: Prenneven Govender
Country: South Africa

When you embark on an advertising practice, make it count. And to do that, doing it in style like what Rolex has done is certain to be a benchmark for all companies looking up to an effective advertising strategy.

The ad was created as part of Rolex’s exclusive sponsorship of the just relaunched Life.com, which is a collaboration between Time Inc. and Getty Images. The new site let Web users view millions of images from the magazine’s past alongside current ones from Getty.

Graphically, the ad is the height of simplicity: an elegant photo of a watch reflecting the current date and time. Animation here is limited to three quietly ticking hands, proving once more that the best use of motion in online advertising may be the least use of it.

(Source) Clickz

Starting today, don’t be surprised to find The Simpsons on stamps from the U.S. postal service when sending something by mail. The U.S. Postal Service and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising today announce that the FOX hit series THE SIMPSONS will be commemorated on 44-cent First-Class Mail stamps in 2009.

Featuring the iconic Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson the stamps have been personally designed by SIMPSONS creator and executive producer, Matt Groening. Winner of 24 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a multitude of other accolades, this historic series featuring the five family members is currently the longest-running primetime comedy in television history and is celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2009, which will culminate on January 14, 2010.

A sneak peek of THE SIMPSONS stamps will be made available on Thursday, April 9 at 8 a.m. ET on www.usps.com. At that time, the Postal Service will announce the date the stamps go on sale and how to pre-order stamps.

(Source) Press

One bias to which I will readily admit is skepticism towards focus-group-driven research. Too many times I’ve seen such groups dominated by a strong personality while the professional leader flails away at attempts to reign in that person. I suppose such research has its place, but read the reports with a jaundiced eye and ALWAYS have a staffer or two behind the glass wall.

Our of Focus

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Can Microsoft market its way out of the search basement? Probably not, but it's going to try, entrusting roster agency JWT to craft a campaign for its new search engine, alternately dubbed Kumo or Project Kiev or Live Search, depending on who's talking about it.

(TrendHunter.com) With the train-wreck days way behind her, Britney Spears looks like a Barbie doll in the new Spring 2009 Candie’s ad campaign.

Flaunting a fit body and a happy attitude, Britney Spears has once again…

(TrendHunter.com) ‘New Moon’ stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are not the only Twilight hunks setting the hearts of teenage girls and boys aflutter. The Internet is currently buzzing about a sizzling photo shoot…

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Agency: Publicis Graphics, Jordan
Creative Director: Nathan Ross
Sr. Art Director: Nadim Twal
Account Director: Khalil Nunu

Via [mediaME]