Hasta La Creative!

Media agencies have become too preoccupied with the notion of making stuff in the digital era, when the focus should be finding better and more effective ways to connect clients’ brands to people, says Vizeum’s managing director, Richard Morris.

A Cassandra Report infographic sheds some light on the characteristics of tweens. Unsurprisingly, 74% of the little brats would rather not work for “them man,” 56% are impatient and want instant gratification and 59% want a product customized to their needs.

But of most importance to marketers is the fact they have influence of household spending. Make no mistake, parents are still the boss but 55% of tweens influence what movie to see, 29% influence what’s purchased at the grocery store, 26% express preference for personal care products, 27% voice their desires regarding family vacations and 23% influence what technology is purchased for the household.

Now if only 100% washed their hands before they ate, didn’t sulk every time a member of the opposite sex decides choose different friends, emptied the dishwasher on command and hung the towel up after taking a shower, life would be grand.

While it’s understood honesty is most always the best policy, sometime marketers don’t exactly adhere to that tenet. Many like to gloss over facts, stretch the truth and generally place a shiny bow atop even the most questionable brand promise. Which, of course, over the years, has cause consumers to view the advertising industry much the same way they view car dealers, personal injury lawyers, politicians and real estate agents.

But if more marketers were as honest as Smart Car is in this BBDO Germany-created commercial for the brand’s Fortwo, advertisers just might redeem themselves in the eyes of the consumer.

The work won BBDO Germany a gold Cannes Lion in both Film and Film Craft. We’d like to know how many Smart Cars were ruined in the making of this commercial.

On this morning’s episode of NBC’s reality-TV series “The Today Show,” the journalist character, Matt Lauer, interrogated the sassy Southern cook character, Paula Deen, over accusations that she’s a racist. You can gorge yourself on the full, deep-fried banquet of an interview below, but if you’re watching your media diet — and/or have allergies to grandstanding displays of self-pity — here’s a selection of bite-sized “highlights,” so to speak, from the confrontation:

The interview got meta early on when Matt Lauer said, “One of the headlines I read, Paula, said, ‘Millions of Dollars at Stake for Paula Deen in Today Show Interview.’ Are you here to … stop the financial bleeding?” Well, duh.

Naturally she said, “I am here today because I want people to know who I am….”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) These peculiar and funny street art installations by artist Ladamenrouge push passersby out of their comfort zone. The humor behind these installations may not generally be considered as appropriate…

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has a message for Google, Yahoo. and other Internet companies: make sure online ads are clearly distinguished from regular Web-search results to avoid misleading customers.

The FTC, updating recommendations in place for more than a decade, said search sites are displaying advertising more prominently on pages while doing less to highlight it. That has made it difficult for users to distinguish ads from results that aren’t backed by ad dollars, the FTC said. The regulator lamented a “decline in compliance” with guidelines from 2002.

“In recent years, the features traditional search engines use to differentiate advertising from natural search results have become less noticeable to consumers,” the FTC wrote in a sample letter posted on its website, dated June 24. “We encourage you to review your websites or other methods of displaying search results, including your use of specialized search, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you clearly and prominently disclose any advertising.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com