There’s this article (blog post?) in Time about how iPhone apps won’t be free and it starts with:
“It’s probably been a while since you bought new software. That’s because so many tech firms — buoyed by ads placed in Web-based applications like the Google Docs word processor and the thousands of apps on Facebook — can now afford to give their programs away for free.”
“Anyone can solve a user-related problem with a few lines of code, but that doesn’t automatically make you the better company in this world of rent, bills, overheads and shareholders; especially when you’re not actually generating revenue.”
Royal Pingdom has collected not only examples of funnily mis-targeted AdWords (“Buy Soul on eBay”), but also some true gems of creativity, such as this job ad tied to a search for a particularly volatile stock.
The letters from readers and PR people (who might also be readers) that have accumulated over the past couple of weeks:
This week’s winner is this letter from Paul: “have a lage [sic] roof it measures 250 sq mtrs at our office and wondered if you were interested in looking at the prospect of using it for advertising? Google map it de74 2 dh its on the East midlands approach flight path.” [ed.: If you are interested in a roof, drop me a line and I’ll put you guys in touch.]
Parmesh Shahani, a good friend with whom we worked together at Convergence Cultures, just got his new book out. It’s titled Gay Bombay, and if it’s anything like his grad thesis, it’s brilliant mixture of astute cultural analysis interwoven with breath-taking personal stories.
Andy Fletcher on what’s wrong with ad agencies: “I believe there are just three things wrong with being an agency today: 1) How we are selected, 2) what we are asked to do, and 3) how we are compensated. Other than that, sheer perfection.”
Lot’s of fancy display ads at EyeBlaster’s Creative Zone, “a comprehensive gallery of digital ads as they appeared on the Web.”
“TRA brings precise measurement of advertising effectiveness by matching the ads people actually receive with the products those same people actually buy. For the first time, advertisers now have a way to find out precisely what they are receiving for their advertising spend, and can shift to better-producing media to lift ROI.”
Saatchi’s Kevin “Lovermarks” Roberts talks about digital and other stuff: “More than 70% of purchase decisions are made in store. Most stores are a nightmarish experience, devoid of mystery, sensuality and intimacy. They are set up by product category rather than consumer experience, with limited screen properties.” Right on.
AdLab’s very first advertisers and friends from Futurelab have their site nominated for this year’s Webbies as one of the best business blogs. Congratulations to Stefan and Alan who’ve brought together many great minds under one virtual roof.
Tips, press releases and comments AdLab received over the past couple of weeks. Sorry for the hole in the publishing schedule — a hectic week at work.
– Call for contributions: stories about advertising on the streets of your town. “On your next commute to work, take a moment to look around you. What do you see? Have you noticed these advertisements before? Do they bother you? Do you agree with them? Are they paid advertisments or is it graffiti?”
– Very transmedia: Batwave TV-Activated Handheld Batlink Game: “Tune in to the Batman cartoon and get secret messages from Batman. Capture special signals that add challenges to the handheld game.” (Thank you, Erwin!)
– Ad Council Creative newsletter “highlights the wonderful creative developed each year by the industry’s leading advertising agencies that donate their time and talent to the Ad Council’s critical issues.”
– A couple of weeks ago, I got a heads-up from a creative duo who put a rejected campaign idea up for sale on eBay: “The idea was killed internally and our attempt to sell it on ebay is refusal to accept the decision or let the idea die.” I just checked back: the winning bid was £5. Now I am sorry I didn’t bid; wonder what the idea was.
– Welcome “the world’s largest and most powerful air vortex cannon” from the people who brought you the human flipbook last year.
– A bizarre Flash animation that is explained as a piece that “combines generative (driven by live events such as actual time (see stop frame numbers in shelves), sound input and live online weather feeds as well as interactive elements (things the user can manipulate), without ever breaking the illusion that it is a filmic piece”. You blog into your mic, you click on stuff, but I’m not sure about what actually happens.
AdRant. Domain registered by two guys who do ads. I think a large part of the original Drudge Report‘s popularity is its interface’s Google-like simplicity, so I can see how this site can become the home page on many agency browsers. AdblockPlus, true to its name, blocks all the ads, if that’s your thing.
Toy robots at The Toy Museum in Prague, Summer 2007
Chatbots.org — an entire blog dedicated to various chatbots. Also see Chatbothub.com, a chatbot developer community.
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