Microsoft closing on Yahoo move
Posted in: UncategorizedLONDON – Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has revealed that the company will announce in “short order” which of three paths it plans to choose in its bid to acquire Yahoo.
LONDON – Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has revealed that the company will announce in “short order” which of three paths it plans to choose in its bid to acquire Yahoo.
(TrendHunter.com) When I think of A-list celebrities, I don’t think of flimsy, fold-out tables covered with old clothes and knick knacks. It seems that Pamela Anderson is portraying herself in just that way though: she’s having a yard sale. It’s not at a local conference center either, but is going to be at her resid…
(TrendHunter.com) Eco-bedding company, Keetsa, scores each one of their products with a Keetsa Quotient, or a score of how environmentally-friendly they are. Take their Tea Leaf Classic mattress for instance. It scores a 67.08 out of 100 — compare that to their Tea Leaf Supreme that has a 90.38! It seems that there …
LONDON – Clark McKay & Walpole has created a direct mail campaign to back the launch of Peugeot’s professional range of light commercial vehicles.
(TrendHunter.com) If you’re like me, you try to not leave any food on your plate and attempt to get every last bit of goodness even out of your yogurt containers. It’s a habit instilled by my parents who taught me wasting food while people die from hunger is bad.
However, as you get down to the bottom of the yogurt …
According to The Wall Street Journal, both activists and the corporations they rail against are moving at internet speed.
Just last week we took note of the Greenpeace campaign against Unilever, a company they accused of Indonesian deforestation.
Speaking at a climate change conference in London Thursday, Unilever Chief Executive Patrick Cescau said his firm will buy palm oil (an ingredient in Dove soap) only from suppliers who can demonstrate they haven’t cut down forests.
The speed of the campaign marks a big moment for activist groups. One Greenpeace ad has been watched more than 250,000 times in the week it has been on YouTube.com. Just as the world’s biggest marketers have used such Internet sites to get their video ads to consumers, pressure groups are now using the technique to cheaply and quickly spread their message.
A Unilever spokesman said the Greenpeace protests “had some bearing” but little influence on Unilever’s decision to source palm oil. He said the company’s policy has been in the works since November.
Palm oil is produced mainly in Indonesia and Malaysia by farmers who squeeze the oil from small flowers found on oil palms. Surging prices for the oil have contributed to deforestation, especially in Indonesia, where farmers have cut down rain forests for palm plantations.
Here’s an earlier video from Greenpeace on the same issue:
LONDON – B2B specialist LBM has taken its another step into the consumer data market, launching a behavioural consumer file using data compiled from a combination of sources all verified by its call centre operation.
(TrendHunter.com) With so many people addicted to Twitter, it would be neat to view a chart of a person’s tweets statistics, giving an insight into their habits and usage patterns.
Powered by Yahoo Pipes & Google Charts, xefer allows you to create scatter plots and charts of a Twitter user’s tweets. You can choose t…
The world's habits are changing. Not just in terms of technology usage, but in terms of media usage. Media are becoming more social. The problem we face is that habits are changing faster than our advertising models can, and unless we figure out how to make those habits make money, social media could face serious challenges to its historically rapid growth. Venture capital and big-media acquisitions have kept social media afloat. But in order for it to swim, there are several things that we need to do right now.
LONDON – The UK has the highest social networking membership in Europe and it is forecast to almost triple by 2012 to 27m members, according to a report by independent market analyst Datamonitor.
(TrendHunter.com) The Tour de France lounge chair, complete with flaming tires, horn and a handlebar base is any cyclist’s dream. It actually looks comfortable with black padded seat and back on spoked rims. This cool chair, made from recycled and new bike parts, would look fantastic in a sports-themed bar. Can’…
(TrendHunter.com) As the name implies, the insect chair by Italian designer Gianpaolo Tucci takes its inspiration from the world of insects.
This modern lounge chair’s contours and dynamic flowing form mirror the anatomy of insects.
When you exert pressure on the back of the chair, the legs dynamically open themse…
LONDON – Gaymer Cider Company is launching a series of branded gigs as part of its £4m music marketing campaign for its original cider brand.
“Worknight deal, weekend feel.” That’s the suggestive, perhaps unintentionally all-too-accurate tagline of LevLane’s new campaign for Center City District in Philadelphia and sponsor Leblon white Brazilian rum. The tactic: promote downtown Philly as an after-work “entertainment venue†to the 21- to 35-year-old commuter crowd by touting discount drinks in more than 60 local bars and restaurants. Plus half-price appetizers—they’re the real draw. Media include “bar-seat savers†placed on bottled drinks with slogans like “Never hurts to ask†and “What if I said yes.†(See some more here.) Here’s the kicker: Bathrooms will boast “interactive mirror clings stating ‘You look great. And that isn’t just the discount drinks talking.’ †Patrons might want to visit a Morphmonkey for a sobering reminder that while barhopping can be fun, saying yes after a few too many worknight deals can hurt like nobody’s business.
—Posted by David Gianatasio
NEW YORK – Jaguar has awarded its global digital business to Euro RSCG Worldwide following a competitive review.
LONDON – Tesco has launched a major marketing drive to support the redesign of its Clubcard created by EHS Brann.
Kastner & Partners sent me some ads for MBT’s “Anti-Shoe.” They made a point, right in the e-mail’s subject line, of noting that the campaign is “irreverent.†They also noted that Kastner is “known for its irreverent ‘Red Bull Gives You Wiiings’ campaign.†Irreverence, clearly, is important to these people. Frankly, it’s a quality that’s overrated—just like the Red Bull ads. I’m as irreverent as they come, and it’s never done a thing for me. This ad begins, “Shoes are weapons of mass destruction.†(See a larger version here.) Another execution claims, “The shoe is dead.†That’s edgy stuff. Does Adidas still make Stan Smiths? Those were awesome sneakers.
—Posted by David Gianatasio
With 100 days to go until the Beijing Olympics, Amnesty International today launched the first in a series of four hard-hitting animated films highlighting human rights abuses linked to the Chinese authorities’ hosting of the Games, in particular the risks of peacefully protesting in China.
Amnesty is campaigning for Ye Guozhu, imprisoned and reportedly tortured with electro-shock batons after he protested at forced evictions in Beijing. Ye Guozhu’s home and family restaurant had been bulldozed to make way for Olympics construction.
“Amnesty is not against the Games but we want people to know what else is happening in China – including the silencing of critics and peaceful protesters – and to join our campaign for urgent human rights reform,” said Tim Hancock, UK campaigns director. “People who speak out about human rights in China are being persecuted and locked up ahead of the Olympics. Torture is commonplace. Right now we’re demanding the release of Ye Guozhu, who was arrested and tortured just for protesting when his home was bulldozed to make way for Olympics venues. The Chinese authorities promised when bidding for the Olympics that hosting the Games would improve human rights. Rather than honour these promises, the government has cracked down on dissent more rigorously than before.”
There’s so much aesthetic unpleasantness in this ad for Viatop-AM that it’s hard to focus on one particular eyesore. (Click the link to see the full ad.) Those few errant blades of grass really seem inappropriate. It almost looks like the lawn Rick Moranis’s progeny had to navigate in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, only with more disembodied nipples. I have no idea what Viatop-AM is, and I don’t know enough Spanish or Portuguese to read the Web sites Google spat out at me. I assume it’s a female sex enhancer, or some manner of potion that makes you shrink and hallucinate. Via Ads of the World.
—Posted by David Kiefaber