Hasta La Creative!

(TrendHunter.com) Some of the most insidious malware to come down the pike such as NetSky, Mydoom and Parite have been rendered into 3-D visuals. Romanian artist and MIT researcher Alex Dragulescu has studied the recurring patterns of the most dangerous computer codes that can bring down networks and “painted” them i…

“The medium is the message from our sponsor.”

– Nick Carr in his critique of Mark Zuckerberg’s “The next hundred years will be different for advertising, and it starts today.”

Online, it’s all about community. Building community, embracing community, listening to the community.

According to USA TODAY, offline marketing is more about “the neighborhood.”

Many Starbucks stores now boast that they have the best espresso “in the neighborhood.” Applebee’s has a new slogan: “It’s a whole new neighborhood.” Wal-Mart’s smaller-scale suburban stores call themselves Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets. Tesco’s new grocery stores are dubbed Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets. Even Lowe’s is onboard to be a neighborhood hardware store.

There goes the neighborhood?

Not exactly. The term “neighborhood” is beloved because it gives people a sense of place.

“Times of global stress cause people to retract and to want a sense of community,” says Renee Fraser, a Los Angeles ad psychologist. “Belonging to a neighborhood really motivates people.”

Sadly, the strip mall where these brands post up is far away from main street U.S.A. on so many levels.

When you are in the business of selling yourself as a brand ambassador, this is why you should always demand to have final approval over the work you appear on…and actually be around to approve it.

LONDON – Publishing giant HarperCollins is to launch Lola’s Land, a new online portal aimed at teenage girls, on 22 April.

LONDON – MySpace has commissioned a new original content series from the team behind rival social network Bebo’s online drama Kate Modern.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — CBS Television Distribution, the syndicated-programming arm of CBS Corp., is forming a special ad unit within its ranks that aims to spark discussions of product integration earlier in the program development process — yet another sign that advertisers and media outlets are tackling deals that are more complex than in past years.

LONDON – MRM Worldwide UK, the Interpublic-owned digital agency, has appointed Aubrey Laret and Drew Forsyth, previously creative directors at Draft FCB, as integrated creative directors.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is in talks with Microsoft about joining in its contested bid for Yahoo, a move that could result in the union of Yahoo, Microsoft’s MSN and News Corporation’s MySpace. The New York Times calls the three-headed beast “a behemoth that would upend the Internet landscape.”

LONDON – O2’s £5m brand ‘refresh’ strategy launches today with a TV ad carrying the strapline “We’re better, connected”.