LONDON – Vodafone has signed a deal with Warner Music for Madonna’s upcoming Hard Candy album to be distributed and promoted to the mobile giant’s customers, as revealed on P&I Online.
Talk about a schmear campaign. Ha ha! That’s a silly pun, but consider the inspiration: Kraft’s Bagel-fuls (not shown here), which are frozen bagel sticks with Philadelphia cream cheese wedged inside. Bagel sticks? Do the laws of physics permit such atrocities? Look, some things are better pre-filled. Pens come to mind. Jelly donuts. Any kind of donuts, really. Calzones. Hot Pockets. (Imagine an empty Hot Pocket. Not so great.) Bagels, however, have a hallowed tradition. The spreading of cream cheese, or one’s other favorite topping, is part of the ritual. If it’s good enough for Albert Einstein—or even Einstein Bros. Bagels—it’s good enough for me. (God, I could go for some Hot Pockets right now. And yes, I’ll eat all of them and leave the empty box in the lunch-room microwave. It’s my right!)
—Posted by David Gianatasio
We are all aware the web is full of advertising tactics to help promote products and services covered by various companies. But while these online advertising practices are indeed something to behold, the question of effectiveness and consistently hitting the actual target market really leave a large cloud of doubt.
Yahoo knows this all too well and apparently this is what their planned release of AMP. AMP intends to simplify the whole buying and selling process through online ads which is a welcome development for businesses sorely lacking in getting results from their online targeted advertising.
According to a company statement, the platform will enable advertisers to “precisely yet easily” target audiences, while also allowing publishers to “better monetise their content”.
  “While online advertising grows more sophisticated, the process of doing business today is surprisingly cumbersome and manual,” stated Hilary Schneider, executive vice president of global partner solutions at Yahoo!.
(Source) Bigmouthmedia
The Association of National Advertisers has once again asked 157 senior marketers what their top priorities are.
For the second year in a row, the number one response was integrated marketing communications.
Here’s how CMOs and other senior marketers see their challenges:
1. Integrated marketing communications
2. Marketing accountability
3. Aligning marketing organization with innovation
4. Brand building
5. Media proliferation
6. Advertising creative that achieves business results
7. Consumer control over what and how they view advertising
8. Attracting and retaining top talent
9. Globalization of marketing efforts
10. Multicultural marketing
The creative professionals in our audience will, no doubt, be thrilled to see number six in that sub top-five slot.
LONDON – Colgate-Palmolive has appointed Billington Cartmell (BCL) to its agency roster with a brief to work on its Max Fresh toothpaste range.
LONDON – Integrated agency Exposure has appointed Robin Gadsby as its new managing director in the wake of the departure of Mark Stringer in February following discussions over his future role.
LONDON – The MCCA has revealed its new chairman is Gary Brine, CEO and founder of integrated agency Gyro International.
LONDON – TK Maxx has appointed integrated agency Cunning to handle its experiential activity for 2008.
According to The New York Times, Charm!, a book written by a character on ABC’s soap “All My Children†is doing well at retail, having sold 100,000 copies since its debut in February. The book also appeared on the New York Times best-seller list.
Naturally, a fragrance called Charm, which is a product of the cosmetics company in the novel as well as a plot point on the soap, will be on sale in Sears stores nationwide beginning April 14.
These are not the first instances of daytime drama brand extensions, according to Lynn Leahey, editorial director of Soap Opera Digest. Indeed, Kendall’s own mother, Erica Kane, who is played by Susan Lucci, produced the novel Having it All in 1997. It too was published in real life by Hyperion.
LONDON – Grass Roots Group has announced that managing director Rik Burrage is retiring and will be replaced by Andy Lister, a director of the company.
LONDON – Price comparison site u-Switch has promoted marketing director Alan Tattersall to chief executive. The appointment comes as its US owners Scripps are looking to push consumer take-up of the site in light of the current economic climate.
LONDON – Capri-Sun is to launch an on-pack voucher giveaway and competition promotion for its juice drinks targeted at children over 12.
LONDON – Beer and pub company Marstons is to launch a ‘Summer of Cricket’ POP campaign to promote its Pedigree and Smooth beers.
A few days ago I was wondering about P&G’s FSIs and what, if anything, they had to do with content. In order to extend the dialogue on this topic, High Jive kindly clipped the following images from yesterday’s paper and sent them AdPulp’s way.
Here’s what High Jive is saying about these content-infused FSIs:
P&G has been taking a “magalog†approach to their FSIs, attempting to make them feel like brochures. I know some people at Upshot in Chicago, one of the agencies where these things are produced. I have no idea if the public even reads or notices the “branded content,†as I suspect more people are only interested in clipping the coupons. Not even sure it’s right to call it “branded content.â€
I’d call it “cause-related marketing” before I’d go to the “branded content” phraseology. Either way, it’s more than a simple price pitch.
Moving offices has caused me to contemplate where my agency is moving in philosophy and capability. Moving an agency forward in this way is like constructing a building: filled with pain in the form of obstacles, resistance and habits that die-hard.
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — Miller Lite is going to "Beer Heaven" in a new spot for from Bartle Bogle Hegarty. The spot, introduced to distributors at a conference in New Orleans last week, is the latest from Miller Lite as the brand aspires to its "Ultimate Light Beer" claim, which for the first time is replacing "Good Call" as the tagline in Miller Lite's creative.
– YAI, a charity for people with disabilities, used easy sex to bait youth into volunteering.
LONDON – Pot Noodle has unveiled its latest marketing campaign from Mother London, featuring two YouTube-inspired rappers called Steve and Digger.
Oh. My. God. Sometimes there are things you just shouldn’t see.
LONDON – Synovate has launched a service called Market Barriers, which measures the obstacles that brands face, such as distribution and pricing, and reports the impact these have on market share.
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