Project Clarity

Newspaper and local radio advertising continue to lose ground over the the first half of 2007, according to Nielsen. Both are victims to the Internet’s rise as a news and entertainment go-to source.
While overall spending is down 0.5%, Internet, national magazines, national Sunday supplements and outdoor are on the rise, as is smaller-market spot […]

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Check out the results of the three-minute online survey of marketers from My Creative Team.

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Seth Godin blogs on cheap advertising (off-peak AM radio, inexpensive banners), raising the question: do cheaper media choices dictate sub-quality messaging? I don’t think so. Clear messages can cost much less than even the cheapest media campaign; many times it’s just a matter of investing a little time and brainpower.
Even the classic “I’ve […]

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A smart person I know who works in advertising (!) once told me, “If you have to say you’re cool in the ad, then you’re probably not cool.” This is the same guy who confessed to me on another occasion that his ultimate goal in the business was to direct a commercial that had […]

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Sorry, ladies, this machine is for guys only, ages 8, 9 and 10.

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Apparently, a deal from Geico fell through in which the lizard would have become exclusive corporate sponsor for the George Washington Bridge to the tune of $3.2M in exchange for some “guerilla advertising” opportunities at the toll booth.
The Port Authority balked at the offer, but left the door open for another bridge sponsor to step […]

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There’s always one company that tries the Hail Mary of Super Bowl Advertising. The one-shotter. They drop major bucks on a single, often poorly-produced ad and hope it works.
My suggestion for salesgenie.com: Spend another $100K on ad production and maybe, just maybe, it would have worked. Or spend $100 and hire a […]

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Mini, at the suggestion of its agency Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, created a voluntary participation program in which select Mini Cooper owners attached an RFID fob to their keychain containing personal information such as occupation, birthday, etc.
The agency purchased billboards with LCD displays that read the passing RFID signals and flash: “Mary, moving […]

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3M’s Security Glass must be some strong stuff.

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My demographic, GenX, is enamored with the Baby Boomers. We appreciate their idealism, even through our standoffish indifference. A case in point: I was at a party in 1987, an outdoor affair in the springtime out in rural Chatham County, North Carolina. Dr. Bob was there, as usual. A research scientist, a biologist I believe, […]

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I’m somewhat ambivalent about this one…

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The Quizno’s corporate brand police will be all over this one - and rightly so.

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When The Richards Group landed the Motel 6 account, their charge was to increase room-night stays at this national discount motel chain. The Dallas-based ad superstars had the luxury of planning and strategy, even calling for the chain to STOP advertising while The Richards Group and the motel collaborated on a strategy. First the group […]

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