The secret behind MySpace, Facebook, Friendster...

There's a fascinating read on CNN Money about the ingeniousness of Newscorp (parent company of Fox News) to buy MySpace.

Newscorp (hearts) MySpace

An excerpt:

"The best explanation of MySpace's appeal that I've read comes from not from the business world but from a Berkeley Ph.D. student and social researcher at Yahoo! named Danah Boyd who describes the site as the virtual equivalent of classic 1950s hangouts like the roller rink or burger joint -- a place where kids can go to escape parental (and other) authority, to try out different identities and, of course, to connect with one another. She gave a lecture about MySpace at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of all places, that you can read here and she blogs at length about it here."

Since when was 60 minutes cool?

I'm going to say something that's very obvious. Are you ready?

Google and Yahoo are the future of media.

Why else would one hundred year old TV Networks partner with ten year old websites to promote a venerable show like 60 minutes? Also, lest anyone forget, NBC partnered with Yahoo for The Apprentice too.

60 Minutes Interviews with Tiger Woods

Being online enables a lot more viewers to watch a TV show. It also allows more episodes to be shown. Basically, it's a "treasure trove" for devoted viewers of that particular TV show. But, at the same time, TVs still dominate the global society. TVs are still the most common objects in households worldwide.

DDB CEO Ken Kaess passes away.

I've personally never met Mr. Kaess. The closest contact I've had with him is seeing his name plate on his assigned office at the Chicago office.

There have been two innovative leaders who have passed away in the past year (These are just the first two people that come to mind). Mr. Kaess, along with Geoffrey Frost, CMO of Motorola who started the "Hello Moto" and RAZR and SLVR names, both led their companies on turnarounds or into a new era.

Also, I have met several people who got their start in advertising through the Bill Bernbach Minority Scholarship Fund that he started.

DDB Worldwide CEO Kaess Dies at 51
March 28, 2006
By Andrew McMains (adweek.com)

NEW YORK DDB worldwide CEO and president Ken Kaess, who spent 30 years at DDB and rose to CEO in 2001, died Monday of cancer at his family's home in Westport, Conn. He was 51.

"Like all of you, I will miss him very much," wrote Omnicom Group CEO John Wren, in a memo that DDB shared with its employees. "He was the driver behind DDB's success these last five years and, of course, I will miss him in that role. But I also will miss his friendship and positive spirit."

A former chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Kaess was determined to diversify the industry and, in 1998, founded the Bill Bernbach Minority Scholarship Fund. In 2004, the New York Urban League honored him with an award in the name of Frederick Douglass for promoting diversity and opportunity.

Kaess also served on the boards of the Ad Council and American Education Foundation and was chairman of the first Advertising Week industry celebration, which was held in New York in 2004.

"Anheuser-Busch extends its deepest condolences and we express our heartfelt sadness to the family, friends and employees of DBB on their tragic loss of Ken Kaess. Ken was a close personal friend, colleague and partner. Ken's humor, humanity and leadership will be missed by the many people he touched," said August A. Busch IV, president of Anheuser-Busch.

"Ken was an inspiration to all of us and he will be sorely missed," aid Keith Reinhard, global chairman of DDB. "Ken was at the top of his game, and in so many ways, he represented the future, not only of our company but of the industry itself. And as many people have said, it's amazing how someone so nice could get so far, so fast."

Kaess was born on July 30, 1954, in Waterbury, Conn., and grew up in Watertown, Conn. A graduate of the McTernan School, Suffield Academy and Vassar College, where he received a bachelor's degree in psychology, Kaess also was an accomplished pianist who after graduating from college toyed with the idea of becoming a professional musician. "When there was no call from an agent, I moved to New York City," Kaess once said in an interview with his school magazine.

In New York, he landed his first job at Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1976 as an account executive working on the Mobil business. He went on to become a vice president at Jordan, McGrath, Case & Taylor and then vice president of children's programming at New World Entertainment, where he was responsible for the Emmy award-winning Muppet Babies.

In 1990, he returned to DDB as president of DDB Entertainment in Los Angeles and in 1992 became president of DDB's overall Los Angeles operations. In 1994, he became president of the agency's flagship New York office and was promoted to U.S. president in 1997. In 1998, he was named president of DDB's North American operations and in 1999 he was appointed president of DDB Worldwide and chairman of its Worldwide Operating Committee. In January 2001, he assumed the additional position of worldwide CEO.

Read your water bottle label for even longer now!

An Australian company, ilove, has started printing mini-magazines on water bottle labels.

from Springwise

Industry: Beyond Obligation.

Thanks to Yossy and Esther for the heads up.

Deb has a column on talent zoo.

Excerpted below.

Beyond Obligation.
by Deborah Morrison
03/22/2006

"...There's a solid group of professionals working out there, creating content beyond the simple obligation to sell products honestly, beyond persuasion and strategy, beyond even the cool and groovy of a hip new brand...When you see what they craft as solutions to brand problems, it hits you.

These people are working to change culture, all the while doing a helluva job making ads.

It's not volunteerism or pro bono work I'm talking about, though we all know those are important gifts to the community. The focus here is on smart strategy honing sharp ads for mainstream goods and services. It seems to me that the people crafting those ads often have an interesting two-pronged agenda. Their first objective is to produce relevant, rewarding work for a client. But the second objective for these creatives is to help fuel how people think and feel, how they frame issues and ideas in a cultural context. It’s about doing something meaningful that is beyond obligation.

In talking with those creatives, I hear repeatedly a most fervent wish to do work of value to the greater good. They want to paint wonderful stories: consider the work for Mini or HP or Nike on any given day and you realize there's more than just strategy going on there. Something life-affirming exists within the framework of the ad. More, the people I'm thinking about challenge ideas of who is part of the story being told: witness the use of minorities and women in unexpected key roles to explain brands...

...These are simple things accomplished daily in the advertising world. The inspiring words in a headline, out-of-the-ordinary casting decisions, the interesting branch of the decision tree taken during conceptualizing that leads to a gift for the audience; all might seem inconsequential. But added together, they are the small moments that make momentous change for a society who learns from watching.

We should honor the link between strong creative and strong ethical vision. This doesn’t mean we regulate, officiate, or award enlightening messages. It certainly doesn't mean I hold that a person is more ethical than the rest simply because he has a job on the creative side. And you know what? Not all advertising should be of the social change variety. As in life, there should be moments of seriousness, of goofy humor, of information well-told without a noble or positive moment, even a bit of innuendo. We need Burger King and Axe and The Onion to laugh at and push boundaries.

...But I believe there's hope. I'm foolish enough to think that somewhere in the daily crunch of producing stuff, there are talented people who stop and think: what can I do to make the world better? And I'm wise enough to know that those creative people want essentially to do good. Our job – as industry professionals and as educators – is to see that somewhere, every day, the beyond obligation spirit is rewarded."

Michael Dell, meet Nelson Gonzalez

Dell (started by Michael Dell from his Dobie dorm room while he was a UT student) has bought out Alienware.

Dell gave a very inspired UT commencement speech in 2003. Here's an excerpt:

"...With the understanding that you will face tough times and amazing experiences, you must also commit to the adventure. Just have faith in the skills and the knowledge you’ve been blessed with and go. Because regrets are born of paths never taken.

Then, as you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own. When Dell got started, it didn’t come with a manual on how to become number 1 in the world. We had to figure that out every step of the way. And with each new product and new market, the industry “experts” said we’d fail. Just a few short years ago, we announced plans to build powerful computers at the center of the Internet (“servers” for those of you from the engineering school.) Through the chorus of naysayers, we emerged as a world leader in servers, and we continue to gain momentum. And as always, we did it our way, with customers—not the experts—in mind.

You too have an advantage that you’re not encumbered by years of conventional thinking. You have a new and fresh perspective with which to view the world. Your time at this great university has helped sharpen your sense of discovery, and there is no better catalyst for success than curiosity.

...But whether it’s evolution or revolution, there’s always a better way to build a computer, or map a genome, or liberate a country, or take a basketball team to the Final Four. Just work to understand the world around you. Read books. Read websites. Read other people. Circle the pitfalls and highlight the opportunities. Then build a vision of how it could all be better and work like hell to make it happen...

As you walk the path you’ve chosen, remember that the road ahead is paved with relationships. I’ve enjoyed some great fortune, but none of it would have happened without the people who shared their wisdom, the hard work of the Dell team worldwide, and the love and support of my family and friends. Remember … there’s no such thing as a self-made success.

...Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people … or find a different room. In professional circles it’s called networking. In organizations it’s called team building. And in life it’s called family, friends, and community. We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.

...There’s no other place that so purely preserved a centuries-old heritage of hard work, self reliance, and initiative like Texas. There’s no other place whose sons and daughters have so consistently set the standard—from government, business, and music, to sports, education, and technology—like Texas. And there’s no other place that can stir such jealousy in New Yorkers, such disdain in Californians, and such contempt in the French—yet hold their utmost respect—like the Lone Star State.

The spirit of Texas is the purest concentration of the American spirit. Texas is to this country, what America is to the world. And there is no greater embodiment of that spirit than The University of Texas at Austin.During your travels, remember where you came from, and do right by Texas.

...I was fortunate to find my passion early in life. I started as a UT biology major and soon realized that all of those stacks of computer parts in my room were trying to tell me something. (And my roommate had a few things to say as well.) So 19 years ago, when I was 19 years old, I started Dell in that dorm room right over there. And despite juggling my classes and a computer company … I just knew there had to be something easier than organic chemistry!

But many people find their passion later in life, and others never find it at all. And for some, their greatest passion is the search itself. But whether you’ve found your calling, or if you’re still searching, passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work.

The key is to listen to your heart and let it carry you in the direction of your dreams. I’ve learned that it’s possible to set your sights high and achieve your dreams and do it with integrity, character, and love. And each day that you’re moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are, you’re winning. Look around you..."

This merger is very interesting because both computer companies were started by die-hard computer enthusiasts. Initially, this looks to be a more compatible merger than the HP-Compaq disaster.

excerpted from Alienware website

"...A famous philosopher said that “only he who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible.” That’s been very much our mantra at Alienware and it always will be. We have accomplished much since 1996, but we have much more to do. Our new relationship with Dell will help us continue reaching for the stars — and we’re excited about taking that journey with you."

Commercial Goodness

Here's a fresh (to me at least) commercial. "Skittles Long Beard"



And if you're into DVD extras as much as I am, you may find this interview interesting. It talks about the making of Gatorade's "Winning Formula" spot.

SXSW for free.

The good 'ol South by Southwest Festival is now over and one very interesting aspect of it was the availability of...

-podcasts of speakers
- and get this...Torrents for Bittorrent!


trying to gather pictures to post...Please send some in!

SXSW epitomizes what Austin is really about. SXSW features cutting edge technologies, topics, and leaders as well as unearthing unknown talent in music and film. Yes, Austin is, like they say, the Silicon Prairie, but it also is a serious media and entertainment (TV, Filmmaking, Music) center.

Now if only the price of actually experiencing it in person was cut by 90%...

And remember to

Congrats to Hill | Holiday

About the blog

Yep, we've read all the headlines, digested all the stats. The foundations of mid-20th century marketing are eroding all around us.

So what are we going to do about it?

Discuss.



Hill | Holiday is the first major advertising agency to have a blog. for it's homepage, nonetheless. Is this a trend or a fad?

Interview with Dabitch

I have been going to ad-rag.com ever since I was recommended to peruse it at my jr. art director internship. I recently interviewed Åsk Wäppling (user name: Dabitch), the founder and editor of the venerable site, about its origins and her global life experiences.

Born to Swedish parents, and as soon as she could she used to sing along to the adverts only while watching TV in North Carolina. Globe trotting the world with her viking folks, she developed the skill of communicating no matter what the language was, as they had lived on three different continents by the time she turned ten. Studying in Stockholm, then New York and later London to learn as much as she could about advertising and the art that makes it, she then toured Amsterdam, San Francisco, London and Copenhagen in her career. Always a geek, she likes advertising as it is hacking people.

Why did you start www.ad-rag.com?

When I lived in San Fransisco I had no friends that worked in the business
and used to bore my regular joe friends to tears talking about ads. I
built the first incarnation of adland to vent, and to compare twin ads.
Through this site and the mailinglist I found a lot of friends that were
equally ad-nerdy, and soon I couldn't keep up with all the mail. So, in 2k
I re-built the whole thing to become a community where all ad-geeks could
post to the front page ad blog, gossip in the forums, watch the latest
commercials and keep up with the news via RSS. I wanted to share knowledge
at a site like that and since I couldn't find one, I built one. The idea is and always was that it should be the global water cooler for us adgrunts.

Ad-rag posts a lot of international advertising. A lot of if it is very racy compared to American advertising. I've also heard that the American culture is "too conservative and too Christian" to make controversial ads. Why do you think international advertising is more controversial/interesting than American advertising?

yeah, I always wanted to post international work, as the world wide web is just that and what happens on Mad Ave actually affects people in networked agencies in Sweden, so "adland" really is it's own land. It has no borders. Do you really think it's that much racier though? I don't know to be honest, you can show nipples in French ads, and Swedes wouldn't even care at the sight of a naked mans bottom, while in the states the bottom will be "blotted out" and a nipple can stop the super bowl. In the UK, I recall a soap-advert showing a nipple which everyone talked about, meanwhile page three girls show two every day. So, yes maybe ads in Europe in general can joke about sex - though probably not in the UK unless its a double entandre - while US ads stick to farting horses and chimps for their steady supply of jokes. I think it is just that the humour is different, and the grass is always greener elsewhere. No matter what country I worked in, I've always had some CD telling me that "You can't do that sort of thing here!". The US does have that puritan past deeply rooted into its culture though, this has a lot to do with it.

How do you find all the ads on the site?

They find me. Industry submissions you know. In the beginning I had to beg
friends and colleagues to send their work in, which I still do on occasion
if something really good appears out there and nobody submitted it yet -
but these days there is a steady flow. Don't forget kids, we like your old
commercials too! Send in your reels!

You're Swedish, graduated from Parsons (in NYC), graduated from London School of Communication Arts, and currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark. How have these varied cultures influenced you?

I learnt to hack, sorry understand, cultures quite fast.

This comes in handy when you have to sell cars to grease monkeys, booze to
connoisseurs, fashions to fashion whores. Cultures don't necessarily have
to be from a country. ;)

Which country's culture did you like best?

Can I choose all of the above? I adored New York which taught me how to
cuss, and when I moved to London it took me a good six months to
understand what on earth everyone was on about. "Got a fag?" what?
"See you half ten." What time is that? But when it finally clicked I laughed so
hard at British sitcoms I now carry a permanent smiley dimple. Now I'm
just terribly happy that I can laugh equally hard at both US and UK ads -
you never see Americans or Brits doing that. Same language, but not. I
don't have a favourite - all cultures have good and bad.

You've both freelanced and worked at agencies. What are the pros and cons of each? Which do you think jr. creatives should do?

Jr's should take the plunge - if they get offered freelance, grab it. Pro's of agency work is a steady paycheck and you get to know your workmates well. Cons of agency work is agency politics most of the time, it's hard to find a good match, and will take a few tries. Don't worry, everyone goes through it. The pro's of freelance is flexibility, the con's an equally flexible paycheck. Another con is that in smaller markets you'll never get the "good work" unless you haven't gotten the "good work" at agencies already. And by "good work", I mean international clients, big budgets and perhaps telly. I do believe that all creatives should freelance at least once though. You learn a lot.

What should a good portfolio school or program teach?

How to charge people for your skills. Seriously, schools teach you so much about the craft but forget to tell you how much it is worth and how you send out a bill or create a contract before the project starts. Since so many students will freelance in the future - at least once ;) - this needs to be taught! Also, what your rights to your work are - and how to not sign them away. So many people are terribly confused when it comes to rights, it really should be taught.

How do you become a better AD?

Keep looking. Keep your eyes open and drink it all in. It will help your ideas, and it will help you communicating your ideas through your art direction. No label is too small, no design too obscure, and since the punters are getting their input from the real world rather than the ad world, so should you.

Speaking of small labels, am I the only one who collects rows and rows of those fruit-stickers in my scrap book? I have two pages with "toMAHtos"! Oh yeah, that's the real advice, keep a scrap book. They do come in handy. Stick all things that visually grabbed you in them. Especially the truly ugly stuff.

What advice do you have for Creatives to break into advertising and for staying in advertising?

To break in you need a heavy brick and to stay put you need a lot of
weight.

You've seen a lot of advertising throughout the years. What do you think the future of advertising is?

Whenever this question is asked one is usually expected to name a new
media that will happen. The future of advertising is that people will
finally realize that the message is and always was what is important.
Personally, I hope for less clutter, but I know that brands will tailor
their message to different targets, in different media, with different
ideas and style - unfortunatly creating more clutter. And they'll think
it's the best thing since sliced bread too, even when they miss all their
targets as they jump all over the map with the message.


What are your favorite ads? And would you mind sending a couple over so I could post them?

Ooh, tough call. Lots of good ads out there. :)

Sadly, I can't send you any ads that are hosted in the archive as I'd be
breaking our own T.O.S. The agencies/post houses/directors that send us
stuff have been tough to convince over the years (it's getting easier
now), SAG strikes and stiff clients stickly about their copyrights made
them that way, so we get permission only to host it in the archive and not
permission to spread all over the web. The exeption to the rule is of
course the recent viral ads, where they want exactly that but none of
those ads have even come close to my top ten list. ;)

Attaching a 1994 Guinness ad which - scouts honor - made my eyes mist up a
little when I saw it the first time. Perhaps because I love that Louis
Armstrong song, perhaps because I recall the death of James Bond's only
wife (From On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and James saying " we have all
the time in the world". Perhaps because I am a dedicated Guinness stout
fan, and I do look into the glass as it bubbles itself from white to
black, waiting patiently for it to get the thick head and finally being
allowed to drink it (good things do come to those who wait), while seeing
universes inside the dark liquid. You could argue that it preaches to the
converted - but it does it so damn well. Spot Rutger Hauer in there too.

Download Guiness ad. http://rapidshare.de/files/16841620/guinnessalltimeinworld.wmv.html

Another ad I really like is from the same time period. Sadly I don't have
a copy of the poster - it was from some agency Singapore and carried a
cocky white headline on black stating:

"Leaded Petrol causes brain damage.
Which may explain why some people still use it."

I was always a fan of sharp copy. ;)


Some other features about Dabitch can be found here and here. They're both very interesting reads.

Big Plans for The Ranch

The Ranch has been gaining a lot of interest lately, thanks to David's efforts, so I wanted to announce that we have big plans in the midst. Contributors are suggesting a message board and portfolio section for all to share and discuss. If you have any suggestions, send it our way. We're going to make it happen, so be sure to add this one to your list of inspiring bookmarks.

edit: we're also going to update the layout!

After all, anybody can make ads.

From Adage: Out of Site section by Ken Wheaton.

Six Jobs That Won't Exist In 2016

AdverBox

Newly found advertising resource!
AdverBox

Interview with Deborah Morrison

I cannot say enough good things about the founder of TX Creative Deborah Morrison (Deb). I only had the opportunity to take one class with her where we met on Friday nights and Saturday mornings (The Creative Lecture Series class) but she helped make it worthwhile and it was definitely worth it. I've also had countless friends tell me that her ADV 325 class is the best class they've ever taken.

Beginning September 2006, Deborah Morrison will be the Chambers Distinguished Professor in Advertising at the University of Oregon in the School of Journalism and Communication. For 18 years, Morrison was the leader of Texas Creative, the award-winning portfolio building creative program at The University of Texas at Austin where she worked to build partnerships with advertising agencies across the country and other portfolio programs for creative education. She consults regularly for companies and non-profits in creative brand-building, having worked with the State of Texas on Higher Education initiatives, with The University of Texas on their new brand campaign, NASA, the Texas Space Grant Consortium, and regional businesses in Texas. She firmly believes that advertisers can be agents of positive social change. Morrison is a member of the board of The One Club for Art & Copy in New York and a member of that club's education committee. She has served as an Addy judge in regional and international competitions for The One Club, as a AAAA panelist in Miami and New York, and led professional development seminars in creativityfor various national corporations. Her recent awards include Educator of the Year from Austin Advertising Federation, the Blunk Professorship at The University of Texas at Austin, and the College of Communication Excellence in Teaching Award.


In Pick Me by Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin, they recommend The University of Texas at Austin as a good university to attend because "they turn out wildly talented, capable people who are educated in their disciplines and in the industry as a whole." Why do you think that UT has such a good reputation?

Texas has such a good reputation because so many people there worked so hard to make creative a strong and respected discipline. By having a dedicated faculty and students ready to take risks, great stuff happens.

What was the UT Advertising Program like before TX Creative was founded?

The moniker Texas Creative was given to us by none other than David Horridge (award-winning AD/CD/teacher). He was a student who worked his tail off and was putting together a book of work for me to take to a New York show. “The University of Texas at Austin Department of Advertising Creative Program” was a bitch to fit on the cover. We talked and came to Texas Creative…it was so beautiful, it stuck. Before that, good program, long name.

Why and how did you establish the program?

Leonard Ruben built the first creative program in about 1978. He was a great art director at Y&R in the 50s and 60s and came to Texas. He had the great idea to teach kids the beauty and craft of great ads. I took his courses, put a book together, but then entered the doctoral program. When he left in 1987, I took over – at first temporarily – and then won the spot as a faculty member. I enjoyed many good years there.

What's your personal creative philosophy?

Multifacted: Know your process. Break rules but do it well. Believe you’ll find the golden ticket.

I've heard from people about stories that you told in your ADV 325 class (Introduction to Advertising Creativity). I've heard that one time in class you said that your sons gave two certain body parts, that only males have, names. Would you mind sharing some of those stories?

Not sure about this. I’m sure I’ve told a million funny stories about my sons because they are such a great inspiration to me.

Would you rather be a creativity teacher or work in the industry?

I love teaching. That’s what really led me to turn from the job possibilities I had in New York to entering the doctoral program and building a teaching portfolio. Once I decided to do that and the senior faculty supported the idea of a creative program within the department, I was determined that we would build the best university program around. That’s what we did. Working as a creative director for a million years with such talented students is a good way to combine academe and industry.

Have you met Phil Knight or Dan Wieden yet?

Not here. Dan Weiden is such a great supporter of the UofO program, it is much appreciated.

I read in HOW Magazine that Milwaukee, San Diego, and Austin are the top three up-and-coming creative cities in the US. What do you consider to be the creative cities in the US?

Richard Florida’s great take on creative cities shows us that these will shift and evolve as populations shift. Portland is a major center, as is Austin, the Raleigh-Durham area, and Boulder. Florida’s theory shows that there are indicators that can predict how a city nurtures/grows its creative populations. Fascinating stuff.

Do you miss Austin?

I miss some people in Austin. I miss a few fun restaurants. But my family and I are having so much fun in Eugene..mountains and snowboarding an hour away, the coast is an hour away, terrific quality of life…that we have found a new and wonderful home.

What should students learn in a good portfolio program?

A strong portfolio program should approach conceptual thinking with intellectual rigor. There should be a strong convergence between media ideas and executional ideas. Importantly, university programs should lead the way in talking about responsibility and ethics, but don’t always do so.

What are the characteristics of a Creative?

Intellectual curiosity, visionary, risk-taker, loves details and nuance, generator rand implementor, works and plays well.

What should aspiring AD/CWs do outside the classroom to prepare them to be better AD/CWs?

Eat at the great buffet of life and art and culture. Look at advertising, but study people and ideas.

Getting work produced is so much more than "I like your script now let's go shoot it." It is about selling your idea to your partner, selling your idea to your CD, your CD selling it to the GCD, and the GCD selling it to the client (but not all agencies have so many people). Based on this procedure, do you think that classes beyond the typical AD/CW classes (such as business etiquette, presentation skills, salesmanship, marketing, career workshops and others) should be offered in a portfolio program?

Definitely classes should tackle these subjects. Much like ethics and responsibility, these issues should be the running themes of many classes in a program rather than entire courses dedicated to only this. Our Creative Lecture Series last spring was also good way to get these themes discussed..don't you think? Those kinds of opportunities are invaluable.

Do you think portfolio programs should take into account the current and future trends of interactive and viral advertising when teaching jr. creatives? What about direct mail and direct marketing?

Wow. The convergence + the immense growth of so many creative content opportunities tells us that 1 -- careers can shake and rattle in so many ways and 2 -- advertising curriculum has to keep up. That's not easy. But we should be ready to bring smart and engaged people in, to flexibly reform classes, and to help guide trends, not just react to them. Academe should be a partner with industry, not simply ask for money and support.

I just wrote a column on this for Talent Zoo...you'll see it next week or the next, I believe.

What are One Club Board of Directors meetings like?

Great fun and I’m so honored to be there. They’re funny folks, dedicated to doing good work and that always shows.

What are your favorite ads of all time?

I get ad crushes all the time. I love ads that use humor well. I’m in awe of advertising that is simple, elegant, smart. I love print ads that reinvent the format or make me smile. My current crushes are on Comcast, Petsunite, Coke, United, Nike, and the stuff out of Singapore for the Anglican Welfare Council.








from petsunite.com and ad-rag.com

"The future of the communications industry rests on the fresh ideas of students studying right now. To understand the creative process, to know that creativity cuts across disciplines and job titles and industries, is to position our students for leadership in advertising and journalism. That's what I want for students: a place where they understand the power of new ideas."
- Deb Morrison, from University of Oregon website.

Download "free" ABC TV shows

from Marketing VOX

'My ABC' to Offer Free, Ad-Supported Prime-Time Shows Online

Walt Disney is making its hit shows available via ABC.com as part of its efforts to create the "network of the future," according to CEO Bob Iger, who provided details of the upcoming launch of "My ABC," reports AdAge. He was speaking at the Bear Stearns Media Conference this week. Using an ad-supported model, My ABC will offer shows "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" free of charge. Iger said Disney wants to create various revenue models but did not want to turn its back on the ad community and so would create new opportunities for advertisers.

Ad-free episodes of the shows will continue to be sold via iTunes at $1.99 each. The ads accompanying the online videos would not necessarily be those that air during network broadcast. "There is so much greater consumption of media, the opportunity for advertisers are greater; look at what Google has managed to do," he said. "Our job is to create the new networks and new direct commerce opportunities."

Why do you buy a TV?

Why do you buy a computer?

Why do you buy an ipod?

car companies race into a new market

so i have been meaning to write about this for sometime. what i will call: a curious venture into the dramatic reworkings of car companies' marketing campaigns to include the ever increasing hispanic market.
reading about the ford's fusion launch and its linking to "hurban" music (hispanic/urban) for a target of 18-34 year olds, got me to thinking of the countless other car campaigns going around. most importantly i got to thinking about the toyota camry hybrid commercial that aired during the superbowl. now as a 3rd generation mexican-american i can safely say that i probably was not the target audience on that one. but still, did anyone else think that the presentation was possibly the dryest, most deliberate (hence, awkward) delivery they've seen in awhile? to me, the message was undoubtedly clear, just a little too clear. in ford's instance, i feel as if they've pinpointed a nuance within the target (MUSIC!) and milked it. that's fine. because nowhere in the program does daddy yankee say "hey everyone, look at how much us hispanics like music!" and thank god for that.

Online: Bono is ____.

Has anyone seen the 60 minutes feature about Bono and U2?
Listening to him talk about music, global humanitarianism and being a band with a social conscience is very inspiring.

It used to be here at youtube. But it was taken down for copyright infrigement.

This brings up another interesting trend.

Go to Google Videos and Youtube and you can literally download commercials (VW, Nike, Geico, Budweiser just to name a few).

In the past it seems like agencies didn't want people to be able to have a hard copy of their commercial. Now, they even supply it for free on their client's websites. Some examples are Nike Basketball- by W+K and British Columbia SPCA- by Palmer Jarvis DDB

Of course this makes sense. It's free publicity. There's no need to plan flight schedules and look at Nielsen ratings anymore. It's uninterrupted viewing. This way people can watch the commercials over and over on their personal computer free of the TV schedule clutter.

So why don't more brands do it? Why do some sites, such as Target- by Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners? and these two sites from the "Super Bowl for women" (The Oscars) for JCPenney- by DDB Chicago and American Express- by Ogilvy NY, still only have streaming media?

People are going to be able to download the commercial anyway from someone else's site or blog. Ie. these Budweiser (click on screening room) spots by DDB Chicago and this Clorox spot by DDB San Francisco.

DDB San Francisco is one of the fastest growing offices in the fabled DDB network and they are really starting to generate a lot of attention from the industry and clients due to their innovative work. Creating great work and a great culture and the ECD being Lisa Bennett (a Texas Exe I might add) is no coincidence.





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News Brief
JC Penney Extends TV Ads Online
Monday, Mar 6, 2006 6:00 AM ET

JC PENNEY HAS PLACED THE TV ads that ran during Sunday's Academy Awards television coverage online at jcp.com. There, visitors can interact with the creative by clicking on product in the ads for pricing and ordering details. The TV ads were created by DDB Chicago.
--Gavin O'Malley

Ads: The formula for making a car commercial is...

Honda Europe. By W+K London.


Citroen. By EURO RSCG London.


Volkswagen USA. By C P + B.


Volkswagen USA. By C P + B.


Honda Europe. By W+K London.


Volkswagen USA. By C P + B.


Volkswagen Europe. By DDB London.

Do these TV spots sell the vehicle?

Do you remember the actual model?

What are the product benefits?

Does it even matter?

Ads Showcase: W+K have done it again.

Another amazing TV spot from Wieden + Kennedy.



They also made a "very clean" TV spot about Carmelo Anthony.

They did an amazing job of blending a great storyline with amazing music and very strong, iconic (in the Jordan commercial) visuals in both spots.

The Jordan spot especially has very "sticky visuals" that stay with you even after the commercial is done.

The Carmelo spot is strong because it ties in the basketball game player introduction with his life story and then it ends it again as he's being introduced. The white glow around him makes him seem angelic as he's about to start a new stage in life in the NBA. Very good story development.

The client/agency relationship between W+K (Dan Wieden) and Nike (Phil Knight) is built upon such a great trust that it seems like true creative freedom is displayed a lot in the Nike work.

if you have it, flaunt it

or at least show it off!
a great place to be an investigator, voyeur or a student in dire need of a job.

Watch out! The Olympic Logo Police are here.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin (Torino), Italy the "Olympic Sponsor Logo Enforcement Squad" made athletes cover their equipment sponsor's logos with duct tape because they're not Official IOC Sponsors. You can read more about it on Yahoo here and here.

Does this mean that all future non-compliant logos will be covered in Beijing (site of the 2008 Summer Olympics)? How is the IOC going to enforce this policy? The Brand Police can't possibly entirely enforce this...right?


To combat this problem, companies such as Target, which has no European expansion plans, cleverly decided to wrap the subway cars in Turin.

This reminded me of what happened at the State Fair of Texas before. Over four million visitors pass through the State Fair spending over $23 million annually. The official automobile sponsor of the State Fair is Chevrolet (GM). Lincoln (Ford) had to introduce their new sedan but wasn't allowed on the fair grounds. So what did they do? They had tents with the car in them in adjacent parking lots. Then they hired people to wait outside the exits and approach exiting fair-goers with test drive offers and other incentives.

Austin Advertising Agencies

From the Austin Business Journal