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Australians Get Shark Attack Ad Campaign

Following two recent shark deaths, the Australian government has launched an ad campaign urging swimmers to be wary of sharks.

"Always swim at patrolled beaches and between the flags; leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted; never swim alone; never swim at dawn, dusk or at night; do not swim in murky waters; do not swim near schools of fish; do not swim in canals or near a river mouth; do not swim near or interfere with shark control equipment," said Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk.

Sound like the ad should just have said, "Do Not Swim Anywhere!"
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




The Brits Are Having Fun With the 'Dog Breath' Ad

There is an ad running in the U.K. for Wrigley's chewing gum that shows a dog climbing out of a man's mouth supposedly to illustrate the Wrigley's gum gets rid of dog breath.

Apparently, the Brits don't like this sort of humor since the Independent Television Group, an industry watchdog goup (no pun intended) received 570 (update...now over 700 and the ad has been pulled) complaints about the spot. That's the highest number of complaints the group has received since 1998 when an ad depicting some sort dead hamster prompted 544 complaints.

Click the image to view the QuickTime movie. (1.2MB) [via Ananova]
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




The WB Delays 'Live From Tomorrow'

The start date of the WB show, 'Live From Tomorrow' has been postponed due to lack of obtaining enough premiere sponsors. The show was designed to be commercial free but to have product placements within the show instead. Seems the WB have not been able to get any marketers interested in this new idea.

More...
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




Kim Cattrall Featured in First Ever Ad Campaign For FHM

Sex in the City Star, Kim Cattrall, will be featured on billboards nationwide as FHM launches it first ever ad campaign. The budget will be about $500,000 and will include radio as well.

More...
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




Sheen's Visa Ads Pulled Because of Stance on War?

"Visa was running the Sheen ads with the Yao Ming ads," a television network executive said. "But last week, they pulled Sheen's ad right after all the hullabaloo over his [anti-war] remarks hit the press. Yao Ming's are still running."

Of course Visa denies that saying, "After airing for more than four months, the Visa USA television commercial featuring Martin and Charlie Sheen concluded its run on March 11," a statement from Visa read. "As with many Visa commercials, this spot aired for a specific period of time, and is now being rotated out of the advertising lineup."

Sure, we believe that.

More...
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




Potential New GQ Editor Might Make Staff Healthy

"They are accustomed to long expense account lunches and early cocktail hours," said one source. "They're afraid that Zincenko will come in and expect them to eat granola and go jogging at lunch hour."

That's what an insider says the concern among GQ staffers is over potential new editor, Dave Zincenko, who is currently editor in chief at Men's Health. [via Page Six]
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




HBO Says No to Gandolfini

HBO has called Gandolfini's bluff. The actor threatened HBO with leaving the show over a contract loophole to either get more money or to completely leave the show. Well, unlike many other networks, HBO didn't roll over and say "fine, we'll pay you whatever you want". Rather, HBO told Gandolofini and the rest of the cast that they are not giving in and and they are cancelling the start of fifth season filming until the issue is resolved.

We love James Gandolfini and he is a good actor but he should stay with a good thing. Why mess this up to go back to playing supporting actor roles in movies?
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




Even More on Those Interesting PUMA Ads

So no doubt, you have all seen these ads by now. And of course you now know they are fake. And Gawker says it is "The company's most successful viral marketing campaign, and they're trying to shut it down."

To wrap it all up, Felix Salmon of felixsalmon.com spoke with Peter Kim at PUMA and got the company's side of the story. [via Gawker]

So, to be clear for the lawyers, they are fake. I know they are fake. We all know they are fake. These ads did not come from PUMA so says PUMA.
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by Steve Hall    Mar-13-03    




Gawker's View of Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter, in a lengthy Mediaweek profile following his "Editor of the Year" award by Adweek, says, "I have a fashion readership. I have a political readership. I have a literary readership. I have New York's social scene, Hollywood. I have America. I have Europe." What he left out: "I have a readership that consists entirely of baby boomer divorcees who drive matching Astrovans in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. I have two guys in a cocktial lounge in Michigan who think the In-and-Out list is "very cheeky." I have a soccer mom in Des Moines whose four-year old slipped the February issue into her shopping cart while she was in the checkout line at Walmart. I have half the Rotary Club in Geneva, Illinois. I have a young woman in the Bloomberg administration who circles my editor's letter references to the smoking ban with a yellow highlighter. And, oh yes, my mother reads it...most of the time." [lifted directly from Gawker]
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by Steve Hall    Mar-12-03    




AdWeak is Back With An Update

Favorite ad biz lampooner is back with an update to AdWeek. Check it out.


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by Steve Hall    Mar-12-03    




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