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Production Company to Pitch Johnny Cash 'Ring of Fire' to Preparation H

A Florida production company wants to pitch Preparation H on a new idea for a commercial. Big Grin Productions is working on a script for commercial that will include the Johnny Cash hit song, "Ring of Fire." Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash's wife, June Carter cash thinks it's a great idea. With the lyrics, "burn, burn, burn," the song seems a perfect match. This will surely test the sense of humor of the Preparation H marketing team.

by Steve Hall    Jan-31-04    




Dear Nokia: Read Weblogs, You'll Be Surprised What You Find

Companies: Take Note of Weblogs

Here's a clear example why corporations should take notice of weblogs. Kristin writes a weblog called Madpony and it, like most weblogs, she writes about what's on her mind at various points in time. Yesterday she wrote a "Dear Nokia" letter explaining why her Nokia 3585i phone "sucks." Apparently, it went into loud, uncontrollable, sonic convulsions in the middle of her "very solemn Genocide and U.S. Intervention" class causing Kristin to rip the battery off and throw it into her backpack.

Why should Nokia care about this? Because Madpony is read by anywhere between 1,500 and 3,000 people everyday. And those people are prime, 18-25 year old cell phone consumers which Nokia would love to have as customers. This post on Madpony will also be linked to from other weblogs extending that not so nice commentary about Nokia to even more people. And that's not all. There's a comments section under her post where, at this point in time, 17 people (and there will be many more by day's end) have chimed in including this zinger, "motorola = better". Ouch, Nokia.

So, what should Nokia do? Read weblogs. Read Madpony. Search weblogs for any and all posts about Nokia and respond to them appropriately. Offer Kristen a free, new phone. If she likes it, maybe she'll blog about it in a way that would be positive for you. Start your own weblog. Link to Kristin's post and blog about how you gave her a new phone because well, "sometimes our phones do suck." Join the conversation.

by Steve Hall    Jan-30-04    




Aerosmith Super Bowl Concert to be Preceded With Parachute Jump

Word has it that the roof of the Reliant Stadium in Houston will open prior to Aerosmith's Pre-Show segment and a parachuter will drop through down to the stage. It's supposed to be Steven Tyler but it will most likely be a stunt person. It's being done as part of a tribute to the Columbia Shuttle disaster a year ago.

by Steve Hall    Jan-30-04    




The Britney, Beyonce, Pink Gladiator Spot

Watch it here. Or here on the U.K. Pepsi site. I don't know how long it will be posted here but catch it while you can since, contrary to what's been reported in a few places, it's not airing during the Super Bowl. Personally, I don't think it's all that great. It's just a big expensive production. The girls look good though. It's 29.7 MB. Via thatsjustnotright.

by Steve Hall    Jan-29-04    




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Dodge Pulls Out of Lingerie, Inserts 'Circus Maximus'

Damn! Why Did You Pull Out?

So what does a big advertiser do after they pull out themselves out of a promo that might be too risqu� for their image? They insert themselves into another equally risqu� promotion. Dodge cancelled its Lingerie Bowl sponsorship but is keeping its Maxim magazine "Circus Maximus" promotion.

The circus-like event, held this weekend in Houston, will be sponsored by Dodge as well as by Sony, Coors and Allied Domecq and be attended by 1,500 private guests. The event will feature Dodge's new Magnum wagon pulling a circus cage full of hot chicks dressed as lions and tigers. How is this sponsorship less racy or less damaging to the brand then the Lingerie Bowl sponsorship? Oh, who cares. It'll be hot and who said marketing decision where logical?

by Steve Hall    Jan-29-04    




Yeaaaaaagh! Howard Dean Fires Marketing Manager

Howard "scream" Dean is firing his marketing manager. Not that any marketing manager could clean up the mess left behind by Dean's concession speech antics, but apparently someone has to go. Joe Trippi, who has managed Dean's marketing for the past year is getting the boot. Dean hopes to over haul his image and his chances at getting back into the race. Is there a word stronger than skeptical to describe consensus surrounding Dean's chances?

by Steve Hall    Jan-29-04    




CBS Explains Advocacy Advertising Policy

CBS has posted its Statement on Advocacy Advertising to clarify its position surrounding the latest battle between the network and MovOn.org over airing an "anti-Bush" commercial.

by Steve Hall    Jan-29-04    




RAZOR Magazine Launches New York Sales Office, Adrants Interviews Publisher

RAZOR Publisher Richard Botto

Much has been written about the lad book category. From the meteoric rise in readership to the controversial covers to the circulation dips of late, the category has experienced a bubble of activity not seen in the magazine business for a long time. RAZOR Magazine, a men's lifestyle magazine, is sometimes lumped into this category but doesn't really fit. It's not all about skin with mindlessly short articles and cover models wearing string. Like Esquire used to be, it has intelligent, in-depth articles on serious issues of importance to men who, while they do appreciate a woman in a bikini, don't spend every waking minute thinking about it. Like GQ used to, RAZOR gives men, who find style more important than a backward baseball cap or trucker hat, proper advice on gentlemanly fashion. And unlike Playboy, RAZOR gives readers a reason to appreciate women for their natural beauty rather than seeing them as overly airbrushed, fantasy caracatures.

Annabella Sciorra

RAZOR Magazine has seen its circulation double from the first half of 2003 to the second with subscriptions increasing 78 percent over the past 12 months. Clearly the magazine is serving a need. This growth has led to the magazine to open a New York City sales office to tap the advertising and fashion capitol.

In a press release, RAZOR Publisher Richard Botto said, "The time has come for us to immerse ourselves into the center of America's fashion industry. Expanding our operations in New York demonstrates our dedication to the magazine?s growth in every area. In our fourth year of publishing, this is the next logical step in the evolution of RAZOR."

Curious about the move and RAZOR's growth, I asked RAZOR Publisher Richard Botto a few questions.

Cassie

Steve Hall: Penthouse is re-launching with toned-down format more like Playboy but even closer to that of the lad books such as Maxim. RAZOR is in a separate niche from the lad books having far more intelligent editorial but will Penthouse pose any threat to RAZOR or the lad book category?

Richard Botto: If 2003 and the early part of 2004 has been about anything, it's been about the reconstruction of established brands. GQ has done it, Playboy has done it and now Penthouse is doing it. They all have bowed to what is perceived to be the power of the laddie books. But this is a knee jerk reaction that appears to be two to three years too late. And they are all doing this at the risk of screwing their core audience, the dedicated reader who has bought into a philosophy that the brand has been selling for years.

Has this worked for anyone? You reinforce an established brand, you don't redefine it. That lesson was taught by Coke in the early 80's with New Coke. Nobody wanted it. They needed to reinforce their brand, not alter it altogether. In my opinion, I don't know what GQ is today. Who the hell are they speaking to? When I was growing up, it was the men's fashion bible. Athletes and A list celebrities in cool clothes, intelligent articles, profiles of men that were an inspiration and were models of aspiration. Where is that now? Johhny Knoxville of wife beater t-shirt fame? Ashton Kutcher who wears trucker hats and washed out jeans as a second skin? These are the GQ cover models of today? These are the guys setting the fashion trends? By dumbing down, GQ has turned their back on their core reader and sending the message that they are chasing the beer and babes crowd. I can't imagine how the people at Boss, Claiborne, Armani, Perry Ellis, etc can be happy about that. I spoke with a friend who attended GQ's sales party in Manhattan the other night who mentioned that the staff doesn't know what they are selling - signals are crossed, the message is not defined. I don't doubt that to be true. Because as someone who has perused GQ for twenty years, I don't know what they are selling either or who they are selling to for that matter. They should have stayed the course with that brand. Instead they have gone astray, which in all reality, is great for Razor.

What's even more intriguing is the business rational behind following the laddies. It is clear that the trend is cooling off. Let's look at the facts...From the first half of 2002 to the first half of 2003 Stuff has seen a decrease of 24% on the newsstand. Maxim was off 6.7%, which on their volume is a tremendous loss and FHM was down 2.8 percent, again on high volume. Why do plastic surgery on the face of your brand to make yourself less attractive?

The model didn't work for Ramp, Gear, Tongue and a number of others who jumped on the sinking ship. I don't know where GQ is going and I don't know how Penthouse plans to differentiate themselves from everything else out there, but it all works in RAZOR's favor.

Tara Reid

Steve Hall: A recent story in Ad Age spoke about the "pornolization" of American media. With nudity and sex becoming more commonplace and readily available to all with an Internet connection, will this make magazines that feature this sort of thing less popular? Would this affect RAZOR even though your focus is not in this area?

Richard Botto: It's one of the great mysteries to me why people would invest time with the laddies when similar images are available on the internet. Magazine reading is an experience, not much different than reading a good novel. You want to spend time with it. You want to enjoy it. The experience of the laddies is airbrushed skin, which really is not all that sexy, and bad puns. Log online for 5 minutes and you can find beautiful women in bikinis, so why sit with a mag showing barbie dolls and vapid articles? I don't get it. Even more so, I don't get why GQ and Playboy are trying to copy it.

I don't think this phenomenon will effect RAZOR negatively. In reality, I think it helps us. Our sales have proven that people still want to read something of quality.


Steve Hall: Will the newly appointed New York sales force also handles sales in categories other than fashion?

Richard Botto: Yes. James Navarette, previously of Blackbook and Detour is our new Fashion Director. Joining him is Deanna Zamora, formally of Gourmet. She will be handling Import Auto, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Men's Grooming and Package Goods. And Amy Leiberg has moved over from Nylon to handle Liquor, Entertainment, Tobacco and Gaming. All three are well known in New York and bring a world of experience and talent to Razor.

Beth Ostrosky

Steve Hall: RAZOR has been successful. An entrepreneur such as yourself wants continued success. Where will you take RAZOR in the future to continue that path of success?

Richard Botto: We continue to grow in every aspect of the business. We have recognized growth in newsstand sales and ad revenue quarter by quarter. You need to believe in your message and then you need to bring that message to the people and I believe we have done a good job at doing that. I think the instability within our category only plays to our advantage. I think the repetition of the laddie books has caused some of the defection away from the juvenile titles. Men are looking elsewhere. They don't want to see the same girl on the cover month after month. They don't want to read the same dumb jokes month after month. After a while, really, the laddies become a parody of themselves. Mad Magazine with girls in bikinis.

We feel we bring a hell of a lot more to the party. We are more socially conscious than the laddies whether we're talking fashion, politics, finances, night life, cars or anything else that encompasses the lifestyle of the mature, educated, ambitious, successful male. We are more relevant than the titles that sit next to us on the shelf. And, I don't think anyone could argue that our message and our branding has been more consistent than the other non lad titles in the category. Our message and our dedication to the brand, and therefore to our readers as well, has been the same and is constantly being reinforced.


Launched in November 2000, RAZOR Magazine is "the definitive men's lifestyle magazine for today's ambitious, style-concious, success-driven male." The magazine will, doubtless, find success in its separation from the abundance of lad magazines and the scrambling of older titles struggling to find new direction.

UPDATE: Gawker offers commentary on the spiraling PR tactics this interview has spawned. Funny thing. A PR pitch started this whole thing.

by Steve Hall    Jan-28-04    




Arnold Places Classified Ad to Sell Stuff

Having just moved into the Governor's mansion, Arnold Schwarzenegger just couldn't bring all his stuff along with him so he had to sell some off. Or at least the Melbourne Trading Post in Australia would like him to in this ad.

by Steve Hall    Jan-28-04    




Jeep Fights Hummer in New Ad

DaimlerChrysler, upset over losing a lawsuit that claimed Hummer copied Jeep's grille, is running a new commercial that shows some kids having fun riding around in toy Jeeps while a fat kid struggles to get his Hummer out of the mud. It's America. If you can't win in the courts, take it to the American public through the media.

by Steve Hall    Jan-28-04    




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