Still Relevant MySpace Debuts Profile Tool for Marketers

Deep Focus is the sole beta partner with MySpace using the social networks new self-service platform which allows marketers to easily create and manage branded pages within the network.Writing on his blog, Deep Focus' Ian Schafer was surprised at commentary given to Advertising Age from other advertising executives who have basically written off MySpace.

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Tactical SEO: Welcome to the Google Show

The most informative session I attended at ad:tech was the Tactical SEO Workshop -- which isn't really saying much.

Panel stars included Bruce Clay, the most talkative moderator I've ever seen, and Aaron D'Souza of Google -- who, Clay anxiously pointed out, was also on this panel last year. There were two other people on board -- but as Aaron Batte snippily Twittered, it was pretty much The Aaron D'Souza Show.

To kick things off, here's something you probably didn't know: Of all sites that commit the icky mistake of using it to point to a URL, Adobe ranks highest for the phrase "Click here."

Do yourself (and whomever else you link to) a favor. When linking, use relevant anchor text instead of the generic sort.

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'Internet Superstars' Take Stage at Best ad:tech Session Ever

ad:tech very much needed the so-called Internet Superstars, four "internet famous" types who were the center of the closing keynote at this year's San Francisco conference. The name, a bit cheesy for a panel (buy, hey, it's the name of the Revision3 show), was apt for the ad:tech crowd, a very different crowd than the SXSW crowd to whom, internet stardom is the norm.

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Head&Shoulders' Point of View Gives Us Creepy Point of View

Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi has produced smart print, outdoor and in-store ads for its "The Head&Shoulders Point of View" campaign. The ads show shoppers a bird's-eye view of their hair or the hair of iconic figures like Mona Lisa that send a simple, creative and compelling message at or near points-of-purchase.

However, the agency is also running new TV spots and a microsite for the campaign that totally creep me out. Let's just say that dandruff is no longer my biggest fear.

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You Wish, Microsoft.

We love internal propaganda. The thing is, Microserf or otherwise, nobody feels this way about Vista. NOBODY. And if they did, they damn well wouldn't rock out like it's 1999.

I'm in the ad:tech press room watching this video (thanks, MTLB), and the guy next to me -- a writer for VentureBeat -- just burst out laughing. "I just finished watching that right now," he said. "Oh man. I need to go lie down."

Every time the room gets a little quiet, he starts laughing uncontrollably all over again.

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Red Bull Is Late to the UGC Game

Red Bull is out looking for Student Brand Managers and has chosen to (surprise, surprise) turn to YouTube. That's right, YouTube videos are the awareness drivers of the program and you, if you are interested, can upload your own YouTube video and try to get the job.

Memo to marketers: this idea is dead.

Just the other day I was making fun of Gillette for a similar user-generated, upload your video program. The novelty has worn off! This is no longer interesting.

Though the Corey Blade video is marginally amusing if you're having a slow day.

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ad:tech San Francisco Captured Flickr-Style

Catch the second day (OK, mostly night) of ad:tech San Francisco in our Flickr albums. Here's day one. Here's day two. Oh, yes, we do love to have fun. Rubicon rocked. The Oldtimers party was exquisite. Datran did dinner and...what would an ad:tech photo album be without booth babes? Enjoy.

Up With Bottoms

In a new campaign for Bloom supermarkets agency BooneOakley, which is full service AND out of the box, comes to the table (get it?) with a faux-guerilla campaign protesting Bloom's selling of muffin tops and not muffin bottoms. Up with bottoms, they say!

Very cute.

The microsite that comes with it (consumers are driven there courtesy of OOH, YouTube videos, a MySpace page and three events) is pretty funny. Definitely worth checking out.

First Day of ad:tech San Francisco Summarized Picture-Style

Rather than bore you with a wordy monologue of what went on during the first night at ad:tech San Francisco, the story is best told through pictures and there's a lot of them here that capture the first day of the online marketing conference with hit record attendance levels of 14,000 plus. In the picture album, you'll see all the usual shenanigans including booth babes, costumed characters, women with lots of cleavage for no reason other than to make men drool and hang around a trade show booth, industry luminaries, nightlife and just plain fun.

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Painting Town Red, Dancing All Night, and Other Cliches You'd Kill to Live Out

Wednesday night at ad:tech totally kicked Tuesday night's ass.

It started pretty innocuously. I met up with Ana Yoerg, whom I haven't seen since last year, and we hit the W to bootleg internet and do work. Turns out Return Path was having a party there, so we sat on a couch like square bears with our Macbook Pros and tried to avoid the aerodynamic alcohol beverages.

Every once in awhile I'd look up and meet eyes with a well-dressed waiter, whose only function was to hold up a sign that said "Return Path."

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