Nodding to the adage that no advertising is bad advertising, the Dixie Chicks are riding a torrent of criticism to promote their documentary "Shut Up and Sing." The campaign includes a Technorati-fed Myspace page created by Deep Focus claiming to be "the largest discussion of free speech the web has ever seen," which is funny because the comments are screened.
Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer explains that all political views are represented on the site but "jibberish" or threats of violence get filtered out. That's logical. It's not like anybody is interested in hearing fringey deviant opinions anyway. - Contributed by Angela Natividad
 An anonymous tipster takes issue with the Drudge reports fascination with covering other media outlets banning of various ads and other content while, at the same time, banning the ad for the upcoming film, http://drudgereport.com/flash4.htm), but when it comes to its own censorship, The Drudge Report is no different from CNN.com, Fox News, or The History Channel, all of which banned ads for Newmarket's fim Death of a President which hits theatres today. A film which in no way advocates the assassination of the sitting president, Death of a President is a "what-if" political thriller that should be accessible to any free-thinking American interested in viewing the film. If you believe in freedom of expression, go see this film today and tell the Drudge Report to stop the hypocrisy, and stand up against censorship!">Death of a President, writing, "It seems as though The Drudge Report has no problem reporting on ads which other outlets ban (http://drudgereport.com/flash4.htm), but when it comes to its own censorship, The Drudge Report is no different from CNN.com, Fox News, or The History Channel, all of which banned ads for Newmarket's fim Death of a President which hits theatres today. A film which in no way advocates the assassination of the sitting president, Death of a President is a "what-if" political thriller that should be accessible to any free-thinking American interested in viewing the film. If you believe in freedom of expression, go see this film today and tell the Drudge Report to stop the hypocrisy, and stand up against censorship!" Anyway
McDonald's needs a lot of love now that Fast Food Nation is out, so we'd like to think customers who bother to write a song about them and then sing it to their droney drive-thru guy would get a better reaction. All the clerk says in response is "Um, I missed everything, just ... all I got was the M&M McFlurry part. $2.26 at the first window."
Come on. In the words of Heather from another controversial movie, did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?!! - Contributed by Angela Natividad
This Quixtar ad was so loaded with camp that it was only a matter of time before it got spoofed. Here's a parody calling Quixtar a pimp that whores dreams. It even includes a message for future generations: "Our god is money, and he treats us very well. You will join our land someday, and then you will understand the frozen smiles."
We're glad this frozen smile thing is a common problem. We actually thought people just didn't really like us, but this hope-filled manifesto reminds us that's not possible. - Contributed by Angela Natividad
Because we can't get enough of Wrigley, here's another update from their Candystand site. Adrants reader Mikey Rivve is stoked about the new "Xbox 360-quality" racing game which is just smothered in Wrigley's branding and which apparently also kicks Burger King's ass. But that's enough indulging Mikey. We think the BK games kick slightly more ass. We also think EVERYBODY makes a racing game.
We are bored with racing games. We think Wrigley should go that extra mile and use its other resources to make a really entertaining car-washing game. When they do, we will smile. And we will share it with all of you. - Contributed by Angela Natividad
Hello? Purveyors of contextual advertising? Are you there? Do you care? Hasn't your technology been around long enough to cease the endless contextual mishaps that keep popping up? Do we really need killer values from supermarkets offered next to articles about Amish killings? Do we need turpentine ads next to bits about a teen drinking turpentine to abort a pregnancy? How about putting Anna Nicole Smith's dead son up for sale? Or "card shark" credit card copy next to an article about a woman jilled by a shark? Haven't we seen enough of these to realize a tune up is needed? Apparently not. Here's another one sent to us by The Consumerist.
We do not profess to be an expert of any kind on contextual advertising. We do not believe any of this is done maliciously either. We know there are very reputable contextual advertising companies out there who are above board and provide a great service to marketers. We don't know if these "misplacements" can ever be stopped but we'd love to see if anyone can try. On second thought, maybe not because then we'd have nothing to write about on this topic.
While it seems most commenters don't like it, a new video on YouTube takes old TV show footage (or at least we think that's what it is) and turns it into a a voiced over Wendy's commercial which points to BBV99, a site with a few good goofs that continues the mission of promoting Wendy's 99 cent Better Value Meal. The site was created by MRM Worldwide. The site is also being promoted with banners on YouTube and elswhere.
As we mentioned Monday, Crayon, a company claiming to be the world's first new marketing company will launch today at noon both in the "real world" and within Second Life on Crayonville Island. Crayon President and Founder Joseph Jaffe explains the need for the company saying, "The world has changed, but marketing, advertising, and public relations have not. There is no question that the influence organizations can achieve through traditional marketing, advertising and PR is fading fast." Crayon intends to help "marketers and communications professionals make sense of the profound changes in order to connect the dots between the burgeoning new approaches and possibilities available to them," the press release states.
Joining Jaffe in the company are former Citigroup financial guy Gary Cohen as CEO, music podcasting evangelist C. C. Chapman, social media dude, Neville Hobson, communications vet and author Shel Holtz, entertainment industry guru Chris Trela, planning consultant Francis Anderson and Aaron Greenberber and Michael Denton.
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- While some attribute recent visitor loss at MySpace and Facebook to seasonality, others, including members themselves, attribute it to the increased level of intrusive advertising on the sites. It's off to Second Life we go.Watch out residents.
- Cynopsis reports TBS and MySpace have partnered for an online comedy competition called The Stand Up or Sit Down Comedy Challenge which invites amateur comics to submit videoes. The winner will appear in a George Lopez-hosted special on TBS November 18.
- The girls over at street wear brand Married to the Mob don't like the apparent girlishness of the new man and are slapping "Men Are the New Women" stickers on the backs of unsuspecting guys.
- The Weinstein Company is placing a Truth ad is its DVD release, the first being Clerks II.
- Somehow this whacked YouTube video is supposed to promote The Filter, an iTunes add on which automatically creates playlists based on what you listen to.
- With the tagline, "A World Without Science is a World Without Discovery," InterSpectacular has created four new promotional commercials for Discovery's Science Channel.
- Datran Media and the Ad Council have launched a public service advertisement email campaign across the U.S. on behalf of the Environmental Defense's Fight Global Warming campaign.
- Blah, blah, blah....a Dove Beauty spoof.
Swivel Media's Erik Hauser offers us this column on his in-depth experience with Second Life, ahead of the curve work for Wells Fargo and his companies creation of Stagecoach Island a virtual reality world based on Second Life. He offers sage advice to marketers with Second Life on the brain.
Retro-Marketing
Marketing to People in Their First Life
By Erik Hauser 10.25.06
I can vaguely recall the days when things were very different.
People spent their time in a world filled with oxygen. It seems just like yesterday - OH MY - it was yesterday! Let's take a trip down memory lane shall we? The date is Jan 1st 1997, and people are starting to spend some time on this thing called the internet. Within a couple of years there was a hyper-saturated web with niche sites that had everything from exclusive glues to websites designed as destination locations for people in their mid 30's that had an affinity for poodles. Certain people claimed they would never leave the house again, and vowed to radically change their behavior.
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