Ford Sponsors Wiki-Controlled Farting Joneses

Created by Imagine Digital Communications and produced by Baby Cow, the Ford-sponsored "daily interactive online sitcom" uses a Wiki-style website called Where Are the Joneses, which allows any viewer to change the storyline, character, setting, location or any other element of the sitcom. With all kinds of interesting scenes involving back stretch farting, we're sure this one's going to be a winner.

McDonald's Blogs Again, Paris Hilton Teaches Branding

- Reader's Digest has just announced it will now accept ads on its back cover in January...and cut circulation by 20 percent. Hmm. Guess things aren't going so well.

- Any iPhone spoof that has the copy, "I'm drunk as fuck and I'm driving down the Interstate" is good in our book.

- Uppity blogoshereites aren't taking kindly to McDonald's latest blogging efforts in which the junk food giant has enlisted six "mommy bloggers" to tout the wonders of carrying Big Mac in one hand and a screaming two year old in the other.

- As if teachers haven't yet been disrespected enough, The Learning Annex educational institute has offered Paris Hilton $1 million to teach budding entrepreneurs her secrets behind branding.

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Yawn. Blogosphere Up In Arms Over Microsoft Federated Media Campaign

Oh, the horror! Here we go again. It seems the blogosphere - that square, internally mirrored box in which opinionated blowhards spew forth mindless drivel, their commentary ricocheting off the inner wails of the enclosed box for every other blogger to see and respond to while everyone else outside the box ignores it like children in a sandbox at a backyard cookout - is up in arms...up in arms, we say, over...over...wait for it...comments bloggers have made about - and as part of - Microsoft's new "people-ready" slogan.

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Cannes LeFreaque'd, Pepsi Planetized, Cannes Shortlisted, Adobe Awards

- During the Cannes Festival, AdWeek's AdFreak will be publishing LeFreaque, a blog written by jury members and general delegates who will share their experiences with readers.

- Davis Freeberg questions Forbes' and Business Week's acceptance of ads promoting a questionable penny stock.

- Pepsi shareholder launches Pepsi Planet, a site on which can find, or no apparent reason, a gallery of hot/sweet/beautiful/cute women , some posing with a Pepsi can or bottle.

- If you simply can't stand it and absolutely must know the Cannes shortlists - which are far from short - for direct, promotional, media, press, outdoor and radio, they are here.

- Win fame and publicity with Adobe's "Take Creative License" contest which will award publication in the September issue of Graphic Design USA for the designer who creates the best mash up from the Adobe Stock Photos library.

Maurice Saatchi an Idiot, Adland Redesigns, Hadrian's Zigs, Garfield and Clow Chat

- Apparently, Lord Maurice Saatchi is an idiot. Yup, he is.

- Adland has re-designed and we like it a lot.

- Part name-change announcement, part just-fun-to-do, the Chicago office of Zig has created a silent auction to remind their old Hadrian's Wall email list of their new name. They're auctioning off various Hadrian's Wall paraphernalia on eBay.

- Landor Associates has unveiled the new identity and rebranding work it did for The Museum of Television & Radio which is now dubbed The Paley Center for Media. Hmm, even posthumously, media types have an ego the size of a museum complex.

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Campaign Launched to Save Ford's Marketing

Boston area marketer Kevin Glennon, in response to an article he wrote about Ford's marketing which received hundreds of responses but none from Ford, has launched Helping Hank, an effort to convince Ford to make an actual Bold Move: hire him as its Chief Marketing Officer. More than a ploy for employment - which Kevin doesn't need having launched his own successful business years ago - Kevin has written a letter to Bill Ford calling his attention to the article he wrote in which he urges Ford to think differently and offers up such suggestions as partnering with Lowe's and/or Home Depot to provide a Zipcar-like rental service.

Whether it's crazy or brilliant, you can decide for yourselves as Kevin has set up a full blown online campaign and weblog to support and continue his efforts towards improving Ford's marketing efforts. If we didn't know Kevin, we'd figure this was some sort of elaborate stunt blog marketing efforts so favored by some ill informed brands a few years ago but it's not. It's an honest effort by a smart guy who thinks he can improve a companies marketing. Only you and Bill Ford can decide if the effort is worthy.

Chevy's Aveo Lives Large Again, Travels to Hollywood

As a follow up to their Livin' Large in Aveo, Chevy is doing the "this car's so awesome you could live in it" thing again. Chevy is sending Eric Schackne and Filup Molina on a cross-country quest for so-called stardom. The two will travel from Gainesville, Florida to Hollywood, California continue to to see if they can make it big in movie land. Along the way they'll document the people they meet, the experiences they have and the "performances" they deliver in comedy clubs and with improv troupes in cities along their route. Eesh. That oughtta be good. If you aren't lucky enough to be one of their stops on their week-long road trip, the whole thing's being chronicled with videos and a blog.

No one really wants to live in a car but a road trip is a right of passage and we're liking Chevy a lot for helping these two dudes fulfill this important life chapter. We think more automakers should get in on the game too. After all, there ain't much money in the pockets immediately after college.

Big Brands Support Naked Breasts...Depending on Context

In what could be labeled either a twist-the-story rant or an insightful examination of the double standard brands may or may not apply when they associate themselves - or choose not to - with nudity. Drunken Stepfather's Jesus Martinez is miffed marketers won't advertise on his site because he occasionally features nude images but they will advertise on Jane's Get It Together blog where, recently, fully nude images of woman's breasts have been proudly displayed alongside national advertisers such as Thermasilk, Oakley and Dove.

Should the morality police be called for this serious transgression of double standards or should we all relax because, in this case, context is everything. Drunken Stepfather, an endlessly amusing site focusing on celebrity news, features somewhat racy imagery and occasional nudity. Jane's Get it Together blog features reader-submitted nude pictures highlighting breasts as part of the magazine's Guide to Breast Health. Again, context. Breasts as arousing sex object versus breasts as body part in need of care just like any other body part.

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Podcasters Get Magazine, AOL Up, JWT Down, Imus Sues

- In an odd sort of 180, bloggers and podcasters now have their own print magazine called Blogger & Podcaster. Scoble Graces the cover.

- We had a contest a week or so ago and awarded tickets to five Adrants readers for the Future of Online Advertising conference. If you didn't win here, youo can check out the contest over at Beyond Madison Avenue.

- Maybe this will finally answer the question asked but not answered by some network interviewer years ago about what exactly Avenue A/Razorfish does.

- Who knew? Certainly no one expected it after the merger but AOL's ad sales are up 40 percent and have helped Time Warner look pretty for for Q1.

- Well that's no fun. JWT Chicago has cut 30 people after losing some Kraft Foods business.

- Imus is planning to sue CBS over firing. Please. Can this just go away!

- Clear Channel is selling 362 stations for $820 million as part of a plan to go private.

- If you need to bitch about products or brands, the newly launched Test Freaks gives you the place to do so.

- After losing the account seven years ago, Kentucky-based Doe Anderson, a won it back Wednesday.

Personal Life Media Launches, Offers Topical Audio Shows

Described as a site for "cultural creatives" who "share common attitudes and value life-long learning, self-actualization, authenticity, idealism, activism, a global perspective, ecology, the importance of women, altruism and spirituality," the just-launched Personal Life Media promises to give people a place to find content about relationships, dating, marriage, intimacy, life purpose, wealth creation, healthy aging and longevity among others.

Created by well-connected ad:tech Chair Emeritus Susan Bratton and Rhapsody creator Tim Bratton, the site will offer fifteen weekly audio shows which can be heard online, subscribed to via RSS or accessed through iTunes. The focus will cover personal as well as business issues. Citing the fact most podcast content today is "either tech-oriented, comedy, sports or other content focused on 18-34 year olds, re-purposed mainstream media content or poorly produced amateur junk," Personal Life Media CEO Bratton says she hopes to fill a void with personal-focused information on green living, money, motivation and a healthy collection of information to improve one's sex life.

Also a part of the site are topical blogs written by the show hosts as well as other contributors. Personal Life media will support itself with ad revenue and offer a revenue share model to its hosts and bloggers which it plans to expand by soliciting topical ideas from anyone who has a great one.