9 Reasons to Be Thankful for Native Advertising

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Native advertising went mainstream this year, and as we look back at its impact in time for this Thanksgiving, we can see there is much for which to be grateful.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-19-14    
Topic: Policy



Bulging Boobs Cause MTA to Revisit Advertising Standards

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Following the recent launch of a New York Metropolitan Transit Authority campaign for a Queens-based plastic surgeon, Howard Glaser, aide to New York Governor Cuomo issued a stern letter to the MTA urging the authority to revisit its advertising standards.

In the letter, Glaser wrote,"Tens of thousands of children ride the transit system every day to go to school. The MTA is a public conveyance, subsidized by $190 million annually in the state budget, plus over $5 billion in dedicated taxes. The public has a right to expect that the MTA will strive for a family-friendly environment."

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by Steve Hall    Apr- 9-14    
Topic: Outdoor, Policy



IAB Issues 10 Best Practices For Handling Big Data

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At its 2014 Leadership Meeting this week in Palm Desert, CA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Data Council released a new best practices document, titled "Handle with Care: 10 Steps to Good Data Stewardship."

The document lays out a series of 10 steps which aim to provide a solid foundation for data flow and a jumping-off point for future discussion of data supervision.

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by Steve Hall    Feb-11-14    
Topic: Policy



That Washing Metro Ad Might Be Sexist But It Had No Choice

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So the Washington Transit Authority ran an ad in which one woman says, "A Metrobus travels about 8,260 miles between breakdowns. Didn't know that, did you?" and another responds, "Can't we just talk about shoes?" It's being called sexist and has everyone's boxers in a bunch.

The ad might be sexist but that's not really the problem. It's just incredible lame creative. Like really, really bad. And if this scenario were to happen in real life and someone turned to you and told you how many miles a bus drove without a breakdown, you'd likely look at them and say "Who the fuck cares?" and then follow that up with something inane like, oh, asking if we can talk about shoes instead. So from that perspective, that ad is just mimicking life.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 4-13    
Topic: Policy



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CougarLife Ad Banned For Putting 'Immature Girls' in Their Place

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Oh somehow we'll get in trouble again for this one but what the hell. Young women in Australia are angered over a CougarLife ad which features porn star Julia Ann trashing "immature girls who think they're all that."

In the ad, she stuffs a hamburger in one girl's face saying, "you need a sandwich." She tells another catty lady "you fold sweaters for a living" after the girl spitefully says to her date, "oh, so you're a computer geek." Finally, after a third freeloader says "buy me a drink" to her date, Ann shoves the girl out of her chair and says to the guy, "How about I buy you a drink."

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by Steve Hall    Oct-25-13    
Topic: Commercials, Policy, Racy



Red Bull's Titanic Joke Not Well Received

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It's an age old question. How soon is too soon to poke fun at a disaster? As history would inform, the answer is usually never. There are just too many emotions tied up in certain unfortunate events to make light of them. Even an event that happened 101 years ago is seemingly off limits.

When Red Bull made light of the Titanic sinking by suggesting the Titanic would not have sunk had it been carrying Red Bull, viewers were outraged and lodged complaints with the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.

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by Steve Hall    Sep-16-13    
Topic: Brands, Policy



These Pearl Izumi Sneakers Are So Fast They Will Kill Your Dog

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Haven't we all seen enough movies, TV shows and other forms of entertainment that take steps, often extreme and comical ones (think stuffed animals standing in for real ones), to insure we never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever, have to bear witness to animal cruelty -- even the most innocuous -- in any of the content we consume?

Whether or not one feels this is a bit of overkill is really irrelevant, the cause groups and their public have spoken. No harm -- even of the fake variety -- shall come to animals.

So it's really no surprise running shoe brand Pearl Izumi is catching heat for an ad if created which shows a dog that has just suffered a heart attack while on a run with its owner being given CPR.

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by Steve Hall    Sep- 5-13    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Policy



Facebook Bans Boobs Again, Can't Tell Difference Between Birds And Boobs

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Let's just put it out there. Facebook is very puritanical when it comes to breastfeeding and boobs. The social network just can't handle the fact they are a part of life. The most recent "offense" to Facebook's distaste for boobs was illustrated when it banned an an for Christmas Island's Bird'n'Nature Week.

Wait, what? Yes, you read that right. Facebook banned an ad promoting a nature appreciation week. The ad from the Australian island invited eco-tourists to come appreciate the island's offerings, specifically, the Red-footed Booby, the Brown Booby and the Abbott Booby. Yes, they banned the ad because they didn't like the fact these birds are referred to as Boobies.

OK, OK, it might have been the ad's suggestive headline which read,"Some gorgeous shots here of some juvenile boobies." Facebook claims the ad breached the site's guidelines by "addressing the age, gender or sexual orientation of users on Facebook." Wait. So Facebook users are birds? We're confused.

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by Steve Hall    Sep- 3-13    
Topic: Policy, Strange



AOL Buys Adap.tv, Mag Circ Down Again, Guinness Does NFC

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A Happy Tim Armstrong

- AOL has agreed to buy Adap.tv for $405 million allowing AOL to expand its video advertising offerings.

- Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen -- whose company has 35-plus broadcast stations off the air in a fee dispute -- expects more blackouts, with programmers continuing to raise prices for carriage rights.

- According to the Alliance for Audited Media, formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations, total magazine circulation fell 1% from 292.9 million in the six-month period ending June 2012 to 289.9 million in the six-month period ending June 2013.

- OMG! L'Oreal model Cheryl Cole is appearing in a skincare campaign...wait for it...without wearing foundation

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by Steve Hall    Aug- 7-13    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Celebrity, Magazine, Policy, Social



Ad Exec Says Ad Industry Complicit in NSA PRISM Privacy Scandal

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Have the ad industry's data collection practices fueled the general public's acceptance of the government's prying eyes?

This morning, we got to hear first hand from PRISM Whistleblower Edward Snowden in a video interview conducted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation. In the 12-minute video, Snowden gives in-depth commentary on his decision to release NSA documents and why Americans need to be more vigilant on the issue of privacy.

After watching the video, Digital Net Agency Chief Strategy Officer Skip Graham had a bit of a crisis of conscience regarding the online advertising industry's part in the collection and use of personal information.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-10-13    
Topic: Policy