« Nov-02 | This archive, pg:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  | Jan-03 »

Americans React to the Victoria Secret Television Special

Courtesy of the Smoking Gun, here is a collection of letters written to the FCC following the recent Victoria Secret Fashion Show. As usual, you will find that many Americans have nothing better to do then to force their puritanical views on the rest of us. Was it really that harmful? It's lingerie. It's supposed to be sexy. You will love these letters.

The Smoking Gun: Letters to the FCC
--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-23-02    




Immersive AdverGaming for Screenagers

Immersive advertising. Advertainment. Advergaming. Call it what you will but it is becoming ever more prevalent as marketers realize it's potential as a vehicle to reach the growing Internet-savvy group of Tweens (9-14) and Gen-Y (born in 1979 or later). The Internet is embedded in their daily lives. It's not just something they do, it practically defines who they are.

This segment is a very large and growing target group. In North America, tweens control or influence about $750 billion of spending every year. The usual forms of online advertising have failed miserably with this group. Advergaming is the next logical step for marketers to explore..

There is concern, however, over these new forms of immersive marketing and advertising. Some say there are problems. "A commercial will last for 20 seconds or so," says Jeffrey Derevensky, a child psychology professor at McGill University. "An adver-game will last for 20 minutes. The more kids actively engage in something and the more feedback they get, the more likely they'll ask their parents to get something. It's all designed to get them to tell Mommy, 'Look how much fun I'm having'.

There will, no doubt, be pluses and minuses for marketers, parents, and children surrounding these new immersive advertising techniques. There are no hard answers yet but if you are a marketer trying to reach the Tween and Gen-Y target, you can not ignore this new channel.

Macleans: Hey, Kids! Let's Play Adver-games!

--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-22-02    




Maxim Magazine Mates With Television

Maxim Magazine is taking its winning formula of gadgets, humor, sports, and near naked women to television specials on ESPN and NBC. And that is just the beginning. Felix Dennis, owner of Dennis Publishing which publishes Maxim, says the magazine will be launching a cable channel called Maxim Entertainment Network or MEN. Cute.

This first show to air will be called "The Maxim N.F.L. Beach Bash," following the Pro Bowl and featuring the very pleasing to look at Jennifer Love Hewitt. Oh, and Orlando Jones too. Someone else will have to comment on looking at him. He doesn't do much for me. In June, the Maxim Hot 100 issue will become a one hour special on NBC.

So, there you have it. If you can't get it in print, now you can get it on TV. Isn't media great?

NYT: Can Maxim Translate to TV?
--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-02    




Australia Dislikes Sexy Ads

We aren't the only country that loves to complain about racy ads. Australia doesn't like women kissing women, animals singing their national anthem, and Kylie Minogue in lingerie.

Sunday Mail: The Advertiser: Kiss-off for sexy ad gripes [22dec02]
--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-02    




The New Pop Up: The Kick Through

CNET has a story about a new type of pop up ad that "kicks through" to the advertised web site with a simple rollover of the mouse. Very tricky. I hate this stuff.

But, more importantly, we (as in MarketingFix writer, Robert Loch) scooped the story first.

Would have been nice if CNET attributed appropriately!

MarketingFix: Is "Kick Through" a New Ad Format?
CNET: Pop-ups add new twist - Tech News - CNET.com

--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-02    




Diet Coke is on the Agency Move Again

The Diet Coke brand is taking its $75 million U.S. advertising account to Foote, Cone & Belding.

AdWeek: Diet Coke Parts Ways with Lowe

--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-02    




New Tween Magazine Launches

It's Maxim for Tweens. Well, not really. There's no cleavage and no rock stars. It's basically a manga comic book. It is currently published in Japan with a circulation of 3.4 million. The premiere issue launched in November with a newsstand circulation of 300,000. The demographic focus of the magazine is boys age 12-17. Charter advertisers are the Cartoon Network, Konami, and 4Kids.

MediaPost: Shonen Jump Targets Teens

--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-02    




AOL Loses on Advertising Wins With Patent

Maybe losing on ad revenues isn't so bad for AOL. As a consolation, that have pulled out a patent that states they have ownership over instant messaging. While they say they have no plans to do anything with it at this point, imagine what would happen if they did. Interestingly, they also have patents to Cookies and SSL (guards online transaction).

What's to stop AOL from cashing in on this with huge fees to make up for their current financial woes?

Media Life: AOL wins instant messaging patent
--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-02    




Media Life Best and Worst Poll

Media Life's 2002 Best and Worst poll has named Martha Stewart as the top media villian of the year. Other winner (or losers as it were) are:

1. Maxim as greatest influencer on the content of other media
2. Reality shows as biggest media fad to disappear
3. worst idea for a magazine: Gene Simmons' Tongue Magazine
4. TV show surest sign showing collapse of civilization is near: Joe Millionaire

Read the article and the study. Pure distraction.

Media Life Article: Readers pick Martha as top media villain
Survey Results: Results Summary

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-02    




Weblogging Television Style

Does this sound familiar? Take the best content from 22 different information sources and re-package it into a separate product designed to simplify access. That is exactly what Gannett is doing with it's 22 local television stations. Gannet is launching a cable channel that will re-broadcast the local news of those 22 stations at particular times on one national cable channel. Who said blogging was not influential? OK, maybe blogging didn't completely inspire this decision but the similarities are very interesting.

Washington Post: Gannett May Launch A Cable News Channel (washingtonpost.com)
--------

by Steve Hall    Dec-19-02    




« Nov-02 | This archive, pg:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  | Jan-03 »