Condé Nast Portfolio.com

Highlights

More Than Car Trouble

Recession? Not in the Ad Biz

When $120 Million Isn’t Enough

An Exchange of Ideas


 

Topsy-Turvy Ad World

G.M.’s ad budget is growing, while the Internet’s display advertising revenue is slowing!  “Are the fires of hell a-glowing? Is the grisly reaper mowing? Yes, the danger must be growing!” Wonka says, echoing the state of the current economy. December 11, 2008

What if Carmakers Stopped Advertising?

Even if the Big Three automakers stopped advertising, the sum wouldn’t make a dent in the amount they need to survive. November 20, 2008

Prescription for a Magazine Migraine

Pharmaceutical companies are spending dramatically less on magazine ads–and on all U.S. media in general. November 13, 2008

Daily Brief: Apple McCain’s Microsoft in New Ad

I examined one of Apple’s new ads that attacked Microsoft for spending too much on its new high-profile ad campaign. But a quick look at the numbers made Apple’s commercial seem a bit misleading. October 20, 2008

Daily Brief: Bank of Opportunity, Indeed

While attending the Association of National Advertiser’s “Masters of Marketing” conference in Orlando, I responded to a presentation by Bank of America by writing a piece about how the bank is adapting its message to attract consumer in spite of the economic crisis. October 17, 2008

Daily Brief: McCain’s Media Strategy on Women

I learned that presidential hopeful John McCain was buying television ad space on the TV channels women watch more than men, like Lifetime. This definitely deserved a story. October 2, 2008

Daily Brief: Oldest Ad Medium Becomes New Again

You can fast forward through TV commercials. You can turn the page of a magazine. You can block ads online. But you can’t close your eyes while outdoors. As part of the annual Advertising Week event in New York City, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America showcased some of its members most attention-getting advertising opportunities. Here’s the accompanying video! September 30, 2008

Daily Brief: Bad News About Ads, and Worse

Hindsight is 20/20, but these numbers could have been predicted. In the second quarter of 2008, advertisers spent 3.7 percent less on U.S. media than they did during the same period the year before. Ouch! September 24, 2008

Microsoft Ads: Bug or Feature?

The ad world was wondering: Were the Microsoft ads starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld pulled from the airwaves because they weren’t received well or were they a successful ploy to get people talking? I talked to Microsoft, examined the evidence and discussed the mystery. September 19, 2008

Daily Brief: Best Ad on TV Isn’t on TV

It actually happened. A web-only ad by DDB Chicago won the highest award in TV, an Emmy. September 17, 2008

Daily Brief: Bill and Jerry, Meet Paris and Nicole

Microsoft released the second set of commercials starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and company chairman Bill Gates. It’s kind of like The Simple Life for the middle aged. September 13, 2008

Daily Brief: Microsoft: We Can Be Wacky, Too!

Microsoft introduced its new Jerry Seinfeld advertising campaign, and I analyzed it.
September 5, 2008

Daily Brief: Obama vs. Phelps: It’s Down to the Wire

The world had spent the month watching Michael Phelps, but could Barack Obama supporters at the Democratic national Convention attract the same audience? Here’s what I found. August 26, 2008

More Than Car Trouble

General Motors pulled out of the Emmys. But the carmaker wasn’t the only advertiser unwilling to give big bucks to the networks. Word on the street–other marketers were pulling out of their commitments for 2009. August 21, 2008

Daily Brief: Exxon in the Red in China

Exxon Mobil Corp., which had just celebrated the most-profitable quarter ever for a corporation, spent more on its 150 seconds of advertising during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics than it would be able make in the same amount of time. August 12, 2008

American Eyeful

American Apparel’s sales climbed as it bought bargain-basement ads all over MySpace and Facebook. August 6, 2008

Mostly Fun and Games

Talk about doing what you love for a living. I profiled Benny Torres, a video game enthusiast, whose job is to provide insights about gamers to Nintendo’s ad agency Leo Burnett Chicago. July 13, 2008

Big Buyer Is Watching

Cable TV providers want to show you ads that are targeted to your specific interests, but to do so they want to track everything to you watch. I interviewed David Verklin, the new C.E.O. of Canoe Ventures, a firm created by a consortium of major cable operators to create targeted TV advertising. June 10, 2008

Daily Brief: The Most Effective Ad Campaign of the Year

Nintendo’s “Wii Would Like to Play” campaign by Leo Burnett won the Grand Effie—that’s the top award of the the Effie Awards, which celebrates advertising that successfully builds brands and sells products. June 4, 2008

Daily Brief: Wii Fit: The Triumph the Insult Comic Dog of Video Games

Nintendo’s Wii Fit can be fun, but only if you have rock solid self-esteem. If you mess up, the game is likely to put you down. Nintendo said, customers shouldn’t take it personally. Play at your own risk. May 21, 2008

Recession? Not in the Ad Biz

I explain how the advertising business was actually benefiting from the painful spectacle of the traditional media landscape fragmenting into shards. April 29, 2008

Daily Brief: Wait! Was That a Word From Our Sponsor?

Jimmy Kimmel started making it harder to fast-forward through TV commercials by starring in live ones during his late night ABC talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! April 17, 2008

Daily Brief: Radio (Not) Heard Here . Yet

The radio industry launched its “Radio Heard Here” ad campaign meant to get people talking about just that — radio. The effort included print ads, billboards, Internet videos and a website, but ironically the radio commercial wasn’t ready in time for the campaign’s big reveal. April 16, 2008

Daily Brief: At Least Hard Times Are Good for Someone

Financial services advertisers boosted their budgets for U.S. media in 2007 over 2006. They were looking for opportunity in the economic turmoil. March 26, 2008

Daily Brief: Just How Weak Is the Ad Market?

Statistics tracking how much advertisers spent on U.S. media in 2007 were released. But the total had hardly changed since 2006. March 25, 2008

Daily Brief: The Hardest Sell in Advertising?

I found that the Defense Department’s annual budget for recruiting and advertising jumped by more than 75 percent from pre-war levels, elevating the Pentagon to the upper ranks of all consumer advertisers. March 25, 2008

Time Will Tell

Daylight Saving Time is a benefit to some industries and a detriment to others. March 7, 2008

Daily Brief: Flavor Flav to the Rescue!

Flavor Flav, VH1’s reality TV star, helped boost Viacom’s 2007 revenue. February 29, 2008

Daily Brief: The Web: King of All Advertising Media?

At the annual conference of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in Phoenix, Yahoo C.E.O. Jerry Yang said Internet advertising revenue would surpass that of any other medium, including TV, in 2013. February 26, 2008

Daily Brief: The Little Ad Shop That Couldn’t

Creston, a relatively small British holding company that owns marketing service businesses, had been looking to make purchases in the U.S. But it canceled its plans due to global economic uncertainty and volatility. February 20, 2008

Daily Brief: It’s a Bike! It’s a Message! No, It’s an Ad

DKNY chained up dozens of orange bikes around New York City. The company said the stunt was part of a campaign with the Department of Transportation to promote biking as an environmentally friendly way to get around. But we thought this smelled like a cheap, eye-catching ad. February 2, 2008

2007

When $120 Million Isn’t Enough

Daily Brief: Follow the Money: An Ad Industry Bible Does

Daily Brief: It’s Not Easy Mocking Green

Daily Brief: An Antidote to the Writers Strike, and Just In Time

Daily Brief: Buzz Is Good, but Not as Good as Success

Daily Brief: The Ad Game Merges With a Real One

A Halo of Doom

Daily Brief: Ad Revenue Isn’t Shrinking. It’s Changing.

An Exchange of Ideas

Daily Brief: One Person’s Problem Is Another’s Profit

Daily Brief: More Digital Ad Deals Ahead

Daily Brief: Best Sellers

Where Have All the Ads Gone?

Daily Brief: This Revolution Will Be Televised, If It Ever Happens

Daily Brief: Caveman Ad Writer Discovers Fire, Moves On

Daily Brief: Behind the Upfronts

Daily Brief: If You Hate Ads, Watch Spanish TV

Daily Brief: Good, Bad and Ugly: Women as Seen in Media

Advertising’s Newest Entrepreneur

Games for Grownups

Pre-Prison Prep for White-Collar Criminals

Crisis P.R. Firms

Company Profile of WPP Group