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How to make money from online scam artists
Me neither, actually. But last year, Rich Siegel, then a group creative director at Young & Rubicam Brands, decided, as the saying goes, to follow the money (and he even left Y&R to do so). —Posted by Barbara Lippert |
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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This rabbit's in a fine stew
That’s why, his rescuer explains, he is asking visitors to the site to each contribute one dollar toward a $50,000 ransom – or HE WILL EAT HIM! In his own words, “On June 30th, 2005, Toby will die. I am going to take Toby to a butcher to have him slaughter this cute little bunny. I will then prepare Toby for a mid-summer feast.” Now, I really have no problem with eating rabbits. They’re delicious, doc. But nursing the beast to health just to slaughter him, and naming him to boot? That’s twisted. The site not only includes an open letter to donors, but also a page full of rabbit recipes and photos of Toby on a plate filled with lettuce and carrots, in a boiling pot and on a cutting board. Toby’s owner seems to have some qualms about the whole thing. “I don’t want to eat Toby, he is my friend and has always been the most loving adorable pet” the letter says. “However, god as my witness, I will devour this little guy unless I get $50,000 USD.” As of Feb. 26, Toby’s owner has raised over $16,380. Not a bad booty. But with June fast approaching, I'd start fattening Toby up right quick. You’re not going to get much meat off that sucker. —Posted by Deanna Zammit |
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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Oscar nominee! You're playing for an Amana range!
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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Friends forever (or just for now)
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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Advertising's new wrinkle
—Posted by Eleftheria Parpis |
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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Welcome the hybrid taxis
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Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink
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Restoration and remembrance
—Posted by Jim Lovel |
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Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink
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Party lines and the Oscars
—Posted by Mark Dolliver |
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Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink
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A chilly reception
The gimmick is to impress on advertisers that The Weather Channel is pretty serious about weather, serious enough to pitch them in frigid conditions. In a promise (or threat), The Weather Channel says it will acquaint advertisers with weather in a “very dramatic way” by spending a night in the 30,000 square foot igloo, sleeping on beds made of blocks of ice. The Ice Hotel says room temperatures rarely dip below 23 degrees. That’s Fahrenheit. Perhaps in a nod to the Geneva Convention, heated bathroom facilities are available. The Weather Channel has plenty of activities planned to keep its hardy media folks warm, including dogsled races, snowmobiling and, of course, ice-sculpting lessons. —Posted by Brian Morrissey Photo credit: Xavier Dachez |
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Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink
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Food for dogs or panacea for humans?
It seems dog food maker Iams, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, has created a new sauce to put on dry dog food to make it taste better. The spot reminded me of the old Gravy Train dry food, which promised a gravy-like substance when a little water was added to the food. As a dog owner, I have been known to spoil my dog with silly treats and toys (like ice cream). I was even a frequent customer of Three Dog Bakery before it shut down in Chicago. But this strikes me as plain old going too far. Considering that the dog next door has been known to eat poop, I don't think bacon-flavored savory sauce is going to make much of a difference. According to this site, dogs have far fewer taste buds than humans (but more than cats), though their keener sense of smell may contribute to some taste preferences. Either way, this product seems more designed for humans who can't stomach the idea of eating dried pellets every day. Luckily, I'll be back to my TiVo tonight so I won't have to resist the urge to buy things my dog doesn't need. —Posted by Aaron Baar Photo credit: Iams |
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Published on February 24, 2005 | Permalink
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Off the Wal-Mart
According to the story, at Northern Arizona University, teams play something called “10 in 10”, in which “two teams each spend 10 minutes putting 10 items in a shopping cart. The carts are turned over to the opposing teams which have to figure out where the items came from and return them to the shelves where they belong.” And, the story continues, at Indiana’s Taylor University (where premarital sex, drinking and drugs are prohibited), students have played a scavenger hunt game called, “A to Z” in which “the team that first finds an item for every letter of the alphabet wins.” Other college Wal-Mart sports include “aisle football” and “relay race limbo under the shopping-cart stand.” There’s no evidence that any of the players actually buy anything, but we’re sure there’s a marketing opportunity here … somewhere. If you can think of one, please share it with us. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 24, 2005 | Permalink
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Back in place
Everyone knows about the whole Marcia Cross thing—the fate of each of the wives on Desperate Housewives is more or less impossible to miss, even if you’ve never seen an episode of the show. But the husbands and/or significant others haven’t received as much play, which means you may not have noticed that one of them is Doug Savant, who had a five-year run on Melrose as Matt Fielding. And then there’s Grant Show, now appearing on Fox’s Point Pleasant. We’re not really including Heather Locklear and Courtney Thorne-Smith in this group, since both have had their share of successful series since Melrose closed up in 1999. (True, Locklear’s LAX was cancelled earlier this season.) Now, if someone can just track down Andrew Shue and Daphne Zuniga, the Melrose comeback will be complete. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor Photo: ABC |
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Published on February 24, 2005 | Permalink
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Here's to older imbibers
—Posted by Mark Dolliver Photo credit: Brand X/Getty Images
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Published on February 24, 2005 | Permalink
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Ain't this a fine pickle?
According to Empire Communications Group, the ad agency for Ivanabitch, the campaign has now found itself in a pickle (OK, we simply had to throw that in), because Viacom Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor have both banned the ads in the brand's launch state of Florida. “These companies interpreted the pickle to be phallic,” said Pete Helow, a seemingly amazed managing partner at Empire, in this release. In fact, accompanying radio ads have also been banned, says the company, because they involve a woman saying she prefers her vodka "with a pickle." As for Helow's amazement, he says he was caught with his (oh let's not go there) because the intention of the ads is to introduce Americans to the way Russians drink vodka—with a pickle. Having never been there, we honestly don't know, but several posts from this forum on Russia.com support his contention. But whether the pickle is meant to be served straight up, like the vodka, isn't really explained. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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Cruise control
Don’t people have their chance to convert all the time when Scientologists passing out pamphlets practically chase people down on Hollywood Boulevard and in Times Square? And what if Cruise’s Scientology brethren John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Lisa Marie Presley follow suit? But we digress. The act has caught the attention of veteran cult-watcher and enemy of religious sects all around, Rick Ross, who has received complaints from people on the crew according to this story in New York magazine. —Posted by Celeste Ward |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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Point not-so-Pleasant
Even though we're grateful that everyone in the show is astonishingly good-looking, we're equally thankful that they're pretty good actors, too, making this series a cut above the mindless teen fare served up the same night. But what really intrigues us, since we're adults (or at least try to act like ones in real life), is the way the show explores what Hannah Arendt called “the banality of evil,” as illustrated by Lucas Boyd (Grant Show)—or, in the case of these characters, the simple manipulation of human frailties. —Posted by Kathleen Sampey Photo credit: Fox |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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The growing ‘Sideways’ cult
The Journal compares the phenomenon to a “grown-up version” of how devotees responded to The Rocky Horror Picture Show or what Urban Cowboy did for Gilley’s. But for pure alcohol-dialogue satisfaction, AdFreak points to Dennis Hopper’s full-lung exclamation in Blue Velvet: “Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!” We can’t count the number of times we have seen that David Lynch freak show, and years ago we even threw a Blue Velvet party, decorating our living room with a string of empty Pabst cans. Can Sideways wine-a-thons be far behind? Don’t forget your Barely Legal. —Posted by Andrew McMains Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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A boomer hero for all time
—Posted by Mark Dolliver Photo: Paul Harris Online USA/Getty Images/Newscom |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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Pass the pinot
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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Cleared for takeoff
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Published on February 23, 2005 | Permalink
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The next brand castaways
—Posted by Steve McClellan Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS |
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Published on February 22, 2005 | Permalink
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This is your brain in L.A.
Schwartz, now in his sophomore year of chairing the Beldings, is unruffled by the antics at last year’s show, when the awards night at the House of Blues became an uproarious, drunken bash at the bars, even as the winners were being presented to empty seats by L.A. ad icons such as auto dealer Cal Worthington and Cerritos Auto Square celebrity Super Dave Osborne. “People are over the pomp and circumstance of award shows,” says Schwartz. “They love the work, which is local work of national quality, but they more want to be around other advertising people. L.A. is unique that way. It’s a far-flung empire, not a central hub like New York. So we have to expect it to become a party.” —Posted by Gregory Solman |
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Published on February 22, 2005 | Permalink
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The king of ginseng?
Then there was the bouquet, which seemed to bear touches of cherry reminiscent of a watered-down Cherry Coke—or Sucrets. Yet the carbonated, beer-like consistency left me and my husband confused. Feels like beer; tastes like Sucrets. Our conclusion? Since we've never tasted anything quite like it, we think Bud Extra—like its sibling brands—is certainly the king of something. Like maybe an uninhabitable island. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 22, 2005 | Permalink
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Gates-ploitation, part trois
But there are others, such as this one we found on BoingBoing. Both "The Somerville Gates"—created by a man in his apartment in Somerville, Mass.—and “The Crackers” had a shelf-life so brief they make Christo’s 16-day installation seem as durable as The Fantastiks. "The Somerville Gates" were only “up” until the cleaning lady came, and “The Crackers” was fed to Central Park ducks roughly a half-hour after it was unveiled. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 21, 2005 | Permalink
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Golden arches, meet GoldenPalace
As you may know the Lincoln Fry—purported to look like Abe Lincoln—was the centerpiece of a McDonald’s viral marketing effort that also included ads on the not-so-viral Super Bowl. Anyway, McDonald’s put the Lincoln Fry up for auction on Yahoo!, and it was bought by the classy folks at GoldenPalace.com, the online casino, which, in recent weeks also bought the advertising rights to Shaune Bagwell’s chest (she’s the ex-wife of Jeff Bagwell). The price? $75,100, according to this story on CNN.com. The money is slated to go to Ronald McDonald House charities, which is great. But we can’t help but wonder if a bizarre corporate connection to a company that proudly states on its home page that it has advertised on a pregnant woman’s belly was what McDonald’s had in mind. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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Published on February 18, 2005 | Permalink
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