Alex Bogusky has a Facebook impersonator

Crispin Porter + Bogusky creative chief Alex Bogusky has become quite the social-media star. After swearing off Twitter, he's become quite prolific on the service, not to mention popular, with more than 15,000 followers. He's waded further into the oversharing waters with a Posterous blog (he says it isn't really a blog, but it has all the elements of one) that's featured some interesting posts, although his interview with himself understandably rubbed some the wrong way. It turns out Bogusky also has quite a burgeoning following on Facebook with a fan page at Facebook.com/BoguskyAlex. Only he didn't set it up. The page pulls in his Twitter feeds, videos of Crispin campaigns and a few different profile photos of the man. Bogusky posted on Twitter that the page "isn't me," but it's a nice fillip to be the only adman to have a Facebook fan page created for him.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Previously on AdFreak:
Amid downturn, WPP brass poke each other

Published on October 7, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Crispin Porter, Facebook, Morrissey

Crispin's Facebook app finds your ideal VW

The last time Crispin Porter + Bogusky released a Facebook app for a client, it stirred some controversy. It was Whopper Sacrifice, which encouraged people to trade friends for a free sandwich. The agency is back now with an app that's much less likely to offend. Meet the Volkswagens purports to match users with the right car model based on data from their Facebook profiles. After you install the application, it churns through information like your date of birth and educational history. It then spits out two matches. There's no explanation for how these are generated. For me, an unmarried male in New York City, it recommends a Passat station wagon—or a GTI. Those are kinda different options. I sent a note over to Crispin asking what data it uses for the matches. I'll update when/if I get an answer.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on May 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (5)
Filed under Automotive, Crispin Porter, Facebook, Morrissey, Volkswagen

'Crank' keen to upset your Facebook friends

If "Whopper Sacrifice" was too much for some people, wait until they get a load of the new Facebook campaign for the Lionsgate move Crank: High Voltage. Digital shop The Visionaire Group used Facebook Connect to automate fake actions on users' profiles. The site issues a daily challenge for users to "crank" their friends. One dare sends a status update in which you share a supposed link to a video of your grandmother having sex. Another tags you in a photo with a goat and a note that reads, "My lover and I." Another status update has you railing against bestiality laws. There's also a dare to tell your network you have gonorrhea. Another picks out a random friend to tell your network that you regret hooking up with him the previous night. (I have tried these all out. Apologies, Michael Sharon.) Users completing all 14 dares are registered to win $1,000. My guess is this could resonate with the movie's teen audience. After all, now that Facebook is full of grownups, people take it too seriously.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on April 7, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Facebook, Lionsgate, Morrissey, Visionaire Group

Amid downturn, WPP brass poke each other

We all deal with economic catastrophe in our own ways. For WPP's top echelon of executives, it means enjoying a little Wii and Facebook. A new BusinessWeek story recounts a meeting in Athens, Greece, in October where WPP's board discussed—wait for it—how the company could prepare itself for digital media. The Internet is big, who knew? (Agency Spy, for one, is incensed about this.) A top priority for these execs: getting Facebook accounts. In this endeavor, WPP's titans of advertising got help from none other than Mark Zuckerberg himself. BusinessWeek reports that 63-year-old WPP CEO Martin Sorrell has already lost interest in the site, but others have been liking it. "The directors had fun, but the exercise was meant to help them fully grasp the phenomenon of social networks and how they may affect the ad business," according to BusinessWeek. Ah, but there's more. Apparently, WPP's top 3,000 managers get training courses on things like Twitter. I don't begrudge anyone for trying to make money, but training ad people on Twitter? I tried to find Sir Martin on Facebook to write on his wall. Alas, I can't seem to locate him.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on January 7, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (5)
Filed under Digital, Facebook, Martin Sorrell, Morrissey, Wii, WPP

Facebook to rock out for Advertising Week

Less than a year ago, fresh-faced Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg came to New York to declare that his social network was about to change the face of media and advertising. Since then, Facebook has continued to grow but has clearly had some stumbles in developing an advertising system. (See Beacon.) But Facebook seems determined to be a big player on Madison Avenue. It's signed on as "gold-tier partner" for Advertising Week next week, along with Web giants Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and AOL. That means a series of earnest workshops and the honor of getting ad people drunk at the week's closing party. This is a big responsibility. Whom has Facebook turned to for the entertainment? Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. Huh? I decided to ask a reporter friend who works for a music magazine for his take. "I don't know why Ziggy is playing at Advertising Week. I'm sure there's a hacky sack circle out there that's really jonesing for his mellow tunes." Maybe Facebook should have friended Hootie.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on September 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Advertising Week, Facebook, Morrissey, Social networks

Facebook thinks you're pretty unattractive

I don't think Facebook has ever directly insulted me with its ads, and I feel a bit left out. Apparently, being called fat and ugly by the site's targeted ad mechanism is the hip thing these days. Much of the blame for this has fallen on Facebook itself, but what about the assholes making the mean-spirited ads? Copy like "You're fat. You don't have to be" is overly harsh, and youth marketing specialists who know how insecure teenagers are should know better. My point is that someone should put an stop to this negativity. We wouldn't want the backlash from this crap interfering with the backlash from the ill-fated Facebook movie that's in the works.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on September 4, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5)
Filed under Facebook, Kiefaber, Social networks