Archives: April 2005

Cable Industry Follows Liquor Model To Keep Decency Police at Bay

Posted by: David Kiley on April 29

In a move designed to keep the FCC from applying decency standards to cable TV, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association said its members starting June 1 will better and...

KFC Takes Back Its Middle Name. Can Big Food Make Fat Phat?

Posted by: David Kiley on April 28

Kentucky Fried Chicken finally woke up and is planning to take back its middle name and give up the monogram brand, KFC, it has used for several years when its...

Online Yellow Pages May Deliver Buyers, But They Can be a Huge Drag.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 27

A new study shows that people using online yellow pages are much closer to making an actual purchase than people using search engines. You needed a study to tell you...

Imus Audience Slips in New York. But He Still Packs a Punch

Posted by: David Kiley on April 26

On April 8, former General Electric chairman Jack Welch and his wife, Suzy, sat for a 15-minute interview with morning talk-radio host Don Imus about the couple’s new book, “Winning.”...

Gay Media Swinging....Up

Posted by: David Kiley on April 26

One could get the idea listening to Fox News or right-wing radio on a regular basis that advertisers might shy away from advertising in gay media or around gay themes....

France's Pernod-Ricard Gets Britain's Allied Domecq, But It Still Doesn't Want French Wine.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 21

As Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands move closer to acquiring Allied Domecq, France-based Pernod will still have a gaping hole in its portfolio—French wine. Ironically, Great Britain-based Allied brings with...

Reebok Pulls 50 Cent Ad. Spotlight Shines on the Difficulty of Aligning With Rappers.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 18

I have been spending a lot of time with rappers lately. It's a long story. One thing I find fascinating about these performers is their quest for marketing deals. Remember...

GM Could End Up Looking Better Than Expected Over Flap With LA Times Over Tough Coverage

Posted by: David Kiley on April 13

A few days ago in this space, I wrote on General Motors and its decision to punish the LA Times by canceling about $10 million in advertising for its harsh...

McDonald's 50th Anniversary Invites Reflections on a Brand Icon

Posted by: David Kiley on April 13

As McDonald's celebrates its 50th Anniversary this month, the mile-post in its history begs a few reflections and predictions. McDonald's redefined eating in America. Bold statement, but true, I think....

Carl's Jr. Fetus Ads Creepier Than a Jr. High School Health Film

Posted by: David Kiley on April 11

I've never been quite sure when creepy works as a creative device in ads. But one thing I feel confident of...it doesn't work when the advertiser is selling me food....

Memo to GM Et Al: Public Relations Counts as Marketing, But Only If You Do It Right.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 08

General Motors pulled its advertising schedule from the Los Angeles Times today, citing innacurate and overly critical reporting by the paper's auto writers. I'll be looking forward to seeing the...

It Just Gets Better and Better With McDonald's and The Rappers

Posted by: David Kiley on April 07

As Adweek's AdFreak blog reports, a group called Gatbustaz has released a hip-hop song, McGangsta, that's as laden with Big Mac references, sex, violence and profanity as the fries are...

Extreme Makeover: A Product Placement Dream

Posted by: David Kiley on April 07

ABC's Extreme Makeover sucked me in for two or three episodes. The drama of down and out or otherwise victimized families getting a real house to live in makes for...

Hip Hop Two-Step Over Product Placement

Posted by: David Kiley on April 06

Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam, is the unofficial Dean of hip-hop. But in a chat I had with him the other day, his attitude about product placement makes me...

GM Can At Least Start With Its Advertising

Posted by: David Kiley on April 04

General Motors is going to make some changes in its advertising. Not that advertising is the biggest source of blame for the automaker's woes. But it's a category of problems...