Archives: May 2007

Walmart's Roehm Clearly Shooting For Settlement

Posted by: David Kiley on May 30

For me, Walmart's former advertising chief Julie Roehm "jumped the shark" when she appeared on Bill O'Reilly's TV show fueling his imaginary war on Christmas debate. In Roehm's latest...

Auto Industry Runs Ad Campaign As Stupid As Pending Fuel Economy Legislation It Takes On

Posted by: David Kiley on May 25

The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers has launched a radio ad campaign in an attempt to drive e-mail and letter traffic to Washington legislators urging them not to vote for...

Star of Army Recruitment Ad Killed in Iraq. The Army should face up to it.

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 23

NPR broadcast a story this morning about a young soldier named Astor Sunsuin-Pineda. He was the focus of an Army recruitment commercial on Spanish language TV, who was killed earlier...

Chrysler's New Owner Has Serious Marketing Work To Do

Posted by: David Kiley on May 23

Wrapping up my medical leave this week due to a knee replacement I had a month ago. I have ceded the coverage of Chrysler’s acquisition by Cerberus Capital to colleague...

CW orders up the internet works for Gossip Girl. But I'm not satisfied.

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 17

Well, the prize for most ambitious internet tie-in at this week's television upfronts goes to the CW. During that network's presentation to advertisers this morning, Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced...

New Saturn Ad Line Pushes "American" Button

Posted by: David Kiley on May 17

Saturn this week launches its first big campaign under new ad agency Deutsch/LA under the tagline “Rethink American.” It’s the fourth tagline/slogan creative strategy in five years. The last...

The WSJ's Paid Guide to the Upfronts

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 16

I meant to blog this earlier, but I've been plagued by computer problems all day. Who noticed this today? The Wall Street Journal has a strange five-page advertorial in the...

ABC’s Upfront: In which we see the Caveman Show

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 16

And it is disappointing. I really did have high hopes for this show. I found the 30-second Geico ads pretty darn funny (this will be the first time a...

ESPN's Upfront: A High School Play with Donovan McNabb

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 15

This morning felt more like some weird dream than ESPN’s actual advertiser presentation. Let me put you there, right in the cramped, hot, seats of the Nokia Theater, and save...

Presidential Candidates Victims of Cyber Squatters

Posted by: David Kiley on May 15

If you want a little perspective on who among the presidential candidates will be most prepared...who is the most far-sighted....the most visionary...you might consider those who had the foresight to...

NBC: "More Class, More Mass"

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 14

That was how NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly summed up NBC's goals at its upfront presentation, which just concluded about 20 minutes ago. There was nothing too groundbreaking for advertisers....

Desperate Networks, Part 1

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 14

News flash: Television networks stink at distribution. They've had it too easy, too long, with cable and their large existing network of broadcast affiliates. Internet distribution -- hey, just put...

Richardson Ads Clever. But Not Presidential

Posted by: David Kiley on May 11

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign has launched a couple of new ads that it’s put on www.Youtube.com and his website. These ads are very out of the...

Martha Stewart Loves Costco. Now we know why.

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 08

Last month I wrote a story about product integrations on programs like the Martha Stewart Show. As I was reporting the story (read: watching hours and hours of TiVo'd daytime...

Shell Scores With Online Video

Posted by: David Kiley on May 02

If I have a hobbyhorse these days in my conversations with marketing executives it is that too few advertisers understand that they have a “brand story” to tell. If it’s...

Advertisers on Rupert's Dow Jones/News Corp deal

Posted by: Burth Helm on May 02

As part of our ongoing coverage, I wanted to find out what advertisers think of News Corp's proposed Dow Jones Company acquisition. The consensus seems to be the same: ad...