Archives: March 2008

New McCain Ad Recycles POW Video

Posted by: David Kiley on March 28

GOP Presidential candidate John McCain has kicked off a new campaign ad meant to assert his credentials over the Democrats while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama tangle over whether Obama...

Macy's Star Studded Ad Seems Like A Short-Term Strategy

Posted by: David Kiley on March 28

Macy's strategy of pushing celebrity licensed products may set it apart from other dept. stores, but there is something awfully vapid about the whole thing. How successful are Trump's ties...

Mitsubishi Ad Account Short of Being "Red Meat."

Posted by: David Kiley on March 26

Usually ad agencies view a car account going into review as a red-meat opportunity. The news that Mitsubishi’s U.S. account I headed for review is being greeted more like...

The Obama-Clinton Fight: It's 3AM. And Nothing Good Happens After MIdnight, Or In This Campaign.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 24

If the battle royale between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama proves anything, it is that you have to be crazy to subject your life to the process of trying to...

When Agencies Win Awards After They Lose The Account

Posted by: David Kiley on March 24

Boy that has to stink. At The New York Auto Show last week, IAG Research handed out its IAG Automotive Advertising Awards. IAG, of course, measures effectiveness of ads based...

Starbuck's Strength--Distribution

Posted by: David Kiley on March 24

I totally agree with my blogmate, Burt, about people not caring so much about the interaction with the barrista. Starbucks fundamental problems are two-fold: that some hard-to-measure number of people...

Will Schultz's new plans bring back Starbucks' magic?

Posted by: Burth Helm on March 20

At yesterday’s annual shareholder meeting, reinstated CEO Howard Schultz announced several new “customer-focused” (let’s just call ‘em “marketing”) initiatives. They show Howard Schultz and his team are as cutting edge...

New Pontiac Ad Is An Improvement for a Brand That Needs a Roadmap for Where It's Going.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 17

It’s hard to find a more confused brand in General Motors’s outsized portfolio than Pontiac. The brand is nominally supposed to stand for “performance.” But the lineup hasn’t delivered a...

Memo to Coke: Great Coke TV Spot in Finland. Air In The U.S.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 13

Thanks to www.adverganza.com for bringing it to our attention....

Clinton's Veep Offer To Obama Seems A Bit Costanza

Posted by: David Kiley on March 10

As I watched Hillary and Bill Clinton offering the veep post Barack Obama, even though Obama is ahead in popular vote and delegates, I was trying to rememember what...

527s Gearing Up Ad Machine

Posted by: David Kiley on March 10

Seemingly taking their cue from the Clinton campaign's negative attacks on Sen. Barack Obama as a kind of ice-breaker, Democratic 527s groups are starting to gear up an onslaught of...

Attention Ad Execs: What Will You Do To Combat ADxiety

Posted by: David Kiley on March 07

There is a new word I’m hearing among advertising and media executives: Adxiety. Adxiety refers to how a TV viewer feels when they are watching ad-laden TV programs live after...

Clinton Goes Decidedly Negative A Day Before The New Super Tuesday

Posted by: David Kiley on March 03

Up to now, Hillary Clinton has skated along the negative line in her advertising. That's over. Even the 3AM ad the campaign launched Friday was arguably not negative against her...

Ad Exec Tilley's Suicide Does Not Indict Blogs, But Should Spotlight Workplace Depression.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 03

On February 25, DDB Chicago creative chief Paul Tilley took his own life by jumping off the Fairmount Hotel. Since then, there has been a firestorm of entries and comments...

He's Baaaaaaaack. Peter Arnell Shakes His Stuff at Chrysler.

Posted by: David Kiley on March 03

Chrysler LLC CEO Robert Nardelli has turned to New York ad-man Peter Arnell to help his sort out everything from product design selection top his speeches and brand strategies for...