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Advertising Age has come out with its end-of-decade Top 10 lists. To no one's surprise, the magazine names Crispin Porter & Bogusky the No. 1 ad agency of the aughts. I've previously expressed my distaste for CPB's bullying, misogynistic aesthetic. (There was the Volkswagen ad in which a dude suggests his girlfriend is too fat. The ...
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The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens nationwide one week from Friday. The attendant hype machine is already in overdrive. Among its more curious offshoots: a promotional tie-in with automaker Volvo. The marketing effort includes product placement (lead vamp Edward Cullen drives a Volvo XC60 in the film), a contest (to win an XC60 just like Edward's), ...
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In his epic 2006 broadside, ''Why I Hate Zach Braff,'' Slate's Josh Levin made a desperate plea: ''If Zach Braff is the voice of my generation, can't someone please crush his larynx?'' No such luck, Josh! In fact, although Braff's acting career seems to have stalled out in the past few years, we're now confronted at every turn by his intact ...
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Kristen Wiig, who has been the undisputed star of the past few seasons of Saturday Night Live, induces some chuckles in her supporting role in Mike Judge's delightful new comedy, Extract. But she isn't really given much to do. Which raises a question: What sort of career lies ahead for the comedian?
With her sharp timing and quirky line ...
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CBS and Pepsi are teaming up for a promotion in an upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. When readers open to a two-page spread in the magazine, a tiny embedded video screen will flicker to life. Various buttons on the player will call up short promo clips from fall CBS shows, along with an ad for Pepsi Max. The Financial Times compares the ...
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A new ad for a mobile phone service in Israel has stirred up some controversy. At the start of the spot, we see a group of Israeli soldiers patrolling the West Bank wall. A projectile hits their jeep, causing them to scatter and draw their rifles. Turns out the object was merely an errant soccer ball that flew over from the Palestinian side of the ...
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As saddened as I am by Michael Jackson's death, I'm equally shocked that it didn't happen sooner. A few years back when I covered M.J.'s trial and sat a few feet from him on a daily basis, I found myself constantly marveling at his frailty. Jackson wore his suits tailored tight, with fitted jackets and stovepipe trousers, yet still the fabric ...
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Behold the Comfort Wipe—an 18-inch plastic stick to which you may attach a clump of toilet paper, thus easing the arduous task of wiping your bottom. I'm sure this product serves a vital purpose for some, and, hey, that's wonderful. I'd just like to make a couple of comments about the ad:First, I think we could have done without the ...
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Back in March, Saturn launched its unintentionally poignant ''We're still here'' campaign. While most ads attempt to spur consumer craving, these spots seemed designed to elicit cringing sympathy. Which is not a winning brand image in the long run.
Now, on the heels of filing for bankruptcy protection, Saturn's parent company (for now), General ...