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  1. No Knock Outs for Oscar

    February 25, 2009  | Comments (0)

    Three and a half hours of program time were devoted to the 81st Oscar Awards Ceremony on Sunday night. The big sponsor was J.C. Penny women’s fashion.  Their ads were well written and produced but left at least a portion of the 36 million-plus viewers uninspired to do their part toward stimulating the economy.  Apparently Oscar’s audience is primarily female.

    I probably should have taken some notes, but I was counting on being impressed enough to remember what I saw. Turns out I’d seen most of the commercials elsewhere, including the 2009 Super Bowl, which BTW, drew the biggest sports audience in televised history at almost 99 million.

    Audience tracker Nielsen Media Research says the Oscar show still ranks as the year’s highest-rated entertainment spectacle on TV, and it’s a cash cow for Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, but Sunday’s figures continue to mark a general decline in American TV audiences over the past 10 years.  In 1998, a record 55 million tuned in to watch “Titanic” sail off with 11 awards.

    TV critics were less than excited about the show. The New York Times’ Alessandra Stanley, borrowing ad speak to describe host Hugh Jackman’s performance, said it was… more

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  2. Report Says One in Six TV Ads During Football Wrong for Kids

    February 24, 2009  | Comments (2)

    Common Sense Media, a national non-profit organization led by concerned parents and individuals with experience in child advocacy, public policy, education, media and entertainment, released a report this month on the content of ads shown during NFL broadcasts.

    The news isn’t good, according to the report.  Broadcast Dysfunction: Sex, Violence, Alcohol and the NFL says many ads supporting more than 50 games this season trade in sex, violence and Viagra®.

    “Nearly 5.3 million kids watch football each week, yet one in six of the ads shown during the broadcasts features contents… more

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  3. Pink Slip for Good Old Days

    February 11, 2009  | Comments (7)

    Bob Lutz, the guy who less than ten years ago convinced General Motors that it needed to think of itself as a global company in competition with other global car manufacturers, will take his final multimillion-dollar compensation package and drive off to Florida at the end of 2009, according to a recent Detroit Free Press story.

    Lutz said future auto product development is likely to be driven by regulation, not the most exciting prospect for “a person like me who thrives on the challenge of anticipating…customer desires and has a certain knack for doing vehicles that please people in the marketplace.”

    Described by admirers as a lover of fast cars with a gut instinct for what buyers wanted and by critics as one of the dinosaurs of Detroit, Lutz said the new car design climate will eliminate the psychological or sociological factor, “that emotional factor that I was very good at playing.” His said car manufacturing will become “a more national business, where cars need to have certain characteristics, and above all, to have regulatory compliance.”

    Lutz rejoined GM as vice chairman in 2001, having worked for GM of Europe from 1963 to 1971.  He served as vice chairman and co-president of Chrysler from 1986 until 1998. His resume includes high executive positions at Ford and BMW.  His comment early last year that “Global warming is a crock of s**t,” and that his promotion of the Chevrolet Volt is more grounded in a desire to decrease dependence on foreign oil than… more

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  4. First Big California Win Goes to Corona Man

    February 10, 2009  | Comments (1)

    A friend of Daniel Su’s told him about a website where you can watch a few commercials and get chances to win thousands of dollars.

    “Initially, I was skeptical, but after a few entries, I knew it was for real,” Daniel says.  As of January 30, he is certain beyond a doubt.  That’s the day he won the $1,000 CrackaJack prize.

    Daniel was born in Korea to Chinese parents.  When he was 17, the family immigrated to Muscatine , Iowa , where they joined extended family in running a restaurant business. When his parents retired, the family moved to southern California where Daniel puts his University of Iowa MBA to work in the financial services field.

    He went into business for himself more than nine years ago and has managed to stay upright so far.  “It was tough when I started my business, and it’s tough now. It’s very nice to take a break and watch a few funny commercials after work,” he says.

    His current favorite is “Eat Like Snake,” brought to us by Burger King, the same folks who invented the subservient chicken.  The commercial ran in selected US markets about two years ago.… more

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  5. Jack’s Picks

    February 2, 2009  | Comments (14)

    Okay, folks.  Yesterday I sat down to watch the Super Bowl, surrounded by a wide variety of friends and family, ready to be wowed by creative genius in advertising. I have my favorites, which I’ll briefly mention below, but we want to hear from you. Which ads stuck with you and why?

    Bud Light Conan/Sweden:  This ad featuring a naïve Conan was fresh and entertaining, packing an extra laugh for ex-pats who have seen Brad Pitt and Charlie Sheen on billboards in Japan, advertising the most ridiculous things.


    Cash4Gold: Ed McMahon and MC Hammer pair up in a memorable, funny pitch for our gold. I didn’t trust the “regular” folks they used in previous spots--but Ed and MC give it to us straight. When Ed said he was cashing in his golden hip replacement, I knew this company was for real. I’m calling for my secure envelope now.


    CareerBuilders.com Tips: I personally am unemployable at this point; too much of a smart ass and unable (and unwilling) to carry one more person’s pack. This ad reminds us all that life is just too short (or too long, I guess) to spend it in a job you hate, especially if you have to share an office with another jackass. I hope there were no koalas harmed in the filming of that commercial!


    Doritos Crystal Ball: I love that the idea for the Crystal Ball spot came from an online contest. This commercial makes me laugh every time I see it.


    Pepsi MacGruber: I know, everyone expects me to talk about Pepsi Generations or the Refresh Anthem, but no. MacGruber, like Doritos’ crystal-ball-to-the-crotch ad just makes me laugh. Nice mullet, dude.

    The Super Bowl landscape seemed cluttered.  I’m glad there’s a quiet place where I can watch the best of ads, when I want to watch them.
    … more

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