The Ad Class

The One Show 16th Annual Student Exhibition – CalState Students’ Work

webmaster@theadclass.com — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:59:37 +0000

Art Director: Drew White
Client: Million Trees NYC
Campaign: Fight Pollution with the Right Weapon

(click image for full-size)

Art Director: Colin Frost
Client: Swingline Staplers
Campaign: 1:0

Art Director: Drew White
Client: Elmer’s Glue
Campaign: Relax, it’s Washable.

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Art Director: Kristen Hulsey
Client: Mother’s Market
Campaign: Bread / Vegetables / Fruits

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Copywriter: Cyndie Lalic
Client: Picture People
Campaign: Working for You

Art Director: Natalia Celis
Client: Equate Ultra Thin Pads
Campaign: Way Too Comfortable

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Art Director: Drew White
Client: Bostitch Staples
Campaign: Holds Strong Through Every Struggle

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Art Director: Natalia Celis
Client: Salsa Salsa Dance Studio
Campaign: Same dance, different reasons to join

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Art Director: Liz Llaury
Client: Nature’s Sleep Mattresses
Campaign: Stress-Relief Mattress

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Art Director: Drew White
Client: GE Microwave
Campaign: Larger, to cook more items at once

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Art Director: May Hon Yap
Client: Mountainsmith Backpacks
Campaign: Travel Seriously

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Art Director: Chelcea Cupples
Client: Scotch
Campaign: All-Weather Duct Tape

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Copywriter: Cyndie Lalic
Client: 76 Gas Stations
Campaign: Just Around the Corner

Art Director: Serene Sim
Client: Graco Baby Seats
Campaign: Taking Care of Your Baby

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Art Director: Drew White
Client: Scope Mouthwash
Campaign: Long Lasting Fresh Breath

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Art Director: Chelcea Cupples
Client: Sur La Table Kitchenware
Campaign: Doing the Cooking For You

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Art Director: Ambrosio Ballon
Client: Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Campaign: The Unexpected

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Art Director: Ambrosio Ballon
Client: Invicta Watches
Campaign: Seconds to Spare

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Blogging 101 – How to Setup an Amazing WordPress Blog in Just a Few Hours

webmaster@theadclass.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:59:22 +0000

In these step-by-step instructions and video tutorials, you’ll learn how to setup a WordPress blog in just a few hours -- from buying a domain name (URL), setting up a hosting server, email forwards, WordPress installation and configuration, installing important plugins, SEO, and a few additional tutorials on how to be an amazing blogger.

Before we start this step-by-step ‘HowTo’ guide, here’s a little clip called ‘Blogs in Plain English’ (courtesy of commoncraft.com) to help you understand why you might want to set up your own blog:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYKqEqg9bgg

Ready to start?

1. Purchasing a domain name + hosting service:

Domain name is simply the URL you’ll be using (like YAHOO.com or CNN.com). When you buy a domain name you’re really buying the rights to use that name for a limited time. Hosting, on the other hand, means a physical space on someone’s hard-drive (server) where your blog’s/website’s files will be stored. To have a website or a blog you’ll need both. When visitors type your domain URL into their browser, they are being redirected to the files stored on your hosting service. You can purchase the domain name separately from the hosting but it’s not recommended since some hosting services (like 1&1) will give you 1, 2 or even 3 free domains with your hosting service (GoDaddy, for example, do no give free domain with their hosting so you’ll have to pay for both if you )

My personal choice is 1&1 (click here for their current deals). I’m sure you’ve heard of GoDaddy but I find 1&1 to be cheaper, with better customer support, and a few extra features GoDaddy charge more for (like free domains with your hosting). Here’s a detailed comparison between the two.

Before choosing a domain name, think about YOU as a BRAND. What would you like people to know about you? How would you like others to perceive you? To identify your self-branding goals, you can use these tools:

TOOL: Personal Branding Creative Brief

TIP: 12 Excellent Tools for Picking a Domain Name

USEFUL: 1&1′s Hosting | Customer / Tech Support: 1-866-991-2631

IMPORTANT: You want the Linux hosting and not the Windows hosting, even if you have a Windows operating system.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBrjTjT8OM

2. Before Installing Your Blog (Setting up FTP and MySQP and FileZilla):

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It’s the way your computer communicates with the hosting service you just purchased. To be able to transfer the blog files, you will need to download and install an FTP software. I recommend FileZilla (click here to download). It’s free, fast, easy to install & use, and works well on both Windows and Mac OS. If you use Firefox as a browser, another good option is FireFTP (Firefox addon).

The next step will be to create an FTP account (via your 1&1 control panel):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaQrvYni94Y

USEFUL: If you need further assistance, call 1&1′s Tech Support: 1-866-991-2631

MySQL is a database management system which is used (in our case) to store your blog’s content (posts, pages, links, etc). Before you can setup your blog, you will need to create a MySQL databse in your 1&1 Control Panel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnnTjCgOv8k

USEFUL: If you need further assistance, call 1&1′s Tech Support: 1-866-991-2631

3. Downloading WordPress and configuring WP-config.php:

WordPress is currently the leading blogging software out there. You may have heard of, or used, other platforms (such are Blogger, Tumbler, Drupal, TypePad, LiveJournal, Movable Type, etc) but there’s a general consensus among bloggers that WordPress is relatively easy to install, very easy to use and offers lots of features that other platforms do not.

COMPARE BLOGGING PLATFORMS: ProBlogger.net chart and a more detailed comparison chart (via ojr.org)

Download the latest version of WordPress (2.9.2) here. Save the ZIP file on your harddrive and unzip it.

Download my Extras for WordPress 2.9.2 here. Unzip it to the same folder you used for WordPress, overriding any existing file in the WordPress folder you created in the previous step.

My extras include:

- Improved wp-config.php (see /** EXTRAs in it) that will make your blog run faster, smoother, using more of 1&1′s allocated memory.
-- Improved wp-settings.php (see /** EXTRAs in it) that will increase 1&1′s allocated memory.
-- Improved php.ini that will increase 1&1′s allocated memory (from 32mb to 40mb)
-- info.php file that will provide lots of valuable info about your hosting service.
-- Improved .htaccess files for both 1&1 and GoDaddy.
-- Sample favicon.ico for your blog.
-- List of the most useful WordPress plugins.txt

In the WordPress folder you unzipped, you should find a file called wp-config.php (your computer might not show the .php extension if it’s setup to hide file extensions). If you only see a file called wp-config-sample.php that means you did not unzip the ‘Extras‘ above to the same folder where you unzipped WordPress. Look for the ‘Extras‘ you downloaded and make sure you unzip/copy/paste them to the same folder as your WordPress files.

Open wp-config.php using a text editor (WordPad for PC or TextEdit for Mac will do. NotePad might show all lines in one chunk). In step 2, you’ve created a MySQL database and hopefully wrote down its details. Go back to your notes and copy/paste these 4 fields from the database you’ve created into wp-config.php:

Save wp-congif.php.

NOTE: It is extremely important to keep the single quotation marks around the fields you’re copying. If you get a database error message later on, when you activate WordPress, it’s probably because you didn’t put the right info here or deleted one of the quotation marks.

4. Uploading WordPress to your 1&1 hosting space with FileZilla:

In step 2, you’ve downloaded and installed an FTP client called FileZilla. Run FileZilla and transfer the WordPress files to your hosting server.

NOTE: the video below (courtesy of slackermarketing.com) will show you how to transfer your files. In the video, they recommend creating a /blog folder on your hosting server side. If your intension, is for your domain to host your blog alone (no other website), you can also transfer the files directly to the root (main) folder:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4DYHOiwGSQ

5. Activating WordPress for the first time:

- Visit: http://YourDomnainName.com/wp-admin/install.php (or .org, net, etc, whichever one you bought).

- This should setup the tables needed for your blog. If there is an error, double check your wp-config.php file, and try again.

- Copy the temporary password given to you and use it for your first login. Your username is admin and you can change your password to something more memorable once you login (left menu, under: Users / Your Profile).

Here’s a little clip that explains how to Log In to your admin dashboard:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuzJBFb0LNM

TIP: adding /wp-admin at the end of your url is exactly the same as adding /wp-login (both will take you to your blog’s dashboard).

About your blog’s Dashboard (courtesy of learntospeakgeek.com):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyy84weBBdk

6. Updating .htaccess:

.htaccess is a server management file which can provide a higher level of security, increase memory access, and a few other important settings you can add to your blog (or to any other website). For your convenience, I have written a very powerful .htaccess file and added it to the Extras you’ve downloaded before. In your unzipped WordPress folder, you should see two versions of it, one for 1&1 hosting and the other for GoDaddy (they use a slightly different code to enforce PHP5). Assuming your host is via 1&1:

- From within FileZill (the FTP client), look for a file named htaccess-1and1.txt on your server side (the right side, not the left side which is your local hard-drive).

- right-click it and rename it to: .htaccess (basically adding a dot before the h and deleting the dash and everything after it, including the .txt extension).

If you’re interested in learning what exactly this .htaccess file do, open it with a text editor and read the side notes.

TIP: Updating this .htaccess file will allow you to install and activate over 40 plugins in one click vs. having to install and activate them one by one.

7. Configuring WordPress:

At this point, WordPress is installed on your domain. If you visit http://YourDomainName.com you should see your blog. It should looks something like this:

Now you’ll need to configure the basic settings for your blog. To do so, visit your admin page (also called Dashboard): http://YourDomainName.com/wp-admin

Click here to view the embedded video.

The following SETTINGS (left menu) are shown in the video above:

Settings / WRITING / Update Services (copy/paste this instead of whatever is in the box):

http://rpc.pingomatic.com
http://ping.feedburner.com
http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates
http://ping.myblog.jp
http://bblog.com/ping.php
http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2
http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/
http://xping.pubsub.com/ping
http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
http://api.moreover.com/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2

http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php

Settings / DISCUSSION / Comment Moderation
Click here and copy this list into the Comment Moderation box.

Settings / PERMALINKS / Common Settings - Check ‘Custom Structure’ and copy/paste this:
/%category%/%postname%

To add the ‘www‘ prefix to your URL, go to:
Settings / GENERAL / For both WordPress address (URL) and Blog address (URL) add ‘www‘ / Save.

8. Installing Plugins:

Plugins add functionality, security, usability, and many other features to WordPress. Before we install any plugins, there are two unnecessary plugins that were auto-installed by WP, and that we don’t really need (the more plugins installed the slower your blog will be to your visitors). On your blog’s Dashboard (left menu):

Plugins / INSTALLED / Check both Akismet and Hello Dolly
Under Bulk Action, choose Delete / click Apply

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtEfFuXuyVU

Now lets add some useful plugins:

Plugins / ADD NEW / In the search box, type: plugin central / hit search
Install “Plugin Central” (ignore any “plug not been tested” message if you get one) / click Install Now / click Activate Plugin

Click the Plugin tab on the left-menu once again, and then the Plugin Central under it.
Copy the list of plugins (links) below and post it into the Easy Plugin Installation box / below the box, click Install Plugins:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/admin-management-xtended/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ajaxd-wordpress/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/automatic-timezone/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bad-behavior/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/defensio-anti-spam/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analyticator/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sitemap-generator/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tantan-reports/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/better-plugin-compatibility-control/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/broken-link-checker/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-category-order/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-link-order/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-page-order/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sexybookmarks/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/subscribe-to-comments/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tinymce-advanced/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-optimize/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/robots-meta/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/photo-dropper/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/reveal-ids-for-wp-admin-25/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/seo-image/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/simple-tags/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/smart-youtube/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-ajax-edit-comments/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-pages/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/page-links-to/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/redirection/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-unleashed/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sem-external-links/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-cumulus/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-polls/
http://www.maxblogpress.com/downloads/maxblogpress-ping-optimizer.zip
http://www.maxblogpress.com/downloads/psychic-search.zip
http://www.maxblogpress.com/downloads/maxblogpress-favicon.zip

http://www.maxblogpress.com/downloads/seo-post-link.zip

9. Activating Plugins:

On the left menu, under Plugins / click Installed
For Inactive Plugins / click ACTIVATE under each plugin to activate them one by one.

If you followed steps #3 (extras) and step #6 (htaccess) of this guide, you can also activate all plugins at once. To do so, check the ‘Plugin‘ box below ‘Bulk Action‘ / Change Bulk Action to Activate and hit Apply.

If you didn’t follow steps 3 & 6, you might overuse 1&1 server’s cpu by activating all plugins at once and you’ll get “ERROR 500 -- Internal Server Error” message (which basically means you are using too much of their allocated memory). If you did get “ERROR 500″ message and can no longer access your blog’s Dashboard, follow these steps:

a. Using FileZilla or any other FTP client -- rename the “plugins” folder on the server side (right side) to a different name (doesn’t matter what). The plugin folder is under the /wp-content/plugins

b. Login to YourDomain.com/wp-admin -- that will reset your blog with no active plugins.

c. Using FileZilla or any other FTP client, rename the plugin folder back to -- plugins

d. Login to your YourDomain.com/wp-admin again and this time, activate the plugins one by one (or go back to make sure you follow steps #3 & #6 of this guide).

10. Plugin Setup:

Some of the plugins you installed require initial setup or configuration. In this section we will go over some of these. On the left menu, under:

Appearance / AJAXed WordPress / Overall Options (top)

Scroll to the bottom and under “AJAXed WordPress News“:

- CHECK to “Disable all news announcements?“
-- CHECK to “Disable news announcments of donations?“
-- REMOVE check from “Append a small link to aWP to blog footer“

SETTINGS / All-in-one SEO Pack (Search Engine Optimization):

Here’s why SEO:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHR6IQJGZs

Typically, this is how google presents search results:

In our example, all-in-one-SEO settings are:

Home Title: “The Advertising class” (even though our URL is TheADClass.com, we wanted the word “Advertising” to appear on the title since we assume people are more likely to search for it). Keep it short and relevant. While the format of the home-title shouldn’t be just keywords but a real title, the words you use for your home-title should be relevant to the google keywords you want to be found by.

Home Description: “The best resource page for advertising students, professors and professionals. Art Directors, Copywrites, Account Planners, Media Planners, AdAge, AdWeek, Ads of the World, ADDY, Clio, I Have an Idea.” Notice that in the example I gave here, the description in all-in-one is longer than what Google actually shows. Google only shows 150 characters (with spaces) so you want to limit your description to 150 characters.

Home Keywords: No more than 30. Use the most important keywords you’d like to be found by. All lowercase.

Check ALL check-boxes EXCEPT the last one (“Log important events”). This will prevent Google from lowering your PageRank due to duplicate content.

SETTINGS / Timezone

Select the nearest city to you. This will auto-adjust your WP time to daylight savings time if needed.

SETTINGS / Bad Behavior

This plug will prevent a lot of spam comments on your blog. You want to un-check “Display statistics in blog footer“.

SETTINGS / Google Analyticator

This plugin Shows cool stats about your visitors. First, you’ll need to setup an account and get a UA code from Google Analytics. If your blog URL ends with /blog/ or /wordpress/ include that in the URL during the setup:
http://www.google.com/analytics/

Here’s a short clips on how to set it up (courtesy of OnlineCashflowGuru.com). Note that only the first 3 minutes of this clip are relevant (since we’re using the Google Analyticator plugin, we don’t need to copy/paste any code other than the UA number).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=abHDVTD_ZSw

Setting up Google Analyticator with your UA code:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixUoFyQpWhA

TIP: I would actually not recommend enabling the Footer Tracking Code by default, since it’s not compatible with every WordPress theme.

SETTINGS / MBP Favicon

MBP Favicon adds a cool favicon to your blog. Favicon (short for favorites icon), also known as a website icon or bookmark icon is a 16×16, 32×32 or 64×64 pixel square icon associated with a particular website or webpage.

NOTE: while this is a great plugin, the author of this plugin will send you marketing material after registration. When registering, I’d recommend using an alternative email that you can still check (in order to activate) rather than your main email address. When transfered to another website to sign up, pick “no thanks”.

Here are sime favicons inspiration:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/01/31/inspire-yourself-50-remarkable-favicons/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/09/11/creative-favicons-tiny-artwork/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/06/14/creative-favicons-when-small-is-beautiful/
http://deltatangobravo.com/archives/2004/march/favourite
http://pimpmypagerank.com/favicons/
http://mppierce66.home.comcast.net/~mppierce66/web/fi/collage.htm
http://www.cssjuice.com/20-best-favicon-online-generators/

SETTINGS / MBP Ping Optimizer

MBP Ping Optimizer is Great plugin that pings search engines about your new posts in a smart way. Nothing to configure, just register and it will be activated.

SETTINGS / Photo Dropper

Use this plugin to grab interesting photos as you blog along, to add to your posts (icon will appear above the post’s editing-box). To optimize it for best usage:

- Remove the check from “Use Classic Interface“
-- Increase “Images per page” to 25
-- Remove the check from “Show only…“
-- Check “Sort Photos by…”
-- Save

SETTINGS / Psychic Search

This is a great plugin that shows you what your readers are searching for. After registering / verifying, you want to uncheck both of the “Count Searches from…“

SETTINGS / Reveal IDs for WP Admin

This plugin is for advance users who might need to figure out post/page IDs. No special setup, just hit SAVE once if you’re still getting an announcement about it on the top of your dashboard.

SETTINGS / Robots Meta

This plugin improves SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by modifying the robots meta tags.

- Check ALL check-boxes for this plugin.

NOTE: If you’ve uploaded the .htaccess file as described in step #6 of this guide, you don’t need to touch anything else here.

SETTINGS / External Links

This plugin adds a nice icon next to any external link on your blog.

- Remove the check from the first option (Apply Globally) and add a check to the other three options listed there / Save.

SETTINGS / SEO Post Link

This plugin makes your post link short and SEO friendly (Search Engine Optimization). It removes common words that are unnecessary for search engine optimization off your blog’s post link.

- After registering / verifying, if there isn’t already a list of “Unnecessary Words” than click here and copy/paste this list.

SETTINGS / SexyBookmarks

Select your preferred social bookmarking sites, preferred settings and hit ‘Save Changes‘.

SETTINGS / Ajax Edit Comments

Under ‘Spam Protection‘ (middle of the page) / check Defensio

SETTINGS / Defensio

Defensio is one of the best anti-spam plugins. Sign up and get the Defensio API Key at:

http://www.defensio.com/signup

SETTINGS / XML-Sitemap

This is the best plugin to help Google index your blog.

- Click where it says: “The sitemap wasn’t built yet. Click here to build it the first time“.

11. Installing a theme for your blog

In the endless sea of WordPress themes, here are some of the best links to start your journey. When you find your theme, download it as a ZIP file:

http://www.instantshift.com/2009/02/22/140-brilliant-free-wordpress-themes-around/

http://www.antsmagazine.com/100-superb-wordpress-themes-for-free/

http://www.presidiacreative.com/39-amazing-wordpress-themes/

http://speckyboy.com/2009/01/23/30-free-amazing-and-versatile-wordpress-27-themes/

http://www.ahnternet.com/2009/02/03/25-awesome-high-quality-free-wordpress-27-themes/

http://mashable.com/2010/02/10/free-wordpress-blog-themes/

http://mashable.com/2009/01/19/free-wordpress-themes/

http://mashable.com/2009/01/07/wordpress-2-7-themes/

http://pennybutler.com/wordpress/themes/free/beautiful-creative-wordpress-27

http://www.ezwpthemes.com/

http://honestholly.com/10-rare-wordpress-themes-for-2009/

http://honestholly.com/thursday-themes-10-best-wordpress-themes-2009/

http://www.noupe.com/wordpress/15-high-quality-free-premium-wordpress-27-themes.html

http://www.patromax.com/15-most-popular-wordpress-27-themes/

http://mashable.com/2008/09/19/top-wordpress-themes/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/25/30-free-high-quality-wordpress-themes/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/25/15-more-free-first-class-wordpress-themes/

http://topwpthemes.com/

http://www.freewpblogthemes.com/

Here’s a little video tutorial on how to auto-install your theme (courtesy of meetwilliambryant.com):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-6-qjNnb5M

You can also manually install any theme using your FTP client (FileZilla). Here’s a little video tutorial on how to install your theme manually (courtesy of mattladwig):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrh2OZ9Mbw8

12. Howto Blog:

Understanding Blogs -- Blogs in Plain English (courtesy of commoncraft.com)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

Understanding Pages, Posts, Categories, Tags, Slug and Permalinks:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVKkblKgFyY

Adding/writing a new post (courtesy of learntospeakgeek.com):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vccJHRLgWR8

Adding/writing a new page (vs. post) (courtesy of learntospeakgeek.com):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTDRagRBiWI

Recent Advertising Award Shows’ Results

webmaster@theadclass.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:12:56 +0000

2009 Clio:

http://www.clioawards.com/winners/index.cfm?maxrow=30

2009 One Show:

http://www.oneclub.org/os/os/showcase/?year=2009

2009 Andy:

http://www.andyawards.com/winners/index.php

2009 Bassies (Canada):

http://thebessies.ca/2009/winners.html

2009 D&AD:

http://awards.dandad.org/2009/

BTAA (British Television):

http://www.securio.net/btaa/btaa/index.cfm/fa/award.intro/year/2009

2009 Golden Drum:

http://www.goldendrum.com/competition/showcase/

2009 London International:

http://2009.liaentries.com/winners/?id_medium=6&view=icons&range=w

2009 Addy (actual ads can be searched on Google by ad/agency name):

http://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=1001

2009 Cannes Lions (actual ads can be searched on Google by ad/agency name):

http://www.advertolog.com/award_show_winners/Cannes_Lions/year2009/

Super Bowl XLIV (44) 2010 Best Ads/Commercials

webmaster@theadclass.com — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:51:46 +0000

According to The Nielsen Company survey released Jan 20, the majority of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the game’s ads more than the action on the field. The survey also reveals that Super Bowl ads are most effective and better remembered if they are aired early rather than later in the game. Other interesting findings were:

* Traffic to advertiser Web sites spiked on the day after last year’s Super Bowl (duh)
* In the last five years, the biggest Super Bowl advertiser was Anheuser-Busch, which spent over $100 million on its Bud and Bud Light brands alone.
* Motion Pictures form the biggest category of ad spending, which leads to an immediate surge in online buzz for the advertised films.

According to TNS Media Intelligence, the economic slump have also taken a toll on Super Bowl ads, pushing down the price for only the second time in the game’s history (though they are still the most expensive ads on television).

This year, a 30-second spot is expected to cost anywhere between 2.5M to 2.8M (not including the production costs, just air-time). Final figures will be released after the Super Bowl airs Feb. 7. In the past, an average 30-second ad cost:

2009 -- $3 million
2008 -- $2.7 million
2007 -- $2.4 million
2006 -- $2.5 million
2005 -- $2.4 million
2004 -- $2.3 million

A couple of interesting trends in this 44th Super Bowl:

* Pepsi won’t advertise its drinks for the first time in 23 seasons, joining FedEx and GM, who dropped out last year.
* In their absence, newcomers and smaller companies have snatched up slots in advertising’s biggest showcase.
* From 1990 through 2009, the Super Bowl generated $2.17 billion of network sales, including 1,400 commercials from 210 advertisers (source: TNS)

Watch all Super Bowl 2010 ads during and after the game here:

http://www.spike.com/superbowl
http://www.youtube.com/superbowl
http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/
http://creativity-online.com/superbowl2010/thespots/
http://www.superbowl-ads.com/

AdWeeks’ 2010 Commercial Players:
http://www.adweek.com/aw/custom-reports/superbowl/chart.jsp

Read more Super Bowl trends from The Nielsen Company:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?s=super+bowl

Who’s Buying What in Super Bowl XLIV ???
http://adage.com/superbowl10/article?article_id=141168

Super Bowl 2010 on AdAge:
http://adage.com/superbowl10/

Super Bowl 2010 on AdWeek:
http://www.adweek.com/aw/custom-reports/superbowl/index.jsp

USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter:
http://admeter.usatoday.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today_Super_Bowl_Ad_Meter

The world’s Largest Collection of Super Bowl Ads (AdLand):
http://adland.tv/SuperBowlCommercials

Top 20 Super Bowl Ads Ever (Creativity-Online):
http://creativity-online.com/superbowl/top20

The Funniest Super Bowl Ads of All Time (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/the-funniest-superbowl-ad_n_449511.html

To view full-motion commercials, storyboards, and ratings that aired during the Super Bowls since 1999, visit Nielsen’s website at:
https://www.nielsenmedia.com/monitorplus/superbowl/

CBS -- Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials 2009:
http://www.cbs.com/collections/superbowl/

The 10 Best Super Bowl Ads of All Time (MSNBC):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35174030/

The 10 Worst Super Bowl Ads of All Time (MSNBC):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35059361/

The Sleaziest Super Bowl Ads of All Time (MSNBC):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22871730/

Top 10 Sexiest Super Bowl Ads of All Time:
http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-sexiest-superbowl-commercials-of-all-time/pt_tesla

And last but not least, here are just a few of the upcoming 2010 ads (or teasers). The list will be updated as the ads run during the game:

VW (Meet Sluggy Patterson):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlB9OhhJhE8

Audi of America (The Green Police):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYxvtDMB1zk

CareerBuilder.com (Job Fairy):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2gUi4xvvsE

CareerBuilder.com (Casual Friday):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1FxwagDP8A

CareerBuilder.com (Worst Seat):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvRQ_9J_GDg

Doritos (Snack Attack Samurai -- Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bRSM4EbLFw

Doritos (Smackout -- Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpRbbtHp5Qg

Doritos (Kids These Days -- Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4YNFO70Qhk

Doritos (House Rules -- Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsEnwKrsvc

Doritos (Casket -- Crash the Super Bowl 2010 Finalist):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPTAOgPIUds

E*Trade (Barbershop):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqZGj6VLSGg

E*Trade (Lottery):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqVBKO_QM3o

Monster.com (Boogeyman):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_cbLS0-Abo

GoDaddy (Lola, rejected):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=68WTMYxoSck

GoDaddy:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SklKTC_1S_A

GoDaddy (Spa):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXWvkgdCP-s

GoDaddy (News):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fYykJCvZPM

Boost Mobile (McMahon, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzGl7S-kauM

Boost Mobile (Singletary, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhYX7fF_EIs

Boost Mobile (Distka, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-bCgRJhEk

Bridgestone (Your Tire or Your Life, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4eqNo2L53I

Bridgestone (Whale of a Tale, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuqwY495AwQ

Denny’s (Feeds America):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=txoSa6huhN4

Dockers (teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAFuNk0fM1I

CatholicVote.com (Life: Imagine the Potential, rejected by NBC):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

Kia:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJqs3D2vv4I

Dante’s Inferno (Go To Hell):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rbeAGdYk_0

Universal Orlando Resort (Wizarding World of Harry Potter):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWNKWE-vFAI

Honda (Accord Crosstour):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtDWKusYZgM

Hyundai (Paint):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLRvmWv1J6s

Hyundai (10 Years, featuring Brett Favre):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVYxU1OHumM

TruTV (Groundhog Day, featuring Troy Polamalu):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzIdZbypNk

The Last Airbender (trailer):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeTzlC6mN4E

Cars.com (Timothy Richman):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH6Gt1-NWw4

Taco Bell (It Rocks, teaser):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqIISOfTrVc

We’d love to hear from you before, during or after the game

WHAT’S YOU FAVORITE 2010 SUPER BOWL AD?

WATCH THE ADS HERE

COMMENTS?

Ads of the Week (Jan 26, 2010)

webmaster@theadclass.com — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:12:50 +0000

A few great ads to start the week with. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=in99Xm1-Fz8

Client: Sky TV | AD: Labour
Agency: DDB New Zealand
Creative Director: Adam Kanzer
Creatives: James Conner & Christie Cooper

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YZ710CJ0hM

For more of Aleksandr Orlov, visit
http://www.youtube.com/user/CompareTheMeerkat

Client: CompareTheMarket.com | AD: Journey of Courageousness
Agency: VCCP, London
Creative Directors: Darren Bailes & Steve Vranakis
Creatives: Richard Connell & Clement Woodward

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iou-l59OOBg

Client: Philips | AD: Squeaky Clean
Agency: DDB London
Creative Director: Neil Dawson
Creatives: Deborah James & Chris Lapham

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6csvpkZ1S50

Client: Pepto Bismol | AD: Nice Burrito
Agency: Lapiz, Chicago
Executive Creative Director: Laurence Klinger
Associate Creative Directors: Jose Funegra & María Bernal
Copywriter: Jose Funegra
Art Director: María Bernal

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOgFP2TLq-o

and ‘The Making of’:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t4IshMNRsA

(and their waterslide ad, in case you missed it last year)

Client: Barclaycard | AD: Rollercoaster
Agency: BBH, London
Creative Director: Adam Tucker
Art Director: Szymon Rose
Copywriter: Daniel Schaefer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDwYUfh_Vyk

Cliend: Mercedes-Benz | AD: Avoid surprises
Agency: The Viral Factory, London
Creative: Lukas Lindemann Rosinski

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqlQS5CCmwI

Client: Nolan’s Cheddar | AD: Seriously strong
Director: John Nolan

Personal Branding – Using a Blog to Create/Communicate Brand YOU

webmaster@theadclass.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:19:14 +0000

So, we know you’re a brand. We also know that when you’re looking for a job/internship, potential recruiters/companies will not really see you the way you think you are, but rather, the way YOUR BRAND is being communicated.

” Brand is the sum total of the emotions, thoughts, images, history and gossip that exists in the marketplace about a certain company/product/idea”

– Luke Sullivan
Group Creative Director @ GSD&M & author of “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This”

We know that great brands stand for ONE and only ONE thing. The question then, is what’s the single most important thing you want/need to communicate about YOUR BRAND? (i.e. #6 in the creative brief below).

Filling out this personal creative brief will help you shape your resume, website, or any other piece of communication about yourself. Creative briefs can take different directions depending on the perceptual problem that needs to be solved. The challenge is to find the strongest problem/solution and focus on that one only.

Here are a few examples of perceptual problems:

In High-tech, employers are looking for people who master new technologies [which may lead to one branding themselves as internet gurus].
Ad agencies prefer hiring people who are not only knowledgeable and curious about a lot of different things, but are experts in finding information [which may lead to one branding themselves as information mavens].
Creative shops would rather hire someone who is not afraid of making mistakes [which may lead to one branding themselves as a smart-risk-taker].

Here’s a personal-branding creative brief that will help you figure out single most important thing you should communicate about yourself:

1. What is the perceptual problem you are trying to solve?
This is not a real problem (like the fact that they don’t know you yet) but a perceptual one – what do they think about the idea of hiring someone like you? What is their perception about potential candidates? What is the #1 personality trait or skill needed for this specific job? Who might be their best candidate and why?

2. Who are you talking to?
Not demographic but a real person with a real position/title in a real company. Not HR, but the person for whom the #1 above is the perceptual problem that needs to be solved. The more specific you are about who it is that you’re targeting, the more likely you are to communicate what they want to hear.

3. What do they currently think about you / the idea of someone like you / potential candidates? (current perception)

4. What do you want them to think of you / the idea of hiring someone like you? (desired future perception)

5. Who are your competitors? (other potential candidates) What are they like? What makes them unique/special? What are their advantages & disadvantages?

6. What’s the SINGLE most important idea you want/need to communicate about you?
Not three things. Not two. ONE single idea – the most important one. This idea should solve #1 on this brief (the perceptual problem).

7. What’s the best way to communicate this idea?
Not what media to use, but rather what strategy, tone of voice, feel, mood, etc. (not execution). Why?

8. How do you know you’re right?
What evidence do you have that supports the above #1-#7? A good creative brief is not based of a gut-feeling or on your thought about what might they look for, it should be based on research. The more research you do about this job/position, about the target audience, about the competition, etc., the more insight & evidence you’ll have that your strategy is a smart one.

Here are a few great reads on personal / self-branding:

Fast Company: Me 2.0-the personal branding playbook

Fast Company: The Brand Called You (5 pages)

TheAdClass.com: 10 Tips for Writing A Remarkable Resumes

Harvard Business School’s One-Minute Elevator Pitch Builder

Mashable.com: Personal Branding 101: How to Discover and Create Your Brand

Mashable.com: Personal Branding 102: How to Communicate and Maintain Your Brand

Mashable.com: 5 Ways to Take Control of Your Personal Brand Today

Mashable.com: HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Facebook

Mashable.com: 10 Ways Personal Branding Can Save You From Getting Fired

Mashable.com: HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Twitter

Mashable.com: 25+ Ways to Manage Your Online Identity

WebDesignerDepot.com: 100 (Really) Creative Business Cards

WebDesignerDepot.com: The Art of Branding Yourself

Steve Pavlina on Personal Branding (and his survey results)

CNN: Me 2.0: Branding yourself online

Teaching Online Journalism: 10 tips for Journalists’ Personal brand

Additional Resources:

PersonalBrandingBlog.com

CopyBlogger.com

Seth Godin’s Blog

Here are a few great examples of blogs (not all personal blogs) with strong branding statement (both visually and content-wise):

The WorkAwesome brand: “Be awesome at work”:

http://workawesome.com/

Darren Rowse’s brand: “Professional Blogger”:

http://www.problogger.net/

Demain J’arrête’s brand (French): “Dark Cartoonist”:

http://demainjarrete.stpo.fr/

Tim Ferriss’s (The 4hour Work Week) brand: “Lifestyle Design”:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

The Strip blog’s brand (German):

http://www.stripturnhout.be/

WebDesignDepot’s brand: “Smart Design Ideas”:

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/

LifeHacker’s brand: “Efficiency”:

http://lifehacker.com/

Vitaly Friedman / SmashingMagazine’s brand: “Smart Design”:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/

MusicCity brand: “Music Community”:

http://www.musiccityunsigned.com/blog

Manuel Romero’s brand: “Designer”:

http://www.theycallmemarty.com/

The Swish Life Magazine’s brand: “Sophisticated Lifestyle”:

http://theswishlife.com/

Mashable’s brand: “Social Media Experts”:

http://mashable.com/

The WorkAwesome blog/brand communicates “Be awesome at work”

Darren Rowse‘s blog/brand communicates ”Professional Blogger”

Demain J’arrête‘s blog/brand (French) communicates ”Dark Cartoonist”

Tim Ferriss’s (The 4hour Work Week) blog/brand communicates ”Lifestyle Design”

The Strip blog/brand (German) communicates “Cartoon Artist”

WebDesignDepot‘s blog/brand communicates ”Smart Design Ideas”

LifeHacker‘s blog/brand communicates ”Efficiency”

Vitaly Friedman’s SmashingMagazine blog/brand communicates ”Smart Design”

The MusicCity blog/brand communicates ”Music Community”

Manuel Romero‘s blog/brand communicates ”Designer”

The Swish Life Magazine‘s blog/brand communicates ”Sophisticated Lifestyle”

Mashable blog/brand communicates ”Social Media Experts”

16 Articles Every Creative Advertising Student Should Read

webmaster@theadclass.com — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:42:20 +0000

10 Job Hunting Tips for This Year’s Graduating Class | February 14, 2009
By Edward Boches, Chief Creative Officer @ Mullen

http://edwardboches.com/10-job-hunting-tips-for-this-year%E2%80%99s-graduating-class

The Top 10 Mistakes in Portfolio Development | November 4, 2005
By Suzanne Pope, Associate Creative Director @ John St., Toronto.

http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/2005/11/04/the-top-ten-mistakes-in-portfolio-development/

* NOTE: Link requires login (free to register). Create an account with IHaveAnIdea and revisit link after login. Believe me, it’s worth it!

10 Tips for Writing a Remarkable Resume in Today’s Creative World | March 21, 2009
By Assaf Avni, Creative Advertising Faculty @ California State University, Fullerton

http://www.theadclass.com/jobs/10-tips-writing-remarkable-resume

25 Non-Random Things About Writing Short | March 20, 2009
By Roy Peter Clark, Faculty/Senior Scholar @ The Poynter Institute for Media Studies

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=158294

83 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me While I Was Learning How to be Creative | November 2005
By Sally Hogshead, Copywriter & Creative Director

http://www.radicalcareering.com/hogblog/?p=41

* NOTE: Originally written for “Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There“.

An Inconvenient Truth For Copywriters: How To Write Headlines And Why Your Career Depends On It | September 23, 2007
By Suzanne Pope, Associate Creative Director @ John St., Toronto.

http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/2007/09/23/an-inconvenient-truth-for-copywriters-how-to-write-headlines-and-why-your-career-depends-on-it/

* NOTE: Link requires login (free to register). Create an account with IHaveAnIdea and revisit link after login. Believe me, it’s worth it!
** Downloadable PDF version here (no need to register)

How to Train Ideas to Come When They’re Called: Notes and Advice for Young People in Advertising | September 7, 2009
By Suzanne Pope, Associate Creative Director @ John St., Toronto.

http://ihaveanidea.org/natbucket/Ideas_SuzannePope1.pdf

A Note To Student Art Directors | Sept/Oct. 2002
By Hal Curtis, Creative Director @ Wieden+Kennedy, Portland

http://makinads.blogspot.com/2009/08/advice-from-hal.html

* NOTE: Originally published in the September/October 2002 issue of Communication Arts.

Revising Your Creative Concept Without Ruining It | August 5, 2009
By Jim Bosiljevac, Creative Director & Copywriter @ DDB San Francisco

http://makinads.blogspot.com/2009/08/revisions.html

The Agency With the Best Softball Team Does the Worst Creative
By Sally Hogshead, Copywriter & Creative Director

http://makinads.blogspot.com/2009/07/this-article-was-written-for-one.html

* NOTE: Originally published in One Magazine.

Saving Advertising | 2000
By Jelly Helm, (formerly) Executive Creative Director @ Wieden + Kennedy and founder of W+K 12

http://www.emigre.com/Editorial.php?sect=1&id=25

And here’s a transcript or Jelly’s presentation to AIGA Portland’s Designspeaks:

http://oakhazelnut.makerlab.com/2009/09/18/aiga-portlands-designspeaks-with-jelly-helm-transcript-and-event-review/

Design Thinking | June, 2008
By Tim Brown, CEO and president @ IDEO

http://www.ideo.com/images/uploads/news/pdfs/IDEO_HBR_Design_Thinking.pdf

You can read more about Design Thinking on Tim’s blog:
http://designthinking.ideo.com/

Do’s and Don’ts to Consider When Building Your Online Portfolio | March, 2009
By Heidi Ehlers, Founder @ Black Bag Creative Recruitment & Career Management inc.

http://www.blackbagonline.com/inspiration_details.php?id=89

Why Not Take a Moment to Define Success Before You Pursue It? | September, 2009
By Alex Bogusky, Principal @ Crispin Porter & Bogusky

http://alexbogusky.posterous.com/why-not-take-a-moment-to-define-success-befor

73 Ways to Become a Better Writer | July, 2009
By Mary Jaksch, Chief Editor @ WriteToDone.com

http://www.copyblogger.com/better-writer/

Hot to Get a Job in Advertising (a Good Job) | March, 2009
By Scott Goodson, Founder @ StrawberryFrog

http://scottgoodson.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/how-to-get-a-job-in-advertising-a-good-job.html

Can you recommend a few other great reads on the topic?

Dan Pink on Creativity and Motivation (TED & Better Life)

webmaster@theadclass.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:54:18 +0000

Dan Pink, the author of A Whole New Mind, was recently on TED with an 18-minutes version of his book. He talked about creativity and motivation in the workplace. Very interesting stuff.

Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.

More on Dan Pink (from TED’s website):
http://www.ted.com/speakers/daniel_pink.html

More of Dan Pink from Better Life (55 minutes):

Click here to view the embedded video.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Aside from the methods mentioned in the clip (Atlassian’s FedEx Days, Google 20/80, etc), if you were the CEO of a company, or to manage other people in any working environment, what creative method can you come up with, to tap into employees’ intrinsic motivation? We’re looking for short, simple, smart, clear, and positive ideas that can be incorporated into any working environment.

Seven Documentaries Every Advertising Creative Should See

webmaster@theadclass.com — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:42:58 +0000

Is Mad Men responsible for the rash of advertising documentaries coming out lately?

Art & Copy | 89 min | English (USA) | 2009
Genre: Documentary | Director: Doug Pray

Official Website:
http://www.artandcopyfilm.com/

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333631/

Screenings:
http://artandcopyfilm.org/screenings/

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLfvmiB4edI

Interview with Dough Pray, Director

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT5BI2dQoFU

Beautiful Losers | 90 min | English (US) | 2008
Genre: Documentary | Directors: Aaron Rose & Joshua Leonard

Official Website:
http://www.beautifullosers.com/

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430916/

Screenings:
http://www.beautifullosers.com/screenings.html

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyRAHKTy6hI

Objectified | 75 min | English (USA) | 2009
Genre: Documentary | Director: Gary Hustwit

Official Website:
http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1241325/

Screenings:
http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/screenings/

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9E2D2PaIcI

Clip:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0fe800C2CU

Roadtrip Nation -- The Open Road | 80 min | English (USA) 2001
Genre: Documentary

Official Website:
http://www.roadtripnation.com/

Watch full movie online:
http://www.theadclass.com/education/roadtrip-nation-the-open-road

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcP-LIEp6mI

Helvetica | 80 min | English (UK) | 2007
Genre: Documentary | Director: Gary Hustwit

Official Website:
http://www.helveticafilm.com/

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847817/

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1-Yxm0eZLs

Lemonade | English (USA) | 2009
Genre: Documentary | Conceived by Erik Proulx, brought to you by Twitter (read full article here)

Official Website:
http://www.lemonademovie.com/

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340721/

Articles:
http://econsultancy.com/blog/4480-q-a-erik-proulx-on-his-documentary-lemonade-and-life-after-ad-layoffs
http://edwardboches.com/this-film-brought-to-you-by-twitter

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJltcT7DH7g

Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight | 73 min | English (USA) | 2009
Genre: Documentary | Director: Wendy Keys

NY Tims Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/movies/22glas.html

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1275724/

Credits & Info:
http://www.arthousefilmsonline.com/2009/03/milton-glaser-to-inform-deligh.html

Trailer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca3SxrD9hW0

Screening Q&A with Director Wendy Keys:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVHm2xaQGlM

What would you add to the list?

Account Planning Newsletter – July 15, 2009

webmaster@theadclass.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:41:54 +0000

Account Planning Newsletter – Week of July 15^th, 2009
A periodic list of things that you may find interesting and of note.

By Daniel Berkal
The Palmerston Group

The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance.

Considering the rapid rate of churn in our business the past year, it’s increasingly rare for the leaders of our industry to remember that in order to stay relevant there must be a continuing push to invest in young minds. Don’t forget. We were all given a chance that got us to where we are today.

Which brings us to the brilliant BrandCamp program that’s started to be offered by hotshot shop Partners + Napier. An outstanding way for fresh new thinkers to push their limits and expand their horizons. An excellent chance for young people to get the opportunity to work at a top notch creative agency while developing a stellar skillset.

Check it out at
http://brandcamp.partnersandnapier.com/

Preaching to the converted.

Sure, every media source is all about Twitter, but this service may not have the legs that people think it does. There are some significant cracks in the armor.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/13/why-teens-arent-using-twitter/

A Realization.

Twenty-five short years ago NOBODY ON EARTH was walking around carrying a cellular phone. What’s going to be an essential part of our lives in the year 2034 that we do not have today?

The Summer of Planning?

It’s hard to convince a bunch of professional strategists that by canceling your main event and then holding a one-off night with a frequent speaker in New York that it’s suddenly the “Summer of Planning”. Hope they sell T-shirts.

Last week we raised the issue “Hip Hop is dead, discuss”. The results from all over the globe are in. Hip Hop is, in fact, not dead. It is just taking a nap.

Feel free to submit fascinating tidbits of life for inclusion next time around. Viva la Facebook.

Daniel Berkal
The Palmerston Group
http://www.thepalmerstongroup.com
http://www.twitter.com/palmerstongroup

Top Advertising Network Opportunities In Southern California (LA OC SoCal)

webmaster@theadclass.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:53:25 +0000

If you’re looking for a job, internship, or just want to network for the sake of networking (yeah right , here are a few network opportunities in the SoCal area (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, etc):

1. ThinkLA (Los Angeles’ AdClub):

“ThinkLA is a non-profit corporation, founded to promote Los Angeles as a leading center of creativity and innovation in media, marketing, and advertising.”

http://www.thinkla.org
http://www.thinkla.org/contact/newsletter.asp
http://www.facebook.com/thinkla
http://twitter.com/thinkLA
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=53754

2. LA Creative Club:

“The Los Angeles Creative Club is a nonprofit organization of copywriters, art directors, producers, designers, photographers, directors, (okay, just about everybody creative) from the advertising, graphic design, entertainment, and Web worlds all getting together to make LA the best place in the world to do creative work.”

http://www.lacreativeclub.com/
http://www.lacreativeclub.com/laccforum/
http://www.meetup.com/advertising-89/

3. Orange County Advertising Federation (OC AdFed):

“The OC Ad Federation, a chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), is the largest professional organization dedicated to the advertising business in Orange County. We are over 300 members strong, and our community consists of affluent and educated executives and local business owners who touch the advertising industry in numerous ways. This includes ad agencies, broadcast production houses, printing companies, interactive shops, individuals from the client side and many more.”

http://www.ocadfederation.org/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56220789739
http://twitter.com/OCAdFed

4. Orange County AdClub (AAF):

“The OC Ad Club, a chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), is the largest professional organization dedicated to the advertising business here in Orange County. We are over 300 members strong, and our community consists of affluent and educated executives and local business owners who touch the advertising industry in numerous ways. This includes ad agencies, broadcast production houses, printing companies, interactive shops, individuals from the client side and many more.

http://www.ocadclub.org

5. AD2OC:

“For years the young professionals of the advertising, marketing, and creative community have had very few opportunities for career development support, networking opportunities, industry savoir fair, and exciting public service campaigns. Today, Ad 2 OC gives our members the experience and support they are looking for.”

http://www.ad2oc.org
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2234124142

6. LA AdPros (LA AAF):

“Advertising Professionals of North Los Angeles County (ADPROS) is an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and is comprised of professionals involved in the creation, production, and distribution of advertising and marketing who are committed to advancing themselves, their businesses, and their industry.”

http://www.adprosla.com

7. Go to / participate (as professional or as a student) / volunteer for the LA Addy’s Award Show:

http://www.laaddys.com/

or the Orange County Addy’s:

http://www.ocadclub.org

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pgOpjFIbzU

8. Join the OC Marketing & Advertising Professionals community on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=65859

The ThinkLA community on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=53754

And/or any of these advertising-related LinkedIn Groups:

http://www.theadclass.com/jobs/linkedin-advertising-groups

9. Join these Facebook groups:

http://www.theadclass.com/jobs/20-facebook-advertising-groups

10. AAF of Palm Springs / Desert Cities:

“AAF/Palm Springs • Desert Cities is a non-profit organization of professionals dedicated to enhancing the advertising profession through fellowship, education, community service and public awareness.”

http://www.desertadfed.com/

11. AAF Inland-Empire:

“Serving the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside and the eastern part of Los Angeles, AAF-IE is a non-profit organization that brings together all the trades involved in advertising, all the buyers of advertising and all the sellers of advertising and support this dynamic industry.”

http://aaf-inlandempire.com/

12. AD2SD (San Diego AAF):

“Ad2 San Diego, an AAF 2008 Award Winner, is a group to help young advertising and marketing professionals learn the ropes of a fast-paced and fascinating career field. It’s an organization for learning, networking, job finding, communication, and maybe most importantly, fun.”

http://ad2sd.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Diego-CA/Ad-2-San-Diego/20332355379
http://twitter.com/ad2sd
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=135060
http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Diego-CA/AAF-D15/34922477055

13. San Diego AdClub:

“As San Diego’s oldest continuously operating business association, the Ad Club and its members have an incredible history of legendary business accomplishments steeped in creativity, rooted in public service, and grounded in professional and personal relationships.”

http://www.sandiegoadclub.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=151589
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1797458

14. Portfolio Night LA (IHaveAnIdea):

“The idea of portfolio reviews is nothing new, but the ihaveanidea team wanted to build upon such experiences. To us, portfolio reviews shouldn’t be just a chance for young creatives to get their books critiqued and then sent out the door. We wanted to create a social event to unite the entire national industry, both the present and future superstars, to work on building a bright new generation of ad creatives.”

http://portfolionight.com/7/archives/1889

15. The Multicultural Advertising Training program (MAT):

“The M.A.T. (Multicultural Advertising Training) Program is a volunteer non-profit
organization founded by Jay Chiat in 1992 that creates paid internships for outstanding multicultural college students at many of Southern California’s top advertising agencies and media companies.”

http://www.matprogram.org/

16. AIGA LA:

“AIGA, the professional association for design, is committed to furthering excellence in design as a broadly-defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force. AIGA is the place design professionals turn to first to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis and research and advance education and ethical practice.”

http://aigalosangeles.org

17. LA ADC (Art Directors Club):

“The Art Directors Club is the premier organization for integrated media and the first international creative collective of its kind. Founded in New York in 1920, ADC is a self-funding, not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to connect, provoke and elevate creative visual communications professionals around the world.”

http://www.adcglobal.org/

18. Orange County Advertising and Marketing Associates (OCAMA):

“Meet other local Orange County Southern California Marketing Professionals to discuss the latest trends, tactics, and techniques. No membership dues, just Orange County networking, marketing education and fun. Find a great employee on the job board or if you are a company post your job and reach the top marketing people in Orange County.”

http://www.ocama.com/
http://www.meetup.com/ocmarketing/

19. Join these advertising-related social networking websites:

AdHoles:
http://adholes.com

AdGabber:
http://www.adgabber.com

DesignerID:
http://www.designerid.com

Ning:
http://www.ning.com/search/networks?q=advertising

or any other from this list:
http://www.theadclass.com/jobs/top-social-networks-media-advertising

Am I missing anything?

The PEN Story (Olympus) ad vs. Stop Motion with Wolf and Pig

webmaster@theadclass.com — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:17:07 +0000

Saw this beautiful stop-motion ad today -- The PEN Story, by Olympus (agency? not sure…):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Et7UQh1tg

Whoever is behind it (agency? anyone?) clearly got the idea from this beautiful stop motion with wolf and pig:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmkLlVzUBn4

I wonder if they hired the guy who did the wolf and the pig to do the Olympus ad… Can’t find any info on the agency online yet, will update this post as soon as I do. If you have more info, feel free to comment.

Julian Koenig vs. George Lois on This American Life (episode 383 – Origin Story)

webmaster@theadclass.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:19:46 +0000

This week’s episode of This American Life had a very interesting story on Julian Koenig, (Herschon Garfield, Helmut Krone, DDB) the copywriter/father of Volkswagen’s “Think Small” and “Lemon” (among many other famous ads) and his dispute with George Lois (Art Director) over who came up with what.

Part 1:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI54VVo2DqI

Part 2:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3RSyL2FUuk

Here’s the complete episode (including the prologue, and acts I,II,III, and IV):

[podcast]http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/jomamashouse/ismymamashouse/383.mp3[/podcast]

For more info on this episode, visit This American Life.

Interestingly enough, in the AEF/Yahoo series “Giants of Advertising” Lois said: “I’ve lied, cheated, stole”:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWSZzWFem9A

Here’s Koenig telling the story:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioATpsIZEs

Dominos’ YouTube Nightmare (aka Disgusting Dominos People)

webmaster@theadclass.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:37:53 +0000

This came out three days ago:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=unMJR9-4MdA

This is one if three videos made by two North Carolina dominos employees. You can watch the other two videos here. The two employees (Kristy Hammonds and Michael Setzer) were charged with felony (distributing prohibited foods) yesterday.

Soon after, came Domino’s response:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l6AJ49xNSQ

More on the story from the NYT, USAToday, AdAge.