'Better for you' options are en vogue with food makers, but are they just a fad?
May 11, 2006

Whole wheat is in, chocolate bars and pop are out. At least that's the message from food makers and marketers amid concerns over childhood obesity and raising diabetes rates... MORE»

murmur categories: food, kids, health, advertising

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism food nutrition health diet children obesity

posted by Tessa | 12:03 PM (ET) | Permalink

Food giants crafting messages against bird flu panic
May 9, 2006

Some of the world's fast food heavyweights are carefully creating marketing campaigns to quell anxiety over the avian flu... MORE»

murmur categories: health/safety, food/drink, advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, avian flu, KFC, bird flu, chicken

posted by Tessa | 10:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

Disney getting out of Happy Meals over obesity concerns
May 8, 2006

Walt Disney Co. is breaking up with fast food powerhouse McDonald's; the studio is cutting its cross-promotional ties with the chain in an effort to distance itself from fast food and its links to childhood obesity... MORE»

murmur categories: food, kids, health, advertising

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism nutrition health diet school children obesity

posted by Tessa | 12:13 PM (ET) | Permalink

Rein in baby video marketing: consumer group
May 2, 2006

Companies are deceiving the public with the marketing and advertising of so-called "educational toys," a consumer group in the U.S. says... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, kids, logos/branding, activism

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising children education media parenting research

posted by Tessa | 10:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

Subliminal advertising (read this post) debate resurrected
April 28, 2006

Just when you thought it was safe to watch television again... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism television TV advertising subliminal advertising research communications

posted by Tessa | 10:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Watch this ad ... or else
April 20, 2006

Just as consumers cozy up to the idea of having near-complete control over when they watch their favourite television programs (like, say, Marketplace), along comes a technology that would force viewers to watch ads and prevent channel-surfing during commercial breaks... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, technology, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism television TV technology pvr dvr Tivo

posted by Tessa | 12:24 PM (ET) | Permalink

Consumer-made advertising backfires for Chevy
March 31, 2006

These days a big trend in advertising is allowing consumers to create their own ads and post them on company websites. You can bet Chevy will be rethinking its use of the trend after someone created an ad that slams the carmaker's fleet of SUVs ... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, activism, environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising SUV activism environment

posted by Tessa | 10:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sunscreen makers mislead consumers, lawsuits charge
March 31, 2006

Sun lovers beware: that sunscreen you're slathering on might not be as effective as you think. Several lawsuits filed in California this week allege that sunscreen makers have exposed millions of people to cancer and other dangers through false advertising and inflated claims about the effectiveness of their products... MORE»

murmur categories: health, advertising

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism cancer sunscreen lawsuits health

posted by Tessa | 9:39 AM (ET) | Permalink

Is iPod set to advertise from space?
March 27, 2006

If the rumours are to be believed, Apple is putting in the final touches to make advertising history - launching an ad for its colossally popular iPod that will be visible from space... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, branding/logos

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing branding Google satellite maps iPod Apple

posted by Tessa | 2:23 PM (ET) | Permalink

Ad trumpets Ben Johnson as 'Cheetah'
March 27, 2006

The Toronto Star says former sprinter Ben Johnson is trading in his infamy as Canada's most notorious sports cheater to hawk a new energy drink: Cheetah Power Surge... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, branding

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism steroids sports advertising

posted by Tessa | 11:39 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sun-Maid undergoes makeover: Turns into Penelope Cruz
March 20, 2006

Much is being made about the dramatic makeover the Sun-Maid Raisin girl has undergone... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, logos/branding

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism products logos branding Penelope Cruz Sun-Maid raisins

posted by Tessa | 2:26 PM (ET) | Permalink

Movie industry launches study to analyze consumer habits
March 16, 2006

Apart from glitzy awards shows and the ever-churning celebrity gossip mill, the movie industry has always been preoccupied by the problem of putting bums in theatre seats – particularly of late, with spectacular blockbuster flame-outs and the growing trend of budget-gobbling movies bypassing the theatre altogether and heading straight to DVD... MORE»

murmur categories: miscellaneous, marketing

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism movies film Hollywood movie industry

posted by Tessa | 10:32 AM (ET) | Permalink

Website lets people track brands in films
March 13, 2006

A Montreal media studies professor has created a website that makes it easy to monitor products placed in movies... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, branding

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing ads business product placement film movies Hollywood

posted by Tessa | 10:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Super Bowl ads roundup
February 6, 2006

Missed the Super Bowl? Looking for an instant replay? Well, you’re looking in the wrong place... MORE»

via: AdAge

murmur categories: advertising

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism Super Bowl ads advertising television video

posted by Tessa | 4:31 PM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising on eggs
February 2, 2006

EggFusion, a company that prints expiration on eggs, is branching out to do what it calls 'on-egg messaging.' That’s right - advertising on eggs... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, food

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing ads food

posted by Tessa | 12:20 PM (ET) | Permalink

European companies say they'll stop pitching sugar drinks to kids
January 25, 2006

European divisions of global beverage companies like Coca-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes say they're going to wean their advertising to children and introduce low-calorie and sugar-free versions of their products... MORE»

murmur categories: health food advertising kids

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism health research diet nutrition advertising marketing obesity kids children

posted by Tessa | 10:39 AM (ET) | Permalink

In-game advertising makes for clumsy bedfellows
January 19, 2006

There’s a fascinating dustup occurring in the quickly converging world of online gaming and advertising... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, advertising, branding

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing ads business games gaming

posted by Tessa | 1:30 PM (ET) | Permalink

Consumer groups fire “last resort” attack against food giants
January 19, 2006

Ads coming soon to a cellphone near you
January 17, 2006

It seems that the modern life’s prevailing accessory, the cellphone, has caught the eye of television marketers... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, branding/logos

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing branding ads cellphones

posted by Tessa | 2:50 PM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising hits the roof to appear on satellite maps
January 17, 2006

Companies are going out of this world to take advantage of new satellite map systems like Google Maps. Some companies are painting ads on their roofs in order to appear on the popular map service... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, branding/logos

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing branding Google satellite maps

posted by Tessa | 9:48 AM (ET) | Permalink

Flogging backfires for Coke’s “Zero Movement”
January 12, 2006

Beware while surfing through the blogosphere. Like the real world, blogging is full of clandestine marketing, where corporate marketers pose as supposedly real bloggers bantering about this and that while sliding in the odd product nudge... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, branding/logos

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing branding

posted by Tessa | 12:31 PM (ET) | Permalink

Fun with telemarketers
January 11, 2006

I love this. Someone in Amsterdam has created a fabulous anti-telemarketing “counter-script” that you can use the next time your phone rings in the middle of dinner and you’re confronted by the voice of someone with something to sell... MORE»

murmur categories: marketing, privacy, activism

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism telemarketing, marketing, activism, anti-telemarketing

posted by Tessa | 10:00 AM (ET) | Permalink

Not exactly what Mattel intended girls to do with Barbie…
December 20, 2005

A few years ago, when my parents were downsizing from my childhood home and cleaning up the place for potential buyers, my dad made a remarkable archaeological discovery: tucked in the back corner of our yard he found a Barbie graveyard... MORE»

murmur categories: marketing/advertising, brands/logos, kids, miscellaneous

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Barbie, Mattel, toys

posted 10:08 AM (ET) | Permalink

Privacy watchdogs decry Walgreens’ RFID plans
December 14, 2005

What may be the largest planned marketing deployment of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking to date is drawing criticism from privacy advocates, AdAge reports (registration req'd)... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, privacy, advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, RFID, marketing, privacy

posted 10:18 AM (ET) | Permalink

If you can’t say something nice …
December 8, 2005

We focus a lot on complaining about products, customer service, advertising, etc., but tend not to give much thought to what happens when someone contacts a company with something nice to say... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 1:41 PM (ET) | Permalink

Change junk food ads aimed at kids: report
December 7, 2005

Food and beverage ads aimed at children 12 and under promote unhealthy choices, according to a new report that recommends the food industry market more nutritious options... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:26 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sony confirms PSP ‘corporate graffiti’ campaign
December 5, 2005

Sony has confirmed it is indeed running an urban graffiti campaign to market its new PSP (Portable PlayStation), Wired News reports... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, branding, activism

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, advertising, corporate graffiti

posted by Tessa | 1:51 AM (ET) | Permalink

Is Sony employing a corporate graffiti campaign?
November 29, 2005

Some skeptical citizens in Los Angeles say they’re being preyed on by graffiti bandits – but they’re not blaming the young ruffian type you might imagine... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, branding, activism

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, advertising, corporate graffiti

posted by Tessa | 10:44 AM (ET) | Permalink

Writers, actors want 'code' for product placement
November 15, 2005

Hollywood writers and actors are calling for a code of conduct to govern product placement in TV shows and films, CBC Arts reports... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, branding/logos

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, advertising, marketing, product placement

posted by Tessa | 3:15 PM (ET) | Permalink

Sex on TV: How much is too much?
November 10, 2005

AdAge reports on a survey from the U.S. Kaiser Family Foundation that says one of every 10 television shows features or implies sexual intercourse... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing

related Marketplace story: Buying into Sexy

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, television, sex

posted by Tessa | 10:24 AM (ET) | Permalink

KFC planning 'standby' ads to respond to Avian flu
November 9, 2005

KFC, the mammoth fast food chicken chain, is producing TV commercials that it hopes it never has to use... MORE»

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Avian flu, KFC, bird flu, chicken

posted by Tessa | 10:28 AM (ET) | Permalink

Anti-junk food campaign turns to stomach-churning tactics
November 8, 2005

We all know junk food isn’t good for children, but getting them to lay off the burgers and chicken nuggets is no easy task... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, food/drink, kids

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, obesity, kids, nutrition

posted by Tessa | 12:53 PM (ET) | Permalink

A day in the life of a fan of McDonald’s
November 7, 2005

There are some people who love McDonald’s, and there are some who love McDonald’s. Like this woman from the Phillipines who has been popping up in her photoblog in the most peculiar and usual of places -- in full-on Ronald McDonald regalia. From going to the dentist, to playing a little b-ball with her friends... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, logos/branding

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, McDonalds, marketing, customer evangelism

posted by Tessa | 2:33 PM (ET) | Permalink

Photo of the day: Under cover in Pakistan
November 3, 2005

Remarkable photo from AP's David Guttenfelder, which appeared on SFGate.com... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Pakistan, earthquake, shelter, billboards, advertising

posted by Tessa | 9:29 AM (ET) | Permalink

Pushing the junk mail envelope
November 1, 2005

The other day I checked my mailbox and found what looked like a courier package addressed to me. It was a big envelope, with the red and blue lines and official looking stickers and stamps. It looked important... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, junk mail, marketing

posted by Tessa | 10:07 AM (ET) | Permalink

PR tactics ‘silence debate’ over genetically modified crops: researchers
October 26, 2005

A group of academics have analyzed the public relations campaign employed by a major producer of genetically modified crops. Their conclusion isn’t pretty... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, food/drink

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, GMO, Monsanto, marketing, public relations, biotech, bioethics, biotechnology

posted by Tessa | 1:15 PM (ET) | Permalink

McDonald's to print food facts on wrappers
October 26, 2005

McDonald's customers will soon have a lot more to chew on when the company starts printing nutritional facts on the packaging of its products, CBC News reports... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising/marketing, food/drink, health, logos/branding

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, marketing, McDonalds, packaging, food

posted by Tessa | 9:24 AM (ET) | Permalink

Advocacy group takes a swat at buzz marketing
October 25, 2005

A non-profit group called Commercial Alert is taking on buzz marketing. The group has called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look into whether buzz marketers are violating U.S. law that prohibits deceptive advertising... MORE»

murmur categories: activism, advertising, logos/branding

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, advertising, marketing, viral

posted by Tessa | 11:23 AM (ET) | Permalink

Dissecting the advertising onslaught on the young
October 25, 2005

The Guardian has a fascinating piece about the inundation of advertising and marketing on young minds. There are dozens of crazy tidbits to amaze, astound and annoy... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, kids, logos/branding

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, advertising, children, marketing

posted by Tessa | 10:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Women dominate travel biz
October 24, 2005

Ad Age has an interesting piece (registration required) about how women dominate the travel business... MORE»

murmur category: travel, advertising

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, women, travel

posted by Tessa | 10:41 AM (ET) | Permalink

Disney goes high-end with Mickey couture
October 21, 2005

Fashionata teens and adults are grabbing up Disney-inspired clothing, home décor and accessories, injecting the traditionally middle-class brand of Mickey and Co. with a dash of vogue... MORE»

murmur categories: products, advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, toys, kids, products, Disney

posted by Tessa | 11:50 AM (ET) | Permalink

Readers think product placement is rampant in magazines
October 12, 2005

Ad Age reports (registration required) that 65 per cent of consumers believe that advertisers pay for editorial mentions in magazines. According to the article, such product placements in editorial pages are a big no-no for the American Society of Magazine Editors... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

Marketers try high-tech tool to push brain's 'buy button'
June 14, 2005

Marketers are trying to use brain scans to convince consumers to buy their product, although scientists say the approach may not be ready to be applied... MORE»

posted 10:36 AM (ET) | Permalink

Procter & Gamble drops campaign for deodorant aimed at 7-year-old girls
June 13, 2005

Procter & Gamble has quashed its Secret Sparkle Body Spray ad campaign that targeted preteen girls with a deodorant body spray... MORE»

posted 11:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

Gillette slapped for hair-raising claims
June 6, 2005

Razor-maker Schick-Wilkinson Sword has won the first round in a battle against its chief competitor, Gillette Co. A judge has ruled in Schick’s favour in the company’s case against Gillette, which argued their M3Power razor doesn’t make hair stand up straight, making it easier to remove... MORE»

posted 11:15 AM (ET) | Permalink

Neuromarketing: Tapping into the inner you
June 1, 2005

Scientists have been looking at the human brain, trying to pinpoint the processes that make you reach for Coke instead of Pepsi... MORE»

posted 10:11 AM (ET) | Permalink

RFID tags to measure print audiences
June 1, 2005

Mediamark Research plans to test a new technology that would allow for RFID tags to be printed on the pages of magazines... MORE»

posted 9:34 AM (ET) | Permalink

Consumers make time for viral ads
June 1, 2005

Marketers are falling over themselves to create the kind of viral advertising, a-la Burger King's Subservient Chicken, that consumers pass around without any media planning... MORE»

posted 9:27 AM (ET) | Permalink

Former Nazi to sue VW over logo
May 27, 2005

A former graphic designer for the Nazi party is suing Volkswagen over its logo. Nikolai Borg says he helped design VW’s logo, and he wants the carmaker to recognize his contribution... MORE»

posted 2:37 PM (ET) | Permalink

Navigating the supermarket: Study maps shoppers’ paths
May 25, 2005

I like to think I’m a fairly efficient shopper when it comes to the grocery store. Before I head out to my local supermarket, I write out a list (checking it twice). While en route, I’ll consult my mind’s eye and map out the store floor plan, coming up with a strategy (Which aisles can I skip? Which are the must-tread areas? How I should tackle the always-congested fruit and veggie section?)... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:05 AM (ET) | Permalink

Ban on billboards in space proposed
May 20, 2005

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t want ads in space. (Apparently large billboards placed in low-earth orbit could appear as large as the moon and be seen without a telescope.)... MORE»

posted 10:56 AM (ET) | Permalink

Retro ‘Star Wars’ ads give glimpse into how movie marketing has changed
May 18, 2005

As airwaves and bandwidth are consumed with hype and promotion surrounding the latest Star Wars, it’s fun to take a walk down memory lane... MORE»

posted 9:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Bodvertising’ takes another turn: Baby offered as ad space
May 9, 2005

First it was the guy who sold his forehead as advertising space. Then there were those moms-to-be selling their pregnant bellies as billboards. Now a couple in Winnipeg is offering up their baby on eBay for ad space... MORE»

posted 10:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

New deodorant aimed at 7-year-old girls
May 6, 2005

Procter and Gamble is releasing a deodorant that it hopes will attract young girls to its Secret brand, Ad Age reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:10 AM (ET) | Permalink

Theatre chain to publish real movie start times
May 5, 2005

The third largest theatre chain in the United States says it will soon begin publishing the actual start times for feature movie presentations... MORE»

posted 9:27 AM (ET) | Permalink

Vintage personal hygiene ads
May 4, 2005

A fabulous find from we-make-money-not-art... MORE»

posted 10:02 AM (ET) | Permalink

RFID could make your toothpaste sing
May 3, 2005

A German computer science student has figured out a way to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to play product jingles, the New Scientist reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Study measures influence of direct-to-consumer drug ads
April 28, 2005

A new study suggests that direct-to-consumer drug advertising has a big impact on how doctors prescribe drugs, the L.A. Times reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Line between reality and ads getting thinner?
April 22, 2005

A new cryptic ad campaign for the 2006 Audi A3 blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community – a juggernaut that some say may become the most powerful guerrilla marketing mechanism ever invented... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:06 PM (ET) | Permalink

Most popular and prominent brands online
April 22, 2005

The BBC has a report on a study by the internet monitoring company, Envisional, on the most popular and prominent brands online... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:46 AM (ET) | Permalink

Contest explores ads of the future
April 18, 2005

Here’s an interesting contest from the folks at Worth1000.com (a site that holds contests for people who love to manipulate images). They’re asking contestants to use their skills to suggest objects/people/etc. that might be used in the future as logo/billboard space... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:34 AM (ET) | Permalink

McDonald’s likely not lovin’ McGangsta rap tribute
April 11, 2005

It seems the folks at McDonald’s missed the big lesson most of us learned in high school: if you’re trying too hard to be cool, you’re simply not cool... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 1:00 PM (ET) | Permalink

Death of the ad jingle?
April 11, 2005

Has your brain ever been overrun by an advertising jingle? Me, I’m a sucker for the “Sleep Country Canada” song – you know the one: Sleep Country Can-a-da… Why buy a mattress anywhere else?... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sony devising sense-able technology?
April 7, 2005

Sony Corp. is reportedly developing a technology that will allow television viewers to smell, taste and perhaps even feel what appears on their screen... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:54 AM (ET) | Permalink

Big brother’s watching and he wants you to buy that DVD player
April 6, 2005

How innocuous is that video camera perched on the wall in the department store? CNN has an interesting article about how closed circuit television surveillance systems could be used for market research... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 1:51 PM (ET) | Permalink

Movie ads that lie
March 22, 2005

Your weekend paper was chock full of them: ads for movies that shout out glowing quotes from reviewers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Porn pushers or youth prophets?
March 18, 2005

Here’s an interesting piece from Toronto’s Now Magazine on the controversy surrounding the ad campaign from American Apparel (normally lauded as a model retailer for its no-sweatshop policies)... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:07 AM (ET) | Permalink

Marketing research sniffs out impact of smell and other senses
March 15, 2005

Seventy-five per cent of the emotions you feel today will be generated by smells you encounter – not by things you see and hear. That’s the finding from a study by the global market research agency Millward Brown... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:11 AM (ET) | Permalink

Mail order companies accused of deceptive marketing
March 14, 2005

The federal Competition Bureau has laid criminal charges against two Canadian mail order companies and their president following thousands of consumer complaints, CBC Business News reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 5:27 PM (ET) | Permalink

Kids spend more time with media that adults spend at work: study
March 10, 2005

A new study says the typical kid in the U.S. is exposed to 8.5 hours of media content and advertising in an average day, AdAge reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

McDonald’s to launch global ad campaign aimed at getting kids active
March 9, 2005

McDonald’s is set to roll out a global advertising campaign that will promote eating right and staying active in messages geared to children... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:02 AM (ET) | Permalink

Barbie undergoes yet another makeover
March 4, 2005

Mattel, the maker of Barbie, is hoping to reinvent the long-limbed doll through a partnership with Fox TV's wildly popular American Idol franchise... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:30 AM (ET) | Permalink

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs
March 4, 2005

Towards the end of the month a new museum dedicated to signage opens in Cincinnati... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:56 AM (ET) | Permalink

Vancouver bus shelter ad causes a stir – and maybe a few broken toes
February 23, 2005

An ad for 3M in a downtown Vancouver bus shelter is raising eyebrows, not to mention the ire of would-be glass-smashers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:31 AM (ET) | Permalink

Teen arrested for bombarding desktops with “spim”
February 22, 2005

Silicon.com reports that a U.S. teenager has become the first person to be arrested for the sending of unsolicited instant messages – or “spim”... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

EverQuest takes product placement to a new level
February 18, 2005

The jury’s still out on whether or not the game is addictive, but everyone knows a bout of slaying dragons can work up an appetite. The makers of the EverQuest (Sony) have teamed up with Pizza Hut to feed the frenzied hunger of online gamers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:58 AM (ET) | Permalink

Update: Belly wars begin over pregnant woman's ad auction
February 16, 2005

An online casino says it will sue a woman who sold her pregnant belly as advertising space on eBay (see archived Murmur), Ananova reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:54 PM (ET) | Permalink

Nip and tuck goes glossy
February 14, 2005

I suppose it was bound to happen. Profits in the nip and tuck industry are growing faster than the collagen-pumped lips of the beauty-obsessed, so we ought not be surprised by the entry of a new glossy magazine devoted to America’s fascination with surgical body sculpting... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:36 AM (ET) | Permalink

Beware corporate blogs: ‘Flog’ hunters are on the prowl
February 10, 2005

There’s a growing buzz out in blogland over “flogs,” or fake corporate weblogs. A flog, the folks at fakeblogs.info explain, is a blog created by a committee in a corporate marketing department rather than an individual... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:29 AM (ET) | Permalink

Traditional advertisers puzzle over viral ad phenomenon
February 7, 2005

The Christian Science Monitor reports “the rise in unofficial marketing has companies and ad professionals puzzling over whether to quash or harness the home-based pretenders”... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:14 PM (ET) | Permalink

Pregnant woman to sell ad space on her belly
February 3, 2005

In its unrepentant race to the bottom, the bodvertising movement has taken a new turn: Ananova reports that a pregnant woman is planning to auction off her belly as ad space on eBay... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:05 PM (ET) | Permalink

'Queer Beer' targets gay drinkers
February 1, 2005

Three Swiss businessmen have launched a new drink for gay people called Queer Beer, Ananova reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:49 AM (ET) | Permalink

VW files charges over viral ad
January 31, 2005

An update on a story from last week... The carmaker Volkswagen has filed criminal charges over a so-called viral ad making the rounds on the web that features a suicide bomber whose attack is defeated when he blows himself up but his VW Polo remains intact... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:56 AM (ET) | Permalink

McDonald’s targets kids as young as four with ads
January 28, 2005

A McDonald’s executive says the fast food company takes Ronald McDonald, it’s colourful clown mascot, to elementary schools and aims its advertising to children as young as four... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

Court revives teens’ suit against McDonald’s
January 26, 2005

McDonald's Corp. must face a suit by New York teenagers who claim the company hid the health risks of Chicken McNuggets and other foods and made them obese, an appeals court has ruled... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:14 AM (ET) | Permalink

Mud flies in pesticides turf war
January 25, 2005

Worried that its market share is wilting with the Canadian-led movement to ban pesticide use, the American lawn-care industry has launched a campaign touting the health and lifestyle benefits of thick, green lawns... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

Viral marketing backfires for VW
January 24, 2005

If you haven’t seen an example for yourself, you’ve probably heard about the phenomenon of ‘viral marketing.’ That’s the term used for a marketing campaign that spreads at lightning speed... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising on the brain: Update III
January 14, 2005

For those following the strange world of bodvertising... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 2:23 PM (ET) | Permalink

U.S. cracks down on porn spam
January 12, 2005

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has charged a network of six adult entertainment companies and an affiliate marketer with violating a federal law. The companies and the affiliate allegedly sent unsolicited, sexually explicit e-mail to consumers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 2:38 PM (ET) | Permalink

Kraft to cut back on junk food ads aimed at kids
January 12, 2005

Kraft Foods says it will remove some of its snack foods from advertising in media seen by children aged 6-11 as part of the fight against rising obesity levels... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:51 AM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising on the brain: Update II
January 12, 2005

Andrew Fischer, the guy who's trying to auction his forehead as ad space on eBay, has reached 109 bids, with the last one coming in at $22,100 US... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:50 AM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising on the brain: Update
January 11, 2005

An update on the fella who's hoping to lease his forehead via an auction on e-Bay... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:10 AM (ET) | Permalink

Advertising on the brain
January 10, 2005

If you think ads already appear everywhere imaginable, think again. A 20-year-old self-proclaimed “average Joe” is leasing his forehead on eBay... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:09 AM (ET) | Permalink

Junk food ad ban proposed
January 7, 2005

posted by Tessa | 12:14 PM (ET) | Permalink

Where have the boys gone?
December 22, 2004

You've heard of television ratings, which tally how many eyeballs are glued to certain programs (watch Marketplace Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on CBC Television), and are used to determine how much advertisers pay for their ads to appear during a show (but not on Marketplace - we're ad-free. Which is sort of like cholesterol-free, only tastier).

In recent years, advertisers and television executives began fretting over the disappearance of one key viewer: "the elusive 18-34 year old male."

Now Nielsen, the company behind most of the TV ratings we hear about, says it's found those missing males: they're playing video games.

It seems gaming is the new frontier (an "underutilized advertising vehicle," in ad-speak) for advertisers hungry to tap into a new medium as the door appears to be closing on an old one.

The trouble is, no one's been keeping track of how ads work in video games - do players see them? How many ads can a player 'digest' in one game session? What kinds of ads will they tolerate?

Nielsen plans to answer those questions with a new game ad auditing service that it's launching with another company (rather immodestly titled "Massive Incorporated").

A press release announcing the project predicts that the synergy between advertisers and the gaming industry will make "in-game advertising a seamless buying experience."

And here's an article from AdAge (registration required): http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=42195

If Pac-Man were released today (and he had feet) he'd surely be wearing Nikes.

Note: It's holiday time and I'll be taking some time off. I'll return with more missives from the world of consumer news in the new year. All the best of the season to you and yours!

posted by Tessa (Online Producer, Marketplace) | 9:56 AM (ET)