An LA based ad agency, Cesario Migliozzi, has agreed to pay the $3 million asking price to NBC for a 30 second spot which they plan to use to push 8 different companies simultaneously.
Apparently the ad involves tap-dancing ladies and an accordian. The creative obviously isn’t as important as the stunt itself, assuming they can pull it off.
NBC still has six 30 seconds spots to sell, they have no lowered their asking price yet.
Read the full article on Yahoo News
Economic Meltdown, Industry News
File this one under dept. of the obvious:
Cleveland, OH-based American Greetings reported losses of $193.3 million in itsscal Q308 earnings filings compared to a profit of $29 million last year. Revenues declined to $454.1 million from $485.8 million.
Industry News
It turns out that someone still believes in the once mighty Palm. That someone is Elevation Partners who recently provided a life-saving cash infusion to the handheld maker. Palm has let their OS stagnate for what feels like decades in the fast paced handheld market. The company is counting on the success of their newest Palm OS, called Nova, which is to be released in January.
Industry News
Prosecutors in Marin county CA reached a settlement with the Subway sandwich chain over the restaurant’s failure to properly honor “Sandwich of the Day,” “Make it a Meal” and Make it a Footlong” promotions.
The prosecution claimed that customers were being denied discounts of up to $1 per order. Without admitting any wrongdoing, Subway has agreed to set up an 800 number and a web site where customers can claim $2 gift cards.
Industry News, Trends
Alltel this time, not quite up to snuff with Apple’s holiday animation offering
Creative
Ogilvy launched a website to help clients decide where cut spending (not marketing!) during the recession. It is still mostly ‘Coming soon…’ at the moment.
Economic Meltdown
Contrary to what passed for common wisdom a few months ago, the digital side of the advertising industry is being impacted heavily by the economic downturn. Digital agencies are seeing clients cut their online spend drastically, forcing them into the position of cutting staff. ClickZ has offered up their analysis of the situation, specifically addressing why digital is being cut: it’s the fastest way to rein in the budget. The flexibility of online to adapt to a changing marketplace and constantly optimize is both its greatest asset and its greatest liability.
Economic Meltdown, Industry News, Trends
BNET has graced us with their BNET Ad Agency which works exactly the way you would expect. At the time of writing 6,140 agency staff have lost their jobs. Hopefully they don’t have to update it too much more but it’s hard to feel optimistic at this point.
Economic Meltdown, Industry News
Agency Spy reports that the 2008 Art of Manliness Man of the Year winner, Matthew Chancey from Ashville, Alabama, might be more Manly than originally anticipated.
Turns out Old Spice’s 2008 Art of Manliness Man of the Year is deeply involved with Vision Forum, a ministry so reputedly racist and radically right-wing it couldn’t support Sarah Palin for vice-president. He’s also a state leader of the Family Policy Network, a right-wing political group that works the same turf as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. And he’s earned quite the reputation for ruthlessness in evangelical Christian circles. His Biblically inspired views on marriage, gender roles, and family are ultra-traditional. Men are meant to be in the world and to serve as heads of households. Women, from birth, are groomed for service in the home.
Industry News
