Advertising Age articles from December 2005

Advertising Age archives from December 2005

Creativity's AdCritic.com Hot Spot; Gametap: "Mexican Puppet Show".(The Week)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Part of an integrated campaign for Turner's game network, this sweet, funny portrait of Pac Man come to life was originally viral, but ended up on TV after a cable exec saw it and loved it. Agency: Mullen, Wenham, Mass. Chief creative officer:...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
December 5, 2005... In a story on Hewlett-Packard (AA, Nov. 28, P. 1), one of the company's units was misidentified as the personal-services group. The correct name is the personal-systems group.

People & Players.
December 5, 2005... Chicago: Stopping by Burrell Communications gets a visit from actress Angela Bassett, who is doing voice work for Procter & Gamble's Olay Quench body lotion. (From l.) LT Cushon-Dillard, VP-account director, Burrell; Steve Connor, chief...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... 9 Katie Couric Will she be the next CBS anchor? The next Oprah? Or continue to save Jeff Zucker and Bob Wright's tushies by staying at "Today?" 5 Carl Icahn The biggest bully of the boardroom takes off the gloves and starts trash talking...

AdWatch.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson Turnsignals The rate of existing-home sales fell 2.7% in October while new-home sales soared 13%, giving conflicting data on where housing is headed. Inventory of existing homes is at its highest point since...

Images of the Week; UNICEF: SS&K, New York "Save a Child and the Future Will Follow".
December 5, 2005... Chief Creative Officer: Marty Cooke. Art Director: Aziz Rawat. Copywriter: Tonia Simon. Photography: Unicef archives. Submissions Send your best work to Susan McCoy, Photo Editor, Advertising Age, 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017 or...

P&G targets young adults in Germany with Ariel ads.(Procter and Gamble Co.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Dagmar Mussey [Frankfurt, Germany] Procter & Gamble Co. is trying to win over young Germans living in their first apartments with an offbeat TV and print campaign for Ariel Color & Style detergent that was created to run on MTV and...

Ford launches miniseries in Argentina.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Charles Newbery [Buenos Aires, Argentina] Ford Motor Co. and its agencies have created a TV miniseries in Argentina to cast Ford's Fiesta as authentic and in-tune with the model's 25-to-35-year-old target, the most competitive...

FYI...(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Fallon, Tokyo, won the assignment to launch Volkswagen's Jetta and Passat cars in Japan next year after a pitch against DDB. Fallon already handles VW's biggest model in Japan, the Golf, and works for VW's Skoda unit in the U.K.

Maturing markets lead to respect for marketing; Letter From Neff: After experiments, Wal-Mart, others go back to experts.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF The low point for marketing, at least within the package-goods/mass-retail complex, may have come in 2002 when Wal-Mart Stores appointed a career merchandiser, Bob Connolly, as chief marketing officer. It wasn't...

Word-of-mouth shops new hot targets; WPP, Aegis zero in on prospects as VNU looks to snatch up Intelliseek.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Matthew Creamer The ad industry's next acquisition binge is raring up. The target: those small but increasingly sought-after firms that manage how ordinary people spread endorsements and criticism of brands on blogs and other...

Naked exposes self to New York market; Exclusive: Nokia and Minute-Maid get into bed with hot shop.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Matthew Creamer After shaking up the agency world in the U.K. and elsewhere, communications-strategy shop Naked is launching its New York office with a pair of high-profile poachings. Paul Woolmington, CEO of Media Kitchen, and...

Editorial: Going a la carte is right for cable.(Viewpoint)(payment options)(Editorial)
December 5, 2005... It was Dec. 2, 1992, that cable pioneer John C. Malone rocked the industry with his vision of a "500-channel universe.'' Less remembered is how he proposed consumers pay for many channels: On an a-la-carte basis for a monthly fee as little as...

Local TV nets try pay to play.(News)(talk show hosts advertise products)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Abbey Klaassen Want a chatty local talk show host to dish about your product? More and more local stations are offering it up-at $2,500 a pop. The trend is cropping up across a half-dozen Gannett stations in markets such as...

DSW settles with FTC over security lapse involving credit cards; Agency chairman's info among compromised data.(News)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Ira Teinowitz Shoe retailer DSW reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission last week over a privacy breach that allowed hackers to gain control of sensitive credit-card information of more than 1.4 million...

Plucked Peacock discards Donald, goes back to comedy for Thursday; Second year of ratings disappointments no laughing matter for NBC.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN NBC's down 18% and The Donald has just been fired from Thursday. That's the kind of month the beleaguered network's had. After ending the November sweeps with a third place 3.3 18-to-49 rating, NBC needed to...

Someone hit rewind: TiVo heats up too late; New partnerships hailed as smart, but subscriptions still a challenge for brand.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS and ABBEY KLAASSEN TiVo is pitching itself as advertisers' savior. But the push may come too late to save itself. Even as newswires buzzed with speculation that the time-shifter was a takeover target, TiVo CEO Tom...

All this VOD business making some heads spin.(News)(video-on-demand)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Nat Ives In recent weeks, major TV broadcasters and cable networks have announced a sudden storm of video-on-demand and online initiatives that don't conform in any way to TV's traditional business models. Both NBC and CBS are...

Those who are slaves to fat profits, never master consumer needs.(Viewpoint)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Rance Crain Peter Drucker was not only a management guru, he was also a marketing sage. Mr. Drucker presaged the now almost taken-for-granted phrase, "the consumer is boss.'' In one of his many books, he declared: "true...

Growing agencies eye 4%-6% raises; Interactive media skill sets in high demand as shops expand to accommodate marketers.(Special Report: Salary Survey)
December 5, 2005... Byline: R. Craig Endicott and Maureen Morrison An upswing in agency revenue in 2006, stronger compensation packages including better raises and bonuses than employees got going into this year and stepped-up hiring are on the immediate...

HE'S BACK... For Frank Lowe, trying to spear old shop's big fish is better than retirement.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz The usually gossip-savvy London market went into overdrive last week when one of advertising's most colorful characters emerged from his 2-year-old retirement. Not only is Frank Lowe starting up a new agency, he's...

Effective immediately, Media Guy kills overkill.(Media Works)(mass media excesses)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Simon Dumenco As 2005 draws to a close, I thought it high time that we reflect on the excesses not only of the season, but of pop culture and mass media in general. And in the spirit of the ever-more self-flagellating,...

Sprint's old time rock 'n' roll.(Media Works)(Rolling Stones to perform at Super Bowl)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Abbey Klaassen It's official-the Rolling Stones are the Super Bowl halftime show's headline act Feb. 5 at Detroit's Ford Field. And while the Stones are certainly a hot tour ticket-their current "A Bigger Bang'' go 'round is...

Advertising scandal fells Canadian government; Kickback scheme likely to live on in opposition ads in runup to new election.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: GAIL CHIASSON [Ottawa, Canada] Advertising scandals rarely draw much attention past the industry's back fence. But a sponsorship-kickback scheme that riveted TV viewers in Canada has now actually toppled a government. The...

CEOs rely less on stock options; Incentive pay claims 57% of executive compensation as total packages rise 9.1%.(Special Report: Salary Survey)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Mark Schumann Incentive pay tied to share price growth and other measurements lifted CEO compensation a relatively modest 9.1% in 2004 over 2003, according to corporate proxy information collected by Advertising Age. The data...

Adages; Client requesting permission for flyby.(News)(Lynn Whitney)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton Some sales people take their clients to ball games. Others take clients out for drinks. Some even take their clients on lavish spa retreats, with golf and massages and drinks with little umbrellas. But who's the...

TBWA, Hakuhodo bring joint venture to China.(The World)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Tokyo] Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide and Hakuhodo, Japan's second-largest ad agency, have "evolved'' their G1 global partnership to handle Nissan into a 50/50 joint venture in China called TBWA\Hakuhodo China,...

Fowl pray: Tyson gets religion; Poultry purveyor offers prayer booklets to consumers.(News)(Tyson Foods)
December 5, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Tyson Foods wants people to have a wing and a prayer. The chicken, beef and pork marketer recently began offering free downloadable prayer booklets on its Web site with mealtime words of thanks expressed...

People.(The World)(Diamond Trading Co appoints Guy Chauvel)(JWT U.K. appoints Toby Hoare)(Grey Worldwide appoints Suresh Nair and Nat Puccio)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... David Lamb, 44, to worldwide marketing director of the Diamond Trading Company (formerly DeBeers), London, from exec VP-director of multinational clients at JWT, London, where he was previously the global business director handling JWT client...

Work; Honda U.K.: Power of dreams.(The World)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Honda U.K.'s latest commercial from Wieden & Kennedy, London, the shop that created the car's award-sweeping "Grrr'' and "Cog'' spots, takes Honda's "Power of dreams'' to new heights. Set to Andy Williams singing "The Impossible Dream,'' Honda...

Brady's Bunch; Kliger gets tough on circ.(People & Players)(Jack Kliger)
December 5, 2005... Byline: James Brady For several years Hachette Filipacchi CEO Jack Kliger has been urging us, "Love thy neighbor.'' His thesis: Magazine companies ought to stop trashing rival mags and instead spend the promotional dough and creative...

Six Flags poised for marketing shakeup; New management likely to eighty-six Mr. Six, turn focus to safety and fun.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Following Six Flags' board shakeup, Mr. Six is likely to be sent packing, along with most of the theme park's current marketing strategy. Activist shareholder and Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was...

Two founding partners depart Embassy Row; Remaining exec will keep producing TV shows under shop's banner.(News)(Tera Hanks, Chris Moore, Michael Davies)
December 5, 2005... Byline: MARC GRASER and T.L. STANLEY Former Davie-Brown Entertainment President Tera Hanks and film producer Chris Moore have left Embassy Row, the branded-entertainment shop the two co-founded with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire''...

United Group wins `test' from P&G; Package-goods giant hands shop two global prestige-fragrance brands.(News)(United Group of Creative Agencies)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
December 5, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF WPP Group's Voluntarily United Group of Creative Agencies has won global assignments for two Procter & Gamble Co. prestige-fragrance brands, culminating a year-long mating ritual. With the win, it becomes the latest...

In search of true marketplace influencers: Everyday folks drive measurable results; Talking the talk: It's a subject of ongoing debate: Who holds the key to word-of-mouth success--Everyman or Influentials? Here, two experts square off with very different answers to the same query.(Viewpoint)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Dave Balter Could it be that you're an Influential? Maybe. If you are, I congratulate you. You are special: You volunteer more, read voraciously, share ideas often and have a large circle of friends. You stand out from the herd....

In search of true marketplace influencers: Influentials inspire buyer confidence; Talking the talk: It's a subject of ongoing debate: Who holds the key to word-of-mouth success--Everyman or Influentials? Here, two experts square off with very different answers to the same query.(Viewpoint)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Ed Keller Recognizing the power of word of mouth, a growing number of marketers are now integrating it into their marketing mix. In fact, at last year's 4A's conference, Jim Stengel, global marketing officer at Procter & Gamble,...

Chinese challenge: locals brands more copycats than creators.(Viewpoint)(Column)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Scott Donaton If you haven't yet been to mainland China, put down this column and board a flight to Shanghai. I'll wait; you'll need plenty to read on the way over. Although I've just returned from a three-city Asian tour,...

Spotlight.(The World)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall Marketer: Sony PlayStation Agency: TBWA London PlayStation, known for its edgy marketing, changes pace to match consumers' everyday lives [London] Sony PlayStation is attempting to broaden the game console's...

FTC to point finger of shame at adware users; Commissioner threatens to out marketers passing content without consent.(News)(Federal Trade Commission)(Jon Leibowitz)
December 5, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ A Federal Trade Commission member is serving notice to marketers who use adware to promote their wares: He will push to publicly identify miscreants-effectively shaming them-in future FTC cases unless they voluntarily...

IAB to honor pioneers in online media.(Interactive Advertising Bureau )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz The Interactive Advertising Bureau will name 10 online Pioneros, or industry pioneers, this week in an effort to promote Hispanic online media. The Pioneros will be honored in a testimonial campaign in 2006 to...

Marketers and agencies tussle over tongues; But whether Hispanic media's future is in English or Espanol, spending continues to rise.(Multicultural)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz Marketers and their agencies are split over whether the future of Hispanic media is in English or Spanish, but plan to increase their spending in 2006 in most Hispanic media regardless of language. An exclusive...

Late News; Zenith sees 5.9% boost in '06 global ad spending.(Draft opens shop on Wal-Mart's turf)(Merrill Lynch trims U.S. ad spending forecast)
December 5, 2005... [New York] Global advertising expenditures are expected to increase 5.9% to $427 billion in 2006 compared to 2005's $403 billion total, according to an analysis by Publicis Groupe's ZenithOptimedia. Of that, Internet spending will increase...

MediaMorph: Media-center PCs.(Media Works)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Beth Snyder Bulik What it is: It's really just a computer at its core, but it's not just any old hard drive and monitor combination. Media-center PCs usually have larger hard drives and faster processors, and all have operating...

CEO rewrites branded-entertainment script to include `people placement'.(People & Players)(Michael Ribero)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Abbey Klaassen Michael Ribero wants to turn the burgeoning branded-entertainment trend on its head. Instead of placing a product into a story, why not, he asks, place consumers into the storyline? That's the concept the former...

People.(The Week)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... John P. Margaritis to executive director, Havas' Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, New York, from director-marketing, Asprey. Tony Imperato to associate publisher, Meredith Corp.'s Ladies' Home Journal, New York, from VP-associate publisher,...

Panasonic dumps Grey after 2 decades.(The Week)
December 5, 2005... Panasonic is dropping WPP's Grey Worldwide after more than two decades despite the dramatic results of Grey's latest campaign for the marketer's plasma TVs. Since the "Ideas for Life'' campaign began airing in April, Panasonic's plasma-TV...

Garfield's AdReview; Radio ads avoid issues by changing the station.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Bob Garfield A basic principle of message management: When things get uncomfortable, change the subject. Ask Barry Bonds about steroids, he'll rail about the media. Ask Big Oil about windfall profits, and they get very...

DDB collects `signs' to identify trends; Installs cool-hunting tool based on sociological approach in 52 offices.(News)(DDB SignBank)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Matthew Creamer DDB believes it has identified a trend-actually, 30,000 of them. The Omnicom Group ad-agency network has rolled out a global planning tool it hopes will have everyone from receptionists to planners to...

Ford looks to rejigger $1 bil media business; May follow GM's lead, park buying, planning under a single roof.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Troubled Ford Motor Co. is considering following rival General Motors Corp. in bundling its $1 billion-plus in North American media buying and planning housed at WPP Group agencies. Ford's Darryl Hazel,...

In the lab at The Times; Gray Lady's first ad chief talks about the paper's three latest `experiments,' and the competition.(News)(The New York Times)(Denise Warren)(Interview)
December 5, 2005... Byline: NAT IVES Last June, several weeks after The New York Times Co. announced the first of what would become two rounds of job cuts, Denise Warren was named The New York Times Media Group's first chief advertising officer, responsible...

Real Simple jumps off page and into Target; Magazine or brand? It's both.(News)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Nat Ives In just five years Real Simple has gone from a much-doubted startup to one of Time Inc.'s most profitable titles. Now it's attempting a bigger leap: from magazine to multifaceted brand and marketer of home products. ...

Ah, the season of giving.(Viewpoint)(gift certificates)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... As the holiday-shopping season and mad scramble to find the perfect present begins, Neil Romain already knows what he is buying for his wife of 15 years: a gift certificate. Lest you peg his selection as unimaginative, this particular gift...

Big agency groups track industry employment uptick.(Special Report: Salary Survey)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Scott MacDonald Total employment in the ad industry is growing, albeit slowly. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the number of employees in advertising and related services in the U.S. has increased 2.2%, to...

Marketers and agencies tussle over tongues; But whether Hispanic media's future is in English or Espanol , spending continues to rise.(Multicultural)
December 5, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz Marketers and their agencies are split over whether the future of Hispanic media is in English or Spanish, but plan to increase their spending in 2006 in most Hispanic media regardless of language. An exclusive...

On the Web.
December 12, 2005... For full coverage of the presentations from both the UBS Annual Global Media Conference and Credit Suisse First Boston Media Week, go to AdAge.com. The QwikFINDS below will take you directly to the Web story. Universal McCann forecast...

Ad Age/IAG's Top Spots; #1 Coca-Cola.(evaluation of advertising campaigns)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... An ad from Coca-Cola's "Polar Bears" holiday campaign featuring a group of dancing penguins ranked as best-liked spot among viewers last month. Other well-received ads included holiday spots from Toys "R" Us and Kmart. To view the Top Spot and...

People & Players.
December 12, 2005... New York: Case studies Yahoo presents the Advertising Club of New York's Creative Works Luncheon. (Standing, from l.) Wenda Harris Millard, chief sales officer, Yahoo; Stephen Berkov, director of marketing; Audi; Jerry Shereshewsky,...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(ABC News Inc. appoints Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas)(National Broadcasting Company Inc. programs)(New York Times Co.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... 10 AOL Basking in its position as wallflower turned prettiest girl at the ball, Time Warner's Internet unit keeps both Google and Microsoft guessing. 8 Woodruff and Vargas ABC News appoints two 40-somethings to fill Peter Jennings very big...

Mary's mission impossible?(Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Coke wants to address consumer needs with new brands, new packaging, new communication Grow core carbonated soft drink brands (enjoyment today) * Adjust Coke portfolio for all life cycles with sweeteners, caffeine, flavors, packaging...

Maxell: Blown again.(Maxell Corporation of America revived its old advertisement "Blown Away")(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Maxell updates its iconic "Blown Away" ad from 1978 in a print and outdoor push from Manhattan Marketing Ensemble, New York, touting its digital line from iPod accessories to digital recording CDs and DVDs. Creative director: Brad Eisenstein;...

AdWatch.(spending on advertising)(Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson Turnsignals U.S. third-quarter measured ad spending slipped 0.3%, but it grew 3.9% after factoring out 2004's Olympics and election spending. September figures rose 3.8% despite Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; TNS...

Marketer of the Year: Procter & Gamble; Hitting home runs comes easier for global brands in Stengel's Marketing Framework 3.0.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)
December 12, 2005... The Players: Ted Woehrle, VP-North American marketing (seated). Then, from l., Charlotte Otto, global external relations officer; Bernhard Glock, manager-global media and communications; Lynne Boles, VP-global advertising development; Jim...

Five barnburners.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
December 12, 2005... Three consecutive years of double-digit top- and bottom-line growth in a mature industry don't come without a multitude of brand success stories. Here are five that have propelled Procter & Gamble Co. Febreze It started as a fabric...

Smirnoff produces Brazilian drink.(Smirnoff Caipiroska from Pierre Smirnoff Co.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Claudia Penteado [Sao Paulo, Brazil] Brazil's popular national drink, the caipirinha, made of lime, sugar and a fiery local sugar-cane alcohol called cachaca, is being bottled by Smirnoff as Caipriroska, a less headache-inducing...

Interpublic divests stake in Springer & Jacoby.(Interpublic Group of Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Dagmar Mussey and Matthew Creamer [Duesseldorf, Germany] Interpublic Group of Cos. is considering divesting its 51% stake in poorly-performing German-based European agency network Springer & Jacoby, either in a sale to its...

`Space Cadets' takes off without a sponsor.(reality television program of Channel Four Television Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] The U.K.'s Channel 4 TV is pulling an elaborate $7 million hoax with a new reality TV show called "Space Cadets.'' The contestants-all selected because of their own fondness for playing practical...

FYI...(McGraw-Hill Inc. services)(Nestle S.A. advertising contracts are given to ZenithOptimedia of New Delhi)(Silvio Matos left Young & Rubicam Brands)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... BusinessWeek is shuttering its European and Asian print editions, moving their content online and shifting to global distribution of a single print edition. The McGraw-Hill Cos. magazine continues to publish local-language editions in China,...

Honey, I shrank the cable-television universe.(Media Works)(Kevin Martin of Federal Communications Commission)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Simon Dumenco How do you give TV viewers "choice''? Simple: If you're FCC chairman Kevin Martin, you do it by reducing their options. If you've noticed the phrase "a la carte cable''-i.e., mandating that cable channels be sold...

No boom, but `06 will be better than a bust; Growth forecast at UBS, Credit Suisse conferences.(advertising spending)
December 12, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS After a week of presentations by media and advertising companies at two annual analyst confabs, a remark delivered by Universal McCann forecaster Bob Coen succinctly summed up prospects for the coming year: "We're not...

Sorrell keeps eye on Asia, technology; WPP chief looks ahead; Roth tries to put IPG's financial woes in the past.(Media Summits)(UBS investor conference)(Martin Sorrell of WPP Group PLC.)(Michael Roth of Interpublic Group of Companies Inc.)
December 12, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER The second- and third-largest agency holding companies were among the companies who sent their CEOs to address analysts last week. Speaking at the UBS investor conference, WPP Group Chief Executive Martin...

If print is like vinyl records, we'll need a Journalism 2.0.(Andrew Gowers of The Financial Times)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom When Andrew Gowers stepped down as editor of The Financial Times, citing "strategic differences'' with parent Pearson, he offered this bleak forecast for ink on paper: "Working in print, pure and simple, is the 21st...

People.(Jeff Vogel of American Media Group Inc. promoted)(April Gillespie appointed for Zoom Media)(Chris Eames of Turner Entertainment Co.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Charles Hipsher, to senior VP, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Campbell-Ewald, Warren, Mich., from senior VP-creative director, Interpublic's FCB, New York. Also: Thomas Trujillo to corporate counsel. He had previously been an attorney at Ford Motor...

Indie Butler Shine reconfigured itself for success.(Butler, Shine and Stern)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 12, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO When BMW sent congratulations via an English bulldog with a cryptic license plate around its neck to a one-time Liberty Ship factory on the edge of San Francisco Bay, it was affirmation that a 13-year-old independent...

Walgreens to track displays with RFID chips; System will record when, where and how promos are placed in 5,000 stores.(News)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Jack Neff In what appears to be the most sweeping marketing application yet of radio-frequency identification technology, Walgreens and 15 top package-goods marketers are rolling out a system to track promotional displays...

5 Heavy Hitters.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)(Apple Computer Inc.,FedEx Corp.,Google Inc.,Motorola Inc. and Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Among the companies that Advertising Age considered for Marketer of the Year, editors felt there were several worthy contenders, each with its own set of lessons to share. Here are five ways marketers can stand out from the crowd like these...

Nissan.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)(Nissan North America Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Jean Halliday Nissan North America is chugging along, despite 2005 being one of the toughest years ever in the U.S. car business. The automaker says sales of its Nissan and luxury Infiniti brands rose by 12% through October to...

MediaMorph: Digital Living Room.(Media Works)(Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. jointly introduced website Digital Joy)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Beth Snyder Bulik What it is: Call it the ultimate couch potato creator. The theory goes that as consumers get used to time-shifting and place-shifting their content, including everything from music to movies to business databases,...

Advertisers slow to warm to Yahoo's new news; Content is compelling but gritty coverage of suffering, war may discourage many sponsors.(Interactive)
December 12, 2005... Byline: KRIS OSER It's been a year since Yahoo CEO Terry Semel hired Lloyd Braun, former head of ABC Entertainment Television Group, to bring his Hollywood sensibilities to the portal and create what that new head of media said would be...

FDA plans DTC-marketing focus groups.(Food and Drug Administration plans on direct marketing)(NBC Universal Inc. signs deal with Apple Computer Inc. iTunes Music Store)(Wenner Media Inc. appoints Brad Weiners)
December 12, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) plans to conduct focus groups in 2006 on DTC marketing, among other topics, further delaying any plans to institute new rules for the $4 billion industry....

Adages; Hurricane do-gooders get just desserts.(awards to hurricane savers)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton Who says good deeds go unrewarded? Among the revelers at the GQ "Men of the Year'' party at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills were six "Heroes of the Hurricane'' from Adages' home state of Louisiana. And while actors such as...

Apple.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)(Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Beth Snyder Bulik * Surprises are good-when you're the one doing the surprising. Apple's launch of the iPod Nano caught the tech community, analysts and pretty much everyone off-guard, including Apple's wireless phone partner...

FedEx.(Feature: Marketer of the Year)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Matthew Creamer * Although an always competitive sector got a bit tougher, FedEx Corp., the No. 2 player, has thrived. It kicked off the year with news that it was stealing ground-delivery market share from UPS, its largest rival,...

People.(Trish Adams appointed for Wieden and Kennedy Inc.)(Hope Chang appointed for MasterCard International Inc.)(Chris Thomas appointed for Omnicom Group)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Trish Adams, 40, to managing director of Wieden & Kennedy, Tokyo. Ms. Adams was group account director at the agency's Portland, Ore., headquarters. She succeeds Arto Hampartsoumian, who left to open a Shanghai office for Bartle Bogle Hegarty....

Haier taps Saatchi for Games work.(Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Company Ltd. selected Saatchi & Saatchi)(Publicis Groupe S.A. opening its facility in China)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Shanghai, China] China's most ambitious aspiring global brand, home-appliance maker Haier Group, has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi to handle corporate marketing surrounding its national sponsorship of the 2008...