Advertising Age articles from February 2005

Advertising Age archives from February 2005

Skyy hit the limit with racy ad: critics; Council probes possible breach of standards.(News)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Skyy Spirits, which has long promoted its namesake vodka with sexually charged advertising, may have pushed the envelope too far. Its latest ad is provoking ire inside and outside the industry. The ad depicts...

Exclusive: Time Inc. confronts shady circ; Moore to cut weak subs sold by agents.(News)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JON FINE Time Inc.`s Ann Moore is leading the magazine industry to a higher circulation ground-and dumping more than half a million suspect subscribers along the way. The $5.6 billion Time Warner unit will stop doing business...

Brady's Bunch.(People & Players)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: James Brady With impeccable timing, Parade scheduled its annual sales meeting in Naples, Florida, the weekend of the Northeast's (and Midwest's) Big Snow (and The Donald's wedding). Ad VP Jim Hackett reports everyone made it,...

More woes for radio than Stern; Young male demographic critical to FM stations, but who will fill the big void?(Feature: Radio)
February 7, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER When Howard Stern announced his plans to bolt from FM to the FCC-free zone of satellite radio last fall, it was portrayed by the press as the first ripple in a sea change. Mr. Stern's employer as of next January,...

Don't expect `The Days' every day.(Special Report: Madison + Vine)
February 7, 2005... Byline: KAREN J. BANNAN The Days'' of last summer proved inviting for two major marketers, but don't expect advertiser-driven scripts to become the norm on TV. With "The Days,'' WPP Group's MindShare Entertainment proved that such a...

Lacoste's Siegel illustrates the sales power of pricing--up.
February 7, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom Robert Siegel seems to operate on instincts. Good ones. He made his name, in '86, as the man who launched Dockers-a fashion crime and a runaway business success story-but was frustrated by Levi's slow-moving,...

Scripted shows stage a dramatic comeback; Success of series may lessen network reliance on reality.
February 7, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Memo to Mark Burnett: Watch your back. Reality still chokes the broadcast dial. But this TV season is shaping up as the year of the scripted drama, putting producers and creators such as Marc Cherry ("Desperate...

Carson may have been the last of the mass-market idols.(Johnny Carson)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Randall Rothenberg I remember when Sophie Tucker died. It was almost 40 years ago. Front pages around the country waxed rapturously about her booming voice, her risque patter, the larger-than-life burlesque of her songs-"Nobody...

Food fight spreads: FCC backs anti-ad crowd, delivers slap to kids TV.(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ The battle over kids' obesity is migrating from marketers to the media. The Federal Communications Commission issued an edict to take effect next January that would count promotions for broadcast and TV...

Fear wins in Super Bowl rout; Arbiters of decency ruin the big day for advertisers, viewers.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: BOB GARFIELD This year's winners: small-minded idiots. The losers: everybody else. In Super Bowl XXXIX it was OK to film a leering queer eye for a straight guy, and the four-hour, drug-induced erection remained part of...

Prosecutors cry conspiracy; Seifert, Early painted as orchestrators of timesheet scandal.(Shona Seifert)
February 7, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER The ad industry's head-in-the-clouds creative nature has long been used to explain away its idiosyncrasies. But it took an attorney who achieved notoriety defending Bill Clinton from impeachment to turn it into a...

Incentives lethal to Detroit's share; Domestic automakers need more hot models.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Detroit automakers must wean buyers off incentives, develop better products and take more risks to have a chance at halting a precipitous sales slide that has seen them lose share to Asian rivals. General Motors...

Warning to Whitacre: Don't dump AT&T name; Strong brand image.(Ed Whitacre)
February 7, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO There's a simple reason why empire-building SBC chief Ed Whitacre should put the AT&T name over his door, and it's not just that he paid $16 billion for it. AT&T still has meaning for the man on the street. ...

Who's next? P&G move may trigger frenzy; All eyes are on Unilever, Colgate.(Procter & Gamble Co.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Next up, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive? When Jim Kilts sold Nabisco to Altria Group's Kraft Foods in 2000, it stoked a feeding frenzy that dramatically consolidated food marketers. His sale of Gillette to Procter &...

The Buzz; What We're Talking About.(MediaWorks)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Jon Fine IT HAS COME TO THIS: The Buzz cannot remember-really-exactly how many publishers are launching, are testing a launch, or readying a British invasion of another celebrity weekly magazine. So let us count the ways: The...

Too early to to think in minutes; Nielsen's new data offering doesn't address realities of reporting, watching TV.(Nielsen Media Research Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JIM KITE A few months ago, Nielsen announced that from October next year it will make minute-by-minute audience data available for all national programming sources. This service will include "flags'' to indicate minutes of...

Insurers tackle obesity issue head on; Aetna, others market prevention programs.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: MYA FRAZIER lose 15 pounds and cut your health-insurance premium by $400 a year. That incentive is the marketing proposition behind a pilot program at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina with an unapologetic goal: to get...

Court TV banking on Michael Jackson trial; Fits Schleiff's strategy to snag young viewers.(Courtroom Television Network Inc.'s Henry Schleiff plans to enhance audience ratings)
February 7, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Michael Jackson's misfortune is the best thing to happen to Court TV since, well, since the Scott Peterson trial, which ended with a death penalty verdict two months ago. The trial is expected to boost the...

75 Years of Ideas.
February 7, 2005... Advertising Age is celebrating its first 75 years of service to the ad industry. We'll be sharing these moments in the pages of Ad Age on the way to the 75th anniversary issue appearing March 28. Next week: top ad moments No. 45-41. 50...

Buyers like tight spots, hot genres; Spanish-language and Christian fare make noise.(Feature: Radio)
February 7, 2005... Byline: KATE FITZGERALD The radio industry admits it needs a makeover. National ad revenue is flat; consumer listening patterns have become unreliable, and radio personality Howard Stern is moving to Sirius Satellite Radio by the end...

The Week; Grey sets vote on WPP deal.
February 7, 2005... Grey Global Group shareholders will meet March 3 in New York to vote on WPP Group's acquisition of the agency holding company. Grey as of Jan. 31 had 444 shareholders. The deal received final approval from European antitrust regulators in...

Spotlight.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Virgin advertises launch into Australian financial services market)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall Marketer: Virgin Money Agency: iLeo, Sydney Virgin plays on plastic surgery and plastic money for a memorable entry to Australia's financial-services market. Virgin's launch into Australia's...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Pieter Nota, 40, to brand chairman of Beiersdorf, Hamburg, on April 1, from marketing manager, food, at Unilever Germany. He succeeds Uwe Woelfer, who retires. Rafael Barbeito to general manager of WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather Argentina,...

Adages; And the award for really rubbing it in goes to ...(News)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton Well, it's not exactly the red-carpet treatment, but just in time for the Academy Awards, an outfit calling itself Citizens United has unveiled a few billboards in Hollywood. All three, one directly outside of the Kodak...

No-brainer: Keep the AT&T brand.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... There's only one right choice for the name of the merged SBC/AT&T: AT&T. Too bad SBC chief Ed Whitacre couldn't come up with the name last week when he pitched the deal to Wall Street. "We need a little while to contemplate that and think...

Lowe London in full-scale crisis.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Interpublic Group of Cos. Chairman-CEO Michael Roth flew to the U.K. last week to deal with a crisis at Lowe Worldwide's London office sparked by management and client defections. Last week Lowe lost its Nestle...

Want in that review? Pay up; Online agency search tack riles traditionalists.(News)(Agencyfinder.com)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO Jeff Goodby received a congratulatory fax last month so giddy that staffers at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners initially thought he'd won the Publishers' Clearing House sweepstakes. "Congratulations! Your agency...

Music, film, TV heed ringtones' call; `Mobisodes,' games are hot tools to micromarket array of mobile devices.(Special Report: Madison + Vine)
February 7, 2005... Byline: MARC GRASER Advertisers seeking new ways to spread their marketing messages may have to look no further than the next generation of cell phones, and that potential extends into branded entertainment. Improved handsets-with...

Late News; Cadbury shows signs of advertising overhaul.
February 7, 2005... [London] Cadbury Schweppes is taking what appears to be the first steps toward a major overhaul of its $466 million ad account. The company has solicited suggestions from at least four of its roster agency networks on ways to cut costs and...

People.(News)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Lynne Collins to VP-director of communications, Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, from associate director-corporate communications, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch. Sophia Honore Taylor to VP-account services, Aaron Walton...

Work: FarEastone.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Believing young adults will embrace technology if it seems cool, Taiwan's mobile-service provider FarEastone launched I-Mode data service with a darkly humorous campaign. I-Mode is positioned as "Life's little portal'' in three spots by Ogilvy...

Clear Channel cuts: Jury still out on :30s.
February 7, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Is less more? Despite Clear Channel's much-publicized push to sell marketers on 30-second rather than 60-second spots, advertisers aren't sure. And that's prompted the radio giant to promote two recent surveys for...

Embattled Nielsen takes fresh hits; Arbitron also under fire.(News)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN In a day described by some attendees as full of "defensiveness and offensiveness,'' Nielsen Media Research and radio counterpart Arbitron were fired upon-again-for their lack of accountability during an all-day...

Nintendo 'Maxim'-izes to lure older generation of gamers; Hand-held rivals targets coeds, high-schoolers.(News)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Handheld video games aren't just for kids anymore. That's the crux of the marketing battle as Nintendo's already launched dual-screen device goes up against Sony's spring launch of PlayStation Portable. ...

Gordon varies the playbook to target Clorox consumers.(Derek Gordon)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF You might expect Derek Gordon to be highly disciplined, since he spent 10 formative years of his career at two of the most disciplined organizations in the world-the Air Force and Procter & Gamble Co. You would not be...

Studios offer up the GO-TO GUY; Emboldened marketers want to cut through the red tape as they become more forceful with studios in big projects' roles.(Special Report: Madison + Vine)
February 7, 2005... Byline: MARC GRASER It's getting more expensive to make a movie, and the price tag to market them isn't getting any cheaper either. So it's no surprise that studios are looking for all the help they can get. In other words, when a...

M+V neighborhood expanding; Entertainment offerings, offbeat marketers meet on `the road less traveled'.(Special Report: Madison + Vine)
February 7, 2005... Byline: T.L. STANLEY There used to be an elite group of marketers-think McDonald's, General Motors, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble-that had its pick of Hollywood's entertainment for product placement and cross-promotions. Like most...

Cossette shops for U.S., Europe deals.(Cossette Communications Group)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Gail Chiasson [Montreal] After spending $29 million on acquisitions in the last four years, Canada's Cossette Communication Group is looking for more deals in the U.S. and elsewhere and has over $16 million to spend. Cossette,...

GM rebrands Daewoo as Chevy.(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Dagmar Mussey [Duesseldorf, Germany] General Motors Corp. will rebrand Daewoo cars in Europe as Chevrolet through an estimated $15 million pan-European campaign. Two General Motors agencies, Interpublic Group of Cos.' FCB, London...

FYI...(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... BMW awarded its estimated $3 million account for Latin America and the Caribbean to Omnicom Group's Savaglio/TBWA, Buenos Aires, after a pitch in which Grey Global Group's Grey Argentina, the incumbent for Argentina and some regional work,...

AdWatch.(News)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Mercedes M. Cardona Turn Signals The new-business front closed 2004 with signs of improvement. The major holding companies added nearly $2.6 billion in net new billings, thanks to new product introductions and increased...

Ad Age/IAG's Top Spots; No. 1: Burger King.(News)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... In Ad Age's first likability index ranking with IAG, Burger King's Angus Bacon Cheddar Ranch burger, featuring "Sopranos" star Tony Sirico, was the victor between Jan. 3 and Jan. 30. Ellen DeGeneres soft-shoed an AmEx spot into second. "Will...

Voted & Quoted; 62% ...of AdAge.com voters believe the Shona Seifert case has put the whole advertising industry on trial. The remaining 38% of respondents think the case hurts no one but Ms. Seifert herself.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... "The guilt or innocence of the [Ogilvy & Mather] folks doesn't reflect on anything other than themselves. Although, innocence by association is as erroneous as guilt by association." -Tom Messner/partner/Euro RSCG/New York "The case...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(MediaWorks)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... 9 DISNEY DISH Tongues wagging via strategic leaks/publication of excerpts of James Stewart's almost-out opus "Disney War." (No, we haven't read it, and don't know what dirt about Diller it contains.) Sort of like the courtroom epic of...

People & Players.
February 7, 2005... New York Court TV holds the premiere of its original film "The Exonerated" at the Museum of Radio & Television and an after-party at 21 Club. (From l.) Henry Schleiff, CEO, Court TV; Aida Tuturo, actress; Aiden Quinn, star of "The Exonerated";...

Families spend less on food as they pursue house, car dreams; Labor Bureau stats also show decline in share spent on apparel.(American Demographics)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson The average American family spent $40,817 on goods and services in 2003. Where'd the money go? More than half of the budget went for the house (33cents of every dollar) and car (19cents). After paying for food...

Off to a slow start.(demand for Ford Motor Co.'s new car may rise slowly)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Jean Halliday Early sales of Ford's Five Hundred, key to what the company called its biggest new-product blitz ever, haven't been stellar. The automaker sold 5,401 of the sedans in January, fewer than the 5,730 it sold in December....

Work 2.7.05; Images of the week.(Work)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Got game? Milk-PEP continued its Got Milk? campaign with a pre-Super Bowl print ad featuring New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. A post-game ad features the winning player, from Lowe,...

Brazil's Africa launches magazine.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Claudia Penteado [Sao Paulo, Brazil] Hot young agency Africa, started by famed Brazil adman Nizan Guanaes just two years ago, uses the same tools it recommends to its clients-full-scale ad campaigns. The high-profile Mr. Guanaes'...

Let's make Super Bowl ads more than popularity contest.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Rance Crain It's time the Super Bowl ad parade stopped being a popularity contest. Our own Bob Garfield lamented that "smart-minded idiots'' polluted the environment by censoring Super Bowl commercials "for their own craven...

Hot Spot: Adidas; Creativity's AdCritic.com's.(News)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... In this spot for Adidas, a craftsman creates perfect models of NBA stars Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan-the setup for a short film, "The Journey,'' which continues at 21121.com. Agency: 180/TBWA. Creative director: Chuck McBride....

People.(News)(Chris Lloyd appointed)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Chris Lloyd, 45, to president, Omnicom Group's DDB, Seattle, from managing partner. He succeeds Ron Elgin, 63, who becomes chairman-CEO. Dan Yukelson to exec VP-chief financial officer, Premiere Radio Networks, Los Angeles, from senior...

Work: Volkswagen.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... DDB London took a classic "Singin' in the Rain'' scene and added three break dancers and body poppers made up to look like Gene Kelly who execute extreme dance steps. The point: to convey that the spot and Volkswagen's Golf GTI Mk V-seen at...

Spotlight.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall Marketer: Honda U.K. Agency: Wieden & Kennedy London Wieden team behind lauded "Cog" casts car and passengers as bright geometric shapes in latest Honda work. Honda U.K.'s latest car advertising uses only...

Fudge struggles to stem losses.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS Ann Fudge is fighting for her job. In nearly two years at the helm of Young & Rubicam Brands, Ms. Fudge has not only failed to reinvigorate the flagship global agency, Y&R, but has overseen such hemorrhaging of...

Garfield's AdReview; Dairy Queen reigns supreme by going 'different,' funny.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Bob Garfield It's not just that Dairy Queen is, like, the 408th fast-food chain in America. And it's not just that half of the country doesn't even know they serve meat because DQ is synonymous with, like, the Chocolate Dipped...

Ogilvy case: Defendants get say; trial nears climax.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER As they mount their case this week, defense attorneys for Shona Seifert and Thomas Early will likely do little to challenge the existence of a large-scale plot within Ogilvy & Mather's media department to overbill...

'Apprentice' translators hope for hits all over globe; Doesn't resonate in Germany, but Brazil loves show.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ and CLAIRE ATKINSON Around the world a dozen men-and one woman-who are not Donald Trump are crying out in different languages, "You're fired!'' As local versions of "The Apprentice'' spread rapidly across Europe,...

The time's right to kill time sheet.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Shona Seifert and Tom Early are the names on the court papers, but the whole advertising business is being dragged into disrepute as the two former Ogilvy & Mather staffers are tried for padding time sheets on a government account. Not only...

The Buzz; What We're Talking About.(MediaWorks)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Claire Atkinson Walt Disney Co.'s ABC has gone from dull to dazzling in the space of 12 months and is clearly relishing its newfound edginess. Home to the racy series "Desperate Housewives'' and the politically incorrect "Boston...

Late News; Pfizer pulling back on Q2 network buys.
February 14, 2005... [New York] In the strongest indication that direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical market may be shrinking, Pfizer exercised some options on its second quarter network TV buys. A spokesman for the company confirmed the decision. The company spent...

Devilish bargains.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Jack Neff Marketers are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics to court profitable customers and shun unprofitable ones-but the Internet is giving fervent bargain seekers powerful tools of their own. At Dealideal.com,...

The Week; Unilever sets plans for reorganization.(Briefs)
February 14, 2005... Unilever, beset by disappointing top-line results and a newly enlarged rival in Procter & Gamble Co., last week moved to complete a long-awaited merger-with itself. Governed for decades by two executive co-chairmen with equal but sometimes...

Brady's Bunch.(People & Players)
February 14, 2005... Byline: James Brady Latest fair-haired kids at Time Inc. are Publisher Stephen Bohlinger and Editor Eleanor Griffin of Southern Progress Corp.'s Cottage Living. First conceived three years ago, green-lighted by Ann Moore and launched...

Havas, Y&R on the ropes; De Pouzilhac fights for survival.(News)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS Corporate raider Vincent Bollore and Havas Chairman-CEO Alain de Pouzilhac are locked in a highly public fight to the death over the future of an advertising company that, ironically, may not have much of a future. ...

Let's watch game together ... on cell phones; `Sports is the killer app for wireless hardware and service providers'.(Special Report: Sports Marketing)
February 14, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO Who's the hottest young player in sports? Why, it's the cell phone. From the National Basketball Association to the Women's Tennis Association to Nascar, marketers are using mobile technology to burnish their...

Steroid specter hangs over MLB; wide array of marketing initiatives play off gains inattendance, ratings; but can game overcome scandal?(Major League Baseball)
February 14, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI By all accounts, Major League Baseball should be on a high. Attendance? Up. The league drew a record 73,022,969 fans last year, a jump of 8.1% on the 2003 total. TV ratings? Up. Despite the fact that the...

75 Years of ideas.
February 14, 2005... Advertising Age is celebrating its first 75 years of service to the ad industry. We'll be sharing these moments in the pages of Ad Age on the way to the 75th anniversary issue appearing March 28. Next week: top ad moments No. 40-36. 45...

Carly's legacy: Unified voice at risk as HP CEO departs; Fate of agency, alliances unclear.(Carly Fiorina, chief executive officer, Hewlett-Packard Co.)
February 14, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO and BETH SNYDER BULIK In the early `90s, Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director Rob Ingalls had at least nine cubbyholes behind his desk. They were all for Hewlett-Packard-one for each division's marketing director....

Marketers agree Super Bowl bucks were well spent; spots may be pricey, but drive chatter and web traffic after game.(News)
February 14, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Marketers who shelled out $2.4 million for a slot among some rather tepid Super Bowl spots said the buy paid off handsomely-both in pure audience numbers and traffic to their Web sites. "We get the reach you...

'TV Guide' spinoff sells marketers branded content.(Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. TV Guide Publishing Group)
February 14, 2005... Byline: JON FINE In the most audacious attempt by a major consumer magazine to play in the world of product integration and branded entertainment, TV Guide Publishing Group's upcoming launch Inside TV will allow marketers to pay to...

Two Davids on why language, and magazines, are still viable.(Viewpoint)(David Remnick)(David Carey)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Scott Donaton David Carey is one of those people who responds to e-mails sent to his Blackberry within minutes, regardless of what day it is or which time zone he's in. It's a testament to both his work ethic and his tech savvy....

Rivals, sugar industry take aim at Splenda; Competitive sweeteners blast juggernaut's marketing push as misleading to consumers.(News)(Sugar Association sues McNeil Nutritionals for false advertising)
February 14, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR In four short years, Splenda has gobbled up more than half the sugar-substitute category, and competitors want sweet revenge. Rivals are fighting back against the upstart's marketing campaign that it's "made from...

Effects beyond Ogilvy.(News)(Peter Chrisanthopoulos's management)(Ogilvy and Mather)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Lisa Sanders When Azteca Americas landed Peter Chrisanthopoulos as president in 2000, the Spanish-language network considered it a coup. No one would have guessed that a few short years later he'd be 14-months unemployed and...

Braun promises 'signature event'; Yahoo exec seeks Web's own 'Sopranos,' or 'I Love Lucy'event.(Lloyd Braun at iMedia Brand Summit)
February 14, 2005... Byline: KRIS OSER The new leader of Yahoo's media division brought a little bit of Hollywood to the iMedia Brand Summit in Bonita Springs, Fla., last week. In a keynote to a packed auditorium of interactive marketing leaders, their...

Virtual placement gets second chance.(MediaWorks)
February 14, 2005... Byline: WAYNE FRIEDMAN Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has re-entered the world of selling "virtual'' product placement, through which everyday products are digitally inserted into syndicated sitcoms. Warner's new virtual...

Hunters, anglers lure the big bucks; sponsored fishing events `like WWF meets Macy'sThanksgiving parade'.(World Wrestling Federation)
February 14, 2005... Byline: ROBERT MARICH For millions of fans and a select group of marketers, an angler or hunter at the top of their form has all the appeal of an NFL star. Marketers ranging from Kellogg Co. to US Bank are joining the more expected...

Boothe makes marketers think 'video' is more than TV.(Chris Boothe, television)
February 14, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER When Chris Boothe started as a media planner/buyer in the late 1980s, some marketers shied away from cable TV because they thought its reach was too small. As unimaginable as that is now, nearly 20 years later he...

A manual for Nascar sponsorship 2005.(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
February 14, 2005... Speed Week is under way, and the Daytona 500 is slated for Feb. 20. Nascar's other two top series kick off this week-the Craftsman Truck Series on Feb. 18 and the Busch Series a day later. Nascar's 2005 sponsor roster ranges from an...

Adages; 'Cosmo' scares a few good men.(trough it's Fun Fearless Male Awards)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton Why both women's magazines and men's magazines typically feature the same cover topics (airbrushed women) will always be a mystery to us. But last week, Cosmo at least made a token effort in dishing up some hunk meat to...

Accountability 101.(News)(accountable marketing)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Arthur A. Anderson, principal of advertiser consultancy Morgan Anderson Consulting, gives marketers five ideas to make marketing and agencies accountable: 1 Put marketing and communications expertise on your board of directors and...

Madison + Vine: IPG sets up branded-content shop.(Interpublic Group of Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: T.L. STANLEY Interpublic Group of Cos.' Initiative is setting up shop in the branded-entertainment space, continuing to cement the dominant role media agencies are taking in a hot area that has been virtually ignored by their...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(appointment)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Richard Monturo, 40, to director of strategy at Amsterdam-based international agency StrawberryFrog, from director of global strategy at Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide, New York. Robert Lerwill, 53, to chief executive of Aegis Group,...

Research tool: study shows shoppers' search habits.(consumer behavior)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Kris Oser Search-engine marketing is the prime way online to acquire new customers and entice old ones back. But a ComScore Networks study, commissioned by DoubleClick, shows that consumers research products for up to 12 weeks...