Advertising Age articles from July 2005

Advertising Age archives from July 2005

Michelin offers refunds for F-1 debacle.(The Week)(Formula One)(Obituary)
July 4, 2005... Michelin Tire Co. has decided to offer fans who attended the June 19 Formula One U.S. Grand Prix race in Indianapolis a full refund, the company said. At an average ticket price of $100, the gesture will cost the Paris-based tire company $12...

Creativity/Adcritic's Hot Spot; Hummer: "Chairs".(The Week)(Modernista)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The H3 inspires interpretive dance and stunning visual effects. Agency: Modernista, Boston. Creative director/art director: Gary Koepke. Creative director/Copywriter: Lance Jensen. Production company: Radical.media. Director: Daniel Askill....

People.(The Week)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Bill Duggan to exec VP, Association of National Advertisers, New York, from senior VP-member services. Jim Press to president, Toyota Motor Sales USA, Detroit, from exec VP-chief operating officer. He succeeds Yuki Funo, who retains his CEO...

Work; Volkswagen: Beetle.(The World)(DDB, London)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Looking a lot like the Honda spot "Grrr" by Wieden & Kennedy, London, that dominated the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival two weeks ago, the Volkswagen Beetle's U.K. spot takes the viewer on a ride through an animated landscape...

People.(The World)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Luca Lindner, 44, to regional director of Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann Worldgroup Latin America/Caribbean, from deputy regional director and president of McCann Worldgroup in Mexico. He succeeds Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Jens Olesen, 62. Mr....

Spotlight.(The World)(Yell.com)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall Marketer: Yell.com Digital agency: AKQA, London U.K. online directory changes its ad campaign as often as the British weather [London] The unsettled British weather has inspired an equally changeable...

Editorial: Media's only option is change.(Viewpoint)(Editorial)
July 4, 2005... U.S. measured ad spending rose 4.4% in the first quarter, the smallest gain since the end of 2003, and spending for the year will increase a sluggish 3.4%, the worst since recovery began in 2002, says TNS Media Intelligence. That's bad news for...

Our Online Survey; 'Grrr' fails to wow majority.(Viewpoint)(Honda commercial)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Sixty-three percent of AdAge.com's voters disagree with the judges in awarding the Cannes Lions Grand Prix to Wieden & Kennedy's "Grrr" commercial for Honda. But while the majority in our anonymous online poll took a shot at the spot-perhaps...

The balancing act of building character; Successful brand icons are conceived with the right mix of creative and strategic thinking.(Viewpoint)
July 4, 2005... Byline: David Altschul Virtually every brand character is originally created as a tactical, short-term effort to solve a specific advertising problem. But if the character strikes a chord with its intended audience, then the CMO faces an...

AdWatch:2005: A look at what's ahead.(People & Players)
July 4, 2005... Agency executives, analysts, media buyers and sellers gathered in New York to hear prospects for the year at AdWatch: 2005, presented by Advertising Age and TNS Media Intelligence. Much of the panel chat focused on personalized marketing and...

Half of boomers hit the 50 mark, but spending not likely to slow down; Wheels keep turning: older buyers will drive auto sales in coming years.(American Demographics)
July 4, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON Two decades after "Thirtysomething," get ready for 50-something. Boomers will reach a milestone at the end of the next TV season: More than half of baby boomers will be age 50 or older. They will leave the...

The Media Guy: R.I.P. Grokster...and TiVo? A last lament (well, sort of ).(MediaWorks)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: SIMON DUMENCO I happened to be wearing my Napster T-shirt the day the Supreme Court's decision about file-sharing companies Grokster and StreamCast came down-the ruling that basically gave media conglomerates permission to sue them...

The Buzz; Did you hear? Probably.(MediaWorks)(Live 8 concerts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Abbey Klaassen If you didn't manage to catch the Live 8 concerts July 2, it wasn't for a lack of media outlets wanting you to know about it. The series of worldwide concerts, organized by former Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof, U2's Bono...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(MediaWorks)
July 4, 2005... 10 Tom Cruise OK, so we admit we're amused by all the yelling at "Today's" Matt Lauer and squirting microphone wielding "reporters." But the color-coordinating outfits with fiancee Katie Holmes is too much. We're trying to believe, man, but...

Late News; Crispin, Berlin, others expect BMW invites.(Crispin, Porter & Bogusky, Berlin Cameron/Red Cell)
July 4, 2005... [Woodcliff Lakes, N.J.] BMW of North America is expected to set criteria and timing for its national creative pitch this week or next with consultant Select Resources International, said executives close to the matter. Among the shops expected...

Boom and gloom: End may be near; Ad-spending forecasts flat-to-down.(News)
July 4, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON So long, recovery, we barely knew you. Since the current ad spending "boom" began in May 2002, the ad market has cut 41,000 jobs across media, agencies and marketing services-on top of the 162,000 jobs slashed...

P&G's nice guy finishes 6,000; CEO wannabe Bob McDonald faces tough test of swinging post-merger ax.(News)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
July 4, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF In a company with some legendarily nice guys, Bob McDonald may be the nicest yet-even if he is about to fire thousands of people. The most sardonic Procter & Gamble Co. vets can't find a snide thing to say about him....

Publicis to pay Haupt $3.5M over five years for consulting.(News)
July 4, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Roger Haupt resigned as president-chief operating officer of Publicis Groupe in December. But that won't stop him from drawing $3.5 million in paychecks over the next five years from the holding company and its...

AdWatch 2005: Stop grieving over death of 30-second spot. Move on. Confab attendees seek marketing alternatives in this brave new world.(News)(AdWatch 2005)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER and RICH THOMASELLI Much like an audience that's been desensitized by too much sex and violence, media and marketing executives are becoming inured to the frequent declarations of the death of the 30-second spot. ...

School districts consider selling naming rights.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Readin', ritin', 'rithmetic and... ROI? A school district in suburban Detroit has decided to sell naming rights to its buildings-including a new elementary school-as a way to offset the one-two punch of rising...

Sacre bleu! Might a foreigner lead Havas? With Jean-Marie out of running, Bollore finds slim pickings in France.(NewsJean-Marie Dru)(Vincent Bollore)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Jean-Marie dru's spurning of Havas has made the previously unthinkable entirely possible: The distinctly French ad institution could be led by a foreigner. Having put most of its oeufs in Mr. Dru's basket, Havas...

Dru: No next move.(News)(Interview)
July 4, 2005... Jean-Marie Dru last week turned down an offer to turn around the French holding company Havas, to remain president-CEO of TBWA Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Group. He spoke with Advertising Age reporter Matthew Creamer about the decision. ...

AdWatch.(News)(securities of advertising agencies.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson AdMarket 50 The AdMarket 50 fell 4.4% in the first half, ending on a down note. Marketers fared best, with the average issue down 1.8%-but up 24.2% since the overall stock market's 2000 peak. Media stocks...

Don't look now, but Ogilvy is eyeballing you; Tests tool tracking what the eye reads, and skips, in solicitations via e-mail.(News)(eye-movement tracking devices)
July 4, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Did you just skip over that byline? If so, Ogilvy would know. Despite the obvious benefits of being able to work out exactly what portion of an ad consumers are looking at, agencies have long been dismissive of...

Great selling idea is necessary even in prosaic product demos.(Viewpoint)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Rance Crain Isn't it totally amazing, as the kids might say, that Procter & Gamble, the world's largest advertiser, isn't sure whether emotional appeals or product demonstrations work best at driving sales? And doesn't it also...

Sony builds buzz with walking billboards.(The World)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Singapore] Sony Ericsson created walking, talking billboards to generate buzz for the launch of its K750i mega-pixel mobile phone in Singapore. The interactive initiative, by WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia, let...

P&G exec assaulted at CannesAE Gutter Bar.(The World)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz and Jack Neff [Cannes, France] A few festival goers who frequented the notorious Gutter Bar left the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival with more than just a hangover this year. Procter & Gamble's...

Quiksilver enters China with extreme stunt.(The World)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Alice Z. Cuneo [San Francisco] Quiksilver, a leader in the world's $12 billion action sports business, is on an extreme mission in China. This week the California purveyor of surf, snow and street sports paraphernalia literally...

FYI.(Adertising contract of Manpower Inc.)
July 4, 2005... Employment services company Manpower is believed to have moved its previously dormant global account, worth an estimated $25 to $30 million, to WPP Group's Grey Global Group after a pitch involving WPP's Young & Rubicam and Interpublic Group of...

Fallon chief promises stronger growth track; Agency wins more from Sony after a rough patch of client, talent losses.(News; Fallon Worldwide )(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: James B. Arndorfer Fallon Worldwide is experiencing some growing pains. After 12 months marked by layoffs, management defections and the loss of clients including BMW of North America, the agency got a much-needed boost last...

'Mr. Change' set to storm New York, and he doesn't care if you like him.(People & Players)(Biography)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: EMMA HALL "let's not muck about. I'm Mr. Change,'' is how Mark Wnek, the new chairman-CEO of Interpublic Group of Cos.' Lowe Worldwide New York, introduces himself. He will demand a whole new attitude and energy from his staff:...

Four contestants in IPG annual CFO bakeoff; Thompson exit marks third summer in row top financial exec leaves firm.(News; Interpublic Group of Companies;Robert Thompson)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Interpublic, which last week said it had a "tentative agreement'' to replace its outgoing CFO, is actually in talks with four candidates to be the company's next top financial exec. The candidates, according to...

Wireless resists becoming commodity; Expected churn never happened-now brands need new selling points.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO The dreaded federal decision that allowed consumers to port their cellphone number to another carrier was expected to trigger mass switching. It didn't. Now carriers have to find a point of differentiation or...

PHAT FEEDER DOWN WITH DIDDY; McDonald's tries designer duds in $80 mil overhaul of youth work force-and image.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR McDonald's is recruiting Russell Simmons, P. Diddy and Tommy Hilfiger to perform a miracle makeover: Turn its notoriously nasty uniforms into hip street wear. As it attempts to change its image from a fat...

WB Goes To Class.(News)(Brief Article)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: T.L. Stanley When kids go back to school this fall, the WB will be there, too. In a marketing partnership with a company called The U, the Time Warner network will put its talent and snippets of its shows on 500,000 DVDs that...

Print product placement a hard sell; But 'TV Guide' offshoot succeeds with 'island'.(News)(Inside TV)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: NAT IVES What if a magazine offered to integrate advertising into its editorial, and nobody bought? One early stab at print's answer to branded entertainment is off to a slow start. Inside TV, a spinoff of TV Guide that offers...

Brady's Bunch; Leive's looking for a backyard.(People & Players; Cynthia Leive )(Biography)
July 4, 2005... Byline: James Brady It's been four years since Cynthia Leive became editor of Conde Nast's 66-year-old Glamour, and in that time the tall, slender and very pretty Leive, married to a filmmaker, has produced two babies and re-invigorated...

'ADD economy' makes marketers' jobs harder; Weedfald: Clutter issue worsened by consumers who can't concentrate.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Breaking through the clutter is further complicated by trying to reach an audience that, figuratively, has attention-deficit disorder. That's what keynote speaker Peter Weedfald, Samsung Electronics' senior...

Tobacco rouses to fight off crippling ad curbs; Proposed restrictions are the most draconian leveled at private sector.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ The Justice Department is asking a federal judge to order big tobacco to cease marketing light cigarettes, end price promotion for major brands, stop motor sports sponsorships anywhere in the world, and to resume and...

MARKETING FUTURE SHOCK; 'Wired' editor glimpses what's next for industry.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: James B. Arndorfer Surrounded by dozens of high-tech prototypes, from a flying car to a space suit designed to withstand Martian dust storms, Wired Editor Chris Anderson didn't hesitate when asked to name the gizmos closest to his...

Adages; If you're going to San Francisco...(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton Be sure to put... a finger... in your bowl. San Francisco out-of-the-box thinker and one time adman Bob Pritikin invited about 30 guests for a dinner featuring finger food. When the group-which included entertainer...

Why Jean-Marie didn't join (insert adjective here) Havas.(Viewpoint; Jean-Marie Dru)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Scott Donaton Impossible is nothing. That advertising theme was created for Adidas by TBWA Worldwide. Last week, Omnicom Big Man John Wren proved the truth of the tagline when he pulled off the impossible, persuading Jean-Marie...

Ad-spending growth slows to 3.4% in 2005; Economic uncertainty cited; Hispanic media and cable will post gains.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Advertising is settling into a moderate-growth role-that was the message from TNS Media Intelligence's most recent ad-spending forecast, unveiled last week at AdWatch 2005. The industry will be up 3.4% to $145.3...

Pepsi to test Caribbean drink in U.K.(The World)(Brief Article)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Pepsi has chosen the U.K. as the test market for a possible pan-European launch of its Caribbean soft drink, Ting. The product, made of 6% grapefruit juice and sweetened with real sugar, is made in Jamaica. Pepsi...

U.K.'s boss from hell cooks up brand in U.S. Celeb chef uses Fox show as springboard for restaurants, books.(News)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Launching a stateside restaurant brand via a Fox reality show may not be everyone's idea of a sound marketing platform. After all, NBC's "The Restaurant'' didn't do much for Rocco DiSpirito. But for British-born...

Prices for integration in reality shows soar; Blame Burnett: More producers press luck.(News)
July 4, 2005... Byline: MARC GRASER and CLAIRE ATKINSON TV executives who are already reeling from how much Mark Burnett charges to weave brands into his reality shows should brace themselves for another round of sticker shock. That's because after...

Images of the Week; GE: BBDO New York.(Work)(Ecoimagination)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The "Ecoimagination'' Audubon print campaign underlines GE's commitment to clean technology. Chief creative officer: David Lubars. Copywriter: Kara Goodrich. Art director: Jean Robaire. Illustrator: John Perlock.

P&G exec assaulted at Cannes' Gutter Bar.(The World)(Column)
July 4, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz and Jack Neff [Cannes, France] A few festival goers who frequented the notorious Gutter Bar left the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival with more than just a hangover this year. Procter & Gamble's...

Publicis to pay Haupt $3.5M over five years for consulting.(Roger Haupt )
July 4, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER ***** Correction: In "Publicis to pay Haupt $3.5 million over five years for consulting" (AA, July 4) overstated the amount Interpublic Group of Cos. chairman David Bell would earn in a post-retirement...

Adages; Down to the wire, it's Imitation, by a nose.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton You may have heard some of the award-winning radio spots from DeVito/Verdi for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association "And They're Off'' series, which describe everyday situations as if they were horse races....

Blink and you might miss Caddy's latest on Net; But 43,000 didn't- 5-second ads drove 458% increase in traffic to automaker's Web site.(Interactive)
July 11, 2005... Byline: KRIS OSER What does it take to catch an online surfer's eye? Almost nothing. That's what Cadillac discovered when it ran a five-second ad-then the shortest ad on the Internet ever. The ad was designed to demonstrate that the...

MTV opens floodgates for product plugs; Marketers jump at chance, but network wary of losing its cool.(MTV Networks Inc.)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Brands that have long wanted their MTV are finally getting it. Maybelline, Burger King, Coca-Cola, Domino's Pizza and American Eagle all scored roles in MTV's late summer and fall lineup as the network opens its...

W OFFERS WAKE-UP THONG; Upscale hotel teams with Diane Von Furstenberg to offer dress, makeup kits.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Forget robes and shampoo. W Hotels will soon offer guests in a fashion crisis a little black dress and thong. W is partnering with famed `70s designer Diane Von Furstenberg to offer Emergency Fashion Kits...

Cable crawls up 5% to $6.5B; Bright spot in weak upfront, but buyers eye Internet as alternative.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Cable TV's upfront market should finally wrap this week, with growth pegged at 3% to 5%-a sharp shift from last year's 15% to 17% gains. The market is expected to land at about $6.5 billion. By one view cable is...

Late News; Groupe Danone spins part of account to TBWA.
July 11, 2005... [Paris] Groupe Danone has moved its worldwide corporate-branding work for its dairy-products operation to TBWA Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Group. WPP Group's Y&R had been the lone agency on the account since 1998 when Danone consolidated the...

Mobile Measures Up.(News)(mobile marketing )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Why is mobile marketing calling to marketers? Measurable results. Reebok International's ad on mobile-content provider Vindigo for its iPump shoe earlier this year proved to have better return on investment than comparable Internet efforts,...

Pharma code likely to ignore Frist; Self-regulation language will eschew moratorium, call for clearer information.(News)(Diagnostic Trouble Codes)
July 11, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Senate majority leader Bill Frist's surprise call for a two-year ad moratorium for newly approved prescription drugs greatly heightens pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to alter direct-to-consumer advertising...

Mobile catches beat; Coldplay gets the buzz going for new album via Cingular Sounds link.(Feature: Music)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO The bells are ringing for the music industry and the mobile phone. The value of mobile music and gaming is expected to double to $11 billion by 2010, according to a new study from Informa Telecoms & Media, a...

MUSIC MAN OF NOTE; Need Gwen Stefani? Call Stoute. What about Jay-Z? Try Stoute. Want Justin Timberlake? ... Well, you get the picture.(Feature: Music)(Interview)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ROY TRAKIN Despite asking for a moment to savor the latest Dr. Dre-produced "hot-ass joint'' from Mary J. Blige, veteran music executive turned brand-marketing specialist Steve Stoute, 34, professes not to miss the record industry....

Spotlight.(Sony Corp. enters into a advertising contract with BBDO Worldwide)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden Marketer: Sony Corp. Agency: BBDO Worldwide, Shanghai Sony's new Network Walkman takes on Apple's iPod in Asia [Shanghai, China] Sony Corp., eager to revive its reputation for innovation, stolen by...

For an up-and-coming ad player, the only place to be is China; Focus goes public in U.S., but contains business to rapidly growing market.(News)(Focus Media)
July 11, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER The ad industry's next publicly held company has absolutely no international strategy. In fact, it only cares about one place: China. Beginning with its initial public offering July 13, shares of Shanghai-based...

Land grab in luxe land as niche publishers race to stake claims; But advertisers may not support too many settlers in so small a plot.(News)(luxury magazine)
July 11, 2005... Byline: NAT IVES When Jason Binn announced that his Niche Media, publisher of Gotham and Hamptons, would introduce yet another city-specific luxury magazine-in Atlantic City, tentatively called Boardwalk-it marked the latest land grab in...

Hot Retail Concept: Ruehl.(lifestyle mall owned by Abercrombie and Fitch)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Mya Frazier Two stunning 20-somethings stand at the doorway. There's a wrought-iron fence designed to look like a three-story Greenwich Village brownstone, complete with a brick facade and flowerboxes. The "address'' is Ruehl...

Taking package goods to the net; Online advertising has soared, retreated, recovered and proved it's here to stay-yet it remains a low priority for many marketers. But change is afoot.(Special Report: I-Intelligence)(Package-goods advertising)
July 11, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Package-goods marketers couldn't wait for interactive advertising to get started in 1994, when former Procter & Gamble Co. Chairman-CEO Ed Artzt warned ad agencies to gird for an interactive future or risk irrelevance....

This just in: Internet video and search ripe for picking; Technology is making video ubiquitous; now's the time for advertisers to make first moves.(Special Report: I-Intelligence)
July 11, 2005... Byline: RICHARD KARPINSKI Are you getting that familiar, slightly uneasy feeling that hyper-accelerated "Internet time'' might just be a reality once again? If so, look no further than the phenomenal rise of video search as proof that the...

ID-theft risks don't deter online bankers.(identity theft)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Kris Oser Identity theft may be a grinding worry, but it doesn't prevent consumers from doing their banking online, a study commissioned by Yahoo and OgilvyOne Worldwide found. Some 64% of respondents check their bank balances...

Brady's Bunch; 'House' gets Lagani bounce.(People and Players)
July 11, 2005... Byline: James Brady Less than a year ago Joe Lagani was lured from Meredith by Conde Nast to take the publisher's job at their House & Garden, a monthly that has changed its name, gone out of business, been revived, and under editor...

Images of the Week; Burt's Bees: BrandBuzz, New York.(Work)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Burt's Bees spreads the buzz about its natural-skin-care line in the brand's first national advertisements. Executive creative director: Graham Turner. Creative director/copywriter: Jill Applebaum. Art director: Gino Carolini. Copywriter: Liz...

The Swan.(Gloria Vanderbilt Couture new collections)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Mya Frazier If all goes as hoped, Gloria Vanderbilt Couture will hit the shelves of high-end retailers such as Barney's New York and Bergdorf Goodman in fall 2006. The price point? $150 to $200. Daunting doesn't even begin to...

Southwest rings $20M in fares with killer app; Marketer, agency lure customers to download, use Ding desktop tool.(online booking services)
July 11, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Last June, a collection of executives-motley by most corporate standards-got together at Southwest Airlines' Dallas headquarters to discuss a crucial topic: how to protect the low-cost air carrier's leadership...

Target to offer digital music service.(The Week)
July 11, 2005... Target plans to rollout a subscriptions-based digital music service, similar to Apple Computer's iTunes store, according to a story last week on Forbes.com. The Minneapolis-based retailer refused to confirm the report that relied on unnamed...

CMO merges conflicting cultures into one $35B wireless behemoth.(chief marketing officer)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO Mark Schweitzer has a tough act to follow. The designated chief marketing officer of the company formed by Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications is in charge of mapping out the second-biggest merger in the...

Garfield's AdReview; Happiness: Coke Zero keeps grins to minimum.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Bob Garfield It's a miracle, that's what it is. Yeah, so it's a small campaign for a marginal brand extension. Who cares? This anthem spot from Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami, for Coca-Cola Zero has still smashed all previous...

Levi's struggles to redefine itself as a premium-denim purveyor; Invokes spirit of Warhol, goes 'underground' to increase cool quotient.(Levi Strauss & Co)
July 11, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Levi Strauss & Co. invented jeans, but that can be a liability when trying to sell a pair for more than $100. As the market for ultra-pricey denim continues to explode, Levi's profile among fashionistas is lower...

As journalists joust, advertisers stifle yawn.(crime reporting journalism)
July 11, 2005... Byline: NAT IVES Advertisers can be sensitive beasts when publications report on them--witness the 4-month-old boycott by General Motors Corp. against The Los Angeles Times. But the battle over protecting sources at Time and The New York...

Recipe for branding success: One word, wrapped in bacon.(brand marketing)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Al Ries A Hilton executive was recently asked, "So what the hell is a Hilton?'' "People can't necessarily articulate it,'' said the marketing honcho. The brand is defined, "if we... give people an experience that says, `Yes,...

Marketers get serious about the 'third screen'; McD's, Coke, Timex move from small tests to all-out campaign.(usage of mobile phones for marketing)
July 11, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO The mobile phone, heralded as the next big marketing medium for the past six years, looks to be finally reaching its tipping point. The so-called third screen "is coming of age'' this summer, declared Douglas...

Fiat holds jump-ball bid for business.(The World)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Fiat, the struggling Italian automaker, is pitting its roster agencies and at least one outsider-London-based independent Mother-against each other in a bid to restore flagging sales. Fiat will slash the...

Found on W. 39th Street: an agency adapting to the future.(Viewpoint)(Company Profile)(Column)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom What if I said the hottest ad agency in the country isn't in Miami? What if I said the shop with the brightest business prospects is owned by the floundering Interpublic? What if I said that the most exciting new agency...

'Sarbanes' is industry's new 'open sesame'; Many invoke law erroneously to gain advantage.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Sarbanes-Oxley, the post-Enron law designed to make corporate executives more financially accountable, is taking on a new life, invoked with somewhat reckless abandon as a magic phrase in marketing to marketers. Need...

Would you like some e-mail with that pizza? Papa John's, Blackberry tie-in pushes online orders.(News)
July 11, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR One large pepperoni pie, please, with a Blackberry on the side. Research in Motion, marketer of the popular wireless e-mail device, is linking up in an offbeat promotion with Papa John's to offer "free''...

Plotting a comeback at Chrysler.(News)(Chrysler Group )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Byline: Jamie Lareau [detroit] During a June 27 meeting at Chrysler Group headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., a roomful of executives kicked around ideas for a celebrity TV pitchman. Marketing chief Joe Eberhardt made a stunning...

'Discount' ploy could bite Detroit; Sales surge on new auto incentives, but Big 3 must devise exit strategy.(News)(Column)
July 11, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON The Big 3's "employee-discount'' play is a simple but effective marketing idea that resonates with consumers, resulting in the most sizzling summer of sales Detroit has seen in years. But if the campaigns escalate...

Ad as breakout song launchpad; 'More artists to break out via corporations, agencies as talent scouts'.(Feature: Music)(Column)
July 11, 2005... Byline: GREG LINDSAY It's likely only a matter of time before Josh Rabinowitz produces a hit record. He's already come close with a couple of artists like Macy Gray and Los Lonely Boys. And a cover of "Carry On'' he produced for Alana...