Advertising Age articles from March 2005

Advertising Age archives from March 2005

Brady's Bunch; Depp remembers Thompson.(People & Players)
March 7, 2005... Byline: James Brady Now that he's really Gonzo, and eternally to my shame, I must confess Hunter Thompson's charm always eluded me. But a couple of years ago when I was interviewing Johnny Depp for Parade, Depp talked about the month or...

Entertainment programs have a heady following; With Jackson trial, Oscars and other Hollywood action, shows a must-have for advertisers.(Special Report: Syndication)(Column)
March 7, 2005... Byline: T.L. Stanley On a recent evening, Ashley Olsen railed against The National Enquirer, Will Smith reveled in his $45 million opening weekend, and Julia Roberts showed off her twin bundles of joy for the first time. Their...

He got game; Marketers are getting cozier with syndicated fare as agency execs extend branded entertainment reach.(Special Report: Syndication)(Column)
March 7, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Syndicated TV has been hard to ignore this season, with its programming often in the mainstream news. Sharp quiz show contestant Ken Jennings, who pocketed $2.5 million after a long winning streak, helped renew...

IT'S A FAT WORLD AFTER ALL; Across the globe, efforts are under way to slow the march of obesity.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ALEXANDRA JARDINE and LAUREL WENTZ Governments and influential health advocates around the world, spooked that their nations' kids will become as fat as America's, are cracking down on the marketers they blame for the explosion in...

Cornelius still on track.(Special Report: Syndication)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Hillary Chura If James Brown is the godfather of soul, then Don Cornelius must be the godfather of syndication. It is going on four decades since the kid from Chicago watched Dick Clark's "American Bandstand,'' offered up a...

Reborn syndication enjoys spoils of premium bounce; Telecoms, electronics, cars replacing lower-end marketers as package goods move to cable.(Special Report: Syndication)(Column)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY In syndication, the divide between the "haves'' and the "have nots'' is getting wider. The top tier of syndicated shows-stalwarts like "The Oprah Winfrey Show,'' "Wheel of Fortune,'' "Jeopardy!'' "Everybody Loves...

Adages; Donny Deutsch exposed in 'Playboy'.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton You may have seen or heard of Donny Deutsch. He's a demure ad guy who has a self-named agency, a TV show (or so we hear) and really nice pecs. But it won't be his pecs that Donny is showing off in an expletive-laced...

The halo effect.(Special Report: Syndication)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Brands get close to entertainment coverage: Maybelline Cool Moments on "Access Hollywood''-the segment, airing most Thursdays, can feature anything from a funny bit from NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno'' to a star sighting or celebrity...

People.(News)
March 7, 2005... Greg Voynow to VP-content acquisition, MediaBay, Cedar Knolls, N.J., from senior VP-general manager, Time Warner Books' iPublish.com. James Moore, exec VP-Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett Co., adds oversight of Chemistri, Troy, Mich., to his...

People.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Blaise D'Sylva, 39, to director-media integration, Allstate, Northbrook, Ill., from CEO-Northeast Asia, Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group, Hong Kong. He will be succeeded at Starcom by Singapore-based D. Sriram, who becomes...

Work; Club Med: Resort values face time.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... In Club Med's global TV and print campaign from Publicis Groupe's Publicis Conseil, Paris, called "Visages'' breaking this week, the outlines of faces are visible in the sand, sea and snow that vacationers encounter in activities such as...

Spotlight.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Laurel Wentz Marketer: Japan Railway Agency: Tugboat, Tokyo Hotshop uses skiing ostriches to get consumers into the bullet train and on the slopes. [Tokyo] In a bizarre but effective effort to get more people to take...

Editorial: In content war, everyone a loser.(Viewpoint)
March 7, 2005... Viewers of "The Apprentice'' are left with no doubt about who is in control-Donald Trump points the finger and summarily dismisses those lowly wannabes. Behind the cameras it's indisputably producer Mark Burnett pulling the strings, signing up...

SHE'S BACK, BUT WILL ADS FOLLOW? Advertisers unlikely to leap back in despite diva's return.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JON FINE And CLAIRE ATKINSON Her release from federal prison means Martha Stewart's personal storyline has changed. But changing her company's bottom line will be another matter. Despite the massive publicity, despite two new...

Marketers who ignore the tech-shy disconnect huge potential for profits; Luddites skew older, have lower incomes, but opportunities abound.(Advertising Age's American Demographics)
March 7, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON True or false: Luddites are old and poor. True. And false. Many consumers who live without cellphones and the Internet fit the stereotypes of low-income, older people with no connection to the digital realm. But...

Religious publishers tap into children's crusade; Titles get trendy in push to hit mainstream stores.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER "Boogers are Blessings. Let's count them, each one. Boogers are blessing `cause well they're just fun!'' So begins a hot new title from religious publisher Thomas Nelson, which suggests the following activities...

Drive-by ratings: Research firms listen in on drivers' radio habits; They can track everything from song choice to speed. But service, for now, is local.(MediaWorks)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN Think your Howard Stern morning drive addiction is between you, your car stereo and your cup of coffee? Don't be so sure. Auto dealers, shopping centers and jewelry stores are eavesdropping on radio listening, thanks...

Work.(Richardson's Rod & Custom advertising by Republik)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Air Tahiti Nui: Saatchi & Saatch, New York Sprouting up on buildings all over downtown Manhattan-and in the center of Times Square-Saatchi & Saatchi' s graphic message plays to a midwinter city-dweller's lust for the tropics. Chief...

The Week; Fox News soars, CNN slides in ratings.(Briefs)
March 7, 2005... Fox News' February prime-time viewers soared 18% over last February's, to 1.57 million, while CNN's prime-time slide continued, dropping to 637,000 viewers, 21% less than February 2004. Bright spots for Fox included 24% growth for the...

Study: Go traditional to influence influencers; Street teams, events build buzz, but tastemakers prefer Net, magazines.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER While marketers are increasingly interested in new tactics such as deploying street teams, seeding products at celebrity events and hiring agents to furtively flog a brand, the best way to get some buzz may be...

Nestle hits mainland with cheap ice cream.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: NORMANDY MADDEN [Beijing] Nestle is targeting China with a blitz of low-price ice cream products selling for as little as 12cents, a strategy that follows in the footsteps of Unilever and Procter & Gamble Co. in emerging markets....

More consumer control forces shift in spending; Exclusive survey: Net, branded entertainment, events, direct winners.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER There's a spending sea change rising as marketers grapple with a changing environment in which the consumer is in control. More than 89% of respondents to an exclusive survey conducted jointly by Advertising...

Accountability key, but still elusive.(News)(survey by Association of National Advertisers)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON These days, marketers' concern over building their brands is secondary to concerns over proving to their CEOs how they can build them efficiently. Accountability rose to the top of the list of marketers'...

Champion of the Yugo to import Chinese cars; But auto experts doubt entrepreneur can hit 'outrageously high' goal.(Malcolm Bricklin chairman of Visionary Vehicles)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY The man who brought the U.S. the Yugo now wants to bring America Chinese cars-and he's dangling to agencies a potential $225 million account. But auto experts are highly skeptical of the entrepreneur's ambitious plan....

Federated deal creates $1B spending colossus.(News)(acquisitions)(May Department Stores International)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Mya Frazier Federated's proposed acquisition of May Department Stores not only would create the nation's largest department-store player, but potentially the largest advertising budget of a single retail brand-a whopping $1.1...

Nokia looks to hold cell lead over Motorola, Samsung in China.(News)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: NORMANDY MADDEN [Beijing] Nokia is betting on growth in China to keep Nokia on top as the world's biggest marketer of cellphones despite growing efforts by Motorola Corp., Korea's Samsung Electronics and local companies to win the...

New shops on the block not upstarts, but marketing future.(Viewpoint)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom While the incoming tide of consumer control and wave after wave of media fragmentation have left many large broadcast-dependent ad agencies looking slothful, defensive and ill-suited to marketers' needs, a new...

Cheap do-it-yourself media costs mainstream players more.(Viewpoint)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Randall Rothenberg The signal dilemma facing the established entertainment and media industries-and the consumer marketers that depend on them-is that the cost of creating and distributing cultural products is rapidly approaching...

Coke to replace 'diet' on U.K. brands.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Coca-Cola Great Britain will replace the words "diet'' and "light'' next month with a new branding device called "Z,'' in an effort to give its drinks a broader appeal across age and gender and put Coca-Cola a...

Road to the Upfront: Turner and WB.(News)(WB Television Network)
March 7, 2005... Upfront hosts: WB President-Entertainment David Janollari; TNT/TBS President-Entertainment Mark Lazarus Other side of the table: WB, Exec VP-Ad Sales Bill Morningstar; TNT/TBS, President-Entertainment Ad Sales David Levy Performance in...

Our Online Survey; 51%: Buying About a mistake.(Viewpoint)
March 7, 2005... 51% of AdAge.com voters believe The New York Times Co.'s acquisition of About.com doesn't make sense. The remaining 49% of respondents think the purchase of the search engine is a sound business deal. "Perfect sense and perfect timing....

Tale of the tape: Omnicom vs. WPP.(News)(Omnicom Group Inc.)(WPP Group PLC)
March 7, 2005... Omnicom Group Age: 19 2004 revenue: $9.7 B, +13% Industry rank: No. 1 2004 profits: $724 M, +7% Market cap: $16.7 B Stock tip: What you'd have today if you invested $100 in Omnicom stock 10 years ago: $686 ...

Thinking locally.(MediaWorks)(McDonald's Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Ad Age Reports Marketers are wrangling with ways to address the obesity issue region by region. Here's a sampler of how McDonald's is adapting: In Scandinavia, popular healthy local foods have been added to the McMenu, like...

First to last: sweeps pain for Peacock.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON and ABBEY KLAASSEN With NBC ending the February sweeps in fourth place, NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker is facing the previously unthinkable: finishing the season at the bottom of the pile. Fox came out of...

Is P&G's retail rationing crafty strategy? Analyst: Restrictions on six brands may facilitate trade-promo cutback.(News)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Procter & Gamble Co. is telling retailers its factories are having a hard time keeping up-with six brands ranging from Prilosec OTC to Oil of Olay rationing shipments at some point over the past year on highly touted new...

Cherry-flavored whiskey, anyone? Phillips targets women, aims to piggyback on similar trend in vodka.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER A midwestern distiller is betting drinkers whose palates are conditioned by flavored vodkas are ready for new tastes in whiskey-including vanilla and cherry. Phillips Distilling this month rolls out Phillips...

Producers vs. TV nets: the fight for M&V spoils; Brand integration spurs ripple effect in industry.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: T.L. STANLEY The brawl for lucrative advertiser revenue from branded-entertainment properties is shaping up to be a fight worthy of "The Contender.'' In one corner are the producers of shows that advertisers covet for integration;...

Garfield's AdReview; Sierra Mist gets a laugh with its improvised spot.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Bob Garfield We're skeptical about the concept. We're skeptical about the strategy. We're not especially impressed with one of the new campaign's first two executions. But, man, have you seen the "Rock Paper Scissors'' spot for...

Hearst gambles on weekly for women.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JON FINE Hearst Magazines undertakes a major financial gamble this summer as it launches its first U.S. weekly, a low-cost women's service title dubbed Quick & Simple. By dint of its frequency, Quick & Simple becomes the...

The Buzz; 'Gate' closes at CBS News.(MediaWorks)(resignations of employees of CBS Inc. CBS News)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Ann Marie Kerwin Two of the four staffers asked to resign by CBS in the wake of "Memogate'' finally did. Betsy West, senior VP-prime time for CBS News and Mary Mapes, CBS News producer, have both left Black Rock. This week, Dan...

Fresh off Oscar boost, Everlast set to wring big buzz from 'Contender'; Stock soars as company gets prime place in latest from reality heavyweight.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Everlast Worldwide, the 95-year-old boxing-gear company whose fortunes have soared since being prominently featured in the Academy Award-winning film "Million Dollar Baby,'' is hoping for a 1-2 punch when NBC's "The...

4A's: Comcast to measure VOD programming.(News)(video on demand)
March 7, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS [New Orleans] Driven by keynote remarks from Comcast Corp.'s CEO, the most persistent buzz at the American Association of Advertising Agencies Media Conference among the 1,200-plus attendees was that video-on-demand,...

Burnett sues: Hands off my cash; 'Apprentice' producer's suit charges middlemen with duping advertisers.(News)(Mark Brunett)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MARC GRASER Advertisers were duped into paying "exorbitant'' amounts of money to a product-placement agency to get a seat in Donald Trump's boardroom, according to a lawsuit filed by affiliates of the show's producer Mark Burnett....

Late News; Wal-Mart CMO Connolly to retire by year's end.
March 7, 2005... [Bentonville, Ark.] Wal-Mart Stores has begun searching internally and externally for a new chief marketing officer to replace Bob Connolly, who will retire at the end of calendar 2005, AdAge.com reported exclusively. The move, rumored for...

General Mills puts squeeze on Saatchi; Public support belies marketer's anger, and insistence that Roberts take action.(News)(Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, Kevin Roberts)
March 7, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts is under the gun to show General Mills some love. Although the food marketer issued a terse, half-hearted statement of support for its Publicis Groupe-owned lead...

Fans eager to see Martha/Mark duo; Powerful home mistress plots syndie comback with Burnett; viewers can't wait to see results.(Special Report: Syndication)(Martha Stewart, Mark Burnett)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY She's coming back and will be bigger than ever. That's the prediction of media buyers and syndication experts who are keen on the potential that Martha Stewart's new TV show will bring to the marketplace. The...

Banks a go, others no.(Special Report: Syndication)(comeback of Martha Stewart )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Daisy Whitney In one swift move, Martha Stewart obliterated the hopes of the pretenders to her throne. A flurry of fall activity by syndicators was quickly quashed when NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution announced...

Combined NBC Universal poised to take on giants; More diverse lineup of shows, product integration options are enticing to media buyers.(Special Report: Syndication)
March 7, 2005... Byline: LARRY DOBROW Amid the hysteria over the creation of the NBC Universal media colossus last year, the fate of the company's merged syndication operation took a back seat to bigger-picture discussions about content libraries and such....

Danza vs. Pauley lesson: Play to host's strengths; High expectations for former news maven dashed, while Danza proved 'user-friendly'.(Special Report: Syndication)(The Tony Danza Show, The Jane Pauley Show, television talk shows)
March 7, 2005... Byline: LARRY DOBROW To evaluate last fall's two high-profile syndicated talk-show debuts, "The Tony Danza Show'' and "The Jane Pauley Show,'' is to understand exactly how much expectations dictate the perception of success and failure in...

Offerings hope to extend the 'Oprah effect'; Loyal African-American viewers 'not as cynical,' more receptive to ad messages.(Special Report: Syndication)(Oprah Winfrey)
March 7, 2005... Byline: HILLARY CHURA Advertisers looking to reach a specific group of viewers through syndicated fare needn't stop at syndie daytime's traditional strength with women. Syndication also is a particularly good channel for reaching...

Fiat accepts all wheels in German trade-in promo.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [Frankfurt, Germany] Fiat Germany is accepting anything with wheels as a partial trade-in for a car in an attention-grabbing new promotion. The Italian car maker is offering every car buyer in March 1,000 euros, or...

Hong Kong touts tourism in 9.5-minute commercial.(The World)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) partnered with four global TV channels-Time Warner's CNN International, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel and Sony Corp.-owned AXN-to showcase the Chinese...

In Russian InBev spot, Staropramen means `beer'.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [Moscow] As marketers grapple with tough laws on beer advertising passed recently in Russia, Brazil and other markets, InBev, the world's biggest brewer, launched its first Russian campaign for Staropramen beer since that...

Australia seeks shops for global tourism biz.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Alice Z. Cuneo [Sydney, Australia] Australia is seeking two global agencies for its estimated $47 million global tourism account, currently split regionally among agencies including Omnicom Group's Whybin Lawrence, TBWA, Sydney,...

AdWatch.(News)(market details about Grey Global and WPP)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson Turn Signals WHAT'S THE DEAL: Grey Global agreed in September to sell to WPP for $1.52 billion in cash and WPP stock. Risk: The value at closing would fall if WPP shares declined. Reward: gains if WPP rose. WPP...

75 Years of Ideas.(News)
March 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. 25-20. 30...

Luxon bucks convention and takes no-sweat approach for men's Degree.(People & Players)(Christopher Luxon)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF "Learning to love risk" was the title of a Unilever corporate training initiative a couple of years back. But for Christopher Luxon, brand-development director of the company's Degree antiperspirant, it's also something...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(MediaWorks)
March 7, 2005... 10 Clint Eastwood With best director win for "Million Dollar Baby," he walked away with the Oscar Martin Scorsese really wanted. And Hilary Swank took off with Annette Bening's. 8 Martha Stewart She's out of jail and ready for her comeback...

People & Players.
March 7, 2005... New York.: Pool party Sports Illustrated and Pontiac host the Swimsuit Issue Launch Party. (From l.) Dave Morris, publisher, Sports Illustrated; Yamila Diaz-Rahi, model; Dino Bernacchi, advertising manager, Pontiac; Jessica van der Steen,...

Ad Age/IAG's Top Spots; #1 Anheuser-Busch.(News)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... All spots in this month's Top 10 launched during the Super Bowl or Academy Awards telecasts, including Anheuser-Busch's "Applause" spot, which registered as the best-liked of the past four weeks. To view the Top Spot and see top 10 most...

The Buzz; When celebrities blog.(MediaWorks)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Ann Marie Kerwin So here at the Buzz we love as much as anyone else the guilty pleasure of Star and Us Weekly showing us celebs keeping it real. But lately it seems Hollywood has found a way to reassert its own version of reality,...

U.K. may lift product-placement ban.(The World)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] U.K. media regulator Ofcom may consider lifting a 50-year ban on product placement in U.K. TV shows, clearing the way for branded-content deals on the U.K.'s three commercial terrestrial channels and U.K.-based...

Adages; Sly and the family Stallone hit Manhattan.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton The Italian Stallion delivered a one-two punch to Manhattan last week. Even if you're blind, deaf and live in a cave, you probably heard about the premiere party for "The Contender,'' the boxing reality show created by...

Road to the Upfront: CBS/UPN.(News)(televion programs ratings)
March 14, 2005... Upfront host: Either CBS Chairman Les Moonves or Entertainment President Nina Tassler. UPN has not decided. Other side of the table: Sales President JoAnne Ross will represent both. Performance in 18-49s: CBS is on par with last year's...

Book Review: Disney War.(News)
March 14, 2005... Brief: "DisneyWar,'' a book about Michael Eisner's 20-year micromanaging reign at the Mouse House, written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist James B. Stewart and published by Simon & Schuster. Position on `The New York Times' Bestseller...

Cellphone marketing fraught with hang-ups.(News)(future of wireless communications industry)
March 14, 2005... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO If you think the mobile phone is going to take over from TV, think again. The marketing world is buzzing about the potential of cellphones as a medium, but there are so many hang-ups it will be years before that...

Politicians feast on food fight; Industry girds for stricter guidelines as Clinton, Schwarzenegger join fray.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Food marketing is now officially a whipping boy for both political parties, and with heavyweights Hillary Clinton and Arnold Schwarzenegger doling out tag-team punishment to the already-beleaguered industry, tougher...

Our Online Survey; Advertisers will back Martha.(Viewpoint)
March 14, 2005... 52% of AdAge.com voters think advertisers will flock back to Martha Stewart and her products. The remaining 48% of over 500 respondents think Ms. Stewart's time served at Camp Cupcake will make marketers proceed with caution. "If Ms....

Intel's new strategy demands new partner.(News)(marketing contract given to Interpublic Group of Cos)
March 14, 2005... Byline: BETH SNYDER BULIK Eric Kim hasn't wasted a day of his four-month tenure as Intel Corp.'s marketing chief. Given carte blanche to change Intel's marketing strategy, he's given that freedom a workout. He has recast the entire...

Channel One hits bump, losing ads and top exec; In-school TV network often targeted by critics hurt as Kellogg, Kraft shy away due to kid obesity debate.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Its equipment is badly in need of an upgrade, advertisers are fleeing, critics are declaring they want to put it out of business, and the top executive, one of the founders, is leaving. Channel One, once...

Brady's Bunch; Why Morgy keeps running.(People & Players)(publishing industry)
March 14, 2005... Byline: James Brady While enjoying a nice Pinot Noir at the Four Seasons last Monday, I was invited by real estate tycoon Jack Rudin to meet legendary New York D.A. Bob Morgenthau yet again. Was it true, I asked Bob, that Dick Wolf of "Law...

VC unit tries to rescue 'Penthouse' from hard times with soft approach; But even multiplatform effort might not lure marketers back to mag.(MediaWorks)(venture capital units)
March 14, 2005... Byline: JON FINE Get ready for the kinder, gentler Penthouse. It's back from the brink, financially speaking. It's now in the hands of two venture-capital guys, who say they will spend $80 million to relaunch the fabled adult brand....

Fierce fight ahead.(News)(competition between television programs)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Claire Atkinson NBC's "The Contender'' wasn't much of one in its first two outings. The highly touted, much-hyped boxing reality series from Mark Burnett twice failed to win its time slot, damping hopes it could help NBC salvage a...

Late News; Attal to replace Agon at L'Oreal USA.
March 14, 2005... [New York] French executive Laurent Attal will become the new president-CEO of L'Oreal USA effective July 1, replacing Jean-Paul Agon, who will return to Paris in preparation for taking the helm of the entire company as CEO in April 2006,...

Steamed Saatchi slaps Mike Burns with lawsuit; Seeks to bar him from all General Mills business.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS Mike Burns, angry over being passed over for the CEO job, bad-mouthed Saatchi & Saatchi to employees and client General Mills and plotted to steal the business, according to a lawsuit the agency filed last week against...

GM deals blow to IPG; $3.5B media review, financial woes bring good week to bad end.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Interpublic Group of Companies Inc)
March 14, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER New CEO, old story for Interpublic: The holding company scored the coup of snaring the $300 million Intel account, but the good news was instantly drowned out by the bad. In a single day, it had to warn of a...

FTC proposal on kids' privacy raises ire of watchdog groups; Many object to sliding-scale approach to family data marketers may mine on Web.(Interactive)(Federal Trade Commission)
March 14, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Kid-targeted web sites have always faced the problem of how to verify that kids have their parents' permission to give information online. Now a Federal Trade Commission's review of a 6-year-old interim solution is...

New era for Wal-Mart as old guard exits; Influx of execs from high-low retailers could shift strategy.(News)(Bob Connolly retires later this year)
March 14, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Mr. Sam's way may well be on the wane. When Chief Marketing Officer Bob Connolly retires later this year, he'll be the latest in a growing group of "old guard'' Wal-Mart Stores executives to exit-a sea change some...

Ad spending tops 2000 by 25%, hits $141 billion; Internet sees '04 increase of 21%; newspaper, spot radio continue declines.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON U.S. ad spending last year rose 10% to $141 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence. That's a record year-and 25% above spending in 2000 at the peak of the last boom. But there are signs growth is slowing. ...

Keebler tries to stave off fresh batch of rivals; Top elf gets makeover as Hershey, others move in.(News)(Ernie Keebler)(Hershey Foods Corp)
March 14, 2005... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Despite a makeover, Ernie Keebler will need nothing short of elfin magic to win Kellogg a greater share of the $3.5 billion cookie category. Later this month, Kellogg will redeploy the signature Keebler elf...

Editorial: Networks face tough upfront.(Viewpoint)(Television advertising industry)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 14, 2005... Take it to the bank: Actual prime-time revenue for ABC, CBS and NBC declined in the fourth quarter despite a strong economy and ad market. It was a tiny drop-down $486,000 (to $1.66 billion), about the reported price of 30 seconds on NBC's...

DEAD GIVEAWAYS; Pontiac and Oprah's G6 handout generated big buzz, but not sales.(News)(General Motors Corp. Pontiac Div)(Oprah Winfrey)
March 14, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER AND JEAN HALLIDAY Pontiac and Oprah's G6 handout generated big buzz, but not sales pontiac pulled off a watershed media stunt when it launched its G6 model, giving away 276 cars to shocked audience members...

At what point do you call in the experts?(hiring search engine advertising agency)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Kris Oser How does a company marketing online know when it is time to hire an outside search-engine advertising agency? The answer, from search-engine-marketing veterans on a panel at the Jupitermedia Search Engine Strategies...

Free stuff pays off.(News)(marketing through talk shows)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Matt Creamer Pontiac is only the best-known of the dozens of examples of using giveaways on daytime talk shows to hype their products. The one-time queen of the genre, Rosie O'Donnell, once famously described the secret to the...