Advertising Age articles from October 2003

Advertising Age archives from October 2003

Pumpkins, Levi's, lunch and a Sunday serenade; All in a day pounding the aisles of Wal-Mart No. 2637.(Wal-Mart Report)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Judann Pollack "Judy!'' booms the middle-aged man in the blue smock, thrusting a microphone at me. "Do you want to sing a song?'' This is no karaoke bar. It's Wal-Mart-specifically No. 2637 in Monroe, N.Y., which a sign behind...

Prices and people stressed in retail titan's advertising.(Wal-Mart Report)(Bernstein-Rein Advertising handles WalMart's campaigns)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Claire Atkinson In a world where huge global ad agencies cite huge global clients as their raison d'etre, it is something of an anomaly to find a small independent advertising agency in Kansas City, Mo., handling branding for the...

Brady's Bunch.(People & Players)(parenthood magazines niche)
October 6, 2003... Byline: James Brady If you dismiss parenthood magazines as niche publications, think again. Highly respected Parents (Gruner & Jahr USA Publishing) has been around 65 years but is close to being overtaken in circ by 16-year old Parenting,...

Award: 'AA' accepting entries for Agency of Year.(Multicultural)(Advertising Age awards)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Advertising Age is accepting entries for the third annual Multicultural Agency of the Year contest. The winning agency will be profiled in a special report called "Best Agencies'' that will run in the Jan. 12 issue of Ad Age. The winning...

Can Wal-Mart beat history? Pitfalls lie ahead even for Wal-Mart, but this observer isn't expecting it to make many errors.(Viewpoint)(Column)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Stephen J. Hoch Between 1977, the year Sam Walton introduced the "Wal-Mart cheer,'' and Mr. Walton's death in 1992, Wal-Mart Stores' compound annual growth in both revenue and net profit was 35%. It's an impressive performance, but...

The Player: Scott looks to boost profile of Bauer in ad community.(People & Players)(Ian Scott)
October 6, 2003... Byline: JON FINE Ian Scott's is hardly the most common move in the world of magazine publishing. He gave up a post as executive director of Conde Nast Publications' Teen Vogue, which he helped launch, to take the newly created post of...

Adages: Check out them smokin' alkaline double A's and those heavy D's, yo!(News)(briefs)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Richard Linnett Talent agents and marketers know that an appearance on MTV can confer cool on just about anyone or anything-nerds, former Mickey Mouse Mouseketeers, soda and now, batteries. Prepare yourselves, consumers, for the...

Garfield's AdReview: Love it or hate it, behemoth's ads push all the right buttons.(News)(Column)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Bob Garfield We know what we're supposed to think about Wal-Mart. We know we're supposed to despise the world's biggest retailer for driving Mom and Pop out of business, shuttering Main Street, buying manufactured goods made by...

Taking charge of America's newsstand; With 15% of all single-copy sales, retailer is changing the business.(Wal-Mart Report)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Jon Fine Ten years ago magazine publishers barely ever gave Wal-Mart a second thought. Now the retailer dominates conversations on everything from their hopes for new launches to their growing fears for the health of their...

Levi's Adds Signature.(Wal-Mart Report)(line of jeans for WalMart)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Alice Z. Cuneo Not long after Phil Marineau took the CEO post at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999, Wal-Mart called to inquire about getting fitted with the Red Tab line of jeans, which includes icon styles such as the 501. But Mr....

Acura's TL touts cutting-edge audio; Auto's standard DVD system is an industry first.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Listen up, audiophiles. Acura is putting eight-speaker, six-channel, Surround Sound on wheels with its industry-first, standard DVD audio system. Available initially in its redone 2004 TL performance sports sedan,...

Wal-Marketing: How to benefit in Bentonville.(Wal-Mart Report)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Jack Neff No matter how big, no matter how legendary, they all end up in Bentonville. Just about any purveyor of mass-market merchandise knows that if it wants to launch a new product or bump up sales on a flagship brand, it...

Challenge for Wal-Mart TV: Getting shoppers' attention; Potential viewership of 100 mil a week, claims PRN.(Wal-Mart Report)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Alice Z. Cuneo Felicia Taylor shops at Wal-Mart for everything from groceries to dishes to shoes. But the Alameda, Calif., nurse said she never has paid attention to the Wal-Mart TV Network that broadcasts ads for new products and...

People.(People & Players)(agency appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Elke Anderle, 28, to VP-account supervisor from account supervisor, Omnicom Group's BBDO Worldwide, Chicago. Also: Katie Clow, 27, to VP-account supervisor from account supervisor. Deborah Cross, 38, to senior VP, Interpublic Group of Cos.'...

TiVo's new president wants to play nice with advertisers, cable.(Viewpoint)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Scott Donaton What does TiVo have in common with Q-Tips and Intel? Quite a lot, I'd say. Like Q-Tips, TiVo now is an almost generic name for its product category-not cotton swabs but digital video recorders-with all the pluses...

Rival retailers devise ways to compete against giant; Smaller chains' defense tactic: play up service, convenience, even price.(Wal-Mart Report)(smaller stores competing against Wal-Mart)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Alice Z. Cuneo bill fichtler, manager of the independent Budget Food Market in Oklahoma City, is surrounded by 10 Wal-Mart Super Centers, six Wal-Mart discount stores, seven Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets and four Sam's Clubs....

Merle Kingman deepened adfolk's grasp of humanity.(Viewpoint)(Column)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Rance Crain In many ways, Merle Kingman was the glue that held Advertising Age together when, week after week after week, we published issues of 100-plus pages. The man was always cool as a cucumber. And he was forever a gentle...

Coke Studies Shoppers.(Wal-Mart Report)(Coke conducts study of Wal-Mart customers)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Kate MacArthur When Wal-Mart "has a problem, [you want to be] No. 1 on its speed dial,'' said an executive close to Coca-Cola Co. True, the chain that Sam built is known as much for treating vendors fairly and equally as it is...

The Biz: Game inspires new Nick 'Neutron' show.(Media Works)(Nickelodeon's 'Operation: Rescue Jet Fusion' inspired by video game)
October 6, 2003... Byline: T.L. STANLEY Nickelodeon marshals its forces, and $20 million in advertiser support appears around the upcoming "Jimmy Neutron'' prime-time special, a kid-friendly spoof on the James Bond franchise called "Operation: Rescue Jet...

Watchdog group hits TV product placement; Files complaint to feds saying it's deceptive.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Ralph Nader's Commercial Alertconsumer watchdog group is taking aim at product placement in TV programming, filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. The complaint,...

Hispanic ads go mainstream; Coke, VW, others focus on Latin cool factor, shifting demo.(Multicultural)
October 6, 2003... Byline: LAUREL WENTZ In brand Coca-Cola's first-ever bilingual commercial, Salma Hayek sneaks into the kitchen of a chic restaurant and devours a big taco with a Coke while chatting in Spanish to the waiters. Mexican-food craving...

Work.(Multicultural)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Now on English-language TV: C.O.D.'s "High Rider'' spot makes Volkswagen of America's first SUV, the Touareg, very cool as the envious occupants of a trendy low-rider car try desperately to force their hip urban ride higher off the ground to...

Spotlight.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(McDonald's campaigns)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Normandy Madden Client: McDonald's Agency: Leo Burnett, China In localizing "I'm lovin' it," Justin is out and yellow tape and hand gestures are in. McDonald's Corp. has rolled out a localized version of its "I'm...

News analysis: Free speech issue stymies don't-call list.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: RICHARD GORDON What to do next in the do-not-call fight presents a high-stakes question for the ad industry: How closely to ally with telemarketing's battle to defeat government rules. After court orders to halt the program and...

Cell giants plot $1.5B ad bonanza; New FCC rules spark battle to entice rivals' customers.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO A $1.5 billion-plus advertising blitzkrieg will be blasted at consumers through the end of the year as wireless phone marketers prod consumers into switching providers. Starting Nov. 24, wireless providers will...

Nielsen tracks cinema ads; New service also set to measure audience for video on demand.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT and TOBI ELKIN Nielsen Media Research, a unit of VNU Media Measurement & Information, is in the midst of launching two audience-tracking services. This week, the company rolls out Nielsen Cinema, an in-theater...

Work: Adidas.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... For the Rugby World Cup, Adidas and Omnicom Group's 180/TBWA, Amsterdam, covered rugby stars in black paint and had them create self- portraits by tackling punching bags. The pictures are being used in international print ads, and the...

The Week; Burnett's Brennan exits after 3 years.(Briefs)
October 6, 2003... After nearly a three year tenure, Bob Brennan last week resigned as president of Leo Burnett Worldwide. Linda Wolf, chairman-CEO of the Publicis Groupe ad network, will temporarily take on Mr. Brennan's duties for North America, including the...

The Buzz; What we're talking about.(Media Works)(Michael Wolff's new book)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Jon Fine The good part about Michael Wolff's writing on media for New York magazine is his crackling, big-think distillation of the goings-on in that world. The bad part is his playing out its incestuous self-regard. So it is with...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(agency appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Amy Smith, 37, managing director of Wieden & Kennedy, London, is leaving the agency in December to go back to her native Australia. She expects to return to the business after the birth of her second child next year. James Parkinson to...

Editorial: Wal-Mart creates winners all 'round.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 6, 2003... Wal-Mart is good for consumers, for business, for the economy. But this smart merchant is also a savvy marketer. It recognizes that suppliers' brand-building advertising benefits both supplier and retailer by creating demand, yet it keeps a...

Volvo sets plans for BMW-like Net film.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(marketing for launch of S40 sedan)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Bill Britt [Frankfurt, Germany] Volvo is close to signing a contract with a major movie director to shoot a mini-film for the Internet that will serve as the backbone of next January's launch of the all-new S40 sedan. The Web will...

Local-market pricing issues strain ad-market recovery; But Sorrell offers optimistic view at media forum.(News)(Martin Sorrell)
October 6, 2003... Byline: MERCEDES M. CARDONA The ad market is in the midst of a comeback, but pricing is still an issue, especially in local markets, according to speakers at a recent financial conference. Network and cable TV are experiencing strong...

Madison & Vine: Leshem opens shop with Pepsi.(News)(Matti Leshem launches Protagonist)
October 6, 2003... Byline: T.L. STANLEY TV producer Matti Leshem, who headed Diplomatic Productions with Michael Davies, the producer of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,'' has gone solo, and is starting a TV production company that will focus on developing...

96-year series quest: Chicago marketers salute Cubs as Wrigleyville fever gains steam.(News)(companies take advantage of Cubs standings for marketing efforts)
October 6, 2003... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Windy city marketers are lining up to cheer on the Chicago Cubs, the lovable losers eager to end their 95-year quest for a World Series victory. "It's amazing what a winning Cubs season does to the morale of not...

Disney World doubles spending to $250 mil; Fla. park goes after multi-generational families in new tack.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: T.L. STANLEY Walt Disney Co., trying to lure back visitors to the Mouse House, will launch one of its largest-ever marketing pushes for Walt Disney World. The campaign, breaking on national TV today, is valued at upwards of $250...

Madison & Vine: Coke tries TiVo music showcase.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: TOBI ELKIN Coca-Cola Co.'s first foray into long-form branded entertainment is set for Oct. 9 when it launches "Sound Check,'' a showcase of exclusive video and music content on the TiVo system. "Coca-Cola is always looking to...

Dodge gets raunchy in new Durango spot; Will show at R-rated movies, but some dealers not amused.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Dodge is getting involved in the debate over whether size matters with an R-rated commercial that has some dealers cringing. The Chrysler Group unit plans to air the spot for its 2004 Durango sport utility during...

Late News; Reebok expected to sign Yao Ming.(multiple briefs)
October 6, 2003... [New York] Reebok International, Canton, Mass., is expected to sign National Basketball Association star Yao Ming to an endorsement contract this week, executives close to the situation said. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The...

Miramax release: Mitsubishi closes in on 'Hornet' flick.(News)
October 6, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT and JEAN HALLIDAY Mitsubishi has auditioned its cars for the role of Black Beauty in Miramax Films' 2005 blockbuster "The Green Hornet'' in what could be one of the largest product-integration deals yet. But the...

Exclusive: Media audits arrive in U.S. U.K.'s Billetts signs six advertisers.(News)(Media Performance Monitor America )
October 6, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT With procurement executives and compensation consultants already a permanent fixture on the marketing landscape, agencies face a new assessment of their efficacy-media auditors. Billetts, a U.K. company that...

Nokia launches gaming phone.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Grey Worldwide London gets campaign contract)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Pia Grahn-Brikell [Stockholm, Sweden] Nokia is launching the N-gage cellphone, complete with a wireless gaming deck, on Oct. 7 backed by a global campaign from Grey Global Group's Grey Worldwide, London. "We can see that the game...

WPP, Publicis split Zenith in Asia.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(ZenithOptimedia offices )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Normandy Madden [Hong Kong] WPP Group will keep a number of ZenithOptimedia offices in Asia that were majority-owned by Bates Worldwide, a unit of Cordiant Communications Group acquired by WPP in July. In most of the world,...

Dell picks DDB for European biz.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(BMP DDB wins European campaign contract)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Dell computers consolidated its $150 million pan-European advertising account at Omnicom Group's BMP DDB, London. The agency handles the U.K. business and is also Dell's agency in the U.S. For the European...

Imperial explores marketing options.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Gail Chiasson [Montreal] As tobacco sponsorship ends this week under a new Canadian law, Imperial Tobacco has created two subsidiaries to develop other marketing initiatives, focusing on product placement in non-traditional venues....

FYI...(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(briefs)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... France Telecom split its $330 million pan-European media-buying account, including cellphone company Orange, between two of the nine agencies previously on its roster: Havas' Media Planning Group and Interpublic Group of Cos.' Initiative Media....

The Ad Market.(News)(employment and stocks)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Mercedes M. Cardona Turn Signals Employment in the advertising industry-including advertising, public relations, media buying and direct marketing-took a sharp drop in July, in spite of more signs of a recovery. Industry...

Ad Age/IAG's Top Spots; #1: Visa.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... A refashioned Visa spot, featuring Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and owner George Steinbrenner, rises to the top of the ranks as the best-remembered ad of the two-week period. Other winners include a spot for Buick's Rainier SUV and the first...

Voted & Quoted.(Viewpoint)(executives speak out on California's new Do Not Spam law )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... 75%...of our AdAge.com voters think California's new Do Not Spam law will spark a national trend. One quarter of our respondents feel anti-spam laws will begin and end with Gov. Gray Davis's proposal. "I still get snail mail spam...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(Media Works)(briefs)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... 8 Lloyd Grove Ex-Washington Post gossip makes debut at the New York Daily News and gets more coverage from myopic media than Ben and Jen. 6 Jesse Ventura's America It's his country, we just live here. MSNBC launches talk show of former WWF...

Work 10.6.03.(Work)(advertising for WalMart)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Wal-Mart: Everyday Low Prices The work created by independent Bernstein Rein, Kansas City, Mo., has evolved over the past 30 years, but the theme has remained the same-remind customers that Wal-Mart has the best prices. The bouncy yellow...

'Waltonians' blend in with hometown crowd; An airport, a college, banks and arena, all courtesy of Wal-Mart.(Wal-Mart Report)
October 6, 2003... Byline: Bob Caudle Sam Walton began his Wal-Mart empire as a small dime store in Bentonville, the northernmost of four cities that stretch north-south along the Interstate 540 corridor in northwest Arkansas. In Wal-Mart's early days, it...

Garfield's AdReview: Ford scores a weekend win with game-time F-150 spots.(News)(a discussion of automotive companies' advertising during football games)(Column)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Bob Garfield Why is there football? There is football to find expression on the gridiron for the drama and dignity and raw beauty of sport. There is football to create mythic heroes with not only feet of clay but, often enough,...

The Week; Yahoo! earnings up thanks to search.(Briefs)(advertising industry news briefs)
October 13, 2003... Search-related advertising was largely responsible for Yahoo! more than doubling its third-quarter earnings, which it reported last week. Sponsored search, whereby marketers pay to have their Web sites top Internet search result listings, is...

Top 200 bolt ahead, spend $20 bil; In first half, leading brands soar; autos and telecoms are strong.(Megabrands)(the top 200 Megabrands' advertising expenditures are discussed)
October 13, 2003... Byline: MARK SCHUMANN The top 200 Megabrands, which account for $19.9 billion in media spending, or 36.9% of all media spending of $53.93 billion in the first half, were up 14.9% over the same period in 2002. Spending outside the Top 200...

Spots: Cuervo.(News)(Jose Cuervo International launches its first Spanish-language advertising in the U.S. for Jose Cuervo Especial)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Jose Cuervo International on Oct. 8 broke its first Spanish-language advertising in the U.S. for Jose Cuervo Especial. Print and radio executions were created by Dieste Harmel & Partners and continue the Vive Cuervo global campaign developed by...

Cox test finds that viewers tune in to VOD ads; FreeZone trial includes Coke, BMW, Kraft; viewers watch ad content 25 minutes a week.(News)(Cox Media reports that viewers will watch long-form advertising)
October 13, 2003... Byline: TOBI ELKIN Findings from the first ad-supported video-on-demand test by a major cable TV operator suggest that viewers will gravitate to long-form advertising if they feel they have a variety of unique and entertaining options from...

Work 10.13.03.(Work)(Starbuck and Grey Good issue print ads)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Images of the week Starbucks salutes Harley Davidson in this print ad from Grey Worldwide, New York. Creative director: Jeff Lewis. Art director: David Wong. Copywriter: Jeff Petrossi. Grey Goose gets the New Yorker touch for its Grey...

Dyson takes on vacuum giants; $15M push for high-priced cleaner.(News)(the first American national television advertising campaign is planned for Dyson)
October 13, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO James Dyson, who swept England when he invented what was touted as a revolutionary new vacuum, is now trying to clean up in America with the brand's first national TV campaign. "Our goal is to completely change...

In mag world, impresarios beat the moguls every time.(Viewpoint)(consumer magazines do better when run by impresarios)(Column)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Randall Rothenberg If there's anything we've learned about the periodicals business in the past two decades, it's that consumer magazines fare best when run by impresarios. For this reason, I salivate at the possibility of Michael...

Coke to use GPS in contest; Will be among first to enhance U.S. promos with the technology.(News)(Coca-Cola plans to use global-positioning satellites in an instant-win sweepstakes)
October 13, 2003... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR If you're swigging a Coke next summer and feel like you're being followed, don't look over your shoulder. Look in the sky for a helicopter attempting to deliver you a new Hummer. Coca-Cola Co. is one of the...

Revlon CMO out as ad costs rise; Sales up 3.2%, but strategy might shift.(News)(Revlon's chief marketing officer Debra Leipman-Yale leaves the company)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JACK NEFF The departure of Chief Marketing Officer Debra Leipman-Yale at cash-strapped Revlon casts doubt on the future of the company's entertainment-focused strategy. Ms. Leipman-Yale was the architect of the cosmetics...

Founder of the first African-American agency; Mourned: Cullers, Wainwright, Rose.(News)(obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Richard Gordon Vincent T. Cullers, a pioneering adman who founded what's widely regarded as the first African-American-owned full-service ad agency in the U.S., died Oct. 4 in Chicago after a long illness. He was 79. An art...

The Buzz; What we're talking about.(Media Works)(Donovan/Green opens a new division called Asphalt Media)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Byline: T.L. Stanley Some people call it outdoor advertising, but Michael Donovan calls it "environmental graphics.'' His 25-year-old ad-marketing-design-branding firm, Donovan/Green, has opened a sibling division called Asphalt Media that...

Exclusive - Absolut premium: Level is new brand.(News)(Absolut Spirits Co. is planning to launch Level, a super-premium vodka)
October 13, 2003... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Absolut Spirits Co. won't borrow the famous name or bottle design of its flagship brand for the launch next year of Level, a super-premium vodka. Level, expected to be introduced in mid-2004, will aim to win back...

'Maxim'-ized: American Media retools men's mag.(News)(American Media is revamping 'Men's Fitness' in order to increase its circulation)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JON FINE Men's Fitness, the former Weider Publications title now owned by tabloid publisher American Media, is ready to take aim at Rodale's Men's Health. The remade and restaffed Men's Fitness is surfacing on newsstands with...

Gore TV network aims 'young, hip'; News channel wants to avoid 'liberal' label.(News)(Al Gore and investors are planning to launch an all-news channel for the under-25 crowd)
October 13, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT Former Vice President Al Gore and a group of investors have plans to launch an all-news channel, but it won't be a liberal alternative to Fox News. Instead, it will be aimed at the under-25 crowd. "Liberal TV...

GM moves to cash in on China car market; Five agencies in bid to introduce Chevrolet brand.(News)(General Motors Corp. is looking for an advertising agency to help it launch the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands in China)
October 13, 2003... Byline: NORMANDY MADDEN [Shanghai, China] General Motors Corp. will hear final pitches this week from five agencies vying to introduce Chevrolet in China, the world's fastest-growing car market. Next week, final pitches are scheduled for...

Late News; Amazon hands latest assignment to Fallon.(advertising industry news briefs)
October 13, 2003... [Seattle] Amazon has handed a new assignment to Publicis Groupe's Fallon, New York, without a review. The agency had already been conducting project work for Amazon. The new work is described as "non-traditional,'' and not likely to result in...

Comparative ads DTC inevitability; Category killer: As established brands build profits, foes see openings.(Special Report: Power Players)(a discussion of direct-to-consumer advertising)
October 13, 2003... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Comparatively speaking, the relatively short shelf life of pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising really hasn't gone down the path of pitting product vs. product. Until now. Comparative ads are emerging...

RadioShack picks Prism model to launch health-care products; Web banner format will feature branded editorial content.(Interactive)(RadioShack is introducing its first line of health-related electronic products)
October 13, 2003... Byline: TOBI ELKIN RadioShack is set to introduce its first line of health-related electronic products, and selected Prism Media Networks, a company with a new online ad model, to help it reach out to customers who might not think of...

Study claims TV advertising doesn't work on car buyers; More online ads called for; some highly skeptical.(News)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY A new consumer survey finds that TV advertising doesn't do much to influence consumers' automobile purchase decisions. Management consultants Cap Gemini Ernst & Young found only 17% of the 700 U.S. consumers it...

Absolut takes club-music online.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Absolut vodka issues a CD of club music)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Pia Grahn-Brikell [Stockholm, Sweden] After years of weaving the worlds of art and fashion into its advertising, Absolut vodka is entering the music business with a CD of club music called "Absolut Threetracks'' that has been...

Sponsors flee 'Matrix' sequel; Samsung, GM, Heineken leave marketing to WB.(News)(Samsun, General Motors, and Heineken pull their marketing support for the next 'Matrix' film)
October 13, 2003... Byline: T.L. STANLEY Powerhouse marketers Samsung, General Motors and Heineken, which spent more than $100 million around the summer release of "The Matrix: Reloaded,'' are sitting out the sequel after finding the flick too...

Exclusive: Marketers slap network TV in survey on ROI; Direct best at accountability.(News)(top advertisers believe that media advertising is the worst area in marketing for proving return on investment)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JUDANN POLLACK Media advertising does the worst job of any marketing discipline in proving return on investment and network TV is the worst of those media, according to an exclusive survey of leading advertisers. Direct...

A merger reshapes U.K. TV; stage set for foreign investors.(Viewpoint)(in the U.K., the government approves a merger between Carlton and Granada)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Stefano Hatfield Imagine that the U.S. government funded an independent broadcaster through a compulsory TV tax. That it exploited cross-media ownership loopholes to the advantage of a powerful, government-friendly satellite-TV...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(advertising industry personnel news)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Ed Marra, president-CEO of Nestle Canada, will become exec VP responsible for worldwide marketing and the strategic business unit at Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, in January 2004. He succeeds Frank Cella, who is retiring. Don...

N.Y. tabloid wars: 'News' in bid to build circ, buzz.(News)(the New York Daily News and the New York Post are pushing to add readers)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JON FINE The New York tabloid wars are heating up, with the Daily News plotting an ambitious drive to boost reader and advertiser buzz in the face of sustained circulation gains by archrival New York Post. The News, owned by...

Ogilvy launches trend-tracking unit; Crystal takes global cultural pulse for media planning and strategy.(News)(Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide establishes Crystal, a global consumer-insights unit)
October 13, 2003... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Oglivy & Mather Worldwide has established a global consumer- insights unit, Crystal, to track the emergence of tomorrow's trends. Crystal, which will be part of the agency's planning department, has already...

Magazines, retailers ban racy FCUK scent.(News)(Zirh International drops the marketing plans for the launch of the FCUK Him and FCUK Her fragrance lines)
October 13, 2003... Byline: JACK NEFF AND JON FINE The media and marketing plans behind the launch of the FCUK Him and FCUK Her fragrance lines were scrapped after two teen magazines refused to carry innuendo-laden ads and the country's largest department...

Adages: Product placement as high art; or is it unsafe at any speed?(News)(Column)
October 13, 2003... Byline: Richard Linnett Mighty auteur Quentin Tarantino is stooping to product placement. In his latest flick, Kill Bill, there are plugs for Apple Cigarettes, Tenku Beer, Go Juice and Air-O, a brand that is so cool and underground nobody...

Work: The Economist.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Ogilvy RedCard launches an outdoor campaign for 'The Economist' in Singapore)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... WPP Group's Ogilvy RedCard, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide's immersion marketing arm, is generating buzz in Singapore this month with an outdoor campaign for The Economist. Executions include doormats that say "Don't Be One,'' an image of a brain...

Editorial: Amid TV boom, an ROI warning.(Viewpoint)(a survey finds that advertisers see network television as the worst medium for proving return on investment)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 13, 2003... After all the buzz created when a record $9 billion was committed to network TV in the upfront market last spring, our report in this issue on the results of a new survey of top advertisers by WPP Group's Lightspeed Research is surprising....

Corporate America cozies up to hip-hop; Mainstream status bringing more ad dollars.(News)(a discussion of the advertisers for The Source's Hip-Hop Music Awards)
October 13, 2003... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON and JEAN HALLIDAY Artists descending on Miami tonight to celebrate The Source's Hip-Hop Music Awards will be as cutting edge as ever, but many of the show's sponsors will be much more mainstream. Even...