Advertising Age articles from September 2003

Advertising Age archives from September 2003

Decision time at Mad + Vine; Why settle for a narrow view of its potential?(Viewpoint)(entertainment, marketing convergence)
September 1, 2003... Byline: PHIL GUARASCIO The convergence of entertainment and marketing is reaching an early crossroad. One path is primarily a dressed-up product-integration tool, which is limiting and often defined solely by movies and TV, while...

Spots: Amica Insurance.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... An insurance agent helps his customer stay afloat in ads for Amica Insurance, part of a campaign highlighting customer service. Ads, from Cossette Communication Group's Cossette Post, New York, break Sept. 8. Art director: Sam Park. Copywriter:...

Buzz helps Cypher stent sales rocket; J&J reaches patients by targeting professionals.(News)(Johnson & Johnson coronary stent)
September 1, 2003... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Marketing to health-care professionals has created a buzz among consumers for Johnson & Johnson's Cypher coronary stent, one of the most highly anticipated medical-device breakthroughs in years. The marketer...

Brady's Bunch.(People & Players)
September 1, 2003... Byline: James Brady Those glamorous Glamour girls, Cindi Lieve and Suzanne Grimes, have their magazine, Conde Nast Publications' biggest in circulation at 2.3 million, firmly back on the rails. Following an awful 2002 (the first quarter...

Shell global restructuring offers shops opportunities; Quaker State, Pennzoil brands may go overseas.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Shell Oil Co., which acquired Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. last fall, is restructuring into a global organization, a move that could result in the overseas launch of Pennzoil and/or Quaker State and more business for the...

McDonald's needs to serve employee communications.(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jonah Bloom As the burger burghers of McDonald's assemble in Munich to unveil the details of their new global marketing push, they'd do well to consider that what they tell the world's consumers won't make a jot of difference if...

Work.(Multicultural)(Latino Film Festival promotes more diverse portrayal of Latinos)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Bright young Hispanic actors are typecast in humiliating auditions as thugs and prostitutes in this spot to promote the New York Latino Film Festival, whose goals include exposing audiences to a more diverse portrayal of Latinos. The agency is...

The Biz: Print feels heat as movie dollars shift.(Media Works)(movie studios may shift more advertising dollars to the Internet from newspapers)
September 1, 2003... Byline: WAYNE FRIEDMAN and JON FINE For years, some movie media executives have yearned to cut back on newspaper ad spending, believing it inefficient in reaching the prime movie consumers: young males and females who increasingly get movie...

Editorial: Wrong in Calif.; sell the ad time.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... The California special governor's election has panicked some of the state's TV and radio broadcasters. How else can we explain the decision by some big broadcast groups there to refuse or restrict the sale of ad time to Gov. Gray Davis and the...

Avon targets black sales reps; Storefront sales and bigger ad push behind attempt to better target ethnic groups.(Multicultural)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Commuters to New York's Grand Central Terminal are seeing Venus and Serena Williams in a giant ad promoting the tennis playing sisters' new Avon jewelry collection. Until recently, Avon's multicultural...

Provocative push set for Big Headed boxers; Privately funded print effort to tout skivvies billed as cross between Joe Boxer and Calvins.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO Big Headed Boxers, an audacious line of men's underwear with a red tape measure-like strip hidden inside the fly and a condom pocket sewn into the waistband, were exposed to retail buyers last week at MAGIC, the Los...

Late News; FDA hits Novartis; wants DTC ad pulled.(includes multiple news briefs)
September 1, 2003... [Washington] Novartis was told by the Food and Drug Administration to pull TV ads for its prescription Lamisil product because they were "false and misleading.'' FDA cited a 60-second TV spot from Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch, New York,...

Going for national dollars: Regional titles form ad network.(News)(City and Regional Magazine Network will give regional magazines better chance of attracting advertising dollars)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JON FINE Ninety city and regional magazines have banded together to go after the national ad dollars they can't easily attract on their own. The consortium gives titles such as Nashville Lifestyles and Palm Springs Life a...

Spots: Dockers.(News)(Levi Strauss and Co. launches new spots for Docker's)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Levis launches 30- and 15-second spots for its men's Dockers collection, which bows Sept. 5. Ads highlight the Go Khaki line with stain defender, and show men avoiding spills and stains. The ads were created by Interpublic Group of Cos.' Foote,...

Music alternatives: Frampton remains alive; Aging rockers seek ways to market new tunes sans major radio play.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Opening his Aug. 5 Chicago concert with two songs from his upcoming "Now'' album, Peter Frampton was shouted a demand from a rowdy audience member. "Play something we know!'' "I've waited for nine years to...

Dean makes risky $1M early ad buy; Move may deplete primary funds.(News)(presidential candidate Howard Dean)
September 1, 2003... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ By making an unusually heavy early ad push, presidential hopeful Howard Dean is hoping to steal a march on his rivals-but the strategy is a gamble that could leave his ad coffers depleted in the crucial months before...

People.(People & Players)(includes multiple personnel briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Lili Weigert to senior account planner, Omnicom Group's BBDO West, San Francisco, from account planner, Butler, Shine & Stern, Sausalito, Calif. Karen Wolz ,47, to VP-director of print production, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Draft...

Newspapers: Puerto Rican paper starts edition in Fla.(Multicultural)(Puerto Rico's 'El Nuevo Dia' launches a daily version in Orlando, Florida)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Puerto Rico's largest daily, El Nuevo Dia, is making its first foray into the mainland U.S. Hispanic market with the launch Sept. 2 of a daily Spanish-language version of El Nuevo Dia in Orlando, Fla. Orlando's Hispanic population of...

Exclusive: In U-turn, NBC weighs return to pro sports; Network talks with leagues.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI NBC wants back into the big business of major-league sports and has made its interests known to at least two pro sports leagues, Advertising Age has learned. The General Electric Corp. network all but dropped...

Exclusive: Lexus spends to defend its lead in luxury; $50 mil outlay supports fall ads.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY As it strives to overcome the narrow gap between it and its nearest competitor, Lexus will launch fall ad campaigns for its best-selling car and flagship sedan backed by $50 million in media spending. The bulk of...

4A's takes aim at compensation consultants.(News)(the American Association of Advertising Agencies)
September 1, 2003... Byline: LISA SANDERS and CLAIRE ATKINSON The American Association of Advertising Agencies is launching an offensive against what it calls "disreputable'' compensation consultants, claiming that some employ devious and unethical means. ...

Eyes on Grey, Havas CEOs as they chart course for future.(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Stefano Hatfield If I were Ed Meyer or Alain de Pouzilhac, columns like this would drive me crazy. However, no matter how much they chafe against it, as the experienced and smart CEOs of, respectively, Grey Global Group and Havas,...

Spotlight.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(a discussion of the advertising for Zuji Enterprsies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Normandy Madden Client: Zuji Enterprises Agency: M&C Saatchi, Singapore Travelocity and Asian airlines team up as "your airline travel guru" Zuji Enterprises, a new online travel Web site (zuji.com) for Asia owned by...

Garfield's AdReview: Ordinary Right Guard spot levels humiliation playing field.(News)(a Right Guard commercial featuring Warren Sapp illustrates a trend to growing racial blindness in ads)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Bob Garfield A huge, black man raises his arms to gloat obnoxiously over a foosball goal, and this vile underarm stench overpowers everyone in the room. It's a Right Guard commercial, and it's wonderful. Actually, the...

The Buzz; What we're talking about.(Media Works)('Teen People' is undergoing a redesign)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jon Fine TIME INC.'s `Teen People' was the first "other'' entrant into the teen-girl magazine category back in 1998-those bygone, pre-boom days when Britney was an ex-Mouseketeer looking for her next move and the sector was...

The next DTC: DVD explodes; Ad category grows 56% in first half to $400 million.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: MERCEDES M. CARDONA Ad agencies and media companies asking which marketing sector is going to see an explosion similar to that of the direct-to-consumer drug advertising a few years back now may have an answer: DVDs. For the ad...

Fall video-game launches court shifting demographic; Marketers go beyond game footage to draw more mature players.(News)(advertising spending for video games is increasing)(Industry Overview)
September 1, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO This fall's new lineup of video-game software is in your face. Literally. Offerings such as Activision's Tony Hawk Underground allow players using the Sony Playstation PS2 video console to place their own...

Adidas introduces human billboards.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Adidas' billboards feature humans playing soccer matches)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Normandy Madden [Tokyo] Adidas is drawing crowds in Japan with a human billboard with two people playing brief soccer matches throughout the day. In trendy retail areas around Japan's two largest cities, Tokyo and Osaka, two...

Fashion Week gets TV channel; JetBlue, Redken among station's first advertisers.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON Fashionistas will get their own TV station and advertisers a new means of reaching out to the elite group with the fall launch of Fashion Week TV. The brainchild of 28-year-old celebrity promoter Elizabeth...

The Week; Bess to leave Y&R in the fall.(Briefs)(Ron Bess, Young & Rubicam)
September 1, 2003... Ron Bess, vice chairman for integration and business development at Young & Rubicam, said he is leaving the WPP Group company this fall, "to be free to pursue other opportunities.'' The news was first reported on AdAge.com. Mr. Bess for two...

Hair brands get fortified; Unilever, L'Oreal switch focus from launches to existing products.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JACK NEFF The new-product famine that followed a frenzy of early 2003 hair-care launches will abate early next year, but marketers mainly have shifted focus to culling or shoring up existing brands. Unilever is raising spending...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(appointments, various companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Pascal Gregoire, 41, to president of Omnicom Group's CLM/BBDO, Paris, from president, Leagas Delaney Paris Center. He succeeds one of France's best-known admen, Christophe Lambert, 38, who takes over as president of Publicis Conseil from...

Adages fall book list. Better than Oprah's.(News)(includes mini reviews of new books)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Richard Linnett Fall is book season. In Hollywood, publishers flood studios with new novels and nonfiction, all potential film projects. On Madison Ave., the Adages Book Club is deluged with self-help titles, branding how-to texts,...

The Player: Collins sets out to reclaim 'sweet spot' for NFL sponsors; Steps up events to connect with male audience.(People & Players)(John Collins)
September 1, 2003... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI In late May, the National Football League finalized a deal with Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. and GlaxoSmithKline, making their jointly produced erectile-dysfunction drug Levitra a sponsor of the league. At $18...

$3.6 billion outlay: Glock to guide P&G global ad spending.(News)(Bernhard Glock)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JACK NEFF Media planning and buying will gain added importance and global proportions at Procter & Gamble Co. with the appointment of Bernhard Glock to oversee the marketer's massive $3.6 billion global ad outlay. Media buying...

Work 9.1.03.(Work)
September 1, 2003... Images of the week Absolut flings open the closet in this outdoor and print campaign from TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, supporting the gay community. Creative director: Joseph Mazzaferro. Copywriter: Arun Nemali. Art directors: Mike Davidson;...

Oldies not goodies?(News)
September 1, 2003... That so-called heritage artists like Peter Frampton are still dominating the concert scene baffles many critics, including Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times. In an Aug. 10 feature on "Geezer Rock'' he said, "geezerdom is a sin based on...

Absolut staging pitch for new project.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Absolut Vodka)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Emma Hall and Kate MacArthur [London] Absolut Vodka is holding a pitch for a new Absolut project between the company's global agency, Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide, and Lowe Worldwide, part of Interpublic Group of Cos. Lowe has no...

Denmark ends ban on OTC drug ads.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Gerard O'Dwyer [Copenhagen] Denmark passed a law ending the country's ban on advertising over-the-counter drugs on TV. Welcoming the change, Denmark's Federation of Advertisers forecast a 5% increase in ad spending in Denmark this...

New ad festival draws 400 entries.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mark Tungate [Paris] The Advertising Festival, a new international ad show, has 400 entries and expects about 2,000 delegates Sept. 2-5 at the Disneyland Paris Resort in France. Started by Carl Tooney, founder of a U.K. company...

Castrol readied for Latin America push.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Claudia Penteado [Rio de Janeiro, brazil] In its first regional campaign for Latin America, Castrol motor oil is being repositioned to make a more emotional connection with consumers in a commercial shot entirely using 36 digital...

The Ad Market.(News)(ad spending, agency stock data)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mercedes M. Cardona Turn Signals Ad spending continued to recover in the first half, thanks to automotive, packaged goods and entertainment advertisers. Only network TV spending dropped slightly, mainly due to comparisons to...

Voted & Quoted.(Viewpoint)(ad icons that need to retire)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... 27% of our Adage.com weekly poll respondents felt the 105-year-old Michelin Man is due for retirement from active duty. Following close behind: Energizer Bunny, the AFLAC Duck and the Pillsbury Doughboy. 27% Icon: Michelin Man ...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(Media Works)
September 1, 2003... 8 EX-FULLER-ITES Disgruntled former-and current-underlings of hard-charging American Media content czarina Bonnie Fuller may now gather online at Yahoo Groups' Isurvivedbonnie. (165 had joined by late August. ) 5 TIVO Never mind the early...

People & Players.
September 1, 2003... Brooklyn, Mich. TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach (l.) gives 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold a spin around Michigan International Speedway prior to TNT's coverage of Nascar's Winston Cup Michigan 400. Detroit The GM Planworks team sweeps...

The next DTC: DVD explodes; Ad category grows 56% in first half to $400 million.(News)
September 1, 2003... Byline: MERCEDES M. CARDONA ***** Correction: In "The next DTC: DVD explodes'' (Sept. 1, P. 1), Sean Bersell, VP-public affairs for the Video Software Dealers Association, was incompletely identified. His title and company were...

Going for national dollars: Regional titles form ad network.(News)(city journals come together to form the City and Regional Magazine Network)
September 1, 2003... Byline: JON FINE ***** Correction: In "Regional titles form ad network" (Sept. 1, P. 8) Emmis Communications' Los Angeles and Texas Monthly, named as members of a new City and Regional Magazine Network by the network's organizers, are...

'Who's the Greatest': BBC aims to import vote-in show.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: HANK KIM In an attempt to capitalize on the U.K. success of the series "Great Britons,'' BBC Worldwide has entered into a co-production pact with a group of U.S. producers to import the concept stateside with the title "Who's the...

Bad news for booze ads? FTC, Academy of Science reports could have impact on advertising.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: IRA TEINOWTIZ Advertising and liquor groups are bracing for a one-two punch of liquor marketing reports this week: one scrutinizing alternative malt-beverage ads' influence on youth, and the other-more potentially serious-expected...

Digital Player.(Interactive)(Jon Raj of Visa USA)(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 8, 2003... Name: Jon Raj Title: Director-advertising Visa USA What is Interactive's biggest challenge? "Getting across that online is a very effective branding medium.'' What Do You wrestle with? "Keeping up with all the new [rich-media]...

Universal move upends music biz; Boosts ad spending to promote CD price cuts.(News)(Universal Music Group)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JON FINE Universal Music Group's brash move to slash prices 30% on almost all the CDs it distributes includes another radical departure from the status quo: a switch in spending from in-store and local marketing to national TV and...

Advertisers sense opportunity in NBC pact.(News)(NBC-Vivendi Universal deal)
September 8, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT For advertisers, the pending NBC-Vivendi Universal deal could lend truth to the old adage "bigger is better.'' The marriage of Vivendi's entertainment units with General Electric Co.'s NBC-an agreement still in...

The Week; Unilever sells Brut to Helen of Troy.(Briefs)
September 8, 2003... Unilever agreed to sell its Brut brand of men's personal-care products in the Americas to Helen of Troy for $55 million. Brut, which does not have an ad agency assignment, had sales of $45 million in North and South America in 2002, according...

Adages: Rocker challenges flannel suits: Make art, not org charts!(News)(David Byrne)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Richard Linnett On Sept. 10, the lobby of the Conde Nast building off New York City's Times Square will be festooned with artwork by David Byrne, rock star. Wired is sponsoring the show, called "The End of Reason.'' It comes on the...

SEAT could shift from Bates to Grey.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Emma Hall and Ivan Castano [London] Volkswagen's Barcelona-based SEAT car maker is believed to be moving its $80 million European account to Grey Global Group's Grey Advertising Worldwide from Bates Advertising, which WPP Group is...

Q&A - Wright: Vivendi deal 'gives us more to sell'; NBC will focus on making hits, selling ad time.(News)(Robert Wright)(Interview)
September 8, 2003... NBC chairman and chief executive Robert Wright's proposed acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment would create a $42 billion media giant that finally puts NBC on equal footing with Viacom, News Corp. and Walt Disney Co. NBC will...

Ad Review: I'm loathin' it.(News)(McDonald's campaign)
September 8, 2003... Byline: BOB GARFIELD If 50 cent were kidnapped by the New Christy Minstrels, and forced to record a video soundtrack commissioned by Mentos, you'd have the introduction to the new McDonald's campaign. Alert the media: The clown is...

Anti-drug ads face deep cut; Senate panel votes to slash $50M from White House youth effort.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ The Senate Appropriations Committee last week moved to cut funding for the already downsized White House youth anti-drug advertising program by $50 million, or one-third, citing concerns about its effectiveness. ...

Growing do-not-call tally disquiets telemarketers; 60 million numbers expected by October.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO and IRA TEINOWITZ An estimated 20% to 30% of the nation's 109 million households so far have slammed the phone on telemarketers, enough to rattle but not doom the industry. The Federal Trade Commission reported...

Gov't to mediate vodka ad dispute; Grey Goose, Belvedere fight could drag on.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Two government agencies last week were asked to step into a yearlong advertising dispute between rival luxury vodka brands after the distributor of Grey Goose refused to abandon the claim it's "Rated the No. 1...

Startup shop Amalgamated targets big-spending Bobos; Agency builds index to reach demographic.(News)(Bourgeois Bohemians)
September 8, 2003... Byline: LISA SANDERS Sipping a frappuccino at a Starbucks in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, David Myers, a 23-year-old Columbia University graduate and self-taught graphic and Web designer, stares at the screen of his...

Madison & Vine: Unilever, Ironman link for NBC reality special.(News)('Degree Road to the Ironman')
September 8, 2003... Byline: HANK KIM On the heels of NBC's "The Restaurant,'' the network is locking and loading another piece of advertiser-supplied programming for October-this time from Unilever's Degree antiperspirant. Adhering to the emerging...

Largest launch ever: OrangeGlo enters spray fray with Oxi.(News)(Orange Glo International debuts OxiClean Active Stain Remover)
September 8, 2003... Byline: JACK NEFF As its oxiclean powder spawns even more imitators, Orange Glo International is launching OxiClean Active Stain Remover spray later this month in what the company bills as its biggest launch ever. The move comes as...

Garfield's Political AdReview: No early front-runners among presidential candidates' ads.(News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Bob Garfield Howard Dean: OK, we get it. Dean is the anti-candidate. Anti-slick. Anti-packaged. But unprimped is one thing and uninterested is quite another. The famously irritable Dean seems annoyed that he has to take 30 seconds...

Editorial: Consultant fight masks big issue.(Viewpoint)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 8, 2003... How much to pay ad agencies has become the emotional and explosive wedge issue dividing agencies and advertisers, and the role played by compensation consultants in that debate is bringing agencies' worries, and resentments, out in the open....

'Group think' is muzzling great creative: Calderhead.(Viewpoint)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Rance Crain The letter-writer's name was vaguely familiar. The letter, from Richard Calderhead, was in Advertising Age's letters to the editor column last week ("Don't blame the poor creative department,'' Viewpoint, Sept. 1)....

Ad Council rolls out new ads in 'Campaign for America'; TV spots, print intersect with 9/11 anniversary.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ One print ad is headlined "How `We have nothing to eat' became `Dad, can I borrow the convertible?''' Another begins, "A priest, a rabbi and an imam are walking down the street,'' and goes on to say that there's no...

The Buzz; What we're talking about.(Media Works)(study indicates that digital set-top boxes are effective media measuring tool)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Richard Linnett OMD has released a study that suggests digital set-top boxes are the key to a more effective media measure than Nielsen Media Research's sample-based audience data. Omnicom Group's OMD asserts Nielsen diaries are...

Arnold's future dims: Havas executives will hold Paris summit on reorg plans.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Havas' top brass will hold a series of meetings in Paris over the next few days to hammer out details of the company's latest reorganization. The finalized plans, which will ultimately see Euro RSCG Worldwide gain...

Brady's Bunch.(People & Players)(includes magazine updates)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: James Brady Cheney & Rummy & Bush, Cheney & Rummy & Bush Our surplus has vanished, prosperity's banished/Under Cheney & Rummy & Bush. Saddam's taunting, Osama's still haunting Poor Cheney & Rummy & Bush. The tax...

Few show for ad fest at Paris Disneyland; Sorrell pulls out after 50 people attend first day.(News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: MARK TUNGATE [Paris] a heavily promoted global ad festival at the Disneyland Resort here turned into a Mickey Mouse affair, with speakers such as Martin Sorrell pulling out after only a few dozen attendees showed up, and angry...

Work 9.8.03.(Work)(ads for Guess ? Inc., Gap Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Images of the week Guess? goes under the big top for kids and babies. Photos by Kymberly Marciano are part of its fall 2003 catalog, produced in-house. Creative director: Paul Marciano. Scott Speedman and Lucy Liu fall into Gap ads by...

Late News; Dell, United place online media work at OMD unit.(advertising industry news briefs)
September 8, 2003... [Chicago] Dell Computer Corp. and United Airlines awarded online-media buying and planning to Omnicom Group's OMD Digital, Chicago. Dell declined to disclose spending, but it was estimated to be a $60 million assignment and consolidated Dell...

It will take more to free ad biz from recession frame of mind.(Viewpoint)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Scott Donaton Numbers don't lie, but they can mislead. And anyone who believes that the advertising, marketing and media industries are out of this recession is being misled. U.S. marketers increased first-half ad spending a...

Local TV stations: Cable operators inflate viewership.(News)(local broadcasters and affiliates accuse cable TV operators and interconnects of misleading advertisers)
September 8, 2003... Byline: RICHARD LINNETT Local broadcasters and affiliates are accusing cable TV operators and interconnects-systems that link a majority of a market's subscribers to advertisers via a single invoice-of misleading advertisers by overstating...

MasterCard jumps in: Small credit cards get big ad pushes.(News)(MasterCard International and other credit card firms are pushing for smaller-sized cards)
September 8, 2003... Byline: MERCEDES M. CARDONA little looks like the next big thing in plastic. Minicards, half-pint versions of popular credit cards, are appearing nationwide as card companies fight for a share of consumers' wallets-make that keychains. ...

Net analysis: Portals confront fickle surfers.(Interactive)(research finds that Web surfers tend to use multiple portal sites)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Tobi Elkin Most Web surfers are portal hoppers, according to an analysis by Nielsen/NetRatings. The online measurement firm found that in June, 61% of America Online, Microsoft Corp.'s MSN and Yahoo! users visited two or more of...

Spots: Logitech.(News)(Logitech launches a new television ad as part of its $10 million campaign)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Logitech makes its first foray into network TV with a spot breaking on tonight's "Monday Night Football.'' Tagged "What will you do with all that freedom?'' the $10 million effort backs cordless mice and keyboards and includes newspaper and...

Making the most of broadband; Reebok, Visa, others use fast medium to go beyond TV ad redux.(Interactive)(advertisers are beginning to focus on broadband)
September 8, 2003... Byline: TOBI ELKIN The always-on, super-fast broadband medium-now in 18% of U.S. homes-can be a rich canvas for storytelling and brand-building using original content, but many marketers still see it only as another outlet for TV ads. ...

IBM puts push behind Linux; Sees it as tool to fight Microsoft.(News)(IBM Corp. launches a major advertising campaign for the Linux operating system)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO IBM Corp. this week breaks one of the biggest campaigns ever for Linux, the free computer operating system. The big Linux push began last week with teaser print ads, postcards, emails and web banners. On Sept. 7,...

China next on McD's ad tour; Burnett will handle execution of 'I'm lovin' it' effort's next stop.(News)(McDonald's Corp. launches the second phase of its 'I'm lovin' it' campaign in China)
September 8, 2003... Byline: EMMA HALL The second phase of McDonald's Corp.'s worldwide "I'm lovin' it'' campaign will be created in China by Leo Burnett Worldwide. In Munich to unveil the launch ads from Heye & Partner, Unterhaching, Germany last week,...

People.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)(advertising industry personnel news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Philip Purdon to group president, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Lowe & Partners Worldwide, Paris, from CEO of Omnicom Group's TBWA Paris. Separately, Lowe Europe President Philippe Bernard is leaving the agency. Tamara Ingram, 42, to new...

Work: Diesel.(The World: Ad Age Global News & Data)
September 8, 2003... Diesel's fall/winter campaign is a black-and-white calendar running with a different picture for each day illustrating a new global tagline, "Today we work hard.'' The calendar, by Kessels Kramer, Amsterdam, will be distributed where Diesel...

The Biz: Women's titles hit hard at newsstand.(Media Works)(women's magazines experience sales declines in the first half of 2003)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Jon Fine The newsstand was an ugly place for women's magazines in the first half of 2003. The sales declines were "probably the worst I've seen,'' said Bob Castardi, president, Curtis Circulation Co., which distributes titles...