Advertising Age articles from September 2005

Advertising Age archives from September 2005

People & Players.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Los Angeles: Burning up GQ and Jaguar host "The Roof is on Fire" on the rooftop of the Museum of Radio and Television. (From l.) James Denton, "Desperate Housewives"; Marcy Bloom, ad director, GQ; Ricardo Chavira, "Desperate Housewives";...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... 10 Eve Longoria "Desperate Housewife" turns up in skimpy bathing suit at the MTV Video Music Awards. So much for ABC trying to prevent overexposure of the show. 6 Victoria Gotti Fresh from a mauling by The New York Post for using her...

More "King Kong" tie-ins.(Burger King Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Volkswagen AG singed marketing agreements)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Burger King: The chain's 7,500 locations will serve limited-run King Kong-themed menu items starting in December, supported by TV and online ad spots and promotional materials in stores. Volkswagen: Promoting the movie with global TV,...

AdWatch.(advertising markets)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson Turnsignals The AdMarket still is laboring, with ad jobs as a percentage of U.S. employment continuing to slip (1.32% in Dec. '00, 1.18% in Jan. '05, 1.16% in June). How the AdMarket has changed since Dec. '00...

United wraps floor of Hong Kong airport.(United Air Lines Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Hong Kong] United Airlines tapped a new medium to highlight key attractions in 21 U.S. destinations served by the airline by wrapping the floor of the Airport Express station in downtown Hong Kong. United's...

P&G launches men's cosmetics in Europe.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Dagmar Mussey [Cologne, Germany] P&G Prestige & Professional is entering the upscale men's cosmetics market with Boss Skin, rolling out across Europe this month and likely to be launched later in the U.S. and Asia. Boss, originally...

Nestle opens ice-cream parlors in Argentina.(Nestle Argentina S.A.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Charles Newbery [Buenos Aires, Argentina] Nestle plans to open 200 Frigor ice-cream parlors in Argentina to extend the leading brand's reach as rivalry grows in that ice-cream-loving country. Unilever is killing its own ice-cream...

FYI ...(Cossette Communications Group acquired Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, Elvis)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Cossette Communication Group made its third U.K. acquisition, London ad agency Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and its direct marketing subsidiary Elvis, as Canada's biggest advertising group continues to try to build a "midsize network for...

PetSmart: The Replacements.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... A loveable dachshund tears his own pet, Bobo, to shreds. But a replacement for Bobo is never far away at PetSmart, in this spot from Leo Burnett USA, Chicago. Copywriter: Charley Wickman. Art Director: Jeff Abbott

Late News; New Zealand to ban DTC advertising by '06.(direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising)
September 5, 2005... [Wellington] New Zealand, the only other country beside the U.S. to allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, is seeking to ban the practice effective in 2006. New Zealand's Ministry of Health, similar to the U.S.'s Food and Drug...

People.(appointments at Advertising agencies)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Robin Koval to president, Kaplan Thaler Group, New York, from general manager-chief marketing officer. Gene Hunt to group account director, WPP Group's JWT, Detroit,from senior VP-group account director on GM's Buick account at Interpublic...

The Tao of Seifert: Code of conduct not exactly an ethical benchmark; More motivational than moralizing, Shona finishes part of sentence.(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Well, it ain't "Confessions of an Advertising Woman,'' that's for sure. After all, it'd be tough to classify any text that mentions "being thrown under the bus'' on its first page as much of a mea culpa. You...

New Orleans, a love story.(News)
September 5, 2005... I met Robbie Vitrano six months ago, during the 4A's media conference in New Orleans. A friend of Media Kitchen's Paul Woolmington, Robbie showed up at the tail end of an evening to give us an authentic N.O. bar and music experience, the kind...

Hot product: Fly.(News)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Thompson WHAT: Pen and paper will take on new proportions this October with Fly pentop computer and accompanying dot-encoded paper where kids can do everything from play music and baseball to calculate numbers and...

Motorola hands account reins to BBDO; In its latest big win, Omnicom shop will captain agency bench.(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Hello, BBDO. Motorola, the No. 2 global cellphone maker (Nokia is No. 1), is planning to give the Omnicom-owned agency network control of its $100-million-a-year advertising account, according to executives...

SEARCHING FOR MICHAEL JORDAN; Marketers looking for the next big thing in sports have a young, diverse, charismatic crop to pick from. But which ones are the best bets? 'Ad Age' looks at the top 10 prospects.(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Marketers looking for the next big thing in sports have a young, diverse, charismatic crop to pick from. But which ones are the best bets? `Ad Age' looks at the top 10 prospects just before this year's...

US Airways name weighs down new entity; Merger with America West challenging enough without stowaway legacy of tired brand.(America West Airlines Inc.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Richard Ettenson and Sam Hill When executives from US Airways and America West sat down to hammer out the terms of a merger, the obstacles were numerous. They needed to negotiate a favorable deal, bring the unions on board, secure...

China: Public Health.(advertising)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... In an unusual public health message for the Chinese government created by Publicis Shanghai, a young miscreant runs through narrow streets pursued by a hefty policeman who yells "Stop running!'' Instead, the youth wedges himself into a small...

Media Morph: Mash-ups.(technology in advertising)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Kris Oser WHAT IT IS: A mash-up is a combination of content, services or technology on two different Web sites. Two sites communicate with each other through application programming interfaces (APIs) that are open to the public....

CreativityAEs AdCritic.com Hot Spot; Nike: 'Reincarnate'.(Nike Free)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... A runner leaves his underachieving old self behind in an existential, angst-filled spot for Nike Free from Publicis Mojo, Melbourne, Australia. Creative director and copywriter: Darren Spiller. Copywriters: Steve Jackson Toby Moore. Art...

Images of the Week; Sprint: TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York.
September 5, 2005... Here's a look at some of the first Sprint/Nextel work from TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, which launched on Sept. 2. Executive Creative Director: Gerry Graf. Creative Directors: Joel Rogriguez, Matt Elhardt. Print "Cross Walk'' and "Faucets'' and...

Everyone an employee as GM spawns copycats; Wide range of retailers jump on the bandwagon, but is it a wise strategy?(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: BROOKE CAPPS Consider yourself hired. Levitz Furniture wants to offer you its employee discount. So do CompUSA, Wine.com, the Randall Scott Cycle Co. in Florida and even Hessen Antique (an online purveyor of World War II replica...

Feeling blue, A-B gets a few fruity ideas for beer; Innovation needed, but move takes eye off Light, risks ire of watchdogs.(News)(Anheuser-Busch Inc.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Desperate to make up for lost time as spirits surge at beer's expense, Anheuser-Bush is going on an unprecedented new-product binge with sweet, fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages aimed at wooing back young...

BofA moves $600M biz to Omnicom.(BankAmerica Corp.)
September 5, 2005... Bank of America moved its $600 million marketing account to Omnicom Group from Interpublic Group of Cos. after a review. To service the account, which includes disciplines from ads, media and direct marketing to experiential marketing, Omnicom...

Brady's Bunch; Big gainers at Hearst.(Cathie Black, Hearst Magazines Div.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: James Brady A busy late-summer Monday for Hearst Magazines chief Cathie Black. In the evening she and her husband were hosting a book party for NBC's Andrea Mitchell and her new book, "Talking Back,'' at their Park Ave. apartment....

CEO-and cheerleader-sets sights on deepening new-business well.(Rick Eiserman, Brand Buzz)
September 5, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS Brand Buzz has come a long way from its early days in late 1999 when it first emerged from within Y&R Advertising's New York flagship office. Then, Brand Buzz staffers pushed to get attention from employees at their...

Once again, marketers rush to provide comfort; Donations: Millions of dollars in cash and services go to relief efforts.(Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 5, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS Marketers across the country pledged everything from Hotwheels to Crestor, Titan pickups, Hummers and V-8, to bring relief to those harmed by Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of press releases announcing cash donations...

Storm could ravage nation's retailers; Retail: Infrastructure damage and fuel prices likely to stunt growth.(Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 5, 2005... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Hurricane Katrina will tear into receipts of retailers from Dollar General to JCPenney Co. The destruction of the Gulf energy infrastructure will drive up prices people pay at the pump and for their heating...

Roddick's U.S. Open exit leaves AmEx scrambling; Agency tweaks work on `Mojo' effort; marketer says `story will continue'.(American Express Co., Andy Roddick)
September 5, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Andy Roddick couldn't find his mojo-and that's bad news for American Express. The third-ranked tennis player was the centerpiece of AmEx's $7 million to $10 million campaign around the U.S. Open. But he was...

After The Storm, Recession Fears Rise; As Gulf States deal with the human tragedy, the U.S. braces for an economic hit from the disruption of commerce to the erosion of consumer confidence.(Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 5, 2005... Byline: BRADLEY JOHNSON It may be the perfect storm: Katrina, oil, a bursting housing bubble and busted consumer confidence could send the nation into recession. The economy will pay the price for surging energy costs and...

Publishers: It's time to 'fess up.(Audit Bureau of Circulations rules for magazines circulation)
September 5, 2005... The Audit Bureau of Circulations did the right thing in tightening rules for magazines. Now it's time for publishers to come clean. Many publishers have been less than forthcoming in explaining how recent rule changes affect their...

Agencies take a `do as I say, not as I do' approach to advertising.(generate publicity)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Al Ries The only industry in America that doesn't believe in advertising is the ad industry itself. It does hardly any advertising. Certainly nothing like the volume it persuades clients to spend. Advertising is the...

The Media Guy: In the celeb-azine universe, subtle shades of stupidity.(Richard Desmond's American OK )
September 5, 2005... Byline: Simon Dumenco At American Media, home of Star and The National Enquirer, the numbers have been so stinky (operating income fell 38.7% in the first quarter) that last week Standard & Poor's downgraded its $1 billion of long-term...

Business not so usual after Katrina; Agencies: Local shops search for employees, face task of rebuilding.(Hurricane Katrina 2005, LCI)
September 5, 2005... Byline: LISA SANDERS On the evening of Aug. 29, Elaine Christoph, senior VP at McCann Erickson WorldGroup's LCI in New Orleans, attended a co-worker's wedding, though half of the 500 invited guests had already left the city. At 7 a.m. the...

Bush's Maverick Media adviser goes Hollywood; Stevens to consult and write for ABC series 'Commander-in-Chief'.(Stuart Stevens)
September 5, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Less than a year after helping to re-elect George W. Bush as part of the Maverick Media team, GOP ad guru Stuart Stevens is now working for another commander in chief: Geena Davis. Mr. Stevens is "consulting...

Blue-beered.(advertising)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... A few of A-B's ideas: Wild Blue: blueberry-flavored beer Bluestone: still drink made with grain, blueberries and red grapes Blue Horizon: blueberry-flavored malt beverage Peels: alcoholic fruit juice Spikes: 12%...

In the mind of the shopper; In case you missed it.(advertising)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... As an attractive Englishwoman in her early 20s wanders the mall with a set of electrodes affixed to her scalp, David Lewis sees the activity of her alpha and beta brain waves-"the stuff of human thought,'' he calls it-splashing across his...

The Buzz; GM, Nissan strike TV deals.(General Motors Corp., Nissan Motor Company Ltd. singed CBS Inc. for television advertising)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Claire Atkinson and Jean Halliday The newest automotive showroom this fall is the network-TV slate, where Chevy and Nissan will be sharing not just advertising time, but programming time with the likes of Jay Leno and Marcia Cross....

Volvo touts models' safety-and style; Ads carry dual message; automaker shows off features in video game.(News)(AB Volvo)
September 5, 2005... Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY Volvo cars of North America got this eye-opener in recent research: The top reason cited for increased consideration of the Ford Motor Co.-owned brand wasn't safety. It was the vehicles' good looks. John Maloney,...

Gorilla Mates With Promo Partners; Can $100M in tie-ins help `King Kong' break box-office stupor?(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: T.L. STANLEY It's one of the most anticipated movies of the year, with built-in equity in its larger-than-life star, a director with legions of loyal fans, eye-popping special effects and a $150 million price tag. But in a year...

Slim majority think Cond should try business title.(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Judann Pollack The vote was close, but in the end a thin margin of Ad Age readers felt that Conde Nast is making a smart move in launching a new business magazine and Web site. "With Alan Greenspan stepping down, captains of...

N.O.'s $5B tourism biz in tatters; Travel.(New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 5, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Hurricane Katrina has devastated the $5 billion tourism industry in New Orleans-the biggest source of revenue in the city and the state of Louisiana. More than 100 conventions scheduled for the next two months were...

McD's offers full menu of challenges for Dillon; Maintaining Arches' sales momentum in sluggish market will be Job No. 1.(Mary Dillon, McDonald's Corp.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR You don't hear a lot about Mary Dillon, McDonald's new exec VP-chief marketing officer. That's because the 44-year-old president of Quaker Foods is the stylistic opposite of the man she is succeeding, Larry...

People.(media appointments)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Mauro Alencar to creative director heading the Microsoft Xbox account at digital agency AKQA, San Francisco, from executive creative director, Blast Radius, Vancouver. Bruce Matchett to creative chief officer-India at WPP Group's JWT,...

Google taps Bartle Bogle for Europe biz.(Google UK Ltd. hired Bartle Bogle Hegarty Ltd.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Google has hired its first European creative shop in a bid to develop a coherent marketing strategy across the continent. Bartle Bogle Hegarty has been appointed to work with Google, which until now has relied...

Google print play has Madison Ave. quaking.(Google Inc. planning to buy print inventory and sell it to its advertising clients. )
September 5, 2005... Byline: KRIS OSER Google put the fear of God-a.k.a. the fear of disintermediation-into the media and agency worlds last week when news leaked out that the search engine was buying up print inventory and selling it to its advertising...

Spotlight.(Innovi Technologies Ltd)(marketing of mobile-phone headsets )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden Marketer: Innovi Technologies Agency: Eight Partnership, Hong Kong Mobile-phone headsets could be the next fashion trend if "fashion for the head'' catches on. [Hong Kong] Innovi Technologies is adopting a...

The `Times' they are a changin': Broadsheets must evolve or die.(Viewpoint)(Arthur Sulzberger Jr. of New York Times Co. shares his views on newspapers )
September 5, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom The New York Times will never become a tabloid,'' its proprietor, Arthur Sulzberger Jr. told the World Association of Newspapers congress in Seoul, South Korea, this June. Not his first slap at modern newspaper trends:...

Web proves medium of the moment; Media.(News)(Hurricane Katrina, 2005)
September 5, 2005... Byline: CLAIRE ATKINSON Amid death and destruction, the $450 million New Orleans media market struggled last week to remain in contact with audiences and advertisers. In Gulf States paralyzed by Hurricane Katrina, there was confusion over...

SEARCHING FOR MICHAEL JORDAN; Marketers looking for the next big thing in sports have a young, diverse, charismatic crop to pick from. But which ones are the best bets? 'Ad Age' looks at the top 10 prospects.(News)
September 5, 2005... Byline: RICH THOMASELLI Marketers looking for the next big thing in sports have a young, diverse, charismatic crop to pick from. But which ones are the best bets? `Ad Age' looks at the top 10 prospects just before this year's...

Creativity's AdCritic.com Hot Spot; Nike: 'Reincarnate'.
September 5, 2005... A runner leaves his underachieving old self behind in an existential, angst-filled spot for Nike Free from Publicis Mojo, Melbourne, Australia. Creative director and copywriter: Darren Spiller. Copywriters: Steve Jackson Toby Moore. Art...

Slim majority think Conde should try business title.(Conde Nast)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Judann Pollack The vote was close, but in the end a thin margin of Ad Age readers felt that Conde Nast is making a smart move in launching a new business magazine and Web site. "With Alan Greenspan stepping down, captains of...

People.(appointments at media industry)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Greg Downey to VP-network and branded-entertainment business affairs, NBC Universal's NBC Entertainment, Burbank, Calif., from director-business affairs. Also: Jim Keller to VP-technical operations, The NBC Agency, NBC Entertainment, Burbank,...

Corrections.(Case Note)
September 12, 2005... In "'Mr. Mom' a disappointment in the living room," (AA, Aug. 29), a quote from Tom Meyer, president, Davie Brown, used the word "authoritative" rather than "authentic." The quote should have read, "Gatorade was seen in an authentic...

People & Players.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Milwaukee: Brew crew Miller Brewing celebrates its 150th anniversary by treating employees to a free concert with Bon Jovi, the BoDeans, Robert Randolph and the Goo Goo Dolls. Here, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle greets the crowd as event...

Heat Index; Weekly Rating (0-10) of Sizzle & Fizzle.(advertising)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... 9 Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal A media mogul's best friend. The minority investor in News Corp. and Time Warner publicly voiced support for the management of Rupert Murdoch and Dick Parsons. 7 Les Moonves Looking to spice up the nightly...

Images of the Week.(Work)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... COURT TV: Venables, Bell & Partners, San Francisco This realistic "crime wall" has startled voyeuristic New Yorkers into thinking it's the real thing, if just for a moment. Creative directors: Paul Venables, Greg Bell. Art director: Erich...

AdWatch.(advertising market)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bradley Johnson Turnsignals First-half U.S. measured ad spending rose 4.5% to $70.57 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence, beating TNS's 4.1% forecast. All media types grew except for spot TV and network radio. Cable TV...

Media Mavens.(Special Report: Media Mavens)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... 'Ad Age' celebrates its second decade of identifying executives who blaze trails and challenge convention in an evolving media environment CAPTION(S): Desmond: Turns once cold MediaVest red hot.

Methodology:.(Special Report: Media Mavens)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Delahaye Medialink Research's system for measuring new media coverage was used to analyze the frequency and quality of appearances of 84 media professionals whose names were supplied by Advertising Age. The survey measured a variety of media...

Racy Virgin Atlantic ad touts service to China.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.'s advertising)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Normandy Madden [Shanghai, China] Virgin Atlantic broke a racy ad in China to let travelers know the airline now has six flights per week between Shanghai and London, more than British Airways or China Eastern, the other two...

Hachette suspends U.K. `Elle Girl' publication.(Hachette Filipacchi U.K.)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall and Nat Ives [London] Hachette Filipacchi U.K. is suspending publication of 4-year-old Elle Girl and the magazine is unlikely to return. The U.K. teenage girls' magazine market has struggled against competition from...

Aegis posts 14.8% rise in first-half revenue.(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Emma Hall [London] Aegis CEO Robert Lerwill said he hasn't spoken to Vincent Bollore, Havas's biggest shareholder and now chairman, and France's best-known corporate raider, since Mr. Bollore acquired a 6% stake in Aegis last...

FYI...(24/7 Real Media Inc. singed Dentsu Tec Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Dentsu and 24/7 Real Media are setting up K.K. 24-7 Search as the exclusive provider of search engine marketing services to Dentsu clients in Japan. According to the Dentsu Communications Institute, Japan's paid search market will reach $550...

Jeff Lanctot; Avenue A/Razorfish.(media people)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Kris Oser Jeff Lanctot is an online media executive with ink under his fingernails. The 33-year-old gets up at 4 a.m. every day to read six daily newspapers before work. If that sounds ironic for the man who heads up the media unit...

Royal Caribbean surf simulator part of latest wave to lure young cruisers.(Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.)
September 12, 2005... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Time was, cruise ships were twilight playgrounds where baked-Alaska-stuffed retirees could baste away their days in the Caribbean sun. Now, those same decks have gone extreme with a variety of activities-from...

The upside of high gas prices; In case you missed it.(PhillyCarShare)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... High gasoline prices may be pummeling consumers and fleet operators, but they're driving customers to PhillyCarShare, a nonprofit that rents energy-efficient vehicles on an hourly basis in the city. Nearly 200 customers joined in June,...

Katrina brings out Wal-MartAEs inner good guy; Rapid response serves public, buffs corporate-citizen image.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 12, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Millions in corporate-image advertising in the past year failed to do much to help Wal-Mart's reputation, shredded by disappointing business results, news stories about its lowest-paid workers getting Medicaid and food...

The new face of the action hero; Multicultural stars draw international box office.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: T.L. STANLEY The filmmaker is French, the star is British, the villains are Italian and Russian and the backdrop is Latino-flavored Miami, yet "The Transporter 2'' brought in more American movie-goers than any other Labor Day...

Editorial: An opportunity for publishers.(Viewpoint)(Editorial)
September 12, 2005... Google last year spent a piddling $997,300 on magazine ads, according to TNS Media Intelligence. How come so many publishers are petrified by Google's new "test'' of magazine ad brokering? Because they should be. A good scare is exactly...

aeCreativityAEs Spark*AE to launch.(News)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... The Ad Age Group is publishing a new print and online sourcebook for the advertising and marketing community called Creativity's Spark*. The bi-annual print directory and year-round online resource will present the work of photographers,...

Storm drain? Folgers fights not to lose lead; Aftermath: P&G tries to find production after Katrina forces plant shut.(Procter & Gamble Co., Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 12, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Only months after seizing leadership of the mass coffee market, Procter & Gamble Co.'s Folgers brand has had to put retailers on allocation and is scrambling for a place to produce its product after Hurricane Katrina shut...

Brad Simmons; Unilever.(Special Report: Media Mavens)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jack Neff Bucking a trend, Unilever boosted its upfront TV commitment. This year "the stars have aligned,'' as Brad Simmons, VP-North American media for Unilever, sees it. With a renewed commitment to marketing outlays, Unilever's...

No sale: Analysts blast Sears marketing shuffle.(Kmart Holding Corp., Sears Holdings Corp.)
September 12, 2005... Byline: MYA FRAZIER Amid sneers from retail-watchers, Eddie Lampert is personally grabbing the marketing reins at Sears and Kmart. The Sears Holdings Corp. chairman last week demoted Sears CEO Alan Lacy and replaced him with former...

Adages; Surprise visitor comes out of Africa.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Ken Wheaton The gods must be happy with National Geographic. Last week, the venerable magazine took over Vanderbilt Hall in New York's Grand Central Terminal to promote its Experience Africa issue. Photos from the issue, striking...

Havas first-half revenue declined 6%.(Havas S.A.)
September 12, 2005... Revenue for the first half of 2005 at French holding company Havas dropped 6% to $870 million, down from $930 million in the year ago period, while net income rose 52% to $42 million from $27 million in the year-ago period. Earnings per share...

Bush and team fumble PR ball after the storm; Experts agree: Effort does little to counter critics of slow response.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ Slammed for a slow, inadequate rescue effort following Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration is now being lambasted for failing to demonstrate clear leadership in its post-tragedy public relations. Pollsters,...

Online crisis looms as ad demand surges; Big bucks shift to the Internet, but oceanfront property grows scarce.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: KRIS OSER The good news: There's an explosion in online advertising. The bad news: There's an explosion in online advertising. After years of dabbling, marketers are shifting significant portions of their budgets to the...

Unilever creates post for U.S. marketing services; Exec has responsibility for food, home, personal care in `One' restructuring.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: JACK NEFF Unilever has appointed its first marketing-services executive with duties spanning its entire U.S. business-including both its food and home and personal-care units-as the personnel moves in its "One Unilever''...

Koerner regains her crown; MediaTalk: Survey totes up media mentions.(Special Report: Media Mavens)(Koerner, Stacey Lynn)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... After dipping to No. 3 last year, Stacey Lynn Koerner, exec VP-director of global research integration at Initiative, New York, regained her title as the quotable queen, capturing the No. 1 spot with a score of 205, in Ad Age's annual MediaTalk...

Proposals ignite war in California; Big names join ad fight over pharma, education issues in special election.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: IRA TEINOWITZ It could be one of the biggest political scrapes of the year, involving $125 million in ad spending, unions, pharmaceutical giants and presidential image-makers. But it doesn't involve a single candidate. It is...

`OK' flopping or flying, depending on who you ask; Title shifts publishers, denies reports sales are slower than expected.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: NAT IVES In the six weeks since OK invaded America, debating the magazine's health has become the new parlor game of the industry. Maybe it's the name-OK-which practically begs to be recast as the question: Is OK OK? Or maybe...

Who are you wearing? Why, it's a Gwen; Singer joins Beyonce, Justin in celeb trend to extend brand via fashion.(Gwen Stefani)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Thompson Celebrities are fast moving from Fashion Week's front rows to its back stages as musicians, models and actresses flood the apparel market with their own design labels. Pop star Gwen Stefani will close a week...

Wall to wall Kate Spade in NYC.(News)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Thompson Kate Spade will use blank wall space rather than tents to showcase its brand next week. Eschewing the traditional venues of New York's Fashion Week, the accessories company-returning to its marketing roots...