• by John Gaffney , November 10, 2002

No Pulse: Let’s not let the passing of Pulse, Tower Records in-store ‘zine go by without its due props. It was shut down last week as Tower continues to downsize. To my knowledge, Pulse was the magazine that popularized the concept of Desert Island Discs (meaning the five pieces of music you couldn’t live without on a Desert Island.) Pulse set a very high standard for in-store publication back in the days when Tower was the first real superstore. Its journalism was first rate. Ira Robbins was among the rock writers it employed. And it wasn't afraid to throw a recommendation for classical or jazz at a reader who came for the imported techno-trance. Advertisers (of which I counted myself as in a past job) didn’t feel like they were getting their arms twisted to advertise in it. So in memoriam, I’m asking for your top five Riff Reader DIDs, and we’ll run one list every Friday ‘til the Holidays are over. For Example: One reader could not live without Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Exile On Main Street, Kind Of Blue (Miles Davis), Leo Kottke’s Greatest Hits and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.

The ChickenBrand, Man: I didn’t hear anything but accolades for BBDO’s work for KFC back in early summer. The spots were among the most recalled (according to the Intermedia Advertising Group) of any TV commercial. It had Barry Bonds, who at the time was still the athlete to be with. It had Jason Alexander, but hey, you can’t have everything. BBDO has built its brand in many ways around its ability to work with celebrities and make celebrities take themselves less seriously than the consumer is used to. Therefore, consumer laughs. Laugh equals positive emotion. Positive emotion equals customer affinity. It sure has worked for Pepsi. Now there’s some reports that BBDO needs to re-evaluate its KFC work, under client pressure. I’m sure they’ll do that. Maybe KFC needs a tweak or two. Maybe Britney with a box of wings. OK, so I won’t quit the day job. But I do like watching BBDO for its ability to portray celebrities effectively. KFC has moved way past Colonel Sanders.

Pop Culture Shot: Now that we know Eminem can open a movie (his 8 Mile took the number one spot) is he now the angry young man role-model, so powerful he can pitch products? Stranger things have happened.