Last week I discovered this beauty: a print ad that recharges your cellphone. It's a magazine tip-in, with a solar panel and a USB port, produced by Nivea skin care and DraftFCB in support of a communication objective: "You never have to leave the beach," i.e. even to charge your phone. The ad is a brilliant use of cutting-edge technology that provides real nontrivial value to consumers. Wow! Even without the copious Brazilian bikini model eye candy, this is serious moment of fave stuff.» 2 Comments
Way, way back in the early 1990s, there was a brief period of time when the most popular player in the NBA - okay, besides Michael Jordan - wore a flower-print housedress and a pillbox hat, and answered to the name "Grandmama." Believe it or not, I'm not referring to Dennis Rodman. Grandmama was actually the alter ego of Larry Johnson, a (relatively) short power forward who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1992 and helped the previously woeful Charlotte Hornets make a couple of playoff appearances.» 1 Comments
When a bidding war recently broke out over it, we started thinking about the future of the Outdoor Channel, a channel that obviously resonates and is popular with men. But, beyond the Outdoor Channel, what's happening with technology and outdoor sports -- hunting, fishing, etc.?» 0 Comments
It's one of our cultural paradoxes that women's issues tend to be treated as a discrete subject that affects only half the population. And, while many men have probably heard about the hoopla surrounding Sheryl Sandberg's book, "Lean In," it seems that very few have read it. An informal survey of 20 of my male colleagues found that zero men had read the book, and none planned to.» 6 Comments
First, let me say bravo to my friends at Unilever for once again setting the standard by further elevating female self esteem in their latest brilliant Dove (a Unilever brand) Real Beauty Sketches campaign.» 2 Comments
If you listen to the TV and advertising industries' pundits, appointment TV is over. There are a few event TV opportunities each year - the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the Grammys, maybe the MTV Music Awards, and that's it, according these pundits. Otherwise, TV is a morass of niche audiences, and most viewers aren't even watching because they're intent on texting, tweeting, and "like"ing during the episodes.» 0 Comments
As everybody with an Internet connection knows, bacon is the most wondrous and delectable thing ever to appear on the face of this planet. It's the universal sandwich solvent, the salt lick of kings. For a sponsor who wants to engage men through digital content, but doesn't want girls or sports, bacon has been the go-to meme as far back as anyone can remember. It's positively fatty with versatility: It's been weaved into underwear, it flavors dental floss, it makes you smarter and cures hangovers. Et cetera, et cetera.» 2 Comments
What could make rushing to the airport, waiting in an endless security line, disrobing for a TSA pat-down, jamming your luggage into an overstuffed overhead storage bin, shoehorning yourself into a too-small seat, and spending several hours next to a chatty political junkie with a wet cough even worse?» 1 Comments
As everyone knows, March Madness, the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship, has turned into a marketing bonanza. This is particularly good news for both TV and online video. Appointment viewing night after night, and this year's Tournament offers viewers more options than ever before - i.e. TV, TV Everywhere on multiple devices, apps for Google Play, Apple's iOS, live streaming on laptops/desktops, etc.» 1 Comments
It's 2010, and LeBron James sits on a stool in a room full of children ready to announce "The Decision" live on ESPN. Every narrative says he's staying in Cleveland: local boy, best player of his generation, beloved in the community, backed by a solid team and a popular new coach. Why would he get on TV just to break his fans' hearts?» 4 Comments
