Earlier this year, a segment on Dr. Phil's TV talk show featured Melissa, a teenage girl whose parents' chronic substance abuse had kept her and her little sister on the move since early childhood. She essentially had to take care of her parents and raise her little sister. Through all the drama, though, Melissa did so well in school that she earned a half-scholarship to Stanford University.

One late morning in midsummer found Craig Newmark waiting for a bus, or a train ? it didn't matter to him ? in San Francisco. That's right, the founder of Craigslist, which pulled in an estimated $25 million last year, according to published reports, was waiting for a bus. That won't surprise anyone who follows the mediapreneur in the news. The founder of the best-known classifieds site on the Web is no prima donna.

Madison Ave. has been called upon to launch new products, resuscitate ailing brands, turn corporations around, and even help elect our nation's leaders. Now the ad industry is being tapped to help with what might well be the most daunting task ever: saving Planet Earth.

As a people, Americans are quite impressed by the power of media. It captivates us. Our mainstream media splashes Super Bowl ratings drama across the front page of our daily papers and Web sites. Media helped take the groundswell of support for the iPod and make it the No. 1 portable digital music player in the world. Media have made Tide, BMW, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Ford, and AT&T among the biggest brands ever. The rise and stumble of Martha Stewart's and Rosie O'Donnell's media properties held our attention for weeks on end. The power of media rolled out the new …

For the last few months, I've applauded the traditional marketers that have moved into the world of nontraditional communications. I've been really pleased to see the online media market heat up and clients embrace new forms of viral and guerrilla marketing. But I'm starting to worry that they're crashing a party that's been a lot of fun and ruining it for everyone.

We know there are a lot of women in branded entertainment, but most of them tend to be on the West Coast. Take, for example, our friend Lori Sale, formerly of Miramax, and now running the new branded entertainment unit at ICM, the leading Wilshire Boulevard tenpercentery. Or Stephanie Sperber at NBC Universal, who put together the mega-million-dollar deal with Volkswagen a few years back.

The current era of marketing, advertising, and branding presents an exciting frontier filled with opportunities and challenges. Newer media like the Web and mobile devices mesh nicely with more traditional media, creating well-rounded campaigns and strengthening relationships between brands and consumers. E-commerce has become the true third leg of the multichannel retail mix, allowing consumers to transact however and wherever they want, and helping retailers provide service in new ways.

Get ready for a sea of pink next month. October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness month  that time of year when a slew of marketers, from Levi's to Sutter Home, remind women about mammograms and proudly slap the symbolic pink ribbon on their wares. Likewise for General Mills' Yoplait brand. For several years Yoplait has asked consumers to return its pink-ribbon foil yogurt tops for a 10-cent donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This year the October issue of Self magazine features entries for the 2007 Yoplait Champions, breast cancer survivors …

After placing products in movies and games to reach male consumers, one advertiser is trying the same tactic with another core medium for young men. In July, DC Comics, in partnership with Pontiac, released "Rush City," featuring a new superhero, "The Rush," who drives a James Bond-like Solstice, Pontiac's high-end sports car. Dino Bernacchi, advertising manager for Pontiac, stresses that his company doesn't look at the deal as product placement  Pontiac had no say in the comic's creative direction; the brand is simply integrated into the character's concept. "This is a DC Universe character, which means …

Environmental enthusiasts were hopeful when Vanity Fair and Elle magazines each announced they would produce their May 2006 "green" issues on 100 percent recycled paper to coincide with Earth Day. Reportedly due to cost and timing, neither magazine followed through in full, though Elle did save a few trees by printing 10 percent of its issue on post-consumer recycled paper with the help of advertiser Aveda.