Unless you're a social outcast like Michael Vick, Madison Avenue has a place for star "bad boys" such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, John McEnroe and Charles Barkley. And bobbleheads of the bubbleheaded Manny Ramirez, too, according to another item.

Rob Strasberg, vice chairman and chief creative officer of Doner, derives five marketing lessons he learned from driving a 22-foot-long Oscar Mayer Weinermobile as a freshly minted college grad 18 years ago. Among them are: "It's really easy to make a sexual pun, avoid them at all costs."

George Parker, according to his bio, writes two blogs including AdScam - The Horror in the U.S., "which is without doubt, one of the most foul and annoying, piss & vinegar ad blogs on the planet." Well, this morning he reserves the p&v for the "current abyss" that the ad biz finds itself in while fondly reminiscing about his two meetings with David Ogilvy, who passed away a decade ago today. "Perhaps David's greatest contribution to advertising was an unashamed and unwavering enthusiasm for the business which was based on an acceptance of what it is …

John S. Barry, the man who was largely responsible for turning WD-40 into a product that at least one survey says is present in 80% of American homes, died earlier this month in San Diego. He was 84. Barry wasn't present at the creation of WD-40, which stands for "water displacement, formulation successful in 40th attempt." He was trained as a mechanical engineer and also had a master's degree in business from MIT. After succeeding his father-in-law as president of the company, writes Douglas Martin, he brought it "marketing coherence and discipline." Barry acknowledged …

Coca-Cola says that consumers aren't ready for the "soda tax" on sugared drinks that has been proposed in some quarters as a way to help pay for healthcare reforms in the U.S. (A murkily sourced robocall the other day basically told me the same thing, railing against politicians who might think otherwise.) Coke CEO Muhtar Kent points out that the proposal is not included in the House version of the healthcare bill. "I'm hoping that the same logic will prevail with the Senate," he says. Proponents of the tax argue that taxing non-diet sodas and juices also will contribute …

Although Starbucks revenues fell for the quarter ended June 28, it posted a $151.5 million profit, which was better than analysts expected and far better than its $6.7 million loss during the dark days of last summer, Melissa Allison writes in the Seattle Times.Emily Bryson York reports that part of the improvement can be traced to the big marketing budget attached to McDonald's launch of its McCafe -- at least in the eyes of CEO Howard Schultz. While naysayers in the media and Wall Street predicted that the McDonald's ad juggernaut would have a negative impact on …

Companies, large and small alike, are betting big that the typical house will undergo a technological transformation a la the Jetsons that could lead to an explosion of new gadgets and services, Ben Worthen reports. Cisco, Comcast, General Electric and ADT, for example, are joining other investors in a $23 million funding round for start-up iControl Networks, whose software allows customers to control a home's lights, thermostat and security system via the Web. And Microsoft has built a concept home that contains a countertop screen that suggests recipes based on the ingredients in a refrigerator. One hitch on the …

Scott Anthony poses three questions to ask if you're a considering a low-end play yourself.