• ISIS Appropriates Anti-Smoking Ads
    Isis has appropriated U.K. National Health Service anti-smoking ads to convince people living under their control to give up smoking. The group forbids smoking under a strict interpretation of traditional Islamic laws. The new anti-smoking slogan from Isis repurposes a Public Health England campaign from 2013. There is now a booming black market for cigarettes in the areas of the Levant controlled by the group.
  • Mayer Arrives At FCC To Tackle Privacy
    The Federal Communications Commission is serious about privacy. The commission has hired an outsider (non bureaucrat, in other words) to be technical lead for investigations into telephone, television and Internet service providers. The privacy tech guru, Jonathan Mayer, arrives at the FCC as the agency has ratcheted up its focus on traditional telephone companies, meaning Verizon and Comcast may have to face privacy obligations.
  • Acura Sees Future In Stronger Sedans
    Acura has been around for 30 years, and hasn't been able to hammer out a clear identity for much of that time. And it has had mixed success on the product front. One thing the automaker won't do is follow Hyundai's strategy of creating a luxury sub-brand. John Mendel, EVP of American Honda, said the brand will focus on its strengths in the crossover market while fixing its weak sedan lineup.
  • Etihad Launches United Arab Emirates Campaign
    Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based airline, said it was targeting an increase in its Emirati passengers with the launch of its latest advertising campaign. The new campaign, launching on Dec. 1 to coincide with the UAE's National Day celebration, includes a TV spot to air on UAE TV only, but there will be still versions in print media.
  • Consumers Moving From Soda To Bottled Water
    A new report from Packaged Facts, "Bottled Water in the U.S.," finds that in the past decade Americans have started to move away from carbonated soft drinks in favor of bottled water. Between 2004 and 2013 the number of adults drinking five or more glasses of bottled still water rose by 22% as the number of people drinking five or more glasses of soda, diet soda or carbonated diet drinks fell by double-digit percentages.
  • A Surprising Answer To 'Who Loves Their Cars The Most?'
    According to a new study, Gen Y is surprisingly the strongest lovers of their cars with the Porsche Macan engendering the strongest feelings. Strategic Vision's newly created Customer Love Index is tracking automotive amore to see what consumer segment has the strongest attachment to vehicles and then, of course, scoring what vehicles are most loved.
  • Retail Employees Struggle With Uncertain Sales
    American Apparel's turnaround plan calls for most stores to stay open, but many workers acknowledge that the retailer's future is precarious. About 16 million people are employed in the retail industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and many are working through the holiday weekend. Retailers have hired an extra 700,000 seasonal workers this season, according to the National Retail Federation.
  • Got Toys? Here Are The Best Places To Sell Them
    While you should have most of your media plan in place by now, it's never too late to make a smart ad buy. With that in mind, Quantcast did some helpful research, combining first-party and third-party data to suss out what digital properties are most often visited by toy shoppers.
  • Motel 6 Leaving Lights On For The Cactus Bowl
    In marketing for Motel 6, spokesman Tom Bodett offers, "We'll leave the light on for you." The lights will now be on in the college football post-season Cactus Bowl, which thanks to a sponsorship rights deal this season, will be known as the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl. The game will be played in Phoenix' Chase Field for the first time since 2005.
  • 'Gray Thursday' Reared Its Ugly Head
    Thanksgiving drove a growing army of Americans to buy stuff before the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Last year, 32% of holiday shoppers, or about 43 million Americans, went shopping on "Gray Thursday," National Retail Federation data show. And advertisers are following their lead with widening search, social-media and mobile marketing blitzes.
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