Seth Stevenson just can't figure out what one TV spot is selling--even after seeing the ad again and again. The spot in question features a man and woman playing a futuristic football game against a band of robots, while the pair engage in an ongoing conversation. The next time he saw it, he realized it was for Esurance, an online car-insurance company. "But I remained convinced that the spot would wash over the average viewer, leaving no impression. The problem: That surreal, out-of-nowhere story line is just way too distracting." The other ads in the Esurance campaign also …

After over a year of uninterrupted "just-in-time" buying, advertisers are facing a sudden crunch, with media-agency executives reporting almost no quality inventory on the broadcast networks for November and December. As MindShare's co-president of national broadcast, Shari Cohen, puts it: "The retailers' avails have just sucked up the inventory." Jewelry retailer Kay has begun its holiday push, along with Macy's, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Target and electronics retailers Best Buy and Circuit City. "It's been a buyers' market for the last 18-24 months, and there's that mentality on the client and buyers' side that you can pull a rabbit …

Research makes for bad conversation, notes Erwin Ephron. It's too fussy for casual talk and can leave the wrong impression. Since the people meter was introduced in 1987, TV ratings have been based on viewing during the average minute of a program. But advertisers also want to know how many people watch their messages. This has led Nielsen to propose commercial minute ratings, and that has led to lots of industry discussion. Bottom line: Nielsen can't tell us how many people see commercials. It can only track whether people change channels or turn the set off or leave the …

In addressing his newsroom on his first day on the job, new Los Angeles Times editor James O'Shea was honest in a meeting with staffers, saying, "I don't know how long I'll be here. We probably will be purchased. That could be better. It could be worse." O'Shea also said he isn't "the hatchet man from Chicago." O'Shea was appointed editor after Dean Baquet was forced to resign last week. Baquet had refused to make staff cuts that the Tribune Co. said were needed to boost profits. But O'Shea said that if he thinks there's too much staff, …

It is the season of the endless premiere, writes Eric Deggans: "Once upon a time, the rhythm of network TV was simple: a flood of new shows in the fall, followed by a smattering of reality series and reruns to replace canceled shows until a new batch of programs arrived in January for the midseason." No more. Even after stretching the fall premiere season from late August to mid-October, the networks now plug prime-time holes with new shows, replacing series you've never seen with fresh programs you've never heard of. "I told somebody I knew that 'Kidnapped' was …

Ad Age's top editor has an idea for how NBC can save "Studio 60" and experiment with a new business model that ultimately might help save the whole business: Ask people to pay for it. Editor Scott Donaton suggests setting a price of $1 or $2, or even $3 per episode. With $7.7 million viewers, even if fewer than half pay a buck apiece, it would cover the cost of producing the lavish prime-time drama. And NBC can still sell ads on the show to high-end advertisers interested in paying a premium to reach an upscale audience. "I …

A titillating ad for flavored condoms that aired during prime time on Indian TV has given new life to an old decency debate over content on the small screen. "Monitoring content is very important. But despite all our efforts, something suddenly comes in. There is this DKT XXX flavored condom ad, which everybody knows about. It somehow got in," says Censor Board chairman Sharmila Tagore. She insists the group is not against condom commercials, which combat the risks of AIDS and HIV, but she doesn't want "silly, titillating ads." The spot at issue is DKT's "XXX" strawberry, chocolate and …

As more affluent drinkers go for imported and craft beers, a new ad campaign for Miller High Life touts value, saying it's OK to drink cheap suds. The nation's second-largest brewer is targeting 20somethings with an ongoing ad campaign that proclaims Miller Genuine Draft is a "grown up" beer for drinkers who want the better things in life. But that message missed the older crowd, who still want low-priced beer, says Tom McLoughlin, marketing director for Miller High Life. And with sales of domestic beer dropping, the company can't afford to leave out prospective customers. The new TV …

For decades, the bottom of the nation's barrel of rankings has always seemed to come up with the same state. If you want to know the poorest state, the fattest, least educated, sickest or most corrupt, the answer is always the same: Mississippi. The state, however, has long chafed at those perceptions, and Rick Looser,COO of the Cirlot advertising agency in Jackson, has set out to counter them. A new ad campaign his agency created--called "Mississippi, Believe It!"--attacks the old cliches and tries to turn them to its advantage, spreading a message about some of the state's accomplishments. …

Car and Driver is out with its biggest redesign in decades, including the elimination of its trademark white cover border. But what it is really counting on is digital innovations to expand its audience. About 80% of the magazine's online visitors are not subscribers, but researching cars in preparation for a purchase. While an enthusiast title might struggle to broaden its print audience without losing its hard-core devotees, a Web site can be all things to all people. Some print features have been moved to CarandDriver.com, including the bar graph that compared road-test vehicles against three competitors. "We …