• by August 28, 2003

Microsoft co-founder and Jimi Hendrix shrine-builder Paul Allen reportedly has put his struggling TechTV cable network on the block. Based on the timing and performance of Allen's other media investments - Charter Communications, High Speed Access Corp. - we take this as a sign of an imminent rebound in technology category ad spending.

What's next, Survivor: Madison Avenue? CBS hit reality series "Survivor" has long pandered to the needs of Madison Avenue, but we can't help wondering about the "casting" of its fall 2003 installment, "Survivor: Pearl Islands." Among the castaways seem to be oodles of potential product plugs. There's Tijuana Bradley, a 27-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep from St. Louis and there's Burton Roberts, a 31-year-old marketing executive from San Francisco. While other castaway occupations don't necessarily lend themselves to promotional opportunities, there's at least one that should be familiar to some on Madison Avenue, Shawn Cohen, a 28-year-old advertising sales executive from New York.

You may want to be seated before reading this: Few on Madison Avenue would argue that advertising-editorial synergy can be a very big idea, but an ad in the premiere issue of figure - a magazine aimed at "the new shape of fashion" (a.k.a. the heavier set crowd) - made a large impression on the Riff. Positioned opposite an article on health clubs that cater to the zaftig set was an ad for Continental Airlines carrying the bold print headline: "Widest Seats" and body copy recommending flyers to "Get in. Spread out." Nothing wrong with any of this, mind you. We just wondered whether the brilliance of this advertising/edit integration was coincidental or planned. After all, media planners have recently become armed with new market research data enabling them to target consumers based on specific media and by specific body types. A publicist working for figure said he thought the positioning was indeed "planned for," but said he'd check it out and report back to the Riff. Meanwhile, we're sitting here - in our relatively narrow seats - pondering what body type positioning might be next.

Red Planet Promo Finds Some Green: It seems some enterprising media player has indeed figured out a way to capitalize on the closer-than-usual proximity of Mars. Noting that the red planet was 45% closer to earth than normal, space science-oriented site RedNova.com is offered a 45% discount off its rate card to any advertiser booking inventory on Aug. 27. "Hey, if Mars can discount by 45%, so can we," says RedNova founder Eric Ralls. "Besides RedNova.com shines bright every night (and day) of the year." Interep Interactive handles the site's sales.