Welcome to the [Ad]vantage, an ongoing discussion of what's new, what's next, and how to take of advantage of it all. We'll explore topics such as emerging media, future trends and technologies, and the role of innovation in advertising and media.

I have developed a fond appreciation of the butterfly as a personal symbol of self-actualization. It serves as an elegant and constant reminder that I am officially an adult - just in case my sprouting strands of gray hair are not enough.

Stop reading this. Sorry to kick things off so abruptly, but I needed a disclaimer that allows me to respond with "I told you so" for the duration of this column's existence. This is the first installment in a quarterly series, and is intended to serve as a contrast to articles elsewhere that either deal in superlatives, or treat readers like industry tourists. Frankly, I'm tired of those. I imagine you might be too. My goal is to address those unfortunate industry tenets that seem to pop up continually and gain momentum, even though they deteriorate our collective work. But …

Word got out quickly last month when I ended my decade-long tenure as Fallon's media director to start my own company. I was amazed and heartened by how many people contacted me with words of support upon hearing the news.

Uber-traditional brands are embracing the user-generated content movement in droves.

AT&T: Now Apple Telephone and Telegraph?

Corbis is dialing into the mobile art trend in an innovative new partnership with Cingular Wireless. The digital photo provider recently launched the Thunderdog Collective, involving a pay-per-use model for proprietary cell phone graphics.

In the classic tome, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, authors Al and Laura Ries state: "PR builds brands. Advertising sustains them."

Mcdonald's is taking another cue from Starbucks. Besides selling fancy new coffee, the Oak Brook, Ill., fast-food giant is flirting with slinging music and video along with burgers and fries.

Lydia Loizides, who writes MediaPost's Media Technologies Futures e-mail newsletter, hit the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month with a vengeance. Here's her take on a few exciting new media platforms she observed at the show.