• You Da Ice Cream Man
    Talk about a campaign worthy of a fist-pump. To pimp its 31 Below frozen treat, which blends soft serve ice cream with a mind-boggling array of toppings, Baskin-Robbins hopped on the social networking bandwagon with a bizarre spokesperson at the helm: Jersey Shore "star" DJ Pauly D (birthed Paul Delvecchio).
  • 'Evolution of Ad Units' Bridges the GAP
    Groupon is riding the wave of an idea that is painfully simple: Offer people one discount coupon a day that only goes into effect if enough people sign up for it, and promote the deal with an amusing description via email and a Web site. By late August, two-year-old Groupon had grown to more than 15 million subscribers around the world, mainly 18- to 34-year-old women.
  • Domino's Pies No Prima Donnas
    Food photographers, watch out. People might never have thought much about how their pepperoni pizza is glamorized in the close-up photos that run on ads and Web sites, but Domino's has decided that they should. In an effort to show how down-to-earth it is, the giant pizza delivery chain is taking a stand. It is only using pizza pictures that are not retouched and are free from food stylists.
  • The Half-Caffeinated Media Company
    Starbucks has gone soul searching - and it's banking on the Internet to do the heavy lifting. As the coffee chain gets squeezed between independent espresso bars and giants like McDonald's, it wants to boost the coffeehouse experience it once represented - a hangout place between work and home.
  • Q&A with Shelby Saville
    Shelby Saville, formerly the digital practice leader at Publicis Groupe's Spark Communications, in September was promoted to that agency's co-managing director, another example of digital leadership taking on larger roles in media organizations. She says her first order of business will be understanding the human experience, which is "ultimately the key that will unlock our client's ability to make a connection that transcends media vehicles." She discussed the agency landscape and leadership with Gavin O'Malley recently.
  • Creative Roundtable: The Water Works
    When an American advertising agency does sexy, we usually get the likes of a practically plastic Paris Hilton, clad in a cheesy bathing suit and high heels, washing a car - whoa, she's got a firm grip on that hose! When a French advertising agency does sexy, we get burlesque bombshell Dita Von Teese (for Perrier) seductively slinking around a chateau in the finest lingerie , playfully teasing visitors throughout a delightfully naughty interactive experience that includes picture-taking and a game of dice.
  • Behind the Numbers: Still Holding
    Buoyed by faster networks, better devices and a big market boost from Apple iAds, growth in mobile video advertising is poised to take off over the next four years. But advertising won't be the dominant revenue source from mobile video. Instead, subscription services will. To be sure, advertising will be a vital component of the ecosystem, but the mobile video business will be driven by three main forms of revenue: direct pay-per-view downloads, subscriptions, and ad-supported video, according to a recent report from eMarketer.
  • Markets Focus: Who Wears the Pants?
    If you want to move product, cherchez la femme. Women in the U.S. control 73 percent of household spending, according to Boston Consulting Group. And they're expected to drive $5 trillion in incremental global spending over the next five years.
  • Mobile Focus: Tie-Dye to the Core
    Let's face it. Marketing mobile apps can be a lot like a gunfight at the O.K. Corral. If you are thinking of developing a mobile application, preparing your marketing before the release can mean the difference between success and failure. Just as in Robert Fulgham's famous book Everything I Need To Know I learned In Kindergarten, everything you need to know about marketing iPhone Apps (and other mobile apps) you can learn from Apple and the Grateful Dead.
  • Social Focus: Hack Till You Drop
    Soleio Cuervo knows a little something about online video. And maybe he likes to show it off sometimes. Luckily for him, his company gives him the chance. He happens to work at Facebook.
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