A study from Ipsos suggest that people around the world are generally split when it comes to what makes athletes, politicians, entertainers and celebrities who are at the peak of their abilities self destruct. A little over half said it's not because they can't handle fame, but it's who they really are. Ipsos' poll of 18,722 adults for Reuters News found half (54%) of world citizens agree that when sports celebrities, politicians or movie stars "do something that is a personal embarrassment or causes personal shame or destruction," the explanation closest to the truth is "that's just who they …

Pizza Hut has awarded its media account to Publicis Groupe's Optimedia after a review, according to sources. The incumbent was WPP's MEC. The client spent almost $220 million on ads in the U.S. last year according to Kantar Media. The pizza market called a review in June. Earlier this year, the marketer held a consolidation review for its creative assignment, which went to the Martin Agency.

Love 'em or hate 'em, Uggs are coming for the men of America, and the company is using Tom Brady's feet to kick off its TV campaign Sept. 12. A spot featuring the glamour-puss quarterback, shot mostly from the knees down, is scheduled to break on Monday Night Football when Brady's New England Patriots play their first regular season game against the Miami Dolphins. The ads, from M&C Saatchi in Los Angeles, show Brady trotting through life in a variety of Ugg Australia styles—none particularly like the furry Uggs worn by teenage girls the world over. (The sheepskin …

Interpublic's Mediabrands has named Hagen Wenzek Chief Technology Officer. Wenzek, who reports to Mediabrands Global CEO Matt Seiler, joins from IBM, where he most recently was a "leader" in its Global Technology Services division.

Live TV from the E.W. Scripps Company is coming soon to a mobile device near you. The media giant said Thursday it is rolling out streaming video in all nine of its television markets that will allow its stations to deliver live video programming to almost any mobile device. When a user opens the mobile app of for a given Scripps station—and in the event of major breaking news or severe weather—the app’s on-screen display will prompt users to view live content. Clicking on the prompt will open a live media player that could be a simulcast of …

President Obama isn't the only one with unemployment on his mind: A new study from Boston Consulting Group reports that women are more worried about jobs and the economy than at the height of the recession. Some 57% of the women included in the survey say managing household finances is their biggest concern; when asked the same question two years ago, they were most worried about not having enough time. And compared to men, women are 21% more likely to feel anxious about the future, and 44% more likely to feel a great deal of stress in their lives. …

Amex, Hewlett Packard, IBM, IAG Insurance Australia Group, Splenda, Paramount, Mazda, Ford, Hyundai and Johnson & Johnson are among brands that will be doing Asia Pacific-focused web marketing efforts via Vibrant Media, through the contextual ad firm's partnership with Avid Media PTY Ltd, Sydney, Australia. Martin Forbes, Vibrant's SVP corporate operations said, in a statement, "We have been working in APAC for more than three years through our London-based international team. In this time we've seen substantial growth with our contextual products, so the time is right for us to expand and provide local support for our top 100 …

Increased tablet app downloads do not necessarily result in greater consumer app usage, according to new research released this afternoon by from Gfk MRI's iPanel Among the iPanel respondents who own a tablet and have downloaded between one and nine apps on their device, 95% said they regularly use those apps. In contrast, only 37% of owners who have 10 or more apps on their device regularly use this many apps, while only 16% who have 20 or more apps on their device regularly use this many. The research also shows that 66% of the apps that …

In the wake of Carol Bartz being fired as Yahoo CEO, eMarketer has released online ad revenue projections for the top 5 Internet ad properties. Yahoo is expected to take in $3.46 billion this year, roughly flat with the last two years, with only a slight uptick to $3.57 billion in 2012. By contrast, Google will hit $12.8 billion in sales this year, increasing that total to $16.5 billion in 2012. Facebook may be a growing rival to Google but its still has a long way to go to catch up in ad revenue, with an estimated $2.2 …

Havas Digital, a unit of the Paris-based ad holding company, has selected Evidon to provide its agencies with a suite of privacy analytics tools and platforms in its effort to comply with the Digital Advertising Alliance's self-regulatory program for online behavioral advertising. The Havas Digital shops utilizing Evidon's services include full-service digital firm Media Contacts and mobile unit Mobext. According to Evidon, its system, among other things provides opt-in (or out) choices for consumers by enabling agencies and their clients to embed advertising option icons into display ads. The icons give consumers access to and control over how their …