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17 January 2008

Advertising shouldn't replace things that aren't broken.

I get a kick out of seeing ordinary objects turned into paid advertising. Like Portable toilets. Barf bags. And Airplane window shades.

But replacing artwork with advertising is wrong.

Airport_sculpture

The Allegheny County Airport Authority is considering replacing Peter Calaboyias' Silver Grid Wall sculpture at Pittsburgh International Airport with paid advertising.

As if there aren't already enough jokes about why not to visit Pittsburgh.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

21 September 2007

Sure, it's fun... 'Till somebody gets hurt.

Advertising on airplane fuselages always looks fun. For example...

Simpsonsaeroplane

Snoopyaeroplane

Advertisementonaeroplane

Trouble is, if the unthinkable happens, all you can do is rush to the crash site with a can of paint, as China Airlines did after one of its planes crashed this summer.

Before China Airlines arrived with paint and brushes to obscure its logo...

20070822p2a00m0na004000p_size6_2

After the whitewash, as it were...

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SkyEurope Airlines' advertising included the image of a supermodel on its planes.

Source: eGlobe1, MSN News 

18 July 2007

Advertising makes free photocopies available to Tokyo college students.

A company called Tada Copy (which means 'free copy' in Japanese) allows students at a number of Tokyo universities to make free photocopies on paper that has paid advertising printed on the reverse side.

Tadacopyfreecopiesads

The photocopy paper even seems to be a better quality than usual; it's thicker than ordinary photocopy paper to prevent bleed through.

Great idea.

Source: CScout Japan 

16 April 2007

What not to do on the front page of the morning paper.

The Boston Globe is trying something new. The paper is giving advertisers the option of putting an advertising message on a Post-Its-like sticker that is affixed to the front page of the paper.

It's an interesting new medium that could be used in many creative ways. Too bad the company behind this morning's yellow stickie didn't have more imagination.

Small

Today's Globe features a message from a car dealership, with the 'handwritten' directive to  "Call Me!" It leaves unanswered the question, "Why should I?"

Nonetheless, I called the number. I got a recording that told me a representative would be on any moment and if I would please stay on the line after speaking with the representative so the recording could ask me some questions about the quality of my conversation with said representative.

Well, okay. Now I know what's in it for the dealer but I still don't have a darn clue as to why I should lift a finger.

Too bad the dealership didn't use the stickie to direct consumers to an online preview of next season's cars -- or a list of bargains from this year's line. Or the stickie could have offered consumers some sort of incentive to come in for a test drive. A discount on post-winter car servicing would have worked great. Heck, just about anything would have worked better than the actual promotion.

12 February 2007

According to Outsell, Inc.'s second annual report on ad spending, U.S. advertisers are expected to increase the amount they spend on search engine advertising by 39% in 2007.

Source: Media Post's Center for Media Research

05 February 2007

Advertiser does a fine job using toilet paper.

Last summer I told you that toilet paper is now available as a media vehicle.

Sure enough, at least one advertiser found a good way to use it.

According to Advertising Lab, Discovery Channel Sweden is using custom-printed toilet paper to advertise its series, Dirty Jobs. Dirty Jobs is a show that celebrates "the unsung laborers who make their living doing the most unthinkable, yet vital, vocations." Like zoo cage cleaners and road kill collectors.

Discovery_ad_toilet_paper