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PhotoDude.com: Advertising

PhotoDude.com

The Daily Whim

The Daily Whim

All The News That Fits My Whim

Wed. Nov 26, 2008

Is That Really Amish?

I’m guessing you’ve seen the ads on TV. They are for a product that is an odd jumble of words, the “Amish made heat surge.” During the commercial, we see a lot of men wearing Amish hats, indoors, assembling these electrical devices, which they market as some kind of Amish made fireplace.

Hilarious example one, hilarious example two. They look so real, don’t they? (you can also teach your infant that things which look very hot are actually OK to touch!)

... » Full Article, 255 words »

Thu. Feb 01, 2007

Advertising Terrorism

You’ve certainly heard the story by now. But, my, what a lovely lead: “Authorities have arrested two men in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure of bridges and a stretch of the Charles River.

An electronic moon man closed a river in Boston. And that’s not the most ridiculous part of the story.

» Read the Full Article (876 words) »

Sat. Dec 09, 2006

Remarkably Bad Advertising

I’ve made my income in one form or another of the advertising business for almost three decades. I’ve seen, heard, and even at times, been a part of, a lot of bad advertising over those decades. And if this guy has the Design Disease, then I probably have the Advertising Affliction. I get more amusement and befuddlement from bad advertising than I do from any other poorly formed creative act on this planet.

An example arrived unsolicited in the mail the other day. It wasn’t even addressed to me. But when a simple glance at the primary imagery and headline nearly brought me to my knees, I said, “honey, you’ve got to let me have that.”

» Read the Full Article (609 words) »

Sun. Feb 06, 2005

A Kinder Gentler Bowl

Last year, I asked, “Question: How much stupidity can form around one simple football game? Answer: In America, stupidity knows no boundaries.”

Well, over the last year, you might say some boundaries were established. The only stupid mishap I saw this year was when Coach Belichick came out of the tunnel at the start of the game, and he went to the wrong bench. Um, other side of the field, Coach. After that, he was fairly flawless.

... » Full Article, 1232 words »

Thu. Jan 27, 2005

Circuit City and Rebate Pricing

[The following is a letter composed to be sent to Circuit City, knowing full well it won’t change a thing. But I have a feeling it’s a common complaint, so I’m also posting it here.]

... » Full Article, 656 words »

Wed. Apr 28, 2004

Rent A Shill

I’ve been in one form or another of the advertising business since 1977, and have had this domain over 7 years. And as of today, you can purchase an ad on PhotoDude.com.

... » Full Article, 586 words »

Fri. Apr 09, 2004

Advertising To The Choir

I guess it’s not exactly news that political ads often distort reality. But the latest ads from MoveOn.org step over a couple of lines. Or rather, stomp all over them.

... » Full Article, 623 words »

Sat. Aug 09, 2003

The Origins Of The Dew

The Origins Of The Dew – My own site is purveying dangerous misinformation: “Actually, Mountain Dew was a copy itself, of Canada Dry’s Wink (‘The Sassy One’ as it was called in the commercials in the late 1960s). Mountain Dew followed it onto the shelves a short time later, and benefitted from Pepsi’s superior nationwide marketing ability.”

... » Full Article, 591 words »

Sun. May 18, 2003

Battle of the Brand Colors

Battle of the Brand Colors – I’ve written before about a childhood friend and amazing product, responsible “’for more case sales in the U.S.—810 million—than all of the bottled water brands combined’, with retail sales of almost $5 billion.” The product is Mountain Dew, and I wrote “I Dew” when they introduced the Original Blasphemer, Mountain Dew Code Red.

... » Full Article, 287 words »

Mon. May 05, 2003

One Crappy Ad Campaign

One Crappy Ad Campaign – If you have food or beverage in hand, move along. This is a bit … scatological. I thought maybe I was just weird (stop snickering) in my reaction to a certain ad campaign that’s been going on for some time now. I thought maybe it was just some childhood trauma from toilet training deeply buried in my subconcious that caused me to react the way I did. But I’ve recently learned that others had the very same reaction to hearing the dominant catch phrase in this ad campaign:

... » Full Article, 231 words »

Wed. Jan 15, 2003

Not Quite Dead Yet

Not Quite Dead Yet“The airwaves belong to the people dammit.” Melanie is on a tear, and she closes “Topic One” with that precious and quaint thought. One hesitates to abuse the notion, as it would seem as mean as declaring there’s no Santa Claus.

... » Full Article, 988 words »

Tue. Oct 15, 2002

The Myth of '18 to 34'

The Myth of ’18 to 34’ – The advertising industry has long functioned on the the basic ”appeal” to a particular target audience, the ”18 to 34’s,” to the point it became more than just a target audience. It’s become a driving force of American culture. "It is, as it has been for 40 years, the principle by which a great deal of our popular culture—not just TV, but music, movies, radio—comes into existence."

... » Full Article, 298 words »

Mon. Jul 15, 2002

Customer Communication Means Profit, Dummy

Customer Communication Means Profit, Dummy – No, that’s not what the article says. But hang on, this customer will get there. "The nation’s second-largest Internet provider, EarthLink, launched a digital music service this week, following the lead of its giant competitor, America Online, and smaller providers such as Speakeasy.net [...] It’s part of an industry-wide attempt to move beyond the bland, low-profit business of connectivity to the more lucrative realm of digital entertainment—in hopes of eventually competing with cable for a greater share of home spending.

... » Full Article, 209 words »

Tue. May 14, 2002

Gonzo Marketing: The Semantic Disconnect

Gonzo Marketing: The Semantic Disconnect – (via Dangerousmeta) The article has a discouraging headline, ”Net firms turning to tradition in advertising,” but it starts off on a hopeful note, one that resonates with all the discussion of late: "...ad buyers steeped in the vernacular of print, outdoor and broadcast media still don’t understand how to reach a specific audience on the Internet."

... » Full Article, 194 words »

Sun. May 12, 2002

Gonzo Marketing: Evolution, Not Revolution

Gonzo Marketing: Evolution, Not Revolution – There’s been a lot of commentary since I reacted to the article in The Guardian on ”Gonzo Marketing,” and to some, my admittedly sloppily presented position seems one of opposition. As usual, things are not quite so binary.

... » Full Article, 1562 words »

Fri. May 10, 2002

Gonzo Marketing

Gonzo Marketing – No, unfortunately Hunter S. Thompson isn’t involved, as that would give this idea more entertainment value. Here’s the concept, as capsulized in The Guardian: "What replaces mass market, broadcast advertising is Locke’s ’gonzo marketing’, which is not really marketing but ’market advocacy’ through participation, sponsorship and support. The internet replaces the us-and-them relationship (creative people broadcasting to couch potatoes) with a network of conversations, which is all markets are, really. "

... » Full Article, 1212 words »

Tue. Apr 30, 2002

What Kind of Capitalists Are You?

What Kind of Capitalists Are You? – This tickles me in a special place. "At least nine national cable networks have turned down a potentially lucrative—though controversial—ad schedule from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. No national cable networks are known to have accepted the ads. The 10-day flight is an image campaign from the Arab nation. The tagline for the spots is ’The People of Saudi Arabia—Allies Against Terrorism.’ "

... » Full Article, 223 words »

Wed. Apr 03, 2002

Some Space Is Not For Sale

Some Space Is Not For Sale – I expect to see all kinds of weird advertising within my browser ”portal,” the portion of a browser that displays web pages. Flash critters dancing across entire pages, epilepsy inducing banner ads, ads that purposely imitate operating system components in hopes the unwary will click them … it’s all unfortunately part of visual landscape on much of the web.

... » Full Article, 284 words »

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