Chivas Regal: Chivalry

PS3

Nike: Kobe X Lebron X Lupe

It keeps getting better...

Levi's: O' Pioneers!

Great stuff coming from this "Go Forth" campaign. I love the feeling of youth and possibility evoked. Really great positioning for the brand.

Softbank products: Tara Chan aka Quentin Tarantino

Interesting.

Nike: MVPuppets are back

This is Deep

Just watch and wait.

"Gorilla" Marketing

2012!! In your face advertising! - watch more funny videos

I feel a movement starting

Aria: Words Will Fail You

Perfect. Just a beautiful commercial. Great music.

Bad Advertising: Best Buy

It just sucks...

At&T: Side by Side

Is this a good response to the "There's a map for that" commercial. Honestly I think AT&T's complaining about the Verizon commercial actually helped give life to it. If they would have ignored it I think its popularity would have faded away. What do you think?

Toshiba: Arm Chair in space

Gap: Give a little bit

Since we will be seeing a bunch of christmas ads coming up I thought I would share one of my favs. Even though its not the most glamorous ad, they were able to get left eye and india Arie... I will be coming out with my favorite holiday ads of all time soon.

Tiger Beer: Taste it in this life

This was funny the first time I saw it but now not so much. I'm still putting it up though. Let me know how you feel.

Guinness: World

Caught this on adage. I like the visuals a lot.

100th Post!!! Tiger Beer

Worthy of the 100th post... Got this from Kanye's blog (Muchos Props for that one)

99th Post! Jordan Brand: Break to Build

Thanks for everyone still coming to the blog. I've been busy with midterms but I will be coming back full strength real soon. Stick with me!

Adidas: Its On Me for We

Careerbuilder.com: It's Time

Remember this from the Superbowl?

Kanye West: "We used to be a fairy tale" by Spike jonze

I could spend a lifetime analyzing this one with its symbolism but you should just watch it and enjoy.

PC anti-virus Kimbo Slice vs. Catepillar (your identity)

One of the best ads I've seen this year... Seriously

Fifa 10: How big can Football get?

Fifa 10 out tomorrow, you now i'll be all over this tomorrow.

Amp: H.O.R.S.E.

Sony Ericsson MH907 by Top Dollar

Sony Ericsson MH907 from ljudbilden on Vimeo.

Honda: Racing Against Time by RPA

Great Piece. Captivating if you ask me.

US Air Force: CSAR by GSD&M Idea City, USA

Michelin Man Defeats the evil Gas Pump

NBA 2k10

I am a huge basketball fan and video gamer so his is a commercial for NBA 2k10 which drops Tomorrow.

ESPN U: Never Graduate

Michael Vick has a contract with Nike

Here is my favorite Michael Vick commercial.
Nike is denying that they have a contract with Vick but who really believes that? He's already paid his debt to society now let him live.
Link to adage article

Goodbye Saturn

I have been a critic of GM car lines for a long time now but I was sort of sad when I heard GM was giving up on the brand. I still stand by my opinion that American Car-makers can make good cars but if foreign companies can do it for cheaper than we should let them and focus our labor supply elsewhere.

Are you advertising-resistant?

Many people that work in advertising can attest to the fact that when you first tell your friends or family that you work in advertising, the first reaction besides the initial hatred for your profession is that they often say "Advertising doesn't really effect me or my purchasing decisions". Recently, when my aunt emphatically claimed she is no way swayed by advertising, I launched into a passionate defense of my profession trying to convince her that the role of advertising is to make consumer familiar with the brand and communicate a unique difference in a product which may not be actually existent. In essence I was making the case that the job of advertising is not to sell products but to create a psychological difference between the brand and competitors in the market... She was unconvinced and so was I. Advertising as it exists today sucks and thats why people want to avoid it at all costs. Bad advertising is actually what led me to get into the industry. I figured there must be a better what to communicate with consumers. I believe that the best advertising (in any media) is based on a deep consumer insight that attempts to get to the core of why people use a product. It is both entertaining and informative. Most advertising I see is superficial and hardly gets to the essence of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. This leads to the advertising being rejected and disregarded as an annoyance that should be avoided if possible. Here is a quote whose source I can not remember 

“Advertising is a Trojan horse, good advertising has an attractive exterior, resembles a gift and delights the heart. But inside, the hard-hitting core is consistently aimed at a specific target”. 

Are you advertising-resistant? Although messages you are exposed to probably have an effect on your behavior that is outside your awareness, bad advertising is extremely distasteful and probably ineffective. Good Advertising based on a deep consumer insight however cannot be so easily disregarded. 

 

Top 3 Ads by Media-Neutral Agencies that happen to do video

I think the proliferation of different media options is driving advertising (and agencies alike) to get down to the true essence of marketing. Howard Gossage said "Advertising may seem like shooting fish in a barrel, but there is some evidence that the fish don't hold still as well as they used to and they have developed armour plate. They have control over what type of ammo you have, when the trigger gets pulled, and how fast your shot moves. Oh, and they're not all in the same barrel anymore". The shift from traditional media to digital isn't a revolution, the shift from screaming at people to buy a product to advertising as a 2-way dialogue between a brand and consumers is. This dialogue can happen using any medium as long as its relevant and targeted. Some agencies were built on this premise, some deny it but most are trying to keep up.


1. The Spark by 180 Amsterdam




180 Amsterdam is a Wieden+Kennedy break away, founded in 1998 by Alex Melvin (who’s still MD), Chris Mendola and Guy Hayward. The name 180 reflects the desire to see things from the opposite perspective and thus to give brands a unique image through unique advertising. In this commercial, 180 is able to make a captivating story about a star football player and the shoes that make him a spark.


2. Are you my man with the jacket by Anomaly



Anomaly is more of a marketing agency than an advertising agency. Anomaly is a new type of communications company specializing in the creation of entrepreneurial marketing opportunities and holistic solutions for brands. Comprised of a proven group of executives with broad experience that spans brand and business strategy, advertising, design, media-strategy, innovation, content, mobile media technology and client-side management. This youtube video is stealth advertising at its finest. Thousands of views in a few days advertising a jacket using a fake youtube video. 


3. Pablo the drug mule dog by Mother advertising





When a line of cocaine costs less than a drink, persuading young people to steer clear of drugs is an enormous challenge. But not too big for Pablo, the drug mule dog. Mother not only won several awards for this campaign but more importantly got people to talk about drug issues. 

Matt Damon freaks out on Adrian Grenier

I know what your thinking... This isn't advertising. Or is it?

Baseball World Cup finals: Safe

Starbucks Via: Difference by BBDO

I love this one. "I can't taste the difference!!!!"

Starbucks Via: Difference by BBDO

I think it makes since why they would only launch the product in store initially but they might have to lower the price if they want to put it in the grocery store next to nescafe... I'm not a big coffee drinker myself but I'm interested to see if this would cut into their brewed coffee business a bit.

Evian X Paul Smith

Budlight: This Porn's for You

I Think this was a web exclusive

American Express and Redbull

Halo 3 ODST: The Life

TruTV: Yelling

Great Stuff

Capital One: What's in your wallet by DDB Chicago

Funny Stuff. I don't like all of them but this one was alright

Ipod Nano Commcercial

Ipod Nano always has great commercials. The song is "Bourgeois Shangri-La" by Miss Li.

Time Warner Cable: Queen

I love this one. Hilarious

Sony: Amazing Footballers Jump Bull by Dare Digital

You can tell that its fake but that doesn't really take away from the enjoyment.

Quaker Oats: Go Humans Go

Macy's: Coming Together

I actually like this effort. A lot of us forget that there are starving people in America and its pretty sad that there are people with 5 homes and 10 cars who don't give a crap about a man starving on the street

Jeep Grand Cherokee: We build

I like it...

Duracell

Perfect Example of a brand's communication functioning on a higher level.

Nike Pro Combat

Adrian Peterson is a monster...

Reggie's Site of the day

Check it out. You have to download a plug-in but it is pretty cool.
Rexona Energizing X-Race by CuboCC

Levi's: America (Go Forth) Wieden + Kennedy

Saw this during the football games yesterday. Kanye West is the man!

American Express: Don't take chances, Take Charge

Great Stuff

Reggie's Site of the day

Link of the day. Check it out

Adidas Outdoor Site

Reggie's Site of the day

Every Day I will Post a link with the website I have chosen as Reggie's Site of the day.
You basically have to check out the site because I promise it is great. If it is not great you can come back here and curse me out, I will then give you my home address and you can come and slap me in the face.
Site of the Day #1
Sprite Step Off
by Juxt interactive

HBO: Teddy Bear Chase

HBO Always has good work. BBDO is doing great work for them. Congrats

Rock Band: Beatles Intro

I'm digging the Video. I personally don't Rock out with Rock Band but...

University of Phoenix: Escape the Classroom

I like how they really got into their consumer's mindset. I don't know if I would advise people to take classes at the University of Phoenix (online) but they have been successful by fulfilling a niche in the education market.

Platinum NYC

I'll be living here... Probably not

Bud Light: "Getting it in the can" by DDB

I'm undecided whether this is actually a decent ad.... What do you think?

Family Man (for HP) by cauthier

I'm glad HP is giving the consumers a voice. Check out the video and rate it.

Steelback beer: Friends by Richard B. Pierre

Find more videos like this on AdBakery.com


Something I got over at Adbakery. Good concept.

Winkers by ?

I don't know why I'm posting except for its pretty creative.

Bloomingdales

Nokia: All day Mobility by W&K, JWT

I'm just posting this because I kind of got into the music.

Megawoosh by MRM Worldwide

No Frickin way...

HP: You on You project

I might actually do this.

Gillette by me

Something I just made. Please Commet

M&M: Don't eat your own kind by BBDO

Congrats to Susan Credle now Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett.

Cadillac: Reignition by Modernista!

I haven't seen much from Modernista! but this is some good stuff

Dos Equis: Most Interesting Man in the World by Euro RSCG

I can't believe I haven't put this one up yet.

555 Kubrick by Urban Screen

555 KUBIK_ extended version from urbanscreen on Vimeo.

Here is a link to a great article by adage How Demand for Digital Experiences is transforming our physical spaces

Rhapsody: Jay-Z

Great Stuff... Don't you agree?

Tasteless ad by DDB Brazil.

The copy reads: "The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11.
The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it. www.wwf.org"I do my share of spec work but I would never put something like this out without the clients permission.

Toyota Prius "The Robots Are Coming" by Jared Sloan

Find more videos like this on AdBakery.com


Spec work from adbakery

Valspar: Statue

I love this ad.

Bally

Evian. Live Young

Just Created This. Please Comment and Share. 

Big Game Poker Sydney Championships: Zebra by Junior Australia

Chili's/St. Judes Hospital: Parents by Hill Holiday

Sensodyne: Feathers by Grey Worldwide

HSBC: Integrity by JWT London

American Express

Made this today. Please Comment and Pass it on.

American Express

Wes Anderson

Red Bull

Something I created today. Please Comment and Share.

The Hire

Fallon based out of Minneapolis

Pablo the Drug Mule Dog by Mother

They won awards for this one.

Good Name

I Created this today. Please Comment and Pass it on.

Yellow Book "Clumsy Husband"

Another Lunchtime post. This spot is for Yellow Book by Gotham and depicts the online and print directory as a means for extricating individuals from tragicomic situations.

Props to Dennis Liu on his Cannes bets new young director nod. I hope you win!

Great Concept. Great Song. Creative.

Dennis Liu | Bird and the Bee Again & Again | Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase 2009

Chinchilli Day. What's your excuse?

TV spot for Las Vegas tourism.

Day One: The Beginning

OK I know the title is corny but work with me... its been a long day!
The first day is always the day when I am the most nervous. I know I tend to put on a front of confidence but when I stepped foot into Euro RSCG today I was truly a nervous wreck. The fact that I had other amazing MAIP interns with me made it a lot of fun and I truly felt like we were all in it together. The staff at Euro were also cool, even the security guard that could not believe that I was from harlem until I started name dropping different neighborhoods I've lived in (he is supposedly very strict on always having your I.D. even if he has seen you for years come in and out of the building). After Paige, the most unbelievably genuinely nice person I've ever met (I know thats a lot of adjectives), gave us an introduction and showed us around the office to get our I.D.'s they put me right to work in strategic planning where I attended my first meeting. Although I am sort of disappointed I am not sitting with the other interns in the "Intern Pit" I know i'll have a blast at Euro while still to know all of them. I know that the first day might not be indicative of the whole experience so I am cautiously excited realizing that I have to work hard and really make the most of the experience. My mentor Eugene is awesome he seems like a very chill and smart individual and I'll be contacting him soon for some lunch.
Lastly, Shouts out to High Five (The Group that dominated in the Scavenger Hunt) and special shout out to Jill and Carla who ran with us for a mile even though they really didn't want to. Cleather thanks for the little conversation we had and I'll holla at you soon.

The New GM: "leaner, greener, faster, smarter"

In this 1-minute spot from Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch, Los Angeles, GM attempts to spin their Bankruptcy as an opportunity to restructure and reposition its brand. One suggestion to GM: Actions speak louder than words.

A Few Good Ads: "Intel Star" and Ally Bank "Straightforward" Commercials

Intel - Ajay Bhatt Is A Rock Star


Ally Bank 'straightforward' by BBH New York
That kid's face is priceless

Good/Bad Commercials according to Reggie

Good
Adidas Originals House Party
Why: In my opinion the commercial does exactly what it aims at. Selling a product to youth using known celebrities but not doing it in a conventional way. Everyone loves a house party and the music goes excellently with the atmosphere, it really makes you want to move. I just like it.

Bad
Whopper Virgins
Why: I think its kind of insensitive to the people that really live in these places. It's sort of like "Lets go find these savages and introduce them to something great"... Very exploitative if you ask me.

R.I.P. Omar Edwards

I know this has nothing to do with Advertising but Omar Edwards was a New York City Police Officer shot while off-duty by a fellow cop in east harlem. Although I didn't know Mr. Edwards personally this story really touches home for me. This was a man who just wanted to serve his community and raise his family. My condolences go out to his family. Here is the link to the New York Daily News Article for more details.
Article

Bee.TV City Anthem

Bee.TV provides a new way of watching TV. Imagine a channel that actually knows you. A channel that knows your preferences and can provide the best available shows at the time you want them. It's sort of like pandora but for video. This is a little promotional video for Bee.TV

The Great Debate

Kobe Vs. Lebron, Nike vs. Adidas, Gatorade vs. Vitamin Water. Sports and to a large degree Branding is about match-ups and rivalry. The NBA Finals are approaching and there is big money and brand exposure at stake. Many NBA fans are already salivating at the prospect of two of the players considered the best in the league going head to head for a title. J.R. Tolkien himself could not have written a better plot. Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant, seeking his 4th championship but more importantly trying to prove he can when his first without Shaq after being swept by the Boston Celtics in last years Championship round. Lebron "The King" James, The young phenom from Akron,Ohio seeks to take his hometown team to their first Championship in franchise history. The whole city of cleveland has not one a championship in any sport since the 1964 Cleveland Browns. There is also no bigger stage for Lebron to become a true Legend then going head-to-head against Kobe Bryant in a championship series and outplaying him. Young Vs. Old is not the only angle however, These are two players with two distinct personalities and playing styles. Kobe being the more reserved and tactical while Lebron is more charismatic and plays with a brute force, high-flying, and flashy style. With such distinct characteristics there is no middle ground, fans of kobe bryant usually respect but do not necessarily like Lebron James and the reverse is also true for Lebron fans. This is what makes this rivalry work. Fans aren't the only ones eager to see these two play each other in the NBA finals. Nike has already started airing commercials during playoff games that includes both players talking trash to each other in their MVP (Most Valuable Puppet) campaign. Nike sponsors both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Vitamin Water who also sponsors both players have already begun their "Great Debate" campaign which features people making the case for either of the superstars by emphatically comparing their abilities. Appearing at the end of the commercial, an old man states "The boy definitely gets his vitamins". While both Nike and Vitamin Water are working hard to capitalize on this moment in sports, Adidas and Gatorade are sort of left on the outside looking in. They have chosen a different strategy which includes a very close relationship with the NBA, sponsoring the league instead of trying to get a lot of big name players with a few exceptions of course. Adidas did sponsor Kevin "The big Ticket" Garnet last year on the celtics amazing run to the NBA finals and they also sponsor Dwight "Superman" Howard, who is the biggest threat to challenge Kobe and Lebron on their way to the finals. The two sponsorship strategies are interesting and come with their own set of risk and reward. Sponsoring the league ensures brand exposure but is relatively tame in terms of impact on consumer behavior. Sponsoring a player can be dangerous because if the player gets injured (Ask Adidas about Kevin Garnett this year) then it can be devastating however the reward is much higher if that player becomes a household name and hot topic during the playoffs. What is interesting about basketball however is that nothing is guaranteed, Carmelo Anthony (also sponsored by Nike) and the Denver Nuggets have shocked kobe and the LA LAkers at home yesterday to tie the series 1-1 and Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who up till wednesday have won every playoff game lost to the Orlando Magic at home in game 1. What is more interesting however is that it was just 5 years ago, Kobe was at the center of controversy himself as he was charged with rape in colorado in 2004. The charges were eventually dropped but many people questioned if he would ever be able to revive his reputation and get sponsorships back. Time has spoken and indeed he to a large extent has been able to recover from all the bad press. The Great Debate still lives on though, Who is the better basketball player, Kobe or Lebron? Will Nike and Vitamin Water continue to capitalize on their players success or will an upset in the regional championship series leave fans waiting another year to see this dream matchup?

This Nike Commercial is hilarious
MVP (Most Valuable Puppet) Nike Commercial


Vitamin Water Kobe vs. Lebron

The Great Debate

Worst Commercial I've ever Seen

Pepsi Mic Pass

Just thought this was a fresh way to provide entertainment with a branded message. They combine "Hipster" rappers like Charles Hamilton with established artists like Talib Kweli and Freeway. Charles Hamilton (who I actually know) even references pepsi in his rhyme. This kind of reminds me of the collaboration between Mickey Factz and Honda. Don't be surprised to see more of these videos using new hip-hop talent. Check out the video.

Will Twitter help Eminem go platinum this week?

5 years in hip hop is like an eternity and a hiatus for such a long period of time would be the death of most rappers' careers. This is not the case for Eminem who is poised to go platinum with his newest release "Relapse". Eminem hopes that his time away has caused more anticipation than anything else and if his lyrics are not controversial enough to spark interest in his album then his marketing team has attempted this time around to create a much more diversified strategy, utilizing social media and converging it with creative websites along with traditional radio spots and appearances at big events such as the MTV Movie Awards. With this comprehensive strategy they hope to create a different kind of experience, providing many levels of depth for fans of Eminem. What I mean by depth is that if hardcore fans want to get into Eminem's mind they can go about it in several different ways. Twitter has been used as a tool to create mystery surrounding the release. It is effective at creating a buzz with statements like " A world so dark, a world so cold... The devil only knows". The Twitter was also used to release the album cover and screenshots of the new "3 am" game for the iphone. A simple search for Popsomp Hills, the rehabilitation center that Eminem has allegedly reported to reveals an ingenious website created by Omelet, a branding, advertising and entertainment agency based in Los Angeles. The front page of the website reads "At Popsomp Hills we give each abuser a choice: go into rehab or risk losing everything". With the use of traditional media and social media, I expect Eminem's "Relapse" to do very well its first week. The continued success will depend on the quality of the album which I know he will deliver on. Im honestly impressed with this marketing strategy because it is creative. I am a really believer that if ideas are not new and creative then they are worthless and I can tell that eminem's marketing team was dedicated to creating a unique experience and this should be applauded.
Popsomp hills rehabilitation center
Eminem's Twitter

Crispin Sells its Interns on ebay

They are actually only selling their interns services over a three month period during the time they are not working on their main projects. The auction includes a "creative presentation" consisting of strategies, and recommended brand positioning and concepts. The winning bidder will not receive any finished advertising materials which I think makes this auction kind of lame. I'm kind of interested to see who wins the auction though and what the interns come up with.
Here is the link
Crispin's Interns on ebay

Train Station Dancing... Cool

Just Watch These

Created by The Saatch (my name for Saatchi and Saatchi)



This is a promotion for Sound of Music

Blogging

So My Girlfriend found out I'm writing this blog. Little does she know that I also read her blog and I think its awesome. Its kind of weird because I'm writing this blog for the public but I am a little nervous about people actually reading it. I guess blogspot is more of a diary for me but If anyone actually happens to stumble on this page (I don't know how in the hell you would)... Hello, My name is Reggie. I'm in College. I like running. I like advertising. I hate awkward moments. I love awkward moments. Red Globe Grapes are the best edible things in the world.

Brands are people too!

So just randomly today I was trying to figure out why the "Get a Mac" commercial spots, you know the ones where Justin Long matter-of-factly says "I'm a mac", were so successful. I think its because by putting a face to the brand, apple did something that we all do naturally. People quite naturally personify things they interact with. Just yesterday I called my printer "evil" when it refused to print one of my final papers this morning. I realize that printers usually don't have a sense of morality but this was an example of how people apply human characteristics to things in their environment. Brands have for a long time have tried to give a "face" to their brand and apple has taken this quite literally. By making a brand a person instead of a logo they have seemed to reach people on an emotional level. Many firms have recently tried to connect with their consumers by allowing their employees to blog or having a representative twitter and I believe this is all an attempt to give a personality to their brand. Brands are people too, but there are many firms who still resist this type of advertising. Instead of the classic way of advertising where a person passively stares at a commercial on TV, I think a good ad should be a start of a dialogue between the consumer and the brand. People quite naturally endow brands with specific qualities and advertising firms can use this behavior in order to shape brand preference.

Trident X Beyonce Dance

So if you have not seen this video of Beyonce 100 Single Ladies Flash-Dance then you haven't been on planet earth... or maybe just youtube in a while. Check it out and let me know what you think? What do 100 single Ladies have to do with Trident?... Beats me but I know I enjoyed this video ;)

4A's Conference addressing Diversity

Diversity sounds like a good concept, but too often does it remain a concept rather than a workable objective. More often however do people and companies forget to ask themselves "Why do we want Diversity?". Is it so that we can use the term as a talking point in our marketing? Or is it that we really do think that having a broad range of ideas and cultures makes us a better company? At 4A's Leadership Conference in San Francisco, Dan Wieden spoke about how firms can more easily attract talent from diverse backgrounds. He urged agencies to partner with local arts organizations they feel passionate about. I agree with Mr. Wieden that an agencies' involvement with minority communities can be a huge benefit in attracting talent from these places. I know from growing up in harlem that there is a wealth of talent there and its all about identifying those transferable skills that are suited for the advertising business. I've added the link to an article that covers this part of the conference but I just want to commend the 4A's for addressing the very important issue of Diversity and Multiculturalism in the business. This issue is especially relevant to MAIP participants because it's programs like this that are actually trying to change the situation that Mr. Wieden is talking about.

Where Wieden Finds Future Minority Hires

Reggie's Favorite Quote:
"We have to do better, and we have to do better quickly." - Mr. Wieden when discussing Diversity in the Advertising Business.

OK guys, I know I've been blogging a lot but this is because I've had so much on my mind to write about before I registered for this site so now I'm just pouring everything in. If you can give me suggestions on how I can improve my writing please let me know! Thanks for reading.

The Generous Brand

While reading yet another article on AdAge I stumbled across an article that addresses how companies can start attracting consumers by being generous. This was kind of a new concept to me because especially in this economy, firms are trying to cut back on a lot of extra spending so I wasn't sure if giving would be a great idea. This article however convinced me otherwise by suggesting that we use generosity in a much more general way. One example would be General Mills' decision to place Box Tops for Education on all its products (and the products of its competitors, by the way) providing social value. John King then talks about how the image of a brand as generous will create a more loyal customer who takes on ownership of the brand. I think it is truly important for advertisers to look past just messaging and more into experience and involving the consumers in the process. This takes an engagement on a different level then how king describes it "the baseline of trust and awareness". Generosity Works.

Building a Generous Brand

Reggie's Favorite Quote from Article:
"If the microsite isn't dead, it just drove away on a crotch rocket wearing a windbreaker and no helmet. Digital is no longer about investing in sticky online real estate and expecting the audience to come to us"-John King when describing the need for "slippy digital"

Reggie's Second Favorite Quote from Article:
"The generous brand has a much bigger cupboard to draw from. We're now in the business of building brands about ideas. And that means a car company can sell fun, a soda company can bottle optimism and a chocolate company can make joy. For us, it means advertising just might be able to change the world"- John King

Can Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube ever be profitable?

So I read an interesting article on AdAge (my favorite website) about whether these social networking sites will ever be monetized. In the article (I'll add the link), Simon Dumenco examines the strategies these companies have used to bring in money from a basically free service. Youtube has started to increase the number of videos with ads as well as selling prime spots on the websites front page to firms looking to utilize the millions of views that youtube gets in a second. The real roadblock to these websites generating money is that they were never built on a profitable business plan. When the original creators of the youtube or facebook were making the website they were thinking "how can we attract the most people to our site and make it as fun and useful as possible" and not "How can we make this website the most profitable". The consequence of this is that the websites don't make much money and actually cost a lot more to run (buying bandwidth and site maintenance). There is some talk about maybe charging a subscription fee but how many of us will actually pay for a service that we have received for free for so long. I think our generation particularly has expected everything on the internet to be free and if its not then we will search for something else that is. The paradox is that these websites popularity is due to the fact that they provide a free resource for us to communicate with friends and family in a very user friendly way and if we take the free out of the equation, this bond we have to these companies will break down. These websites may never be profitable but as long as venture capitalist keep funneling in the money, we will continue using them but how long can they keep being in the red before people that fund these website disappear? It's hard to imagine a world without Youtube, twitter, facebook, or myspace but I believe that this is the inevitable future and its going to happen sooner then you think. The world is constantly changing and people are always looking for something new. Once youtube gets too ad heavy we will find something else and when twitter tries to place context sensitive ads in the middle of our tweets, we will leave that too. What do you think about these social networking sites? Can they ever be profitable and if so, how can they achieve this?

The Coming End of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook Socialism

Dwele X McCafe?

McDonalds is spending an incredible amount of money trying to push their new coffee line but I think this little jingle from Dwele is perfect for trying to present the brand in a more sophisticated way to the African-American Audience. Dwele is also featured in a new McCafe commercial that I just saw during an NBA play-off game. A great Jingle is such an underestimated component to a great ad campaign.

Santo

What could be better than an advertisement about advertisements?

Running, Love, Hate, and New Balance?

I started running consistently three years ago. I love running because it relieves stress as well as keeps me physically healthy but I also hate running because its very difficult at times. I think New Balance captures this love/hate relationship perfectly.

First Post

I would Like to start this Blog by Thanking all my friends and family for their support. I am going to be starting a marketing internship at EuroRSCG this Summer and thought this would be a good opportunity for me to start showing people why I love Marketing and also why I hate Marketing. You'll understand that statement soon enough. I think my first post should let you all know a little about me. I am currently a junior at Columbia University and I was born and raised in Harlem. I'm a psychlogy major with an interest in industrial psychology (The application of Principles from psychology into a business setting). I'm crazy excited about this opporunity at Euro and I know that if I show my passion , creativity, and work ethic, The Marketing World would have no choice but to love me! Stay tuned for my next post.