Television

In this week's PERSUASION column, A spoonful of sugar makes the additive go down, Simon looks at the controversy surrounding high fructose corn syrup and the Corn Refiners Association attempts to change public opinion through rebranding and an ad campaign.


Read More >
In this week's 30 Second Spots column, Plugging bin Ladin, Simon Houpt discusses topics ranging from the bin Laden effect on advertising to Google's latest run at tv advertising.



Read More >
In this week's 30-second spots column, Uncompromising man pans Wiser’s whisky ad, Simon Houpt looks at Wiser whisky's recent ad, in a series that celebrates what Wiser calls the Society of Uncompromising Men.


Read More >
Check out Simon Houpt's latest 30-Second Spots and read about this week's four bites from the world of marketing, including the NHL's Hockey for Huggies, and their promotion of the softer side of men; how consumers recall iAds quicker than TV ads; and the sequel to the NFL's 'Let us play' ad, 'Let it air'.


Read More >

In this week's Adhocracy column, Which came first? The egg or... Simon Houpt ponders the recent ad campaign for the Egg Farmers of Ontario.


Read More >

In this week's Adhocracy column, Hyundai Canada’s green shoots, Simon Houpt looks behind the scenes of Hyundai's enviro-friendly car commercial: marketing trend or wave of the future?

Read More >

In this week's Adhocracy column, A worldy ad approach, Marina Strauss discusses the perks and pitfalls of multicultural advertising.

Read More >
Mad Men meets the Shopping Channel
If you haven't found the perfect gift for someone on your list, the folks at Vancouver's Wasserman + Partners might have just what you need. The ad agency has unveiled a unique line of holiday-themed gifts, including the Santa Beard Mop for cranberry sauce spills; holiday-scented air fresheners in turkey, eggnog or Yule log scents; and seasonal avian-flu masks to halt the spread of germs. Our favourite is the Scotch tape dispenser, which dispenses both Scotch and tape simultaneously. You can wrap gifts while you rap to the Wasserman Holiday Shopping Channel's RemiXmas CD.



Read More >
Emboldened by our new-found frugality, it seems we consumers now want downtrodden companies to actually pay us to watch their ads. A global survey by marketing research firm Synovate finds that although more than two-thirds of us think there are too many ads on television and try to avoid them by flipping channels, 42 per cent of us would gladly watch more ads if companies would make it worth our while, perhaps in the form of a lower cable or Internet bill. So just to recap: Lower our cable bills and we promise not to use the skip function on our DVRs.

Read More >
iAnnoy
Apple has filed a patent application for a system that could compel users to submit to advertising. Apple has developed what it calls an “enforcement routine,” which, if deployed, could prevent a device from working until the user watches an ad. After the news broke, the company refused to comment, though some Apple-shining bloggers pointed out the technology appears to have been developed with an eye to giving away iPhones to consumers in the developing world. Seeding a desire for a trophy brand in a poverty-stricken market? Apparently, there's an app for that.

Read More >
Immunity boaster
Bad news: breakfast cereals apparently don't cure cancer. Under pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Kellogg is pledging to remove big, bold claims from boxes of Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies that the cereals help boost immunity. Parents and public health professionals said consumers could be misled into thinking the cereals could help fight H1N1. Last spring, Kellogg's had to pull ads that claimed Frosted Mini-Wheats improved the attentiveness of children by 20 per cent. Hey parents, do you know what really improves kids' health? Not feeding them sugary crap for breakfast.

Read More >
Ahh, Richard Branson, we never tire of your antics. We see from a press release on our desk that you're about to bring us National Fearless Day (Nov. 19), when Canadians will be urged to throw off their inhibitions and do something crazy: ski naked, take a luge run, make a naughty home movie. We're told it's tied to your new "Fearless" campaign for Virgin Mobile, but it makes us uncomfortable. You see, when we think of you, Sir Richard, we think of Virgin Air. And the notion of a fearless airline pilot makes us, well, fearful.

Read More >