Cup of Java

Ad stuff
Appeal to patriotism is dangerous ground for marketers- Here's an excerpt from the article. "Inevitably, patriotism brings out the best and the worst in the nation's collective psyche. For every wine shop pouring good Bordeaux down the drain, or xenophobic legislator calling for the renaming of French fries, there is a call for reason from a newspaper editorial or a concerned citizen. The point is, patriotism stirs the soul, inflames the passions and generates argument and debate. By its very visceral nature and call-to-emotion, it has the fearsome ability to influence behavior and motivate action, not all of it rational or considered. Can this be appropriate territory into which smart brand marketers should venture?"

Update on the Nike case- "The court issued a one-sentence, unsigned order dismissing the case. Justice John Paul Stevens explained some of the reasons in a separate opinion. Stevens said the court did not need to delve into the complex free speech issues raised by the case now. (why the heck not? I don't understand that comment. Just because it doesn't fit in with political agendas of those in office?? *head shaking*) "This case presents novel First Amendment questions because the speech at issue represents a blending of commercial speech and debate on issues of public importance," Stevens wrote for himself and Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg."

New campaign by Heff- "A new print advertising campaign -- the magazine's first since the late 1990s -- is set to kick off Friday in USA Today, the largest U.S. newspaper by circulation, with the slogan ``Guys Who Get It, Get It Here.'' Apparently newer mags like Maxium are taking away from the readership of Playboy and this is an attempt to get the younger demographic. They also hired an editor from Maxium and replaced the editor they had for nearly 40 years. "The Playboy print ad campaign was developed by Fusion Idea Lab, a Chicago-based advertising agency whose other clients include brewer Anheuser-Busch, online travel Web sites Expedia and Orbitz and retailer Target. However, some still think Playboy will face a tough time in recovering lost ground to its younger-looking rivals. "Maxim shows less skin than Playboy and is sexier because it gets sexier people. Then you add on top of that a much more contemporary execution,'' said Steven Addis, chief executive of Berkeley-based Addis brand strategy and design firm."

Smart business blogging- This article takes an interesting look at blogging and marketing. Unfortnuately they don't list the names of the sites of which they are talking about. Stupid move but its still worth a read.
UPDATE on 7/2: Found the link for the blog and blogumentary- check it out here.

Truth and flies in advertising- One of the Cannes winners this year is very similar to a Gary Larson comic. Hmmm. Is it borrowing of good ideas as homage or stealing them as their own?