Aaargh! The UK ad watchdog The Advertising Standards Authority is investigating the Morrisons Christmas campaign because some people have complained that the main ad is sexist: It’s a joke you muppets – and half the population is female. Would it ...
Read More »Bon Noel from Publicis Groupe’s Maurice Levy
Here’s Maurice Levy’s Christmas card from Publicis Groupe. It’s been an interesting year for PG; a good financial performance by peer group standards, the acquisition of LBi and a neat and advantageous exit from its partnership with Dentsu. But is ...
Read More »Doritos wishes us a merry online Christmas – Mexican mariachi style
I think we’re on to a trend here. We’ve just had a Christmas card from Philip Green and Topshop (he’s all heart that boy) and now Doritos and agency AMV/BBDO have enlisted Doritos’ very own Mexican mariachi (folk) band to ...
Read More »New Nestle USA boss Paul Grimwood reviews $800m account
A new client usually means an agency review and new boss of Nestle USA, Brit Paul Grimwood (left), is no exception. Nestle USA has announced a wide-ranging review of its $800m or so ad budget, starting with media currently handled ...
Read More »Are the John Lewis snowmen actually white British consumers in disguise?
I’m beginning to wonder if there is an unspoken conspiracy at large across the nation. It’s to do with a very tricky topic of political correctness, specifically regarding race, that we all suppress out of fear of being castigated as ...
Read More »New Branson-backed documentary on UN drug war breaks the distribution mould with YouTube launch
Independent production company Sundog Pictures is launching its new feature documentary Breaking the Taboo online, replacing the traditional theatrical window with a global launch on YouTube. Breaking the Taboo uncovers the UN-sanctioned war on drugs, charting its origins and its ...
Read More »Come on Clearcast, you’re wrong to ban Sodastream ad – how can you denigrate a glass bottle?
Whatever are the people at Sodastream complaining about? Having their ad pulled from television – in this case by the donkeys at the TV advertising clearing house Clearcast – is a gift. It’s the sort of thing Rupert Howell and ...
Read More »WPP closes in on mystery Chinese company Huawei
Here’s an interesting one: Ad Age reports that WPP has ‘edged out’ Omnicom in what seems to have been a two-horse race for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei (‘Hway-hay’ is what you say apparently). Huawei is a global business-to-business supplier (worth ...
Read More »Hammer the tax avoiders like Starbucks and Amazon by all means – but don’t forget UK jobs
There’s a grave danger that the witch-hunt against global brands who fail to pay their “fair share” of UK corporation tax will boomerang on the political class that has instigated it. Google, Amazon and Starbucks have been chief whipping boys ...
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