advertising

Last night while playing Putt-Putt with Lindsey, I heard a radio ad over the loud speaker that went something like this:

In debt? Variable mortgage rates got you down? Then call us today to find out how to pay off all of your debts, including your home, in less than fives years, without ever increasing your payments or income!!! The “Debt-To-Wealth System” has already begun working for home owners in your area [insert bogus, bad acting customer testimonials here].

Why didn’t I think of that!?

I’ve never liked Pontiacs. At all. On the contrary, I’ve always loved BMWs, and still do. So its a powerful thing when a clever, photo still, and fresh commercial makes an American automobile look somewhat compelling when compared to German engineering. Very nice form.

The AP reports: “Zach Brooks pocketed $1,000 this month blogging about the cheap lunches he discovers around midtown Manhattan. The site, Midtownlunch.com, is just a year and a half old and gets only about 2,000 readers daily…”

Without soliciting ad space, I averaged $575/month ($19/day) in 2007 across my two blogs (the other being Infendo). They garner a combined 3,000 daily readers. (Casual time spent keeps me operating at a loss, however.) Note: I don’t use Google AdSense because Tribal Fusion and Value Click pay better in my experience.

By my calculations, then, I make lunch money fit for two. Not rich, but then again, I didn’t start blogging to make money (believe it or not) — I started blogging because I’m opinionated and like writing.

When you consider the incidental networking opportunities created by daily blogging, however (read: people who find or read your blog and offer high-paying gigs), I am a rich man. Not TechCrunch rich. But new rich at the least.

I shutter to think were I’d be today without blogging — personally, professionally, and financially.

Headline and image courtesy the Associated Press

Here’s a clever Canadian TV spot released in 2007 for Mr. Sub that lampoons Mormon missionaries — something I had the honor of experiencing for two years (’99-00) while in Brazil. Good times. Funny commercial.[via Don Loper]

Link

NOTE: I run XP on my desktop and OS X on my PowerBook.

The latest wave of Microsoft Office 2007 ads are just lame.

Do I smile on my way to work because I get to use Gmail, WordPress, Dictionary.com, PhotoShop, Dreamweaver, iTunes, Bloglines, or any other technology? No. To suggest otherwise, especially with software as boring and commonplace as Microsoft Office, is comical at best.

The ads are unconvincing and go unnoticed (unless you’re critiquing their stupidity). One demerit for Microsoft’s ad agency.

Despite its recent troubles, General Motors is the luckiest company in the world over the next few weeks according to Jalopnik. The car-loving blog — while heavily praising the movie’s entertainment value– says the highly-anticipated Transformers movie is basically a 144-minute commercial for GM. From the article:

“What makes this arrangement so amazing is that GM didn’t pay Paramount a single dime to get it done. That’s right — not a single penny changed hands between the big n’ beefy automaker and the big n’ beefy studio. Sure, GM provided some in-kind contributions of concept vehicles and the like, and of course they’ve got their own marketing budget running their own marketing campaign — but unlike other automakers, they didn’t drop a single pence into Paramount’s pocket for the privilege of having themselves featured in a movie [aimed at the coveted 15-35 male demographic, you know, the ones that buy a lot of cars] about cars that change into robots.”

Lucky…

NOTE: Transformers looks incredible! At first I thought the movie and its premise seemed too lame for the big screen, not to mention juvenile and over the top. But after seeing (and hearing) the amazing CG, cinematics, and deep sound, I cannot wait to see this film. “Autobots, transform. And roll out!” (spoiler-free review here)

You don’t have to watch pro basketball to appreciate these well-aged gems of modern advertising. Courtesy of Fox Sports.

[Hat tip, Tim]

Brilliant! A picture truly is worth 1000 words. Via Ads of the World. Bonus: Go check out these three crazy ads from years’ past. Blowing smoke in a girl’s face used to be a turn on…? It did in advertising.

6 Pins has some nice examples of guerilla marketing up today. I especially like the above. Regarding the topic of Guerrilla Marketing, here a five reasons I didn’t include it on my upcoming Connect article about Viral Marketing:

1. Guerrilla Marketing has more to do with promotional advertising than strategic marketing, although Guerrilla tactics are strategic in and of themselves.
2. Guerrilla Marketing doesn’t spread itself as easily as other viral campaigns outside of word-of-mouth
3. Guerrilla Marketing tends to be more direct than viral marketing (though not always)
4. Guerrilla Marketing is most effective in local and/or regional markets as opposed to the global reach of viral marketing
5. At its core, Guerrilla Marketing campaigns are nothing more than rogue, very creative, advertisements for a fleeting memory, though enough to generate short-term buzz and curiosity

That said, I really appreciate the creativity of most Guerrilla campaigns. United’s Ted Launch was one of the best examples of Guerrilla Marketing I’ve read about.