Advertising

GM Wins Greenwash Award

by Laura Miller — November 6, 2002 - 11:00pm

"What are they thinking? GM's 'Introducing the Saturn VUE' ad, which ran in Newsweek magazine, compares their new SUV to endangered arctic species," the public interest group CorpWatch writes. "Never mind that SUVs produce carbon emissions that contribute to the global warming that's melting polar ice floes like the one pictured in their ad. And never mind that General Motors vehicles alone account for about 1.65% of the world's carbon emissions -- a significant amount for a single company.

Main Source: 
CorpWatch, November 7, 2002

'Kick Out the Jams Mo'f%ers!' and Buy A Jag

by John Stauber — November 5, 2002 - 11:00pm

"The Clash's 'London Calling, with its lyrical images of
nuclear winter, looming ice age and engine failure, might
seem a particularly annoying musical choice for selling an
elite brand of cars. But for Jaguar, the 1979 song was the
perfect accompaniment to the television commercials for its
new X-Type car. Jaguar is not the only company blithely using songs whose lyrics come off as downright contrary to the images of the brands they advertise. ... 'On its face, it's preposterous...' said Mark Crispin Miller, professor of media studies at New York University. ... But it probably works, Mr.

Main Source: 
New York Times, November 6, 2002

US Unveils "Muslim-as-Apple-Pie" Ad Campaign

by John Stauber — October 29, 2002 - 11:00pm

The US government is using The Rendon Group, advertising whiz Charlotte Beers and others to develop PR and ad campaigns to sway Muslim opinion toward the US. The first ads are being "greeted with skepticism," according to the New York Times. "Rawia Ismail, ...her head covered with an Islamic head scarf, appears in a US government video that will have its first public showing this week on national television here in [Indonesia]... 'I didn't see any prejudice anywhere in my neighborhood after Sept.

Main Source: 
New York Times, October 30, 2002

Sting Like Julia Butterfly! Activist K.O.'s Ad Agency Rip-Off

by John Stauber — October 27, 2002 - 11:00pm

"Julia Butterfly Hill lived in the branches of a giant California redwood for two years to keep the Pacific Lumber Company from making it into planking, and when she climbed back down to earth, she discovered that the ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day had used her likeness in an ad campaign without her permission. She sued, and last week reached a settlement. ... [T]he shop has agreed to shell out a significant cash donation to a worthy cause and produce a prominent print ad campaign for a foundation of Ms. Butterfly's choosing."

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, October 28, 2002

ACLU Launches Anti-Ashcroft Ad Campaign

by Laura Miller — October 15, 2002 - 10:00pm

"Look what John Ashcroft is doing to our Constitution," says a new American Civil Liberties Union ad. "He's seized powers for the Bush administration no president should ever have." The 30-second TV spot will air in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C., and will be shown on the Sunday morning talk shows on ABC, CBS and NBC in selected cities. "The commercial kicks off a six-month, $1 million ad campaign that is part of a broader $3.5 million effort the ACLU has planned over the next 18 months," Advertising Age reports.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, October 16, 2002; Advertising Age, October 16, 2002

Advertising for Peace: "Uncle oSAMa Wants You!"

by John Stauber — October 13, 2002 - 10:00pm

Two separate full page anti-war advertisements appear in today's New York Times. The Florence Fund's ad feature's "Uncle Osama," an Uncle Sam take-off who taunts "Send me a new
generation of recruits. Your bombs will fuel their hatred of America and
their desire for revenge." Meanwhile, a full page advertisement
from the TrueMajority Campaign led by former ice cream magnate Ben Cohen
features photos of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld and says "They're Selling War.

Main Source: 
New York Times, October 14, 2002

Novels for Hire

by Sheldon Rampton — September 10, 2002 - 10:00pm

Two advertising executives turned novelists have launched a new company that plans to pay established authors to write specially commissioned fictional books on demand for government departments and businesses seeking to convey "difficult ideas" to the public. "Already there are takers," reports the Independent of England. "The Foreign Policy Centre, an independent think tank whose chief patron is Tony Blair, has spent £15,000 on an online novella called Need to Know about an anti-globalisation campaigner who abandons direct action in favour of protesting via the internet."

Main Source: 
The Independent (UK), September 11, 2002

Is TV Losing Its Grip on Politics?

by Sheldon Rampton — September 3, 2002 - 10:00pm

There may be hope on the horizon, according to the New York Times, which reports that the "once-overwhelming influence of television advertising on political campaigns is declining," leading politicians "to embrace aggressively old-fashioned campaign tools like telephone calls and door-knocking in this year's Congressional elections." According to Missouri Democrat Richard Gephardt, "The amount of television and the proliferation of television channels is lessening the importance of television advertising over time.

Main Source: 
New York Times, September 4, 2002

Snake Oil Search Engines

by Sheldon Rampton — July 11, 2002 - 10:00pm

Despite a complaint by Commercial Alert and threats of legal action from the Federal Trade Commission, most of the Web's largest search engines have not yet complied with federal requirements that they inform users about deceptive "pay for placement" deals that smuggle commercial placements into search results.

Main Source: 
USA Today, July 12, 2002

TV Drug Pushers Include Media and Advertising Lobbyists

by John Stauber — July 11, 2002 - 10:00pm

"Madison Avenue, facing growing legislative threats to one of the advertising industry's most lucrative categories, is stepping up the fight to protect its freedom to pitch prescription drugs directly to consumers. Drug companies, agencies and their media allies who have benefited handsomely from the flood of ads beat back one recent measure in the House of Representatives. ... The category of direct-to-consumer ads did not even exist until five years ago.

Main Source: 
New York Times, July 12, 2002
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