Hyundai Fills Oscar Ad Void Left by GM

After Surprise Turn in Super Bowl, Automaker Makes Buy for Next Year’s Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) — Hyundai Motor America has purchased all of the spots abandoned by embattled General Motors Corp. in next February’s Academy Awards telecast, Advertising Age has learned.

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The Sarah Palin Micro Economy ‘SNL’ and Others Boosted by VP Candidate

Adages

After seeing ratings dwindle for several seasons, “Saturday Night Live” is back to being buzzworthy and NBC has none other than Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to thank for it. Others are getting on the bandwagon as well.

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Reaping the Benefit of a Bad Economy: RDA’s Suzanne Grimes

A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — In an expansion of its business model, Reader’s Digest Food & Entertaining Group, already a giant in the field of food media, has moved into the symposium business. In a post-event interview, Group President Suzanne Grimes said a recent “Setting the Table” gathering of food media and marketing executives in Manhattan was the start of an ongoing series of such conferences. She also detailed how her print and online publications, which reach 35 million cooking enthusiasts, are benefiting from the bad economy.

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The Habits of Moderately Successful Somali Pirates For Starters, Team-Building Is Important

Global Idea Network

Some business lessons learned from the seemingly organizationally savvy Somali pirates holding hostage a Ukrainian freighter.

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The More-for-Your-Money Race

From Home Depot to Red Lobster, Marketers Pour on Price Cuts and Promos in Faltering Economy

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — Marketers across the board are dialing up the more-for-your-money messaging in an effort to coax cash-strapped customers into opening their wallets, and price cuts and promotions are creating a domino effect as companies chase best-deal status.

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Very Short List Offers Glimpse at Power of Simplicity, Editing This Website Is Not Like Your RSS Feeds — and Why That’s Good for You

Commentary by Jonah Bloom

As someone whose main function in life is editing, I wonder, in the dark moments, whether I will soon be redundant.

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Ad Shops Shift Hiring Tactics

The Souring Economy Has Changed Many Aspects of Recruiting, Right Down to the Personalities Big Agencies Strive For

Special Report: Talentworks Career Guide

As the economy further wilts and the demand for digital experience burgeons, Madison Avenue’s talent scouts are shifting gears to fulfill agency demands.

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Economy May Be Rotten, but It’s Ripe for Package Food Campbell, Kellogg, Kraft Sales Jump as Consumers Eat at Home More Often

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — To hear the package-foods industry tell it, it’s been a banner year. Of course, there’s a bit of a catch: Package-foods companies’ sales increases can also be credited to their hiking prices to offset swinging ingredient costs. And that’s taking a toll on profits.

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Coke Still No. 1 in Brand Value

IBM, Microsoft, GE Are Runners-up on Annual List

DETROIT (AdAge.com) — Coca-Cola is again the world’s most valuable brand, according to Interbrand’s just-released annual list of the Best 100 Global Brands.

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With U.S. Economy Reeling, Advertisers Pin Hopes on Emerging Markets China and India Still Strong, but Growth Slowdown Is Feared

HONG KONG (Adage.com) — The disastrous jolt to U.S. financial markets is putting pressure on multinational marketers to do well in big emerging markets such as China and India to offset the sluggish U.S. economy. Those markets are still growing, but if demand for Asian-made products drops significantly, consumer spending in Asia could dry up, too.

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Showtime’s House of Branded Entertainment

A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — In an unusual cross-promotion, Showtime and Metropolitan Home magazine teamed up for a designer showcase makeover in a New York brownstone, creating a house of branded entertainment. Each room of the project takes its inspiration from one of six Showtime series. The show home will be open to the public and the project was filmed to become its own TV program. At the same time, it will also be featured on both media companies’ websites.

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Fueled by Economy, Automakers Ready ‘Clean Diesel’ Push in U.S. New Models Better Equipped to Overcome Negative Perceptions

DETROIT (AdAge.com) — Coming is a new breed of clean and quiet diesel engines that can meet even strict emissions standards in California and New York.

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United Airlines Goes Too Far

Lush Animation Won’t Make Anyone Rhapsodize About Flying

Garfield’s Ad Review

At certain moments, advertising — no matter how cunningly crafted — is incapable of sending its intended message. At certain moments, it is capable only of triggering associations with the larger story in the public mind. Such is the case with the dazzling, yet unconvincing, latest commercials from United Airlines.

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Slow Economy Bites Deeper Into Ad Business A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

3 Minute Ad Age

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Headlines of late have been like a dirge for the marketing industry: budget cuts, advertising campaign cancellations, broad pullbacks, revenue declines and even some big marketer bankruptcies. But is it all really that bad for marketers, media and agencies? Ad Age editor Jonah Bloom offers his overview of a situation that has a lot of people worried.

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‘Junk Mail’ to the Rescue in New Orleans

Valassis Database a Boon to Repopulation Efforts

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) — To people who have no use for junk mail, what’s happening in New Orleans may come as a surprise. Direct mail could help rebuild a city still struggling to recover as the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches. The Crescent City has found a novel use for the massive database used by Valassis Communications’ RedPlum direct-mail operation.

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Target to Put More Focus on Value Retailer Fears Cheap-Chic Not Cheap Enough for Consumers in Down Economy

NEW YORK (Adage.com) — For years Target’s cheap-chic reputation has made it a darling of the fashion world and a favorite among shoppers of all stripes. But now, in the face of a tough economy, its well-cultivated image is turning away consumers who believe its trendy assortments and hip marketing mean steeper prices.

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Coke Eyes Marketing as Area for Cost Cutting

Ad Spending to Change as Beverage Giant Hopes to Save up to $500M a Year by 2011 NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Coca-Cola is looking to save between $400 million and $500 million a year by the end of 2011. And it’s looking to find some of those savings in marketing. FULL ARTICLE

Entertainment Will Be ‘First Through the Gate’ in Digital Economy Google’s Schmidt Praises Seth MacFarlane, Chides Resistance to New Technology From the Madison & Vine Conference BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AdAge.com) — Entertainment will survive a changeover to a digital economy; newspapers and “Old Hollywood” may not. So said Google CEO Eric Schmidt at Advertising Age’s Madison & Vine entertainment conference Wednesday, and, to prove his point, he broke the news that Google had just concluded a new advertising-driven deal with Lionsgate Films FULL ARTICLE

Arianna Huffington Imagines How to Beat Obama A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report Video From M&V Conference NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — It was as strange a sight as one could imagine: Liberal internet publisher Arianna Huffington from the stage of the Beverly Hills Hotel described the marketing tactics John McCain should use in his quest to defeat Barack Obama. The surreal performance was part of a larger session at this week’s Madison & Vine conference that explored the campaign advertising strategies of the presidential candidates. FULL ARTICLE

‘Wall-E’ Gives Glimpse of Product Placement’s Future Movie’s ‘Homage’ to Apple Is Subtle, Considering Disney Pixar’s Ties to Brand YORK, Pa. (AdAge.com) — In Disney Pixar’s new movie, “Wall-E,” the female heroine is a shiny all-white robot with no seams or overt buttons showing. Remind you of anything? FULL ARTICLE

Most Say Ads a ‘Reasonable’ Cost of Free Online Video Survey: Viewers Most Amenable to Ads in TV Shows, Movies but Not Amateur Video NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Good news for the growing number of ad-supported video services popping up online: The majority of digital video consumers will find the inclusion of advertising a “reasonable” expectation for accessing free online video content. FULL ARTICLE

Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ Slogan Turns 20 Epic ‘Courage’ Campaign Aims to Recharge Inspirational Message NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Nike’s “Just Do It” theme is 20 years old, and the marketer is planning a push of Olympian proportions to commemorate its anniversary. FULL ARTICLE

Fast-Feeders Look to Allay Fears of Food-Borne Illness Chains Break ‘Quality’ Messages Highlighting Freshness CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — With widespread salmonella infections and growing concerns about how meat is raised and harvested, fast-food chains fear a hit where it hurts — the pocketbook — so they’re ratcheting up marketing messages about “quality.” FULL ARTICLE

How Will You Respond to Pricing Pressure? Not All Profit Is Created Equally Small Agency Diary We all want to make a profit. It’s the lifeblood of a business. It supports our growth. It pays for our raises and our bonuses. It funds new positions. The trick is that not all profit is created equally. FULL ARTICLE