Opinion

• Shock! Why Murdoch may be more right than wrong about Google

  Want to know something ironic?

  I wrote a story earlier this week about Rupert Murdoch. At the time of writing, I thought that he was pretty much wrong. But based on what happened when that story went viral, I think he may have a point.   Read more »

• Ambra: Killer video, fatally wounded execution

  It’s funny how sometimes you can come across the best idea in the world, and it’s ruined by the final 5% of execution.

  That’s the situation in the case of Read more »

• Best Job’s (very long) glory list

  Tomorrow sees Australia’s biggest advertising awards night of the year with the AWARD awards.

  And it’s a fair bet that the team from Cummins Nitro (Or Sapient Nitro as they are now known) will be walking on and off the stage for their headline-making Tourism Queensland Best Job in the World campaign.   Read more »

• A good Hammertime was had by all

  I must confess, MC Hammer’s appearance at Social Media Club Sydney significantly exceeded my expectations.

  I wouldn’t have been entirely surprised if it had been a mildly diverting appearance relying mainly on the novelty value of having a celebrity around.   Read more »

• It’s “My Idea”, as long as it’s American

  Microsoft’s latest multi-million dollar global ad campaign pushing its new operating system, Windows 7, almost passed us by.   Read more »

• Even the Best Idea can fail

  “So, why did the ‘Best Job in the World’ campaign win all those awards, when there appears to be no benefit for the rest of the Whitsundays, and probably Queensland?”

  Whitsundays Online on falling tourist numbers

• Announcing the Mumbrella Readers’ Choice Awards

  One of the questions I’ve been most asked a fair bit over the last few months is: Will you do a Mumbrella Awards? To which my answer has always been: only if there’s an opportunity to create something with a genuine point of difference.

  The last thing this industry needs is another me-too award.

  Well, I think we’ve fallen upon that point of difference.   Read more »

• Claiming to be unbiased is a patronising fairytale, so let’s just own up to our agendas

  In this guest posting from Sydney’s media 140 conference Cathie McGinn argues there’s no such thing as total objectivity, so better to disclose your agenda.

  Thankfully, at least some of the debate at this week’s Media 140 moved on from fixating upon the rather tired blogger vs. journalist issue.   Read more »

• 20 of the best ads ever from the George Patterson agency

  In an industry where new people arrive every day, the greats are sometimes quickly forgotten.

  For some, the name GPY&R is these days more associated with WPP’s legal squabble with Pacific Equity Partners. But George Patterson is arguably Australia’s greatest agency ever.

  And as next week’s 75th anniversary party approaches next week, the agency has put some of its greatest moments up on YouTube. It’s worth the time checking out this top 20, I promise. They don’t make ‘em like that any more… Read more »

• Tele is making it too easy for the privacy law campaigners to make a case

  I did not, I must admit, feel a great deal of sympathy for former Prime Minister Paul Keating’s demand that privacy laws be rewritten before photographs of people can be published in newspapers.   Read more »

• No TV happy ending?

  “It is hard to see how either of these deals can end well.”

  Elizabeth Knight on growing debt mountains for the owners of Seven and Nine

• Public figures want it both ways

  “Why turn up at a VIP party, sponsored by a vodka company, dressed as Amy Winehouse, if you don’t want to be papped by photographers?”

  Tracey Spicer on the Katherine Keating snapper row

• Gabfest in need of grenades

  “More concerning for the future of the advertising industry, what was also missing was impassioned debate about the state of the industry and the direction it needs to take.”

  Simon Canning on a quiet Caxtons

• Time to regulate paid Aussie blog comment – and to penalise the offenders

  In this guest post, Daniel Young of PR agency Burson-Marsteller Australia argues that marketers and bloggers who make undisclosed paid comments should be fined

  From December 1, bloggers in North America will be required to disclose ‘important connections’ with advertisers as a result of new guidelines governing ‘endorsements’ and ‘testimonials’.   Read more »

• Darwinian ad ideas

  Sometimes you don’t need a big budget to create a memorable campaign – just a nice idea, as these ads for ABC1’s coming series on Charles Darwin demonstrate.   Read more »