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Opinion
Outlook is cloudy for McDonald’s mood app
If you’ve been on YouTube this morning, you’ve probably been boinked squarely between the eyes by the McDonald’s home page takeover.
If you follow the link, it’s an apparently ambitious digital campaign that looks like its merely fails in the execution. Read more »
Why every agency boss needs to hear how Goodby got its groove back
In the last three years I’ve probably sat through dozens, if not a couple of hundred, industry-related presentations. Just a handful stick with me. Read more »
With a little PR magic from Max Markson, Naomi Robson’s lizard didn’t happen and neither did the cannibals
I had an intriguing press release from publicist Max Markson today.
Naomi Robson is back in front of the camera. Even if it’s only online. And Markson Sparks PR is helping her with the launch of The Naomi Show. Read more »
Coke’s phoney happiness machine is a fail for me
In this guest posting, Tony Richardson argues that the Coke Happiness Machine viral sucks.
The folks at Coke have created a viral video and as hoped it’s being circulated worldwide … but for all the wrong reasons. The main one being that it is possibly the lamest viral ever created. Read more »
Saying no to copy approval
“We’d dash back to the office to knock up a dry, arse-licking account of our “intimate chat” with Peter Andre to email to CAN, who would duly remove every trace of insight or humour, before making us feel sooooo special by perhaps deigning to allow us to publish it. No thanks.”
Will Renai LeMay’s new media business model work?
I’ve been curious for a few days now on what Renai LeMay’s plans are.
Since announcing he was leaving ZDNet, he’s been coy about what he’d be doing next.
Which of course made it all the more interesting. Read more »
Where are our marketing heroes?
“The great Australian tradition of attacking success and anyone that sticks their head above the parapet is stronger than ever. In my recent experiences around the world I can honestly say I have never experienced such collective distaste for one’s own kind.”
The Australian tries to win back Kevin
“One might wonder whether News Ltd feels the need to get on the right side of the Prime Minister, having managed to get itself thoroughly offside with him since the 2007 election.”
Bernard Keane on why Rudd was The Oz’s Australian of the Year
AFR falls four days behind The Oz
On Saturday, we woke up to discover that Wall Street had suffered a big fall. Read more »
Tips for better ideas
While it’s rather cool that Vancouver agency Rethink funds a scholarship for future art directors and designers, the ad they’ve created around it offers even better advice on the creative process. Read more »
Sack the copywriter
Here’s a nice innovation from consumer watchdog Choice, rounding up the best of the month’s Aussie ad blunders. Read more »
If agencies were bands…
The other day I was chatting to the boss of a new agency that’s about to launch.
I asked her what she wanted her agency to stand for. If it was a band, which would the agency be, was my question.
Which then got me to thinking about which bands Australia’s existing agencies would represent. As I began to make notes, I began to realise that it doesn’t look good… Read more »
When a global marketing blunder is a local problem
Sometimes I wonder if being a brand with an international affiliation is more trouble than it’s worth.
Jenny Craig – a weight control brand that’s doing very well in Australia, thanks very much – is the latest to face blowback from an international gaffe. Read more »
Vegetarian and chicken ads prove Sam’s lamb is still the one to beat on Australia Day
When Sam Kekovich’s latest pro-lamb Australia Day address was unveiled last week, a fair bit of the debate centred on whether it was time to change the strategy. Read more »
In defence of disaster journalism
The somewhat grubby tussle between Seven and Nine over who gets credit for rescuing baby Winnie from the Haiti rubble makes an easy target for those who see disaster journalists as vultures.
After all, what can the media do, but get in the way? Read more »
The wacky Aussie psychologist ‘with a penchant for insanity’
Fair to say that Adam Ferrier’s undercover investigation into the Scientologists has resulted in mixed commentary on the Naked Communications supremo’s exploits.
So far, the most unusual take on events is this one, on the website Rant Rave:
“A wacky Australian Psychologist has launched a bigoted and underhanded blog attack on religion and the nation of the USA.
“The Aussie ‘Psycho’, pseudonymously known as the Fiddler, normally exercises his penchant for insanity by such things as ‘testing’ an erectile dysfunction clinic, and writing about his experiences on his blog.
“Confirming Australia’s reputation as a nation of criminals, founded by criminals, for criminals, the Fiddler has now turned to trashing a Church and the people of the USA in his hilarious blog.
“Fraudulently presented himself at the Australian Church of Scientology as a member of the public, when in fact he is a long-time Psych, the Fiddler infiltrated the Australian Church to take a free personality test.”
For once, Dr Mumbo finds himself on Ferrier’s side.
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THE MUMBO REPORT
You can now watch clips of the Mumbrella Readers Choice Awards ceremony category by category.
The first clip is the shortlist round up and winner of media and marketing blog of the year, which went to Ben Shepherd’s Talking Digital.
Read more »
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- Vodafone hands Host creative account
- Slow start for Naomi Robson's new online dating show
- Qantas hires The Lab's GM into key marketing role
- AMP highlights customer-centric approach in new ads
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Latest Comments
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Comments
19 Aug 09
2:29 pm
haha… that was an awesome read…
Holy crap Scientologists are insane…
My favourite bit:
“However, what else would you expect from such people? Australia’s de facto national anthem is about a sheep-rustling hobo who commits suicide by drowning. Australia produced the Scientology wrecker, the Fact-Checker, who accused Church leader Mr David Miscavige of beating him. Australia’s coat of arms features a giant hopping rodent Kangaroo and a dim-witted over-sized turkey known as “Emu”. Australia, whose Prime Ministers, Government Ministers, and High Court Judges have included dozens of self-confessed agnostics, atheists and deviants, has for its national hero a murderous, pistol wielding psychopath, Ned Kelly, who was hanged for his crimes.
Australia’s most popular movie features a man who threatens Americans with a huge knife and thinks it’s funny. “
19 Aug 09
2:43 pm
Wow. Some strong views in there!
And they wonder why they attract the attention of cynics…very entertaining.
19 Aug 09
3:07 pm
I reckon Mumbrella should start a sweepstake on where Naked’s most prolific mystery shopper will strike next …
There’s plenty of scams to choose from and most of them cause psychological harm: http://tinyurl.com/2cldqb
I can see the headline now: “Impotent* Consumer Psychologist with Bad Personality** infiltrates Nigerian Bank Scam”
* as judged by AMI
** as judged by CoS
19 Aug 09
3:23 pm
Amazing how someone can take a view of one person and turn it into an attack on a belief (which has called itself a church for tax purposes only) and turn it into the entire poulation of Australian humans, animals, and their cutlery attacking the entire nation of the USA.
Well done young man!
19 Aug 09
3:28 pm
Nice concept – perhaps he can pose as an international student with moderate grasp of local language, disoriented by intensive but ultimately useless weightloss program who gets sucked into pyramid selling scheme offering timeshare in solarium beds. Go Adam!
20 Aug 09
9:10 am
LOL – yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!!
Just struck by the irony of two different Adam’s conversing about a third bloke also called Adam … did our parents get lazy with the Baby Boys A-Z Names or what …
Still, could have been Aaron.
20 Aug 09
11:01 am
If you like scam busting (and you have some time to kill) visit:
http://www.419eater.com/