News

Morning Update: Vatican lashes Charlie Hebdo cover; L’Oreal subverts Golden Globes red carpet; Oculus Rift announces pricing

charlie hebdo anniversary cover the assassin is still out thereThe Guardian: Charlie Hebdo anniversary cover disrespects all faiths, Vatican newspaper says

The Vatican’s newspaper on Tuesday criticised French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo for a front cover portraying God as a gun-wielding terrorist to mark the first anniversary of a terrorist attack on the publication’s offices in which 12 people died.

One million copies of the special edition hit France’s newsstands on Wednesday with a cover featuring a bearded man representing God with a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder, accompanied by the text: “One year on: the assassin is still out there.”

In a commentary, the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano said treatment of this kind towards religion “is not new” – and stressed that religious figures have repeatedly condemned violence in the name of God.

loreal red carpet golden globes campaignAdWeek: L’Oréal’s Golden Globes Campaign Aims to Get Women Talking About More Than Just Beauty

The politics of the red-carpet conversation have changed. Women may dress to the nines to match the glitz and glamour associated with awards ceremonies like Sunday’s Golden Globes, but that doesn’t mean beauty is the only thing on their minds. And one major beauty brand (and Golden Globes sponsor) has taken notice.

During Sunday’s ceremony, L’Oréal Paris will launch its #WorthSaying campaign from agencies McCann and Alison Brod Public Relations. The campaign is meant to get women talking about the things they believe are important, whatever they may be.

“L’Oréal Paris has always believed in the individual beauty and intrinsic worth of every woman,” said Karen Fondu, president of L’Oréal Paris. “The #WorthSaying campaign is rooted in the brand’s iconic tagline, ‘Because You’re Worth It’, and the belief that all women have something worthy to say.”

Techcrunch: Lumosity “Brain Training” App Maker To Pay $2 Million Settlement To FTC

Lumos Labs, the creator of “brain training program” Lumosity with $67.5 million in venture funding, has agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission for its deceptive advertising. As part of the settlement, the company has to notify all of its customers who signed up for an auto-renewal plan between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2014 about the FTC settlement, and give them the chance to cancel their subscriptions. Before making future claims about Lumosity’s potential benefits on brain performance, the U.S. District Court in San Francisco has ordered that Lumos Labs must “possess and rely upon competent and reliable scientific evidence.”

In the FTC’s complaint, it claimed that Lumos Labs deceived people with “unfounded claims” that the app could help people perform better in school, at work and reduce or improve cognitive impairment. The FTC says Lumos Labs did not have the science to back up its claims. The complaint also alleges that Lumos Labs failed to disclose that some of the consumer testimonials had been solicited through contests that promised prizes like a free iPad and a round-trip flight to San Francisco.

AdAge: Why Ad Tech Is the Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Advertising

The problem our industry faces with ad tech is a lot like the issue with gun control. Guns are great tools. They are very useful if you want to shoot a deer or protect your home. But with almost no regulations — and a whole lot of bad guys out there who would ignore them even if they existed — we wind up with a situation where guns are everywhere, from the hands of the ultra-responsible to the dangerously sloppy to the outright criminal.

This is just like the Wild West landscape of advertising technology — and while nobody dies, the consequences to the ad industry have been undeniably egregious.

Let’s be clear. The conglomeration of software that constitutes “ad tech” fundamentally represents an extremely valuable set of tools for advertisers. Being able to aggregate and make sense of data is a good thing. Being able to provide personalized and relevant messages to consumers is a good thing. Being able to eliminate inefficiency through automation is a good thing.

Digiday:Insanely high’ demand causes Oculus Rift VR website to crash

After all this time, what’s a little more waiting when it comes to owning an Oculus Rift? Moments after the virtual reality headset went on sale this morning, the website crashed dampening excitement over the US $599 device.

The Facebook-owned company says it will begin shipping in April and the hefty price tag doesn’t include taxes or free shipping. Early adopters will get an Xbox One Controller, a copy of the video game Eve: Valkyrie and the more family friendly “mind blowing” game Lucky’s Tale.

So far, the launch is off to a rocky start.

Mumbrella Asia: Brands will be looking for ‘tangibility’ not just cool innovations at CES this year, says Forrester

CESBrands and marketers attending global consumer electronics and consumer tech show CES will be expecting to be shown how new tech can add genuine value to their businesses, research and trends firm Forrester has suggested.

Most of the technologies on display, such as virtual reality, wearable tech, smartphones, drones and robots, will be familiar to attendees, but will be improved versions of existing models. But this year businesses will no longer only look for cool and innovative concepts, Forrester reckons.

“Businesses will be looking for tangibility,” analyst J.P. Gownder said of the show in Las Vegas that will be widely attended by marketers. “Technology vendors and user companies will need to show consumers and companies alike how these technologies contribute to customer value and top-line revenue growth.”

Campaign: Cillit Bang’s first global campaign features Flashdance tune and Madonna dancer

Cleaning product brand Cillit Bang is launching its first global campaign, “the mechanic”, created by BETC Paris.

A mechanic working in a car repair workshop uses Cillit Bang’s products while performing a range of dance moves to the classic Flashdance movie tune, Maniac.

Daniel Cloud Campos, the dancer in the film, is known for being a lead dancer on Madonna’s tours.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.