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Cruise Ships Now Depend on Parents Bringing the Kids Along

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 11:39

In the summer of 1951, a passenger aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth had plenty of things to do. There was shuffleboard, deck tennis, books to borrow from the library. The Berlin Philharmonic performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in the ballroom; waiters served poached turbot with sauce Dugléré; and a fella could set down his highball just long enough for a spin around the dance floor with his wife.

Senator Blasts .Sucks as a Generic Top-Level Domain

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 21:16

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) thinks .sucks, one of hundreds of new generic top-level domains being considered for the Internet by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, should not be approved because it will undermine the credibility of Icann's gTLD expansion. The only apparent purpose of .sucks, Rockefeller says, is to extract defensive registration payments from Internet users, unfairly defaming individuals, organizations and businesses.

3 Agencies Vie for TD Ameritrade's Creative Account

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 20:17

TD Ameritrade has narrowed the field in its creative review. Three agencies have advanced to the final round, according to sources. Sources identified two of the shops as FCB and DDB; the third has not been revealed to the other contenders, as the agency has business that conflicts with TD Ameritrade, said sources. The online brokerage spends about $100 million annually on media, according to Nielsen.

Samsung Steals the Show With Demo of New Galaxy S5

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 18:17

Samsung's new Galaxy S5 smartphone is off and running, with a basic demo spot showcasing the phone's features easily the most-viewed brand video on YouTube this week. With a whopping 10.6 million views, according to the VidIQ chart, the spot—the new phone's "official introduction"—got more than a million views more than last week's winner, Pepsi MAX.  Samsung nailed down two other spots in the top five.

Dems Find Fault With Draft to Reauthorize Satellite Bill

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 17:22

A proposed bill to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, or Stela for short, may please broadcasters, cable and satellite companies, but politics on the communications and technology subcommittee could derail the current draft. House Democrats who worked on an earlier draft with Republican Steve Scalise (R-N.J.) made it clear that they didn’t like and weren’t prepared to support the GOP leadership’s draft bill.

Bazinga! CBS Renews The Big Bang Theory Through 2016-17

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 16:52

Nerds rejoice: CBS has renewed The Big Bang Theory for another three years, ensuring that Leonard, Sheldon and the rest of the gang will be yukking it up through the 2016-17 broadcast TV season. The duration of the pickup is not a shocker; when CBS last renewed Big Bang in January 2011, it was for a three-season run. Now in its seventh season, Big Bang is broadcast’s top-rated scripted series, averaging a 5.3 in the adults 18-49 demo, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data.

Ad of the Day: Man Battles Machine in World's Most Important Game of Ping-Pong

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 16:31

It's a question mankind has been asking ever since we've struggled to understand our place in the universe: Can a human beat a robot at Ping-Pong? Robotics manufacturer KUKA decided to find out by pitting one of its most advanced devices against German table-tennis legend Timo Boll, one of the world's top 10 players. The resulting short film, while clearly not a documentary and likely staged every step of the way for dramatic effect, is an enjoyably cinematic piece of marketing for the company's new production facility, opening this week in Shanghai.

BBDO Wins Big Pitch for Wells Fargo

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 15:45

Wells Fargo has found a new lead creative agency. After more than 18 years with DDB, the bank has hired BBDO in San Francisco to lead its creative business, Wells Fargo confirmed. Account revenue is estimated at $10-12 million. "BBDO is a great fit for where we want to take the brand next," said Michael Lacorazza, svp of integrated marketing at the bank. "We aspire for Wells Fargo to be not just a strong brand in the banking category, but to be a brand that people love and respect around the world beyond our category.

A Look at Kids' Exposure to Ads

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 02:37

Despite the availability of video games and streaming TV shows on mobile devices, kids still spend more time watching television than they do using any other type of media, and accordingly, seeing commercials. Data collected by Common Sense Media in Advertising to Children and Teens: Current Practices show that when you add in websites, product placements and cross-promotions, kids are pretty much marketed to all day.

Agency's Speakeasy Aligns With SXSW's 'Dark Austin'

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 01:36

While South by Southwest Interactive lit up Central Texas, some folks in Austin simply wanted to go dark. GSD&M, a marketing services firm, even launched a Web app to help showgoers to avoid other people, while anonymity-based mobile players Secret and Whisper popped into real-life conversations during the festival.