Beware! Better Business Bureau Is a Fraud

Any company that requires you to pay in order to get a good rating is a thief and the public should know it. Spread the word! The Better Business Bureau is a fraud.

E-Trade Baby Cracks Me Up

Yeah that one is old, I know, but I just spent 15 minutes looking for it so I’m posting it. “Oh… what a bad girl… man…” LOL

T-Mobile Commercial Takes a Different Tact

Very different road to customer loyalty, wouldn’t you say?

Shopping for the Agoraphobics Among Us

You may be like me. In fact, if you’re reading this then that means your more like me than not. So, when the Holidays arrive and there’s shopping to be done, nothing beats a quick, no-hassle online purchase.

That’s where Black Friday at Amazon.com comes in handy. The hard part is buying gifts for people on your list rather than spending all your cash on yourself. I mean, how can I pass on this Philips digital photo frame?

And my wife wants to go to Target… pfft…

Mattel Doll Promoting Islam?

You be the judge. Does the little doll say, as some are suggesting, “Islam is the light.”?

Logos In the Sky

“Yes,” it’s pretty cool. But, “No” I don’t want logos flying all over the heavens.

Please no more flogos Mr. Guerro.

‘Buy Nothing Day’ Getting No Play on MTV

Everyone has heard of Black Friday, right? What about Buy Nothing Day? The big wiki calls it:

an informal day of protest against consumerism observed by social activists

Sounds fair enough, even if underneath it all it’s a targeted jab against the wealthy. Well, strangely enough, the spot is not right for MTV. This is what their spokesman had to say about the Buy Nothing Day public service spot.

“[it] goes further than we are willing to accept on our channels.”

Are you serious? That’s just crazy talk. Well, some are rightfully upset.

Gangsta rap and sexualized, semi-naked school girls are okay, but apparently not a burping pig talking about consumption.

That’s why I believe that there is a religion of sorts at work in our country. Bizarre.

On a related note, the primary reason the country is currently freaked out about foreclosures killing the housing market is because home buyers are buying more house than they can afford. An attitude you won’t hear coming from our nation’s credit purveyors.

Amazon’s Interactive Promotion: Black Friday

Amazon’s amazing Black Friday is coming. Are you ready for the deals?

In the sake of full disclosure, here are my votes:

1. Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade [Thursday, Nov. 22]
2. Panasonic L1 7.5MP DSLR w/ Leica Lens [Friday, Nov. 23]
3. Razor E100 Electric Scooter (Red) [Saturday, Nov. 24]
4. TiVo HD Digital Video Recorder [Monday, Nov. 26]
5. Magellan Maestro 3140 Portable Auto GPS System [Tuesday, Nov. 27]
6. iRobot Roomba 4110 Robotic Vacuum [Wednesday, Nov. 28]

The only ones I could get jazzed about are the first two, but who knows. I need to remember to check back on those days to see if I’m picked. I absolutely love the promotional concept.

Update (11/23): Drat and Double-Drat! No offer first two days. Those were the only one’s I really wanted too! Anyone out there actually getting an chance to buy??

Share Louisville Tweaks Other Cities

I came across this blog today and read about our new Share Louisville campaign. The author was more than a little perturbed by the ads. In fact, he wrote a “scathing” email to the gentleman.

I think he’s got it all wrong. It should be fairly obvious that these spots are practically drenched in sarcasm. They run in the Jon Stewart line of “news.”

But past all of that, the ads are hilarious!

“She longs for a house payment, because that would mean she actually lives in a house.”

To quote Kenny Banya, “That’s gold, Jerry. Gold!” My hat is off to the Branding Project for showing some creative nerve.

Here’s Why a Google Phone Won’t Work and Other Thoughts on Advertising in the 21st Century

[Editor: I think that's my longest post title ever. Just don't hold me to it.]

I don’t often editorialize here on the blog. You know it’s mostly, Guitar Hero this, Guitar Hero that, (And no I didn’t toss that in to up my GH keywords), posts about my favorite sporting events with an occasional cool link thrown in for good measure.

But for some reason, I feel pretty confident on this topic. Apparently, the big cell companies are worried that Google’s idea of an ad-driven smart phone will turn their businesses upside down. Here’s why it won’t.

One of the things I learned in college was that the amount of recorded information, and in turn messages, in our world is increasing at an alarming rate. It’s exponential growth. While our human minds are far superior to any computer ever made, they still have their limits in processing data.

We’ve arrived at the point where the number of messages that are being directed at the each of us on a daily basis is more than we can properly process. So what does our mind do without us even knowing it? Simple really. It filters everything out while allowing only specific topic-related messages through. It’s like a massive filter for your email where everything is on the black list and only our personal, approved contacts are allowed to pass.

What does this have to do with Google’s proposed smart phone? With Palm’s new $99 dollar Centro aimed at the broadest of all audiences arriving today, we’re heading towards a day where everyone has a phone that does more than just take calls. But with our lives being ever busier and busier, do we honestly want more distractions not less?

Will anyone say, “Sure, I’m being bombarded by non-stop IM annoyances, loads of email spam and my browsing is being interrupted with interstitials on a regular basis but I’m saving $25 dollars a month.”? I don’t think so.

In fact, I’d be willing to bet my Guitar Hero controller on it.

Sneak Peek at ’08 Accord

Could this be Paladin’s next ride?

Parody Done Right for Microsoft Surface

With all the trending towards smaller, I’m surprised they didn’t do one where the cell phone, PDA, GPS, MP3 player, etc. device was the size of a postage stamp. Flame on!

Commercial Brackets Results

Wow, that was fast. After gearing up for this contest, I’m left flat. No rounds, no suspense… I just browsed over and got their results. My participation mattered none, apparently. Well, see if I play their game next year.

[...who am I kidding... i love these bracket things...]

And my favorite, the animated car-building arm, came in 9th. Here’s my only gripe: In marketing, just because something is memorable, doesn’t necessarily make it good. In my brackets, the loveable “Mouse” commercial was out after the first round.

Break Down Brackets, It’s Commercial Time

MSNBC is offering a bracket-style competition for commercials for viewers after the SuperBowl has concluded. I wonder who’s going to get those #1 seeds? Pepsi or Coke… who’s got a higher RPI?

Web Marketing Just Keeps Getting Better

There’s just so much that Web marketing can do that TV, Print, etc. can’t. Interactivity mainly, but so much more. Especially when those in charge of creating the promotion understand how the medium works and it’s limits. This piece for Treo is masterful. [broadband required]