Archive for April 2nd, 2008

So, just what does a man in Algeria between the ages of 40 and 45 feel about the McDonald’s brand? Or what does a woman in the Philippines between the ages of 26 and 30 think of Google’s brand? Discover what your fellow brandjunkies have to say about all things branding, from which brand is the world’s most inspiring to which one is in most need of a rebrand. Pay close attention—some of the results may surprise you.

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Love outweighs hate in the relationship between runners and running. Morning tongue? The iPhone does everything but wash my clothes. I get it. Let’s launch!Nike launched two additional TV spots promoting its Nike SPARQ training method, entitled “My Betterest” and “Men are Better.” “Women are better” follows in the upcoming weeks. “My Betterest” is a series of clips from athletes young and old, famous and not-famous, who push themselves when training to excel in their sport of choice. “My quick and my fast had a baby and named him speedy,” says one athlete. Watch the ad here. “Men are Better” focuses on male athletes’ training sessions and their in-game moves. See the ad here. Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign and handled the media buy.

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Maven writing-directing powerhouse the Wachowski brothers bring “Speed Racer” to close this year’s Tribeca Film Fest on May 3. As previously announced, fest will open April 23 with “Baby Mama.”Family friendly live-actioner stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, and John Goodman. Wachowski signature visual effects track Speed’s (Hirsch) quest for justice as he discovers races are fixed by ruthless moguls and bands with his nemesis, Racer X (Fox) to win the treacherous race that took his brother’s life.

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NBC has greenlit a spinoff of “The Office” that will debut after the Super Bowl, and will put “Saturday Night Live” in primetime for four weeks next fall.Those are some of the headlines to emerge from the Peacock’s meeting with advertisers in Gotham Wednesday morning. Programming chief Ben Silverman unveiled a 65-week sked–this summer, plus all of next year–that emphasizes family-targeted fare at 8, broad appeal or “blockbuster” event programming at 9 and adult-themed dramas at 10.

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Fox Business Networks is the latest broadcaster to sign on to distribute its content via MobiTV, which delivers long form, live TV programming to mobile subscribers.

The News Corp.-owned business news channel will offer MobiTV users access to full length episodes of series such as Fox Business Morning, Money for Breakfast, Happy Hour and Cavuto.

Earlier this week, the Emeryville, Calif.-based company, which currently offers programming from networks such as E! and ESPN, inked a similar distribution deal with the Disney Channel.

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LOS ANGELES - Ellen DeGeneres will not be co-hosting the “American Idol” charity event, “Idol Gives Back,” this year, Access Hollywood reports.

An inside source told Access that the talk-show host is backing out of the charity event due to an unforeseen production schedule that conflicts with her show. The show was scheduled to tape this coming Sunday, April 6.

“Idol Gives Back” will include an impressive roster of talent including U2’s Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli and Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Robin Williams and “High School Musical” stars Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens.

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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — When it comes to product placement, conventional wisdom says a reality TV show is your best bet. Notable appearances by famous names such as AT&T, Chrysler and Coca-Cola in programs including “American Idol” and “The Apprentice” have provided textbook examples of how reality programs can help burnish popular goods. But what if marketers aren’t using the programs as wisely as they could?

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HONG KONG – The Jeonju International Film Festival will open on May 1 with “The Kiss,” by Japanese helmer Manda Kunitoshi and wrap nine days later with world preem of anthology “If You Were Me 4.”

Between those dates the renamed int’l competition will include Hana Makhmalbaf’s “Buddha Collapsed out of Shame” and Lance Hammer’s “Ballast” and Ramin Bahrani’s “Chop Shop,” both from the U.S.

At a press conference held simultaneously in Jeonju and in Seoul, the fest unveiled a program that stretches to 195 movies (120 feature films and 75 shorts) from 40 counties.

Aside from the competition, films are arranged across sections that include: Cinemascape, Korean Cinema, Stranger than Cinema, a retrospective dedicated to Bela Tarr, Cinema Palace, Midnight Obsession, outdoor screenings and discoveries of Central Asian cinema and Vietnamese cinema.

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My first thought when I heard about TNT’s Truth In Advertising, which has just received the go ahead for 13 episodes, was “oh, they’re just doing that because of the critical success of Mad Men.” And who knows, that might be true, but this show by itself sounds awfully intriguing.I mean, come on, look at this cast: Eric McCormack (Will and Grace), Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Eli Stone), Sarah Clarke (24), Monica Potter (Boston Legal), and Griffin Dunne (Law and Order: CI, 3 lbs.). And it’s from the same people who bring us The Closer, so you know it’s going to be of some quality. And it’s really great to see Cavanagh and McCormack back on weekly TV again (oh, when oh when is Ed coming to DVD?).

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