If you were to flip open the pages of your TV Guide and see that there was a documentary called “McDonald’s Gets Grilled” airing in prime time, you might assume that it’s a bit of McMuckraking, or at least a news organization’s look behind the counter at the fast food giant. But as viewers of Australian TV found out this week, it’s really just a 30-minute infomercial paid for by McDonald’s. [More]
10 Examples Of Why You Shouldn't Sell Naming Rights To Just Anyone
By March 22, 2012
It’s near-impossible to find a sporting or concert venue in the U.S. without the name of some bank/oil company/car maker/beverage slapped on the front. While most of these are innocuous — and some have even grown to be accepted by the public — there are a handful of naming rights deals where the venue owners shouldn’t have gone with the highest bidder. [More]
Lawsuit Over Facebook "Sponsored" Updates Allowed To Proceed
By December 19, 2011
It’s been almost a year since Facebook began taking your “like” list and turning it into advertising via so-called “sponsored stories,” and on Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in California rejected the social networking site’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit that claims Facebook unjustly enriched itself with these ads by violating a California law pertaining to commercial endorsements. [More]
Is In-Flight Advertising Getting Out Of Control?
By October 19, 2011
Depending on the airline you choose, everything from the exterior of your jet to the overhead compartments to your tray table and the back of your seat to your airplane safety video can be sponsored by an advertiser. And considering the amount of revenue being generated by these ads, they probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. [More]
With $4.6B Spent, Procter & Gamble Remains The Country's Largest Advertiser
By June 20, 2011
Procter & Gamble may only be #26 on the Fortune 500 this year, but that hasn’t stopped the company from once again outspending all other U.S. advertisers by nearly $2 billion. [More]
Mommy Bloggers Offered $10 To Write Nice Stories About Toyota
By February 16, 2011
Looking around the internet, there is often a thin line between editorial content and advertising. It’s not surprising to go to an entertainment blog on a Friday to not only see that the page has been skinned with an ad for a new movie but also a gallery of that movie’s star or a fluff interview with someone in the film. But some mommy bloggers say they’re not willing to cross that line by accepting a $10 gift card in exchange for writing a positive story about Toyota. [More]
Disney Now Marketing To Newborns In The Delivery Room
By February 7, 2011
They say that first impressions are crucial and the folks at Disney are taking that very literally, having recently launched a campaign to begin marketing their products to brand new moms and to babies barely out of the womb. [More]
Sponsored Facebook Posts Turn Your Updates Into Ads For Which You Get No Money
By January 27, 2011
For the none of you who really, really wanted to have your Facebook updates automatically converted into ads for which you receive no money — and which you can’t opt out of — the site has answered your prayers! [More]
Could An NFL Lockout Force Networks To Run Even More Ads?
By January 12, 2011
Now that the NFL’s postseason is in full swing (even though my beloved Eagles were so quickly eliminated), it’s time for many to start wondering if owners and players will be able to resolve their problems before the start of the next season. If not, the biggest losers could end up being the networks and, by extension, TV viewers — whether they watch football or not. [More]
