5 Blogs Before Lunch

A New Group Twist at Publicis Groupe: "One Neck to Choke"

Advertising Age is reporting that Publicis Groupe is giving some top clients who work use multiple disciplines within the agency network, a single point of contact. Under the plan, staffers who work on major accounts will report to the executive designated as the account lead. For instance, workers at Publicis shops Leo Burnett, Starcom, Arc and Digitas who handle work on the Kellogg account will all report to Leo Burnett EVP John Sheehy, and will relocate to a dedicated office space.

Leo Burnett Exec VP John Sheehy calls it "One Neck to Choke.'" While not the most positive of outlooks for the plan, I get his point.

This structure makes complete sense to a client, as long as the agency executive in charge gives equal respect to each discipline, and that the individual disciplines feel well represented (and compensated).

I've seen this work well when strategy wins over individual group P&L and ego is left in the War Room.

New Microsoft Campaign To Feature Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates

Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new ad campaign for Microsoft attempts to dispel Microsoft's image as a boring brand, and to shift negative perception of Windows Vista as a less-than-reliable operation system.

And, they've hired Jerry Seinfeld, and will be using Bill Gates as a celebrity spokespeople.

The WSJ reports that Microsoft won't rely entirely on celebrity endorsement for the campaign, and it is likely to include video of a group of students who said that they did not like Vista trying out a version of Windows called Mojave. At the end, they are told that the software was actually Vista.

From the WSJ: The planned appearance of Mr. Gates in the ads is one sign that Microsoft will continue to use its co-founder's own celebrity status, even now that Mr. Gates has stepped away from full-time work in software to focus on philanthropy. Over the past decade, Microsoft has paired Mr. Gates with a range of celebrities in lighthearted videos. A recent video, shown at computer-industry events, portrayed a comical depiction of Mr. Gates's last day at Microsoft, showing him with rapper Jay-Z, rocker Bono, and actor Matthew McConaughey, among others.

The campaign is set to break on September 4.

Canadian Club Reminds Us That "Your Mom Wasn't Your Dad's First"

Hat tip to Maringuy for pointing out this provocative ad for Canadian Club. Is this return to the '60's part of all of the Mad Men madness mixed in with a little '70's Swingtown?

Copy: He went out. He got two numbers in the same night. He drank cocktails. But they were whisky cocktails. Made with Canadian Club. Served in a rocks glass. They tasted good. They were effortless. Damn right your dad drank it.

Wonderbra Giant Mosaic Billboard

Wonderbra has unveiled a giant billboard in central London. The image is a mosaic, made up of photographs of thousands of "real women" flaunting their cleavage.

The billboard is the result of a two-month integrated campaign promoting the new line of D to G cup size bras.

The ad copy reads: "D -- G. Because we're more than a handful",

Brand Republic reports that the models for the poster were recruited through a call-to-action for women of all shapes and sizes to attend an open photo shoot. Over 1,000 women turned up at the event; and other women were recruited online via a viral and microsite, also created by Iris, which invited them to email their own photographs.

We Can Solve The Climate Crisis: New Ad Campaign

The We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore whose goal is to halt global warming.

Their latest television ad that will start airing Monday during the Olympics. It shows Americans how we will make the switch to clean, renewable energy sources.

From WeCanSolveIt.org: Switching now to clean energy sources will revitalize our economy -- we can be global leaders in developing and manufacturing clean energy technologies. It will enhance our national security -- reducing the pressure on our troops to protect oil supplies and avoiding the worst climate impacts in politically unstable regions of the world. It will make high gasoline prices less of a burden in our daily lives -- enabling us to transition to clean plug-in hybrid electric cars. It will help solve the climate crisis -- if we fail to act soon, the consequences for our children will be dire.

Triple Chocolate M&M's Premiums

M&M's is going upscale. More at The New York Times

NBC Has Sold $1 Billion in Olympic Advertising

NBC Universal has announced it has booked more than $1 billion in advertising revenue for the Olympic Games. The network is planning 3,600 hours of TV and Internet coverage of the 17-day event, so a billion doesn't seem too much of a cash haul.

Source: International Herald Tribune

Dubai Naming Rights For Sale

These words could soon be broadcast in metro trains throughout Dubai:

"Departing Coca-Cola station. Citibank station, next stop"

Dubai officials are offering naming rights to two dozen metro stations for the city's planned 45-mile rail system.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that officials are negotiating with international and local companies. They say that this metro branding strategy, believed to be the first of its kind, could provide marketers with some of the best advertising space in town.

Sponsor's names will appear on signs inside and outside stations, as well as on subway-system maps. Winning companies will have the right of first refusal on traditional advertising displayed at their stations to avoid competitive conflicts.

The In-House Bar. One of the perks of the ad agency world.

Advertising Age takes a look at a not-so-well-known perk in many an ad agency: The company bar.

Yes, for those unfamiliar with this Madison Avenue pastime, there are many advertising agencies who will serve up drinks to employees for an afternoon meeting, or as a gathering place for an afterwork happy hour.

Of course, most of what is being served is client's brews.

Adage takes a look at "Baronald" at Arnold in Boston, "The New Bar" at JWT in NY, "Beer Cart" at Digitas/Chiago, "Central Fling" at BBDP/NY, "The Surf Bar" at TBWA/CHIAT/DAY, in LA, "The Quarry" at David & Goliath/LA, plus many more.

McDonald's Giant Mechanical Egg Billboard

As a promotional stunt, this is brilliant. Leo Burnett Chicago has created a Giant Egg billboard for their client, McDonalds. The outdoor promotion is installed directly across from Wrigley field in Chicago.

The giant egg billboard starts cracking and opening up before dawn, each morning. By breakfast time, the egg has already hatched, and you can see “Fresh Eggs Daily” written on the egg’s yolk. The egg stays open from 6:00AM till 10:30AM, to indicate the availability of fresh eggs during that time. Once the breakfast time is finished, the egg billboard shuts and stays closed as a whole egg till the next morning.

Now, some of you may object to my use of the term "promotional stunt," but I mean it in the nicest of ways. The billboard is clearly an attention getting device, and I believe it is entirely effective in 1). grabbing attention and 2). reminding people that McDonald's is for breakfast. Nice job.

Source: I believe in advertising