You probably have all noticed the 2 new book links that are showing up from Amazon. First, I hope you like it and it doesn’t take away from the primary content. Secondly, I am testing out this new feature to give you easy access to high quality advertising books. So if you think you’d like to read one of them by all means click on the link. Best,A.B.

I can’t believe the CIA is using the mainstream media to recruit future spooks. Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t see anything wrong with using all methods available to spread the word about your needs. But I mean come on your not going to work for Wal-Mart, it’s the C.I. freaking A! The CIA apparently needs a few good men &#151 and women. I wonder can we blame this on the current state of the economy too? Their ads, both in radio and in print are for the National Clandestine Service (NCS). According to the Wikipedia article about these guys they are the ones that conduct government sponsored secret…

Fake 911 calls are fun for teenage pranksters, but only if they don’t get fined for tying up emergency lines with non-emergencies. There are people out there with real emergencies.Well, when I saw this ad, I feel like I became a victim, because I thought I was about to read a real 911 call. The above ad, created for K&B Fashion, not only fakes out its audience, it is also a terrible creative execution. The ad is a fake 911 emergency call involving a woman who bought clothes, but apparently, the clothes weren’t fashionable enough. So, apparently K&B’s message is that if you shop with them, you will get stylish…

In the U.K. the game industry is upset because of the new ads appearing in U.K. government’s Change For Life campaign, let’s just say it puts them in a negative light and the industry isn’t too happy about it. The image of the board-looking child with a joystick in his hands and a headline that included the word death really ticked the industry off. The campaign was only intended to promote a healthier lifestyle not cause riots. The video game industry’s main complaint is that the ad pictured above implies that video games can cause a premature death. Now that certainly isn’t true but they cause you to not have…

Last night I was watching the TV show Trust Me, a show that I’ve previously discussed on this blog. One of their two storylines for last night’s episode was about about a guy who was fired because his work was just not very good. Several years later the main characters in the show give him another chance only to discover that he still isn’t very good. So now they need to fire him again and the show takes off from there. So here is my question, when do you realize that you aren’t going to make it in the ad business and look for a new line of work? Maybe…

Go humans go is the main theme for the new campaign by Quaker Oats, a division of PepsiCo. The campaign is intended to provide you with a lift. I am guessing they mean a boost in energy? The campaign will appear in three different media vehicles which include: television, print, online, outdoor, promotions, and events. Supposedly using Quaker Oats products will make you feel good about yourself. Apparently, we need advertising’s help in feeling good about ourselves in these poor economic times. Here is what I want to know, since when does Quaker Oats qualify as a replacement for good, old-fashioned ice cream? When someone is dumped by their significant…

The Full Tilt ad above was created by Wongdoody, an LA based ad agency. The way the ad was executed is outstanding because it requires the audience to take a second look to understand but the rest of the ad is an attention grabber that entice people to take a second look. Poker enthusiasts will absolutely love this ad. Wongdoody has several other executions in print and TV formats. All the ads employ famous poker players which makes them a believable authority. Best,A.B.

I love this ad by the Ad Council concerning children with Asthma. I love how expressive both the copy and the image, they go together so well. I saw this ad while shopping for jeans at a local mall. It was executed so well that I felt I had to take a picture with my iPhone. It wasn’t the best of “snaps” but it got the job done while I was in a crowded mall. This outdoor ad is part of a campaign sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is called No Attacks. The campaign will use many different advertising vehicles including: print, TV, outdoor, and and interactive. Interactive…

To get into the swing of March Madness Adidas came up with something pretty cool in my opinion. It’s taking four of its NBA endorsers back to college in a series of ads. What is important to note is that the four NBA stars being used in the commercials jumped from high school right into the NBA. Also, being a huge Kansas fan I have to show this one: Anyhow, Dwight Howard will be at Kansas, Tracy McGrady at Louisville, Josh Smith will be headed to Pitt and Kevin Garnett will be here in not-so-sunny L.A at UCLA. There are some other players I would have liked to have seen…