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PATH: BS | Business | Advertising
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New Facebook "Feature" Exposes Everyones Personal Info
Posted by Pile
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 This past week, Facebook announced Instant Personalization, whereby select websites would "personalize your experience using your public Facebook information." The initial sites are Pandora, Yelp and Microsoft Docs. As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained, this means that when you visit "Pandora for the first time, it can immediately start playing songs from bands you've liked." Pandora, and other partners, can also link your real name and other Facebook information with everything you do on their site.
More specifically, these sites "may access any information you have made visible to Everyone ... as well as your publicly available information. This includes your Name, Profile Picture, Gender, Current City, Networks, Friend List, and Pages." On Monday, Facebook announced a transition where a "new type of Facebook Page" will make the "current city, hometown, education and work, and likes and interests sections of your profile" publicly available after you go through the transition tool (or those items will be deleted). |
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De-Friend Ten People For A Free Whopper
Posted by Pile
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[Junk Food] |
 It hasn't escaped my notice that America's advertising industry continues to bundle product merchandising with insatiable selfishness between two sadism-seed buns. I thought I'd seen these campaigns peak with slogans like Twix's, "Two for me, none for you" campaign, or the myriad of commercials showing people making others suffer in tawdry amusement at the altar of materialism (My favorite was Toyota demonstrating how quiet their car's interior was by locking a passenger in the cabin with a light-sleeping flesh-hungry critter), but Burger King apparently went so far, even Facebook said "Hold the mayo!"
At the first of the year, Burger King released the "Whopper Sacrifice" application on the social-networking Facebook website, allowing Facebook users to dump 10 of their Facebook friends and get a coupon for a free burger. The application, which received widespread publicity, was used by 82,000 people to delete more than 230,000 friendships on Facebook.
On Wednesday night, David Swain, a spokesman for Facebook in Palo Alto, Calif., said the website had placed restrictions on the use of the application. Some concerns about privacy had been raised, because when Facebook friends were deleted, they were notified that it was because of the "defriending."
It's bad enough to have someone abandon you as a friend, but over a really bad fast food item? Isn't this one of the signs of the apocolypse? |
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Exxon Mobil Acquires Stanford University
Posted by Pile
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[Industry] |
"Exxon Mobil has teamed up with Stanford University to find breakthrough technologies that deliver more energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions," enthuses a TV commercial by the oil giant. Under Exxon Mobil's partnership with Stanford, first announced in 2002, the university "will get up to $100 million from the company over 10 years to fund climate and energy research."
After seeing the ads, major Stanford donor Steve Bing "decided to rescind a promised $2.5 million donation to the school." He is also "asking other major philanthropists to reconsider their promises to give to the Stanford cause," and is pushing for "an end to the 4-year-old ad campaign." Bing's advisor on climate issues said, "Exxon Mobil is trying to greenwash itself, and it's using Stanford as its brush." A Stanford spokesperson countered, "We are proud of our work on seeking solutions to serious energy and environmental problems and our collaborations in these areas with a variety of private and non-profit organizations." An earlier Exxon print ad, carrying the Stanford seal, "suggested that scientists were debating the cause of global warming." |
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Advertiser Blacklist Against Air America Revealed
Posted by Pile
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 An internal ABC Radio Networks memo obtained by Media Matters for America, originally from a listener to The Peter B. Collins Show, indicates that nearly 100 ABC advertisers insist that their commercials be blacked out on Air America Radio affiliates. According to the memo, the advertisers insist that "NONE of their commercials air during AIR AMERICA programming." Among the advertisers listed are Bank of America, Exxon Mobil, Federal Express, General Electric, McDonald's, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and the U.S. Navy. |
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It's rare when we at BSAlert call attention to a corporate ad campaign on a positive note, but the latest commercial from the most unlikely of sources, Burger King, actually tugs on the heartstrings as well as the mind of consumers in a very creative way, and it's worth sharing...
Have you ever wondered why the computer/console video game industry is so male-dominated? Are computer games inherently "male" in design and appeal? It wasnt always this way, and the story about how the gender bias happened is fascinating...
These days everybody is using Facebook. But did you know if you pay to promote something, you might actually hurt your business and waste your money? A diligent Internet truth-seeker shows you in this video that all is not what it seems when it comes to advertising on Facebook, and even Facebook itself is at least indirectly involved in phony and fraudulent activity.
Nonprofit ocean protection group Oceana took 1,215 samples of fish from across the United States in restaurants, grocery stores and sushi bars and the results were astonishing. There's more than a good chance the fish you think is "tuna" or "snapper" is not what it claims...
In the last few years, a number of social constructs seem to have become so engorged and dramatic, I desperately want to assume they've peaked and thus, offer up my hopeful plea that perhaps these things should decline if not begin to disappear from our social radar in the coming year. Read on as I'm sure not everyone will agree with me...
The Daily show calls attention to a "Battle for the War on Women." While multiple states roll back the equal pay and health rights that women have come to enjoy, Fox News relegates the "war on women" to the rank of "phony" political fight. And in the process, one of their bits enrages the Catholic League, (the same guy who claimed 
A local TV newsman of 10 years writes a scathing editorial on the current state of the local TV news industry and how it works (or why it doesn't work). Ever wonder what goes on at your local news station? Here's a glimpse..
A cool new PSA has come out that sheds light on why you should vote Republican...
Someone won't friend you on Facebook and you want to stalk them, or maybe find out more personal info? 
Her bio says, "A New York Times best-selling author, Ellie Krieger is a renowned registered dietitian specializing in nutrition and health communications. Her extensive work in the media has earned her a loyal following and national recognition as a trusted health professional."
Have you ever wondered why it's fashionable to be young and stupid? Craig Ferguson has it figured out...
In our twelfth podcast we take on the advertising and propaganda industries and expose WEASEL WORDS: How people are lied to and misled about everything from products to promises to history and politics. 
It's called, "Reputation Management" or "Word of Mouth Marketing." Their web site says, "WOMMA members represent the best and brightest minds of the business world, and they have come together to build a prosperous word of mouth marketing industry based on best practices, measurable ROI, and ethical leadership. "
Print ads for the Sci Fi Channel outside the United States get pretty clever....
Everybody's getting creative trying to get people to register and vote. Is it too creative?
Suppose, for example, that you own a company that sells bottled water," which is "shipped, in its little plastic bottles, ten thousand miles from the bottling plant to the consumer," writes Steve Burns. "Could you possibly 'brand' such a product as eco-friendly?"
Even as he came on stage to give the keynote address at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, it was obvious that Tim Robbins' remarks had caused controversy backstage. The Academy Award-winning actor and critically acclaimed screenwriter, director and producer first indicated to the audience that he would not be giving his speech. Then, floor agents of the NAB organizers ordered journalists' video cameras turned off. An NAB spokesman later said Mr. Robbins contract had a "no filming" clause. Ultimately, Mr. Robbins changed his mind and started talking. However, some still recorded the audio and we have it. Listen to the six best minutes of the speech.
A rogue activist group that adds creative touches to advertising campaigns has announced their new target: AT&T
Adbusters, in order to call attention to rampant consumerism, has been promoting the idea of "Buy Nothing Day" on November 23rd. They wanted to run their advertisement on MTV but the network refused! See the controversial ad MTV was too chicksh*t to run, and consider not being a consumer sheep on November 23.
Satan hates the New Life Center Church in Cedar Grove, West Virginia. How do we know? It's on a billboard...paid for by the church.
There's a new organization out there called "Freedom's Watch." (Useful rule of thumb: if a law or an organization contains happy buzzwords--freedom, patriot, America--look very carefully to see if what they're promoting is in any way related to those words. "Clean Skies Initiative," anyone? It doesn't sound like a bill loosening the restrictions on air pollution, does it?
In 2007, the world's fourth-largest metropolis and Brazil's most important city, São Paulo, became the first city outside of the communist world to put into effect a radical, near-complete ban on outdoor advertising.
The soft drink giant Pepsi has been forced to make an embarrassing admission: Its bestselling Aquafina bottled water is nothing more than tap water. Last week, Pepsi agreed to change the labels of Aquafina to indicate the water comes from a public water source.
A Google Health Account Planner did not like Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, about the deficiencies in this country's healthcare system. Fair enough, it's a free country--she then posted her opinion on Google's corporate blog that “Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient well-being and care." She wants to help the poor industry get out its own message of peace and love, but how to do that?
The High Court of Australia has dismissed a bid by BP to have the green Pantone color 348C used in its logo registered as its trademark. Despite the setback, BP has registered the color green in over 20 countries.
The federal Food and Drug Administration is proposing to redefine the very essence of chocolate and to allow big manufacturers such as Hershey to sell a bar devoid of a key ingredient — cocoa butter. The butter's natural texture could be replaced with inferior alternatives, such as vegetable fats. And consumers would never know.
By invoking Australian copyright law, the New South Wales Minerals Council (NSWMC) twice succeeded in shutting down a website that satirized its "Life: Brought to you by mining" advertising campaign.
It's bad enough that going to the movies these days is like poking your head into a bar in a bad neighborhood: maybe you'll have a good time, or maybe you'll be sorry you ever got out of bed that day.
Normally, I despise corporate advertising, but these commercials are so clever I can't help but call attention to them. I still wouldn't piss on a flaming insurance agent to save his life, but I will laugh at the Geico caveman. Check out the series here...
The latest person to go completely nuts over the latest video game console is not a person, but a corporation. Taco Bell has announced that if you're willing to donate your precious Playstation 3 to them to give a Boys & Girls club, they'll offer the generous gamer what they consider a "lifetime" worth of taco bell food (~ $12k in "taco bell bucks" -- no word about whether Angioplasty is included).
So what do you do if you make an industrial grade blender and you want to show off what it can do? How about seeing exactly what it can blend? Marbles? A Coke Can? A Rake Handle? An entire McDonald's Meal?
In an attempt to encourage more Britons to go to church this Christmas, an image of Jesus Christ in the froth of a half empty pint of beer will be used on posters.