In an attempt to demonstrate how highly responsive OOH advertising is, the Outdoor Advertising Bureau (OAA) has posted a range of controversial slogans across a variety of outdoor formats.  These include ‘Educashun isn’t working’, ‘1966 it won’t happen this year’ and ‘Career women make bad mothers’.  Due to outraged responses from the public, the latter is being taken down, which I assume the OAA have taken as confirmation that they have proved their point.

However, I’d argue that the British public would have had equal issue with any such statement, whether it was displayed online, on radio, on TV or indeed just shouted out by Jonathan Ross.  Of course a statement like this will warrant response, but this is not comparable to a regular advertising campaign so I struggle to understand what constructive gain has been achieved by this exercise.  All they seem to have proved is that some people physically look at buses and that a strong message is key to garnering response. 

So official product placement is soon to with us.. Any thoughts on what the impact will be? Will the investment lead to better quality programming and therefore help lift overall TV spend? Or do we think we will see a downturn in standard spot advertising as advertisers move towards more contextual advertising? Or, do we think that most advertisers will be sceptical about the returns/value of such placement?

Since Google Street View launched last month it seems to have done nothing but cause trouble and controversy.  Depsite being a very cool piece of technology it has apparently, aided burgalars, caused divorces and, riots in small villages.

However, despite all this negative press a client has just proved that Street View can actually be a very useful media tool as he used it to brief me on a couple of specific outdoor sites that he was interested in! What clearer way then navigating that little orange man to the exact location and showing me pictures of the sites in question?!

Could this be a media first? Or indeed the beginning of the end of all of this Street View negativity?! Watch this space in Media Week!!?

We’ve been talking a lot this week in our team about the G20 riots and whether or not they are in any way worthwhile etc.. However, the team’s overarching opinion is that perhaps these riots would not have taken place on such a large scale had the media not banged on about them and how big and scary they were going to be for the last 2 weeks?! It seems that if it had been kept between the few small extreme groups and the police it would have remained on a much smaller scale.  However, with the papers and news channels screaming the topic from the rooftops every day, they have basically been advertising the event to the whole country and encouraging p*ssed off people to join the movement!?

It is quite interesting/worrying to consider how much the media has the ability to change and shape world events.  We all know that one of the most important factors affecting the state of the economy is consumer and business confidence.  The rumours of a recession started quietly a couple of years ago until the papers grabbed hold of it and increasing media coverage started to tell us on a daily basis that the world was destined for doom.  Surely it is then no surprise that everyone freaks out, stops spending, sells their shares and sacks people due to fear of future profit issues? Obviously, mass borrowing and irresponsible banks also had an impact and, I’m not suggesting that we should live in a censored society, but it does make you wonder if the economy would have been less screwed if the papers and TVs didnt permanently tell everyone to expect the worst?

Is it just me or does the world seem obsessed with the Natural Confectionary Company ad at the moment!? All over facebook people seem to be using ‘Bring On The Trumpets’ and my boyfriend recectly recorded himself impersonating the Jelly snake thing and finds it hilarious…

I cant decide if its funny or just highly annoying?

Seems to be some popular TV ads out there at the moment, Virgins 25 year celebration is a classic?!

After the recent public statement that I bear an unfortunate resemblance to Mick Jaggar, I wondered what other celebrity look-a-likes we have in our agency..

Have a scan of the pics and let us know your thoughts..

Angela Bustard for one is the spitting image of Scottish singer Amy Macdonald..

Maybe we should do a Stars in Your Eyes contest to raise money for Marie Curie?!

Ooooh a honky tonk woman lalalala

Upon reading the current issue of media week (14th October – ‘There’s no Excuse For Self-Abuse) I was shocked (and obviously amused) as to the topic and content of ‘Media Dilemma. I guess it goes to prove how relaxed this industry is, but do you think its appropriate or necessary content in a trade publication or is Media Week just trying to sensationalise working life and make their problem pages similar to those of trashy womens weeklies?!

Sooooo….. our annual BJK&E conference has come and gone once more…

I think we are all agreed that it was a fab few days, we all learnt a new thing or two about media and BJK&Es future plans and also had some great fun bonding over tandem bicycles and space hoppers!!!

So everyone, what was your highlight of the trip?!

I personally quite enjoyed partaking in the space hopper race, falling off every 2 bounces and coming a very very poor last! Proved to me that I definately should not give up the day job!!!