Pepsi Update

On Wednesday, in Championship Brand Tinkering, I said..."It seems like the brand babblers have taken over at Pepsi, and they are screwing it up royally.It will take a while (like it does in all big organizations) for someone with a brain to realize what's been going on."Well, apparently I was wrong. It only took two days. Adweek just reported that Pepsi North America CMO has resigned.

Bride of Friday Follies

Assertions Without FactsThe latest batch of web nonsense comes to us from an Ad Age piece entitled "Advertising Will Change Forever." (I guess "The Web Has Changed Everything" is now such a cliche, even the jargonistas won't use it anymore.)You gotta say something for these people, they've got balls. Here's what the writer says:"In this recession, marketers have learned that interactive

What Exactly Is Creativity?

Two weeks ago I posted, "What Is Good Creative And How Do I Get It?" Since then, I've been thinking a lot about creativity.Specifically, I've been thinking about "the creative mind" and whether it is truly different from the average mind. I think it is.When I say "the creative mind," I'm not speaking solely about art or writing or music. Creativity can appear in all kinds of disciplines:

Championship Brand Tinkering

There are many flavors of baloney floating around the ad world these days. There's "digital" baloney, there's "conversation" and "engagement" baloney, but the biggest, most pervasive, and most dangerous form of baloney is still "branding" baloney.In a post called "Brand Tinkering" I said,...tinkering with the brand is way more fun than solving real business problems.Solving problems requires

Zealots, Maniacs and Hustlers

Here at The Ad Contrarian global headquarters, we've developed a reputation for being anti-digital media and pro-traditional media.We are neither.We have no personal interest in, or allegiance to, any medium.Our only purpose is to fight bullshit, hyperbole and words without meaning. We are against zealots, maniacs and hustlers of any stripe.Yes, we are vociferous in denouncing people who tell us

Why Everything Sucks

He's right -- it's all our fault.Thanks to Jason Headley for this.

More Friday Follies

RIP GidgetAccording to PeoplePets, Gidget, the chihuahua that was the face of Taco Bell for a few years in the late 1990's has died.Gidget was the subject of lots of controversy within the ad community. She also pissed off a whole lot of Hispanic people who saw her as an unflattering stereotype.In 2003, Taco Bell had to pay out over $40 million to two guys who claimed Taco Bell had stolen the