Paypal snarks Apple in full-page NYT ad

According to Cult of Mac (**shudder**) this ad ran as a full page in the New York Times last week. While Apple isn't specifically mentioned, the reference to stolen nudes is an obvious hit at the company, whose iCloud security was questioned in the breach. (Apple denies this.)

Paypal obviously feels the heat from the new iPhone's Apple Pay feature, so casting doubt on Apple's general security might seem like a great idea. But it seems pretty underhanded to me.

Are a film critic's Tweets fair game for advertising blurbs?

On Twitter, Adland's @kidsleepy shared an interesting new phenomenon: Tweets as ads!

Pictured above, according to PFSK, is a full-page ad in the New York Times that consisted of nothing but NYT film critic A. O. Scott's Tweet about the soundtrack to the recent Coen Brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis.

While quoting critics from mainstream media is fair sport, PFSK points out that social media is different:

What makes this new reverse-engineered advertising so interesting is that if Scott did not give permission for his tweet to be included in the ad, CBS Films may have violated Twitter’s “Use of Content” guidelines. The guidelines stipulate that “without explicit permission of the original content creator, Twitter content may not be used in advertising.”

There's even more to it than that. It's actually modified from the original Tweet, which read "You all keep fighting about Wolf of Wall St. and Am Hustle. I'm gonna listen to the Llewyn Davis album again. Fare thee well, my honeys."

Now, it seems, this was not even a case of accidental violation. NYT Editor Margaret Sullivan revealed that when the movie’s publicist, Cynthia Swartz, contacted Mr. Scott directly to ask permission to use the quote in an ad, his e-mail response was:

Well this is a new one. I’d prefer though that my tweets not be used in advertisements. That seems like a slippery slope and contrary to the ad hoc and informal nature of the medium. 

And changing the tweet is basically manufacturing a quote, something I avoid. 

So I’m afraid the answer is no.

Nonetheless, the ad went ahead. One of the film’s producers, Scott Rudin, was the one who asked the publicist to use the Tweet. He told Ms. Sullivan, “If a critic is going to tweet it, we’re free to use it,” he said. “We’re free to edit any review. We pull out what we want.” Also,  “The paper running the ad is a tacit approval of the content of the ad... They took our money and they ran the ad." He also said the placement cost CBS Films $70, 000.

So who is at fault here? A spokeswoman for the newspaper said that its advertising staff were unaware of Mr. Scott’s objections and would have handled it differently had they known. The advertiser broke the rules of Twitter and trust of a critic. And the critic learned a lesson about unintended consequences of social media.

Ms. Sullivan concludes:

In the end, nothing terrible happened here. But it’s a moment that, at the very least, ought to cause some internal discussion at The Times and the establishing of clear rules and practices.

What do you think?

Can man live on bacon alone? Oscar Mayer is giving it a shot

Have bacon, will travel.

That's the idea behind Oscar Mayer's clever new online campaign. They're sending a man across the United States with no money. All he has is a van full of Oscar Mayer bacon to barter for non-bacon food, lodging, and other expenses.



The campaign offers people along the route to make barter offers with "Josh Sankey" via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook.

I'm not a big fan of factory farmed and mass-processed bacon. But as far as marketing is concerned, this is pretty damn tasty.

Tip via NY Times

Texas gun school spot may be the year's most idiotic ad

Everything's bigger in Texas. Even the assholes.

“If you are a socialist liberal and/or voted for the current campaigner-in-chief, please do not take this class,” Mr. Keller said in the ad. “You’ve already proven that you cannot make a knowledgeable and prudent decision as required under the law. Also, if you are a non-Christian Arab or Muslim, I will not teach you the class. Once again, with no shame, I am Crockett Keller.”

For some people, this kind of hate speech would be the kiss of death. But to this Texas gun instructor, it's just common sense:

“Why would I teach people who have sworn the annihilation of the United States and who can lie, cheat, steal and murder Americans in order to further Islam?” Mr. Keller said. “Why would I arm someone like that? Why would I enable them to carry a weapon legally? I don’t want to be a part of that. I’m sorry those flight instructors didn’t have the same hindsight to know that these guys were up to no good, and they shouldn’t be teaching them, and they should have refused.”

Where's his head? I think it's up under his gun...

The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating if this warrants him losing his licence due to breaking anti-discrimination statutes.


Via AdFreak and the New York Times

F'd Ad Fridays: [Media] NY Times sexy chicken is weird (and done like dinner)

Mainstream print-oriented media may be fighting a losing battle, but the New York Times has taken an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach to grabbing eyeballs with the bizarre.

Dining section photo editor Tiina Loite said “My original concept was sort of a languid nude". Some compared the final shot to Burt Reynolds' Playgirl shoot (but with less hair). PETA called it "ghastly and sickly" and "necrophilia".

My reaction? "Seen it". And I hated it then.

Seriously offputting.