Saving the Paper

Over 350 magazines closed their doors in 2009.

In true Darwinistic form, as our generation spends increasing amounts of time in front of screens, traditional media has either had to evolve or whither away. A few answers have included enabling mobile websites, social media, and "apps."

Recognizing the danger, Hearst Media, the media giant which owns Cosmo, Esquire, and Popular Mechanics, has fused digital with traditional to create its own self-serving version of Amazon's Kindle, called the Skiff E-Reader. In short, it's a Kindle for your Newspapers and Magazines. Now how will it compete with the upcoming Apple Tablet, and everyone else's digital answer to the dying traditional problem?

Physical Manifestation of Digital Media

Lately, I've noticed that major digital media personalities and brands have started to migrate to traditional media. CollegeHumor went from digital content to two tv shows (1&2), Yelp distributes stickers to relevant businesses, etc. Therefore, it's no surprise that Google, in an attempt to (1) take over the world, and (2) gain more audience (to gain more advertisers), has leaked its digital personality into traditional media, with an integrated, cross-platform twist:

Google's Favorite Places is a hybrid of traditional (stickers) and digital (mobile + QR codes), which brings a whole new aspect to the game (and reminds me of this shirt). Expect to see more migrations and hybrids from advertisers thirsty for audience and innovation.

Milk Cartons: Old Media Turned New

From 1979-1981, Milk Cartons were a way to publicize missing children.

Since, there have been a few parodies, as this phenomenon made its rounds in pop culture.

As of late, the advertising industry has decided that milk cartons, once again, are an effective way to reach its consumers, and have consequently decided to use it as a paid media vehicle.


Here, the music group Plain White T's is featured on milk cartons in a cooperative campaign promoting both milk and the band. These milk cartons in particular are being distributed to schoolchildren during lunchtime.

Wonder what the FDA would have to say about all this...

Parody on Traditional Media

This week, Radio Shack becomes "The Shack."

Following suit, Washington Post also gets a "remake," following the cancellation of its news + comedy video series, Mouthpiece Theater (via Gawker):

Traditional media trying to stay "with it."

Google + Advertising

Going along with Ricky Van Veen's theory on the future of media, here is an example of a digital company using traditional media to launch an advertising campaign.

Google launches billboards to push its new business software via:

This comes after they launched TV spots to promoted Google Chrome back in May:



Also, want to see spoof ads? Go here.