Illegal Ad Placement

I've always wondered about large posters plastered on the side of buildings... in particular, how does an agency go about buying this media placement?

Well, turns out they are "illegal."
Companies like National Public Advertising Outdoor that put up advertisements in public places typically do not have a proper permit. The city is not getting paid - instead, they pay the landlords of the buildings they use. Citizens are forced to look at advertising all over because these companies have illegally plastered their ads all over town. For whatever reason, the city looks the other way and rarely cracks down on them.

When organizations like The Public Ad Campaign organized a massive grassroots retaliation against the illegal billboards, NPA Outdoor added a new notice to all of their billboard sites. “Coming soon to this location: a chance to win these posters and other prizes inside” is posted because although it’s illegal for a landlord to put an advertisement on the side of his building, but it’s not illegal to put up a sign advertising products that are for sale inside. Doesn't stop the haters, though...

After a Culture Jamming Makeover:

How Far Will They Go?

Last year, Google pulled a few April Fools Jokes on the interactive community:

Google Adsense for Conversations (via TechChrunch):

"Now, in just a few simple steps, you can begin displaying ads that are relevant
to the topics you’re discussing — in an unobtrusive screen above your head.

Anyone taking part in the conversation can hit the ad with their hand to
immediately take advantage of the product or service being offered. With our
new Teleportation Technology(TM), you’ll be transported directly to the site
where the service is available, or have the product appear instantaneously
in your hands.

How do I add Google ads to my conversations?
Once you sign up, we’ll send you an adjustable screen and special AdSense headgear to attach it."

Truth is, though, a concept like this may not be that far off. Advertisers have already found a way to sponsor graudation speeches. Advertising in conversations doesn't seem so foreign, huh?

Internship Checklist

Unfortunately, this list came out a bit late for me, but for those of you still finishing up your internships, this is very, very useful.

The Internship Wrap-Up Checklist (via AdAge):

1) Finish all assigned projects
2) Get a performance assessment or a recommendation letter
3) Update your resume
4) Express gratitude by writing them a thank-you letter
5) Stay in touch. This is where business cards, and looking through trade pubs for information relevant to their accounts comes in handy.

Surprising PSA

Earlier, I wrote about Public Service Announcements, and how they seem to get away with everything.

This is a movie capitalizing on PSA's ability to shockvertize:

CollegeHumor - The Little Site that Could

I normally opt for Metro over AMNY, but I walked up a different side of the subway stairs this morning, and happened to be closer to the AMNY.

One of the main articles was about the changing face of New York media, and people who have gotten it right:

"Officials pointed to CollegeHumor.com as a success sotry others could emulate.

"When we started... CollegeHumor was primarily a site featuring all fo the best user-generated content from around the Web," said Josh Abramson, company co-founder. "Since YouTube became popular, it is incredibly difficult to sustain a business around user-generated content."

Now, the site produces more original content."

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."

You Know You've Made it Big When...

1) You have thick business cards
2) You own wooden hangers
3) There is a serious, legitimate rap song in your honor:

"Hit Me On Twitter" by Mistah F.A.B.

Want some twitter parodies? Here and here.