The Diary of Putney Swope.

Diller to Jeeves, "You're Fired"

Adweek.com reported that InterActive Corp has decided to rebrand it's AskJeeves.com service to Ask.com in a move to more agressively compete against the search giants, Google and Yahoo.  The service was purchased by IAC (Barry Diller's baby) for $1,900,000,000.00 back in July of last year.  Yes, that's as in Billions kids.  Jeeves could not be reached for comment, but it is believed that he was given a two year consulting contract and will vest all of his outstanding options, so he should land on his feet.

Comment from Ask.com
After ten years of dutifully serving a growing population of internet users, Jeeves decided to step down as the face of AskJeeves.com, and retire in style. Jeeves symbolized a traditional, at-your-service butler which made people feel comfortable and at home with asking any type of question.

Complete Adweek story.

Who will be Madison Ave's Olympic poster person?

The 2006 Winter Olympics have drawn to a close and for most advertisers, viewers and network execs, not a moment too soon.  The traditional crazed rush to sign up the game's golden boys and girls looks more like a curling match than an exciting men's down hill.  No one took over the games and most of the U.S. winners might as well have lead hanging around their necks than medals as their boorish behavior has dragged down their chances at the Olympic Advertising Sweepstakes.  Clearly there were no Wheaties Box performances, more like Capt'n Crunch.

Going into the event there were a number of Mark Spitz like icons just waiting for their chance.  Bode "One More for the Road" Miller took his sponsor's "Just Do It" phrase a little too literally.  The problem is what he just did was hit the bars more than the slopes.  Michelle Kwan was more a favorite for advertising fame than medal hope, but her last minute dropping out left Visa and others scratching their heads on what to do with her.  Chad Hedrick probably did more to completely destroy his earning's potential than any other Olympian in recent memory (and we're including the dreaded Dave versus Dan debacle).  Between his "look at me" behavior, laser bright fake Chiclets filled smile and never-ending chicken fighting with Shani Davis all of the A List advertisers are taking a pass.  We have heard that snow board gold medalist Shaun "one more hit for the road" White has been signed up to be national spokesperson for High Times magazine and Cheech and Chong Rolling Papers, so that's nice for him.

Who will walk away the big Madison avenue winner?  Drum roll please............... Joey Cheek..the only speed-skater (not including short track) that seemed more interested in the true essence of the Olympics than what it would mean for him personally.  His charitable actions (donated $40K of money winnings to kids charity), good looks and beaming personality have made him the most attractive Madison Ave pitch person to emerge.  He's expected to sign 2 to 3 major endorsement deals over the coming weeks.  Good for him.

Saatchi & Saatchi to Open shop focused on Redneck marketing.

Saatchi & Saatchi is rumored to be putting the final touches on a new agency division that will focus specifically on marketing to Redneck Americans.  This move is believed to be a direct attempt to counter act a weak showing the agency has had in winning some of the largest African American and Hispanic American accounts that have been in review in the past year.  The new agency will be named Saatchi & Saatchi Red and will be headquartered in Beaver Falls, Arkansas, about 40 miles outside of Little Rock.  A Saatchi spokesperson commented that "Redneck Americans, as a consumer segment, represent the 148th largest spending group in the country.  In addition, their disposable income is growing at the rate of .25%."  The agency is already believed to be in discussions with Walmart, Copenhagen Smokeless Tobacco and Dairy Queen about possible assignments.  Saatchi & Saatchi Red's new logo is expected to incorporate components of the confederate flag with the tag line, "There's no Red, White and Blue without the Red."

The King gets caught hitting the roids.

The King, of Burger King fame, has allegedly tested positive for steroids in Torino, Italy.  He was there as an alternate on the U.S. men's curling team and was selected under the sports newly initiated random drug screening program.  Evidently the judges and officials became suspicious after he refused to take off his cape and robe in the locker room showers.  Burger King spokesman has been contacted but refused to comment.

What does the picture have to do with this news bit?  Like many things in advertising, absolutely nothing.

HM&P Blames Interpublic for global warming.

AdAge reported yesterday that the Raleigh-based ad agency Howard Merrell & Partners blamed its parent company, Interpublic, for losing the North Carolina Education Lottery account.  Seems Interpublic wasn't willing to put up a $1 Million bond that the state requires to ensure all of its vendors get paid.  But wouldn't HM&P be a vendor in this case?  Why would they have to post a bond if they're the ones that would be getting paid?  Anyway, tempers are supposedly red hot and the phone lines are burning up between Raleigh and the holding company's New York based headquarters.  Now HM&P's logo has a skull with a spike through it.  I think the boys in New York might want to reconsider taking too hard a stance on this thing.
AdAge article: http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=47984

Now it's important to note that the state of North Carolina finished behind North Dakota and Missouri in the state education rankings (http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm).  Point being, you wouldn't imagine the NC Education Lottery is really that significant an account.

A HM&P spokesperson that agreed to speak only off the record (as if we'd do it any other way) said, 'Them damn Yankees ('Interpublic') might want to think twice about taking on us southerners again.  It didn't work out for them too good last time I'll tell you.'  When reminded that the North actually beat the South's ass in that conflict the spokesperson added, 'Never mind.'  Before hanging up he added, 'And don't be surprised when you find out that they have their hand in this whole global warming thing.  These people are evil I tell ya.'

We guess this is what Dow Chemical means when they say good corporate image.

Sounds like Dow might be inhaling too much of its own Chemicals

AdWeek reported today that Dow Chemical was considering holding companies Interpublic and WPP, along with Omnicom and Publicis for a corporate imaging assignment.  They're going to consider Interpublic and WPP for imaging help?  What, was Saddam Hussein not accepting new clients?  I mean come on.  I know there's some good shops there, but with WPP's Italian problems, not to mention their ceo sleeping in the basement of his ex-wife's house, and Interpublic's constant missteps, restatements and reshufflings neither seems like the first stop for this kind of gig.  What's next, the U.S. government selects a Muslim country to handle security at its ports?  OK, that's just too ridiculous.

Here's the AdWeek article.
http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002035859

Who was that?

Which head of a large agency office in NY was seen having lunch today with the ceo of a competitive holding company?  The sit down took place in a village hot spot and included sparkling water, a pasta course and what looked like fish.  No dessert, but at least two cups of coffee, not sure if it was full-test or decaf.  There were lots of smiles and nodding and by all accounts it looked like lots of progress was made on whatever was being discussed.  The holding co. ceo jumped in a waiting town car while the agency head jumped in a less glamorous yellow cab.

"Best a Man Can Get"..evidently not.

Excerpt from AdAge.com

False advertising claims
Schick in turn sued Gillette for false advertising, claiming its longtime “best a man can get” slogan had been rendered untrue by Quattro. Later, after Gillette launched M3 Power in 2004, Schick sued again, charging that ads claiming the vibrating razor raises the hair on men’s faces were false.
Link to full article:  http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=47953
_____end of excerpt________

Gillette is supposedly in talks with its ad agency and rumor has it that they have decided on the following slogan:

"Maybe not the best a man can get, but still good enough to get him a little ass."

Schick is said to be considering a third suit effectively outing Gillette razors as being gay, not that there's anything wrong with that.  They're hoping that this will force Gillette to have to modify its new slogan to:

"Maybe not the best a man can be, but still good enough to get him a little ass; for 10% of the male population at least."

The 2004 false ad claim suit ("Schick sued again, charging that ads claiming the vibrating razor raises the hair on men’s faces were false") is said to have been settled after Gillette proved in court that indeed the hair on men's faces was raised when the vibrating razor was held just right between the man's legs.  Of course, the hair wasn't the only thing that was raised.

We hear that....

Rolling Stone founder, Jan Wenner, might be going in a totally new direction to replace ousted publisher, Steve DeLuca.  An unattributed, unquoted, unauthorized outsider says that Wenner might be looking at the two relatively unknown publishers of AdWeek and AdAge magazines to fill the opening.  Seems that they have two things he's looking for.

First, they both have detailed knowledge of and contacts in the ad industry which he hopes can be used to quickly, as in ASAP, turn the tide on 2005's flat ad sales.  Second, coming from trade magazines, they'll require a significantly lower pay package than their better known and better paid mass media publisher brethren.  Something the famously tightfisted Wenner would like to have as a job requirement.  We tried to reach VNU and Crains, parent companies of AdWeek and Adage respectively, for comments but the V's had been ripped out of our phone book for some reason and Chicago based Crain's isn't a local call.

Here's the story on DeLuca's departure in Crain's NYB.com
http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/news.cms?id=12996

Another story on same subject in the NYPost.  More tawdry of course which we believe means better journalism.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02182006/business/60110.htm

Crain's attributes his exit to "the completion of his contract" while the NY Post blames it on a dispute over a big party.  That's why we love the Post.  They always dig a little bit deeper to get the important facts to their readers.

more to come...

VIEWERS PLAN TO SUE DONNY DEUTSCH

AdAge.com reported on Thursday that Donny Deutsch's ex-partner is planning on suing him.  As usual, the bastion of great reporting has gotten it wrong.  A law suit has been filed, but not by his ex-partner.  A judge in Dover, DE. has authorized class action status to a group of people that accidentally watched an episode of Donny's cable chat show.  Evidently, each of the viewers now experiences head aches, convulsions, blurry vision and vomiting.  The group is said to have offered a settlement.  The main component being a viewer warning to be run before each show stating that watching the show could be harmful to their health....and good taste.  Donny could not be reached for comment.  Ok, we didn't even try.