Fuse have created another anti-MTV ad, to be hung in Times Square like their previous ad, which featured Sally Struthers. The media company Bertelsmann cites the reason for refusal that the billboard is "too tacky" according to the New York Post.

"Too tacky for Times Square?" asked Marc Juris, president of Fuse, which is part of Cablevision's Rainbow Media unit. "It's not like we're putting a billboard at the Vietnam Memorial. It's Times Square."

Bertelsmann owns a large music company - BMG - and the decision may have been made because the company doesn't want to anger MTV, one of its key promotional outlets.

Those who don't know their history are condemned to repeat it.

But repeat it this well? This is a carbon-copy of the idea - with herring instead of meatballs.

Two quicktime films are waiting for you to click "read more.."

"A charity campaign warning of the dangers of passive smoking has been scrapped by an advertising agency to prevent an embarrassing run-in with one of its most valued clients - British American Tobacco.

Ogilvy & Mather had offered to devise a free advertising campaign entitled "passive smoking kills" for a leading anti-smoking charity. It featured a hard-hitting and disturbing poster, showing a cigarette, designed like a barrel of a gun, firing a bullet.

"Then they rang back to say they couldn't go ahead. They sounded embarrassed but said that it would represent a conflict of interest with BAT. They seemed so in fear of ... their client that they have ditched a really good ad."

This week's Advertising Age -- only the print version, unfortunately -- has a short piece on the upcoming ad campaign for a line of home products by Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light™.

Metropolis notes that Kinkade's venture into residential development has been a success. But that its association with the Kinkade brand has had almost nothing to do with it.

(read more.. there's more)

A man who calls himself the Comedy Terrorist has been released on bail after gatecrashing Prince Williams 21st birthday party. No it's not Tony Kaye despite his fondness for dressing up as Osama as a comedy act in 2001, this comedians name is Aaron Barschak.

Police would not confirm the man's identity but said a 36-year-old man from London had been arrested on suspicion of burglary, which covers unauthorized entry.

IKEA stands for Ingvar Kamprand Elmtaryd och Agunnaryd. The first is the founders name, the third and fourth are the small towns in småland where the Ikea saga began. Particle Board in swedish = spånplatta - say that ten times fast.

The Washingtonpost reports on the Ikea Dreamers that are camping out in style as they wait for the first Ikea store to open in Prince George County - they are camping outside in a large tent provided by Ikea, much like fans of popstars que up for concert tickets days in advance. They must be desperate for cheap colorful designer furniture and knick-knacks around there.

Helios has posted a bunch of new ID's for FUSE on the broadcast section of their site - no Sally Struthers gum-flashing but some quality branding with Señor Pain, Trixie Zero and a bunny with a chainsaw.

www.heliozilla.com

(jesper/adlist) Drink Milk in Canada has launched a new campaign and invite people to do their own 3d posters on their website.

...in a new ad. No its not a repeat of the Winona Ryder story, it's an advert for Ariel washing powder. It starts out innocently enough, Tim Henman goes shopping clad in his tennis whites.....

(read more for ad images)

A US toy company Hero Builders has produced dolls based on Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraq's former information minister.

In a sarcastic tribute to what US-based Hero Builders calls Mr al-Sahhaf's "one-man battle against the observable facts", they have produced 12-inch-tall action figures in his image.

The "Iraqi Dis-Information Minister" doll comes also in a talking version that parrots phrases such as "There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!" and "Our initial assessment is that they will all die."

The don't jump buses which Adgrunt commando alerted us to back in 1998 have a predecessor - of course. Such a good idea had to have been done before, right? right?

This isn't the "to our readers in high places.." ad - it's a dark horse entering the game, from saatchi in wellington - read more to see their bus roof ad.

Advertising agencies are hothouses for creativity, but sometimes their
ideas aren't as farm fresh as they should be.

adgrunts, click continue to see what's growing in the garden of
Badland (DirecTV vs. Fruit Harvest).

Lowe's latest ad for Orange - directed by Tarsem - which aims to promote picture messaging has quite a few similarities with Nick Livesey's award-winning title sequence to Hannibal....

a few people noticed - amoung them Livesy who sent a .jpg of Anthony Hopkins' face to Charles Crisp at Lowe - it read:

Strawberry Frogs annual Party will be held in Amsterdam the 17th of October.
If you happen to be in the neighbourhod - RSVP to get to the party.

Hall&Cederquist/Y&R in Stockholm were visited by burglers.

On the receptionists desk was a webcamera, and it reacted to movement, so they captured their guests on film.

It only took 130 seconds to carry out eleven portable G3's. The cops did arrived with guns drawn, but alas, too late.

Strap-on duck will keep you awake? So claims the Argentinian inventors of the Duckmaster.

(click read more- go on, you know you want to)

Robblink asked earlier "why was the where the cheese at ad pulled?", as ad age revealed that Pizza Hut was returning to more traditional advertising.

Clayton found the why: Black Family Sues Pizza Hut - Thirteen members of a family are suing the operator of a Pizza Hut for $2 million, alleging they were refused service because they are black.

Colonial Foods LLC maintains that employees tried to explain to the family that they couldn't be served because the restaurant had run out of cheese and couldn't make any more pizzas.

Remember the Diet Coke commercial where cheeky female office workers organized "Diet Coke breaks" to drool over a construction worker named Lucky?

Well, they're back again (at least the creative concept is) and they now have eyes for an Imagistics photocopier repairman!

How many buff construction workers you know drink diet soda? Maybe the repairman should fix the ladies' Gay-dar!

This month the ict have brung down it`s axe on many ads.
XBOX
CHAMPAGNE
BBH bartleboglehegarty.com

This ad,which featured a very short life (Literally,it lasted thirty
seconds) received 160 complaint`s resulting in it being banned from TV.Although,as with French connection,this don`t stop them keeping it on their website at http://www.playmore.com
i can see why this one was banned,as i didn`t really like it.
(read more)

We all know that Google came from nowhere, and now rule the search engine web. How do they keep a large company innovative and the employees productive, rather than going flat hieararchy FBI-ish and loosing important ideas on the way?

Google google themselves.....