Purity Factories’ advertising no treat at all #nlpoli
Venerable local food manufacturer Purity Factories has a new advertising campaign featuring its delicious cream crackers. On a billboard in the east end of St. John’s, the line in big…
advertising
Adblock is Adhoc Answer to the Ugly Ad Dilemma
AdBlock Plus mobile browser could devastate publishers About 215 million people will use ad block services on their computers by June, company estimates CBC News Posted: May 25, 2015 5:00…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Joseph Stiglitz laments the corporate takeover of policy-making processes, including by imposing trade rules which impede democratic decision-making: The real intent of…
Bad Designs
I’m not a graphic designer. I was not formally educated in that art. However, over the years, my jobs in editing and writing for books, newspapers, magazines and publishers have…
I’m teaching copywriting at UBC
This week I begin teaching a UBC Continuing Studies course on copywriting. While I’ve given plenty of workshops and conference presentations, I’m very much looking forward to working with the…
Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne writes that by finally recognizing the unfairness and ineffectiveness of Alberta’s regressive tax system, Jim Prentice may be starting a needed…
Does YOUR Favorite Corporate Exploit Tragedy for Sales?
It’s not like capitalists deserve your pity when they accidentally offend people while they try to embrace their communities to build spirit. And profit. It is partly because corporations are…
Facebook, Likes and Big Data
I suppose you could call it ironic. There was a story from a ‘friend’ on my Facebook news feed today called “Quitting the Like” all about escaping Facebook’s data collection…
New column day
Here, on how we’ll soon be seeing both federal and provincial governments alike try to block out their real history with glossy ad campaigns – and why we shouldn’t let…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Ryan Meili examines why Craig Alexander of the TD Bank is calling for a move toward greater income equality in Canada: The OECD…
negative reviews and threats of lawsuits: let’s not give in to corporate bullying
There’s a new bully in town, and he’s not going after fat kids in the school cafeteria. He’s a corporate bully, and he’s gunning for you, his dissatisfied customer. An…
How @Dicks Sporting Goods Can Advance Feminism, So Easily
Dick’s Sporting Goods, in the all-too testosterone world of sports, released a catalogue with virtually no women in it. Except for cheerleaders and a girl watching men play sports. A…
On universal freedoms
I won’t wade too far into the sudden discussion of political advertising raised by the Cons’ plans to change copyright law to favour political advertising, as Michael Geist has largely…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – CJ Werleman writes that the U.S.’ inequality nightmare is getting worse even as the public gains a greater recognition of the issue. Nick…
Wednesday Evening Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Vineeth Sekharan debunks the myth that a job represents a reliable path out of poverty, while reminding us that there’s one policy choice…
To dream fondly of the day when ads haunt our dreams
Heather Mallick’s column about the public’s willingness to sell out to the corporate sector for cheap unfortunately meanders off on a few too many tangents before reaching much of a…
Daniel Higgs at Café Oto: A refuge of cultural integrity
In the mosh pit of global corporate excess that claims so much of London (UK) circa 2014, Café Oto is an oasis of cultural intelligence and inspiration. I popped in…
Newsprint ‘wraps’ – not good for fish and, as it turns out, not much good for newspapers either
The Edmonton Journal’s “wrap” Friday, showing the hidden front page inside. Below: The wrap’s uninspiring front page. Now that nobody sells fried fish wrapped in yesterday’s edition of the local…
Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Robert Reich proposes that the best way to address corporate criminality is to make sure that those responsible go to jail –…
Harper’s Conservatives already have enough evidence
Harper’s Conservatives don’t need you telling them how incompetent or wasteful they are. They don’t need to know those things and they certainly don’t need anyone telling their faithful –…