Good Noise

Advertising is not dead, it's just not King anymore

Google going onto TV is a bit of a landmark. For the world’s biggest brand to use the dinosaur of TV to push a product that is not moving as they are used to, is in many ways a the first battle won by the old guard in a war that has been all one way for quite some time. Google, perhaps more than any other entity, has been responsible for the shift in traditional advertising – adwords revolutionised how companies target their consumers and vice versa.

So for Google, who very proudly has been built ‘100% on word of mouse/mouth’, to make the about face of using TV smacks a little of desperation, which is unsurprising when their product, the web browser Chrome, is hardly on anyone’s desktop even a year after launch. Which is even more amazing when you consider that almost everyone has Google as their home page.

What this does show, is that the new media ‘digital revolution’ cannot be the best at everything. Traditional media is still a vital ingredient to ignite a campaign – many people still only perceive something as ‘big/serious’ if they see it on TV or read it in the paper – these mediums hold a physical gravitas that the digital world cannot compete with. And it still holds, that even the biggest, most creative and impactful digital or social media PR campaigns – think T-Mobile or Susan Boyle – only get truly huge when the traditional media pick up on them. Susan’s YouTube vid was pootling along quite happily at 2-3 million until the Daily Mail brigade picked up on her, then in turn the global media and Larry King Show – only then did it shoot into the stratosphere. It also speaks volumes that the biggest ever hit on YouTube is now a very normal, quite scary, middle aged woman who lives with too many cats – not a geek with a light saber. Posted by Graham

Comedy from The Street

I read Gary Lightbody’s Top 10 ultimate comedy shows in Shortlist and it got me thinking what would mine be… it’s difficult and it might keep changing as I remember more…

1.     Seinfeld (although I hadn’t heard about Michael Richards racist tirade in a stand-up show and that mars his character so and now the show)

2. My Name is Earl

3. Lead Balloon

4. Fraiser

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm

6. Green Wing

7. Friends

8. Will and Grace

9. Happiness

10. The Office

11. Extras

12. Cheers

13. Vicar of Dibley

Eastenders, iPods and eavesdropping

The following email exchange takes place between 6pm and 7pm. Events occur in real time.

From Michael: Standing on platform at Finchley Road. There are 2 ex-East Enders actors standing next to me. The bloke who slashed his wrists in real life - Chris something and the posh bird who was the daughter of the dodgy bloke who was also in the Bill.

How celeb! I'm going to sit near them on the train too!

From Michael: (one minute later) They bumped into each other outside the station. He is disputing a contract - she has perma tan.

From Michael: (one further minute later) How the mighty have fallen - neither have eaten all day and are now grazing on chocolate and grapes. Oh no chris had soup before he came out. She was in panto.

From Michael: (yet another minute later) they're going to something at Wembley and hope they get vip treatment - special passes. I bet its something Dancing on Ice!!! She shops at Primark.

From Michael: (one minute 30 seconds later) He's had his ipod stolen but although there were pics and movies there was nothing too bad. He said pics of Denise - I reckon VanOuten.

From Emily: I have no idea who they are!

From Michael: Chris Parker - have no idea what the birds name is - I think her character was Rose - she was friends with Stacey

From Sarah: I have no idea who or what you are talking about but well done. Abbie is resident Enders enthusiast - so Abbie follow the chain of Michaels emails and be excited (fergawdsake)

From Abbie: Yes I know him. He was Alfie's brother. I've seen him having dinner with Denise Van Outen, they're good friends and he gave her a cd! Don't know who she is.

From Emily: Ruby! Who is now a copper in The Bill. Her dad was Johnny.

From Michael: Thank you - its been playing on my mind!

From Emily: And she was on Dancing on Ice so I bet that's where they're off to tonight

From Emily: Not dancing on ice. Strictly. She also came 9th in the Eurovision Dance contest 2008

From Sarah: Enough please - Obama Street is v busy and can not be disturbed anymore.

Moments in History....

As the oldest member on the team I was struck by the different reactions to what will be one of those ‘defining moments in history’ that happened on Tuesday – Barack Obama’s inauguration. If anyone asks my generation ‘Do you remember when……John Kennedy was assassinated or when the Berlin Wall came down the majority would be able to tell you in detail where they were and what they were doing and would also agree that they watched TV in depth when these events were being covered.

On Tuesday there was a real mixed response here in the office; about a third stopped work and watched TV, another third watched with one eye from their desks and a third were really not overly interested. Conclusion – various from inbuilt cynicism to workload and needless to say I was one of the ones glued to the television.

Posted by Tricia