MortarBlog

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Introducing the Ass Kissing Project from  a German job hunting website (oh you think we kid?). They offered this recent commentary on job hunting at an event, oh, I dunno, somewhere.

Honestly, those crazy Krauts! Seen on AdRants and BoingBoing who got the scoop.

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eBay has Mooninites for $1,215.00.

What? You missed that two operatives for New York-based Interference Inc. are being prosecuted for executing a guerilla stunt for Adult Swim?

The campaign brought Boston to a stand still yesterday.

The neon systems featured exposed wires and batteries — sparking what was tantamount to the biggest bomb scare since 9/11.  CNN reports:

"Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens were released on $2,500 bail, said Mike Rich, their attorney. The next pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 7. Both men were cooperative with authorities, and neither has a previous criminal record in Massachusetts, Grossman said.

At a news conference after the hearing, Stevens and Berdovsky stepped to the microphones and said they were taking questions only about 1970s hairstyles.

When a reporter accused them of not taking the situation seriously, Stevens responded, "We’re taking it very seriously." Asked another question about the case, Stevens reiterated they were answering questions only about hair and accused the reporter of not taking him and Berdovsky seriously.

Reporters did not relent and as they continued, Berdovsky disregarded their queries, saying, "That’s not a hair question. I’m sorry."

Um. No. We’re not making this up. See full article here.

Hey Julie, looks like there will be an opening at Turner very soon….

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Pushing one-to-one marketing to yet another level, innovative marketer Mini has launched a series of talking billboards.

The billboards identify Minis via  a coded radio signal embedded in the car’s key fob.

"As drivers approach, a
customized message flashes on the billboard. "Hi Jackie! Don’t crash
the car." comments Church of the Customer Blog.

"The messages are personal, based on questionnaires that owners filled out: “Mary, moving at the speed of justice,” if Mary is a lawyer, or “Mike, the special of the day is speed,” if Mike is a chef….

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Brand managers, see if you measure up. Take the Mortar360 quiz.

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Nationwide travelers could soon see ads for laptops, expensive cars and other products in the trays that carry their shoes and cell phones through X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints. Full story at CNN.com.

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Shout out to the Wexley School for Girls. (Yup that’s an agency). Had to post this, seen on a recent visit to Wexley’s site. Click Download picture_22.png

to get the full effect.

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Proving once again that San Francisco is nobody’s bitch, the city’s homeless and diabetics–the chemically challenged"–rose up last week to denounce the latest salvo in Goodby’s "Got Milk" campaign–cookie scented bus shelters.

In what was possibly the most impressive piece of general agency PR ever spawned by a buy of less than $5,000 and no more than 8 hours of daylight, Goodby secured nationwide headlines with its new outdoor program. Prompting a post in even this, the most august of blogs: "Scratch N’Sniff bus shelters".

Mind you, considering it took the good people of our fair city just 24 hours to get the program pulled I am not sure which lobby is the most effective. 

Our hearts go out to the creator, Louis Zafonte of Arcade Marketing, the company behind scent strips. He pretty much watched his entire business implode last week. Rumor has it he’s a little ticked too.
A little birdy tells MortarBlog that Goodby’s PR team went off half-cocked.

There’s an insight here ladies and gentleman: don’t test your wacky ideas in freaky San Francisco. 

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Smell-o-rama fans rejoice: Scratch N’Sniff outdoor is finally here.

Local agency Goodby Silverstein snagged a generous amount of PR for long-time "Got Milk" client, the California Milk Board with five aromatic billboards in San Francisco.

"Vanilla-y,” one woman said as she walked past the shelter. 

"Cherry undertones  –  and waxy,” said another woman standing inside. 

"These don’t smell anything like cookies my mom baked,” said a teenager. 

"It smells like my kid’s lunch pail,” said one man. He walked away before
he could say whether that smell was pleasing or offensive.

Louis Zafonte, vice president of Arcade Marketing, the company that
manufactures the scent strips that are affixed to the bus shelters, speaks like
a mix of preacher, scientist, therapist and businessman when he talks about
scent.

"Scent is a primary driver of memory,” he said. "It can trigger wonderful
memories.” 

The strips, no larger than a typical adult’s hand, have been strategically
placed throughout five bus shelters in the Union Square, Financial District and
Nob Hill neighborhoods. The aroma is expected to last a week or two before it
will have to be replaced. Zafonte said the cost is about $25 per shelter. 

Read the full story on SF Gate here.

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eBay in Belgium is fly posting closed businesses. Simple. Effective. Better than the "IT" campaign f’sure. Seen on The Coolhunter.

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