Sept 17, 2010 Deep breath. In. Out. Hold. Center. Ommmm… I’m trying REALLY hard to abstain from a kneejerk reaction to the ‘dare to share’ assault and twice-raped (by media) teen in Canada who had photos of her horrific ordeal plastered onto Facebook by morally bankrupt bystanders. You could say it was "Over the Line" as MTV's anti-bullying digital literacy youth site "A … [Read more...]
Depravity Gone Viral: A Thin Line For Humanity on Facebook
FTC Food Marketing to Kids Update: Are Watchdogs All Bark No Bite?
Sept. 9, 2010 Where are we now with the whole junk food marketing to kids/obesity prevention discussion? Feels like we’ve been TALKING about "candy bars for breakfast" and citing Pink Princess Fairytale Flakes with ads for sugary slop on TV out the wazoo, along with advergaming (embedded digital trolling, seeding unhealthy junk food) and yet “the more things change, the more … [Read more...]
Teen Girls: Ready For A Rebel Yell? SPARK Change Now!
Sept. 7, 2010 Girls, are you tired of being wrapped up, marketed and sold like a slab of meat? Having the media tell the world what your priorities are? Sick of slimy innuendos aimed at toddlers, tweens, and your little sister? Hey, we’re not afraid to name names. Cough, cough… Sony's "Still A Virgin?" (we can remedy that) sophomoric slam positioning virginity as a … [Read more...]
Sony May Singe Itself: Slimy Innuendo Ignites Backdraft
September 2, 2010 Without a doubt, guerrilla marketing campaigns can be effective disruptors as well as clever marketing and teaching tools for advertising AND media literacy. But what happens when “attention” trumps common sense and branding ethics like this Sony ambient ad campaign? Its proliferation is akin to the “Captive” audience billboard debacle awhile back. As … [Read more...]
Toxic Teen Messaging In A K-Mart/Alloy Episodic: The First Day
September 1, 2010 It’s the first of September, as the first day of school angst bubbles up throughout the nation on either side of this ‘premiere’ week. (many have started school already, some are about to) A welcoming 'first day?' Hardly. This is classic online product placement meets mean girl drek in "First Day: The Series," an abysmal branding collaboration between … [Read more...]