Some say less is more when it comes to marketing. Mercedes takes “less” to a new level in the marketing of their F-Cell vehicle line. The concept is simple and brilliant. To demonstrate that a vehicle has no emissions, they made an “invisible” vehicle to represent its lack of a footprint on the environment. By covering one side of the vehicle in LEDs, they’re able to let people see through it via a camera mounted on the other side. The results of the publicity stunt will be seen over time but it highlights a creativity that has evaded the German luxury car manufacturer for a while. …

Simplifying life has been an unofficial mantra of Apple for years and their marketing ha proven to be effective in portraying this to people. Their latest marketing push for “iCloud Harmony” highlights the ability of various devices to sync with the iPhone. Is this technology really worthy of Apple marketing? Perhaps I’m a snob but this is something that I’ve come to expect with mobile devices. I have all 3 mobile operating systems in my pocket at any given time and both Android and Windows 7 allow me to take photos from them and have them on my computer and tablets, just as Apple is promoting with iCloud….

It may not be the first time Microsoft has tried to use humor and aggressive attacks to go after Google, but this time it hits a little closer to home than they’ve done in the past. In attacking Google Apps as a work productivity tool, Microsoft invokes Wave, Gears, and Buzz as examples of how Google has completely abandoned projects in the recent past. This time, they’re going to try to help this particular Google product out the door before it can be successfully integrated into business. Playing on the word, “moonlighting”, this video tries to point out that Google Apps aren’t ready for the business…

One of the most important ongoing stories in tech for 2011 was the incessant legal maneuvering between Apple and Samsung. The patent wars have crossed the globe with battles being fought every day in different countries and over different patents. Both sides have had major victories. Both sides have suffered devastating losses. In the middle of it all, a new type of infringement popped up on the internet this month. MacRumors noted that the ad (below) “feels a lot like an Apple iPad ad” but what they didn’t notice is that Samsung used the same young actress that appeared in an iPhone 4S commercial….

The internet took us by storm and changed the way we live our lives. Social media came along and had nearly the same type of impact. In business, it could be argued that social media is the biggest paradigm-shifting element that has come along in a decade, even more important than ecommerce. Has the way that we use social media completely changed the way that we see and interact with advertising? We certainly hope so. Advertising a business has always been about broadcasting a message to a wide-range of people. It’s always been about exposure, branding, and penetration. Today, thanks to social media,…

When I heard that Google had put out their first Google+ television commercial, I was both impressed and a little excited. “Finally,” I thought, “they’re going to make a push to bring Google+ into mainstream consciousness.” I watched the commercial and immediately facepalmed. Despite clear indications from users and bloggers that Google+ Circles is a nice feature but not the thing that would separate it from Facebook, Google continues to highlight it as something special. “Sharing but like real life.” That’s the message. It’s very Applesque in styling and concept. It’s even delivered in…

There was a time not too long ago when a search on Google for “ice cream parlor” done in Newark, NJ, would look pretty much the same as searching for “ice cream parlor” in Long Beach, CA. One would have to type in geographical specifics to something other than national or world-wide results. Those days are behind us and both the search giants Google and Bing as well as many social networking sites have localized search to allow for more relevant results depending on GPS or ISP location of the device doing the search. The main reason is, of course, user experience; the more useful a service is, the more…

Most people have grown accustomed to ignoring banner ads. There are browser plugins that block them and filters that hide them. Even when they’re visible, many people simply pretend like they aren’t there. The problem isn’t with the people. They problem is with the ads themselves. In many cases, they simply all look the same. Sale this. Special that. Stock photo, some text, and a button to click to get more information. They’re old. According to research by BuySellAds, there are ways to make banner ads more appealing. As an increasing number of people spend a growing amount of time online, websites…

Social media has had a tremendous effect on many aspects of life and work over the last couple of years. Marketing and advertising have been particularly affected due to the attention that social media demands. Just as radio changed advertising, then television changed it later, now the internet and social media have made the advertising executives’ jobs change. This infographic by our friends at BuySellAds breaks it down for us nicely. Click to enlarge. …

Twitter is already a popular destination for political discourse, but the social network wants to beef up its involvement in politics as the 2012 election nears. This week, Twitter will begin selling political advertising in an effort to keep revenues up. “We’ve had five years to watch and observe how people are using the platform organically and we know politicians are active on the platform, and we know that consumers enjoy the messages from those politicians,” Twitter’s president of global revenue, Adam Bain, said in an interview. “We’re excited about the election cycle, and we think…