Ads Tap Into That 'Mad-as-Hell' Feeling

Levi's, Pepsi, Harley, and Facebook make the list

(NEWSER) - The 77 million people born between 1946 and 1964 helped make and break some of the world's great brands. Judann Pollack of Ad Age picks the top 15:

• Levi's—Today, Levi's jeans sit desk-side on casual Fridays. But in the 1960s they were marketed with music from Jefferson Airplane.
• Pepsi—Boomer big-shots like Madonna, Michael J. Fox, Tina Turner, and Cindy Crawford pitched Pepsi to a new generation of soda sippers.

Commercials get angry at CEOs, uppity lifestyles

(NEWSER) - Seeking to key into the national mood, the latest spots from Madison Avenue are uncharacteristically angry, the New York Times reports. “We’re turning up the volume in relation to what our customers are feeling,” says the marketing head at Kodak, whose new printer ads slam the “$5 billion dollar stain” on the economy caused by overpaying for ink—a long way from your typical Kodak moment. More»

Big pharma uses tricks, distractions to veil harmful side-effects

(NEWSER) - Drug ads are multiplying on TV, and manufacturers are starting to advertise medical equipment used in invasive procedures, so now might be a good time to wonder what the spots are telling us. Not as much as they should, Time reports. An independent researcher has found drug companies are using distractions, fast-talking, and tricks gleaned from neuroscience to downplay negative side-effects. More»

Today it's round Kleenex boxes; tomorrow, talking ones

(NEWSER) - Commercial product design is being overhauled faster and faster as brands compete in a fragmented market. The Internet and cable TV have diluted the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and companies are spending more money on engaging design to win customers: Pepsi, for one, is rolling out a new can every few weeks this year. The Times takes a look. More»

Copyright-protected content will be available for free online in new NBC-News Corp. partnernship

(NEWSER) - TV biggies NBC Universal and News Corp. are teaming up to hit YouTube with the full force of their their combined TV content, offered online for free. Starting this summer, AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft's MSN and News Corp. subsidiary MySpace will hope to win over internet users (and the advertising that goes with them) with shows like 24 and Heroes. More»