Dish Network’s Hopper Fights the Future of Traditional Advertising

Posted by Jon Thomas, 30 May 2012

The commercials for Dish Network’s ad-skipping DVR, the Hopper, are quite memorable and humorous to a native of Massachusetts, like me. The actors have thick Boston accents, and they repeatedly pronounce the name of the device the way any good Red Sox fan would: “Hop-ah.”

It’s ironic, though, that the Hopper’s commercials are so memorable. The device’s primary function is to eliminate commercials altogether. The Hopper automatically records the entire prime-time lineups for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. With a little user programming, however, many digital video recorders (DVRs) can do that. What sets the Hopper apart is that it enables playback completely sans commercials (versus fast-forwarding over them). Score another point for ad-slaying technology in the post-advertising age.

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The Phuture of Pharmaceutical Advertising

Posted by Adam Uhrynowski, 16 May 2012

Think of the last pharmaceutical commercial you saw. It probably involved scenes of nature: people doing normal things like sitting in bathtubs on a hilltop and walking on the beach. But what was the name of the drug it was advertising? You can’t remember, can you? That’s because 99 percent of the pharma commercials created are exactly the same, and they all blend into a soft-focus, elevator-music-tinged, generic pile of boredom.

This unending cycle of mediocrity can be prevented. I’ll take a look at a typical pharma commercial and then give it a makeover, as well as give you tips for making sure your pharmaceutical brand stands out. You should, of course, consult your marketing agency before making these changes.

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Are Super Bowl Ads Worth the Dough?

Posted by Keith Blanchard, 04 Feb 2011

The New York Times reports that Fox is charging advertisers an estimated $2.8-3 million for every thirty seconds aired during this year’s Super Bowl. Pretty steep, sure, but there's plenty of reason to believe the money is worth it. The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) found that last year 24.3 percent of viewers thought the commercials were more important than the actual game. So advertisers have a captive audience. But are they actually taking away and retaining any information from the ads?

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