Rob Ford and Astral Media cover Toronto in more f*cking ads

Toronto’s newest piece of street furniture was going to be the centrepiece of a state-of-the-art tourist information system and then it was redesigned. Now that it’s being placed on downtown sidewalks, public-space activists are making their opinion clear: They hate it.

Why? Because they say it looks like nothing more than a garish billboard.

The city calls them “information pillars,” but opponents say that name is disingenuous. “They’re 95-per-cent advertising and the information they offer is of negligible value,” said Tim Grant chair of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association. “It is clearly a billboard.”

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Canada's privacy commissioner dreams in Techicolor

Consumers should always be able to opt out of online tracking used by companies to provide them with targeted advertising, Canada's privacy commissioner said Tuesday.

Companies such as Google and Facebook are increasingly using information about web users in order to make their ads more relevant to their interests.

"Some people like receiving ads targeted to their specific interests. Others are extremely uncomfortable with the notion of their online activities being tracked. People’s choices must be respected," Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart in a statement while releasing new guidelines on online behavioural advertising.

Stoddart said the use of technologies that track and target ads to certain consumers has risen dramatically.

"And we're concerned that Canadians' privacy rights aren't always being respected."

Humm, money...privacy. So hard to guess which will win...

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Good Advertising

David Bowie sells water

Wendy's Soviet Fashion Show

Back when propaganda was fun!

Mayor Ford AOK with advertising in schools

A comment by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford suggesting advertising be allowed inside school buildings is causing some controversy.

Speaking on a local radio station last week, Ford suggested companies could pay to advertise on gym floors and walls inside schools.

In the Thursday interview on the Fan 590, Ford said it's ridiculous that school gymnasiums sit empty when they could be generating revenue.

Anything for a buck.

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Guinness - Surfer

Child killer and Volkswagon ad icon calls down the wrath of the Force

I've always questioned those that use Darth Vader as a symbol to admire.

World stunned to learn Fanta still produced

Fanta is #10?

Oh yeah, Coke won the cola wars.

The cola war is over for the time being, and the winner appears to be Coke — twice.

For the first time ever, Diet Coke has topped rival Pepsi-Cola to become the second-most popular soft drink in the United States. Coca-Cola Classic took the top spot, with more than 1.6 billion cases sold across the U.S. in 2010.

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Nursery Rhymes with Storytime: Oh my God, this sad, pathetic man

Someone please release him from the steel dungeon he finds himself in. Think of the children!

Now schools are not even safe havens from advertising

Cash starved schools and greedy marketers, a match made in heaven...

The Toronto District School Board is set to vote on a proposal to fully institute a pilot program allowing digital video screens featuring artwork, announcements and some advertising at more than 90 schools.

The video screens have already been installed at four high schools, and the board will vote Wednesday evening on whether to introduce them to 70 more this month. Another 20 would get them next year.

Announcements, exam information, even how much time is remaining until the next class are displayed on the screens. But about 30 per cent of the time is reserved for advertising, which the school board estimates could generate an extra $100,000 a year.

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Update, they voted against it...

UnDeer 1, Wikipedia 0

Wikipedia's "obvious hoax" just got video proof. Suck it.

Montreal's CHOM FM run by people totally devoid of taste

First they struck with perhaps the worst logo of the century so far.

Not to be outdone....



I hope Doug Pringle doesn't see this. If he's still alive, this will kill him.

Chom Chom, Chom Chom...

The Spirit of Montreal, now available in Fascist.

Dorothy Gray ad from the 1950's

Lundgren vs. Unicorn

Moronic Advertising: 10:10 Campaign

Note to video creators...you are not talented enough to pull this off, but have succeeded in creating a horrifying artifact that will set your cause back years.

WTF are these idiots thinking?

Seems more like an ad in favour of global warming...cut carbon emissions or the fascist lefties will kill you?

Beware the moronic marketer.

btw, I'm hoping this turns out to be a joke so we can all say "ohhhh, it's bad *art*"

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Geico - Little Piggy

Microsoft: "Be what's next"

My goodness, the Microsoft marketing team must have been up all night coming up with that one...

According to Engadget, the company showed off a new three-word motto at the Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) last week, along with a short teaser (see video below).

Microsoft's new tagline (confirmed by Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos, according to Chris Pirillo): "Be what's next."

Meh, what's next?

Republican Bill Cooper: Idiot of the Day

Another moronic politician with no more historical knowledge than a doorknob.

Moronic Marketers: Dead animal beer bottles at £500 each

A beer served in bottles made from stuffed animals has been criticised as "perverse" and "pushing the boundaries of acceptability".

The End of History, made by BrewDog of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, is 55% and £500 a bottle.

The bottles have been made using seven dead stoats, four squirrels and a hare, said to have died of natural causes.

Like the good taste of those behind this bad idea.

Read more here.