Post Advertising

Louis Vuitton has put together a roster of real "seasoned & well traveled" celebrities who share their authentic and personal insights about places they know and love. They share a sort of emotional interest built up over many journeys to one place. Keith Richards, smoking a cigarette, face like spider legs, tells us in one video, "London guitar players have longer straps...look at John Lennon playing under his chin...I always said 'get a longer strap.'" We care about these stories because they're real and completely uncontrived. The music, photography, interface, is all very consistent, very personal, seamless, and the global scope of destinations and contributors reinforces both the travel and the stature of the LV brand. This campaign leaves last week's flap in the dust.

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What National Train Day does NOT do is ask you to participate in an illegal, immoral drug- and weapons-smuggling ring as a young police officer under the guise of training you to do the right thing and take care of the poor innocents of the urban neighborhood from whence you came.  It does ask you to join in on the festivities ("live musical performances, exhibits, trip planning, VIP appearances and trip giveaways"), and to "Get your CHOO-CHOO on."  Well, it did until May 10, 2008.  Sigh.  Another National Train Day come and gone, and what have we done with our lives?  I have so many questions. 

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Idea that we sorta didn't pan last week has reportedly been killed.  Just 'cause ya can't get enough, more Mentos goodness from the past after the jump.

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No, it's not Hillary Clinton making out with Barack Obama.  Or Clinton—either Clinton—making out with Dick Cheney.  Or Cheney making out with Ellen Degeneres.  It's not anyone making out with anyone.  It's Canon's new VIXIA HD camcorders, which hit stores in January.  They take the best video ever—the best video possible.  The campaign by Dentsu America claims, "What video should be, finally is."  Is this your promise, Canon, to never come out with another must-have, top-of-the-line video camera?  You'll just work on making this one more durable so that it will last forever, right?

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Rumor is that some people are concerned with what toothpaste, antifreeze and chewing tabacco celebrities use.  Good news for the geeks, who can fly low and slow (and clumsily, as is their wont) under the radar.  Hot on the heels of the ill-conceived celeb brand-gawking site Coolspotters is Geekspotter, pretty much the former's opposite in every way.  And while we all know there are millions of celebs, there seem to be only seven geeks in the world at present—all located in Britain.  Don't worry, British geeks, your moms still think you're cool.

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The CMO's dream and nightmare all at once: What do people really think of my brand?  A new website called Brand Tags makes that dreammare come true.  The premise is simple: Whatever people say your brand is, that's what it is.  The routine is that you see a logo and you type in the first thing that comes to mind.  The answer you give is added to a tag cloud with each repetition of a word or phrase enlarging the size of the font of that word or phrase.  That's how "phone" came to dominate T-Mobile's tag cloud.  "Shoes," then "soccer," then "sport" is what people think of Adidas, while Google is "search" and, no surprise, "Google."  Due to perhaps a cultural quirk—or perhaps through a grassroots effort—a lot of people are thinking "penis on staples" no matter what brand logo they see.  Find out what I said (and how completely out of touch I am) after the jump.

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From:
J. Michael Huget
Butzel Long, Attorneys and Counselors
734-995-3110
huget@butzel.com
Counsel to Crain Communications, Inc.

To:
Mr. Jeremy Bisdorf
Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC
201 South Main Street, Suite 300
Ann Arbor, MI 48014

May 8, 2007

Re: Story Worldwide, Inc. and POST-ADVERTISING AGE-related marks

Dear Mr. Bisdorf:

This is in response to your letter of May 22.  Despite the tone and posturing of your letter, Story Worldwide, Inc. (“Story”) appears willing to take conciliatory steps to which Crain Communications (“Crain”) will respond in a similar fashion.

Crain will suspend further action against Story in the event that Story: 1) affirmatively abandons its POST-ADVERTISING AGE-related trademark registration applications; 2) ceases usage of POST-ADVERTISING AGE-related trademarks; 3) ceases usage of Advertising Age-deri...

From:
Jeremy D. Bisdorf
Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss

To:
J. Michael Huget
Butzel Long
Suite 300, 350 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Re: Story Worldwide

May 22, 2007

Dear Mr. Huget:
This letter is a response to your May 8, 2007 letter to us regarding claims made by your client, Crain Communications, Inc. (“Crain”), with respect to our client Story Worldwide, Inc. (“Story”).  In your letter you assert that Story has: 1) improperly registered the domain names post-advertisingage.com, post-advertisingage.net, postadvertisingage.com and post-advertisingage.org (collectively, the “Domains); 2) improperly used Crain’s ADVERTISING AGE trademark; 3) sought registration for service marks, that if registered, would damage Crain’s trademark ADVERTISING AGE; and 4) improperly used copyrighted materials on its website.

First, with respect to the Domains,...

From:
J. Michael Huget
Butzel Long, Attorneys and Counselors
734-995-3110
huget@butzel.com
Counsel to Crain Communications, Inc.

To:
Mr. Jeremy Bisdorf
Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC
201 South Main Street, Suite 300
Ann Arbor, MI 48014

May 8, 2007

Re: Story Worldwide, Inc. and POST-ADVERTISING AGE

Dear Mr. Bisdorf:

As you know, we are counsel to Crain Communications, Inc. (“Crain”), which has asked us to write you on its behalf.  We respond here to your letter of March 19 in which you identified Story Worldwide, Inc. (“Story”) as your client and the owner of several ADVERTISING AGE-related URLs: post-advertisingage.com, post-advertisingage.net, postadvertisingage.com, post-advertisingage.org (collectively, the “Domains”).

We restate for the benefit of Story, Crain’s broad, longstanding use of ADVERTISING AGE in connection ...

From:
Jeremy D. Bisdorf
Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss

To:
J. Michael Huget
Butzel Long
Suite 300, 350 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan

March 16, 2007

Dear Mr. Huget:

Our firm represents Story Worldwide LLC (“Story”).  Story is in receipt of your letter dated March 14, 2007 to Ms. Ellen Jacob concerning the domain names:  post-advertisingage.net, post-advertisingage.org, post-advertisingage.com and postadvertisingage.com (collectively, the “Domains”).  Story is the owner of the Domains.

We disagree with your position that Crain Communications, Inc. has any right to the Domains.  As such, Story does not intend to transfer them to your client.

Story’s managers have asked us to tell you that they would be happy to sit down with Rance Crain and discuss the matter at any mutually convenient time and place.

Please direct any f...

From:
J. Michael Huget
Butzel Long, Attorneys and Counselors
734-995-3110
huget@butzel.com
Counsel to Crain Communications, Inc.

To:
Ms. Ellen Jacob
Jacob Packaged Goods, LLC

March 14, 2007

Re: ADVERTISING AGE

Dear Ms. Jacob:

We are counsel to Crain Communications, Inc. (“Crain”), which has asked us to write you on its behalf.  As you may know, Crain publishes more than thirty (30) newspapers and magazines throughout the world.

In this regard, Crain owns Advertising Age.  Advertising Age is the world’s leading brand for news and insight on marketing, advertising and media.  To protect its valuable brand, Crain has twice registered the ADVERTISING AGE trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for ADVERTISING AGE, Reg. Nos. 273,431 and 2,465,499.  Attached hereto as Exhibit A.  Both...