On Grant McCracken’s blog, which “sits at the intersection of anthropology and economics,” this post argues that the American corporation is out of touch with much of the country’s population. The John-Boy Problem (Boomer managers out of touch) Let’s say we are a luxury car company. We’re doing a year-end review of marketing. We’re looking [...]

The Rude Pundit suggests two pro-healthcare reform ads:

Where Are the Pro-Health Care Reform Ads When We Need Them?:
F***, the Rude Pundit will just do the work for you, DNC and other groups:

Ad #1: We’re in a grocery store. POV of being behind a shopping cart, rolling down an aisle. Camera turns to a loaf of bread. Close-up on a sign: the price “$2.99″ has been crossed out with a black marker. A new price, “$4.15,” is written in. As the cart moves up aisles filled with similar signs, all with prices that have been raised, a voice says, “This past month, Anthem Blue Cross sent out notices to 800,000 individual health insurance policy holders informing them that their premiums were going to rise as much as 39%.”

Despite all the unemployment, bankruptcy, and business failure out there, commerce continues all over America. It’s not easy for the little guy, but a company called MicroBilt, which sells data services to small businesses, is offering help. In a somewhat brilliant promotion, MicroBilt has hired a local North Carolina comedy duo, Rhett & Link, to [...]

A severe recession, crippling unemployment, a housing collapse, long-lasting foreign wars, a growing chasm between rich and poor, and a political system crippled by partisan gridlock, unable to grapple with entrenched problems…not a few commentators have speculated that American hegemony is rapidly waning, and that an analogy to the Fall of Rome might be in [...]

This ad for Volkswagen in France is called “Save The Traders,” a parody of musical charity events involving lots of pop stars. Gawker noted more recession-themed ads back in February.

“Spare the “we are family” bullshit…Because families don’t lop off the newest or most expensive offspring when the belt needs tightening.“ That’s from a post on Eric Proulx’ web site Please Feed the Animals, devoted to laid-off advertising professionals. (See previous EconomyBeat entry.) It’s a rather profound if bitter denunciation of what Proulx sees as [...]

Please Feed the Animals is a blog for “recently laid off advertising professionals,” created by copywriter Eric Proulx, who is also coming out with a film about the same topic, called Lemonade.

The blog features a useful section on companies that are hiring and a column specifically for those in account services. But the highlight is the first-person accounts and reactions by those in the industry (or formerly in the industry) who’ve been let go. Here are a couple of good ones: