Some of the latest news in advertising and marketing proves that the business is a study in contrasts. In this tech-savvy era of split-second attention spans, forward thinking is an absolute essential. On the other hand, some of the tried-and-true maxims of marketing still hold true.

Is that a David Bowie making a web on your porch? Probably not, as he’s indigenous to Malaysia.

If you’re confused, you missed the story on German arachnid expert Peter Jager, who named his most recent discovery Heteropoda davidbowie, after the rock icon who brought us Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Jager has intentionally given the arachnid an attention-getting name in the hopes of drawing public awareness to endangered spider species. It’s working. The Heteropoda davidbowie scored an article in the LA Times and several other media outlets. When was the last time you read about an arachnid expert?

Jager is not just a scientist, but a master marketer.

Microblogging service Twitter, which many businesses are now taking advantage of as a powerful and simple ad tool, may soon start carrying ads. A recent change to the terms of service opens the door for targeted ads to appear on users’ pages.

Twitter reached 44.5 million unique visitors last June, proving that the possibilities for reaping ad-generated revenue are through the roof.

It’s not just Twitter that’s evolving. A recent article in the UK’s Guardian profiles media owner Vice. Says the Guardian, “A new breed of agency is not just making ads, but creating ready meals, signing bands and blurring the boundaries.” They mention Vice’s “global network of writers, photographers, designers and artists.” (Hmm, sounds familiar.)

But, at the same time that marketing ideas are catapulting into the future, there’s something to be said for continuing the use of traditional mediums, too. In a recent USA Today column , business expert Steve Strauss emphasizes the importance of newspaper ads at a time when many are saying the medium is losing ground.

Strauss shows that for specific types of advertisers, newspapers can be an integral part of their ad campaign, especially to reach niche markets. Says Strauss, “62% of those with postgraduate degrees said they read a newspaper in an average week.” Newspaper readers also tend to be more affluent these days.

Addressing the issue of fewer readers, Strauss says there’s an upside. Less ads means that yours stands out even more.

“In addition, lower circulation means that the people who do read the paper are more committed to it and more likely to read it closely. Moreover, since these discerning readers tend to have more disposable income, that means they make better potential customers.”

It can be difficult to strike the balance between progressive thinking and time-honored sensibility. Oozil is up to the challenge. Are you forward-thinking enough to recognize it?

By Elizabeth Kelly

As Oozil stays on the cutting edge of creative micro-marketing, we constantly keep our eyes opened for what’s happening in the world of advertising. Here’s a brief round-up to keep you in the know as well.

Sunday night’s premiere of AMC’s hugely acclaimed series Mad Men has the Internet buzzing as the show begins its third season. The flagship show for AMC, Mad Men takes place in the center of the world of advertising, during the period of post-war affluence that defined the concept of the American Dream: the ’60s.

In William Bradley’s Huffington Post article , he argues that even though Mad Men takes place in the past, it’s every bit relevant to the present. Says Bradley: “Advertising is a fascinating industry, an intriguing window into our society and ourselves. It’s how we are sold, and how we sell ourselves, on things. It both reflects and mutates life’s fundamentals. ”

In the New York Daily News , writer Patrick Huguenin argues that Mad Men’s main character Don Draper would have a hard time surviving in today’s marketing world without making some modern adjustments. To step it up, he’d have to “…get on Twitter, address increasingly specific minority and youth audiences, throw even sexier parties and – here’s the rub – try not to drink so much at work.”

Huguenin goes on to give us stats on five real-life advertising geniuses –the modern day Mad Men and Women– who would give Don Draper a serious run for his money.

British Airways hasn’t yet resorted to advertising in the waterways, but they have decided to use ad placement to help counter their recent slump. The airline recently announced that they would begin placing ads on their boarding passes (making them the first major European airline to do so), and also open up their web page to ads. With 500,000 hits daily, BA expects third-party advertisers to pay well for placement on their site, and Jaguar has already anted up.

Advice to British Airways: use some of  the money earned from selling ads to generate your own.  All too many financially-strapped companies cut their ad budget in times when they need it the most.  A good campaign has been known to completely turn around a business. (Another thing Oozil knows.)

By Elizabeth Kelly

Reading Oozil’s blog is one way to keep up with what’s new in advertising and creative work, but there’s an even better way. Join the site. Become a part of Oozil and don’t just read about it in the news; be a newsmaker yourself.

As Oozil prepares to move us into the future, it’s interesting to think about the past and its relationship to advertising. As much change as we’ve experienced in the last hundred years, from technological advances to social, cultural, and political changes, some of the main components of advertising are still surprisingly the same.

Take a look through the advertisements in 19th century copies of Harper’s Weekly, and while you’ll see unfamiliar products like laundry ringers and velocipedes, you’ll find that the techniques used are similar to ones still in use today. People still buy for the same reasons that they did one hundred years ago, looking for products to enhance their lives in some way.

An 1866 ad for a family sewing machine includes a written testimonial from Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, who says that “…I can hardly see how any thing could be more complete or give better satisfaction.” The celebrity endorsement was in full swing long before radio or television.

Other ads used clever wording and verses to sell their products. Dr. Wolcott’s Pain Paint is proof that there’s always been room for unusual health cures (remember “Head-On. Apply directly to the forehead?”) Dr.Wolcott’s clever poem also alluded to current events, mentioning the impeachment of 1868.

Today, some ad campaigns even reach into the past to find their sales hook. Building a brand can be hard, but if you can associate a product with a pre-existing icon, one that has already established an image, then you’ve built a product image in an instant.

That’s what GAP did a few years ago when they used film footage of Audrey Hepburn in black capris to almost singlehandedly make the look popular with women again. Prior to that, GAP launched a successful ad campaign using actual photographs of legendary people wearing their khakis. And not just any famous names, but some of the most famous names of all time: James Dean, JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Bogart, Picasso.

The effect was more controversial when Dirt Devil chose to splice footage of Fred Astaire dancing with images of their product, making it appear that Astaire was dancing with a vacuum cleaner. While many were appalled and thought it was disrespectful of the movie icon, Dirt Devil left the commercial on for a whole year, enjoying the added attention the controversy brought.

Author Kinky Friedman says that no matter what obscure, jungle-deep, untouched-by-civilization place you travel, the people there will still recognize Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola. If that doesn’t show the impact of an icon, I don’t know what does.

While today we’re marketing iPods and phone apps and tomorrow it might be hovercrafts, the message is the same as it was when we were hawking mustache wax. If anything, it only emphasizes the importance of finding creatives who can deliver that message again and again in new and exciting ways.

And where to find them? You’re in the right place.

by Elizabeth Kelly

A few weeks ago, I posted about the success of three very different television commercials: the McDonald’s singing fish, Subway’s “Five Dollar Footlongs” campaign, and Burger King’s revamp of a classic rap to sell Spongebob Squarepants toys. What I didn’t realize at the time was that these three commercials have something in common you wouldn’t even think about while watching TV.

They all rely on the importance of timing.

It’s no accident that Subway launched its campaign during an economic recession. Offering a memorable deal on a filling sandwich just when many people are having to cut back on meals out means that Subway can continue to do brisk business even in a crunch –possibly even better business than before. Burger King’s marketing of the Spongebob Squarepants kids’ meal toys didn’t just coincidentally appear at the end of school year, either. More kids at home translates to more kids clamoring to go to Burger King.

And what about that singing fish? McDonald’s purposefully released the commercial with the infectious jingle just before Lent, when some religious denominations eschew meat but still eat fish. McDonald’s sells about 300 million Filet-O-Fish sandwiches each year, and one quarter of those 300 million are during the Lent period. While even McDonald’s couldn’t have foreseen the success of the ad, its timing was every bit calculated.

It’s not just advertisers that are concerned with the “when” of a big release. You’ve probably noticed how many big movies come out in November, just in time for the huge surge in movie attendance. Do you think that many movies just happen to be completed and ready for release all at the same time? Sometimes a movie is even held back to take advantage of the season.

Sometimes books or movies are held back intentionally so that they won’t have to compete with a bigger and better title that they know will get everyone’s attention. They make their debut in a slower season to make a bigger splash. Some products do the opposite, intentionally releasing a similar product at the same time as their competitor to take advantage of the current interest in the subject matter.

You’ll see more weight loss ads in January, when dieters are still trying to stick to their resolutions, and a second surge in late spring, when women panic about bikini season. A large percentage of weddings are in June, but not many bridal shows are; they’re held in January to give brides-to-be a six-month lead to buy their wedding supplies when they plan for those summer weddings.

What’s the lesson here? It should be clear.

The next time you’re working on a project, ask yourself some questions. Would it be beneficial to hasten the work to get it out sooner? Could you maximize profits or interest by holding it back a few months to take advantage of a holiday or event? It’s all in the timing.

Don’t just consider the quality of the work, the budget, and the audience. Consider the calendar.

by Elizabeth Kelly

Speaking of timing, what’s more exciting than being part of a creative community with actual earning potential? Being part of it from the beginning! Oozil is near launch, and you can be there at the countdown. Share your ideas with us by registering for the Oozil forum today.

If you’ve been anywhere near a television set recently, you’ve seen it. From his perch on a garage wall, a fish sings a song that has become insanely infectious. “Give me back that Filet-o-Fish,” he sings to one sandwich-munching guy while his friend looks on. “If it were you in that sandwich, you wouldn’t be laughing at all,” the creature continues.

The new Filet-o-Fish commercial has been an explosive success for McDonald’s, who timed the ad to coincide with Lent, which accounts for 25% of their fish sandwich sales. If you’ve been lurking under a rock, you can view the ad on YouTube , but you won’t be alone. The clip has now been viewed over one million times. That’s one million people who have voluntarily watched an ad that McDonald’s doesn’t even have to pay to run.

There’s a certain genius to the commercial, which people seem to love or hate. Even the haters are not immune to the message, though, and still report having the song stuck in their heads days after hearing it. While the key to the success of the commercial is partly in the catchy hook of the song, it’s also in its absurdity. Would the song have been as noticed if it hadn’t been sung by a dead fish? It’s doubtful.

Another recent commercial that is currently enjoying success because it so easily sticks in consumers’ heads is the Subway “Five Dollar Footlongs” campaign. In the case of Subway’s campaign, though, there’s something slightly different at work. The song is catchy (though not absurd like a singing fish), and the price cut is also a selling point, but neither factor alone would be good enough to boost sales like this campaign has.

The magic is in the message. Subway didn’t take out ads that announce “For a limited time only, Subway is helping you through the recession by selling all of their tasty footlong sandwiches for only five dollars.” If they had, not nearly as many people would have noticed. The brilliance behind the Subway campaign is in the simplicity of the words: five dollar footlongs. What does Subway have? Five dollar footlongs.

Burger King has a commercial in current rotation that features women with box-shaped rear ends dancing to “Baby’s Got Back,” but with the words “square butts” subbed for “big butts.” It’s almost a shocker on the first viewing, and it’s doubtful that it’s going to become the next stuck-in-your-head sensation. It works fantastically, though, on its first viewing, when the watcher thinks “What the…?” Then, after learning that Burger King is packaging Spongebob Squarepants toys with its meals, all becomes clear.

While each of these commercials is vastly different, they all have something in common that can be an important lesson for those in creative fields. The shared component is: they would all sound stupid on paper. Think about it.

Would you have the guts to propose an ad with a dead fish singing to two silent actors to stop eating him? If a client asked you for some fresh copy for a new sandwich promotion, would you think “Five dollar footlongs” was too simple and instead turn in some overwrought text? And would you ever in a million years have the creative bravery to suggest box-shaped butts?

There’s always a temptation to appeal to the mainstream that is so great that we tend to pitch variations on the same theme again and again. But, what these ads prove is that risk-taking pays off much more than playing it safe. The mainstream is unpredictable. Do you have the guts to pitch against the stream? You’ve got more on the inside than that taxidermized fish has. Use it!

by Elizabeth Kelly

What are the strangest ads you’ve seen that actually worked? Share your thoughts with Oozil.