APRIL 12, 1989

Full News Archive

• Headline: Northwest Airlines Advertising Innovation. Impact: Thanks to Northwest Airlines' noble attempts to teach everyone proper etiquette in Asia, we now have an entire generation of people who believe they can master the art of chopstick use just by watching a commercial. Spoiler alert: they can’t.. Fact: Did you know that Miss Manners once tried to single-handedly rewrite the rules of social interaction? Spoiler: she didn't succeed, but her book sales skyrocketed!.
• Headline: HDM Expands Advertising Footprint in Shanghai. Impact: HDM opening in Shanghai was the tipping point for ad agencies everywhere. Suddenly, every agency thought they could conquer China, leading to countless embarrassing faux pas and the invention of the term 'cultural appropriation'.. Fact: Fun fact: Opening an office in Shanghai is basically the ad agency equivalent of planting a flag on the moon. Good luck explaining that to your clients!.
• Headline: The Intersection of Art and Advertising. Impact: These two Grey executives proudly declaring their artistic flair led to a global trend where every ad exec suddenly thought they were the next Picasso. The result? A lot of abstract ads that looked like they were created by toddlers.. Fact: Did you know that most ad execs think 'artistic' just means using a filter on Instagram? It’s adorable, really..
• Headline: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Celebrity Portrait Campaigns. Impact: Julian Sands' striking portrait for Barney's inspired an entire generation of actors to believe they could sell anything from jackets to juice boxes, leading to the rise of celebrity-endorsed everything. Thanks, Julian!. Fact: In 1985, there was a campaign featuring a celebrity selling a certain beverage that literally made people sick. Apparently, no one wants to drink 'sickly sweet' just because a star tells them to..
• Headline: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Accounts. Impact: Rockport's $3 million account win triggered a bidding war among agencies, leading to a massive inflation in the price of advertising contracts. Spoiler: the shoes still weren't any more comfortable.. Fact: Did you know that the average person spends more time choosing shoes than they do deciding who to vote for? Priorities, right?.
• Headline: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Addenda. Impact: The launch of Elle Decor was the spark that ignited the 'lifestyle magazine' explosion, causing countless readers to suddenly think they were interior design experts, complete with opinions on throw pillows.. Fact: Did you know that 'Elle Decor' has been responsible for more unsolicited home decor advice than any family member at Thanksgiving? The struggle is real..
• Headline: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Rolling Stone Purchases Rest of US Magazine. Impact: Rolling Stone's acquisition of US magazine solidified the idea that merging is the key to survival in the media jungle, leading to a series of bizarre media conglomerates that left everyone scratching their heads.. Fact: Isn't it funny how Rolling Stone, a music magazine, decided it needed to own a gossip magazine? It's like if a bookstore bought a fast food chain—just doesn’t make sense!.
• Headline: BUSINESS PEOPLE; 'Eclectic' Group Wages Banknote Proxy Fight. Impact: The proxy fight at International Banknote Inc. sparked a trend of proxy battles that became the corporate equivalent of reality TV drama. Now everyone wants their board meetings to be as explosive as a soap opera.. Fact: Did you know that proxy fights are basically the adult version of playground squabbles? ‘I’m telling my mom on you!’ has never been so corporate..
• Headline: Middle Schools Grow in Academic Importance. Impact: Recognizing the importance of middle schools meant that suddenly, every teenager's awkward phase became a research project. Thanks to this shift, educational theories about 'the middle child syndrome' gained traction.. Fact: Middle schools are the unsung heroes of education—where kids learn that lockers can be more dangerous than they look and gym class is just a euphemism for social survival training..