ANNOUNCING: ONE LUCKY FORMER AD PRO TO TAKE HOME GIANT CHECK FROM THE 2008 ANTI-ADVERTISING AGENCY FOUNDATION FOR FREEDOM AWARD CELEBRATION Gala Event on September 19 to Grant One Lucky Ad Industry Creative Freedom, Giant Check

CHICAGO— Anti-Advertising Agency Foundation For Freedom (AAAFFF) Award judges today finalized their selection in the extended process of choosing the single applicant most worthy of the 2008 AAAFFF award money, giant novelty check, and September 19th celebration.

The ceremony in New York City, will kick off “Advertising Week” by honoring the freedom of one of the most forward-thinking creative professionals in the US, recently released from the extensive bonds of giant paychecks, daily deception, and constant commercial pressure to bring in ever-higher profits for products and services increasingly losing performance power. This single honoree will receive all accrued funds—currently at $700—integrity, the opportunity to network with the most brilliant noncommercial creatives working today, and a giant novelty check. Additionally, co-founders Steve Lambert and Anne Elizabeth Moore will sing a special song to the honoree while wearing fancy attire.

“I can’t believe the number of applicants we received,” Anti-Advertising Agency’s CEO Steve Lambert states. “After all, we’re only offering $700! Who knew so many advertisers still cared first and foremost about creativity, service, and the deplorable state of the nation?”

The Friday evening gala will celebrate one lucky former ad pro’s future in noncommercial creativity and offer networking opportunities with working artists and potential artistic funders.

“Our original goals, to respond to the increasing commercialization of public space, human relationships, journalism and art by decreasing the number of individuals working in the advertising, marketing, and PR industries, were certainly about creating an environment where the relevance of advertising in a tanking economy would be questioned,” AAAFFF Executive Director Anne Elizabeth Moore states.

“But we never expected that we would also find love—the love of former ad pros for their fellow countrymen,” Moore continues.

The fund is seeded with hard-earned cash from creative endeavors, initiated by Lambert and Moore. The co-founders also judged the applications and chose the honoree for the September 19 gala. Hundreds of individuals across the country have donated to the fund, expressing a strong desire to decrease commercialization of the public sphere in any way possible.

Further donations—financial and non-financial—will be encouraged and accepted up until the event date of September 19.

Related posts:

1. Announcing: The 2008 AAAFFF Awards Celebration
2. Official Foundation for Freedom Press Release
3. AAAFFF up 35% in first 2 weeks

How is a call for proper branding actually going to change the supposed illness from which our nation suffers? If anyone can tell me, great, cause I have no interest in reading the book to find out.

Related posts:

1. Lucas Conley on the Colbert Report
2. “We’re All Going To Die,” Industry Laments . . . Again
3. George Saunders on Stay Free!

We here at AAAFFF HQ have received many late-coming queries as regards the 2008 Anti-Advertising Agency Foundation For Freedom Award—and our deadline is only one week away!

Therefore, I, the Executive Director of the AAAFFF, will attempt to answer the most frequent of these asked questions, to save you necessary minutes that could otherwise be spent hatching your getaway scheme.

1. We will accept your application form, when complete, via email. However, all essay questions must be responded to in full, and additional materials (CV; Pay stub or business card from previous job or confirmed and dated registration as a college major in the field of advertising, marketing, or PR; and proof of new occupation or confirmed and dated registration in a college major unrelated to advertising or PR) must be submitted via PDF by midnight September 1, 2008 to the email address: FFF (at) antiadvertisingagency dot com.

2. You are required to leave your position or all freelancing gigs in corporate advertising and while we do not require that we are BCCed on your letter of resignation, we will look kindly upon it.

3. If your pet has starred in a pet food commercial, but has never been directly employed by an advertising, marketing, or PR firm, your pet is not eligible for the 2008 AAAFFFA. If your pet is currently a marketing manager or ad pro in some other capacity, you must complete the application form in full on their behalf, and provide proof that the animal is willing to leave his or her position. Do not leave the application to your dog or cat! Animals are notoriously bad at completing award applications in a timely manner.

4. If your plans for the $700 prize money are really cool, please outline them in detail.

5. Our judges look kindly upon flattery, as well as gifts and event invitations. If your plans for the $700 prize money are that cool, you should invite us to the opening, celebration, or event. That’s just good manners, but we also love a good party.

6. No, it is not too late to donate money, skills training workshops, or frequent flier miles to the 2008 AAAFFFA. Just click here for more information.

7. Further information about our September 19 gala event first announced here will be forthcoming. Unfortunately, the gala event is for applicants only. If you wish to attend, you will have to complete an application.

8. Applications are available here.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.

Related posts:

1. Foundation For Freedom announces grant program: The 2008 AAAFFFA
2. AAAFFF up 35% in first 2 weeks
3. Announcing: The 2008 AAAFFF Awards Celebration

The alleged death threats were aimed at “a beyond-a-blog, commercial-laden delirium of heaven and hell for advertising addicts around the world, gossips about advertising stunts and marketing mishaps. The latest advertising news from a creative point of view served fresh daily since 2000″—barf—that builds buzz around such brilliant campaigns as Saatchi and Saatchi’s hilarious and spot-on campaign about human trafficking—in which humans were actually advertised for sale! My god the genius! It’s funny because it’s true! And also because it might have appeared first in the Onion!

The ads, for a Swedish Red Cross campaign, depict citizens being beaten, choked, attacked, and otherwise threatened by allegedly Chinese enforcers. Chinese ad enthusiasts and death-threateners, however, charge that the abusers are actually Nepalese. The images are accompanied by the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games logos. Some can be seen here, but because the charming ad blog above has imprinted its own logo on the images, I’m not going to repost. Human rights violations and abuses of activists and journalists have been tied directly to the 2008 Olympic Games.

Apparently the Swedish Red Cross tired of the death threats and opted to remove the images from its own site. Because, one assumes, the Swedish Red Cross isn’t surprised when violating long-held Chinese mandates restricting press freedom results in death threats. But apparently, the ad world is.

Related posts:

1. AAAFFF up 35% in first 2 weeks
2. Announcing: The 2008 AAAFFF Awards Celebration
3. Official Foundation for Freedom Press Release

We here at the AAAFFF did some research on second careers. What if Albert Einstein stuck it out with his job as a patent clerk? If Billie Holiday remained a maid who hummed while she worked, or Duke Ellington stayed a peanut vendor at Washington Senators’ games ‘till the day he died? I’m sure Henry Rollins would still be a great manager at Baskin Robbins. And if anarchist/feminist Emma Goldman had been able to keep shoving all her misgivings deep down inside, maybe one day she’d have made manager at that garment factory. Henry Miller, it is rumored, gave up fantastic benefits (the fresh air!) when he left the bike-messenger industry. Barbara Walters, one of the most respected journalists in our lifetimes, was once a publicist. Che Guevara could easily have retired on his income as a doctor.

But where would we be then? And where will we be if you don’t leave your job?

Clearly, the time to act is now. There are only two weeks left to apply for the 2008 AAAFFFA, and to make it just a tiny bit easier for you, we’ve created yet another handy tool for your personal use: The Clip ’n’ Send Letter of Resignation!

To use the Clip ’n’ Send Letter of Resignation, simply replace the text in all-caps with your own information, and send along to your boss, supervisor or HR department.

Don’t forget to BCC the FFF at AntiAdvertisingAgency dot com, and insert flattering comments about us for especial consideration!

The Clip ’n’ Send Letter of Resignation

YOU
YOUR STREET ADDRESS
YOUR CITY STATE AND ZIP CODE
YOUR COUNTRY


THE DATE


THE ADVERTISING, MARKETING, OR PR FIRM WHERE YOU WORK
STREET ADDRESS
CITY STATE ZIP
COUNTRY


Dear Sirs or Madams,

I am writing today to post my two-week’s notice at [YOUR FIRM OR AGENCY].

I can no longer bear to apply my problem-solving skills, creative flair, wit, charm, and hard-won integrity to increase the sales of [HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS/MEDICAL DEVICES/CARDBOARD BOXES] and [ITEMS OF NATIONAL DEFENSE/SODA/ATHLETIC WEAR]. I do appreciate that your excessive dedication to consumer awareness of such goods and services has inspired me lo these many [YEARS/MONTHS/DAYS] and wish you good luck in pursuit of your goal of [X-NUMBER OF DOLLARS SALES INCREASE OVER PREVIOUS YEARS/MARKETPLACE DOMINATION/YEAR-END BONUS LARGE ENOUGH FOR SUMMER HOME DOWN PAYMENT]. I feel sure, somehow, that you can achieve your dreams.

Still, you will have to do so without me. I am a brilliant thinker flush with creative talent interested in changing the world—not changing what it buys. I’m leaving your employ, therefore, and pursuing work [AS A JOURNALIST/IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE SECTOR/OF MY OWN CREATION]. By divorcing my creative output from commercial interests, I am reinvesting in the notion that one person can make a difference. Without corporate backing. These are, after all, the principles that [YOUR COUNTRY] was founded on: freedom and self-determination.

Which brings me to my point. In leaving this position, and the exploitative industry in which it is housed, I am eligible for an exciting new funding initiative from the Anti-Advertising Agency’s Foundation For Freedom. By filling out their AAAFFFA Kit—a short, enjoyable form I urge you to download now—I put myself in the running to:

1) Win accrued funds in the realm now of $700; 2) Be honored at a gala event on September 19; 3) Network with like-minded noncommercial creatives working for real social change; and 4) Receive a giant novelty check. Giant!

The cubicle-mates I will leave behind in two short weeks can attest to my deep-seated and long-held desires to be awarded a giant novelty check. They will be less likely to admit—although we discuss it frequently during smoke breaks, coffee runs, and at the bar—their own deep-seated jealousies that I will be finally leaving this inhumane environment and long-held rage built up by corrupting the public trust for personal profit.

So as eager as I am to leave your employ, I have no desire to discontinue our working relationship. Please, won’t you join me in going after a creative world-changing work environment unhindered by obsessive profit tallies, occasionally dishonest claims, and regular violations of state and federal laws?

I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]

Related posts:

1. AAAFFF up 35% in first 2 weeks
2. Weekend of Independence Workshops: Saturday July 5, Chicago oFFFice
3. The AAAFFF Presents: The Cut-n-Paste Ad Offer Responder!

(This used to be considered a right, noncommercial media, on the theory that broadcasts took place in public space, and needed to give back to the public good because of it. That’s recently been abandoned, notably by NPR and PBS, because it’s not profitable.)

The danger, of course—or as we at-home viewers like to call it, the benefit—is that you can skip every ad.

Oh, but that’s not how the ad industry sees it. Barely concealing threats to the “media conglomerates” that, the story raves, make such excellent use of ad revenue now, and referring to the technology as “invasive”, “penetrative”, and “great cause for concern,” the article goes on to provide some of the most hilarious quotes I’ve ever read outside of a joke book.

“Consumers, now accustomed to watching shows as they wish,” the piece contends, suffer from an “ad-skipping addiction.”

John Senior, a partner at Oliver Wyman, seems baffled. “They don’t want to watch commercials, but they won’t pay to not watch commercials.”

Oh. My. God.: How are they supposed to make a buck if we refuse to give them any?

Related posts:

1. Listening Post: MySpace Play Count Inflaters – The Steroids of the Music Industry
2. “Real beauty” from the makers of Axe?
3. George Saunders on Stay Free!

The implication, of course, is that the journalists accepted these gifts—although I’d be hesitant to accept PR Week’s version of the story. Too bad no one else is covering this important issue!

In a totally unrelated story (ha ha), PR executives in this week’s issue are urged to view recent print media layoffs as hiring opportunities. Or as it is sometimes called, community-building.

UPDATE ON ALL THIS MOMMY BLOGGING BUSINESS: We first started looking into the issue here and now it seems some mommies are beginning to demand compensation for their public awareness work. After all, it’s big business, according to Katie Couric (although it must be noted: not Couric the journalist, Couric the paid spokesperson). Why shouldn’t the moms doing the work benefit?: [Watch the video of Katie Couric for BlogHer here.]

—Thanks James David and Veronica Arreola</a>!

1. Listening Post: MySpace Play Count Inflaters – The Steroids of the Music Industry
2. What advertisers pay to catch your wandering eye
3. Print Magazine

ANNOUNCING THE 2008 ANTI-ADVERTISING AGENCY FOUNDATION FOR FREEDOM AWARD CELEBRATION

September 19 Soiree to Celebrate One Lucky Ad Industry Creative Freedom, Giant Check

CHICAGO—The long-awaited Anti-Advertising Agency Foundation For Freedom (AAAFFF) Award Ceremony, to honor the freedom of one of the most forward-thinking and creative professionals in the US, is set for September 19 at an undisclosed location in New York City. The private celebration will be open to all AAAFFF applicants and one single honoree, who will receive all accrued funds, integrity, the opportunity to network with noncommercial creatives, and a giant novelty check.

AAAFFF Award Audience

The Friday evening gala will kick off one lucky former ad pro’s future in noncommercial creativity. “We’re really excited to start working with her or him,” AAAFFF Executive Director Moore states. “The creative talents of these individuals have so many immediate and tangible applications: tamping the escalation toward another war with Iran, advocating for immigrants’ rights, creating health services for veterans, educating our nation’s youth. There’s no end to the amazing work that could be done when we stop focusing on product sales!”

The 2008 AAAFFF Award responds to the increasing commercialization of public space, human relationships, journalism and art by decreasing the number of individuals working in industries that directly support these goals. “We wish we could honor all the former advertisers eager to leave their careers,” states Steve Lambert, CEO of the AAA. “Response to our programming has been overwhelming!”

The fund is seeded with hard-earned cash from creative endeavors, donated by Lambert and AAAFFF Executive Director Anne Elizabeth Moore, who will also judge the applications and chose the honoree for the September 19 gala. Hundreds of individuals across the country have donated to the fund, expressing a strong desire to decrease commercialization of the public sphere in any way possible.

Further donations—financial and non-financial—are encouraged and accepted.

Application forms are available now at the Anti-Advertising Agency’s website, and must be typed and postmarked September 1, 2008.

# # #

The mission of the Anti-Advertising Agency Foundation for Freedom is to bring the best and brightest former ad pros together once a year; inspire young people to leave the craft; focus the industry and public at large on the profoundly negative social and economic impacts of advertising; inspire problem-solving methods focused on the most important issues facing the real world; and shine a light on the influence that advertising, media, and marketing industries have on dwindling public space, atrophying human relationships, and the destruction of democracy.

Related posts:

1. Official Foundation for Freedom Press Release
2. AAAFFF up 35% in first 2 weeks
3. Foundation For Freedom announces grant program: The 2008 AAAFFFA

Team:
From time to time I like to keep you informed about issues impacting our industry and programs and initiatives designed to protect and advance our business interests. You may have heard about the recent decision by Pfizer to eliminate support of commercially based CME programs. I have fielded a number of questions from many of you as to how this might impact our business interests and going-forward action. Additionally, I have also been asked what the industry’s response has been to this and other recent developments that may threaten our livelihood.
Reproduced below is communication that was sent to members of the Medical Advertising Agency Committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, of which I am proud to be the chairperson-elect. That organization, as well as our own, supports the Coalition for Healthcare Communications, whose mission it is to advance the work done by companies like ours and protect the rights to free speech that firms like ours does for clients.
You will note the reference to the newly revised guidelines from the trade organization, PhRMA, which stands for the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America. PhRMA is comprised of blue-chip pharmaceutical companies, many of which are our clients. Although these new guidelines do not materially affect our work, they are evidence of increasing scrutiny by legislators and industry watchdog groups who take offense at certain advertising and marketing approaches fielded by our clients. Of course, we comply with these voluntary guidelines, as well.
Today I met with the new NextGen Leadership Development class and, during our open Q&A session, the subject of industry leadership and sweeping healthcare reform became a topic of conversation. Please know that our industry will continue to feel the pressure from multiple constituencies – government, employers, patients, etc. – to increase access to affordable medicines from multiple constituencies. The area that seems to be most open to attack is the practice of pharmaceutical sales and marketing, which of course is directly aimed at firms like ours. We will continue to fight as an industry to encourage open dialogue and constructive solutions aimed at preserving free speech, open information architecture and access, and putting the best medicine in the hands of the right patients through their physicians. After all, we know that Life’s Too Short® for anything less**.
Thank you for your continued support of our industry. You are critical to helping preserve a healthcare system that is arguably the finest in the world.
[THE BOSS]

—–Original Message—–
From: Tom Finneran [mailto:TFinneran@aaaa.org]
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 10:35 AM
To: [THE BOSS]
Subject: Med Ed News for MACC/AAAA Members from the Coalition for Healthcare Communications
MAAC Members:
Today the Coalition for Healthcare Communications published a statement strongly urging pharma companies to continue their direct financial support of our education companies rather than follow the Pfizer decision announced last week.
The statement is posted at the top of the Coalition homepage: www.cohealthcom.org
Thanks to the help of many of your CME agency heads, the statement is respectful but states clearly why the industry should continue to support the innovative programs of our companies, and why we think the Pfizer approach may be counterproductive. From what we hear, other pharma companies disagree with the Pfizer decision, and this position paper is designed to support them in their internal discussion.
Know, however, that Pfizer continues to support use of our non-accredited companies as joint sponsors of education programs, significantly limiting the immediate financial hit to our business.
Regardless, the Coalition believes that the Pfizer decision is inappropriate and we need to do all we can to avoid it spreading.
Also, as you may have seen, PhRMA today announced new guidelines on company relationships with prescribers. We hope PhRMA companies are correct that the renewed guides will help stem the intense public criticism focused on the business, and we’re working with the press today supporting PhRMA. Please the new PhRMA guides when you have a chance, but from our reading the new guides will not substantially limit our activities. The announcement is on the PhRMA site in the press release section: http://www.phrma.org
You will see that the revised guides focus more on lavish meals and pens than on our staple services. In CME, for example, the guides stress adherence with current FDA, HHS-IG, and ACCME principles, and do not adopt Pfizer’s unfortunate decision from last week nor the reforms suggested recently by the Macy Foundation or AAMC. Nor does it give ACCME a blank check to adopt new sweeping proposals to eliminate commercial support or commercial CME companies.
Thanks for your continued strong support. . . .
Thanks
John Kamp, Exec Director
Coalition for Healthcare Communication
Of Counsel, Wiley Rein LLP
(M) 703 801 6473

• Italics=irony. ** I don’t know what this means.

Related posts:

1. Free Shopdropping Workshop at Eyebeam NYC
2. Ad-Free Blog & Keep Your Day Job
3. George Saunders on Stay Free!

We’d like to thank you for your dedicated support and attendance during the last month. You’ve helped us accomplish:

• An 11% raise in funds over the initial investment donated by Steve and I, to be awarded one lucky advertiser for leaving the industry!
• Targeted outreach to Chicago’s top 50 ad agencies!
• A 400% increase in joy in the advertisers whose lives we touched while narrowly avoiding bonking them with footballs downtown.
• The creation of a flyer, to be posted along Madison avenue–or wherever you want!–describing our services (see below)
• The Cut’N'Paste Ad Responder–soon to be a widget maybe!
• A greater awareness of the possibilities of non-commercial fields!
• A full day of skills-training workshops over our Weekend of Independence!

So, thanks! We couldn’t have done it without you! But there are still ways to be involved:

• Consider joining the AAA mailing list!
• Write us a testimonial!
• Be a fan of us on this website!
• Donate frequent flier miles, skills training workshops, or money!

And, of course:

• Apply today!

(Applications are due September 1.)

Thanks so much for your support of our important mission. Feel free to keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Anne Elizabeth Moore
Executive Director
Foundation For Freedom

Related posts:

1. Weekend of Independence Workshops: Saturday July 5, Chicago oFFFice
2. oFFFice hours
3. Foundation For Freedom announces grant program: The 2008 AAAFFFA