What Recession? Online Giants Rake in Ad Bucks

Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Report Surging Earnings Amid Widespread Gloom in Other Sectors

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- That recession gripping the country and many of its biggest businesses is skirting around the internet. Google and Yahoo's first-quarter earnings grew more than 30%. And while Microsoft's fiscal third quarter disappointed many, ad revenue was a bright spot, growing 29%. FULL ARTICLE

Saturn Brand Expands Orbit With Its Own Social Network

Online Community Pulls in 1,200 Members in Its First Three Weeks

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- The General Motors Corp.'s Saturn brand has always been built on the concept of community. Now it's creating one on the web. FULL ARTICLE

Warner Bros. to Revive WB as Online Video Site

Also Plans Cartoon Site, KidsWB.com, to Feature Looney Tunes

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Hulu may be a singular name, but it isn't such a singular media property anymore. Time Warner's Warner Brothers studio unveiled plans today to revive the dormant WB broadcast-TV network as an online-video site, along with another site devoted to KidsWB, its kiddie-TV sibling. FULL ARTICLE

A&E Gets 'The Cleaner'; History Gets Mark Burnett Show

Road to the Upfront: A&E Television Networks

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- At a presentation to advertisers April 28 at the Morgan Library, executives of A&E Television Networks confirmed that their companies are no longer going to limit themselves to programming about archaelogical digs. FULL ARTICLE

OMD Wins Intel's $300 Million Account

Beats Out Universal McCann, Starcom for Media Buying, Planning

NEW YORK (Adage.com) -- Omnicom Group's OMD has won media-planning and -buying duties on Intel Corp.'s $300 million global account following a review. FULL ARTICLE

What You Should Have Read, April 29, 2008

P&G Weighs Pulling Ads From MTV, BET

Multichannel News reports that Procter & Gamble has set up a toll free number to ask consumers if they should continue advertising on MTV and BET. P&G is being criticized by Enough is Enough, an advocacy group partnering with the Parents Television Council. The group asserts that the networks bombard young viewers with sex, violence and profanity. When callers dial in to the 800 number, they are given two options: press one if they want P&G to make changes in its advertising, or press two to indicate support for continued advertising on the networks. Input will be forwarded to the proper P&G executives, the recording indicates. FULL ARTICLE

What You Should Have Read, April 29, 2008

LG Uses Ruse of Show 'Scarlet' To Market Its New TVs

The Wall Street Journal reports on a marketing hoax that is part of a $100 million global campaign from LG Electronics as a way to gain attention for its new flat panel TVs, branded 'Scarlet'. LG held a premiere complete with red carpet that was the culmination of a three-month global viral-marketing effort to promote a fake TV show. A teaser commercial for 'Scarlet' has run on TV and online, with no mention of LG. The action-packed trailer features Natassia Malthe in several action scenes, including one in which she crashes through a plate-glass window and uses her karate skills against four masked men. "Things aren't always what they seem," a voice-over chimes in at the end of the ad. As part of the public-relations plan for the show, LG has had Ms. Malthe drum up publicity by attending red-carpet events. The result: plenty of online, TV and magazine stories about 'Scarlet.' FULL ARTICLE