You’ve probably had this kind of conversation in the past… An idle comment to a mate suddenly sends you down the rabbit hole, and what you thought was going to be a one-liner on the way home is still being debated three hours and three pints later. I had one of those a couple of days ago, inspired by one of the car-ad billboards (I honestly forget which one, they’re all so interchangeable) and it basically came down to this:...

Have you heard Muse’s Olympic anthem yet? I did, yesterday. In case you’ve missed it, here it is… but beware. Listen to the pundits, and you’ll be worried that pressing the play button will cause your computer to explode like an amp turned up to 111. To be honest, it was all a bit underwhelming. It’s not a bad song. In fact, it’s pretty good. Definitely wipes the floor with the usual Erasure-based rubbish...

Just over a week ago I signed up to Drayton Bird’s e-mail list. One thing I love about Drayton Bird’s e-mails is that they’re always good reading, even when the whole thing is a subtle pitch. (And the whole thing is a subtle pitch for various products, either Drayton’s own or ones he’s an affiliate for. I’m almost certainly buying a couple before the series is done, too…) I’ve read a load of...

Today’s bit of early-morning reading was this from Technology Review, provided by the ever-reliable Tim Harford’s Twitter stream. It’s one of those articles written by someone who clearly doesn’t know that much about their subject… Advertising hasn’t been a black art since Claude Hopkins published Scientific Advertising in the 30s. If you think it is, you’re doing it wrong. That said, this...

Have you read the Slate’s latest article on podcasting? If you haven’t, check it out. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Slate doubles down on podcasts Done? Good. Now, here’s a problem… Why did the Slate’s podcasts do so well when the Times and the Boston Globe flopped? It’s the same reason that people don’t read your e-mails, or your letters. Or, come to that, any of your advertising. Sorry to put...