Advertising, ad campaigns, ad agencies, and the people that make it happen

A piece in today’s “Madison & Vine,” which is a pathetic attempt by AdAge to combine ad-biz and show-biz, talks about how professional video-game tournaments are growing rapidly, and their increased attendance and popularity make them attractive vehicles with advertisers looking for engaging nontraditional ways to reach a tough-to-find audience -- 13- to 34-year-old males. Hey guys… How about “ChessBoxing?” No, I didn’t make this up. It‘s a rapidly growing sport which combines the noble art of fisticuffs with the cerebral art of the chess board. Contestants play a round of chess, then a round of boxing to beat the crap out of each other, then play chess again, until someone KO’s or checkmates the other. You can find all the rules at the official Chess Boxing Web site. On the other hand, if you’re into intellectual sports you could always watch WWF Smackdown, or whatever it’s called.

Knight to Kings Bishop four. Or, if you prefer, a bunch of fives up your nose!!!