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

Well said, George. Celebrity endorsements can be a dangerous thing, and companies certainly don't seem to be doing their due diligence when they select a celebrity to endorse their products. I agree that money could be used better elsewhere in the marketing plan.

Susan...
Funny, I was just reading about David Beckham and his ankle injury that will keep him out of his first game for the LA Galaxy. As he's getting $250 million for five years on salary, sponsorship, endorsements etc. For every game he misses he still gets about $5 million. Wonder if they need a hard drinking goalkeeper?
Cheers/George

Geeorge,

I have been reading you for sometime now and i often wonder about this constant attack on people with money. I see your point. I really do. I don't always see your motive, but that's not really important, I guess. Many people have questioned my motive as to why I don't correct the errors of my ways, my grammatical ones. I used to be at least 85% conscientious about the reader, and now it seems I am just lazy. Partly true. Everyone passes through a bit of Jackson Pollockism, dadaism, blaue Reiterism, etc in their life, so I consider many forces at work on me here.

But back to my original intent for commenting. These celebrities bask in their glory and some live well with it to the hilt. Others of course, end up in a type of prison of their own. It doesn't take getting to the very top to realize that money is boredom as well as it is a source of unendless pleasure. I have never seen you criticize the Gates' mass fortune. Perhaps it is because of the philanthropy involved, but even there, there are bible stories about that, too. Rich man, poor woman charity stuff. Let's not dwell on that for now. Back to advertising and wealth. It seems like such a waste, these millions going to one person. And when these people have had the fill they either do something good with it or they don't. I think even a child realizes that and then the most conscientious parents still have to go out and choose to buy products from somebody. I mean you gotta live on something other than love. And even if you did live only on that, you may just need a pair of Vick's sneakers from the goodwill store on senior saturday halfprice when push comes to shove.

Nancy, I'm sure George has had more than his share of fun with Bill Gates, after all the man is probably guilty of every anti-trust law there is. But a fundamental difference I see is that Gates isn't the type of thug to abuse illegal drugs and beat on his wife (Strawberry), or give in to rage and try to strangle his coach to death (Sprewell), murder his wife and kids before committing suicide (Benoit) or "accidentally" shoot and kill someone while showing off his guns (I can't remember his name in New Jersey 4 years ago). I quickly Googled 'player' and 'charged' and a whole host of this crap, old and new, came up. I'm sure for every one of these guys there are 99 other athletes who are decent people. Those still aren't great odds.

I agree about the imbalance of wealth. It's too bad wisdom doesn't come from amassing it.

I guess that leaves the question that some people use physical activity to work out their aggression and mental quirks, but for others physical activity with the added component of money just highlights these things. Maybe it's in our genes. But solving that mystery could lead to devious practices in attaining that knowledge and stretching of trust/anti-trust measures.

Oh well, better that I mind my own business, or shall I say, lack of such enterprises.

Gotta get back to rebuilding my own grounding just now,
Nancy

George,

Sorry for the proliferation of nancy postings today around ad blogs. I decided to take a day off of exercise and fun in the sun, and this is what always happens. I'll be quiet and let other respond.