Is it just me or did advertisers used to support programs? When did programming start attaching themselves to the advertisers?

As part of the Wankers Book Club I’ll be posting the best deals from the best book retailers.

The first is a code from the Book Depository which will give you 10% off all purchases.

To view the deal visit here.

Valid between 20/11/2009 and 11/12/2009.

Bloody hell it is hot. So hot that it means delicate skin people like me have to put sunscreen on before we open the bedroom window in the morning. Yet for our olive brothers it means tan time. And for every lobster nose this summer there will be a sun safety message.

Pretty full on. But do you accept the message or fight it?

“I’m in the area, I’ll call into your place in five minutes.”

These simple words can cause mass hysteria and panic. Whether spoken by the in-laws, a close friend or the creepy IT guy, they are cause for concern. All of a sudden we are in a mad rush to wash the dishes at the kitchen sink, change the channel from Dr Phil to Discovery Channel and scramble to put some pants on. We can’t let any visitors in the house looking like this!

It’s natural to hide how we really live and who we really are. This can be done by portraying a perfect domestic life, borrowing more money than we should or suppressing an online personality. It’s not that we’re doing anything wrong. We just have an ideal image we like to portray.

Last week the Rudd Government upheld the law which states that Australian book stores can not import any book which has been published within Australia within 30 days of its international launch. This law is in place to protect Australian publishers. The challenge to the law came from Australian book retailers who claim that it keeps their prices inflated and does not allow them to compete with the online book industry.

But what does this protection mean for consumers? Are we getting ripped off if we go into a physical book shop? Do these restrictions combined with increased online competition mean physical book retailers no longer offer us value?

Social Marketing: Principles and Practice

by Rob Donovan and Nadine Henley

Reviewed by Karalee Evans from Just Another PR Blog

In this book, Rob and Nadine introduce and elucidate the principles of social marketing, and illustrate these principles with examples of practical application. Rather, social marketing is the application of the marketing concept, commercial marketing techniques, and other social change techniques to achieve individual behaviour changes and societal structural change.

You may have noticed that Another Advertising Wanker has lost its poo brown template and moved on to a much cleaner, easier to read magazine style. But hey, I’m not all about artificial here. How could I with thisboxhead? I have (or will) included some new features which should trap you within my web of self-indulgent opinions a little longer. These include…

It is fair to say that the National Rugby League hasn’t had the best year. However, it’s great to see that they have managed to end the year with a positive initiative to re- embrace their fans.

NRL.COM – NRL All Stars_1257818047195In September, the NRL announced that they were organising an exhibition game (they didn’t call it that but that’s what it is) between the Indigenous All Stars and the NRL All Stars to open the 2010 season. And like many fans, I thought it was a nice idea but one I couldn’t get too excited about. We constantly see sporting codes put on events like this as a novelty without much meaning. The AFL has the International Rules Football, cricket has their celebrity and has-been matches and boxing has John Hopoate. All are a bit of fun but fairly pointless.

Instead of going straight for the ‘why’, uncover the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’. The answers to these questions will likely lead to the ‘why’.

Sydney Morning Herald, October 1 2009