Now I'm no expert of FOX's Family Guy show, but I do know enough to say the program definitely pushes the limits of prime time TV. So that's why I was so shocked initially to see Microsoft was going to exclusively sponsor a special Family Guy episode. The special was supposed to be commercial free with Windows 7 and Microsoft marketing messages built into it.

Here's a short preview clip of what the show was SUPPOSED to look like from YouTube:



But have no fear, Microsoft finally saw the light, pulling out of the show about two weeks before its scheduled November 8 airing. According to Variety's Mike Schneider, who broke the story, everything was humming along just fine until the folks at Microsoft went to the taping of the special last week and were shocked, SHOCKED to find racy humor and tasteless jokes about deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest.

Here's what Microsoft had to say about pulling the 180:

"We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of “Family Guy,” but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand.  We continue to have a good partnership with FOX, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas.  We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent."

Fear not, FOX says the show must go on and they're hoping to line up some new sponsors.

Question... didn't Microsoft know what kind of show it was associating with in the beginning? Maybe the Microsoft marketing/advertising folks should have thought long and hard about agreeing to sponsor the show in the first place. The backlash from this flip-flop might be worse than if Microsoft had followed through with the sponsorship after all. Windows 7 motto is "life without walls"... ironic... don't you think?

-posted by Andrew

I'm not one to blog about client news, but this one was just too out of the norm to pass up. Recently, VOXUS client Ryzex announced the oldest operational barcode device as part of its Big Upgrade contest (www.bigupgrade.com). But what's even more interesting is that after combing through numerous entries, Ryzex found what it believed to be the oldest operational barcode device on the same day the Google logo was replaced by the ubiquitous black-and-white barcode design. This was done to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the first barcode patent.

The oldest device, the MSI 2100 from the early 1970s, was found to be the oldest operational barcode device out of two months of submissions. The portable data collection terminal is battery powered and even includes a cassette tape for data memory... and get this IT STILL WORKED! So I admit this isn't as catchy as finding the first mobile phone, but for someone who lives and breathes AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture) devices, this is pretty cool.



-posted by Andrew

You knew this was right around the corner with e911 services and GPS for mobile phones. Read an article recently in Digiday: Daily about what the developer claims to be the first hyperlocal restaurant mobile campaign. According to the article, users that download a mobile application are able to see where friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. As part of the agreement, people will see B.R. Guest restaurant locations, with 13 locations in Manhattan, and if a friend is located near that restaurant. From there, the restaurant holding company is hoping social mapping will take hold and encourage two people in a similar location to meet up at one of their restaurants (with a little nudge from a free desert offer at all B.R. Guest locations).




Seems to me, this could be either a very successful endeavor or not, based on how people feel about sharing their exact location with others. Big brother or not, you make the call.

-posted by Andrew