The Big Fat Marketing Blog

To working stiffs like us, the IKEA furnishings catalog is probably as exciting as the Christie’s art auction catalog is to a multibillionaire: It’s full of cool stuff to buy that you can actually afford. But now IKEA designs have inspired actual works of art from students at the University of Oregon.

Students were to model their furniture projects after a product in the auction catalog from catalog. The pieces had to be based on the Swedish furniture giant’s principals of simplicity, multifunction and affordability. more

More video ads are coming to YouTube as Google tries to diversify and make more money from its $1.65 billion purchase. As you log on in the future, your search activity will likely dictate what ads you see.

I occasionally respond to Nigerian 419 scam e-mails in an effort to waste their time. I do it mainly because I figure the time spent corresponding with me is time they’re not spending scamming someone else.

Last week, I had a series of exchanges with “Dr. Paul Neville” who appeared in my inbox offering me a loan. The ruse illustrated that some of these people will respond to anything. And, yes, I set up a fake Yahoo account for this.

Warning: Bathroom humor of the vilest form ahead. If graphic, bodily function jokes of questionable humor bother you, read no further. I don’t want any letters saying I’m a disgusting, pathetic juvenile loser. We all know that already.

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Even before we got married my wife started buying her own Christmas gifts from me. I’d get her the wrong size, something too tacky, or something I was more interested in than her (I though chicks dug Sony Playstation… who knew?). So I let Ursula get herself something she really wants, and she tells me “I’ll act surprised.”

To make sure I’m going through the motions, I’ll get Ursula some stuff for a dollar store or a discount store that I know she regularly uses or needs. A lot of times, it’s even “clearance crap.” And this year, if a recent survey by the National Retail Federation is dead on, it looks like I won’t be the only person out there scavenging the bargain bins this season. more

Yesterday afternoon, my colleague Brian Quinton dropped me an e-mail to ask if I was writing about the brouhaha surrounding the Motrin ad that refers to moms using their babies as fashion accessories.

At the time, I hadn’t heard of it. Fashion accessories? Huh? A good accessory is a sassy scarf or a jaunty hat—not something that spits up on you or poops itself. Still, I was intrigued and quickly hopped over to YouTube to find the “offensive” ad.

My reaction as an “official” mom of two? I think its pretty funny. I’m guessing the moms with their Baby Bjorns in a twist just aren’t getting enough sleep.

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