6 Things I Learned This Week

Here are 6 things I learned this week.

1. Annals Of Marketing: According to news reports, Osama Bin Laden was working on re-branding Al Qaeda before he was killed.  Apparently he was all grumpy and depressed and thought Al Qaeda's image had been damaged (!) and was thinking about a name change.

2. According to the great George Tannebaum at Ad Aged, William Pace had the all-time record for living with a bullet in his head. His brother accidentally shot him in the head when he was 9. The bullet was never removed. He died this week at 103.

3. Annals Of Marketing, Part 2: A motel operator in Cocoa Beach, Florida has decided that the only way to save his failing business (The Fawlty Towers Motel, no I'm not kidding) is to turn it into an all nude motel. Next up: All nude ad agencies.

4. If, on the other hand, you'd rather not drag your naked ass to the ice machine, the Emirate of Dubai is planning to build an underwater hotel. I'm thinking of staying home.

4. Human psychology explained: Thin people think they're fatter then they are. Fat people think they're thinner than they are. Dumb people think they're smarter than they are. Smart people think they're smarter than they are.

5. I'm speaking to a group of independent ad agency owners this morning. The title of my talk, "The Golden Age Of Bullshit." Should be another fine opportunity to turn a nice group of people into an angry violent mob.

6. Pepsi is letting its desperation show by bringing the image of Michael Jackson back on a billion cans of Pepsi. Can't they leave the poor guy alone?

Have a good weekend.