Ken Fisher of Ars Technica claims that 40 percent of Ars readers are running ad blockers.

I only block Flash advertising with ClickToFlash, but I do keep Readability close by.

Belgium's ad agencies — including JWT, Ogilvy, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann and local shops — started a one-week virtual strike to protest the way clients conduct pitches in their country. Read the open letter to clients, running across their home pages, from one agency's site to the next.

Because Apple is the hot-hot-hot topic because of their January 27 announcement, here's their complete 'Get a Mac' campaign, featuring John Hodgman and Justin Long — 66 (yeah) TVCs by TBWA Media Arts Lab, from May 2, 2006 to nowadays.

My advice to you? Get a Mac.

Via @Iancul.

For the young and the nostalgic. Browse—even randomly.

And I wonder to myself, is this artistic work too high-minded to sell goods? Is it too smart for the mass demographics that every advertiser covets?

—J. J. Smith at Graphicology, in a beautiful post examining the limits of great American advertising.

You know what? I would never click any ad that blinks or animates in the first place. It’s obnoxious and juvenile, and I’m not about to reward them.

—David Pogue, Cleaning Up the Clutter Online.

Solutions (beside boycott)? Yes: Readability.

Advertising agencies, which had a lock on the client relationship when I started in the business, became a commodity business. Preoccupied with producing TV commercials, the agencies continued to make a lot of money, but they lost that gatekeeper role.

—Alan Siegel.

I keep hearing about advertising commoditisation on the local market as well, from A-list advertising entrepreneurs and communications services groups' regional management alike.

A match made in heaven, obviously.

Actresses named Audrey are really in a league of their own, don't you think?

"Art & Copy is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray, it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time—people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry."

Mm, no DVD for sale yet.

"I call it the "cab test." When you get into a taxi and tell the driver that you're in advertising, they often ask you whether you've done anything they might be familiar with. Well, have you?"

Jeff Goodby: We Are Becoming Irrelevant Award-Chasers.

Oops.

"It’s not that we no longer need information to initiate or to complete a transaction; rather, we will no longer need advertising to obtain that information."

Eric Clemons in Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet at TechCrunch.

Never thought about this until now: that Internet—although largely based on advertising—empowers users to close the information asymmetry that advertising is built upon.

Helvetica Trade Advertising 01 and 02.

"The face all print men are talking about"—still true after more than 40 years.

Via DF.

Ad agency people should repeat "I'll try not to be such an ad-land controversy whore anymore" a hundred times over, while client should keep a "we were morons for not blocking access from non-fast-food nations" poster on the office wall after this one.

Condescending asshats.

Via @RaduCeuca.

Microsoft is placing "I'm a PC" recording booths outside of Apple stores.

Talking about MS ads:

• NYTimes: Echoing the Campaign of a Rival, Microsoft Aims to Redefine ‘I’m a PC’
• Gruber: Digging Deeper
• Kottke: The new Microsoft ads
• Counternotions: Microsoft “I’m a PC” ads are channeling Apple’s “Crazy Ones”

Coffee readings.

"Several digital images that Microsoft Corp. has posted on its Web site to trumpet its new "I'm a PC" advertising campaign were actually created on Macs, according to the files' originating-software stamp." Obviously.

Right.

"The spots were undeniably successful in one important regard: they were noticed and discussed. I suspect what sparked the panic is that the Seinfeld ads were too good, too accurate at capturing just what it is that Microsoft, as a company and brand, stands for: nothing." John Gruber in his There’s Nothing There. Brilliant.

"Microsoft's version of the story: Redmond had always planned to drop Seinfeld. The awkward reality: The ads only reminded us how out of touch with consumers Microsoft is." Microsoft announcement tomorrow: No more Seinfeld ads!.

Dan –Pilu– Moldovan, Creative Director and Partner of advertising agency Propaganda died last night while shooting a TV commercial. He was 35. May he rest in peace.

"Hypothesis: television news programming is mainly a way for advertisers to aggregate viewers by gullibility." Carlos Yu at Halfway down the Danube.

"You ever worked in a creative department, son?" No? Then "you can't handle a bigger logo!" [Via DO.]

Just coined that. Advintaging is modern advertising by hijacking vintage adverts. [Via NDG.]

"I love seeing the end of advertising." — São Paulo No Logo article at PingMag and adjacent Tony de Marco's Flickr photoset. All good except the inept title— it's not about logo (identity), it's about advertising (sales).

"We know that the best drum solo in the whole history of rock - ever - is coming. The Gorilla knows it too." Those cheeky Brits do really know a thing or two about advertising: Cadbury — A Glass and a half full of Joy.

Following Liviu David's article, Lucian Georgescu of Gav Scholz & Friends re-iterates similar opinions — the youngest adman wannabes have certain attitude problems — while looking back at industry's development over the years. [links in Romanian]

Liviu David (CD Next, ex-CD D'arcy) — one of the most unpretentious top professionals I know — writes on IQads About Modesty [link in Romanian] and sums up what makes the Romanian advertising industry rotten: incompetent arrogance.

For £15,000 as agency Mother have bought the right to run both the content and design of the February issue of Creative Review, working alongside the in-house team. [via magCulture]