ATT Swings Back at Verizon, Showing How Its iPhone Is Great for Procrastinators

In the latest in an escalating war of ads, AT&T highlights the importance of the fact that its iPhone can surf the Web and make calls at the same time. As for holding on to said calls…well, I digress.

Microsoft Takes Another Stab at Selling Its Own Ads–By Getting Someone Else to Do It

Microsoft starts up its own “real time” advertising exchange, just like Google has. But instead of running it itself, Redmond is handing the work to AppNexus.

Twitter Kicks Off Its Super Bowl Site, Using Visa's Money

Twitter + big TV events are a natural combination, and one that Twitter has been playing up as it sells itself to advertisers.

Here's What a Display Ad in Your Gmail Looks Like

Hint: It’s going to be awfully familiar.

News Byte

A First Guess at Twitter Ad Results: How About $150 Million for 2011?

Twitter’s ad business is still in the just-getting-started phase, but eMarketer thinks that will still be a nine-figure business: It predicts Adam Bain and crew will sell $150 million worth of promoted tweets, promoted trends, etc., this year. Next year, spurred in part by a Google/Facebook-like self-serve ad system: $250 million. “But the company must show it can live up to its hype.” Noted!

Some of You Remember the Ads You See on Your Phones

Web surfers have trained themselves to ignore the ads they see. Mobile phone users are a different story. At least according to this poll. (Guess who commissioned it?)

For Barry Diller and Ben Silverman, "Branded Content" Means Jason Bateman on a Stripper Pole

A mini-movie featuring a cross-dressing dancer with a heart of something other than gold. Does it make you want to buy some gum?

Yahoo Restructures U.S. Ad Sales Force–With No New Head (But Apparently a Lot of Princes Charming)

Yahoo announced today that it was restructuring its advertising sales force, after being without a head of its key U.S. unit since mid-March. Big news: No new top ad sales exec. Instead, several North American sales execs with larger portfolios will report directly to Hilary Schneider, who is in charge of the Americas for Yahoo. “I have kissed a lot of frogs over the years, but it turned out the Prince Charmings we always needed were back at the ranch,” said Schneider.

About That Advertising Comeback…

Web publishers and TV networks are doing just fine. But if you’re in the radio, newspaper or magazine business, it’s a different story.

Exclusive: With Eye on IPO, Glam Buys Sportgenic to Build Out Ad Platform

With an eye on a public offering, Glam Media is buying Sportgenic, a sports-themed ad network. But its real interest in the deal is Sportgenic’s AdPortal, a technology platform it is integrating into its own ad management offering.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong Live at D8