Ogilvy & Mather

Yahoo Tries to Recover From "It's Y!ou" Ad Disaster by Attacking Google's One Box (This Is Going to End in Tears)

Kara Swisher in News on May 5, 2010 at 11:28 pm PT

Say it ain’t you, Yahoo. And yet, here’s one of the major new conceptual directions of the troubled Internet giant’s next pricey marketing campaign, aimed at recovering from its first advertising foray, which is widely considered a failure: A full frontal attack on search leader Google. In fact, it’s an odd attempt to mock the simple and elegant white box that allowed Google to steal Yahoo’s thunder many years back. “There’s nothing to look at but a box and a button,” says the voice-over to the Yahoo commercial about an unnamed, but obvious, Web site. “When you look at this homepage nothing looks back at you.”

Yahoo Gets Set to Unveil Rejiggered Ad Campaign, After First One Stumbled

Kara Swisher in News on April 19, 2010 at 8:38 am PT

Yahoo is close to rolling out a new version of its pricey advertising campaign, said several sources, after the one featuring the tagline, “It’s Y!ou,” seemed to flag. One of the rejiggered versions being considered is centered on the concept that the Web is “personal,” with specific references to all kinds of apps and services–via flying tiles–you can use on Yahoo, including third-party ones such as Facebook.

Got Yahoo? Internet Giant Hires Goodby as Top Creative Agency for Its Ongoing Brand Revitalization.

Kara Swisher in News on October 19, 2009 at 5:55 pm PT

In a shift that is sure to be much commented on by the advertising industry, Yahoo has tapped Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to take the lead for its creative, advertising, digital marketing and strategic planning efforts. The San Francisco-based Goodby, which is owned by the Omnicom Group, is known for innovative ideas and has done such memorable campaigns as the terrific “Got Milk?” campaign. Perhaps a “Got Yahoo?” campaign is in the future? Until now, the top job of goosing Yahoo’s tarnished brand, as part of a recently launched $100 million marketing push, has been helmed by Ogilvy & Mather.

The Yahoo Ad Campaign Creative We'd Like to See

Kara Swisher in News on September 22, 2009 at 5:41 pm PT

Yahoo introduced its new $100 million marketing and branding campaign in New York today with “It’s Y!ou” as the new motto, making use of the Internet giant’s famous exclamation point and aimed at its customers. Sure, it’s clever and all, but All Things Digital has come up with a much better advertising idea focused on Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, a sassy and ofttimes salty exec whose pugnacious utterances have become legend quickly.

Exclusive: Yahoo Working on Major Brand Overhaul (Pretty Please, No More Yodeling!)

Kara Swisher in News on June 24, 2009 at 7:39 pm PT

In what many sources at the company said is a major push, Yahoo is working on a massive plan to overhaul its brand in order to repair a damaged public image and focus consumers on what defines Yahoo. The effort is being spearheaded by newly installed Chief Marketing Officer Elisa Steele, who has hired well-known brand consulting firm Landor Associates, as well as an outside consultant named Penny Baldwin, who was a former top exec at brand and ad giant Young & Rubicam.