The meals will be served in bags and cups made from recycled materials. Bk says that going forward their kids' meals will be packaged in bags made from 100% recycled materials and their beverage cups will be made from 10% recycled materials. And they're even going so far as to have their packaging feature information on recycling and tips to help kids "make a positive impact on the environment".

According to Brandweek, "the new Kraft Kids Meal provides 350 total calories with less than 25% of calories from fat and 9% from saturated fat. Last September, the chain pledged to restrict 100% of national advertising aimed at children under 12 to Kids Meals meeting its new nutrition criteria by Dec. 31, 2008. BK spent $257.3 million on media last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus."

continued...

I know this spot is a few weeks old, but I watched it again and had the same thought that I did the very first time I saw it- "Wow, in the future doctors can cure Gout!" Because that's what you're certain to get if you eat this 'Breakfast of the Future' sandwich that Burger King is offering.

Then I looked up how many calories I'd be in for if I slept in my clothes and set my alarm for 7am so I could be the first person in line at my local BK tomorrow to get one (hypothetically, of course). 390 cal, not so bad if you consider that one of those double mocha, choca loca cafe' frappy drinks from Starbucks will set you back at least that much. I would think that in the fight against obesity Burger King would lead with that fact. But I guess their belief is that nothing beats the yummy goodness of bacon and melted cheese. I agree. I mean, nothing other than hypertension and lactose intolerance.

We hear Johnny Knoxville may be the spokeswhore for the upcoming-and-much-anticipated Microsoft spots, courtesy (plus $300 mil.) CPB. Apparently, the water cooler is rife with chatter about the possibilities. Our best guess, "It's so easy, even Johnny Knoxville can use it."

But that's just our take, and that's why I'm blogging here and not making $300 bajillion dollars there. Such is life.

Let's hope the bit works, since losing the deal would mean number 10 (or so?) lost clients of late. Ouch.

Check back for more.

Oh, and our brotherly blog PRNewser covered this awhile back, so I guess we're confirming a rumor. But apparently, it's "all over" Microsoft.

And in case you missed it, Valleywag posted this from a focus groupie.

"Microsoft (is) in the midst of preparing an advertising campaign that would make it appear that its software and the PCs that run them are a younger, hipper product.

They showed us a number of sample ads that seemed to emphasize global community, peace, love, happiness and environmentalism, etc., and how Microsoft products can bring the world together and make it better place. All of us in the group were struck by how Apple-like the ads were. Some even expressed thoughts that they appeared to be straight rip-offs."

Well I'm not sure if this is more of a we hear or a CP&B, but we have it on background that the new Microsoft piece is everything you hope it will be and more, as long as you think it will be great.

Of course, Microsoft is fighting Apple's Mac v. PC spots, and its own botched OS launch about a year ago. But what the company still has in its pocket is the PC world.

I love Apple as much as the next sucker, and will probably never buy a PC ever again. But anyone that really knows computers — like, geeky programmer dudes and dudettes, all seem to think that Microsoft and the PC have a great advantage to leverage — like 90 percent of the computer market.

So knowing this, I'm really interested to see what comes of the CP&B work. And if my source is right, it'll be bigger than GTA4.

This morning, as I perused my LinkedIn profile, I got to thinking about what a huge time sink that site is, and wondered what the actual benefits to me are. So far, it seems like nothing.

A friend of mine is constantly popping up in my network updates because she connects to so many people. WTF Meg? How do you have time to work if you're always social networking?

And you reader? What are you gaining from your addiction to connectivity?

Reminds me of the root beer lady, Dorothy Molter. She lived in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, Minnesota (note: in an area only accessible by canoe) for 56 years until her death in 1986. She was visited by more than 7,000 people each year, and she served them all homemade root beer. Fucking genius.

Even in complete isolation, people sought her out. Talk about viral. Today there's a museum and someone has taken over making the soda, but I bet it doesn't taste the same...

The spectrum of knowledge that we're supposed to be aware of is so much broader today than Dorothy ever could have imagined. But even if she had been utilizing the Web somehow, it may have ruined the innocence of her creativity.

Still, the Boguskys of the world know how to harness the power of their resources, namely the people around them. I was speaking with a friend this morning who owns his own shop, but admitted that he hired people much smarter than himself to keep things moving. It forces him to trust them, and them to work (but in a free-from-too-much-top-down-bullshit kind of way) things out together. A far cry from the hive-mind mentality that's brought down more than one company. And almost reminiscent of Molter — let the people do the work in their way, and grow you will.

So many shops tout having a single idyllic goal in mind, one ideal to uphold. One mantra. Makes no sense to me, because when you've got so many people with individual goals, making them fixate on one seems totalitarian, at best. After all, we're all trying to pay the rent so we can do what we really love. If you're lucky, what you really love is already paying the rent.

This fundamental factor is one that keeps me from certain companies, namely death stars with tons of corporate bullshit, which I'd trade for small office politics any day of the week. We don't want to be Acme Advertising, we want to be ourselves. That's how creativity thrives, when there are no rules placed on the fountains of ideas (read: addies) that birth great rivers, rife with award (and account) winning work. Rootbeer.

So, rumors are everywhere that MDC is going up for sale. We call bullshit, but here's the story: In the June issue of Fast Company, the magazine for those on the bleeding edge of business (guffaw), recently reported on the shop's Microsoft work. Over six pages, you get your fill of all things Bogusky, all things Andrew Keller and Crispin culture.

You've heard it all before. Boy genius and all that. What is more interesting is the quote coming from co-Chairman Chuck Porter who said:

"If you've got someone who wants to come and buy the whole thing right now, we can talk - the whole ball of wax, the whole MDC."

Crispin went on record in AdAge to deny the Porter's insinuation. In fact, spokepeople from MDC along with Porter have slammed the journalist who wrote the piece, Danielle Sacks.

"During that part of the interview," Mr. Porter said,
"we were talking about the financial community's view of MDC. ...What we were really talking about was some of the conversations that were happening in some realms of the financial community, and I was relating things that we had heard. I wasn't really talking about what we think. In that sense, it was definitely out of context." He added: "The truth is, I don't even remember saying that."

Okay, you KNOW he said that shit. Trust.

Meanwhile, Fast Company is standing by Sacks' reporting.

"After reviewing the transcript of conversation, Fast Company believes his words were neither taken out of context nor even ambiguous. We stand by our story."

How did Porter mean it? He meant it like, "I'm unhappy with MDC and I'm gonna out there on this limb and what?" In the article, Chuck goes onto point out he thinks MDC shouldn't be public and that the company is not designed to achieve quarter-to-quarter growth. So, you know... where else is going to vent? We're sure Bogusky is tired of hearing about MDC's leadership, about how CP+B made a pretty shitty deal in the long run and how is shop is holding up their profit margins.

Hell. You gotta put that anger somewhere, no?

Did I say run? I meant relationship.

After little more than a year (12 months in a year, for anyone who wasn't sure) CPB is out, and Wieden Kennedy is in. Well, they were never out.

But I'm sure they're glad the threesome is over. I wonder if they'll talk about it later and feel awkward?

Nonetheless, it was a good time, I'm sure. Let's thank Mr. George Parker of Adscam for laying claim to this bit-o-gossip first. Howdy doo.

This one comes from Nebraska agency SKAR. Greg Ahrens, a partner at SKAR, recently said his main concern for the agency as growing the shop's business. Okay, so now we know who you are, but is taking a stab at Alex Bogusky going to help you land a client or two? Probably not.

Microsoft (and possibly CP+B?) have recently held a focus group that will surely influence the ads the agency will be putting out for the computer maker. From the Cajun Boy In The City blog:

What became apparent to all 8 of us in the group was that Microsoft was in the midst of preparing an advertising campaign that would make it appear that its software and the PCs that run them are a younger, hipper product. They showed us a number of sample ads that seemed to emphasize global community, peace, love, happiness and environmentalism, etc., and how Microsoft products can bring the world together and make it better place. All of us in the group were struck by how Apple-like the ads were. Some even expressed thoughts that they appeared to be straight rip-offs.

Crispin has also recently acquired a stake in AmericaFree.TV, a five-year-old provider of Internet TV services offering 20 channels of free content. As part of the deal, CP+B will relaunch the company's website and direct its branding and marketing efforts. Smart. Agencies owning the medium? Love it.

Another one from the mailbox this afternoon -- seems it might be easier to find a job if you are your own harshest critic -- so "Yukata" has taken to the web and developed this:

http://www.yutakasucks.com/

Seems he has one of his former co-workers at CP + B pimping him out -- Yukata is especially novel in his approach -- perhaps self-esteem classes are next?