Tag Archives: Ad Age

Why Is the SEC Mocking Stock Traders and Bitcoin Buyers?

by doctorads

Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There I was, minding my own business and checking out Ad Age’s Media Buzz, when I came across this Asa Hiken piece headlined “Celebrity Crypto Endorsements Under Fire in New SEC Campaign.”

Except I couldn’t actually read the piece because I haven’t forked over a bunch of money for an Ad Age subscription.

So help me out, Doc. What the SEC is going on here?

– Cryptonaught

Dear Cryptonaught,

Apparently tired of its public image as Elon Musk’s favorite chew toy, the Securities and Exchange Commission has decided to do some biting of its own. Here’s part of an SEC press release last week.

SEC Launches Game Show-Themed Public Service Campaign

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy today unveiled a game show-themed public service campaign to help investors make informed investment decisions and avoid fraud. Recognizing that sometimes investing may look and feel like a game, the campaign titled “Investomania” reminds investors to do their due diligence when making investment decisions.

Here’s the spot pantsing the meme stock set.

The SEC campaign has elicited very different responses from different parts of the Investosphere. There is, for example, Eugene Grygo’s take at Financial Technologies Forum: “Ad Campaign Exposes SEC’s Sense of Humor.”

“We continue to look for creative and memorable ways to reach and educate investors, and we hope this year’s public service campaign, with its lighthearted approach, will attract the attention of all kinds of investors,” says Lori Schock, director of the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, in a prepared statement.

The meme stock crowd, however, had a different statement to make, according to Pam Martens and Russ Martens at Wall Street Parade.

Redditors Are Furious at the SEC’s New Ad Campaign Portraying Them as Idiot Investors

Redditors at the subreddit Superstonk are posting obscenities directed at Gary Gensler, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), over the new ad campaign from the SEC that appears to target young Reddit investors as fools that do no research before investing, lose all their money, and deserve a whipped-cream pie in the face.

The blowback elsewhere – from Bitcoin bros to Robinhoodniks – has been fierce.

The Doc’s diagnosis: Investments are no laughing matter, whether made in a bedroom or a boardroom. Maybe the SEC should put a little less mania in its media.

Was Biting Evander Holyfield’s Ear Really Mike Tyson’s ‘Most Notorious Moment’?

by doctorads

Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There I was, minding my own business and scrolling through Ad Age’s Media Buzz when, I came across this piece by E.J. Schultz.

MIKE TYSON POISED TO GROW ‘MIKE BITES’ CANNABIS BRAND THAT RECALLS EAR-BITING INCIDENT

Mike Tyson seems intent on building a brand around one of the most infamous moments of his career—when he took a bite of Evander Holyfield’s ear in a boxing match 25 years ago. Tyson’s cannabis brand recently came out with ear-shaped marijuana edibles, called Mike Bites. And now a trademark filing indicates the boxing legend wants to expand the brand into a range of products, including keychains, pillows, rolling papers, vape pens and more.

What the hell, Doc? Is this guy high on his own supply?

– Ivonder

Dear Ivonder,

First off, let’s look at that “most infamous moment” of Mike Tyson’s monumentally infamous career.

Granted, that was decidedly not Tyson’s finest hour, but in no way does it eclipse his 1992 conviction for raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room.

(Just FYI: Tyson’s highest-profile defender at the time was – wait for it – one Donald J. Trump.)

Regardless of all that, a couple of months ago Tyson launched Mike Bites, as CNN’s Zoe Sottile reported.

Mike Tyson is selling ear-shaped cannabis-infused edibles called ‘Mike Bites’

(CNN) – More than two decades after Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear at the 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship fight, the legendary boxer has released a line of edibles — in the shape of ears.

The cannabis-infused gummies are called “Mike Bites” in homage to Tyson’s most notorious moment.

Again – not Tyson’s most notorious moment. Rape is way worse than ear-biting, yes?

Anyway, also from the CNN piece: “Tyson hasn’t been shy about his strong relationship with cannabis. The former heavyweight champion admitted in 2019 that he spends $40,000 a month on weed at his 40-acre cannabis ranch.”

That’s almost half a million dollars a year up in smoke. How many gummies would you have to sell to feed that habit?

Then again, not everyone has found Mike Bites palatable, as Matt Audilet noted last month in The Spun.

Tyson’s product is already on sale in California and his company, Tyson 2.0, has plans to expand to other states around the country. But, one state has already outlawed the “ear shaped” gummies. “Mike Bites” aren’t able to hit the shelves in Colorado because of a law against selling “human-shaped” edibles.

Tyson’s fans, according to Audilet’s piece, bit back at the ban: “The sports world took to Twitter to react to this news. ‘Boooooooooooo. Let the people eat Eardibles,’ one wrote. ‘This just keeps getting funnier with each new word you read,’ another added.”

The Doc doesn’t think that anything about Mike Tyson is in any way funny. (You can see his latest spasm of violence here.)

But maybe that’s just the Do No Harmist in us.

What’s Up with ‘The Kims’ Ad For MailOnline?

by Campaign Outsider

DrAdsforProfileWell the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

So I was reading Ad Age the other day and I came across this MailOnline.com ad:

 

the-kims-theyre-on-the-same-page_out_large

 

And here’s the Times Square billboard, via In-A-Gist:

 

ZpHeLWI

 

Kim Kardashian is hot!  And Kim Jong-Un was named Sexiest Man Alive last year.

You think maybe they’ll get married?

– Kim Jong Uh-huh!

 

Dear Uh-huh:

Unh-unh.