Julie A. Enzweiler, Automotive – Research Director, Nielsen Online
The automotive industry was hit by a Mack truck the second half of 2008 with all-time high gas prices, a shrinking economy and growing consumer fear of making a large purchase.  Advertising spend reflects how the automotive industry reacted to the crisis, highlighting channels that are the most vital to intercepting new vehicle prospects.
The first half of 2008 showed growth in advertising spend over 2007 for TV (+2%) and Internet (+55%) while outdoor, magazine, radio and paper decreased (20%, 18%, 14%, and …

Nielsen and Digital Media Group (DMG) announced last week the results of their joint study of the effectiveness of LCD screen advertising in the Shanghai subway.  The research is the first of its kind conducted in China.
Results of an initial survey conducted during two weeks in late June show that DMG’s 4,110 multimedia displays on four Shanghai subway lines were viewed by 3,055,000 passengers.
DMG and Nielsen will track multimedia subway display viewership on a regular, long term basis in China.

Advertisers are increasingly employing creative publicity stunts to get consumers’ attention, The New York Times reported Friday.
Recent outdoor campaigns that drew notice include a glass elevator in Manhattan painted to look like a giant Oreo dunking into a glass of milk and “pitvertising” in London by Right Guard. 
Such high-profile public pranks may be par for the course in an era defined by ad-savvy, often distracted consumers, Pete Blackshaw, Executive Vice President of Digital Strategic Services, Nielsen Online, told the Times.
“Advertisers are being pushed to creative extremes, partly because it’s just …