Doner Media

We said it last week, anything is possible during March Adness, and here’s proof that we weren’t lying. Our reigning champ, Mike Rykalsky has moved up from 47^th place to sharing third with Deidre O’Reilly and Sharif Lee, (good news for Deidre and Sharif, Mike picked Kentucky to win it all). Lesley Schofield and Lindsay Fritzer are holding steady in first and second hoping Sparty goes all the way. Who will prevail in the final days of competition? With one of the craziest tournaments in years on our hands, anything could happen.

Our iPhone apps for Coleman win again! Last night our lantern app for The Coleman Company “Social Networking Site” campaign won a bronze trophy in the mobile category at the 32nd annual John Caples International Awards. The Caples are the top award in direct response marketing, which means you can’t win on creative awesomeness alone. You have to have results, which means you and your client get what advertising is all about. And that you have some idea how to calculate a return rate. See more here: http://www.dmnews.com/mobile/article/166332/

Congratulations to our awesome team.

Chief Creative Officer: Rob Strasberg
Executive Creative Director, Interactive: Justin Smith
Creative Director, Interactive: Ken Spera
Associate Creative Directors: Derek Clark, Jason Henderson
Art Director: Andrew Wright
Copywriters: Andrew Bouwkamp, Jason Jakubiak, Ellen Sawyer
Project Managers: Laura Squillace, Heather Read
Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership: Kevin Weinman
Brand Leader: Linde Levin

We have collaborated on a masthead takeover interactive banner that gives MySpace visitors five free downloads from a Mazda-curated list of seven emerging, unsigned bands. The interactive banner operates like a web music-online app and will run on the MySpace homepage all day on March 23.  It not only rewards music lovers with free music but also provides coveted mass exposure for seven unsigned artists. The target is young and trendsetting, but they’re growing up, telling the world they’ve arrived (that’s why they didn’t buy Corolla or Civic). Since these young trendsetters choose their car as much on the sound system as the style and driving features, the banner reinforces the Mazda3’s why buy: a 10-speaker Bose audio system that plays MP3s.

Click here for more from Brandweek

After a weekend marathon of NCAA basketball buzzer-beaters we might have an upset in our own March Adness competition!  Last year’s reigning champion, Mike Rykalsky, has dropped to 47th place with Keith Gardner and Beth Ellis tied for first with the sweet sixteen locked in place.  Do Keith and Beth have what it takes to claim the No. 1 spot or can Mike advance from behind for one of the biggest comebacks in March Adness history?  After this weekend, it’s clear anything is possible.

Will Mike Rykalsky be able to retain his title as Doner’s top March Adness prognosticator? Will he get another 365 days to talk smack around the office? Who at Doner can show him up with the winning picks? That’s right, Doner’s 2nd annual March Adness competition is where we name our faves to win the NCAA roundball tourney. When the brackets are completed, who will get the coveted custom trophy? Stay tuned to find out!

Mike Rykalsky - Doner's 2009 March Adness Winner