Marketing and all things related

Now you might think that advertising in the real world has enough challenges that agencies would stick to reality, and you would be wrong—naturally. We learned from our friends at Advertising Age (free registration required,) that Leo Burnett of Chicago, one of the nation’s most respected advertising agencies, has decided to open a virtual office on Second Life. In case you don’t already know, Second Life is a virtual, three-dimensional, internet-based alternate reality "inhabited" by nearly 800,000 people worldwide. You can read more about Second Life here. Anyway, Leo Burnett has recently lost a few high-profile clients like Cadillac and the US Army. They are establishing a virtual outpost as an “ideas hub,” for future business. Such an outpost is not really a crazy idea. A number of companies and marketers based in reality, including ESPN, Adidas, and American Apparel, have established a presence on Second Life. While joining the virtual world is free, Second Life offers a complete self-contained economy for private ownership of various enhancements. Leo Burnett purchased 16 virtual acres for an estimated $ 1250 plus a monthly maintenance fee of $ 195. Marketing Blurb believes this is a fine idea, since some advertising agencies are already challenged by the real world.