Leo Burnett and the times are a changing

Photo: Samer Karam - bloggingbeirut.com If further proof was needed that the times are a changing, the breakfast Beirut/NTSC was invited to at the Mandaloun could be it. Leo Burnett, invited the representatives of the Lebanese blogosphere, or those they managed to get at such a short notice to meet Sven Czoppan from Viral Lab to discuss the potential of implicating blogs in some online campaigns in one shape or the other. Actually, I was struck at how much Leo Burnett were aware about the content of the blogs and what we say - even if criticizing - their campaigns. I was also impressed at how much they were open for dialogue especially where some attendants gave very harsh crticisisms about Exotica's first dabbling into the foray of the viral and online hype (with http://www.ivysays.com/ - an initiative Beirut/NTSC did not cover due to being out of Lebanon). Still, there was an open and upfront dialogue which heralded some sort of new era of talking with ad agencies which hopefully means that trashy publications (I am not naming anyone, but you should know who you are!) which rely on paid advertorials that look like articles will be defunct sometime in the future.... Oh, and this time, countrary to the last time there was a photo, I actually managed to have my face in it (I am the one wearing a bomber jacket making sure to appear busy and not at the camera (or Cell phone, or whatever Samer was holding!))