Advertising Roundup: Starbucks' Surprise Hit, NBA's New Partner, MySpace's MyAds, and More

Lessons from the 1970s recession — AdAge reprises a piece from its archives on what marketers, media, and agencies did right and wrong during the recession of 1973-1975. [Source: AdAge]

Starbucks makes oatmeal trendy — Starbucks has stumbled upon a hit product that has taken even the chain by surprise — oatmeal. Millennials love it, apparently, and the marketing pitch (why make two stops for breakfast?) is striking the right chord. [Source: AdAge]

HP, NBA make a deal – Hewlett-Packard has signed a multi-year deal to become the “official technology partner of the NBA.” In addition to NBA scorekeepers and personnel using HP computers to keep track of stats, the deal will also include an ad campaign during NBA programming. [Source: AdWeek]

MySpace launches MyAds — Social network MySpace launched a new self-serve advertising platform today targeted at individuals and small businesses. ZDNET’s Steve O’Hear explains why the offering won’t give Google’s AdWords a run for its money. [Source: ZDNET]

Ad agencies start slashing headcount — The WSJ reports that the advertising industry is starting to respond to the economic crisis by cutting jobs. Still, execs and recruiters predict this time won’t be as severe as the 2001 recession, when ad spending dropped 10 percent and laid off tens of thousands of workers. [Source: WSJ]