Steve Jobs' return and the Journal's ad placement

Sometimes ads run where they shouldn't even loiter.

I once was involved in a TV spot that was clearly meant for later viewing (it featured a CEO in a restroom, reading a newspaper) that suddenly aired at 6 p.m. to howls of uproar. We were mortally upset, of course. The media buyer was showered with, um, beer.

Which is why I wonder just what the creators of an ad for Grandin Road, a purveyor of furniture and other domestic items, must have wondered when their ad for happy Halloweeny items became entangled with a Wall Street Journal article about Steve Jobs' return to Apple stage performance.

(Credit: Wall Street Journal)

You see, the Grandin Road ad features two skeletons. And some perhaps insouciant soul at The Wall Street Journal had decided to place it opposite the Steve Jobs coverage which happened to enjoy a picture of the still very slim Apple uberpresence.

Jobs' health problems have been well-documented, and one might have imagined that someone might have noticed the unfortunate symbiosis of the Jobs picture and the one in the ad.

The chosen picture of Jobs makes it seem as if he is declaiming to the skeletons, offering to sell the bony ones a new iPod or two. In fact, it looks as if the skeleton on the right is somewhat aghast at something Jobs has revealed. The new pricing, perhaps.

It all makes for a peculiar conjuncture of editorial picture choice and ad placement.

My fanciful, hardened heart wonders whether it could have been some enterprising, well-connected PR person's attempt to get the ad talked about. But my left brain is sure this was not the case.

So it's very possible that no one at the Journal noticed. These things do happen, even to the very best. But is it also possible that someone did and thought it, in a fleeting moment of whimsy, somehow amusing?

[ecotopian--2008]

Seems more than a little rude, considering Mr Jobs is one of the shining stars of the US economy at present, and his personal creativity has benefitted the world so much. Why would anyone wish him ill during his recovery?

[MadLyb]

Wow...he walk on water, feed the masses...etc. etc.?

He is the CEO of a technology company, not the second coming.

[Mr. Dee]

No biggie, we knew you meant say Bill Gates. Simple slip.

[Icebreeze]

Given that Mr. Gates has formally left Microsoft and is currently engaged in giving away his money for charitable purposes, I fail to see how he is currently a "shining star of the US economy at present."

[solitare_pax]

The way big newspapers like WSJ and USA Today are put together these days involves ads being assigned numbers, so page layout designers may only know they have to make room for the ad size, and they may not be aware of the content of the ad. Thus, while the copy on the pages remains the same in the printed versions, the ads may be different between copies sent out in the New York area, and copies printed is, say, California, where a different advertiser may have bought the space.

The same thing happens here on CNET - although not as awkwardly, considering the range of advertisers here...

[tipoo_]

They've done it: They've created the worlds thinnest CEO.

[4wight]

Yeah, can't wait for you to get some form of cancer or life-threatening wasting disease and then I can make cheap jokes at your expense too.

Why don't you look at your comment, think about someone you love having that disease and then make a really really crass joke about it.

Feel better now. Grow up and become a human being.

[WhuzYoDaddy]

You owe me a new keyboard and a can of Coke Zero.

[karpenterskids]

haha...I like WhuzYoDaddy's comment. :)

[cnote1287]

hilarious hahah

[BGXterra]

lol wait for the built in camera

[ikramerica--2008]

How can a comment so wrong be so funny? :)

[markosph]

otherwise known as iCeo

[JShah]

Yawn!

Is a few raised eyebrows worth reporting on CNET? It seems to me you guys will report anything these days to get page views. Bravo! CNET seems to be well on its way to becoming the National Enquirer of online tech news.

[koderkev]

@4wight As someone with a chronic illness, I'll tell you that having a sense of humor is the ONLY way to get through such tough times. I can imagine Jobs himself making a weak joke about being the new "iCEO Nano."

[Jeremy Chappell]

I think there is a difference between someone with an illness making a joke about it, and someone making a joke about a serious illness that someone else has. I'm just saying.

@4wight: Don't wish someone else ill, that's not cool - no matter what they said.

[websterphreaky]

Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ......

The ******** and Apple Kool Aid Drinkers just can't take it ... but boy can they dish it out in those BS Apple vs MS commercials. They can physically make fun of Bill Gates and have an ABSURDLY YOUNG Jobs alter ego, compared to the real Baldy Mr Skelletor Stevie Gods!

[Jeremy Chappell]

@SlimGem: Okay, so his comment is pretty crass, but seriously the crack about his mother - man that's off.

[SlimGem]

@ Jeremy Chappell,

Yeah, looks like you're not the only one who didn't appreciate it.

[karpenterskids]

It could've been sheer coincidence. It could've been planned.


But one thing is sure: "GrandinRoad" is enjoying this.
Noone's going to complain when, all of a sudden, their ad gets more bang for the buck.

Especially in these economic times.

[WillSimpson62]

This is such a retarded non-story. It's no big deal, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't posted an article about the article. :P

[Jeremy Chappell]

It's kinda getting like this around here isn't it?

[manualfunky]

in the local paper today, classiefieds and advert page...

Skydiving company ad on same page as funeral home ad...

The Nerve Of Some Media Groups!

[EvanSei]

if something does happen to steve jobs apple stock will plummet and apple will suffer until they show they can perform without him, and after seeing the latest iPods, I seriously doubt apple can.

[davidmcelroy_dotmac]

As someone who used to be a newspaper editor, I can say with a fairly high degree of certainty that this was pure chance. The odds are VERY high that whoever did the news page didn't even know what ad was on the page he was designing. The placements of ads is determined by the ad department on the day's "ad dummy." I don't know how the Journal's design system works, but I suspect that the editorial department employees' computers just show a shape in the place of where an ad will go -- and then the news and ads are combined when the pages are sent to an imagesetter (or platesetter if they're using those). It's funny, but it almost certainly wasn't planned (or even noticed until the paper was printed).

[nonicks]

Dear Chris,

It seems you are reading too much here. And it might be because you love Apple so much. Or may be you are becoming a FanBoy (remember the Fanboy Checklist c|net published few weeks ago; check that for yout symptoms).

I am pretty sure, you wouldn't have even noticed of the similar ad was displayed next to a world leader or even a political figure.

Or Are you trying to tell Journal.. how to do things? As if c|net does or you do?

[MikeLord68]

If coincidental (which seems likely), it's merely unfortunate.

If intentional, it's disgusting and heartless.

[DrtyDogg]

Question, if it is bad that the ad ran in that placement, it is even worse that the media is reading into it the way they are.

[brudgers]

At least it wasn't the picture intorducing the iSythe.

[jmm12]

Ok, so you have never worked at a newspaper before. The ads are layed in before the content... only the ads are blocked from the newsroom. All they see is FP AD HERE. Nobody was taking shots at anyone. Newspaper companies dont have time to connect ads with content... could be why they are dying themselves no?