Good, progressive graffiti is a dying art form. Which is why it's especially great to see New York's own "Poster Boy," the subway ad mash-up artist, out there on the grind. With a razor blade and an anti-corporate mentality, he's taking artistic destruction to a whole new level of brilliance.

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Barack Obama's campaign is nothing if not thorough. Reps from Electronic Arts confimed that actually paid for in-game advertising in the popular video game, Burnout. [Politico]

The unsubtle product placement at the beginning of Chris Brown's "Forever" video and the repetition of "double your pleasure, double your fun" in the lyrics should have been a hint that the chart-topping ditty was more than just a song, although I don't fault anyone for failing to guess that the song is actually an extended jingle paid for by Wrigley's. I mean, who knew?

Wrigley's came clean today about the annoying-as-hell song, which will soon be featured in 30-second commercials for the popular chewing gum.

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Figuring out which television program would, after American Idol, next score a sponsor for the cups sitting on the desks of its hosts was a question we lobbed at So You Think You Can Dance, the Fox dancing competition now in its fourth season with unmarked blue cups placed before judges Nigel Lithgow & Co. just begging for a corporate beverage sponsor. We did not expect the question would be answered by a local television newscast.

Brava, then, to Las Vegas’ KVVU, the Meredith Corp. local news broadcast that let McDonald’s buy its way onto their program.

The cups of iced coffee — it is 100 degrees in Vegas — sit directly in front of the news anchors during the broadcast and, while getting plenty of screentime, are rarely touched by the talent.

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ADVERTISING IN BLACK MAGAZINES AIN'T WORTH IT? Every year, the NAACP sends out a survey to big corporations asking what percentage of their advertising budget is used in black-owned media. The corporations get a grade — an F, if they don't participate — based on their relationship with black-owned businesses. The companies dread it, but they say advertising in black-owned media is not cost-effective.

"All things being equal, we'd have no problem supporting" black-owned media, said [an anonymous chief marketing officer for a major brand], but "a lot of the true African-American owned media companies are small and very decentralized. That doesn't fit our strategy of needing to have a national reach. We have looked at some of the options, but the delivery is so small in relation to cost it doesn't fit our strategy."

[AA]

See, smokers? Cigarettes are like 9/11. Every time you smoke, you're being a terrorist. No, we have no idea how the two are similar, but when did controversial imagery stop being a strong case for and against things? So, thanks a lot, you bastards.

Fun fact: More than one rabid, unthinking ad agency thought this would be a good idea.

Jay-Z, who seems to announce a new business venture every week, is teaming up with Steve Stoute to open an ad agency. The agency, called Translation Advertising, will specialize in helping marketers reach "multicultural" consumers.

Interpublic, the third largest ad agency in the country, will own 49 percent of Translation. Steve Stoute and Jay-Z, the new agency's co-chairman, own the majority stake.

Mr. Carter, in a telephone interview, said he considered his involvement in an agency “part of the natural growth” of his career.

“As an artist, you make music,” Mr. Carter said. “And if you see people who don’t know how to market your music, you get involved in it.”

Otherwise, what you want to accomplish “gets lost in translation,” he added, “no pun intended.”

Jay also recently announced he's developing a hotel chain. Doesn't he ever get tired? I mean, I know he occasionally flies to the French Riviera for a few days and lies on a yacht with Bey. I guess that's enough. [NYT]

• The press is acting like Wesley Snipes' trial is the trial of the century. It is pretty amusing, though. [People]

• 50 Cent was allowed to feel "normal" when he was shooting a movie with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. How marvelous for him. [CST]

• Advertisers spend $805 million a year targeting black radio stations and $600 million on black magazines. In total, advertisers spent $2.3 billion on ads targeted toward African Americans. [MW]

• More on the Black List, a documentary that premiered at Sundance. [HR]

• TV One's on the come-up. Watch your back, BET. [CNN]

• Advertisements, shmadvertisements, or so we say. [MD]

• South Carolina blacks may vote for the Dems, but they aren't very liberal. [MBP]

• The Jena Six case is like 2007's version of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Although no one has to give up anything to say, "Free the Jena Six!" [USAT]

• My name and OJ Simpson's mentioned in the text of the same article? A dubious distinction, at best. [BS]

Calling it genocide is a bit of a stretch, as there is a significant amount of free will involved in the (initial, at least) purchase and use of cigarettes, but it's hard not to notice that certain cigarette ads are geared directly toward African Americans. Surprise! There's a new $1 billion lawsuit against the major tobacco companies (these things never go out of style) brought on by a Florida woman whose mother and grandmother both died cigarette-related deaths.

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