NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As he prepared for his trip to serve as president of the Film and Press jury at Cannes, David Lubars rebutted Bob Garfield's harsh critique of the annual event. The Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO said he was puzzled at the constant attacks on the award shows that highlight the industry's best work and most accomplished creatives. But he also noted that the overall quality of this year's advertising creative work has declined as recession-wracked marketers reined in their budgets and vision.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Bloomberg's digital future will heavily involve distribution of original video news content to mobile phone users around the world, according to Andrew Lack. The former president of NBC News was named CEO of Bloomberg's new Multimedia Group eight months ago. And ever since, industry watchers have been speculating on Bloomberg's digital expansion strategy. At last week's Advertising 2.0 event, Lack detailed some of his visions.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb sparked a recent controversy with his remarks about Michael Vick. But he didn't call a press conference or tap a friendly editor to do it. Instead, he directly made news with his blog on Yardbarker.com. It was the latest example of how the Yardbarker ad network and celebrity-athlete blogging hub is becoming a growing presence in the world of sports media.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- New York times Op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof has become an unlikely evangelist for digital games as a new form of journalism. In fact, he's so taken with the idea that he's developing an online game to go with his new book due out in the fall. Authored with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, it's a serious work about the oppression of third-world women. In this keynote address at the recent Games for Change Festival in Manhattan, Kristof explained how an MTV game had opened his eyes to the true power of that online messaging format as a reporting tool.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Despite their lightweight moniker, mommy bloggers have become marketing business heavyweights. Now numbering in the millions, these online women have cobbled together content networks that rival some mainstream media companies. They are now a force that retailers underestimate at their own peril. In this "About Digital" report, we talk to a retail giant, an analyst, major publisher and a PR agency to better understand how various segments of the industry are adjusting to this phenomenon.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Coors Light has enjoyed fourteen consecutive quarters of sales growth but back in 2003 that brand was tanking. What turned it around so dramatically? On the surface it appeared to be a simple new marketing strategy focused on the refreshing nature of cold beer. But what really drove the success was a disciplined approach to the management of creative ideas and insights inside the company.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A new CMO Council study reports that digital attacks are the greatest threat facing marketers today but that many still aren't doing enough about it. It says phishing attacks against financial services marketers increased by 51% alone in the last half of 2008. The Council also argues that granting legal departments exclusive jurisdiction over the problem is not an effective solution.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As it goes into its third season as a smash TV hit across the mainland, the Chinese version of "Ugly Betty" is also pioneering new levels of product placement clutter. The show is set in an advertising agency rather than a fashion magazine and, so, enables the program to focus on all manner of products and their attributes. Mateo Eaton, who heads the branded content division of Mindshare North Asia, admits that the dense placements are a bit over the top, but advertisers -- and the TV producers they're paying -- aren't complaining at all.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It's one thing to debate the potential power of social media marketing to influence product sales but quite another to watch a social media project actually create a popular new product. In his keynote address at last week's Interactive Advertising Bureau's Social Media Conference, Forrester Research's Josh Bernoff explained how Del Monte Foods did that very thing in just six weeks.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Josh Bernoff is Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research and co-author of the book "Groundswell." Keynoting this week's Interactive Advertising Bureau's Social Media Conference, he discussed how major marketers like Procter & Gamble are using social media in increasingly potent ways. With the social community effort detailed here in this video, P&G significantly increased sales of its tampon products.