Now, present day. Holy crap. HTML5 is legit. We’re building test cases, testing browsers, kicking the tires and getting excited about the ability to bring our brand of Flash micro-site to iPad users the world over (and other people with smart phones and mobile devices that don’t use an IE browser).

Scribd’s take on HTML5.

eMarketer expects 33 percent of U.S. adult Internet users will turn to viewing a full-length episode online at least once a month this year. The percentage of people viewing television shows online over the past two years showed significant increase and that number is expected to rise even further.

This is a huge opportunity for advertisers looking to increase and expand visibility in the digital market. Americans love television, but where you watch the shows is changing. Advertisers need to continue adapting to this digital movement. It’s time to ditch old school t.v. spots and adopt a new format that leverages the Internet.

What you think should be obvious to customers doesn’t always ring true. Breaking through the clutter to grab individual attention doesn’t necessarily mean you need a moon walking bear when a bouncing ball will do.

For additional awareness tests check out DoTheTest.co.uk. (Contributor: Mary O’Connor)

Their oil spill jokes on their website and email promotions have gone too far for most customers. Spirit was quick to comment to complaints with this rebuttal.

“It is unfortunate that some have misunderstood our intention with today’s beach promotion. We are merely addressing the false perception that we have oil on our beaches, and we are encouraging customers to support Florida and our other beach destinations by continuing to travel to these vacation hot spots,” according to SpiritAir.com.

Believable? Is Spirit trying garner publicity by creating controversy? One thing is for sure, in a time as sensitive as this, with so many lives affected, Spirit went too far! What do you think? (Contributor: Mary O’Connor)

Michael Bush from Ad Age states, “By rewarding complainers with lightning-fast responsiveness, are marketers training consumers to publicly flog them rather than take the discreet and often-frustrating route of calling customer service?” Interesting point. Put another way, will consumers cry wolf to get a refund, save a buck, or game the system?

Does it make sense to train consumers to think the best way to get a faster service is to bash your brand, to tell every one of their friends and connections about a terrible experience, and do it all in the public domain. With the power of social media how will companies respond? Sometimes meeting customers where they are, in the social media centered world, is not the best venue for solving all of your company’s problems. But then again, maybe it is.

While the UN Foundation has been working with the UN to fight malaria for years, it was Rick Reilly’s column about malaria in Sports Illustrated challenging each of his readers to donate at least $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed nets, that led to the creation of the Nothing But Nets campaign in 2006.

It cost $10 to put insecticide-laced mosquito nets into the hands of families in need. We’ve set a modest goal of delivering 250 nets to Africa, but we need your help.

The facts:

• Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria in Africa.
• Children and pregnant women are most susceptible to malaria.
• An insecticide-treated bed net can protect a family of four for up to four to five years.

Watch a quick video showing net distribution in the Ivory Coast:

On one hand, this may boost the state’s economy, but there is the question of driver safety. Although the automobile ads would only appear when a car stops for at least four seconds, there are several other factors to consider. Theft, personal property rights and media buying all come to mind. Do the benefits of economic growth outweigh the possible safety hazards, or is it the other way around?

Advertising Age released this chart based on an online tracking service Trendrr Pro to analyze the various articles featured on Google News. Over the six-week period, the web engine displayed more articles about popular culture and social media than reports on the latest military efforts. Facebook, Twitter and Apple top the charts, followed by stories about Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pop culture opportunists Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus appear fail the “newsworthiness” test. It’s quite interesting to see where Americans’ priorities lie in terms of newsworthy stories in the midst of war.

Marketing experts attacked Disney’s most controversial tactic, their decision to release a free “cliffhanger” screening of the first sixty five minutes to college students. Hoping to capture enough buzz and anticipation, skeptics questioned whether or not this audience would pay $10 to see the last thirty eight minutes. Why not just find it for free on the Internet.

Was this new and risky marketing strategy a failure or a success? Looking at the numbers, I’d say a success.