Tech-savvy Estonia opened “an official embassy” in Second Life, TechCrunch reports. Estonia, celebrating 90 years of freedom from Russia this year, launched the embassy to symbolize the progression of its own society, and promote Estonia by hosting discussions and lectures with people who may not be able to travel to Estonia. The embassy will act as a conduit for information to countries where Estonia has no representation, as limited resources enable it to post diplomats in only 40 countries.
According to AFP, the foreign ministry said that features range from highbrow exhibition halls to an “offbeat” canine news anchor (the anchor is an actual dog, a traditional Estonian "Eesti hagija" breed), and, according to ministry official Marten Kokk, follows neighbor Sweden's virtual diplomatic mission earlier this year.
Also:
According to The New York Times, J&J's Cordis Corporation is marketing its heart stent, the Cyper, directly to consumers and medical professionals, a fairly new approach for the category. Cordis plans to address concerns about stent safety, and growing competition in the device market, with print advertising campaigns handled by Omnicom's BBDO agency.
MM&M also reports that the agency successfully revamped the product Web site, www.cypherusa.com, in September. BBDO's sibling digital agency, Atmosphere, will handle interactive, while PR is tasked to Edelman.
Nokia tapped Universal – and is considering other labels - for an initiative that will offer Nokia buyers free12-month access to Universal artists' music, in the second half of 2008.
Citizens United, angered by their characterization in a CNN documentary, will push legal action if not granted a formal apology and public retraction of those statements, according to Mediabistro via Drudge.
