If you throw all the products we buy and the services we use in one basket, then add up the price tag, that's the Gross Domestic Product, which is the primary metric economists use to assess the economic health of a country or region.

The easy part of calculating GDP is the calculation itself: C+I+G+(X-M)=GDP. Got it? No? Well, add Consumption, Investment by companies, Government purchases, and then take the product of eXports (calling it 'E' would lack sexiness) minus iMports ('I' was taken). Viola! GDP.

Still don't get it? Well, knowing the components helps. Consumption is the biggest component, and it's a tally of the cost of all the goods and services we buy. Investment is what companies spend on the real assets they own, plus the value of the inventory that we haven't gobbled up through consumption. Government purchases are what the Feds pay money for (whether it be highways or fighter jets, though big social programs, like welfare, aren't counted). And then we calculate the difference between the goods and services we¿re sending to other countries and the stuff we're bringing in.

Good. That explains it, except there's a catch. Inflation has a habit of distorting the numbers, so economists talk about either Nominal GDP or Real GDP. In fact, Real GDP isn't necessarily "real" for most folks, since it takes any inflation out. Nominal GDP includes the effects of inflation. (There's something called the implicit price deflator which is a calculation using the two, but we'll spare you the details.)

So, now that we know GDP, why do we want to? Well, it's good to compare different markets. And watching the trend shows whether a given economy is growing (good), stagnating (not so good), or shrinking (very not so good). When GDP goes down two quarters in a row, we're officially in a recession.

For the record, GDP is released at the end of each month, with most reporting ¿preliminary¿ data for the previous month. But you won't get final GDP numbers for the fourth quarter of a year until the very end of the first quarter of the next year. After all, it's not an easy number to calculate.

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Monday, July 07, 2008

DDB Remedy Wins Best of Show at IPA Best of Health Awards

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NEW YORK, July 7, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----DDB Remedy Sydney picked up the Best of Show at the 2008 IPA Best Of Health Awards in London for their "Little Fella" TV campaign raising awareness and understanding of Erectile Dysfunction amongst Australian men.

The IPA Best of Health Awards celebrates the best creativity in healthcare advertising, a sector which encompasses the promotion of brands to both healthcare professionals and consumers. The "Little Fella" campaign (http://www.littlefella.com.au/), which was shortlisted at this year's Cannes Lions show, stood out amongst some of the best work in the international healthcare arena at the IPA awards show.

From 328 entries in this year's competition and for their first year of entering work in this show, DDB Remedy picked up seven awards, including:

-- Remicade Crohns won the Healthcare Professional, Press Campaign category aimed at specialist doctors.

-- Silvers and Bronzes were also picked up for DDB Remedy campaigns for Glaucoma Australia and the AHMF Herpes Awareness Campaign.

-- The Remicade Crohns Campaign won a special award for Best Use of Photography.

Dr John Bertolini, Managing Director, DDB Remedy, commented: "We are delighted that that we are producing work which is being recognized at an international level. The "Little Fella" campaign is a campaign we are incredibly proud of and a proof point of the determination and focus we have in becoming a leading healthcare agency."

Mark Goldstone, President of DDB Health Worldwide said: "Once again I'm pleased to see DDB's creativity recognized at the prestigious IPA Best of Health Awards. Great work doesn't happen by accident and much effort from our creative and planning teams together with our clients went into creating these business driving ideas. As we continue to say, "Better Ideas, Better Results."

Launched on behalf of the non-for-profit organization Impotence Australia in October 2007, the campaign communicates the realities of erectile dysfunction in a very unique manner. The TVC shows a typical middle-aged man going about his day shadowed by a miniature replica of himself suffering from the same stresses of daily life. At the end of this demanding day, the man is in bed with his wife and unfortunately the miniature replica has already fallen asleep and is refusing to comply with any demands. The spot closes with the tagline: "Look after your Little Fella and he will look after you."

Matt Eastwood, National Creative Director, DDB Sydney said, "The main message we wanted to deliver to all men in Australia in this campaign is that your sex life will be severely affected if you do not improve your health and lifestyle. Campaigns that have discussed this issue in the past centered on romance and relationships. This campaign delivers a more direct message in a very bold, unique and humorous manner."

David Chriswick, Senior Planner, DDB Sydney explained, "We saw the need to educate on the underlying causes of erectile dysfunction rather than create a campaign which only dramatized the benefit. We had to get across a direct rational health message while injecting some humorous human truths into the campaign."

The campaign is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from the three major players in erectile dysfunction: Bayer Healthcare, Eli Lilly Australia and Pfizer Australia.

About The IPA Best of Health Awards:

The IPA Best of Health Awards honors the best creative advertising work by healthcare advertising agencies. The objective is to showcase the best creativity in this specialist area. The Best of Health Awards are now recognized as the top creative advertising awards for work by healthcare advertising agencies, as they are the only awards given entirely by peers in the industry.

About DDB Remedy:

DDB Remedy is a division of DDB Health, the healthcare arm of DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc. DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) is the largest consolidated advertising and marketing services global network in the world, according to Advertising Age. DDB also has been frequently ranked as the most awarded agency network in the world by Creativity magazine and The Gunn Report, among others. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, DDB provides creative business solutions for some of the world's most prestigious brands. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).

SOURCE DDB Remedy Sydney

http://www.ddb.com

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