A few days ago, Chris Brogan posted a video on his blog featuring his daughter and a bag he'd received from one of my favorite companies, the "They'll fight over it when you're dead" bag makers, Saddleback Leather Company.
How much more effective is this video than any banner ad or commercial they could buy?
The key here is that Saddleback Leather has a great product and an even better story. It's the kind of story that Chris loves. And more importantly, it's the kind of story that Chris' readers love. And Chris has a huge permission asset that doesn't mind being told about products that Chris loves.
Perhaps this is the future of advertising. The self selected endorsement.
P.S. I've got a Saddleback Leather bag as well, it was a gift from a client…it's amazing and it smells as good as Chris says it does.
Jon Dale 
Promotional ads, reviews, and blog spots definitely have a place in advertising, but I don’t think they’ll replace traditional media or performance based models, just enhance it. It’s always great to hear a personal endorsement of a product instead of a direct sales pitch. Especially from the Brogans!