He called, wanted a meeting immediately, then bulldozed his way into our office. He insisted something needed to be done and right away. He was losing money. No, he wasn’t the final decision maker, but he was a damned important strategic partner and they would listen to him. He liked a spot we did for the sister company. He hated the current marketing director of the company. She was slow, unresponsive to his requests and should be be put back into the secretarial pool or fired. He’ll put his own money in to straighten things up, by God. He’d get us a meeting with the powers that be. And on the way out he said, you might “wear a low cut top” next time we meet.
We were certainly intrigued by this prospect. What if “this” and what if “that” began to float around. It could be a nice piece of business, but I resisted the urge to do any spec work-it didn’t feel right. (It wasn’t the low cut top comment, trust me.)
Anyway, good thing we didn’t spend a lot of time prepping a pitch. After raising every kind of hell, this important “strategic partner” was told flat out by the real decision makers this was none of his concern. Yes, they loved what adchicks team did for their sister company, but they are quite satisfied with their current mediocrity.
The moral of this story: Never count your chickens before they’re hatched.
Our Intern this summer…she was a walking, always talking, nervous, sound effects machine. But we loved her. When I finally kicked her outta the nest, she presented me with a gift that keeps on giving. That girl has a bright future. Check it out:
When you’re a small agency, you can do that. Turn on a dime. You can jump through a hoop and make it happen without inter-office bullshit, egos, protocols or hierarchy. So today when a client called and needed to change his commercial to push bananas at 39¢ a pound, we stopped everything else and did it. In less than 3 hours, revision uploaded to the FTP. Boom. Done. I work with such cool people.
There’s no recession in Hooterville. Today has been a blur. We’ve got one client with the Swine Flu, and one who thinks he’s going to get a full blow presentation of spec work by Thursday. THINK AGAIN. So I got out my Etch-A-Sketch (had one as a kid, and have one at work) to pass some time in thought…then I found this. Whoever did this has nothing to do…or was on a conference call with that ONE client…yawn. (via GadgetHIM)
Three new Mac/PC commercials are out and as usual, they do not disappoint. I just think it’s brilliant work. This one is my favorite. See them all here-thanks ad gabber!
Sick today. Stayed home. (No, it’s not the Swine Flu.) Daytime TV is pretty weak. (I watched the last half of Jeopardy and the last half of the Beverly Hillbillys. Grannie was dancing and Jethro was a big time movie die-rector. Oh my God.) Random roaming on the internet is far more entertaining. I found this:
We hire voice talent from all over the country to voice video projects. We listen to a demo, and it’s amazing. We hire them and get the product back, and it’s like listening to their dumb Uncle Buck.
Same with new designers. We look at their book, and it’s pretty cool. Within a week, the stuff they’re cranking out isn’t as good as the last college intern we had.
If you want to stay employed in this business, be good ALL the time. Don’t slop through the project -even if it only pays you $100. I think $100 for sitting down in front of a microphone for 15 minutes (or less) is a nice bit of change. Exceed the expectation, because its one thing to get hired. It’s another thing to stay employed.
If they tried anything like this in our local grocery stores, somebody would get arrested. I mean, Hooterville likes the Sound of Music on a stage, not in the produce department.
Check out the CNBC story! This is BIG money in our economic downturn. Think of all the production work-the logos, the layouts, the web sites, the videos – lemme at it! It’s not Peter Arnell work, but hey, it’s paying work and we’ll do a better job for a lot less than I’ll bet they’re paying!
As seen on TV products are all the rage-from Snuggies to Slapchops, these products are being ordered up faster than small town gossip (I love that line). The A to Z listing is pretty extensive. The upside down tomato planter…ingenious. Lucidal, the Cognitive Preformance Enhancer that eliminates Brain Fog….ad agencies across the country should be ordering Lucidal by the pallet load.
Two brothers run a successful homebuilding business that Dad started. They are linear thinkers. They want a new logo. We go through the dance of getting to know one another… the size-up…”do-we-feel-comfortable-with-this-bossy-woman-but-we-better-hire-her-or-someone-else-will”….and the “they-seem-cool-enough-to-get-it-but-will-it-be-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass”. We show the first round. Green? Hmmm…we think you need to show us more color options. We come back, armed with Pantone books. They deliberate deeply, trying hard to articulate what they think because, they really don’t know and need to appear smart and capable of reasoned, solid decision making and then the wife comes in, surveys the work and with little pause, points to the very concept we had encouraged them on in the first place. Where was Peter Arnell when I needed him? This job would be a lot easier if people would just do what we tell ‘em.
I drink too much, I swear too much, think too much and laugh too loud….hey, I blame it on the business. But one thing I do is take control of my health. So when CBS ran their smart, witty PSA about the Colonoscopy Sweepstakes, I was impressed with the cynical, funny approach about the very thing NO ONE wants to talk about.
I’ve interviewed several colon cancer survivors and they tell me how lucky they are to be alive…because they got screened. So I’ll let you know if I have colon cancer or not because tomorrow, the chick gets one. I better lose at least 5 pounds!
NO…we did not produce this, but damn, I wish I had. What a great addition to anyone’s demo reel. (And from High Point, North Carolina, too…the Furniture Mecca….what were they thinking?)
(Thanks to my friend Kathy (the best chick announcer ever) for bringing this to our attention)
…man, I just got a huge craving for Chicken McNuggets…where’d that come from?
….Why hello there weekend…we meet again…and I see you are wearing your stretchy pants…well played.
…me thinks its sleepy time.
…can’t tell if my dog just farted or burped…we’ll all know in moments.
…Yard is mowed and I’m ready to chill.
….Dude! Your grilling is the shit.
Even our noon Rotary is all Twittery about Twitter. Hey, it’s a new toy to play with when you likely should be WORKING! I’ll play along, when I can tear myself away from PAYING WORK, because I want to understand it. Josh Klein had some interesting thoughts on Twitter and I was flattered that The Ad Contrarian would not only follow my Tweets, but send me an email to thank me for following him. Hell, I’d pick up his dry cleaning.
But so far, Tweeting here in Tiny Town is mostly used for bullshit, as you can see. It’s hard to see a bigger picture when a keyboard gives you the power to be a legend in your own mind. Using it as email is incredibly stupid, as no one CARES if your dog farted or you hate Rod Stewart. These people must be lonely. There have been some worthy tweets that took me to an interesting article or video. Maybe if users were offering more viable and noteworthy information, I could find some redeeming value in it all. I believe Adscam feels the same way…not to mention there is no way (yet) it’s gonna make any money. Jane Sample has found a way for advertisers to use it….hmmm. But I agree…this could fast turn into spam/telemarketing.
Follow me at adchick22 and I’ll try to be worthy of your attention. (someone else took adchick…squatter)
This was passed along to me by a small town gal who has worked in the same place for 30 years….a bit of an anomaly to be sure. Oh wait, I’ve been in business for myself 27 years. Anyway, she asked: ”How does this affect the way we will offer our products, the way we market, the way we communicate with our customers or, in other words, all aspects of the business?” Life is change, my dear. We’ll adapt. No one knows that better than ad people. (My friend is a banker…go figure.) I don’t find the numbers scary, but rather exhilarating.
Todays word is from George Parker and defined for us by the Urban Dictionary: Douchebaguette: A female douchebag. A woman who exhibits characteristics of a douchebag. The female is noted for her giant sunglasses, fake tan, and penchant for designer items.
Previously I made a mature decision to have a colonoscopy. The results are in. No Cancer. This is good news…now, if you’re over 50 and haven’t done this yet, you’re an idiot.
I’m starting to lose friends…a faithful reader of AdChick, a witty, sarcastic, New York Transplant who loved Hooterville, dies last Saturday…out of the blue he goes, leaving the rest of us to be pissed, sad and confused. He was only 58 and I’m now wondering about all sorts of stuff.
Our summer intern started yesterday. Tall, eager, a little sassy. I like her. One the first things I gave her was a copy of The Ubiquitous Persuaders and The Ad Contrarians book. That’ll teach her.
Memorial Day is coming. I’ll be on a Harley Street Glide for 4 days, far away from keyboards and clients. That’ll teach me.
I’m a big fan of NPR… beyond the drone of bailouts and politics, there’s always something interesting. Since I’m on a religious roll, I’m fascinated with their five part series Your Brain on God. The science of spirituality-very thought provoking, indeed.
Google up “Religious Advertising” and you get 153,000,000 hits…no surprise. It’s BIG business, this converting and saving. There’s no money to be made in just doing good. Organized religion evidently believes people can’t be good without their “help”. And in order to save us, they need lots of your money and your compliance as part of their group. There are sites like sermonspice.com and buyfromachristian.com to help the cause. There will be no end to this, of course, as history has shown religion to be such a powerful force that pious folks have killed, scammed, cheated, lied, stole, and committed every other sin in the name of their particular faith. Ironic, isn’t it?
Now, Google up “Religious Advertising Agencies” and you get 19, 300,00 hits.
I’m always fascinated by people high on organized religion.This poor lady, well..she really took a big drink of the Kool-Aid. Now maybe Simon has finally seen it all. (Via Unreasonable Faith)
My favorite commercials series, MAC and PC, interact with the rest of the front page on todays New York Times. Some might find it intrusive, but what advertising isn’t…This campaign is so smart and glib. And it’s placement is, too. Apple is just so damned good.
How can I miss it if I don’t go away? We’re off for a 3 day ride…sunny skies, cold beers, and little burger joints, music blaring! Yes, we wear helmets…but no tattoos…not yet! :) How much can happen in Hooterville in 3 days, anyway?
I love this. Drink this beer and you can be cool like me. OK…I just want his voice on my answering machine. Nice pipes. Maybe he really is the most interesting man in the world.
When we take our Harley trips, I finally relax. And I love to study other bikers. During our recent trip, we saw a little of everything humanity has to offer. Start with the annoying crotch rockets: youngsters with a death wish, all leathered up with full face helmets and likely, small dicks. Then, the folks on Gold Wings, usually a middle aged, overweight couple with matching jackets and helmets with their little microphones sticking out…they give you the big, cheery wave when you pass them. So Not Cool.
But then there’s the Harley people. They give you the subtle, hand-low-to-the-ground gesture of acknowledgement…no fucking wave. It would be So Uncool.
I’ve got the Harley people down into two basic groups: Tough guys and tough girls, tattoos and tramp stamps, adorned with flaming skull t-shirts and doo-rags. They’re likely welders and waitresses. The second type are suburbanites…likely secretaries and store managers… adopting the Harley persona for weekends only. Mom got a sitter, Dad shined the chrome, and out they come to mingle in their unscuffed boots and pressed T-shirts.
The Harley mystique has an amazing depth…it’s downright intoxicating. So many different people all wanting to own a piece of the brand promise: Be Rebellious. Independent. Dark. Cool. Renegade. The Experience. The ride of a Lifetime. Not only a superior piece of engineering, they back it all up with every piece of of clothing and accessory you can imagine. And the web site…well, go here. It sucks you right in. Smart as hell.
Harley reminds me so much of Apple’s brilliant marketing. If you want it, you’ll pay for it. Yeah, you could ride a Yamaha (own a PC).
“When there’s no underbrush, the tree looks taller.” Excuse me? My significant other is about as manly, masculine and manful as they come. He’s a hairy beast, a prime target for Gillette…and even he was speechless. Via AdFreak, where there’s always excellent stuff.
It must be nice at those big agencies, I think. To have teams of writers, planners, executives, designers, divisions, groups, juniors, seniors, vice-presidents, CFO’s, CEO’s, COO’s, principals and the like. But I think smaller shops have become increasingly popular in the era of the Big Dumb Agencies, as dear George Parker describes them. I have a few suspicions why:
1. Nimble. Because we don’t have a lot of people to get in the way of progress, we can turn on a dime for a client. They like that.
2. Loyal. Genuinely and to a fault. We need our precious clients to be successful, or else we’ll cease to exist. So we tend to act like we’re their partner. And really, we are.
3. Honest. Maybe too much at times. The rest of my team jokes about how “blunt” I can be with a client. Hey, if their hours suck, their staff is surly, the inventory dated, or the prices too high, someone needs to tell them…might as well be a “partner”. I care. (See Number 2.)
4. Efficient. Time is money. We’re small and don’t have the luxury of waxing poetic about a piece of creative for months. We study the issues and then work hard to sell something.Isn’t that what advertising is supposed to do, after all?
5. Hungry. We don’t eat till someone sells something. And we all know it, so we take nothing for granted.
6. Cost-conscious. Small agencies “feel the pain” of our small clients. We have to make money, but we don’t nickle and dime a client for every breath we take on their behalf.
7. Ego-less. Well, somewhat. If you think you’re the smartest one in the group, then you can’t work in a small shop. Arrogance just doesn’t work. Collaboration does.
There is no corner on creativity and problem solving. The layoffs are many in big agencies, and sadly, some iconic firms are closing their doors. All the while, here in Hooterville, we are busy, enjoying the creative process, raising our families in a sweet small town, designing, writing, producing and living. Sure, we endure the same client crap, just on a smaller scale. And true, we’re not creating the image for a big national brand where there is so much at stake, but I do believe we could have developed a better Pepsi Logo…and for a lot less money.
Because we live in an age where everyone can know everything about everyone in a matter of seconds, the human race sickens me more than ever. So what’s with the demented genius who posts a photo of a corpse on Facebook?
I need to quit reading the news….and get off Facebook.
I’m anxiously awaiting the new television commercials for America’s Favorite Meat in a Can, SPAM, done by BBDO in Minneapolis. (I think their web site must be under construction-they should call me.) While I wait to see the new culinary creative, I decided to do a little Spam Research.
According to the official Spam web site there are 13 varieties. Hormel introduces the sweet, spicy pink “meat” in 1937. Edward R. Murrow mentions Spam for Christmas dinner in 1942. In ‘46, the Hormel girls make the scene. Spam with Cheese Chunks make an appearance in 1971, and in 1991, you can order official Spam merchandise from the catalog. You know it’s relevant when Spam gets a spot in the Smithsonian. There’s Spam with Bacon, Spam Lite, Spam Hot Dogs and Spam spreads and Hickory Smoked Spam. Spam Festivals, Spam Fan Clubs, and Spam Recipe Contests. (Take a deep breath here) You can buy Spam T-shirts, hats and magnets, Spam Salt & Pepper shakers, steins and shot glasses. A Spam joke book and thimble, too. There’s even a Broadway Show and Spam Music.
It seems that more than 5 billion cans have been produced since 1937. In America, roughly 3.8 cans of Spam are consumed every second each day – 228 cans per minute, 13,680 cans an hour. (Somebody check my blood pressure, my sodium level feels a little outta balance.)
Given these lofty numbers, BBDO better be showing us something pretty good.
Thanks to Brand Professionals for the heads up…can’t wait to see the reinvention.
…no really, I am! It’s time to get the hell outta here, apply my fake tattoos, slip into a doo-rag and two wheel my way to North Carolina. Raleigh-Durham, anyone? Once I sell the agency (to some lucky guy or gal out there-are you the one?), perhaps I’ll find my second career there, learn to say “y’all” and wipe BBQ sauce from my chin.
Nah. See you next week!
“Say nice things about me…I’m gone.”
(That’s the very last line from the James Taylor Song-Love it!)
I love television. I’m a TVaholic. But the Idiot Box is living up to its name and reaching a new low. The newest crop of television fare is stunningly stupid. Check the good article in the Washington Times here. How about:
More to Love, billed as the first “dating show for the rest of us,” throwing open its doors to overweight contestants. Yes, let’s encourage fat girls that it’s OK to be unfit.
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, celebrities live in jungle conditions with few comforts and have to earn human essentials. Like I care how a “celebrity” will do in the jungle without mascara. Illinois’ own Patti Blagoevich (Trailer Park Patti) did pretty well.
Wipeout, where twenty-four thrill-seekers will compete in the world’s largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and wipeouts ever seen on television. Sounds like the Three Stooges, which I actually liked.
I Survived a Japanese Game Show. I’m still not sure what this is, but with contests called Big Chicken Butt Scramble and Clothes On Clothes Off, I think we get the idea.
Dating in the Dark , the new reality dating series will follow single men and women as they go through all the usual motions of dating without ever actually seeing each other. Uh, ok. Didn’t we do a version of that in high school?
Dance Your Ass Off, well, OK. At least the network is using it’s powers for good here.
Not to mention Flavor Flav and the Girls Next Door. I guess I really am old and out of touch. Or maybe I have a brain. Networks need to compete with quality programming…the money will follow. When will we stop dumbing down?
I leave town for a weeks vacation and all kinds of crap happens. Letterman makes Palin mad, Iran takes another step closer to hell, and God knows all the Twittering I missed. It was another great Harley trip, 2500 miles in 6 1/2 days, a little extreme, but fun nonetheless. Dodged all the rain, too. Did a lot of thinking and a lot of not thinking. And no, my ass is NOT sore. His, however, is. HA!
I thought maybe the South might be a good place to relocate, but I don’t think I can live down there. There were two churches on every block, and the drawl made my skin crawl. They said stuff like:
If you wanna nuther bees-kit, you just let me know.
I don’t know what tyme zone we’re in. Carl, do you know what tyme zone this is?
You’re in a dry county, darlin’.
All our liquor stores close up at 7.
Yikes. I’m sure they’re all lovely people, but I think I better head west.
So what if President Obama sneaks a cigarette now and then? All the fuss and controversy his honest admission has raised is crap. You try being the leader of the free world and perfect at the same time. He totally deserves a moment of privacy and a puff. The guy’s under a lot of stress.
Tobacco’s been around for thousands of years. And it was probably good you. There were no greedy tobacco companies loading it up with poisonous chemicals. After a tough day chasing down buffalo, the spiritual and calming properties were well-deserved. Then there’s the romantic folklore:
One Huron legend tells how, long before the coming of the white man, there was a great famine over the land. All the tribes came together in a council and called the Great Spirit Manitou for help. In answer, a beautiful and naked girl descended from the clouds. Leaning on her palms, she sat on the ground before the people and announced that she was sent to bring food. This said she returned to the sky. Where her right palm had been, corn sprouted, and where her left palm had been, potatoes. But from where she sat tobacco appeared.AH HA! So that’s how it started!
And it seems we’ve been inhaling all kinds of stuff….not just dried leaves. A nod to James Leavey for the following: According to the Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder (23-70 AD) in `Naturalis Historiae’, the inhalation of smoke from burning hare’s fur was prescribed as an exportant, the smoke from burning goat’s horn used to diagnose epilepsy, and, for consumption, smoke inhaled (through a reed) of dried dung from an ox fed on grass.
The history of tobacco is pretty interesting. Read more about it here. And leave Barack alone. If he can’t have a Marlboro Light, maybe they can burn some rabbit fur for him to sniff…but then PETA would get pissed. You can’t please everybody. Why even try?
My old boss and mentor used to tell me: Write the letter, then tear it up. Same holds true for emails. How many times have you been so pissed you wrote the most vitriolic letter, put the stamp on the envelope (or had your finger on the Send button) and then thankfully came to your senses. That shit’ll come back to haunt you…every time.
The Governor of South Carolina is realizing this now. His behavior is certainly not surprising…politicians screw around all the time…on their wives AND their constituents. But what IS interesting is actually reading the content of correspondence between he and his Lady Love. Is NOTHING sacred?
Check it here at Gawker. Here’s a snippet of one of his many now-public emails written to his Argentina Sweetie :
You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light – but hey, that would be going into sexual details …
“Sexual details”? Are you kidding me? Dude, when you are the Governor, you say this shit, you don’t write it.
I’ve been so caught up in the interesting news du jour, I forgot I’m an AD chick, not a NEWS chick. So, how about this for small town clients? After years of good work, a seemingly solid relationship and positive results, the client calls me up and says, “We’re going in a different direction”. I say, “So you’re firing me?” “Well, we’re just going in a different direction.” Uh-Huh. The PR Bitch in a MUCH larger market must have a tongue piercing…but I digress. (Hey, I have SEEN her work – it sucks. Seriously average. Plus, we never got invited to compete with the new project and he let it go on for months, leaving us to wonder what the hell was up. Poorly handled, Mr. CEO)
So I move on. Clients do come and go. THEN, I get a Facebook Friend Request…from this guy. Are you serious?
So, in keeping with what I am supposed to be writing about, I looked for a connection to Michael Jackson and advertising….beyond the Pepsi stuff we all know about. (True Fans know every detail. I’m not a true fan, but respect his talent and the music.) But I had not seen this spot….the poor girl struggles to keep up with Michael’s moves.
I love the Blog, Found in Moms Basement. If you’re in advertising you should go there and visit the humble beginnings of your industry. Since I wrote about Obama’s smoking habit, I found some interesting ads about cigarette brands I’ve never heard of and some enticing methods to lure you into lighting up! Check it out.
PS If California gets to tax marajuna, who’s the lucky agency that will get to do THAT campaign??
I’m a girl…chick, whatever. At 53, I think I’m still about 25. (That was a GREAT year!) But other women? Most are just plain mean. (I said, MOST) Bitchy. Backstabbing. Judgmental. Talk behind your back and smile to your face. Borrow money and never pay it back. I’ve been burned more often than not by women who were supposed to my friends. (Pam? Geri? Are you reading this?) Yeah, I have trust issues and they run deep…all the way back to mom.
But it’s the ladies who are the coveted target of virtually every ad message we create. We make all the decisions, rule the roost, and decide when our man is gonna have his PSA level checked. We’re the keeper of the poontang, the Queen of our household. If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. You get the idea.
There are several good sites/blogs I’ve discovered for, by and about my gender. I’m more of glorified tom-boy, not much of a girlie-girl, (and yes, I have a very tolerant boyfriend) so some of these sites hold little interest for me. (Like, why is the entire site pink, for God’s Sake.) There are a jillion sites out there touting their female-centered content, BUT…you have to understand your customer. (I don’t want to have a conversation with them, I just want to understand what they need to hear to get them to buy my clients stuff.) Some of these are pretty insightful with valuable content that helps understand the female gender, some are written by women about advertising and other stuff. There are too many to list, but here are a few. Don’t let the estrogen scare you.
Firecrackers are extremely easy and inexpensive to make yourself. You may want to make your own firecrackers because you are interested in learning how to make simple fireworks or it may be you are unable to obtain fireworks where you live. Fortunately, the materials needed to make your own firecrackers are very common.
Homemade Firecracker Materials
* tape (e.g., transparent tape)
* toy gun caps (either the tape or the rings) or black powder
* fuse (you can make your own fuse)
* pin or needle
Firecrackers are extremely easy and inexpensive to make yourself. You may want to make your own firecrackers because you are interested in learning how to make simple fireworks or it may be you are unable to obtain fireworks where you live. Fortunately, the materials needed to make your own firecrackers are very common.
Homemade Firecracker Materials:
* tape (e.g., transparent tape) * toy gun caps (either the tape or the rings) or black powder
* fuse (you can make your own fuse) Oh, Goody! Somebody give me a shoestring.
* pin or needle
Who in their right mind would encourage THIS hobby? If you’re so broke that you can’t afford to purchase fireworks, you’re too stupid to fire them. Enough said. Budweiser and Bottle Rockets don’t mix.
Oscar G. Mayer died yesterday. He was 95. He outlived a wife, married a second, and saw his company reach the billion dollar mark. That’s gotta be proof those hot dogs are good for you. And if you can’t sing along with this, then you don’t know much about advertising. I guess I WOULD want to have a conversation with this brand.
A BIG Thank You to my camera dude and guru, Frank, for turning me on to this excellence in stop motion. Nice tune as well….(do you agree, Phillybikeboy?) I love awesome creative like this…it’s mesmerizing! And it worked because I went to the web site, found out more and damn, I may have to buy one.
There’s so much I want to know. Stuff like: How to kiss like Angelina Jolie. How to shotgun a beer. How to knit fingerless gloves. How to fight off a vampire. How to generate good karma. So much to learn, so little time. But now there’s a web site that tells me everything I need to know. www.howcast.com Developed by Google and You Tube veterans, the site was named on Time’s 50 Best Websites in 2008. With over 100,000 videos and counting, I sense endless entertainment and vast knowledge to be had, just a keystroke away. There was even a Howcast about choosing the right thong (almost 60,000 views). Wow. I wonder if they’ll have lessons in How not to be an arrogant ass, a wife beater, a liar or a douchenozzle?
The video “How to have sex in the car” has generated over a million views. If you have to watch a video to figure that out, then…
I’m not a Microsoft fan, but I use it anyway. I’m an Apple chick through and through…Apple products, advertising packaging… all sleek and wonderful. But, I loved this. Too bad Microsoft couldn’t be as cool as this effort.
A Big Thank you to my pal, Dean, who shared this with me. (Dean is a PC, ROI-centered, Web-Guru, and Wonderfully cranky, and awesome.)
Hiring an agency….no matter if it’s on Michigan Avenue or Main Street Hooterville, clients have their reasons. The Ad Contrarian has another excellent message inspired evidently by Seth Godin. Both are very good. And it got me to thinking about business on our level here in Teeny Town.
I don’t belong to a country club. We have TWO of them here in our 45,000 population town. Lot’s of OLD money here. LOTS of Good Old Boy stuff going on. We have several kitchen table ad shops. One describes herself as “The Walmart of Advertising”. (You can imagine the stuff they put out.) Then there’s the guy who used to run an Auto Glass business who decided to be an Ad Agency. He has a fair bit of clientele because he’s learned to “talk the talk and walk the walk” of the system. He sells below average work to his country club pals. It isn’t about strategy, quality, message or execution … it’s about who won at cards Tuesday night at the club. And that’s ok.
I have a wall in our reception area that “showcases” some of the work done by Auto Glass Guy and Walmart Girl. Prospective clients can look at our competitors work without ever having to step foot in their offices. I want them to see the difference.
I know I’m not a very good networker. I hate schmoozing with people I don’t respect or care for. Business After Hours…YUK. Chamber events? No thanks. I’ve really tried to be better at this game, but I just don’t have it in me. And, word travels fast in a small town: That “over-the-top” adchick….man, she’s tough…and bossy. Right. I am NO order taker. I ask them respectfully, if you know how to do this, then why are you here?Clients who work with us do so because we help ‘em sell their stuff and do it better than the Auto Glass Guy and the Walmart girl. We want to get the business because we are clearly the best in town. (That’s what a new client said.) Not because we pretended to be someone we’re not.
Thank you to wkozy for posting this….He (or she) must be a brand new blogger, but I definitely like the quote!
“To explain responsibility to advertising men is like trying to convince an eight-year-old that sexual intercourse is more fun than a chocolate ice cream cone.” –Howard Luck Gossage
While I’ve never been a big Craig Ferguson fan, I think he’s on to something here. We were just talking about how today, so many young, fresh outta college kids have that aura of entitlement about them. They don’t wanna work TOO hard. (Note I said many, not ALL, so don’t be sending me a bunch of email telling me YOU work hard and you’re 22…I know there are some of you out there. My intern is one.) They can’t understand why I would work more than 40 hours a week. My own daughter said “I see how hard you work at owning your own business…I don’t want that.” ”Like, you work on Saturday?” one bright young man asked me recently. One young lady said…”I work because I have to, not because I want to.” Love the honesty. But it amazes me. How attitudes change in a single generation.
Anyway, I thought this was funny. I AM getting old. :)
Got this in my email this morning….why didn’t I think of this before? God can help me get outta debt! ”Money is the root of all evil”. ”…a counselor will contact you with a no-obligation debt consultation based on Christian financial values.” Christian financial values? My morbid curiosity took me into the web site, and it almost didn’t let me out. ”No, wait! Would you like to engage in a Live Chat with one of our representatives?” ” Are you sure you want to leave our site?” The scamming, luring and hoodwinking takes all forms on the Internet. I wish they would stick to the Do Unto Others message.
Dear God, Please call Visa and wipe away my balance.
I spent yesterday afternoon with my 94 year old grandmother. Sharp, sassy, stubborn and wonderful. This is a sampling of her comments. Oh, to be this awesome at that age.
“There are two sides to every pancake.”
“Obama would get it all done if he didn’t have to deal with all those other people.”
“I’m not stupid, you know.”
“I’d like to take some skin off that insurance company.”
“I’m just doing what the lawyer told me.”
“Don’t you say a thing you wouldn’t put in your mouth”. (Her reference to my accidental slip of the word “shit”)
“An abortion is between a woman, her God and her family. The government shouldn’t have a thing to say about it.”
My sincere thanks to Designer Tim for bringing Yogie Dogie to my attention. I am now officially creeped out for the rest of the week. This chick isn’t about to pay a visit to THIS FARM! via everythingisterrible.
Seems like every biker has been there, but me. So adchick is now officially headed west to catch the tail end of the madness in South Dakota. Beyond the decadence of all that is this most famous of motorcycle rallys, there will be mountain driving, Mt. Rushmore, beer, the Badlands, beer, Deadwood, Devils Tower, beer, and no clients, keyboards or crap. Final vacation of the year, people. And vacation is important (especially when you’re self-employed!) Back in 10 days!
I remember when I posed for this shot…I was blond then. :)
If you do any sort of creative work, you gotta get away from it. Our last big Harley vacation took us to South Dakota and Wyoming, where I emptied my cluttered mind. Yet, I still found myself noticing horrifically bad TV spots, a billboard promoting 24 Hour Toe Service (I am not making that up) and the oh-so-ubiquitous Wall Drug Billboards.
Every client, big and small, could take a lesson from Wall Drug. Wall Drug delivered on their cheesy ad promises (and they made a lot of them) via corny billboards. “5¢ Cup of Coffee” ”Homemade Pie” ”Free Coffee and Donut to Every Veteran” “Free Ice Water”. We had to stop. Plus, it was late and close to beer-thirty.
Wall Drug is a model of efficiency. They were serving up breakfast for hundreds of people in short order style. The staff was friendly, the place was clean, well displayed, and organized. Shopping to placate every person of every age, from expensive cowboy boots and purses to fudge, shot glasses, T-shirts, and garish souvenirs of every description. What an excellent advertising story. They have capitalized on their “brand”. They gave me a free bumper sticker, hoping I would put it on my car. Thousands of Wall Drug billboards and bumper stickers are all over the world. It’s Chic to be Cheesy!
Wall Drug opened during the Great Depression and have been growing ever since because they’re being who they say they are. Now if only my clients could deliver on the promises they ask me to make for them.
No, there is no such thing as a Jackalope. But you can buy one!
And George Parker, I took this pic just for you…figure you can use it in one of your Poisoned Dwarf Posts. My God, they’ll sell anything!
The chick loves to shop…sale racks, bargains, e-bay. All of it. I’ve had some success selling stuff on e-bay, too. (Like the time I put Japanese fishing floats up starting at $2.99. They sold for $2249. I am NOT Making that up.) But this on-line auction site is described as Entertainment Shopping….I don’t know.
Visit Swoopo, and it seems almost too good to be true. For every bid you make, you pay .60¢ and you can buy bids in advance in increments of 40, 60, up to 1000 bids. Take Oliver…in just 35 bids he got his Nikon Camera. Only $16.02. That’s a DEAL. Feels like a scam, but, you gotta stay with it to save the money…and you have pay to play.
Let’s forget about big greedy ad agencies, health care reform and the impact of social media on the short future of the newspaper industry for a moment. Be mesmerized now by something really refreshing. A big nod to SULLIESeverything for posting this. I was so blown away I had to share it. It’s worth your 8 1/2 minutes. (Who knew the Ukraine even had TV….just kidding.)
Leave it to McDonalds. If I were black, I’d be offended. How are the first and third sentences related? I couldn’t find anywhere in this site where I could “win exciting once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities. And by the way, the only thing McDonalds has touched in my life is my cholesterol reading. That’s why I don’t eat that crap anymore.
“At McDonald’s®, we believe that African-American culture and achievement should be celebrated 365 days a year — not just during Black History Month. That’s the idea behind 365Black.com. It’s a place where you can learn more about education, employment, career advancement and entrepreneurship opportunities, and meet real people whose lives have been touched by McDonald’s. Plus, you can also have a chance to win exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. So make sure you visit often — you just might get inspired.”
Who better to love bacon than the Chick! We’re surrounded by hog farms here in Hooterville, so Bacon is an appreciated staple. But the disconnect is in Santa Barbara, California where they plan to celebrate International Bacon Day on September 5th. They plan on serving the “usual brunchy fare” PLUS, (and I am NOT making this up) Bacon Popcorn, Bacon Vodka, Bacon Mints and Chocolate Dipped Bacon. Only in California. See ya Tuesday.
Times have really changed. From a zombie-like choir of ethnicities (You can still sing along, though, can’t you?) to freaky, furry robotic creatures. This is gonna make me choose to drink a Coke over a Pepsi because… (Pepsi’s new Logo is certainly not a reason.) I would LOVE to sit in on these creative sessions to hear how they determine the approach then sell the approach to the client (The Language of the Idea).
Bookmark this. Check it often. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be amazed. You’ll get a firsthand look at the folks we see here in Hooterville everyday. OK, maybe not QUITE this “interesting”, but it’s a look at humanity as it really is beyond your pristine office cubicle. These people vote, have children (shudder) and buy products. Please adjust your commercial message accordingly.
Oh, wait. You mean the FONT! Like in IKEA changing their catalog font from Futura to Veranda.
Ikea has been using their own customized version of Futura for 50 years. I guess they felt it was time for a change/update/new look. I understand how important the science of Fontology is, but I think after 50 years, a change might be in order. Reach out to the young ones who think Veranda is all that. ;)
Only the ad people/font folks will likely be aflutter about this…which is interesting Advertising IS change. Advertising MUST be about change. But, tell that to Vitaly Friedman.
“The former typeface definitely better reflected Ikea’s design philosophy, giving it a very special, unique flavor that actually fit the company’s style,” says Vitaly Friedman, editor in chief of the online Smashing Magazine, which is dedicated to Web design. “With Verdana being used all across the Web, Ikea’s image not only loses originality, but also credibility and the reputation that the company has built since the 1940s.”
Who in Hooterville has the Swine Flu? Now I can find out with a new iPhone app. Called Outbreaks Near Me, the free application gives the latest real-time disease outbreak information in your neighborhood. (I’m already imagining the commercial for this one!) ”If you spy an outbreak, be the first to report it using the app’s unique outbreak reporting feature. You will get credit as a disease detective and your find will be featured on the website.”
Can you report stupidity?
I thought Fred was acting a little strange. I’m telling.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a couple of more Bacon references.
Now on my shopping list… Bacon Salt. Brilliant! And thanks to Jake for pointing me to the recipe for Bacon-flavored vodka. This will be my fall and winter project. There’s the petition on Facebook to Make National Pig Day an Official Holiday (March 1), encouraging me to write my congressman and get this signed into law.
Uh, OK.
The best pop culture blog on the planet has a Bacon tribute not to be missed here. Bacon Jam…yummy!
And last but not least, there’s Bacon Today, your on-line resource for all things Bacon.
A big thank you to Bacon Unwrapped for this link, hooking us up to everything that is ….wait for it….BACON.
I had a farewell drink with my summer intern and her friend the other night. I listened to these two 22-year old beauties chatter away when I realize just how much I really do know…and how much they still have yet to learn.
My intern, a tall, funny, goofy, wonderful girl reminded me so much of me at that age. Insecure and enthusiastic. The attention span of a gnat. I gave her a few good “pep talks”. “You talk too much-SHUT UP and LISTEN! Take notes. Be on time. In the real world, you’ll get fired for that. Don’t rush through the project. Let people come to you.” You get the idea.
I have a daughter-an only child-and we’re not close. (If I say left, she’ll go right. Other moms of daughters tell me how common this is, yet it still breaks my heart.) But this intern of mine, we developed a special bond over the summer. She respected me, listened to me (when she wasn’t talking!) and I loved having her, even if I did want to pull my hair out a couple of times. She left my office knowing more than when she started. What she does with it now is up to her.
They say advertising is a business for the young. Fresh ideas, new perspective and all that. Maybe. But I take solace in my years of mistakes they have yet to make, mistakes that give you the wisdom and confidence to make a better choice and to trust your instincts.
We all get some interesting people who follow us on Twitter. Joe Romero, biblepusher1, should know better than to follow me, given my annoyance with ignorance (not to mention the chaos and hurt organized religion causes in our society…but I digress). The “On-line evangelist” is trolling Twitter looking for souls to save. His web site here is downright sinful. Riddled with misspelled words and lousy sentence structure, I’m pretty sure Jesus would appreciate it if he’d get a dictionary.
Monthly support (contributions) is greatly appreciated. If you send him a check, he’ll be able to get a Thesaurus, too.
Thank you to Miss Cellania at yesbutnobutyes for directing our attention to this. It has cooled my fire about the “We’re right and you’re wrong” attitudes in our country by reminding me we’re free to actually make and post songs like this. So, for that, I’m happy to be living in good old #37.
Now, can’t we all please TRY to reason together? I didn’t think so.
You are a classist fuck for promoting this hatred toward the poor and uneducated in this country. I can assure you of this, you would not thisnk this was funny if it were you or you close family. If I could find you I would beat you like the facist bitsh that you are. Oly cruel classist pigs think this shit is funny. Fuck YOU
I’m one the few people in the world who has not seen Mad Men. I’d blame it on small town living, but we do get cable here. No problem though, because after this, I think I’m caught up now.
A Big Thank You to Frank my Camera Guru for this wonderful introduction to a product I would never have tried, but probably will now. (Why won’t our clients give us this latitude?) Have a great weekend!
When this commercial came on, we looked at each other and almost at the same time, said: “I don’t like that ad.” There’s a series of them now, using children to make their point that being naive can cost you. They’re positioning themselves as the good bank, but the disgust I feel for the banker in the spot is so strong, it transcends to the advertiser. I was uncomfortable and associated that feeling with the bank. I couldn’t even remember their name for awhile after I had seen the spot. Maybe it’s my general disdain for the banking industry. Maybe it’s just me.
Mr. Obama said he noted the trend. “I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding,” the President said.
“What I hope is that people start understanding if you’re getting your newspaper over the Internet, that’s not free and there’s got to be a way to find a business model that supports that.”
Since I’m not a white male, wealthy beyond words, a fundamentalist Christian, or freaked out I might lose my guns, I’ve pretty much been behind Barack Obama every step of the way. But now, I take issue with his misplaced concern. News and information is not determined by the method in which its delivered. These times are achangin’, Mr. President, and Internet is here to stay. Read this from Stephen Hodson…he says: Just as there is suppose to be a separation between church and state there also needs to be a separation between government and journalism. Well, DUH! If you think Fox News or CNN have serious fact-checking and no opinions, if you think people are not already shouting at each other, then please…what planet are you living on? You can’t fix everything. Especially in an industry that tends to eat its young, that’s archaic, lacks innovation, and doesn’t do a thing to accommodate its customers. Objective, fact-based journalism died with Cronkite. And the delivery of information is changing at lightning speed. You, sir, have far more important things to worry about.
Now, go fix healthcare … oh, and the Middle East. Good Luck with that one.
And if they’re gone, why are they still on your blogroll? Often, bloggers listed on other sites haven’t posted a thing for over a year. Maybe these people got bored, fired, tired of posting on a consistent basis, or just felt they had nothing left to say. So, clean up your blogrolls! Get rid of the ones no longer active and find new ones to share.
Good or bad, it’s a good to hear what others have to say, how they think, a peek into a different approach. (The ones I list on my site may not always return the gesture, and that’s fine…I list them on mine because they’re interesting) But, these guys….where’d ya go?? and WHY!?
Dear Jane Sample (she’s really done…but I’d like to buy her a drink, too)
And last but certainly not least, Adcontrarian.com He’s due back October 1 after a month long hiatus. The honesty and attitude I get here is always first rate.
I don’t see George retiring anytime soon. He better not…he’s the bee in the bonnet of the BDA’s!
Why didn’t someone tell me? It’s National Punctuation Day! Given my extreme use of the God-Given, All-Sacred Exclamation Point, I’m really surprised I didn’t know about this. Visit the site here where you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about the little devices that give our language meaning and clarity. (Be sure to check their special meat loaf recipe … seriously.) They provide instruction on how to properly celebrate:
Sleep late.
Take a long shower or bath.
Go out for coffee and a bagel (or two).
Read a newspaper and circle all of the punctuation errors you find (or think you find, but aren’t sure) with a red pen.
Take a leisurely stroll, paying close attention to store signs with incorrectly punctuated words.
Stop in those stores to correct the owners.
If the owners are not there, leave notes.
Visit a bookstore and purchase a copy of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style.
Look up all the words you circled.
Congratulate yourself on becoming a better written communicator.
Go home.
Sit down.
Write an error-free letter to a friend.
Take a nap. It has been a long day.
The only thing it DIDN’T say was open a nice bottle of Frogs Leap. Anyhoo, you can buy T-shirts, posters and mugs with witty little sayings like Jesus and the Twelve Apostrophes, and A Semicolon is not a Surgical Procedure. I.LOVE. IT.
Call me a geek, but I think correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar is what separates us from well, perhaps, The People of Walmart?
Somebody get me a gift certificate to this place. I love BBQ! And to have my feet rubbed in the sauce, well…This reminds me of the Red House! A serious thank you to Big Dog Eat Child for this, however, couldn’t you guys come up with a different name…it’s kinda creepy. On the other hand, you guys need to be hired by some of the ad agencys out there who only THINK they know how to get their commercials viewed.
You have nothing else to do, so do this. Courtesy of mashable (and managed by a fellow named Gabriel Nijmeh who must truly be dedicated.) A spreadsheet of over 2000 musicians who TWEET! I couldn’t stay awake long enough to see if Steven Tyler is Twitter-er. But there was some musician who calls himself Totally Michael. (Ugh. My ex-husbands’s name was Michael-nothing musical about him.) I also learned that Christina Aguilera’s Twitter account has been suspended. What did SHE do?
Others on this list whose names amuse me: Orgy of Noise, La Snacks, Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, The Dead Girls, The Dead Cocks (these last two should do a concert together) cassettes wont listen, You, Me and Iowa, (seriously), and maybe my favorite: Sex with no Hands, described as an accordion funk band from San Francisco.
And if Tweeting titillates you, connect with others via the Mega List of Tweeters found here.
Doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on, the audacity of Glenn Beck is assisted with props, apparently. And I was just starting to think this guy was sincere. See, you can’t believe ANYTHING you see on TV.
If it were only this easy. You gotta love Sesame Street for staying current. When Mr. Draper uses the word sycophant at the end, do you think the Sesame Streeters will get that?
That’s a pretty heady number…a BILLION. It’s hard to imagine that many people visiting You Tube. A DAY! So says many news releases, including this one from Tech Crunch. Its an unfathomable number, a Billion. But then, You Tube is a tremendous resource, and like anything else, you separate the good from the 13 year old video crap.
We got called back to talk to a potential client. Last time we met was in May. I knew they were talking to other agencies….no problem. (Anything they can do we can do better.) They finally decided we were the best choice to do the creative. Cool. When I asked my usual litany of questions, the most important one they did not know.
“Who’s the customer?”
“We don’t really know…we’re hoping you can tell us.”
I shit you not. I do not get paid enough to answer questions like this.
I’d sell you something, but I don’t know who you are.
It’s really a wonder we have any clients left. The guys I work with just shake their heads. The older I get, the more impatient I become with clients. When I decide to waitress, I hope I can keep my mouth shut.
Our in-house designer? Oh, she can do that.
If she could, then you wouldn’t be here…give it up.
We don’t know who the customer is, we’re hoping you can tell us.
If you don’t know, then I KNOW I don’t.
My wife is really artistic…these are some of her logo ideas.
Then you should hire her.
We did these ads.
Your children are ugly, oops, I mean these ads suck.
And I really have said this: ”With all due respect, what you are currently doing obviously isn’t working, or you wouldn’t be in my office.”
Dime turning.
I want one for every bathroom in the house.
The Obama Chia? WTF?
Lumpy Lips? Gas? No wonder he was depressed.
Twitter has finally made it to Hooterville 
Now, Google up “Religious Advertising Agencies” and you get 19, 300,00 hits. 
If I have to explain it, you wouldn’t understand.
Thanks to 
“Say nice things about me…I’m gone.” 
There’s nothing on!!!
Got a light?
Why is this man smiling?
If I get one, can I keep the business?
You Bet I Do!
Better? Nah.
Dear God, Please call Visa and wipe away my balance.
No, there is no such thing as a Jackalope. But you can buy one!
And 
swoopo.com
Note the logo featuring Obamaesque crispy strips.
Meat Candy? Really?
Damn people, please. We have pressing world issues. 
I thought Fred was acting a little strange. I’m telling.
A big thank you to 
Baby, the stuff you’ll learn!
The havest is great. What a wonderful example.
I don’t see 
Call me a geek, but I think correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar is what separates us from well, perhaps, 
1,000,000,000 Every Day. A lot of You-Tubing.
Another way to keep tabs on the world whirring around you.
We use cows for caddys here in Hooterville.
In my day, we used to smoke.
