AdPulp

See Plaid Dance

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:07:53 -0600

It's summertime and if you work at Plaid you know what that means. Roadtrip! PlaidNation is "a rolling celebration of creativity and a demonstration of social media in action." The agency self-promo tour, now in its third year, is also an opportunity to send "Blogging Superstars" a free t-shirt (and few things get a Blogging Superstar's attention like worthwhile schwag). I'd like to buy these fine men and women a beer when they reach Portland, but alas they are not headed this way, this time. However, if you reside along their Midwest to Deep South route, perhaps you'd like to exchange some of their threads for some of your beer. If so, reach out now, plans are being stitched together as we speak.

Resistance Is Kind Of A Weird Angle For Booze Advertising

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:42:18 -0600

Making gin is something chemists do. It's complicated, like life itself. This alchemical twist is brought to life in a new W+K Amsterdam spot for Diageo's gin brand, Tanqueray. David Kiefaber of Brand Freak doesn't care for the urbane sophistication portrayed in the ad. He says it has a "smarmy, young Hugh Hefner vibe to them that I don't appreciate." My own response is simple enough. Is "resisting simple" really something people want to do right now? I'm sure the brand has studies to back up the idea, and no doubt there is a 20-something element that's constantly seeking new experiences and complicated entaglements. But I'm equally confident that there's another trend afoot, one where 20-somethings are looking at the excesses of older generations and saying whoa, let's examine that decision over a Hamm's.

Want To Piss Off The Gods? Fine, Have It Your Way

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:08:47 -0600

Burger King seems to be having lots of trouble with its overseas ads. The Huffington Post explains:

The ad, which appeared in Spain, shows the goddess Lakshmi sitting above a beef burger. The 'Texican Whopper' is an affront to Hindu sensitivities in its own right - it includes an all-beef patty, a beef chilli-con-carne slice, egg-based Cajun mayonnaise, all forbidden by strict Hindus. Some devotees would even be offended by the inclusion of onions which they believe inflame passions. But it is the depiction of Lakshmi which has provoked widespread anger with its suggestion that a Hindu deity eats beef.

Coming so soon after its blowjob ad, you have to wonder if there will be a few global marketing executives who'll be the target of a major Whopper sacrifice. UPDATE: Burger King has apologized.

The Economy Is Much More Than Numbers. LIkewise The Economist.

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:49:04 -0600

Cinema advertising is a good venue for stretching the brand's voice. The Economist is certainly stretching its well trained voice here with the help of tight rope artist Florent Blondeau. The ad is meant to be a metaphor for the pleasure one derives from connecting different ideas, something the magazine is particularly good at doing.

Even Spammers Are Getting News-Savvy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:09:13 -0600

This e-mail slipped past my spam filter this morning: I do appreciate it when marketers, no matter how low on the respect totem pole, capitalize on news events in a relevant way. It shows someone is paying attention. And wills are an important thing to have if you've got a lot of cash or a family.

Canadian Kids Put Milk Goggles On

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:59:43 -0600

Toronto's Head Gear Animation and Due North Communications have completed three 3D cinema spots for Dairy Farmers of Canada. Here's one: The spots are currently playing in Cineplex theatres throughout Ontario and the Maritime Provinces along with the trailers before screenings of Ice Age 3D.

Breakdancing and Evian: The 80's Are Back

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:58:29 -0600

Everyone loves babies who do adult-like (or teen-like, in this case) things, right? Well, the 80's were good to Evian water and I suppose the brand is hoping 80's nostalgia will help them out. From Brandweek:

Evian is hoping for a viral hit on the Web to launch the campaign in the U.S. It is posting the ad on YouTube as well as initiating a new Web site www.evianliveyoung.com dedicated to the campaign. Visitors can view two videos, digital teasers of break-dancing babies and "making-of" clips. "Interviews" with a few of the 96 babies filmed will be available, as well as links to Facebook pages created for the infants.

I wonder if today's children, watching that commercial, will wonder what kind of ridiculously oversized iPod the babies are dancing to.

I Hate People: Read This Book When No One's Looking

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:24:45 -0600

Books about being a wage slave in corporate America are nothing new. But I know a whole lot of unemployed people would be perfectly happy to be one again. So I think the timing may be unfortunate for Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon's "I Hate People: Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job." The book is entertaining, though, and the authors (who have a keen sense of office life) do a good job of identifying and naming all the bizarre people you'll find in an office, including Stop Signs, Flim Flams, Bulldozers, Soloists, Switchblades, Hyenas, and all sorts of others. You may have your own names for 'em but you know the type. If you're looking for some light relief at the end of the workday, check out "I Hate People." But it's best to keep it out of the office. Where the bosses are eager to ferret out the misanthropes. Special thanks to FSB Associates who provided me with a copy to review.

Burn Strong

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:22:06 -0600

Congrats to the big man, David Burn, and his new bride Darby. They sure know how to throw a hell of a party, too. I hope your weekend was as fun as mine. We'll have more juicy AdPulp in the next few days...so stay tuned.

Happy 4th

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:01:10 -0600

Greetings from Paradise, Mt. Rainier National Park. The AdPulp Gang (David and I, with Shawn here in spirit) is here in nearby Ashford celebrating a wonderful occasion--as well as America's Independence Day. Have a great weekend and we'll be back soon.

Great Ideas, Personality And Passion Is What Sells

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:32:01 -0600

Mark Wnek, chairman-chief creative officer of Lowe, New York, claims in Ad Age that he's not a great presenter, but that he has passion for the work and that's what's needed in a creative leader.

I have a confession to make: I'm a rotten presenter. When I think about the creative directors whom I most admire, they are all average presenters at best. Where their talents lie is in producing brilliant, effective work for their clients. Most (me included) are no oil paintings. Many drink too much and throw tantrums. Mostly, they shouldn't be allowed out unaccompanied by an adult. Which reminds me of Baudelaire's definition of genius: the ability to recapture childhood at will. The most important quality that all good creative directors share is a passion for great work. And passion isn't always pretty. Often it is messy, inconvenient, and un-house-trained. It doesn't always fit in an expensive suit or smart sports coat. It doesn't furnish its possessor with client-friendly savoir-faire.

I find it hard to believe Wnek lacks presentation skills. When I think of the Chief Creative Officers I've worked closely with--particularly Steve Stith at Integer and Scott Seymour at BFG Communications--they own the room when it is their turn to speak. Their personal presence and clear confidence in what they say and do wins clients over time and time again. Wnek also brings up the spoiled child syndrome that threatens to discredit our industry. I have worked with whiny little babies before, but never have I thought they actually belonged in the agency. Advertising is a powerful industry full of creative and passionate people, all of whom ought to be capable of acting their age. I understand some choose to coddle the babies due to their ability to make ads, but that's a mistake in my opinion. There's lots of talent out there, so why drag yourself and your agency down with unnecessary drama?

Current TV TwitteRFP Stalls Because Some Things Never Change

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:17:34 -0600

News broke on Adweek yesterday that the Current Media agency review, first announced via Twitter, has been put on hold and that the person who initiated the review, Jordan Kretchmer, has left Current. From Adweek:

When reached via e-mail, [New SVP of Marketing Michael] Streefland acknowledged the pause in the review, indicating that Current executives needed time to chart the brand's strategic course. "The Current RFP triggered a lot of constructive internal discussion and we realized we put the cart before the horse and need to lay down some strategic direction before we engage with a creative agency to execute upon that direction," Streefland wrote. "Those discussions are happening right now and we should emerge in a few weeks with an update for the agencies."

Now, of course, some agency folks and other observers are all a-Twitter about how this whole thing was a dumb idea all along. My agency and I participated in the early stages of the review and we don't regret it for a minute. Let's face it--the more things change, the more some things stay the same. Advertising account reviews are a shit sandwich and there's little changing that fact. Jordan tried to inject a little transparency and open up the review to new agencies. I think it's great. It wasn't a perfect process and I don't think we'll see many others like it, but that's OK. That Current management itself doesn't have their act together has nothing to do with holding a review via Twitter. Client marketing departments are just as chaotic as agencies are these days. This surely isn't the first agency review that got stalled due to personnel changes. It won't be the last. Just more people know about it, as opposed to most mysterious, backroom, consultant-laden agency reviews.

But Wait, There Really Is More: Lessons From Billy Mays

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:20:05 -0600

What can advertising pros learn from the dear departed Billy Mays? I had a few thoughts, like this one:

Make a promise, not an overpromise. Sure, the yelling and selling makes it seem like the product being hawked will save your life, but actually, the promises made in most infomercials are much more mundane. You'll get out tough stains. You'll fix those hard-to-mend rips on clothes. While a lot of advertising implies that consumers will be sexier, happier, more powerful or more self-fulfilled, the infomercials only promise something tangible and little else. Which makes them more honest than most ads.

It's the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo, which will be on their home page tomorrow. But you can read it right now absolutely FREE thanks to this exclusive AdPulp offer! (Yeah I know, it is pretty damn annoying, isn't it?)

Catch A Big Fish, Then Sell It At The Market

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:02:56 -0600

Two years ago when Microsoft acquired aQuantive--a company that matches up advertisers and online publishers--the tech giant also became the new owner of Razorfish, a digital ad agency. Reports are now circulating that Microsoft wants to offload that particular asset. According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has retained the investment bank Morgan Stanley Co. to represent it in any Razorfish talks. The approaching two-year anniversary of the $6 billion aQuantive transaction will allow Microsoft to receive more favorable tax treatment for a Razorfish sale, if it can find a willing buyer. A sale also removes any conflict of interest for Microsoft's media business units that court the almighty ad dollar from competing agencies.

Bogusky Wigs Out

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:41:59 -0600

Agency sites typically suck for a variety of reasons. They tend to be static affairs full of stilted language about proprietary methods and other chest beating nonsense. They also tend to sit idle for years before being swapped out, which is bad form for any company that needs to prove itself in digital media. According to The Denver Egotist, Crispin Porter + Bogusky isn't going to play that tired old game any longer. The Boulder/Miami shop has launched a new site that Alex Bogusky describes as "a giant digital fishing net that gathers everything that's relevant about us and our clients." Because the new design is a direct lift from Modernista's original idea, The Egotist isn't all that stoked:

In all honesty, they seem rather late to jump on this bandwagon--so the news is so-so exciting to us. For an agency that prides itself on its own PR, however, it'll be a great way to get the word out and to follow what's happening inside that giant circus tent.

I think any entity that's willing to cede control of its message, in part or in whole, to the crowd is making quite a statement (about the value of fearlessness).