My two favorite professional organizations in the area — the American Advertising Federation of Fort Worth and the Social Media Club of Fort Worth — are teaming up for a mixer tomorrow night at Brownstone. If you’ve ever been to one of these group’s events, you know there are fun times to be had while learning about advertising and social media. Put them together and who knows what might happen!

OK, well I have an idea of what will probably happen: as mentioned on the official invite, you’re sure to experience good food, good drinks, and good times. Oh yes, and there will be happy hour specials!

Here’s the official invite:

Good food. Good drinks. Good times.

AAF Fort Worth and Social Media Club of Fort Worth invite you to join us in West 7th for a happy hour at Brownstone.

$2 Cans • $3 Drafts • $4 Call Drinks • $5 house red/white by the glass

When
June 13, 2012
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Where
Brownstone
840 Currie Street (in West 7th)
Fort Worth, Texas 76107

I’m a big fan of out-of-the-box marketing moves. Granted, it has to work for the brand and fit the personality, much like the “Nokia N8 Experience” I posted about back in November.

Temptations Canada launched a similar (OK, almost exact) marketing campaign called “KittyCat Hijack” and even integrated it with the company’s Facebook page. Just like the Nokia move, KittyCat Hijack actually hijacks your browser with adorable cats all over your screen. I could sit here and tell you about it, or you can see it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-nN–Pknc8

It’s a simple, fun concept with clever execution. I tried it out myself, plus I showed my wife and other family members and friends. I am also sharing it here, which reflects the social “buzz” that was most likely intended. I like this move more than the Nokia version, but mainly because of the cost of the marketed product; a bag of cat treats is a lower investment than a new phone, and the next time I’m at the store and picking up treats for our cats, Temptations is sure to be at the top of my mind.

Which do you prefer — the Nokia N8 Experience or the Temptations Canada KittyCat Hijack? Which do you think works best for the respective brand? Let me know in the comments below!

It’s almost time for the monthly Social Media Club of Fort Worth Tweetup! It feels like forever since I’ve been to one of the SMCFW events, but I guess that’s to be expected when logging in work hours out in Dallas. Nothing against Dallas at all, but I miss my Fort Worth peeps.

Fortunately, all signs are pointing to be being able to go to the SMCFW May Tweetup on Wednesday, so I’m pretty excited about that. Plus, I have been wanting to check out Shinjuku Station, especially since it was recently names as one of Texas Monthly’s Top 10 “Where to Eat Now” destinations.

For more information on the Tweetup, take a look at the official invite from the SMCFW:

Join Social Media Club Fort Worth for our Tweetup on Wednesday, May 16 from 6-8 p.m. at Shinjuku Station!

Shinjuku Station was recently named one of Texas Monthly’s Top 10 “Where to Eat Now” destinations. They will be extending their happy hour for us and we hear it includes specialty drinks.

Thank our venue sponsor, Shinjuku Station, by liking their Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/shinjukustation

If you’ve never made it to a Tweetup before, our goal for these monthly events is to provide an informal atmosphere to grab a drink, meet and hang out with fellow club members, chat social media, and have some fun.

We hope to see you there!

I’ve been to several Tweetups over the years, so I can definitely attest to being able to hang out with great people while having a blast. Before you head out to the Tweetup, be sure to swing by the Shinjuku Station Facebook page and give it a like.

It’s the NBA Playoffs! Round 1 is in full swing, and it should be an exciting end to a season that almost didn’t happen. I was a strong believer that the lockout was going to nix any chance of a season this year, but we ended up getting a shortened season with a lot of back-to-back games. I’ll take what I can get!

This is the part where I tell you that I am a huge Dallas Mavericks fan, if you didn’t already know. I loved every minute of last year’s playoffs, especially the last game where I got to witness the Mavs winning it all. Then there was the 2011 Mavs Championship Parade. Those were moments that I never thought I would get to see, especially with what had happened the last time the Mavs and Miami Heat met in 2006. Now that tragic series is a distant memory.

The Mavs are in a 0–2 hole that I am hoping that they can climb out of. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a great team, no doubt, but the losses have been so close. Four points total in two games. Losing end aside, the games have been exciting down to the last possession. For the Mavs to even the series over the weekend, and, dare I dream, win the first round, the Mavs truly need to go all in.

There is actually a hashtag for this very concept: #MavsAllIn. Considering the missing players from last year who were crucial to winning the championship, it seems a little like a joke of a hashtag. Regardless, I drop in and search the hashtag just about every day and it’s nice to have an “official” hashtag for the Mavs playoff run.

I love following the Mavs social media posts and the team keeps it growing from year to year. Not just from the organization itself, but also from the actual players (especially on Twitter). I can’t think of another NBA team that embraces social media the way that the Mavs organization does, but please let me know if there is one by commenting below.

I love it when I am looking at an ad that makes me do a double take. It’s usually something said or a quick visual, or maybe it’s a punchy headline or confusing picture. Regardless, there’s something that makes me go back to verify what I’ve seen or heard. I have to say that no ad has made me take a second look as quickly as this campaign for Hooters.

Just imagine that you were asked to come up with a print campaign that focused on happy hour at Hooters. You have your target audience defined, and you even have the specials that the ads should mention. What would those ads look like?

Now, just glance over these ads from the campaign without reading the copy and ask yourself, what does this have to do with Hooters?

I’m guessing that those ads look nothing like the ones that you visualized. Scroll back up and read the copy on any one of the ads (you can click to enlarge). That’s a pretty bold move considering that someone could flip by one of these ads with no interest in tools, cars, or fishing, but with a great interest in happy hour specials. Yes, I’m reaching. Granted, the ads are obviously targeted to men, so odds are one of those three topics will interest any man. I am interested in two out of three, so it’s all an odds game with pretty safe bets.

The creative work is bold, but I think it’s executed perfectly. The visuals and the way the copy flows are paired exceptionally well. As far as “fake” or similar camouflaged ads I’ve seen, I’ve never seen a campaign hit the mark like this one does.

I’d love to hear what you think of this campaign, though. Think it’s great? Think it sucks? Let me know by commenting below!

I came across this campaign on the Ads of the World site, and the work was done by Ogilvy, Guatemala.

How is it already April? It seems like just yesterday I was putting up the Christmas tree and doing shopping for the holidays. Not only is summer right around the corner, but April is almost gone. I do love this time of year, though, because baseball is starting up again and the basketball playoffs are just a few games away. With just a couple more weeks left in the month, there’s one event that you’ll want to add to your calendar before we all flip it over to May.

The Social Media Club of Fort Worth’s April Tweetup, of course!

Not sure how the SMCFW pulls it off, but each month brings a new Tweetup in a fun, hip place in the Fort Worth area. This month’s Tweetup will be at the new Mijo’s Fusion on Magnolia Avenue this Thursday, April 19, from 6 – 8 p.m. If that doesn’t get you excited, how about this — drink specials just for the SMCFW crew, including $1-off margaritas and $2.50 domestics and wells. Yeah, I’ll take that.

Here’s the official invite from the SMCFW Facebook page and be sure to head there to RSVP:

Join Social Media Club Fort Worth for our April Tweetup at the new Mijo’s Fusion on Magnolia Thursday, April 19 from 6-8 pm!

Come sip a margarita or cerveza and chat with like-minded area professionals. Bring your friends and co-workers.

Hope to see you there!

Mijo’s Fusion
1109 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104
(directions)

I was just sitting here staring at the cursor on the screen while it blinked waiting for me to start typing. I would almost call it a good ol’ case of writer’s block, and it may have been. I was just at a loss for words.

I saw this advertisement on TV for the International Delight Iced Coffee product and had to rewind it to see it again (can you imagine a world without a DVR?). As I watched it a second time, my brow remained furrowed in confusion.

Before I go on, take a look at the spot to see what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Nbx7Gs3xU

Let it sink in and watch it again if needed. I’ll completely understand the need for that.

Now, before I even get to why this ad is so full of fail, let’s take a look at the competition in this product category. Sure, iced coffee at home sure is convenient. No doubt. I would say the direct competition would be other brands of iced coffee on the shelf, but I can’t really think of another brand of one that I’ve seen, so pardon my ignorance if there are several.

Once you pass those, then your competition would be what is highlighted in the above commercial — coffee house chains. There is one popular place to get coffee out there…if I could only remember the name of the place. Oh yeah, Starbucks. If I were starting a coffee business, that would have to be the fiercest competitor out there. If you frequent Starbucks (or any other coffee place), can you please let me know how many times you’ve seen someone run right into the door? I can’t say that I’ve ever seen it or heard about it happening.

That brings us to the commercial! You load your marketing bow with the sharpest arrow you have and aim it directly into the heart of Starbucks. You hit the company right where it hurts. You got it, you build your campaign about an everyday occurrence — the idiocy of your target consumer. Wait…that doesn’t sound right.

That’s because it’s not. What I take away from the commercial is the fact that coffee drinkers are so inept, such candidates for the next Darwin Awards, that they should just avoid going to the coffee shop altogether and just stay at home to drink coffee. You wouldn’t want to risk injury, right? But, how do you actually get the Iced Coffee product from International Delight? I have to go to the store to get it, but what if the store has sliding doors? Maybe I can send someone who is more agile to the store for me.

The only good things about the spot that I can find are the usage of the viral/surveillance video style, the hip “fail” and YouTube hashtag incorporation, and there seems to be an incorporated social media presence on the International Delight website.

If you have an opinion on this commercial, I’d love to read it! Just leave a comment below to let me know what you think.

I would say that my favorite advertising medium would have to be print. Not only is it classic, but it’s also where I started in my advertising career. I started with print and billboards, and then added TV, radio, and some nontraditional advertising.

When I began, I was an account executive and worked with the clients and our agency to find the best strategies and executions possible. I enjoyed the work I did, but I didn’t truly appreciate the advertising process until I started copywriting. That’s when my love for print advertising really began to grow.

So when I see a good print ad, I take notice. Sure, for the consumer angle sometimes, but I look at the elements of the ad and try to dissect each part. Who is the intended audience? Does the headline draw me in to read the copy? Does the copy list benefits to the product or service? Sometimes it’s just the style and execution of the ad campaign that really does it for me.

That’s where the Mini “Comic” campaign got my attention. The copywriting is good, but the art direction and execution really brings it home. It’s stylish and hip, and should resonate with the younger car buyer.

It also looks like a real comic — take a look (click to enlarge):

I found this campaign and photo example on the Ads of the World site. Great work from the Metzler : Vater Communication Group, Munich, Germany.

What do you think? Are you a fan of this campaign or do you think it misses the mark? Comment below to let me know!

The Social Media Club of Fort Worth is bringing it with the event this Wednesday! Taking Social Media to New Heights with Jonathan Pierce is all about learning and using best practices in social media; from customer service to content management, it will all be covered by Jonathan, the Director of Social Media for American Airlines.

I can’t even imagine what it takes to manage social media for an airline, especially when you just glance at the American Airlines Twitter account to see the range and fast-paced updating of the content. When thinking of using best practices for a company, I would assume that an airline needs to be at the top of its game due to the size and demands of its customers.

Here’s all the info you’ll need to attend straight from the SMCFW page for the event:

Taking Social Media to New Heights with Jonathan Pierce, Director of Social Media for American Airlines

Join Social Media Club Fort Worth at The Marquis on Magnolia on Wednesday, March 21 from 6-8 p.m. to find out how you can take your social media to new heights.

Learn about best practices in social customer service, content management and blogger/advocate outreach from the director of social media at American Airlines, Jonathan Pierce.

You don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear how one of the very best in the industry is engaging with and taking care of its customers using social media.

Light appetizers and drinks will be served.

Thank you to our event sponsor:

facebook.com/aa         twitter.com/americanair

The American Advertising Federation of Fort Worth has a great topic in store for its March luncheon this Wednesday! In my days of representing accounts and copywriting for clients, I can tell you that marketing to a Hispanic market is challenging. You can’t just take a blanket approach and assume that your campaign will land how it’s intended.

The messaging and visuals differ, in addition to the need to find the best media choices to target your message. The invite to the luncheon starts off with three of the most important questions to ask before you start thinking of your next advertising campaign aimed at a Hispanic market.

Here’s the official invite from the AAF-FW site:

Are you targeting the Hispanic market with any of the brands you handle? Do you understand how to market to Hispanics? Do you want to learn more?

AAF-FW would like you to join us for our March luncheon featuring Leo De León, Jr.

Mr. De León is the President and Creative Director at Boone De Leon Communications, Inc. in Houston and is considered an expert on Hispanic Marketing. He will provide a look into demographics, language, creative and media as well as give you tangible marketing tips on how to engage in Hispanic Marketing.

When
March 21, 2012
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

Where
Joe T. Garcia’s
“La Puertita”
2201 N Commerce St
Fort Worth, Texas 76106