Message from paradise...

giddy up

Can't decide which is more entertaining - the mobile gaming aspect, or the British tools in the video...

 

#fitchthehomeless

 

Is it pure coincidence that Mean Girls has been on Cinemax this week while Abercrombie & Fitch is getting crushed in the media for not making plus sizes?

If you're still questioning if social media can give a boost - or  drop an atomic bomb - on your brand, let this social effort from Greg Karber be a case study. He's initiated a socially driven campaign to get A&F to reconsider their very brand manifesto. With mainstream media crushing A&F and more than 4 million views of Greg's online video, I'd say he may just have an impact.

 

erection

I kinda knew a subject line like that would get your attention...

A few months ago, I wrote about America's most unfortunately named company.

Well, I've just come across a close second.

And in case you were wondering, they're website is not AllErection.com.

But it DOES redirect to AllCrane.com.

That's awesome.

 

I do love public access advertising

This is the best home-grown local commercial I've seen in years. Almost makes me wish for a transmission job.

When you see something like this, you've gotta wonder where the inspiration comes from. 

I have a few notions....

 

 

 

a mighty wind

The Weather Channel is currently running an AMAZING online promo for Tornado Week. Check out the YouTube live stream of interns sitting in the office with a wind machine blowing at 120+ mph. The more Tweets with #TornadoWeek, the faster the wind.

Without a doubt, the best use of YouTube and Twitter this year.

 

licks ass

To graduate from UNC's journalism school, undergrads have to pass a spelling and grammar exam. I failed it seven times before passing. Yet today, even with that nifty spell check function,  I still make spelling errors from time to time.

On the email front, I'm so paranoid of accidently hitting Reply All following a huge blunder 7 years, 2 months and 16 days ago (sorry again, Fausto!). Our corporate GMail has a fantstic "unsend" feature now - as long as you realize within 30 seconds that you want to take it back.

The technology that confounds me (and millions of others), though, is the iPhone's auto-correct feature. Yes, several of the examples on Damn You, Auto Correct! will make you laugh. But nothing could suppress my embarrassment after this exchange last week with a CMO client...

Fortunately, she's got a great sense of humor and brushed it off.

But what if she didn't?

Believe me, I'm going to be spending time with the younger folks in our agency to remind them to take their time and avoid avoidable errors. Nothing erodes confidence like sloppiness....or licking ass.

 

move over, Ron Burgundy

Move over, Ron Burgundy.

 

A.J. Clemente is in the house!

 

 

Creativity for good

If you've worked in this industry for even just a day, chances are you've had an idea shot down. (In my case, make that thousands....)

A friend of mine recently joked, "Isn't it the clients' job to shit on our ideas?"

Maybe, but it's our job to not be deterred. Especially if we believe in something.

I recently came across the amazing story of a kid in East L.A. who makes things out of cardboard. Just cardboard.

What's cooler? That this 9-year-old kid has more creativity than 100,000 people combined, or that he never lost this enthusiasm and determination?

I think it's that his creativity has created a movement - a global movement that's inspiring kids all over the globe to use their minds and imagination. Video games have arguably diminished the necessity for kids to imagine on their own. The same could be said, to some degree, about today's digital design software. How many times have you seen a fantastic layout or design that's a little thin on a core idea?

I'm seriously thinking about having our entire agency participate in Caine's Global Cardboard Challenge if for no other reason that to remind everyone again to think, imagine, dream and create. 

 

pushing the limitis

How many times have I said to myself, "I love the agency environment?!"

We curse, act juvenile, come up with ideas that no one in their right mind is ever going to approve.

It's fun sometimes to walk into a creative presentation with one concept that makes a client blush.

Why?

It's our job to push boundaries. Our job, day in and day out, is to do things differently. 

So it's no surprise that the industry is abuzz with admiration for the new Kmart campaign. It's clever as hell. Definitely goes into my hall of fame of work that's over-the-top...and How Did They Get The Client To Approve This?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to be this guy when I grow up

 

Or Bubba Watson. It's a toss up.