Today, we must ask ourselves what is the difference between content and a commercial? Some say that content is everything, thus the innards or makings of a commercial. Though technically that is true, I don’t define content that way. In a marketing context, content is the long-form narrative thread that customers connect with because it [...]
Facebook Doesn’t Want You To Be Lonely In The Vast, Dark Universe
October 4, 2012 By 2 Comments
This is a cardinal rule: DO NOT DEVELOP AN AGENCY STYLE. This is a cardinal rule because look and feel, a.k.a. style, belongs to the brand, not to the agency. Somewhere along the way, Wieden + Kennedy, one of the world’s few great big agencies, forgot about the cardinal rule. How do I know this? [...]
“Protect The Football” Is A Great Call To Action
September 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
Protect the football (from homebrew, wheatgrass, babies any environments that doesn’t work for watching football). That’s the new message from Buffalo Wild Wings and its ad agency, Fallon. Interestingly, some homebrewers are pissed at the brand. One commenter on YouTube said, “You should learn to make good wings before you pick on the people that [...]
SOREL Challenges Women To Get Their Boots Dirty
August 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
SOREL, a brand owned by Columbia Sportswear, is featuring “fiercely independent, creative and inspiring women who are living out their passions” in its new Get Your Boots Dirty ad campaign from Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. Kimberly Barta, SOREL’s senior global brand director, said, “Women tell us they feel a sense of fearlessness and strength [...]
Spotlight on NW Creative: Moving Shrimp Tostadas Wexley-Style
August 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Wexley School for Girls are the tricksters of modern day advertising. For one, their agency appears from the street to be a gallery of curios, or a museum for the eclectic. And the name itself is a clue to their ability (or is it a willingness?) to differentiate. Then there’s the work… I love how [...]
How To Change Cars Forever: Tweak. Tweak. Tweak.
July 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“Start with a simple idea. Think. Think more. Drink coffee. Stop thinking. Start doing.” Wieden + Kennedy’s new ad for the new 2013 Dodge Dart uses a lot of periods to make its point. But that’s not all it does. The 90-second spot also echoes the agency’s “Fail Harder” ethos throughout. According to Reuters, the [...]
Turn Off The Food Channel And Head Over To Applebee’s
July 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Crispin Porter + Bogusky will “See You Tomorrow” at one of 2000 Applebee’s locations. Here’s a look at the first two spots in a new food-focused campaign from the Boulder- and Miami-based agency since winning the account: I’m a little confused by the over-confident tagline. Isn’t tomorrow always one day off? It’s not now, that [...]
La Quinta, Where Top Dogs Stay
June 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
La Quinta borrowed a strategy from Holiday Inn Express, and turned to a cliché instead of a concept to make this new spot. So, it must be very bad. Right? Yep. It’s bad. Greg Medernach of Unconditioned Response helps us see just how bad. …when John performs this raising his leg up over this other [...]
Maxwell House: Not In My House
May 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I live in the Pacific Northwest, where coffee is culture, and for some it is more like religion. So, I don’t mind a SNL-like skit where coffee snobs like myself are taken to task. In fact, when it is well done, it can be pretty funny. Portlandia-funny, even. Do these spots for Maxwell House (made [...]
K-SWISS Is On The Run
April 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In 2011, K-SWISS launched a highly successful marketing campaign to support their line of performance running shoes – increasing sales over 40% from the year prior. In 2012, K-SWISS is poised to build on that success with a multi-million dollar integrated marketing campaign that connects with runners on both a product and emotional level, conveying [...]
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