As a student of the persuasive arts, I can't help but notice how hard it is for "the left" to move people. In fact, politicos are so bad at the art of persuasion, they're about to be usurped by big business on one of the most important issues of our day--the environment. One of the the left's huge mistakes is their weak attempt to use guilt to bring about change. While such base tactics might work on a select few, …
e Squared: It’s A 2009 Sequel. But No Twitter? OMG? WTF?
A creative guy travels to Nigeria to respond to a scam. The managing partner is always off at a flaky New Age seminar. And someone's nicking the office bit by bit and selling it on eBay to pay off gambling debts. The fun rolls on! When it was first published 10 years ago, Matt Beaumont's "e" was a sensation. A brilliantly conceived novel about an ad agency, as told strictly through a series of e-mails. It was funny …
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Why Would Crispin Turn To Crowdsourcing? Ask Drummond.
Colin Drummond heads up what is traditionally known as account planning at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. He also believes in the power of crowdsourcing (a topic we took up during last night's BeanCast). On his blog-like-thing, Drummond argues: Be afraid. Be very afraid. OK, if you don't want to be afraid, at least understand how big this is. The reason it's spreading is because it's working. Sure, you have to sift …
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Dude, You’ve Been Punked by The Captain
Diageo's Captain Morgan Rum is an entry level spirit, an easy switch from beer. Thus, the brand's marketing is aimed squarely at 21-24 year old drinkers. What do people in this demo want? According to the brand and its interactive partner, MRM Worldwide, they want pranks. And since everyone's all about their mobile handset these days, why not deliver said pranks on that platform? So next time, you're feeling ornery, …
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Surprise, You’re On Candid McCamera
According to The Boston Globe, Arnold Worldwide convinced Boston University to make its marketing and advertising students availabe for a McCafe commercial. Officials at Arnold, which handles McDonald's breakfast account, believed the ad could serve as a lesson for students. Crews from Redtree Productions, the company that Arnold worked with on the ad, fitted three hidden cameras and built a set inside the …
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These Colors Better Run
I used to work on the Coors account and one place we absolutely could not go, creatively speaking, is to college campuses. The lawyers in Golden would have struck it down like lightning from on high. Apparently, the lawyers in St. Louis were convinced otherwise by their peers on the Bud Light team who are presently struggling to avoid the brand's first drop in sales ever. If you watched the Fox News segment (above) …
Microsoft’s Response: Go To Hell Google
Google Apps--a more economical option than Microsoft Office--is turning to an interesting out-of-home execution to promote its suite of products to business owners and IT managers. The company has bought billboards in four key locations: the 101 in San Francisco, the West Side Hwy in New York, the Ike in Chicago, and Mass Pike in Boston. I like the recognition here that there are millions of decision makers …
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The NFL Cleans Up
According to The Wall Street Journal, sports leagues around the country are inking some offbeat deals as they hunt for new sources of ad dollars, particularly to replace financial-services firms and auto makers. Hence, the new $10 million a year relationship between P&G and the National Football League. The multi-year pact, which P&G says is the costliest in its history, lets it slap a newly designed "Official Locker …
