Hasta La Creative!

We can change the world. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. In fact, if our ultimate goal is to create breakthrough brands, we have no choice but to make lives better.

At this point, I think we can all agree that advertising is going through a revolution. Search, social, mobile and ad avoidance technologies have disrupted this industry. The notion of building a brand through interruptive messaging is antiquated. Consumers have too much information at their fingertips. Traditional tools for influence no longer work as well as they once did.

This industry is filled with some of the smartest and most creative people in the world. The brands that are producing incredible results are simply taking that expertise and pointing it inward at their own behavior rather than outward at messaging. Great brands are created by starting with a platform that improves people’s lives.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

You would think that after all these years of highly publicized social media screw ups and popular SXSW panels that highlight such screw ups, brands would finally get the message; Don’t be a jackass and alienate your biggest fans.

Sadly, it seems there will always be an idiot in the mix. This time it’s Italy-based Ferrero SpA, parent company to Nutella, a hazelnut spread loved by many The brand sent a cease and desist to Sara Rosso, founder of World Nutella Day, a 7-year-old event and organization that is all about the love of Nutella.

Rosso launched World Nutella Day in 2007 to “celebrate Italy’s edible treasure with online and offline tributes.” The event’s Facebook page has 40,000 likes.

As to why Nutella sent the cease and desist, Rosso said, “They asked me to take down the site because they consider it to be an unauthorized use of their intellectual property and trademarks, the Nutella logo and brand.”

In lawyer speak, that translates to, “We don’t have a fucking clue what social media is and we don’t give a shit either.”

Without surprise, it seems it’s only the lawyers who are the party poopers in this situation. Of her interactions over the years with Nutella, Rosso said, “I’ve had positive interactions with the company and its consultants in the past so I’m trying to stay positive about a resolution.”

Supporters of Rosso are having a field day at the expense of Nutella with one supporter posting, “Nutella…more nuts in company management than in every jar.”

While Ferrero SpA has remained mum to requests for comment, we’re pretty sure there’s nothing they can say that will explain away this particular brain fart.

This is hilarious! And so welcome. After years of trashing the anti-smoking Truth campaign for its idiotic use of anachronistic quotes from tobacco company executives and Derek Beckles, this new work from Arnold Worldwide made us laugh. Of course, it’s 4th grade bathroom humor but no one ever really grows out of that.

Take a look at how Arnold conveys the fact methane is found in dog poop and cigarette smoke and urea (aka carbamide which is an organic chemical compound and the waste produced by the body after metabolizing protein) is found in cat pee and cigarettes. Good stuff.

Samsung topped Ad Age’s Viral Video Chart last week with a decidedly un-evolved spot for its “Evolution Kit,” which turns any Samsung TV into a smart TV. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the box goes on sale this month for $299, including a smart remote that allows swiping of apps across the screen.

The video, “Evolutionary Husband?” doesn’t show much about what the box is or does, but took some heat on Reddit for taking some tired stereotypes to the extreme. Nevertheless, it managed nearly 6.7 million views in its first week, according to Visible Measures.

Ad Age named Samsung “Brand of the Year” at the Viral Video Awards in April, largely for its excellent “Next Big Thing Is Already Here” videos for various versions of the Samsung Galaxy phone. This one? Not so much.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

While we’re pretty sure John Williams movie soundtracks wouldn’t be classified as classical music by most purists, when you’re the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB) trying to boost attendance before your entire audience dies, bending the rules a a little bit isn’t an issue.

Combating the fact most of the OSB’s orchestra is over the age of 65, Brazilian agency Artplan shot the OSB playing classic (again. a stretch of the word) movie soundtracks, linked to it from YouTube clips and, as a result, claim to have increased the number of young people attending OSB concerts by 40%. As well as achieving a sell out for the entire season.

Not bad for a little rule bending.