Hasta La Creative!

At the office, the other creatives and I were working on some concepts for a potential client, bouncing witty to wacky ideas around when someone rained on the parade with “let’s be sure not to get too smart or clever for the general public,” and then sighs and “aww man”s filled the office because we all knew the glum-chum was right. There, the creative juices no longer flowed but leaked, the witty banter withered, and the beautiful minds were bound.

But, I ask you, where is the bar set when it comes to the general public’s “clever threshold”? When is clever too clever? How much wit can a creative expend before going over the heads of said general public? And who constitutes the “general public”? So that you have a better idea of where I’m coming from, we were working on  an online video for a workout product. Should we run with stereotypes and assume our target audience is nothing more than meatheads whose I.Q. is far less than the dumbbells he curls? Or the ditzy blondes who wear open toe shoes so they can count up to 20?

That seems rather unfair. I’ve met individuals who are plenty smart and capable of bench-pressing me for a warm up as well as individuals who’ll count my fingers when the weather’s cold. A tricky game this advertising business is. Here are a few demonstrations of clever advertising that the “general public” may have missed:

Did you get them all? Are you an advertising maven? On a scale of 1-100 where does the “general public’s” “clever threshold” rank? I’m just full of questions in this post, so maybe I’m just not as smart as I think I am. Damn it, what’s my clever threshold?

Tommy Liu, the man, the legend (to be) wields his pen of creativity against the injustice of mediocriety plaguing the world as the Creative Officer at Supercool Creative where he also manages the blog. Click here to view some of his battles (he doesn’t always win).

As most know, I’ve been writing about innovation in the face of adversity; our industry’s changing, the economy’s sucking the breath out of  good companies, and, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the bubble won’t break until at least 2013. That’s four years of this. Tired of the bad news, we thought that we would task this highly creative industry to either show us your stuff, or keep your mouth shut. Talking the talk is easy. Prove to us, and the industry, that you’ve got the creative mojo and win some free publicity.

It doesn’t have to be “ads” or “campaigns.” It could be your business model, an engaging strategy, how you changed the way you purchase media, social media tactics, recession-proof tactics, or even a small, “Hmm, I wonder…” question that turn into a creative leap. Something like what Guy Kawasaki, owner of Alltop, just engineered.

Alltop gives its clients, prospects, vendors, and friends both business cards and business stickers. However, Guy admits that while he freely gives out cards, he’s reluctant to hand out stickers to promote the brands because they could be used to deface property; plus, he did not want to “burden” others with his branding efforts. And there is always the chance an Alltop sticker might end up plastered on the toilet of a rank rest stop on I-70. Can you say, “negative brand association?”

Then he had an “A-Ha” moment: could the business cards and business stickers be combined? He emailed one of his friends, who happened to own StickerGiant, to find out. He asked this friend, John Fischer, if a business card could be printed on the back of a sticker, and if anyone had done this before. John answered that, yes, it could be done but, no, it had never been requested. So, Guy requested his friend to check into it.

Writing on Open Forum, Guy describes his thought process:

“Psychologically, a stickercard is a powerful concept. By applying the teachings of Robert Cialdini, I hope that it engenders reciprocation and consistency. That is, since you’ve given someone a cool sticker, the person feels like they should reciprocate by sticking it somewhere visible. (Did you donate money to Hare Krishna because one of its followers gave you a flower?) Then, once the stickercard is stuck, the person is more committed to the company, product, or service. That stickercard on laptop is a declaration to the world that they like the what it stands for. To be consistent, they must stick to their positive opinion of your company, product, or service.

The process, or how the idea comes alive, doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. It’s the idea that matters, and whether or not it works.  At any moment, Guy Kawasaki could have stopped and said, “This is stupid.” Instead, he followed through. His tweet tonight stated that the stickercards was his best idea ever.

His best idea ever… and he’s had a lot of ideas. To take it a step further, the first thing he did with his new “invention” was share to it, which speaks highly of his character. He sent out the tweet and a link. StickerGiant made a video. And the stickercards went from idea to product in a week. Be warned though, StickerGiant charges $500 for 500 cards. At least Guy has character.

If your company has something that makes “the cut,”  send it my way. Until that time, leave a comment… it will raise your social media score.

Jeff Louis: A Strategic Media Planner and Brand Project Manager for both B2B and B2C accounts, he is fascinated by past participles, brands, and innovation. Please contact him on Twtter or LinkedIn.

The Internet.  The greatest enabler perhaps ever known.  The ability to acquire and distribute information at a furious and daunting pace has proven to be the downfall of many a business, political candidate, celebrity etc.  However, those who seize control have experienced unprecedented success.  Capturing the minds of those fluent in Internet language proves to be the primary goal of advertisers for the future.

In May, the International Society of Human Rights (ISHR) released a group of 3 ads which succinctly and adroitly summarize both the fears and triumphs of widespread Internet distribution.

The political implications are clear: target and mock those who seek to suppress the free spread of information.  Labeled “To Teach Dictators a Lesson”, the sharp simplicity and wit of the ad depicts perfectly the conflicting opinions of those on both ends of the spectrum.  The brilliance of the ad lies in the subtle usage of the imagery of the stifled flow of information.

Subtlety is an art form lost on many advertisers who often go for gross exaggerations in the name of attention grabbing.  As depicted in my last blog, such strategies often undercut the intended message.  Quite oppositely, the subversive humor of this ad strikes a poignant note.

Delivering a meaningful but catching message to those who can rapidly attain information from a variety of sources proves difficult.  However, those who succeed do so in slight-of-hand subtlety rather than slap-you-in-the-face bravado.

Dan Davis is a Freelance Writer carving out his growing resume, specializing in copy writing, and subjects from sports to the arts.  Contact him on LinkedIn.

And now, from the lighter side of advertising…

Kush Support is a company that manufactures and markets what they call “breast supports.” These are not your surgically prepped and sterile packets of silicone or saline installed at the local cosmetic body shop. Nor are they fitted items of clothing meant to hold everything in place during duress.

No, the supports were developed to help women pregnant women, women with implants or large breasts, and women with wrinkles in the bust area get a full night’s rest. The inspiration behind the Kush came when founder, Cathinka Chandler,

“began to notice the appearance of wrinkles in my cleavage area. No matter how much I used creams or exercised, the creases didn’t go away.”

I think for most, that would be called “aging.”

Made out of lightweight plastic with a slip-resistant outer layer, Kush is inserted between the breasts to maintain a shape that is “more natural” for women that sleep on their side. Unfortunately for the Kush, the supports are fairly suggestive in appearance…and the ads depict smiling women with phallic shaped objects stuffed in their nightgowns, just smiling away. To make matters worse, a “small” Kush (only for nursing, pregnant, or women with implants) starts out at $55.00!

Of course, this story could not be totally complete without a goofy tagline: Kush Support – A Natural Rest for the Breast. At this point, it is up to the ladies suffering from this silent epidemic: Is the Kush a “bust-saver,” or just plain busty…busted?

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. Reach out and touch him: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Microsoft launched two “Hulu-esque” online TV spots this week that star Dean Cain, the actor known as Superman from the TV series “Lois & Clark.” The spots are a bit surreal, much like the Hulu commercials that have were released earlier this year. The two spots, named F.O.M.S. (Fear Of Missing Something) and S.H.Y.N.E.S.S. (Sharing Heavily Yet Not Enough Sharing Still), are in support of Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), released in its final version on March 19th of 2009.

It’s unclear if Microsoft is experiencing low download rates for IE8, or are simply running the spots to support the new software in a more competitive environment. The IE8 browser is chock-full-o-features that include new malware protection, a discrete browsing mode (for those that need to hide their searches) and greater tab control. One of the best features is that when the browser crashes, it only restarts that particular tab, leaving the rest of the tabs operating normally. However, there are problems with IE8, such as it has to run in “compatibility mode” to read a majority of websites, and it is not as fast as the sparsely-featured Google Chrome browser.

The ads do nothing to dispel these irregularities, and instead are somewhat humorous takes on personal browsing habits. Both of the spots are featured on YouTube, as well as below. F.O.M.S features a woman frantic over missing a bid on EBay, while S.H.Y.N.E.S.S. enables people that send crap over the internet to send it faster using one of IE8’s accelerators. (great…)

The campaign, if it can be called such, is masquerading as a set of PSAs that are promoting BrowserfortheBetter.com, which is a landing page devoted to the new browsers. What’s great about downloading IE8 from this page is that for every download, Microsoft will donate eight meals to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity.

Whether a humanitarian effort or a sales ploy to get the browsers downloaded, the result is the same: food for the hungry. And for this, Microsoft deserves recognition.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment or follow the links:linkedin.com or twitter.com.

I’ve written a couple times on Beyond Madison Avenue about the difference between agencies that talked about being creative, or social, or cutting edge, and then comparing them with those that actually were.
There are certain errors that will keep me from visiting your site, your blog, or your agency ever again.

• Number One: You state that you’re a large creative muckity-muck. I go to your site, and it is under construction. Nothing works.
• Number Two: Misspellings. One every once in a while is tolerable. One on your homepage, in an ad, or on your resume is where we part ways.
• Number Three: Professing your prowess in a certain medium, client category, or emerging media, and then not being able to back the statement up with verifiable proof. Don’t say that your agency excels in social media if you don’t have a blog, a Twitter account, or even a Facebook page.

One of the agencies I wrote about was Lisa P. Maxwell. They claim to know social media. Then they prove it by having live webcams showcasing all of their employees working. Check it out at lisapmaxwell.com.

This weeks award goes to Boone Oakley. Although they sound like a cheap wine, they have the creative juice that most marketing directors wish they could tap as their own. Boone Oakley has their entire agency, including creative, produced as a series of YouTube videos. The best thing about their YouTube “website?” Functionality. Click on the link for collateral work, you are whisked to another video showcasing their collateral work.

Thus, there are a series of several videos, and I watched every single one. In one fell stroke, they’ve not only debuted their agency (as well as taken some well-deserved shots at big agencies) but they have creatively shown their creativity. Don’t tell me how many awards you have or that your agency was voted “Most Creative” in 2006. Show me how that spirit is lives and works today. Below is the first video along with one of the the linked videos.

This is one of the videos that is available under “Work by Medium.”

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Boost Mobile , the prepaid division of Sprint Nextel, is unleashing a series of spots that play off of the the “Unwronged” spots featuring Danica Patrick. I am so glad that some advertisers still have a sense of humor because I am about tired of hearing how all of these companies that were started during the Great Depression want to comfort us. Not that we don’t need a pick-me-up every once in a while, but enough is enough.

The creative is aimed at supporting a new $50 a month, “Monthly” Unlimited’ offering from Boost. The commercial features the Motorola Clutch i465, Boost Mobile’s first phone with a computer keypad. The creative was developed by Boost’s advertising agency of record, 180LA.

When I first saw the spot, I thought that it would run a couple of time and then get pulled due to some sort of  perceived offense. I am happy that I was wrong.

Although a bit far-fetched (Danica Patrick using prepaid cellular service), the overall creativity is refreshing. We are all aware of studies conducted during economic crises, and how the companies that spend through the storm emerge stronger on the other end.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

If you’re anything like me, “change” is a word that has been overused of late. Well, unfortunately, it’s going to happen again: Change. Change. CHANGE!

Change the way you think. Change the way you act. Look at your client from another angle. Ask someone else what they see. Don’t rely on what you think you know, go and find out what others know. 

Our industry beat the phrase, “Think Outside the Box” into the ground, but now-really-it’s time to think outside the box. If you wait for your clients to come to you, it’s too late…trust me, others have great ideas, just like you do. The only difference is that they’re acting on theirs. So, Refresh. Renew. Revitalize. Do something…something is always better than nothing.

Try Guerrilla! It’s relatively inexpensive. You can target geographically. It’s tactical. It makes a splash. It may get you in trouble, but it gets the message out…and PR is PR, right?

Granted, it won’t be perfect for every client, but you have at least one that would benefit. Automotive? Entertainment? Packaged Goods? Think it’s not for your clients? Think again: MSN, Yahoo, Carmex, Disney, Activision, CBS, TBS, New Balance, Absolut, AT&T, New York Sports Clubs, Pepsi, and tons of new movie releases have all recently used some form of poster advertising.

You’re there because you’re creative. So, be creative.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you: linkedin.com or twitter.com.

“Anything you can do, I can do better.” That is the competitive nature that lives in us all. That attitude surfaces on the playground, in the classroom, at home and on TV. The prevalence of one-upmanship is unavoidable, and, damn it, I love it! The only place I enjoy a high level of competitiveness more than sports is the world of advertising. The creativity required to best your competition in this world has to be quick and uncanny, so please check mediocrity at the door. The most recent demonstration of witty one-upmanship I have witnessed were these two billboards below from Audi and BMW:

A few weeks ago Audi put up a billboard on Santa Monica Blvd. in Southern California showcasing their new A4 vehicle challenging BMW with the copy that reads “Your Move, BMW.” You have to appreciate the confidence Audi is demonstrating. No one expected BMW to take this slight with a smile, but how was BMW going to respond? The answer: by strategically putting up a bigger billboard on the other side of the road featuring the M3 with the copy that wittily reads “Checkmate.” Simple, clever, and absolute “ownage!” I was so taken by the sheer genius of the response I might have gotten a little giddy…On that note, know of any other great advertising disputes or challenges? Drop me a Tomment and let me know.

P.S. Remember when I said in the world of competitive advertising mediocrity should be checked at the door? Audi managed to sneak it pass; Audi responded shortly by replacing their billboard with another one, but the attempt is disappointing and makes little sense. BMW then responded by removing their billboard all together rendering the copy of the current Audi billboard confusing. I’d show you, but I don’t want to highlight mediocrity.

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Tommy Liu is a Creative at Supercool Creative where he also manages the blog (click here for more of his writing as well as his contact info).

Coca Cola Co. adopted a new strategy to save on media budgets and hold agencies responsible for providing performance. Under the “pay for performance” plan, Coke guarantees to reimburse only what an agency has expends unless said agency can prove performance based on predetermined success measures. We, as advertisers and marketers are notorious for speaking in ROI terminology, but the proving part is a different matter altogether. Agencies currently serving the soft drink giant will not profit without delivering. If Coke successfully demonstrates this value-based model, look for other companies to soon implement the same type of programs.

Under Coke’s new plan, there are no guarantees. Which, in theory, is exactly the same method advertisers conduct business with media partners to ensure accountability for poor performance. If a media partner underperforms, it is expected to “repay” via additional media weight, no-charge advertising, and in rare cases, a refund.

Outside of the agency niche, a business transaction occurs when I say I want X, and you deliver X. As an example: I sign a contract to have my house painted. However, only half of the house gets finished, but they state that they’re done. That wouldn’t fly…I’d be contacting the comapny, demanding my money back, trying to get the house finished, and if necessary, going to court.

Advertising agencies have stood by the fact that intangible processes, such as creativty branding are hard to tack down with a specific return on investment dollar amount. And they’re…some of what client companies receive from agencies can be classified as “art rather than advertising,” and how much does a masterpiece run? I’m being facetious, but not really. Think back on campaigns that not only defined the brand, but redefined the company itself. A couple for Coke comes to mind immediately:

It’s hard to price someting like that. Or even the Mean Joe. Or a revised version of the1971 spot, seen above:
Activity doesn’t equal value, or at least that’s the premise driving Coca Cola’s pricing model. However, this allows the agencies to rise to the occasion and receive more compensation than the would have, with up to a 30% “commission” if their delivery is spot-on. With Coca Cola’s worldwide budget at $3 billion, the compensation possibilities are lucrative.

How Coke’s new compensation will work:
BEFORE: Agencies and Coke negotiate in advance how much profit the former will see on a given project.
AFTER: Agency is guaranteed only recouped costs, with any profit coming only if certain targets are met.
BEFORE: Agency decides what Coke should pay for a project based on the time it expects to expend on it.
AFTER: Coke tells agencies how valuable a project is based on strategic importance, whether other agencies could deliver the same outcome, and other factors.

Remember what you’ve read…because if it works, it’s COMING SOON TO A CLIENT NEAR YOU, SOON!

Jeff Louis is a Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you: linkedin.com/in/jefflouis or twitter.com/jlo0312.