You can’t lose weight running your mouth.
Ever since the pseudo-documentary movie “Super Size Me” came out, bashing fast food restaurants has become as trendy as Croc sandals. But now it’s gotten ridiculous.
In a recent news article, city councilwoman, Jan Perry, is proposing banning fast food franchises from opening in her Los Angeles district because too many of her constituents are obese.
Despite the fact that most fast food restaurants serve healthy meals and side dishes, Perry seems to think that inviting chains like Marie Calender’s to South Central L.A. serves her public better than fast food restaurants. Never mind that Jared lost 245 pounds eating only at Subway. Or that one man actually lost 80 pounds eating only at McDonalds. Blaming fast food restaurants seems to be easier than cutting back on soft drinks and exercising.
This situation reminds of the famous saying from “Slick Willie” Sutton who was asked why he robbed banks. His answer: “Because that’s where the money is.” If “fresh” food franchises could make a profit operating in this South Central L.A. district, they would probably already be there.
Banning free enterprise is not the answer to curing obesity. Perry would do better to follow the tobacco industry solution and impose a fast food tax that could then be spent on educating the public on how to live a healthier life. To lose weight, you have to spend less time running your mouth and more time running your legs.
Karl Gromelski is a copywriter at sgdp who frequents fast food restaurants all the time but watches what he eats.
Technorati Tags: Jan Perry, banning fast food, South Central L.A.
Location, location, location
Effective advertising not only means a thought-provoking and/or eye-catching ad, but also valuable placement, which is just as important as the ad’s message.
I just recently returned from a week-long trip to Panama and discovered that ad placement in some cases is not well thought out.
In the small, mountain town of Boquete, for instance, a billboard for Bvlgari fragrance stands next to a busy bus stop on the main street. The site of the alluring model and attractively packaged perfume literally made me stop. Not because it was a beautiful ad, but because of who was exposed to it on a daily basis — namely the townspeople of Boquete.
These hardworking Panamanian people take a bus from their small homes in the country to town each day to pick coffee or perform landscape duties for just a few dollars a day. So tell me, do these folks really need or even care about Bvlgari?
Alysia Shivers is a marketing professional in the real estate industry with a background in newspaper and magazine writing and editing. She blogs about life’s adventures at http://Unlyshd.blogspot.com and you can visit her website at http://www.alysiashivers.com/.
Is Beckham Worth It?
Every so often I am befuddled by spokesperson choices from mass marketers. Recently it happened again. The Sharpie brand enlisted David Beckham as spokesman for their 
brand. I recall seeing ads for him many months ago and dismissed it as unusual but then I saw another the other
day. Granted, David Beckham is a sensation. A name recognized worldwide…more overseas than here in America. But why would the Sharpie brand dole out the dollars for Beckham to sell low-priced markers? Surely, Beckham’s brand will have an impact on sales but my question is: Is he the best use of Sharpie’s advertising dollars? I think the ads featuring the “everyday mom” were just as, if not more, effective…at a more cost-effective price. And I fail to see the “fit” between what the two brands stand for separately and what they stand for together. Simply befuddling.
Actions speak louder than words.
According to a recent Newsday article, a group of bored teenage boys ages 14-18 stayed out at all hours of the night committing violent crimes for fun. They robbed and beat a man, carjacked a BMW and drove around smashing other vehicles with a bat, crowbar and broomstick. When they were finally arrested, these teens blamed the video game Grand Theft Auto IV for their actions.
At first glance, you might feel sorry for these kids. These young, innocent teens are trying to find their way through a harsh and unforgiving world. What’s more, their ethics are manipulated and corrupted by media and entertainment companies as well as peer pressure. (Stephen Attard, 18, police mug shot)
But then you have to wonder, what kind of parents permit their kids to roam the streets at all hours of the night? Who’s providing them with a moral compass that guides them as to what’s right and wrong? And since when are characters in ESRB Mature rated video game considered role models?
Parents and the media are now quick to point the finger at Rockstar Games for influencing these young impressionable minds. There’s no doubt that video games can be great training devices to learn a new skill. But blaming video games or movies for encouraging immature minds to commit crimes is ridiculous. These entertainment properties offer a variety of views on life. If these kids believed that Grand Theft Auto IV presented a world where crime pays, then they weren’t paying close attention.
Technorati Tags: Grand Theft Auto IV, Stephen Attard, Rockstar Games
Facebook in Real Life
I’ve been overwhelmed with Facebook friend requests lately. Some from friends I haven’t seen in a while, but most of them are from people I’ve never met in my life. It’s getting a little obnoxious. So, as soon as I saw the video below from British comedy group Idiot of Ants, via Greg Verdino, I couldn’t help but laugh. If Facebook were real life we would all be in trouble.
Technorati Tags: Beneath the Brand,Jamey Shiels,Greg Verdino,Facebook,Idiot of Ants
What’d You Call Me?
I was writing a presentation deck yesterday and I used the C Word. Actually, I used it a lot. Look…I know better…but it has become so automatic to call people Consumers that I just did it.
The funny thing is that when I don’t use the word in a presentation and use people instead, it actually looks like I’m forgetting that this is about advertising. So I try to define what kind of people we’re talking about, based on why they use, or would use, the product. They may be true believers, fun fanatics, or truth seekers. Whatever their reasons are, I view them as people with a need or passion, instead of someone who turned into this consumer creature because they had an eye towards buying something and a buck in their hand.
David Ogilvy was famously quoted as saying “The consumer isn’t a moron, she is your wife!” I love how that quote takes you out of the realm of consumers and puts it squarely back at that person sitting across from you at the breakfast table.
It’s no mystery to me why we use words like consumer; it’s because advertising is more art than science. And while we try to quantify and qualify what we do with data and projections and targets, in the end it all comes down to talking to people. That’s what I try to remember when I write.
Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who tries to be careful what he says. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.
Word of Mouth Advertising
As I continue my job search, I’m learning more and more about the decline of traditional advertising.
Newspaper job postings are relatively nonexistent these days - yeah, I already knew that. But even on-line, finding work in my desired field near my home, it’s pretty hard to come by.
But - I do have a distant in-law relative who works for an amazing publishing company not to far from my home. And I have a friend who works for an educational supplies company - turns out they’re looking to hire several different people for various positions. And then there’s….
Anyway. I could go on. But you get my drift. As the saying goes, it’s not always what you know, but who you know.
I’m hoping those who know me will do what they can to get me noticed. At least giving me that extra edge that gets my foot in the door.
A new ad every day…
I love these massvacation.com TV spots. Is anyone else as enamored with their “There’s so much to do in
Maybe I watch too much TV, but I think the idea is exciting and refreshing. And they’re keeping their word. I haven’t seen the same ad on more than one day. Plus, they tease you to view them all online… so far there are 90 different spots available.
Their website itself is pretty easy to navigate and offers lots of ideas on what to do when you visit. Very effective, if like me you live just a few hours drive from these places.
Overall, I think the idea is fabulous. Of course, having grown up in the Berkshires - I may be a little biased.
Take My Stock…Please!
Ask any art director the single thing that has made their job easier in the last few years and they will probably say the computer first, and stock photography second.
In my opinion, both have made the job harder.
Computers have drastically shortened the perceived amount of time needed to create an ad, and stock photography has drastically altered the perception that ads need original images. Those are two pretty big misconceptions.
With time in short supply, and stock so plentiful, most projects look like this: start the job the day it’s due, read the headline that has already been written, search some key words on a stock photography website, pop the image you find into a layout…and make sure it’s rights free!
This isn’t, I know, art direction as you intended to practice it.
So what can you, just one art director, do? The first thing is to explain to your account folks, creative directors and clients how much better the ad could be. Use examples. Show them how the best ads have original and unique images, the kind that just don’t come from stock.
If that fails — and I know realistically it may — then it will be up to you and your creativity to come up with a solution. Here are a few suggestions:
Take your own photo! This probably means simplifying your thinking, but sometimes limitations can lead you to a really simple and elegant solution.
Draw something! I know, I know, art directors don’t draw anymore (except on their note pads during meetings), but think how much fun it could be.
Turn off the computer! Go old school with markers, scissors glue and paper. It may sound silly, but look where it got those South Park guys.
Work with what you have! Stuck with using stock or worse, an image that has been supplied to you? Think about all of the ways you can change it.
I worked with a guy once (hi Leon!) who could start with a low res, out of focus, poorly shot, or badly lit image — or no image — and turn out something totally unique, because of his mastery of Illustrator. See that cool little character at the top of this post? He made it. In about 15 minutes.
So next time you’re faced with an unreasonable deadline and little or no art budget, don’t automatically search for stock, without taking stock of your own talents first.
Steven Stark is a freelance writer and creative director who has nothing against the fine folks who own or work at stock houses, and understands that they need to make a living just like anybody else. You can read some of his other musings here.
Can marketing go too far?
Having grown up watching Jacque Cousteau and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, I have always found watching television programs on foreign lands and how indigenous animals live there to be fascinating. But seeing how Animal Planet markets its documentary series on meerkats, it seems that, nowadays, learning about about the animal kingdom isn’t rewarding enough.
“Meerkat Manor” is a series that promises to be about more than some critters surviving in the South African desert. In this show, you’ll see love, jealousy, betrayal and vengeance. To help sell this show, the meerkats are given interesting names like Zaphod, Houdini, Maybelline and Rocket Dog. Their actions are personified with human characteristics. In addition, their daily lives are edited into a highlight reel of adventures and tragedies. To make these critters more marketable, the main subjects are part of a group called “Whiskers” while neighboring meerkats who aren’t part of the original group belong to a clan called the “Commandoes.”
It’s understandable that Animal Planet wants more viewers to tune in to their show. But turning an animal-life documentary series into a dramatic, action-packed reality TV show is just plain wrong. Animal instincts cannot and shouldn’t be tied into human emotions. Judging animal actions using society’s moral code of conduct is ridiculous. If Animal Planet wants to be a credible expert on animals, they would do better to present animals as they are and not market them as participants of the “Real World.”
Technorati Tags: Jacque Cousteau, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, Animal Planet, Meerkat Manor
When Editorial and Advertising Cohabitate
So I had my second interview today for a small, local magazine. I feel it went really very well. I’m one of three final candidates and I personally know one of the other candidates. Against her, I feel my chances are quite good. I just don’t know who that other candidate is.
Anyway - today I met with three managers, among them the advertising director. I’m going for an editor position, and I must say - I was quite impressed with how integrated the Advertising Department is with Editorial.
I love seeing magazines where the ads fit so harmoniously with the editorial. For instance, reading an article in a food magazine regarding the merits of soy milk vs. goats milk vs. cows milk. Then, at the very end of the article is a grocery store’s ad. Not a generic “come to our store” ad, though. But one showcasing the wide variety of dairy products they sell.
This magazine I’m hoping to work for strives to do this in every issue. Content - both editorial and advertising - working harmoniously to create a cohesive, eye-catching product.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
My 5-year old daughter tells me that she had a picnic with the neighbor girls yesterday and that they snacked on “milk’s favorite cookie“.
A Comcast technician came to our house about a month ago to fix our wiring. At one point during this time, my daughter heads upstairs, telling me: “I just told the Comcastic guy that I’m going to play in my room now”.
We had to return something to Staples several weeks ago. My daughter took the opportunity to ask an employee: “Where are you ‘That was easy’ buttons?”
About a year ago, when my daughter was just beginning to read, we passed a strip mall on our way home from her preschool. From the back seat, I hear her exclaim: “T-Mobile. Stick together!”
Yep - there it was. A T-Mobile store was right there, among several other retailers.
Hmmmmm…. I can’t say that I or any other adult I know can recite these product tag lines so easily. But one thing’s for sure… the kids are definitely paying attention to advertising!
Flush This
Attend any ad agency meeting and one thing you can be sure of is that the buzzwords will be flying: Out of the Box, Let’s Take This Offline, New Paradigm, Low Hanging Fruit, A (fill in your own big number) Foot View, and Dog & Pony Show, just to name a few. It seems that these words are hardwired into the meeting lexicon.
This practice is so widespread that Buzzword Bingo games have sprung up like mushrooms on the web, and IBM even has a commercial based on the idea, which, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess, was developed in a meeting.
Somehow, in this miasma of meaning, there are two words that have sprung up to mean the same thing: Flesh and Flush. As in Flesh/Flush Out The Idea.
It’s funny, in an ironic, post-Seinfeld sort of way, that this duality has occurred, since the whole purpose of buzzwords is to speak a language that everybody understands.
So, in an effort to restore linguistic harmony to meetings I would like to propose Flesh as the agency standard. Here’s my logic: flesh means to build or add to, while flush means remove or take away. Flesh seems more positive as it conjures up a picture of teamwork and continued improvement, while Flush only conjures up, well, it’s obvious what it conjures up.
For the sake of meetings — let’s all go with Flesh —and get on with the communications business at hand.
Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who thinks meetings can be fun. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.
Obama, Clinton & Chisholm
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represent a changing of the guard in presidential politics. Yet, the concept of a black American and a woman running for the highest office in the nation is still novel to some. Look around. This is a historic moment. Regardless of who wins the primaries, politics will be a little bit different from now on. This important moment was made possible in part by the audacity of individuals who personified the change they sought. Mavericks have a natural tendency to stand out from the crowd. But when they inspire others who in turn inspire others, they can fuel movements that resonate long enough to affect tomorrow’s leaders. If you look closely enough at the Clinton and Obama campaigns you can see the legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Nine elections ago, she was Barack and she was Hillary.
Google, Art and Subtly
This past weekend in the meatpacking district of NYC, Google promoted their collaboration with artists for iGoogle by projecting imagery on the side of buildings and creating a tented lounge that included computer stations on the street. Google event marketing manager Lorin Pollack staged this 3-day event starting Thursday May 1. Imagery was produced by various artists including,?Tory Burch, ?Coldplay, ?Oscar de la Renta ?Dolce & Gabbana, ?Michael Graves, and my favorite Jeff Koons and were projected for 4 hours each night.
Although I watched these projections for about 10 minutes on Saturday night, I had no idea this was a Google project. I didn’t learn what this was about until I “Googled” it Monday morning.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1UJF4aK1s0
Talk about subtle.
I am all for low-key marketing events and ones that celebrate the art rather then the brand but frankly I am amazed that I had no idea who produced this. Not a Google logo in site.
It’s too bad that I was not impressed and that it looked like an old fashioned slide show from a 35mm carousel with cuts to black between and no real moving video, just stills ala Ken Burns style or at least that was my perception.
But for a company that does almost no promotion, advertising etc. here I am talking about them!
50 Greatest Commercial Parodies
Nerve.com has posted the top 50 commercial parodies of all time. It’s a hysterical collection of spots from a variety of places that will give you a good run down memory lane as well as a solid belly laugh on occasion.
Does your brand have enough confidence in itself to be the punch line in a joke every now and again? If I am ever a brand manager, I hope that my advertising is good enough to be made fun of. Check out the full list over at Nerve.com
Not Just Another Cooking Show
Branding each of the shows on The Food Network is crucial to keeping us coming back and not just saying, “another cooking show?” Their branding is conscious and effective, from the logos right down to the atmosphere of each kitchen.
Starting with the powerhouse 30-minute meals with Rachel Ray, the angle here is fast meals, made by someone just like you–but better. Her logo’s font looks like a futuristic courier new, an efficient, get-the-job done workhorse. But there’s a serif on the “i” that extends backwards instead of the dot that should be there, tipping us off to the fact that this is not your average cooking show. What we will actually be watching is a fiery and charming woman conduct a three-ring circus for a half-hour that miraculously ends with a bombastic and tastefully twisted comfort food. Her kitchen also suggests this. It’s organized, efficient, with crayon inspired colors.
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller projects the attitude that if you are methodical, you will be able to keep the chaos of the modern world at bay. With a little planning and pre-prep on the weekends, you can quickly create three healthy and delicious meals during the week for your family. Her logo is an all caps, serif font on ruled paper that resembles a schedule. No nonsense here. The logo is warmed up by her handwritten name. Once we come into her kitchen, we know that kids “live here.” Her counter is cluttered: dishes in the drainer, scattered appliances, thermoses, bowls of fruit, a cookie jar. The color palate of her counter-top items are pastel and rainbow colored, like a child’s toy box. Through rather fussy looking “mom” curtains we see a lush back yard. Her dishes are classic to the extreme: few surprises, nothing spicy, and all kid-friendly.
To get an idea of the tone of Guy’s Big Bite, just picture a bunch of guys sitting around and shooting pool in their rec room. Guy, with bleach blonde hair, tattoos, and skater style guides us through meals that blend nostalgic fun with big flavors, such as fried pepperoni lasagna with a grape soda cocktail. He’s a big kid–just take a look at his kitchen with its racecar-inspired fridge. Just beyond the open kitchen we see a bar and a pool table. His logo is done in a poster-style font that narrows at the top of the letters–making them appear monumental and also suggesting in a Star Wars-type way the fun that we will have during his half hour.
Much like Guy’s concoctions, Tyler’s Ultimate revolves around the dishes that we remember from childhood. But this is not your mom’s nostalgic cooking. Nope—it’s much more masculine than that. This time they are THE BEST. Ever. Tyler’s meals are not really about speed. He creates the ultimate foods by starting with classic dishes: enchiladas, chicken cacciatore, chicken salad sandwiches–and uses fresh, quality ingredients in big portions. Again, the logo tells the whole story: it gives us a sense of “back when” by clicking around like old film. The font also looks like vintage letterpress. The masculine factor is evident in the block style font and calligraphic elements recalling tattoo art. Additionally, Tyler’s kitchen is truly a kitchen for a dude. The low key tomatillo-green tiles and gash of exposed brick wall recede and provide the perfect backdrop to highlight the utensil-heavy no-nonsense kitchen. This workshop feel extends all the way to the foodservice dishwashing hose in the sink.
Who’s behind the PR?
In a recent Adweek article, Hunter College professor Stuart Ewen criticizes a viral campaign created by students at Hunter College for a class project. This successful campaign featured Heidi Cee, who was duped into paying a reward for her lost handbag that wasn’t hers. Instead, it was a knock-off. Using MySpace and Facebook, Heidi begins a quest to find this dishonest person and inform everyone who will listen about the horrors and dangers of counterfeiters. She hosts events on campus and even creates a YouTube video.
But something is rotten in Denmark. On May 16, 2007, Heidi confesses that she is not a real person but a class project that was sponsored by Coach and the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. Here’s where it gets interesting.
Soon after the campaign was over, Professor Ewen (who did not teach the class) was shocked to learn that this course was sponsored by an outside organization. So much so, that he filed a complaint Hunter’s senate academic freedom committee. But that wasn’t enough. To combat this immoral education, Ewen embarked on a PR campaign of his own. On February 15, 2008, he hosted a seminar (which he helped organize) called “Where the Truth Lies: A Symposium on Propaganda Today.” And today - ONE YEAR LATER - he continues to promote his indignation in news articles and blogs. As well as the aforementioned Adweek article.
So, let me see if I get this right. Last year, Hunter College offered a course where college kids were given financing and an opportunity to create a program for a real client with a real problem which can give them real world results and experience. And this is bad because…?
It seems to me that Ewen, a self-proclaimed expert on PR, either doesn’t understand how the real world works or… maybe he does.
By the way, his book, PR! A Social History of Spin, is available at a bookstore near you.
Technorati Tags: viral campaign, Heidi Cee, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
Reverse trend: ‘Townhall’ expands online brand to print
With print media chanting a fairly dismal liturgy, the website Townhall.com is reversing a trend by expanding the online brand to print. The new magazine just released its 5th issue wrapped in a perfect bound cover and packed with color photos. The paper stock is heavier than that of other political magazines both left and right wing. The layouts are airy, and some sections like ‘the Word’ are definitely graphically influenced by Web design. Blurbs from politicos and celebs set in large type offer both progressive and conservative views. The advertising is solid—healthcare, mortgage services, publishers and others placed messages in the May issue, the first one I’ve seen. I suspect most of the marketing is being done by the website, in the top online political destinations alongside counterparts like the liberal site Daily Kos. As I opened the cover of my sample, I asked myself a question. Will this new magazine overdo the agenda of the far right or will it take a sensible approach? Read more
‘Sound Bite’ Bites Back
All PR professionals strive to prepare their client to produce the perfect sound bite. To deliver that couple of hard-hitting, straight to the point sentences that will hand-deliver the topic and aid the insertion of the sound bite into news broadcasts.
There’s a very high degree of journalist ethics that goes along with placing a sound bite into a news broadcast. Since the bite is a short snippet of a conversation or speech, selecting a bite is a delicate decision.
According to the Society of Professional Journalists, the selected sound bite should not “oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.” How often this rule of thumb is followed is up for debate. It seems the slower the news week, the dicier the bite.
There has been immense coverage of the Rev. Wright rant coupled with repetitive sound bites and edited footage. The importance of a sound bite is that it hits home. The Wright rant has definitely hit something… the fan that is.
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