We've Moved To MattKoppelBlog.Wordpress.com

We're Moving!

2011-02-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

I am moving the blog to wordpress.com the new URL is mattkoppelblog.wordpress.com.

Max vs. Bally Total Fitness

2010-12-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

So, one of my coworkers has had some trouble ending his gym membership. I thought it was worth sharing.

The Gym Jam

AT&T Makes a Good Ad, Finally

2010-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

Verizon and T-mobile have piled on AT&T over the last year. The brand has been battered and bruised, for good reason mind you. After dropping the Cingular brand and going back to AT&T the “Raising the Bar” campaign just didn’t work as well. Then came the map wars, which Verizon won. They became the nation’s largest wireless carrier because it was the perfect time to attack.

I had low hopes for AT&T’s ads over the last few months. The early iterations of “Rethink Possible” said – at best – if you don’t have AT&T you will never father the 57th president of the United States or the starting quarterback of a fictional pro football team.

These ads were pure schmaltz. It didn’t make me feel glad to be an AT&T customer, and wouldn’t make me want to switch if I were on another carrier.

So, it came with great surprise to see AT&T attempting to go for humor, and even more surprisingly succeeding.

Why does this ad work? It’s really simple, people can relate to it. Most of us with office jobs feel like we’re out of the loop all the time. It’s basically high school with paychecks. This spot is pitch perfect.

The Year In Horribleness

2010-12-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

It’s been long while since I have written a real post, but it doesn’t mean that I wasn’t thinking about you out there.

As usual, this year has been filled terrible, god-awful, and downright crappy advertising campaigns of all shapes and colors. Let’s have a look at a few of the worst things that came across my radar this year.

McDonald’s “Not Before I Had My Coffee”

This was a pretty good year for McDonald’s overall. Their smoothie campaign in the spring and summer was beautiful, refreshing, and successful to the point that they were attributed as the reason for a quarterly sales bump. (See story here.)

As someone who goes out of his to see as many ads as he can, I can honestly say that if this person existed in real life I would not miss him should he be in a terrible accident and wiped away from existence. If I were the girl behind the counter I would have thrown the coffee in his face.

What were the people at DDB and McDonald’s thinking?

To me the message is simple: McDonald’s coffee is so good it will soften up the worst of assholes. But, I don’t want to drink coffee for assholes. That’s why I don’t go to Starbucks.

I Hate Julia Roberts

Sorry kids, I never liked her and I never will.

It cost them $1.5 million bucks to get her in this spot. My skull is caving in.

The Psycho Target Mom Black Friday Spots

This year Target either hit a homerun or struck out with their advertising; there was no in-between. During the Lost series finale, we saw them at their best with brand and product tie-ins to popular images from the television show. When Black Friday began to close in upon us we got the crazy, emaciated gift-shopping mother.

It’s okay to absurd in creative. In fact, it’s my preferred style of humor. While the “Montage” spot echoes of Rocky IV and all its idiotic glory, I cannot help but cringe at this spot. (Plus, it would have been cool if there was an Ivan Drago character to juxtapose against the current one.) This woman is the exact opposite of likable. Had they recast the ad with an actress who didn’t look like she was munching on amphetamines all day, maybe it would have been better received.

LeBron Rise

It was a tough year for Nike. First they has to try and rehabilitate their Tiger Woods related branding, and then came “The Decision.” Hoping a little humor might ease the tension, the producers the spot never really gets to the point.

What should you do LeBron? You should not have announced your departure on national television in a fit of masturbatory self-importance. You should have done it in a press release and left town quietly. Now, LeBron, you need to win. Steal a page from the Kobe Bryant image recovery and do nothing but focus on your game, and maybe people will start to forget what a jerk you were.

Oh well, at least we got South Park to mock his horrendous exit.

Miller Lite – Man Up

I can see the conversation at DraftFCB going like this:

Account Manager: How can we hammer home the middle-class, blue-collar success that we had with the High Life campaign?

Creative: Well the simple answer is create an anti-douche-bag meme.

Account Manager: Yeah, but this is Miller Lite; we need hot chicks without being mysogenists.

Creative: (Sarcastically) Well we could have a hot chick as the middle-class, down-to-earth character dissing every bad trend in male fashion.

Account Manager: Brilliant! Let’s run with it!

Every 5 Hour Energy Spot

Oh where to begin? The actors who cannot act? The shoddy video production? Not since the introduction of Head On has any one product made such a large media buy with ads that cost less than used 1987 Nissan sedan.

Every Side Ad on Facebook

FB is getting smarter with each passing day, but, for the life of me, I cannot stop being pelted with asinine ads that someone purchased for my demographic. As much as I would love to have a career as a videogame tester or have a whiter smile, these ads are a waste.

It’s not FB’s fault. Advertisers need to get smarter and they need to leverage the sophisticated targeting tools that FB offers. The give you a jackhammer and advertisers try to use it to put a nail in the wall.

Tim James for Alabama Governor

I don’t have too much to say about this ad. It’s just flat-out racist. This man should be ashamed of himself, and we – as Americans – should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing our society to become so uniformed that people believe this argument in this context.

Every Insurance Spokesperson Spot (Except Mayhem)

Whether it’s Flo or the Creepy State Farm guy or the Nationwide Greatest Spokesperson, this year was filled with too many crappy, uninformative campaigns in the insurance industry. Every company is looking for their own Aflac Duck or Geico Gecko/Cave Man and it’s not going to work.

What’s really said is the fact that my wife had Progressive Auto Insurance a few years ago, and when she had an accident they were on the scene and helpful from the get-go. Those are the stories that consumers want to hear about their insurance company, which is why the Mayhem spots work so well. By personifying the negative things that eventually happen to our cars, they humorously express the need for their product.

GM Says Thank You

2010-11-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

After TARP and the bailouts Corporate America was silent. It seemed to people like you and me, people on the outside, people who had nothing to do with the financial collapse, that we were never going to hear anything different from these companies. They were going to do nothing but do business in the same manner that got us in this mess with no public recognition that they had done everything wrong.

Cynicism set in. The congress that helped keep this country afloat during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression was voted out of office. (That was really their own fault for not communicating what they had done, and the blame cannot be placed on the companies and banks that were bailed out for their fates.) Nevertheless, their silence spoke volumes to the arrogance of the “Haves” and how little they appreciate the “Have-Littles.”

So, it was with great surprise that I saw GM take a stab at going against the grain of hubris and attempt to thank the American people – their largest shareholder – on the eve of their IPO.

The Goodby Silverstein produced spot is nothing remarkable in and of itself. It’s just a montage of inspirational clips, along with filmed footage of a boxer getting pummeled, with a tinge of humor in the form of Animal House clips.

What is remarkable is that they say, “Thank You.” Almost three years after the start of the financial crisis, someone stepped up and attempted to act like an adult. They don’t say what they did wrong, they don’t say why they did it or what they were thinking. However, the simple gesture of saying something was enough for me at this moment.

Will this spark a new trend? No. We will never see Goldman Sachs, AIG (now known as Chartis), Citigroup and anyone else who received our tax dollars commit the simple gesture of saying thanks.

And, I say that without cynicism. It’s not in their DNA. GM at least showed that they are a part of the tangible America that the every day consumer interacts with a daily basis. They don’t make exotic financial products that few of us comprehend.

Sorry to get preachy on you all, but maybe this shows we are at our best as a nation when our industries work to create things that we need. Of course, that’s assuming that GM learned their lesson.

GSK Takes On Tobacco Companies

2010-09-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

When it comes to smoking there are two truths. 1) People are always going to smoke. 2) People are always going to hate smoking. Of course, science is on the side of those who hate smoking. They have pushed it out of restaurants, workplaces, and even some public spaces.

For the smokers out there, the tobacco companies have developed alternative, smokeless products for their customers to get their nicotine fix. Up to a few years ago, those alternatives were less than glamorous, dip and chew. Today we have tobacco lozenges, like the Camel Orbs seen above.

As the WSJ points out today, GSK wants these off the shelf and for good reason.

Critics call them tobacco candy for kids. GlaxoSmithKline, makers of Nicorette, view it exactly as a cheaper alternative to their smoking cessation products. A box of brand name Nicorette can run around $40 and Orbs are the price of a pack of cigarettes. The thrifty and uninformed consumer who is eager to quit smoking could easily say, “Why buy the gum, when I could get this for so much less?”

Despite the fact that I am not the biggest fan of drug companies, I do believe that they are in the right on this one. Maybe the tobacco companies would have been better off saying that these were designed to lure in kids; that way they could openly deal with a familiar opponent.

UGGGH IT'S TEBOW...

2010-09-27T11:21:00.001-04:00

This weekend my football viewing was tainted by the debut of the Nike “Boom” ad, which features none other than Tim Tebow watching a Manny Pacquiao fight with Ndamukong Suh – a player I actually like – at a tailor.

I understand the appeal of Tebow to all the religious zealots out there. After all, nearly every single athlete attributes his success to the big man upstairs, but Tebow lives it. At least, that’s what they all tell me.

David Pogue Destroys the Vulkano

2010-09-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

I really have nothing to add to this video. I think he hits it right on the head.

New Addition To The List of Things I want

2010-09-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

If George Lucas could stop ruining his old movies and start doing more synergy marketing like this to fill his coiffeurs, then I would be totally cool with him.

A bunch of short thoughts

2010-09-14T14:47:00.000-04:00

Because I’ve been way too busy to write this blog and stay up on the trades, here’s a bunch of thoughts on a few things that have crossed my radar since my last post.

Android Is Now The Leading Smartphone OS

1) Does this mean that Google will stop paying carriers to use Android over other software?
2) This pretty much makes Google the Microsoft of smartphones. Congratulations! Or, congratulations?
3) This is fine and dandy but the reality is that even here in the States, smartphones make up about 25% of the market with the expectation to beat feature phones by Q3 of next year. But, that’s being very optimistic. Will your grandmother really want one? Feature phones can easily cross the digital divide, but smartphone adoption among quasi-luddites is another story.

No Matter How Friendly They Make Ray Lewis Look I Am Still Scared of Him

The McGarryBowen Verizon Campaign Is A Non-Starter

First of all, when I heard that the new campaign was going to be called “Rule the Air” I instantly thought that the account which McGarry was going to take Verizon’s move over AT&T and empower their customers. Well, they went way too soft. And, by soft I mean inspirational soft.
My biggest problem with the campaign is the ad below. Being able to complete a conversation over a cell phone is not a reason to feel like we have reached gender equality. Plus, this is coming from a company that lists 16 senior executives and officers on their website with only two of them being women. I think the air at Verizon headquarters has not caught up to the air in their ads.

McGarry and Verizon should have stuck to making consumers feel good about switching to their service like they have with this lovely spot that came out after the launch.

Tiffany Creates A Potential Monster

2010-08-26T10:47:00.000-04:00

When I was in college, the must-have, baseline item for young women to say, “Yes, I am better than you” was the Tiffany heart necklace. I can remember a friend of mine lamenting that his girlfriend was less than hinting that she wanted one. From my ethnographic point of view, they were worn as badges of honor, a simplistic yet powerful status symbol.

Today, the WSJ ran a story announcing that Tiffany will be releasing a series of handbags this September ranging from a $395 tote to a $17,000 megabag.

Every bone in my body is telling me that this will be the thing to own for every woman age 12 to 25 this holiday season. I don’t know which design will be the most popular, but this “Bracelet Bag” in Tiffany blue looks like the one.

Adidas "Mega Diner" Spot = Nope

2010-08-12T13:51:00.000-04:00

Right before the World Cup launch, the TBWA produced Adidas Originals campaign released the Star Wars Cantina spot, which featured the likes of Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, David Beckham, and the Gallagher brothers. In effect, the ad emphasized the cultural permeation and malleability of the Adidas brand and products. In other words, everyone – no matter what corner of galaxy they may come from - finds it cool to wear Adidas.

Now that the World Cup is over and we have all retreated to our respective corners of the globe, Adidas launched the next generation of the Originals campaign, the “Mega Diner.”

Despite the catchy song in the background, which I think is from B.O.B who plays the cook in the ad, the actor placing the order has the worst accent and voice combination that I have heard on television. (I have since been informed that the actor plays kid with a huge dong on an MTV show about a kid who has a huge dong.) He sounds both snobby and puerile, like some prep school kid complaining that his parents won’t pick him up in their Bentley so can he flaunt their wealth to his friends. Maybe he reminds me of too many people that I didn’t like in my youth, but this spot is just bad.

It’s a real shame too because the microsite built to accompany the campaign is much better. Maybe, it's that the spot is too busy or the backdrop of the diner is too complicated to showcase a full line of products, but at least the microsite proves that the diner concept can work if you are showcasing a single design at a time.

This Dove Ad ___________

2010-08-05T15:14:00.001-04:00

1) ... pissed me off. While my soon-to-be-wife and I were watching the most recent episode of Mad Men, I went into the other room during the commercial break. When she yelled, "It's back!" I dropped what I was doing and ran back to the room only to discover half way through the spot that it had nothing to do with the program and we had been duped.

2) ... is sort of well done. They got the style down perfectly, which is impressive. Then again SNL also had their Mad Men spoof which was great.

3) ... misses the mark. Pop culture guru Chuck Klosterman was the most recent guest on Bill Simmons' podcast and neither remembered the product. Yes, it's good that two of more technologically connected opinion makers are talking about the spot, but only the fact that it disrupted the expected flow of entertainment. They had no recollection that it was Dove. So, I would have to say that the spot does not fulfill its true intent.

When Cheeky Bastards Get Too Cheeky

2010-07-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness for the Brits. Over the last few months it feels like there just hasn’t been much happening on this side of the Atlantic. Now, we have this from Campaign.

Lean Mean Fighting Machine could lose Coke after Dr Pepper Facebook fiasco

by Joe Thomas, 20 July 2010, 09:21 am

Lean Mean Fighting Machine is in danger of losing the digital advertising accounts for Dr Pepper and Coke Zero after a Facebook status hi-jack promotion went wrong.

Coca-Cola, owner of the Dr Pepper brand, launched the May promotion which resulted in a 14-year-old girl's status update being hi-jacked and a reference to a pornographic movie appearing on her page.

The offending status update pretended the 14-year-old had watched a movie on YouTube called '2 Girls 1 Cup'. The message stated: "I watched 2 girls one cup and felt hungry afterwards".

The girl's mother said her daughter searched for the movie after reading the update, but was blocked by the child filter.

Lean Mean Fighting Machine was awarded the account in April but a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola said an investigation had been launched and the soft drinks giant would be reviewing its relationship with the agency.

As revealed today (20 July), Lean Mean Fighting Machine has picked up the digital ad account for Coca-Cola's Coke Zero brand. Coca-Cola confirmed that the investigation could also affect this appointment as the relationship was being reviewed in its entirety.

The spokeswoman said: "It has been brought to our attention that the Dr Pepper promotion on Facebook posted an offensive status update.

"We apologise for any offence caused. As soon as we became aware of this we took immediate action and removed the status update from the application.

"We have also taken the decision to end the promotion. We were unaware of the meaning of this line when the promotion was approved and have launched an investigation into why it was included.

"We take full responsibility and will be reviewing our promotional procedures. We will take all steps necessary to ensure this does not happen again."

The Facebook app gave consumers the chance to win £1,000 if they allowed Dr Pepper to take control of their status updates.

The updates were chosen at random from a bank of options including "Lost my special blankie. How will I go sleepies?" and "what's wrong with peeing in the shower?" to "never heard of it described as 'cute' before".

The activity formed part of a continuation of the 'What's the Worst that Could Happen?' creative.

Dr Pepper is no stranger to flirting with controversy. For April Fool's Day the brand launched activity on Chatroulette, playing with the idea that male teens use the site to flirt with girls.

It showed an American-styled cheerleader dancing for the viewer. As the dance developed she encouraged the viewer to interact and perform embarrassing tasks before an elderly man dressed as a cheerleader appeared.

While it's nice to see that parental outrage knows no borders, I really don't have a problem with the strategy that the agency implemented. Blaming the agency for "pushing the limits of decency" is like blaming a match company for arson.

First and foremost, the client had to sign off on this program. Did they know that this app would reference a horrible video? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Odds are that the agency presented the client with plenty of examples of what was going to go up on Facebook, and they liked the idea of embarrassing individuals in a contest format to accentuate the playful image of the Dr. Pepper brand.

Second, parents need to step into their children's digital lives before shit hits the fan. It's great that they had filters up to protect them from the horribleness that lurks in the dark corners of the internet, but no matter how "mature" they think their kids are there are plenty of immature people and advertisers out there.

Third, Facebook needs to step up and pay more attention to the horrible ads running on their site. There's a reason consumers are not satisfied with the site, and this is going to continue if they keep allowing anyone and their mother to put up an ad.

Fox, You Are Ridiculous

2010-07-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

Once again, Fox has banned an episode of Family Guy. The last time an episode of the button-pushing cartoon was banned from the network that gave us such fine programs as Temptation Island, Man vs. Beast and Herman’s Head, they opted to cancel it rather than face criticism.

According to the NYT, this episode is about abortion and Fox – looking to squeeze money out of it – will be selling a DVD of the banned episode, and here’s where I have a problem. At the beginning of each television season, Fox and the other TV networks sell their breaks to advertisers. When a network bans the broadcast of an episode the advertisers are getting screwed. Even if the network gives the advertisers a discount, budgets are thrown completely out of whack. (Yeah, I know, boohoo.)

My real problem is the fact that Fox is manufacturing controversy around what is probably going to be a tame episode in a weak attempt to garner more revenue for the News Corporation bottom line. Or, at least, cover the paychecks of Sarah Palin and Glen Beck who undoubtedly bitch and moan about it on Fox News.

Now I am Sure I Don’t Want To See The Facebook Movie

2010-07-16T09:40:00.002-04:00

I sort of thought it was a joke that David Fincher, director of Fight Club, was going to be making a movie about Facebook. Well, unfortunately for all of us, this wasn’t a joke.

In fact, this could be my reason to join the FB exodus.

Q&A with Mich Matthews of Microsoft

2010-06-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

A few interesting points if you can hear her...

A Slightly Disturbing Ad From Norton

2010-06-22T17:30:00.000-04:00

It's good to see that Norton has a sense of humor about their product, but I am not too keen on this spot.

Allstate, Bringer of Mayhem Destroyer of Cars

2010-06-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

For the last seven years, the folks at Leo Burnett have effectively used actor Dennis Haysbert as the pitchman for Allstate. They’ve done a reasonably good job at keeping it fresh with some occasional good copy and side campaigns that run during football season.

Click here to view their recession ad, which I thought was genuinely good, despite the fact that they have disabled embedding.

As reported in the NYT, Allstate and Leo Burnett are introducing a new meme to their campaign with spots featuring actor Dean Winters. Let’s have a look at what has been posted thus far:

All in all, I like the theme of the campaign. To me, it is a great mystery as to why more ads do not communicate, “shit happens so buy insurance” more often. Lately, carriers are more concerned with positioning their products based on price (E-surance, GEICO and Progressive) rather than service, which tends to drive the value of brands down. So, it’s refreshing to see someone attempt to remind the public why we buy these things in the first place.

I was not too thrilled with the teenage girl spot though. If I am not mistaken, teenage males are more likely to get in accidents than females. While I wouldn’t categorize the ad as misogynist, I do think it’s unfairly capitalizing on an incorrect stereotype and Allstate should reconsider airing it again in the future.

I don't think I or anyone else believe you.

2010-06-04T16:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry, it's going to take more than this to let anyone think you are telling the truth.

Judge Rules for Don Henley in Ad Flap

2010-06-03T10:42:00.001-04:00

From Ad Age:

Judge Rules for Don Henley in Ad Flap

Hey Politicians! STOP STEALING MUSIC!

Time To Use My Powers For Good

2010-05-26T15:12:00.002-04:00

Last season on NBC’s Parks and Recreation they introduced to the world to an organization called KaBOOM!, which builds entire playgrounds for children in one day.

Much to my surprise, KaBOOM! is real and they are trying to build a playground for the elementary school that is being opened at my fiancé’s school in the fall. Here’s where you come in:

1. Go to the link: http://playspacefinder.kaboom.org/playspaces/92984-kipp-infinity-elementary-i-s-195

2. Click on “Become a Fan” and register with an email address. KaBOOM! will send you a confirmation email.
3. Open the confirmation email and click on the link to become a fan of KIPP.
4. Make sure you scroll down and click “Done”. (You do not have to write anything, but make sure you click “Done”)

More thoughts on the AdWeek’s Ad of the Day

2010-05-25T16:52:00.004-04:00

A boatload of people tuned in to the finale of Lost on Sunday. Unfortunately for me, I am two seasons behind so I’ll be playing catch up at some point in the near future. Anyway, I agree with the review (which you can read here); however, I think it may be good to expand upon how cool it is to integrate the content of the program to the ad without making product placements.

This is not the first time in recent history this has been done.

To me, this is the kind of creativity we need in major network TV advertising. By creating ads featuring actors and memes from the program an individual is watching, an advertiser probably has a better chance of keeping the broadcast audience engaged and the DVR audience from fast-forwarding instantly.

Why Are You Leaving Facebook?

2010-05-24T13:51:00.002-04:00

People keep complaining about Facebook and its “privacy issues.” Personally, the things you really want to keep private like your bank account and credit info are just as available as that picture of you standing on a table drinking beer in a gigantic glass boot at your birthday party.

To a certain extent I can understand the privacy arguments. According to various news outlets, it takes something like a 150 clicks to get to optimal privacy levels where your information is only accessible to people on your network and that does really suck. It’s grossly inconvenient and Facebook should have taken that into consideration in their last update.

Every other argument, on the other hand, I am not too keen on and here’s why.

No such thing as a free lunch

Not to be an FB defender, but they gave you a place to communicate with your friends and waste a lot of time. If Wikipedia created FB maybe I would be crazy over the fact that they are collecting data to sell to their advertisers, but they didn’t. A person who wanted to make money off of it created it.

How many other things have you opted of because of privacy issues?

As I said earlier, I – yes, little old me - can buy your credit information right now. I can know your monthly rent, your student loan debt, whether or not you like to pay your bills on time, and lots of other fun stuff. But, do you still have a credit card? On the mountain of issues you have with maintaining your “privacy,” I would think this would be more important than the number of friends who saw your duck on Farmville.

That smartphone you have is also a great way to get extra information on you. Let’s say you search for something on Google on your iPhone on the AT&T network. One simple search for the nearest McDonald’s tells four gigantic corporations that you’re a total fatty. Do you still have a smartphone?

Even the things you do to avoid ads are helping advertisers find out information about you

If you own a DVR for the sole purpose of avoiding commercials, then you’re actually helping out the enemy. First, us advertisers are investing more in product placement on your favorite shows. That’s right you can’t avoid us. Second, your cable company and Tivo tell us what you record and what you skip. If there is an off chance that you sit through an ad, we want to know why. That’s the type of information we really like to get our hands on.

In conclusion…

Seriously people, please pick your battles. The people who are really out to screw us are doing a much better job of digging into our private lives, and not letting us know.

The App-Less Smartphone

2010-05-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

Last week, I went to a Business Marketing Association event here in New York where a panel discussed the future of B2B marketing in the mobile space. While the crux of the argument is that mobile B2B is real and that we can get good data to use to serve ads, that wasn’t really the most interesting thing I learned that day.

What really interested me that morning was a glimpse into the not-so-distant future, when a few of the panelists mentioned that apps will not be that important as the browsers improve on smartphones. The topic was quickly changed, but that got me thinking for the rest of the weekend what that was all about.

So here’s what I came up with: 4G will change everything.

The apps on your smartphone right now are not that complex, and most of the content – whether a game, pizza-ordering app or translator – doesn’t take up that much space on your phone compared to your photos and music. Everything that’s on your phone can easily be run on a web page when accessed by a computer with a broadband connetion. 4G is a heck of a lot faster than 3G, so much more in fact that all that web based content will be easily accessible (at least in theory). Therefore, most of us smartphone users will really have more of a homepage with links to our favorites than a home-screen with a bunch of apps.

What will this do for marketers?

Technically, it will make the world a better place for marketers and developers. Today, developers have to worry about the differences in programming languages in the different phone operating systems. This raises the cost for everyone. A completely web-based smartphone system will continue to bring the cost of mobile advertising down.

In addition, marketers will be able to have greater access to phones in that apps generated to promote specific products and services will no longer have to go through the approval process of places like the Apple App store. Of course, this is a double edged sword for the consumers because it eliminates an integral element of quality control. Say what you want about Apple, but at least there is a base level for apps.

Some Fuzzy Beer Math

2010-04-22T10:52:00.005-04:00

The chart you see above is from a recent Ad Age article about MGD 64 trying to corner the "I care about about my health but I can still throw a few back market" known as "active lifestyle" drinkers. Now, I am not saying that these people don't exist. I have said in the past that the only people I have seen drink Michelob Ultra were people with eating disorders, but I must admit that this table was a little eye opening.

My first thoughts were who would drink Bud Select 55 and how could they sell it? Obviously there is a market for it, but they've basically cut the calories and the alcohol content of bud light in half. Of course, they could say: "We've cut the carbs of Bud Light by two thirds but only cut the alcohol by half!" But, in reality, they'll just focus on calories, carbs, and taste. We'll see some shitty line like: "Fewer calories, fewer carbs, and more taste."

This whole fiasco got me thinking about why people drink beer anyway. Aside from the connoisseurs, most people have a drink to loosen up, and - dare I say it - get drunk. Of course, we don't all want to be fat slobs either, which leads me to introduce to you the Matt Koppel Bang For Your Calorie Buck Beer Index. Setting aside taste, the following table scores beers based on how much alcohol you are getting for your calorie intake. What is most surprising is that light beers are technically a good choice.

Do I think people should market based on this stance? No. It's technically not responsible to advertise the "effects of drinking" as beneficial to the greater good of humanity. Nevertheless, if there are any college kids out there who are looking to get the most out their beer, enjoy.

Brewery/Brand	Beer	Alcohol %	Calories	Score
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Triple Bock	17.5	340	5.15
Rhinebecker	Rhinebecker	5	106	4.72
Michelob	Michelob Ultra	4.2	95	4.42
Miller	Miller Lite	4.2	96	4.38
Guinness	Foreign Extra Stout	7.5	176	4.26
Keystone	Keystone Light	4.2	100	4.2
Corona	Corona Light	4.5	109	4.13
Coors	Coors Light	4.2	102	4.12
Yuengling	Light	3.8	98	3.88
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Hefeweizen	4.9	128	3.83
Budweiser	Bud Light	4.2	110	3.82
Busch Light	Busch Light	4.2	110	3.82
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft Lite	4.2	110	3.82
Michelob	Michelob Light	4.3	113	3.81
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.0	5	132	3.79
Genesee/High Falls	Genny Light	3.6	96	3.75
Yuengling	Light Lager	3.6	96	3.75
Budweiser	Bud Ice Light	4.1	110	3.73
Hamm's	Hamm's Light	4.1	110	3.73
Budweiser	Bud Ice	5.5	148	3.72
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.5	5.5	149	3.69
Olde English 800	Olde English 800	5.9	160	3.69
Amstel Light	Amstel Light	3.5	95	3.68
Olde English 800	Olde English 800 Ice	7.9	216	3.66
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Pale Ale	5.3	145	3.66
Mickey's	Mickey's Ice	5.9	165	3.58
Mickey's	Mickey's	5.6	157	3.57
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Double Bock	8.5	240	3.54
Heineken	Heineken Light	3.5	99	3.54
Miller	Miller High Life	5.5	156	3.53
Henry Weinhard's	Private Reserve	4.5	128	3.52
Beck's	Beck's	5	143	3.5
Budweiser (U.S)	Budweiser	5	143	3.5
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft	5	143	3.5
Colt 45	Colt 45 Malt Liquor	6	172	3.49
Busch	Busch	4.6	133	3.46
Redhook	Redhook IPA	6.5	188	3.46
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Octoberfest	5.7	165	3.45
Genesee/High Falls	Kipling Light Lager	3.4	99	3.43
Busch Ice	Busch Ice	5.9	173	3.41
Coors	Coors Extra Gold	5	147	3.4
Red Dog	Red Dog	5	147	3.4
Coors	Coors Original	5	148	3.38
Sam Adams	Sam Adams IPA	5.9	175	3.37
Redhook	Redhook Hefe-weizen	5.2	155	3.35
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	5.7	171	3.33
Yuengling	Ale	5	150	3.33
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl	4.9	148	3.31
Dos Equis	Dos Equis XX	4.8	145	3.31
Michelob	Michelob Hefeweizen	5	152	3.29
Pabst	Pabst	5	152	3.29
Foster's	Foster's Lager	5.1	156	3.27
Labatt	Labatt Blue	5	153	3.27
Moosehead	Moosehead	5	153	3.27
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Light	4.05	124	3.27
Hamm's	Hamm's	4.7	144	3.26
Heineken	Heineken	5.4	166	3.25
Redhook	Redhook Blonde Ale	5.4	166	3.25
Lowenbräu	Lowenbräu	5.2	160	3.25
Shiner	Shiner Light	3.9	120	3.25
Redhook	Redhook ESB	5.8	179	3.24
Michelob	Michelob	5	155	3.23
Anchor	Anchor Steam	4.9	152	3.22
Grolsch	Grolsch	5	156	3.21
Old Milwaukee	Old Milwaukee	5	156	3.21
Guinness	Guinness Draught	4	125	3.2
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Dark	4.8	150	3.2
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl Dark	4.8	150	3.2
Anchor	Liberty Ale	6	188	3.19
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Golden Pilsner	4.6	145	3.17
Blue Moon	Blue Moon White	5.4	171	3.16
Genesee/High Falls	Genesee 12 Horse	4.8	152	3.16
Yuengling	Premium	4.4	140	3.14
Yuengling	Lager	4.4	140	3.14
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Amber Ale	5.3	169	3.14
Michelob	Michelob Amber Bock	5.2	166	3.13
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Cherry Wheat	5.2	166	3.13
Corona	Corona Extra	4.6	148	3.11
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Summerfest	4.9	158	3.1
Redhook	Redhook Nut Brown	5.6	181	3.09
Tsingtao	Tsingtao	4.7	152	3.09
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Summer Ale	5.4	175	3.09
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Celebration	6.6	214	3.08
Shiner	Shiner Bock	4.4	143	3.08
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Wheat	4.7	153	3.07
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Boston Ale	4.9	160	3.06
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Spring Ale	5.2	170	3.06
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Winter Lager	5.8	190	3.05
Killian's	Killian's	4.9	163	3.01
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Bigfoot	9.9	330	3
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Boston Lager	4.8	160	3
Michelob	Michelob Black & Tan	5	168	2.98
Widmer	Widmer Hefeweizen	4.7	159	2.96
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Porter	5.7	194	2.94
Murphy's	Murphy's Irish Red	5	171	2.92
Yuengling	Porter	4.5	155	2.9
Yuengling	Black & Tan	4.5	155	2.9
Beamish	Beamish Stout	3.8	131	2.9
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Stout	6.4	225	2.84
Michelob	Michelob Honey Lager	4.9	175	2.8
Anchor	Anchor Porter	5.6	205	2.73
Murphy's	Murphy's Stout	4	150	2.67
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Cream Stout	4.7	195	2.41

Words I Never Thought I Would See A Sentence: Yahoo, Scientist, and Kardashian

2010-04-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Ad Age ran the following headline: Yahoo Scientist Questions ROI of Kardashian's Sponsored Tweets. Then my brain exploded.

Net Neutrality Gets Kicked In The Junk

2010-04-07T10:42:00.001-04:00

Congratulations former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the Internet might be a tube after all! How did this happen? Well, yesterday an appellate court said that the FCC can’t tell Comcast that they can’t prioritize the data that goes across their network.

One more time without the double negative: the government cannot stop service providers from prioritizing what data moves across their network.

So what does this mean in the grand scheme of things?

1) The Internet Does Not Belong To The Public

People always make jokes about who owns the Internet, but now we know at least one group that doesn’t own it: you and me. Prior to this decision, one could have argued that the Information Super Highway was sort of like a regular highway in that we all pay for it and we all get to use it.

Now, according to this ruling, the Internet is more like a complex toll road. Comcast said they built it and they maintain it; thus, they have the right to say what happens on their network. Not only are they the traffic cop, they are able to decide what is more important how fast you and I can get there.

2) Destination Paradox

So, what’s going to be slowed down? Comcast and the other Internet service providers (ISP) keep telling the public that all this illegal file sharing moving across their network is slowing down their “good users” who are just trying to get the latest podcasts and watch a clip on YouTube. Of course, that’s really about 1% of the situation.

The reality is that the content on the Internet directly competes with most of the cable company’s product offerings and they now have a license to act like the Chinese Government and block what they don’t like. Let’s look at Skype as an example. About 5 years ago your cable company started offering phone service over their network. While they do a very good job of bundling phone service with their other products, people are not using it as much as they like. What are they using instead? Primarily, they’re using their cell phones. Secondarily, they are using Skype. And why not? It can be free, and it has video chat, which the cable companies do not have. Of course, things like video chat are huge bandwidth hogs on the ISP’s network.

So, here’s the deal. Now that an ISP can decide what is more important, they can say scram to Skype and put it and its users in the slow lane and render it useless. They are then hoping that in the short term this will force people to use the phone lines they bought from them (instant revenue) and in the long term use a Skype like service that the ISP will SELL TO THEIR USERS.

Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Your Internet is competing with their cable TV programming too much. Say goodbye to YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix streaming. They sold you a DVR to watch what you want when you want, and now they want you to use it. They need you to watch TV and see the ads that they sell time for. They don’t want you to go on Netflix when you can subscribe to HBO or get an OnDemand movie. Yes, you give them at least $100 bucks a month for Internet and cable, but that’s not enough for them. They spend a lot of money to make shitty commercials shittier.

Can it get any worse? YES IT CAN! ISPs are mad that you use Gmail, Yahoo, or MSN for your email and not their service. Their customers are denying them their much-deserved revenue. So, those are going to be throttled back too.

But, how can they slow down email, isn’t it mostly text? Actually, email is the primary file-sharing venue. You may not use it to get music and movies, but you do send things like photos. You send so many photos that the number of photos shared over email exponentially dwarfs that of photo sharing sites like Picasa, Flickr and even Snapfish. Plus, if you’re an idiot like me and signed up for a ton of newsletters, you get tons of rich media emails and this stuff adds to the congestion.

The cable company’s solution is simple: use our email system and get it nice and fast. Oh, by the way, they will charge us for this too.

YUCK! Why did I try this?!

2010-03-31T10:28:00.001-04:00

I am always down for trying a new coffee alternative, but this Amp Energy Juice was terrible.

Don't buy it. Don't even look at it. How could Pepsi do this to us?

Does The New Advertising Age Logo Miss The Mark?

2010-03-31T09:55:00.002-04:00

Let me start by saying that I read Ad Age way too much, and – as a result – I was a tad shocked by the introduction of a new logo.

It comes from Laura Fallon, a second-year art direction at VCU Brandcenter. She told us the insight driving the design was the "importance of starting conversations with Advertising. Whatever we do or create as advertising people, is nothing unless it can spur a conversation. Also, Ad Age is full of constant conversations of what's happening now, what different agencies are up to, articles and opinions from many different people. Being constantly engaged in conversations is crucial to creating work that is meaningful to people."

- Ad Age

To a certain extent I agree with Ms. Fallon because the conversation is a key element to creating not only a campaign but also a movement. However, the conversation is not the only element.

Plus, is the editorial theme of the publication purely about starting a conversation?

When I ask that question, I feel that the logo diminishes the meaning of publication as a piece of journalism. Yes, Ad Age is “full of conversations” but it does not cover only conversations. Moreover, the acceptance of the logo by the publishers illustrates the point that they may by more eager to let this magazine become another digital forum where idiots like me can wax philosophic on minor issues that no important human being would or should really care about.

I, for one, don’t need that. One of the important elements of having a trade publication is having a place to gain information across the industry (about new trends, new ideas, competitors, etc.). Believing that Ad Age is just a forum will lock anyone working in the industry down even more as everything we do is covered in NDAs.

Am I making too much about this? Of course. Am I going to cancel my subscription? No. Am I going to read the comments at the bottom of each story? (Time to answer a question with a question.) Why start now?

Somebody's Getting Fired

2010-03-30T14:21:00.001-04:00

One of the general rules of writing public statements is to avoid using colloquialisms. Why? Because there is always going to be one smartass out there who will go to great lengths to make you look extremely foolish.

In this week’s edition of “Somebody’s Getting Fired” I would like to introduce you all to the nameless people who let this gem of a letter slip through the cracks of the Carly Fiorina for Senate campaign in California:

Carly for California  

Passover is a time of remembrance and thanks. This festival provides us all — Jewish, Christian and all faiths — an opportunity to reflect on the challenges we have faced and the triumphs we have achieved together. It is also a reminder of the resilient spirit that has carried people through trials of every kind through every generation.

This week, as we break bread and spend time with our families and friends, I hope we also take a moment to say a word of thanks for our freedom and for those who have given their lives in freedom’s name. Let us also look ahead with hope to the opportunities to come. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday.  

Sincerely,  

Carly Fiorina    

In case you were unaware, we Jews don’t eat bread during Passover. So, we really can’t break bread. Now, I know what they were trying to do, and it’s very nice to see that Carly wants us to have a nice Passover.

But seriously, if you’re running a campaign and you want to make yourself look pious and loving of religious diversity you might not want to skimp on the copyediting. The use of the colloquialism “break bread” just makes the Fiorina machine look out of touch with potential donors.

So, welcome to the unemployment line nameless Fiorina campaign worker.
-------
Big ups to Politico.com where I go this letter.

I Could Not Agree More With Roger Ebert

2010-03-25T15:35:00.001-04:00

As a marketer, I am all about using creative strategies and tactics to get people to your product. But, entertainment – specifically film – marketing has taken a turn for the worse in recent years.

Things were looking so good too…

Just two years ago the marketing for Nine Inch Nails “Year Zero” album and the blockbuster “The Dark Knight” implemented alternate reality games for fan-boys and girls to nerd out on and get the buzz going.

The implementation of these campaigns was both astounding and epic. It seemed as though we were entering a renaissance of buzz generation. Unfortunately, this turned out to not be the case.

What went wrong?

Well, as we all know, Hollywood has less of an incentive to make a good product than a money-making one. Thus, when good films that were produced to be in immersive and beautiful 3D worlds (like Coraline and Avatar), it gave studios the impression that the increased success of these films must be attributed solely to the fact that were in 3D. Not because they were technological marvels of filmmaking.

Plus, there’s the fact that they can now charge a higher ticket price for the .03 cent plastic glasses that they need to hand out.

The return of 3D as a marketing device!

I might be the only person who remembers this movie and will still admit to seeing it in the theater but back in the 90s there was a Joe Dante movie called Matinee. Never heard of it? IMDB TIME! A huckster (John Goodman) introduces a small coastal town to a unique movie experience and capitalizes on the Cuban Missile crisis hysteria with a kitschy horror extravaganza combining film effects, stage props and actors in rubber suits in this salute to the B-movie.

The movie was nothing fantastic, but it showed how people could be lured to see a piece of junk movie when a few gimmicks are thrown into the mix, which is what Hollywood is doing to us now with all these 3D schlockfests.

So what can we do?

Nothing really. We’re going to have to wait until this craze fades away. Part of me was hoping that studios would say, “Gee Avatar was great and we’re never going to top it, so let’s do something else.” Of course, they’ve basically replicated the same thinking that’s destroyed any hopes of consistently good products. That model: milk something that was successful until it is not.

The Heineken Case Study

2010-03-23T15:42:00.000-04:00

As someone who writes case studies rather often, I found this to be pretty funny.

Now, all jokes aside, this was a brilliant move for the folks at Heineken. UEFA is much like NASCAR here in the United States, overbranded yet obligatory to participate. No self respecting CPG and serveco (my word for service company, please start passing it on) would ever be left out of the mix for fear of losing ground.

This well executed prank did what few have been able to do, get their brand recognized above all the others. Usually the winning brand is the company that shelled out the massive amount of cash to get on the jersey, this time Heineken completely stole the (I should also add that this really sucks for online casino Bwin.com who owns the spots on both AC Milan and Real Madrid.)

State of the Union Hoopla!

2010-01-27T22:47:00.001-05:00

I could talk about the president's speech but I am more intrigued by the Republican response. The fact that they are doing it in front of an audience is very smart. It makes it look important.

But, the smartness stopped there...

Too bad that these are probably all staff members and operatives. Not to mention the racial cherry picking that both parties do.

Anyway, this speech lacked substance; it was bland and invited me and you and everyone else to go on Facebook and Twitter and scream into the digital void.

Update: Fox Wusses Out I Think

2010-01-01T00:13:00.002-05:00

It's 12:15 and Fox is still here.

TIme Warner V. News Corp...

2009-12-31T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here in my part of Brooklyn it’s Time Warner country; thus, I am pretty eager to see how this whole pissing contest between the cable operator and News Corporation is going to turn out.

Personally, I want to see what cable will look like without Fox – I’m serious – because it will drive consumers absolutely crazy. We all know that Murdoch does not believe that ads bring in revenue for online news publications, and now it seems like he really doesn’t believe that ads are sufficient enough to cover the costs of a handful of his television networks. His solution: raise the fee News Corp. charges cable providers for the channels.

Where will these fees go? To Time Warner subscribers of course…

Why? Because corporations must answer to their shareholders first and thus maintain a certain profit margin.

So, back to why I want Fox to go away. It will basically shatter a horrible system that needs upgrading. While I am no anarchist, it’s time to see if this Ouroboros we’ve created will implode.

As the GF and I continue to count down to the ball drop, we'll be watching intently to see what will happen.

The Last of the Davids...

2009-12-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

I just received the following mass email from the Chicago based concert promoter Jam Productions, and I could not agree more. I think this letter speaks for itself.

Fellow Concertgoers,

There's a train wreck about to happen and consumer groups say YOU will be the victim - if the two most powerful corporate interests in the live concert business get their way. But you can help stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The government needs to hear from music fans now. Tell the Department of Justice that you're against these monopolies amassing illegal power over consumers, before it's too late. antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it'll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread take over of the concert industry, concert tickets have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, were permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues would be affected, and your prices could rise further and faster.

Five of the nation's most prominent public interest groups called on the Department of Justice to block the proposed merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

In the consumer groups' and lawmakers' words:

"Consumers deserve a fair deal in the entertainment marketplace, not the fewer choices and higher prices that would result from this merger," said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America.

"This merger is an insult to both musicians and consumers," said James Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International

"We cannot envision a remedy that would ease this chilling impediment to competition… In the absence of other effective, expeditious remedies, the proposed transaction should be prohibited." American Antitrust Institute White Paper

As described by Senator Herb Kohl (WI) in the Senate Antitrust hearing, "This merger will not only expand Ticketmaster's control of the ticketing market by eliminating a competitor, but it is also creating an entity that will control the entire chain of the concert business – from artist management to concert promotion and production to ticketing and ticket resale."

"This merger would be a disaster for consumers. Nothing short of blocking this takeover of the ticket market by two industry behemoths will be acceptable," said National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

"As president, I will direct my administration to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. I will step up review of merger activity and take effective action to stop or restructure those mergers that are likely to harm consumer welfare…," said Senator Barak Obama when he was campaigning for the presidency.

If you agree with the consumer groups and lawmakers, make a difference and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD NOW.

If you are tired of paying exorbitant ticket prices and service charges and paying for parking on a per head basis and dealing with the gouging, unregulated secondary ticket market in an effort to get good seating. If you are disgusted with paying more and more every year for the live concert experience THEN ACT NOW, CLICK ON THE LINK IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND SEND A MESSAGE TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE URGING THEM TO STOP THIS MERGER!
antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

Signed,

Jam Productions, The 9:30 Club, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Metropolitan Talent, Another Planet, Frank Productions, Stone City Attractions, Rams Head Live, The Black Cat …… and independent concert promoters and venue operators nationwide.

*Study by Princeton University economist Alan Krueger

QVC Goes All Web 2.0 On Us

2009-12-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Watch out, QVC – the shopping channel juggernaut – is finally pushing itself into web 2.0. Is this a good move?

QVC’s core audience is not that involved with social media; however, they have a large diehard base of bulletin board members. Plus, they love sharing YouTube videos of their favorite pitchmen and women messing up on TV. So, in a way, social media is a natural fit for these people.

In addition to the new channels for current fans, this could be the best way to introduce the QVC brand to a younger generation who still thinks that the channel is for Grandma. It will all come down to two things for this to be successful for this new demo/psychographic: 1) product offerings 2) online experience.

Some of the on-air products will work for younger aged women who are on social media and like to shop on the web, but there has to be more than the occasional product to maintain their interest and repeat visits to the website.

This leads to the online experience. One of QVC’s core values to its customers is the perceived relationship between the hosts and the shoppers who watch. The retailer needs to figure out a way to transition that relationship to the digital universe without talking to them like they are the TV audience.

First and foremost, why not try to grow the core audience / consumer base with tactics that are more likely to appeal to them. I doubt that QVC will be able to move merchandise (they have an allegedly amazing inventory turnover rate) at the same pace with an online format without changing the channel itself.

Changing the channel will really anger the current base that is extremely loyal to the brand. This could be tantamount to slapping them across the face and saying that their time is over.

In addition, the wider product offerings could dilute their ability to create demand for the products that they are pushing that day. A key strength of QVC has been their ability to manufacture demand for products that may or may not be the best deal in the world.

I think the pros have it. Why? Because the brand needs to be introduced to a younger generation, who may or may not be watching television in the same way in ten or twenty years. If you can breed loyalty through good products, good deals, and good customer service young shoppers may flock to the Q.

Vindication!

2009-12-19T15:21:00.002-05:00

A few months ago I criticized NBC for their decision to keep Jay Leno and move his show to 10 PM, mostly because I don’t find him funny. However, it was also clear at the time that NBC did not want to put any more money into programming when they could be cheap. Advertising dollars be damned, as long as something is profitable or not a massive loser.

The problem now is that the Leno show is a loser and it looks like the natives – in this case the affiliates – are getting restless. 10 PM programming leads into local news broadcasts which are huge sources of ad revenues. Weak programming like Leno keeps viewers away from that network and their money.

On Monday, Ad Age ran an op-ed advising Comcast what to do, which includes firing Jay. But they did not answer the question of what to replace his show with. Here are my thoughts on what I would place in the 10 pm slot.

Here is a list of experiments that I would try:

The BBC Programming Model:

Believe it or not, NBC has been stealing BBC programming long before The Office and most of them have failed. Why? Well, it’s simply that these programs – even The Office – have a definitive end. Once all the good jokes dry up, a team of writers has to take over with characters that they did not create and expect the same results. This phenomenon also occurs with 100% American products too, so why not go for broke?

There will be a large amount of front end marketing needed to bring in viewers and advertisers, but giving writers the ability to see a product from start to finish will create something that American network television has not had in ages, consistency. This consistency will then help on the back end profits through DVD and download sales. I feel like more people watched The Wire on DVD than when it was on HBO.

Take Advantage of Technology:

One might think that NBCU – co-owner of Hulu – would actually know something about digital media, but these are the people who wanted the Jay Leno show to be “un-Tivo-able,” which really means unwatchable (RIMSHOT!).

In the age of YouTube, it may be time to try something that has been done with a new spin. Why not bring the best of Funny or Die (or something like it) to TV? Rather than letting people make jerks of themselves on reality competitions, let them genuinely try to be creative. There’s a reason that America’s Funniest Home Videos worked so well for so long. While there may end up being writers’ guild issues with the show, I still think it’s a great idea. After all, competitions like this brought us It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Stop Caring About Mass Appeal:

Yes, NBCU is a major network but audiences are fracturing into microsegments of microsegments. It’s time to completely own something, and the only way to do it is to create something that is divisive among demos.

Bring Back Long Format Documentaries:

How awesome was Planet Earth? How awesome would it have been to have it on a major network? Educational television can pull in high ratings now – and this goes back to the technology stuff – because the video quality is so stunning that people cannot help but watch.

Documentary film – albeit opinion based - is having a bit of a comeback as of late and NBC news should take advantage by diving deep into a topic and presenting all the facts and history regarding a subject. Rather than manufactured reality television, why not let journalists and documentarians tell the real life stories of interesting people?

Okay, so maybe this last one is a little nerdy. But, there is no reason not to try it out. Besides, Sarah and Todd Palin have said in interviews that they love to watch shows like Most Dangerous Catch which illustrates that documentary television is not a red state / blue state issue. (Yeah, I could have gone for a below the belt shot on that one, but I am trying to act like an adult and make a point.)

So NBCU the ball is your court. Give us something worth our time.

Who Really Wants A Touchscreen? Really?

2009-11-30T10:47:00.000-05:00

On my plane to California, I read the December issue of Wired Magazine and it was filled with ads for PCs and laptops with touchscreen capability and I just have no idea why anyone would want to make this purchase. Moreover, why are computer manufacturers are using this as a key selling point in their marketing of their products?

Please allow me explicate my problem with this situation in my special rambling way that I only I can.

Awhile back, I wrote that I am over this whole tablet computer thing, and I still am. I like my iPhone fine, but I need a keyboard to type. The idea of tapping away on a sheet of glass to write my blog posts seems going for a bike ride (something that I occasionally like doing) on one of those fixed gear bicycles (something that gets you from point A to point B, but makes it unduly harder). It would take me longer than usual and by the time I finished I would not feel the same sense of accomplishment. Then there's the fact that I don't know how many times I day I find myself rubbing my phone against my shirt to wipe away the dirt and oils that accumulate on the screen.

But shouldn't I like touchscreens? I like using my fingers on my iPhone to move around more than the trackball that was on my old Blackberry Pearl.

Nope, not at all.

First off, the ellipticals and treadmills at my gym have touchscreens and they don't work at all. I wouldn't hate them if I just used the touchscreens to set the time and speed, but they're supposed to have televisions built in and you cannot change the channel with any bit of efficiency. It recently took me six minutes to get to ESPN because I really wanted to watch something that had ended by the time I got to it. Plus, why would I want to touch something that is covered in other people's sweat repeatedly?

Next, I cannot tell you how much I hate when someone touches my computer screen, or anything else that I might look at or through for that matter. I am by no means a neat freak (my girlfriend and former roommates will all sign sworn affidavits stating such); however, I will go apeshit on your ass if you leave a fingerprint on my monitor. TAKE THE MOUSE AND USE THE CURSOR TO POINT AT WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SHOW ME. A touchscreen would just invite everyone and their mother to come over and put their hands where I don't want them.

Finally, I do not see any value the functionality of zooming in on an image on a computer like I do on my iPhone. If the touchscreen zoom was such an innovative concept then why is Apple not integrating it into the design of their computers?

It's the same reason we don't drive Pontiac Aztecs. Everything in our lives does not need to be a Swiss Army Knife. Tacking on a function to a computer may get a small group of people interested in brands like MSI, which I had not heard of until the Hackintosh craze started, but there is no value in that interest in the long run if you do not create something that people really want: a computer that is reliable.

I guarantee you that if a computer brand other than Apple started to advertise reliability as its primary function then that brand will become instantly successful in the American market compared to brands that are manufacturing demand by attempting to create want for something where there is no want. This may seem like I am going against the tenets of marketing, but companies who are introducing touchscreen functions are ignoring the most important rule and that's knowing the consumer. They are making the tragic assumption that if the consumer likes something in one place then he or she will love it in another.

Get back to the drawing board.

Are The Networks Tricking Us Into Watching Award Shows Again?

2009-11-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

It wasn't that long ago when people cared about award shows. Of course, people primarily cared about the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, and - to a lesser extent - the Grammys. In fact, people cared so much about these award shows that the networks and big production companies decided it would be a worthwhile venture to make more award shows, which turned out to be a successful venture. MTV discovered that they can boost their ratings with the Music Video Awards and Movie Awards, ABC and Dick Clark manufactured the American Music Awards and (I believe) the People's Choice Awards.

Anyway, people seemed to have smartened up a bit over the last few years and the ratings for the nonsensical award shows began to fall. And, just when I thought it was safe to venture back into pop culture observation Kanye West decided to go nuts in front of the country and award shows became culturally relevant to watch again. (Now, when I say culturally relevant I mean pop culturally relevant as most of these shows really give accolades to what most would consider art.)

So, I wasn't surprised in the least to discover that there was some controversy from the recent American Music Awards. Apparently, Adam Lambert did something overtly sexual and the social conservatives got aroused, which means they instantly have to complain to ABC.

I have absolutely no doubt that ABC and Dick Clark Productions hoped something like this would happen. After all, if audiences begin to believe that crazy things are going to occur during live broadcasts than they might actually tune in, which would drive up the price for ad space.

Does this mean that we're entering a new age of more horrible award shows? I guess we'll have to just wait and see. I think there's a greater chance that there will just be more heavily marketed live events.

Google and Tivo Team Up

2009-11-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

While this is hardly a newsflash, Google is positioning itself to take over the advertising universe. What's their latest move? MediaWeek reported this today (read the whole thing here):

"Google has signed a license agreement with DVR company TiVo that enables the Internet search provider to integrate TiVo set-top-box viewing data into its measurement of audiences for ads sold through the Google TV Ads platform.

The deal adds approximately 1.6 million subscribers to the universe of set-top boxes that Google TV Ads has to draw on to analyze second-by-second TV viewing behavior of audiences. Google also has a deal with Dish Network and access to more than 13 million set-top boxes via the satellite carrier."

So What Does This Mean For TV Ad Serving and TV Ratings?

On one hand, this is a step toward the inevitable destruction of Nielsen Ratings by Google. While Tivo customers are a smaller group than cable subscribers with DVRs, 1.6 million people is a big enough sample to make a huge difference for anyone who is gathering behavioral viewing data. This data will help Google build even smarter profiles of segments. Smarter profiles mean a greater likelihood of an ad reaching the right segment, and advertisers are willing to pay more. If the advertisers like what Google is doing for them, they will begin to tell the media companies like Time Warner, Comcast, and Viacom that they want the same service that Google is giving them for their ad buys. This will then force the media companies to either tell Nielsen to up their game and get the same viewer data, or the media companies and the advertisers will finally force Nielsen out and Google will replace one monopoly with another.

On the other hand, this is a step in the wrong direction for Google if they really want to crush Nielsen. As much as I love my Tivo, if Google wants to become the number one ratings research center and ad server then they have to introduce their own DVR and free service to consumers. This is the sort of slap in the face that only Google can do to cable providers. Right now cable providers have Tivo on the run. By partnering with retailers to sell their services in stores, cable companies are getting retailers to exclude Tivo from their shelves and it's working. (As a bit of anecdotal evidence, my girlfriend and I had to go to three different stores before finding our Tivo at a Best Buy.) Plus, Tivo has the additional roadblock of the monthly subscription fee. Some consumers would rather just have a DVR fee tacked on to their cable bill and not think about what they are not getting by owning something that doesn't work as well as a Tivo. Google is the only entity that could get away with introducing their own DVR and taking away cable providers' revenue from DVR by promising higher ad revenues in return. Besides, the cable providers would be able to save on the maintenance fees of their extremely cheap and poorly crafted DVRs that they currently have.

Well, My Crazy Rants Were Right!

2009-11-23T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hey check this out! According to the Financial Times, I'm smart:

Microsoft has had discussions with News Corp over a plan that would involve the media company being paid to “de-index” its news websites from Google, setting the scene for a search engine battle that could offer a ray of light to the newspaper industry.

Read the whole article here, read my previous rant on the issue here.

Why I Don't Care About This Verizon/AT&T War (And You Shouldn't Either)

2009-11-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

I could say (with a bunch of anecdotal evidence) that these Verizon map ads are a load of hoo-ha. I've driven from both Houston and Chicago to New York City using my Google Maps app to get me there with little or no problems. I used my iPhone, which is on AT&T if you didn't know, to not only guide my way but also find food, gas and lodging along the interstates of this country. But, if I were to go into greater detail it would just sound like I am some sort of first mover who is scrambling to justify my purchase to the rest of the world.

I could also say that the court controversy marks a seminal moment in advertising and media law, but when it comes down to it I really don't care right now either.

Why?

First, I don't understand why Verizon is using a national ad campaign to say that AT&T's 3G coverage is spotty in various localities. I think it's extremely foolhardy and a massive waste of money to run these ads in major metropolitan areas where AT&T is popular and works. The fact of the matter is that most people do not travel enough to see the effects of the coverage map (if there are any) in their daily lives to justify switching phone companies. Most people only care about the area they line in, and if they're on the road they want to make sure that they can make a phone call and not surf the web. Seeing that roaming charges are a thing of the past as long as you subscribe to a national carrier, your phone will work wherever anyone's phone will work.

Second, I really don't understand why AT&T is wasting their time and trying to answer to these ads. I should say that there is a reasonably good chance that they think they are going to lose customers over this campaign, or that people are actually calling them and tying up their customer service lines asking if these spots are true; however, acting on stuff like this is just as foolish. While there is an increase in the purchasing of smart phones, the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that "By April 2009, 19% of Americans said they had yesterday accessed the internet on their mobile," which is up 8% from 2007. Of course, "accessing the internet" can mean something as simple as checking email. Compared to the proliferation of other technology based behaviors, this is surprisingly low. This leads me to believe that most people are buying smart phones for the full keyboards to make texting easier. (I will admit to having that thought as well.) So, what about the 81% of phone customers who are just using their phones to talk to people? What about the people are who are having a hard time making ends meet and need a flexible, affordable phone plan? Why are you wasting your money on this AT&T? The best advertising is a happy customer base in the cell phone business. Are these ads keeping your customers happy AT&T?

Complaining About Some Horrible Ads Again

2009-11-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I really dislike this new Cisco Telepresence ad featuring Ellen Page.

Am I supposed to know that Ellen Page is from Nova Scotia, or do I need to watch this ad a hundred times to notice the sign in front of the doctor's office? I think the people who made this spot took way too many liberties in assuming the audience loves Ellen Page. I mean I like her, but not enough to care about her doctor visits.

Plus, this ad is supposed to show the benefits of Telepresence in health care. Does it even really succeed at that? From the point of view that video conferencing used to be 10 frames a second with huge delays, I guess it succeeds; however, this ad makes me not care.

Now just when I thought this was my least favorite spot on television, I see this.

While this ad follows the Gap's successful formula of showing people dancing around in their clothes, I find this whole cheerleading meets "America's Best Dance Crew" thing to be obnoxious. Would it be better if they played holiday song in the background rather than the cheering? Probably. The combination of voices barking "GO CHRISTMAS! GO HANUKKAH! GO KWANZAA! GO SOLSTICE!" at me is horrifying.

As a kid, I might have been happy to see that Jews (like myself), African Americans and agnostics or atheists were included in this ad. I would have felt that it was an invitation to celebrate in this season of giving along side everyone else. As a disgruntled adult with a weary eye toward consumerism, I find annoying that they think they need to pander to people like me in hopes that I'll come into one of their stores and assimilate even more than I already have.

Warren Buffet Reads My Blog... Well Not Really

2009-11-18T08:54:00.003-05:00

So, it's starting to look like the folks at Goldman Sachs are paying attention to the PR people that they have hired to help repair their image.

Today the New York Times reported the following:

"After first staunchly defending its outsize profits and pay, and then bristling at calls for restraint in these tough economic times, Goldman is trying a new tack: It is apologizing for past mistakes that led to the financial crisis — and sharing at least some of its riches.

A little more than a week after Goldman’s chairman and chief executive drew fire for saying the Wall Street giant was “doing God’s work,” the bank said Tuesday that it would spend $500 million — or about 3 percent of the $16.7 billion it has so far set aside to pay its employees this year — to help thousands of small businesses recover from the recession."

You can read the whole article here.

Is this a victory for smart image control? We'll have to wait and see. I feel that this is a step in the right direction; however, is $500 million really enough? (Yeah, I just asked that.)

Umm... Australia, Why You So Crazy?

2009-11-14T10:59:00.001-05:00

Thoughts on Murdoch's Proposed Ban of Google

2009-11-13T08:40:00.000-05:00

“We’d rather have fewer people coming to our Web site but paying.”

On Monday, Sky News Australia (one of the many parts of News Corporation) released an interview with their chief Rupert Murdoch. Among the many topics he discussed that day, Murdoch talked about the possibility of blocking Google from searching their content.

If Murdoch were to pull his content from Google it would be the first real power play against Google in some time. Looking at the News Corporation roster of publications, publishers, networks, and social networks, one can see that it consitutes gigantic chunk of the internet landscape. Can Google afford to lose the traffic of people searching for something a person saw in the Wall Street Journal, NY Post, etc.?

Murdoch has a pretty good search engine in Factiva, thus people can find most of his news content online with some ease (obviously, it's not free). Factiva is not as easy to use as Google in some aspects, but better in others. Plus, this could give Murdoch the opportunity to forge an allegiance with Yahoo/Bing which would definitely add to the value proposition to consumers who are searching for certain content. Therein lies the most critical issue for Google. If this were to happen, could it be possible that a this partnership could challenge Google's dominance in their field?

Coca Cola Brands Buskers?

2009-11-13T08:05:00.000-05:00

In a past life not so long ago, you might have caught my friends and me on a street corner trying to earn some beer money by hammering through a bunch of songs. Busking - as it's called to those who don't know - is a fun way for musicians to test market new material. If people stop and listen you know that you're on the right track. If they throw in some change you're even better. (Of course, you are then obliged to play a request.)

So, it was with some surprise when I discovered at AdAge.com that
Coca-Cola will be throwing their money into the guitar cases of London's Tube Buskers throughout the holiday season to push Coke's jingles. I could go on some diatribe about how corporations are stepping on artistic integrity, but this is so much better than Christmas carolers. Besides it's a brilliant move. Whether in New York, London or any other metropolitan area, buskers play a key role in the aesthetic of the environment. They have the ability to turn the mundane commute into a new (and usually positive) experience. Cheers to Coca-Cola for trying something different.

And The Heads Rolled...

2009-11-13T07:22:00.001-05:00

Hey party people it looks like I was on to something with my gripes about Pepsi's "Amp Up Before You Score" App. Commence the gloating!

"NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- PepsiCo is making some major changes to its digital-advertising roster, and its traditional agency partners on beverage brands are conspicuously absent

...

Meanwhile, PepsiCo is conducting a digital agency review for its Amp brand; R/GA, an Interpublic-owned agency, previously handled the work, but not under an agency-of-record distinction. R/GA was responsible for the controversial "Amp Up Before You Score App," which Pepsi dumped last month. According to an executive familiar with the matter, R/GA resigned the business before the release of that app."

Rebranding Wall Street Part Two

2009-11-12T11:15:00.001-05:00

Rebranding Wall Street Part 2

In my last post I talked about the need for Wall Street firms to rebrand themselves and what they had to do to internally to begin the process. Compared to the suggestions that I made for that part, the external changes are going to be a cakewalk.

So, here are my thoughts on what Wall Street firms can do in an external rebranding effort.

Step One: When Your Executives Give Interviews, Hire Some PR People To Prevent The Following

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Goldman Sachs Does God's Work

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

Seriously, what were the Goldman Sachs communications people thinking? It doesn't matter if the comments were taken out of the context, which they were in this case. (Read the full interview here.)

Of course, Blankfein did not do everything wrong. In explaining the purpose of an investment bank he states the following, "We help companies to grow by helping them to raise capital. Companies that grow create wealth. This, in turn, allows people to have jobs that create more growth and more wealth. It’s a virtuous cycle."

It's okay to speak with candor, but you have to be careful. In the end, people are not going to hear that investment banks grow the economy. They are going to hear that the execs think they are doing "God's work" and they will assume the worst about the people at the helm of the economy.

Step Two: Make (New) Ads

Yup, that's right they need to make new ads, or ads for the first time. Ads that say, "We help companies to grow by helping them to raise capital. Companies that grow create wealth. This, in turn, allows people to have jobs that create more growth and more wealth."

Although, I wonder about the word "wealth." Seeing that most Americans lack wealth, it might be good to use a word like "opportunity." While Bank of America is currently trying to make themselves "The Bank of Opportunity," it's a good word and there are plenty of other synonyms that can be used to convey the same notion.

Step Three: The Big Media Buy

A big media buy is not about getting more clients or growing the business. This is purely about defining the term "investment bank" to the American public, which is a great opportunity. Why? Because, in reality, there is not a definition outside a finance class that a person takes in college. This economic meltdown is making the average citizen curious; thus, most of them turn on their televisions or their computers to figure out who these investment bankers really are in relation to their own lives. Right now, a big media buy, can steer the opinions of a larger group of people than any other period in history (in regards to the idea of an investment bank).

As I said in the first post on rebranding Wall Street, the internal branding efforts are going to be more difficult. The external portion is really as easy I just described. Obviously, each communication strategy will need the careful handling of professionals, but now is the time to act.

Rebranding Wall Street

2009-11-06T15:33:00.002-05:00

GAAAAHHHH! I hate Wall Street! Or, at least, I think I hate Wall Street. I really don't have any contact with them other than my bank account, which isn't really a Wall Street firm and wasn't bailed out. In fact, the only contact that I do have with them is all the news that I watch. So, I guess it's pretty easy for me to dislike them right now along with a majority of Americans.

Early in my career, I worked for a company that prided itself on not being well known outside of their industry and the investing institutions. They had been burned in the past, and it was understandable that wanted to reposition their brand to speak directly to specific groups of stakeholders who did business with the company on a regular basis. Personally, I don't think it was the best strategy in the world, but it worked. It built up the credibility among those who needed to know and turned them into advocates for the organization.

Unfortunately for Wall Street, this strategy will not work for them and it probably never would have in the past. The financial crisis exposed a crisis in branding that no one could have ever expected. In a way the brand of Wall Street was somewhere between the gold plated, tacky world of Donald Trump and the actual Wizard of Oz (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain). There was wealth, power and a mystique that outsiders would never really understand. And, it worked. It attracted top talent from universities and other industries and created machines whose only purpose was to print money. It worked so well that they became the keystone of our economy. Whether you were starting a business that made tangible objects for other human beings to consume or refinancing mortgages, the money passed through Wall Street in some way.

Turning every person on earth who handles currency or eats rice into a stakeholder, Wall Street had a lot of people to answer to when the economy went down the toilet and they didn't. They relied on mystique elements of their brand and said, "Don't worry we'll figure this out and after we save ourselves you will magically be okay." Now, their credibility is gone and it's time to build a new promise. But, it's going to take more than a new logo and a few ad buys. There has to be an inside out rebranding.

So, here - without further ado - is what I would do to fix Wall Street's image.

Part One: The Internal Struggle

Corporate culture plays a key role in branding. The people who make up the organization and their attitudes toward create an often neglected element of the brand. For example, if everyone hated working for Berkshire Hathaway or Google or Microsoft the information would eventually get out, especially in the digital age that we are living in, this information would eventually reach the other organizations that the company does business with and make these companies think twice about doing business with them. This phenomena is magnified if everyone who works for a company is -pardon my French - an asshole. I can remember conversations with a few people in the risk management industry telling me stories of how a certain underwriter was filled with employees who were less than savory individuals. When that company found itself in big trouble and needed to assure clients that they were stable it was difficult fight not only because they had to explain their financial stability but also pretend like they were buddy-buddy in the past.

Therefore, the first step in rebranding Wall Street is probably the most difficult: they must change the internal attitudes of employees to show that they care a little about what happens in the world outside of Lower Manhattan. In an interview with Fresh Air on NPR, New York Times writer Andrew Ross Sorkin discussed how then Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson viewed his former company Goldman Sachs. For better or worse, Paulson saw that if his old ship sank the next big company to fall would not be another bank, but General Electric. This egocentric attitude turned out to be a good thing in that we avoided an even greater catastrophe; however, I could not escape the thought that it takes time to nurture such ideas within an organization. Plus, once these concepts take hold they begin to steer that company's outlook.

But, how can you humble a bunch of hotshots?

As it turns out, it's not about humbling. It's about instituting the idea within this organization that they are connected to the economy and their communities. When I worked for Dow Chemical, they had nurtured the idea that each office and plant - wherever they might be - plays a role in the day to day lives of people that they don't see. Rather than purchasing logo space on European soccer jerseys or buying the naming rights to a building to get their brand out, they helped their brand by treating their employees well and helping them get involved with simple things like charities. Each community then viewed the employees like a normal neighbor and opinions of the organization as a whole went up.

So what can a Wall Street firm do?

Right now, things are going to have to be drastic. When it comes to topics that anger the common person like myself, nothing boils my blood more than bonuses. (I can understand that the company wants to reward its employees for a job well done, but just giving the money to those behind the wall isn't changing my perception of them.) Substantial portions of gigantic bonuses at the top will either need to be returned or donated. Then the company has to announce that they will consider reinvesting the quarterly profit in the economy to continue growth, rather than just giving to themselves money to buy yachts. After all, these companies are investment banks and they should be investing.

Next, the companies need to focus on their personnel by instilling a culture of responsibility and integrity. In the wake of the Enron collapse, anyone who dealt with energy trading in any form had to go through serious training to eradicate the bad behaviors of the past that had gone unmitigated. In addition, energy trading floors hired an equal number of risk managers to traders. This quickly killed the casino mentality that once ruled the room. (Now, I am not saying that it was a panacea but it definitely helped.) The problem personnel either quit or were fired because of their behavior. If the investment banks took a harder line on their individual risk management in their day to day operations, it might bring back the rational notion of slow, strong growth to the business as opposed to the overnight success stories they loved to tell.

What will happen if they don't make these internal changes?

If Wall Street is unwilling to change its ways the people are only going to get angrier, and in the short run this won't mean a thing because we cannot do much about from the outside. What the angry mob can do is vote and elect leaders who will place restrictions on these companies that will be more cumbersome and more irrational than any controls that they could put in place on their own. Yes, these banks have plenty of money to pay for lobbyists but there will be a tipping point. All Wall Street needs to do is look back a few years the collapse of the big accounting firms like Anderson to see that if the government steps in again, they are going to get a Sarbanes Oxley before another bailout.

Time Off

2009-10-31T17:45:00.001-04:00

Sorry kiddies, I've got a family emergency and will not be posting for a bit. I'll be back by the end of the week.

Me Vs. Someone Smarter - Commenting on Antony Young's Thoughts on Hulu

2009-10-26T16:36:00.004-04:00

Antony Young is a smart guy. He's the CEO of a smart agency, Optimedia, which does a lot smart work. But, just because Mr. Young is so smart doesn't mean that we all have to agree with everything he says. Last Friday, Advertising Age ran a piece he wrote that urges NBC, Disney and Fox to reconsider their relationship with Hulu, which is a joint venture between NBC and Fox. (You can read in it's entirety here. )

So, anyway here are my comments in italics after his.

'We have to do this, otherwise others will'
Wrong. "Others" don't have the desirable, premium content that these networks own. These days, it is the networks that have the technological and legal means to largely control where and how an episode such as "Lost" can be viewed. However, Hulu is training the viewer to time shift out of prime-time. And this is eating away at the very economics that support the investment in creative development and production. Advertising, subscription and home entertainment revenues are the only workable model I can see to fund the cost and quality of TV content, beyond public broadcasting.

While I do agree that ad revenues fund the cost production for these studios, I disagree that that "'others' don't have desirable, premium content that these networks own." Executives - especially executives in media buying - need to come to terms with the fact that illegal downloads are not going away. Plus, with the economy down and connectivity speeds increasing on a regular basis, I'll bet you these downloads will increase and possibly take big chunks of specific demographics that media buyers find very profitable out off of television.

'The consumers want it, therefore we better give it to them'
Consumers want a lot of things they can't have. I'd love to have free meals at Denny's every day, or zero delays in and out of JFK, or environmentally friendly gas. But it just doesn't make business or financial sense for companies to provide this. Consumers understand this and they aren't demanding anytime, anywhere access to premium TV at no cost, but if it was offered up then they'd be mugs not to take it. TV should learn its lesson from the publishing industry. Almost every major magazine raced to put their content online, without, in my view, a clear strategy other than, "We need to put our content up there because there's an audience waiting." That ill-informed logic has ripped the heart out of the print business, in which there seems to be no way back.

I think television industry needs to look at the music industry before they look at print. First off, their products share more similarities than with print media, including substantially higher costs of production. Second, the music industry was completely unwilling to update to technological developments that were coming down the pipeline, and despite making a product that has demand they are still reeling to figure out a business plan because they thought they could ignore the internet. With consumer electronics changing every day, ignoring consumers and their big expenditures seems like a bad move too.

'Hulu is helping to increase TV audiences'
As a person that follows the ratings fairly closely, I can see no data that conclusively supports this. CBS continues to be the strongest Nielsen-rated network without the assistance of Hulu. Many of the premium cable channels that limit their content online are showing solid audience gains. I can see the sense in supporting selected catch-up episodes for program series, but the breadth and next-day access to prime-time shows, quite frankly, seems to be an incentive for smaller audiences. There's no evidence that newspaper websites are doing anything but eroding newspaper print circulations.

Okay, I agree with that. But, once again, as technology improves the information gleaned from these "smaller audiences" may end up being profitable. However, we also know that Nielsen's television ratings system may soon be a thing of the past. Relying on Nielsen in an argument now may make you look as though you were defending phrenology in ten years.

So here's the rub.

As a media buyer, I have no vested interest in whether the broadcaster shareholders support Hulu or not. Our livelihood as an agency relies neither on supporting the status quo of traditional media nor blindly pushing the popular wisdom of digital everything. Optimedia as an agency has shifted decent budgets into Hulu this past year and we will continue to support this media company with advertising dollars as it grows audience and influence.

But in putting on my business-consultant hat for a moment, my advice to Jeff Zucker, Peter Rice and Bob Iger is: you need to reevaluate your Hulu strategy. Commercial TV still has plenty of life in it yet. So let it live. And turn off Hulu before it turns you off.

Okay, I understand your argument; but, it sounds like you're saying "the ship is sinking but it's more of a Lusitania than a Titanic so let's go sip champagne and play shuffle board while we wait for the rescue boat."

If the studios don't figure this out now, then they are going to have to invest more in smaller programming for smaller audiences. While I love shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and think the world would be a better place if more programming was akin to their style, the cost of producing that many shows could be much larger. From a media buying perspective, this super fragmentation of the audience would make life easier because audiences would be better defined and advertisers might actually pay more knowing that they can speak directly to a group without a disinterested halo forming.

Hulu is not perfect by any means. I actually prefer streaming video through Netflix. If Hulu were to raise their streaming quality to that of Netflix, then maybe people will pay for it. As for now, don't throw the baby out with the bath water and pull the plug on Hulu.

Oh Levis, You're So Mayo and So Are You Miracle Whip

2009-10-22T21:17:00.005-04:00

I like pants just as much as any person out there. In fact, my favorite pair of pants are my Levi's 501s. The San Francisco brand is obviously facing competition on both the low and high end, so it's understandable that they would want to invest in strengthening their image with a fancy ad campaign. So... Why not have some crackly voice reading Walt Whitman with unsexy hipster like people?

What's really funny is that the font that is used in this spot is eerily similar to something... Oh wait! Here it is!

Seriously Yahoo, What's This Rebranding All About?

2009-10-21T15:39:00.003-04:00

Yahoo took their rebranding to the streets recently with a bunch of lame spots that look like they could have come from any point in the existence of the internet. I really don't know what they were thinking that personalizing a homepage and saving search information would be the thing to bring people back from iGoogle or The New York Times or any other popular homepage. Personalization had been a staple selling point of ISPs like AOL or Prodigy, why bring that back?

I can understand that as Bing is being introduced into the Yahoo platform they may be able to say that a user will have better ads served while searching, but this doesn't come close to that. Moreover, if there is one lesson to be learned in the search engine wars it's that better ads do not attract users, it's just better searches.

Finally, the some of the models selected for this campaign look like American Apparel ads without the ironic 80s porn vibe, which is what barely makes American Apparel interesting. (In fact, they are now using real porn stars thus making their ads even less ironic. I was going to put a link to the ad, but I decided to avoid the porn searching traffic so just look it up at Google Images, you cannot miss it.) So, here we have Yahoo trying to hit on this concept while still attempting to keep it family friendly. Maybe my mind is buried too deeply in the cognitive dissonance of the advertising world, but what in this campaign is bringing minds back to Yahoo? Why do they think that this reduction to vague simplicity is going to win back users?

Apparently, I am not alone in my disdain for this campaign as Advertising Age reported today that Yahoo has brought in Goodby Silverstein & Partners to help move this thing in the right direction.

At Least This Makes Sarah Palin Look Bad

2009-10-13T17:26:00.002-04:00

I tried to play it fair during the election and point out gaffes and communication problems with an even hand, but now that we're far enough into the year I might as well say that anything that makes the Palin family look foolish is fine by me.

How Are Apps Changing Experiential Marketing?

2009-10-12T11:25:00.005-04:00

With tons of iPhone, Blackberry, and Android product related apps coming out every day, I am beginning to wonder about the changing dynamics experiential marketing. When I first left home and headed to college, I found myself knee deep in brands trying to make me a loyalist through interaction. The most common form of experiential marketing came through the free sample. Lately, I feel like marketers are moving away form the sample and straight to the buzz generating that phone apps can create. But, I keep coming back to the question: Is it worth the investment?

On one side of the argument, an app can bring a brand to people who may or may not interact with it on a regular basis. Take the Pizza Hut app as an example:

Unless a customer is extremely familiar with The Hut's menu and the local phone number, he or she will have to go dig through the menu drawer in the the kitchen to look for a coupon where the customer could find another pizza delivery deal. The Pizza Hut application circumvents this treacherous behavior.

However, most importantly, the app serves a purpose because it brings the products to the consumer.

Is this better than handing out a free pizza like Orpah and Kentucky Grilled Chicken? It all depends on the roll out. In this case, Pizza Hut got the app on a recent iPhone 3Gs commercial and the equation was balanced out. Buzz was generated, the app was downloaded, and pizzas were purchased.

Even - and much to my surprise - apps for banks are worthwhile as long as you never lose you phone. In the midst of the economic crisis, banks were pushing out apps and I was screaming, "You're doing this with my money!" like an irate account director; yet, they proved to be pretty useful for people like me. As a marketing tool, these apps are actually a selling point as long they are functionally good.

From an experiential marketing standpoint, apps like this are neutralizing the banking experience, which is exactly what they need. The less I interact with human beings, the less likely I am to have a nervous breakdown in public. The only way to generate buzz in banking lately seems to come from two strategies:

1) Make the experience as easy and painless as possible.
2) Offer things like interest, which Chase and Citi do not pay on checking and savings accounts.

After all, who would expect a bank to pay you for holding your money? They should have the right to take out $6.00 a month for inactivity... That's a fight for another day. Since banks cannot follow through on the simple promises anymore, reliable apps are a great way to keep their customer base in line and keep them talking positively about their bank.

On the other side of the argument you have apps sponsored by consumer products. The other day I wrote about Pepsi's "Amp Up Before You Score" and why it will not generate the right buzz for the product.

What is the right buzz for Amp? In my mind, it has to be "it tastes/works/makes me feel better than Red Bull." Product differentiation in the mind of the consumer will not come from establishing a link to a lifestyle in all cases, especially in a market with such a low barrier of entry.

Besides, if you really want males to drink amp to gain courage you need to be where they think they need courage most, bars. There are tons of promotion companies out there who are ready and able to have samples at the hottest spots, and - most importantly - they know the local market.

With this in mind, can a CPG have a good app? Yes, but it really should lead the individual toward purchasing the product. Branded entertainment can only get people so excited, and trying to be hip cannot replace quality.

Pepsi Invents the App for Ultra Douche Bags!

2009-10-10T08:55:00.002-04:00

Well, Apple's app ads have proven themselves right again; there really is an app for everyone.

Now mega-losers can pretend to have sexual conquests and share their fish-tales with their mega-loser friends with the "Amp Up Before You Score App." But, will this get these guys to put down their Jager bombs and Heinekens, and pick up their iPhones? More importantly, will it get males 18 to 35 to switch from Red Bull to Amp?

No, probably not.

Let's look at another product that markets to the aspirational residents of the Jersey shore, Axe. Being a male right in the the middle of the 18 to 35 demo, I can honestly tell you that 99.99% percent of the males I interact with do not purchase Axe brand products. So, how do they move so much product?

It turns out that all I have to do is ask my girlfriend who teaches 6th graders. A quick ethnography will show you that the boys look up to the men in the Axe ads, and purchase the products in hopes of getting assaulted by packs of women. Therefore, this app would be perfect for them but they don't have iPhones. (Yes, some of them have iPod Touches but that's a pretty small group.) This doesn't really seem like a good investment from that point of view.

I think branded content can be extremely effective if it's implemented in the right way. Just trying to be fun, cool, or even innovative is not going to cut it. There must be an endgame that brings the consumer's consciousness to the product throughout the interaction.

Week In Review

2009-10-09T11:09:00.007-04:00

Hey kiddies, let's take a look at what happened this week.

Ralph Lauren Makes a Bratz Doll

Uh oh! Ralph Lauren released a severely photo-shopped print ad this week instantly upsetting - and for good reason - every woman's rights group in existence. The unintentional comedy factor of the model's hand on her hip makes it seem like she is propping up her improbable torso.

Advertisers Stay With Letterman

After an extortion attempt from a crazed CBS employee regarding his affairs with staff members, David Letterman apologized to his wife on air and got huge ratings. So, it comes as no surprise that advertisers are not going anywhere. Lesson: Eyes = Ad $s.

The Stay Puff Marshmallow Man Fights for Good.

TBWA/Chiat/Day rocked with this beautiful new spot running across the air waves. It has given new life to an old brand icon by turning the Michelin Man from guy who lost his puppy (see below) into a defender of gas mileage. This feels like the first ad in a long time from the manufacturer that had some real confidence to it. While the ad below trumpets reliability, this new spot speaks directly to a need that is at the forefront of the consumer's mind.

Say Goodbye to Viva Viagra

2009-10-06T18:03:00.004-04:00

Today, AdAge has reported that Pfizer is switching agencies from McCann Erickson to McGarryBowen. I can only hope that this will finally mean the end of the Viva Viagra campaign.

Their Protests Are Better

2009-10-05T17:52:00.005-04:00

(Photo from New York Times)

Walk around New York City, or any major metropolitan area here in the US, and you're bound to see some sort of protest. When it comes to communication and moving along a message these assemblies - whether drum circles or tea parties - never seem to leave anyone swayed.

Over in Europe, they still know how to storm the Bastille. In fact, they are still so good at protesting that when dairy farmers take to the streets this photo hits the homepage of the New York Times.

More to come a little later today...

The Absolute Worst Ad of The Year

2009-10-01T13:39:00.005-04:00

There have been some lousy ads made this year but none quite as totally horrible as this:

For the background on how this whole thing unfolded click here.

Rather than focus on the obvious of stating why this ad is an abomination, let's take a look at what the World Wildlife Fund did in reaction. First, if you were to go to YouTube and search WWF 911 ad you will find that the WWF has paid to have the following spot come up first.

As far as apologies go, Mr. Roberts hits all of the topics needed.

1) As the chief representative of the organization, he said why he was apologizing.

"I cannot imagine any sane individual using those images to advance any cause."

2) He said what they are doing.

"We are reviewing all the circumstances that led to this ad."

3) He said what they are going to do about it.

"... And we will do everything within our power to remove it from the internet and everywhere else that it exists."

Now that a month has passed, it's easy to see that the WWF has not reached its goal of getting the spot off of the internet. They've done a pretty good job of making sure that their statement and video comes up first, which is very important, but they have yet to delete it from the cloud. It will be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming months as the organization moves forward.

Audio Audit: GM Makes A Good Choice?

2009-09-30T16:59:00.005-04:00

A few months ago, I wrote about the French pop rock band Phoenix and how they were sharing the samples to a few of their songs off of their record Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. It was great way to get the word out about their music, but it didn't hurt that it was a genuinely good music.

It was so good that the people running the Cadillac account bought the rights to "1901," which is what you here in the spot for the 2010 SRX ad:

If this GM trying to be hip with the Cadillac brand, then it's not really enough; however, it's the step in the right direction. (This spot is a heck of a lot better than the Kate Walsh ads they were running up until recently.) They need to try to connect with the younger consumer, but is the younger consumer really shopping for these crossovers? I'd like to see data on what age groups are buying these cars.

Worst Ads 2009: Part 1

2009-09-29T10:17:00.005-04:00

Now that the year is almost over, it's time to look back at the best and worsts of 2009. Today, we'll look at two in particular.

It's Just Not Burger King's Year in Spain

First, came this print spot below, which features a dwarf luchador beside a cowboy. Of course, it didn't take long to upset the entire country of Mexico. I don't need to go through all the reason this can be viewed as offensive; however, I will say that it encapsulates the need for someone at corporations and agencies to understand that it's great to act local, but not needs to still think global.

Then, this ad appeared in Spanish franchises.

I don't know about you, but there's nothing more mutually exclusive than a religious icon (in this case it's the goddess Lakshmi) and a ham sandwich. It didn't take long for Hindus in Spain and around the world to get these in store posters pulled, but the damage was already done. Burger King had egg all over it's face and a few hundred million dissatisfied customers.

The Year in Sexism

Just when I thought this Burger King ad would be the best of the worst when it came to sexism, which would make this the worst year for BK ever; luckily, this spot for Max, a European shoe company, took away the spotlight.

Nothing says insensitivity and misogyny like bondage. What were they thinking?

NYC Serves Up A Glass of Lard

2009-09-24T12:27:00.004-04:00

Okay, Mr. Bloomberg we get it. We understand that there are food items being sold in your city that are not good for us. Personally, I think it's great that you forced restaurants to show their calories next to the prices, but these PSAs that I see on the subway might be pushing the ethical boundaries of advertisements.

It would be one thing to use a nondescript soda bottle in this ad, but it's another to use one with the distinct shape of a Coca-Cola product. The makers of PSAs need to face the fact that one photo making one company look bad does not make the competitor look bad. In the minds of some consumers this ad could even affirm Pepsi products over the competition.

Target Practice: Facebook Fantasy Football App Steps It Up With MillerCoors

2009-09-17T18:04:00.004-04:00

The nation’s big brewers InBev AB and MillerCoors SAB are pretty smart when it comes to targeting. Their messages need work sometimes, but they do know who they need to buy beer. However, tapping into their target when they are on the web is a little more difficult.

It’s not for lack of trying either. Miller and Coors (before they were MillerCoors) had contests and halfway decent websites. Budweiser created BudTv.com, which featured funny video content that centered on their products. But, none really reached me effectively, and I was smack dab in the middle of the target at the time.

Now, according to Ad Age, MillerCoors is focusing a large portion of online advertising on fantasy football players. Teaming up with Facebook app maker WaterCooler, MC will be delivering ads based on the highly coveted Facebook user data.

That's some integrated marketing.

What’s this mean? If the user is male and over 21 along with some other specifics, he’ll get an ad. My only question: what is the difference in cost between advertising on Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, or any other fantasy football platform and what they are doing here? Plus, how much more reliable and valuable is the Facebook data than the data that is gathered by the other platforms?

Target Practice: Connecting Your Brand to the Right People in the Recession

2009-09-16T18:50:00.003-04:00

I’m glad that Fed Chairman Bernanke thinks that the recession is wrapping up just as much as anyone else. But, if you’re not working on Wall Street, then it’s tough to feel the wind changing directions.

For the rest of us, it still feels like we’re knee deep in economic sludge. So, what do you do if your brand needs to connect with young folks who might be a little too focused on the economic news out there?

Well, according to the Pew Internet and American Life study, it turns out that this same group of young adults is also using the internet as a diversion. What do they classify as a diversion?

“Listening to music and watching online videos are among the most common of the activities we evaluated; roughly half of all online economic users have done each of these activities to relax. Approximately one-third of online economic users have played online games or chatted with friends (on a social networking site, listserv or other online group), while an additional 22% have taken their minds off of their economic or financial circumstances by creating or posting content online.

Young Americans in particular go online in great numbers to relax by watching videos, listening to music, playing games or chatting with friends.”

- Pew

Before you say, “Well duh,” please hear me out on why this information is a little more important.

1) First and foremost, you’re not paying for this information so stop whining. Plus, there won’t be people in your office running around yelling, “Who wasted money to study this?!”

2) Assumptions, even if they are correct, are still assumptions. Any bit of information that fills the gap between a hypothesis and a conclusion is worth knowing, even if it’s the answer to a seemingly obvious question.

3) This information is actually very interesting. Another way to interpret the findings of this study is that (like television news presenting negative stories and people changing the channel to less thought provoking entertainment) people who are heavily informed about current economic events are not so discouraged that they are turning their computers off. In fact, this study is stating the opposite, so get out there and start connecting.

I entered a freevertising contest...

2009-09-08T20:09:00.004-04:00

Recently, Amazon ran an ad contest and my buddy Deva and I decided to give it a shot. While neither of us is a videographer of great skill, I had been cooking a concept of a single shot ad in the back of my head; thus, in theory, the spot wouldn't require a lot of post-production.

So what were we trying to do?

We decided that the Amazon box is the only tangible part of Amazon that all customers handle at some point. In fact, people get excited to see the Amazon smile waiting for them at their front door. So, we created a diorama to exhibit images that elicit the fun things you can get from Amazon. Take a look:

While putting this whole thing together, my girlfriend kept saying it was cute but her cat is cuter, and if we were looking for cute then we were missing the jackpot. We shot 30 seconds of trying to take the cat for a walk with a leash that she jokingly purchased a few years ago.

"Two years, I've been trying to train him to the leash!" she says. This is how she far she's progressed with him:

Even though we didn't win (apparently real filmmakers enter these competitions) it was a great experience. Plus, I got to make some music, which was fun.

Okay, I'll make a real post next time...

Interesting Updates from the Pew Internet and American Life Project

2009-08-30T16:12:00.003-04:00

Back in July, the folks at Pew released the findings of another study in their Internet and American Life Project. The study entitled “The Audience for Online Video-Sharing Sites Shoots Up” contains many exciting new insights for marketers.

“Watching online videos on sites like YouTube is more prevalent than the use of social networking sites (46% of adult internet users are active on such sites), podcast downloading (19% of internet users do this) and the use of status updating sites like Twitter (11% of internet users do this).

Message to advertisers trying to reach the described “adult internet users” group: it’s time to move your money away from Facebook and MySpace, and start working with YouTube and Hulu.

Personally, I think that Hulu tends to gain more from this finding because they have established the presence of advertisements in their video content with users. YouTube is a mix of self-made and professional work, and the small ads that pop up at the bottom are pretty annoying. However, YouTube has the tools in place for advertisers to see where their entire universe of content is moving. With this amount of “Long Tail” data at their hands, they might be able to effectively incorporate behavioral data on a new level.

“Nine in ten internet users ages 18-29 use video sharing sites, up from 72% one year ago.”

I just find this fact stunning. There are only a few other nearly universal facts about internet users ages 18-29, like they have access to a computer or they breath oxygen. This finding raises some interesting questions.

1) How much investment in internet video is too much? Are we really ready to let Google control this universe?

2) Should businesses invest in creating their own video playing website like Fox and NBC have with Hulu? P&G presents TideTube?

3) Is this really the apex of internet use for now?

Michael Vick, The Eagles, and Sports Marketing

2009-08-18T17:44:00.002-04:00

Image from Newsday

As a Bears fan, I chuckled at the Eagles signing of Michael Vick. Say what you will about the organization being a stand-up entity, this is still the team with fans who throw whatever they can find on the field and boo their future Hall of Fame quarterback on his draft day.

The home crowd will make or break Vick’s future with marketers. Winning the city of Philadelphia over is hard, but if I am his publicity team here’s what I would do aside from giving 50% of his money to the ASPCA:

1) Turn him into Rocky.

Philadelphia is the underdog capitol of the universe. Until the Phillies’ World Series victory last year, it seems like the last win the city had was the American Revolution. If you show the fans how much he has lost and how hard he is working to get it back, they may begin to respect him.

2) Keep him out of the news.

The only mentions of Vick should be on the sports page for the next 5 months. Don’t advertise any of the positive stuff. His playing time is the only thing that can bring marketers back. His image must be performance.

3) Turn down initial sponsorship offers.

Seriously. Eventually the information will get out that Vick is turning down chances to make money, which adds to the aura of seriousness.

Numbers 2 and 3 were integral to the reestablishment of Kobe Bryant. During and after the Eagle, Colorado trial, Bryant lost many of his sponsorships. Over the last three years, he has rehabilitated his image not by attaching his name to causes but by focusing on his game play. The sponsorships have since come back and the trial is a distant memory.

And We're Back! And So Is GMAC Bank?

2009-08-17T21:49:00.004-04:00

Back from my vacation for real... let's get to it.

GMAC Bank rebranded itself as Ally Bank and they brought in BBH to create the image of a consumer friendly, "new" bank.

As far as introductions go, I feel like this is a home run. BBH turned the doubly toxic asset of GMAC Bank's brand - an article of pure cynicism and criticism - into the snarky commentator of its competitors. As of now, this campaign is the best in the financial services arena since the economic downturn. Of course, it's not too tough when you're compared to vanilla stuff like this:

The Audio Audit: Palm Pre, Bacardi

2009-07-05T20:34:00.011-04:00

I'm pretty excited about the Palm Pre. It looks like a cool alternative to the iPhone, but this song by Io Echo just rubs me the wrong way.

Cheers to the people who made the ad. It looks great and it's rare to see people have the guts to select such a different song; however, this song is too dark and not sexy enough to make up for the tone. Although, I can see what they were getting at in selecting the song. If I am selling an expensive piece of technology, I'd want my customers to be addicted to it too.

Then, there's the Bacardi ad...

This ad is very nice, but it's a recycling of this Pepsi ad.

Don't get me wrong, the Bacardi ad is a heck of a lot better, but it loses a few points because I still feel like I've seen this idea before. But, then again, it get's back the points and earns a few more for using Matt & Kim's "Daylight." While it's not their most energetic song, the snippet they've used evokes hipness and sexiness that the Bacardi brand needs.

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In other news, I've been spending some of my free time working on Amazon's ad competition hence the lack of posts. Once that's all done, I'll be back to posting with greater regularity.

Billy Mays RIP

2009-06-28T22:40:00.002-04:00

In the absence of creativity, there's only one good alternative in advertising: complete simplicity. Sometimes all you need is a product demo, and it worked for the makers of Oxiclean.

The Fast Food Round Up

2009-06-25T22:21:00.007-04:00

There's a bunch of stuff going on in fast food, here's some updates.

In what Ad Age is calling an "identity crisis," Pizza Hut is going to rebrand itself "The Hut" in a few marketing efforts.

Honestly, I've always called it The Hut, and I don't think it's bad that they're planning on using both names for specific campaigns.

So then there's this...

Ad Age ran a big article in its print version about Crispin's BK ad campaigns and how they haven't really helped increase market share. Personally, I think their work has been pretty amazing and I don't believe they are responsible for this print ad below.

Either way, this is just offensive.

On Iran, Social Media and Revolution

2009-06-24T19:35:00.004-04:00

(By Ben Curtis -- Associated Press) Will remove upon request.

I have been trying for days to write something meaningful about the role that social media is playing in the current political upheaval taking place on the streets of Tehran. Fortunately and unfortunately, there's quite a bit to take in and expand upon. But, now that we're in the middle of this, here are some thoughts.

1) I Agree With Anne Applebaum

"In the United States, the most America-centric commentators have somberly attributed the strength of recent demonstrations to the election of Barack Obama. Others want to give credit to the democracy rhetoric of the Bush administration. Still others want to call this a "Twitter revolution" or a "Facebook revolution," as if zippy new technology alone had inspired the protests. But the truth is that the high turnout has been the result of many years of organizational work, carried out by small groups of civil rights activists and above all women's groups, working largely unnoticed and without much outside help."

A historian would not say that Protestant Reformation occurred because the printing press was invented. She would say that it greased the wheels, but it was by no means the vehicle. I feel as that the coverage of these current events makes it seem like the Iranian people were discontent and disconnected from one another in these sentiments. This notion is false and unfair to the brave people - especially the women she writes about - who are risking their lives for freedom.

Is the internet, despite government interference, acting as the "printing press" in this situation? The uber-nerd, technophile in me instantly says yes. After all, this is McLuhan come to life. The internet is supposed to be the most egalitarian and democratic medium available, and now it's being used to achieve just that. However, and this is a big however, every other part of me that knows anything about political science, history, and sociology tells me that we're not going to understand how people are using the internet in this situation for some time.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that people outside of Iran should not help prop up the internet by creating proxy servers that the government cannot touch. If it is working, it needs to be there.

2) I Am Not Going to Become Mr. Mousavi's Fan on Facebook

I am not saying that Mousavi is not a reformer. In my meaningless opinion, he's not enough of what the country needs to be free.

3) This Sort of Thing May Never Happen Again

Oppressive regimes with an internet capable citizenry are watching what develops very closely. While these governments already heavily censor web content, they have a vested interest in making sure that the people don't realize what they can do with this tool and try to stop it.

Then, there's the almighty dollar.

Let's say I ran a social network here in the US that is being used by the Iranian people to help organize protests. Knowing the strife that many Persian-Americans faced in fleeing Iran, I decide to keep my site running in the country despite its government's efforts to shut us down. Finally, the people win and the despots are removed from power.

While resting on my laurels, I get a call from the technology minister of a country with the fastest growing economy in the world and one seventh of the world's population. I just opened an office in this country with hopes that my product is going to become the new popular way to communicate, which means unimaginable ad revenue. The technology minister gives me two options:

Option 1: Allow them to screen everything going on; block specific communications containing anything from a special list of words; and tell them who is trying to use this service in the ways they don't like. If I do this, I can stay and make as much money as I can.

Option 2: I'm out, someone else is in.

This is quite a dilemma. Are these governments calling up US companies right now? I don't know, and we may never know.

The only thing I do know is that something remarkable could be happening, and it doesn't matter if it started in the streets or in cyberspace. A country filled with beautiful people, cultures, and traditions may finally be free to live the lives they want.

The Clean Coal Communications War Continues

2009-06-18T19:03:00.008-04:00

Since starting this blog, I have been trying to give opinions on the various twists and turns on the war for the hearts and minds of the American public over Clean Coal Technology. After the election, things really cooled down from what I could see.

Now that the new administration is in office and the cap and trade system is moving forward, the energy company CEO who stands to benefit most from the system is making public appearances... even on the Colbert Report.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Jim Rogers

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Stephen Colbert in Iraq

All in all, this wasn't a horrible move for Rogers. The short interview was a good, soft way of explaining his company's goals. Plus, he actually mentioned that carbon sequestration is a by product of coal gasification, which few people actually mention. I hope this means that maybe we can finally have an open debate about the merits and costs of the technology.

Taking A Break

2009-06-10T18:15:00.000-04:00

Well folks, I've decided that this blog o'mine needs a little more focus so I've decided to take a break and make a plan on how to move forward.

The Recession Hits P&G

2009-05-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

According to AdAge.com, we're going to see something exciting in Cincinnati this Thursday. Apparently, P&G CEO AG Lefly is going to announce a price cut for Tide.

What's more disturbing about this are the data points they post with the article:

Could this mark a down turn CPG prices across the board? I don't know. What I do know from this data is that nearly one of five consumers are leaving Tide behind and most of them are not going to come back. This situation leaves me with two questions.

1) Are stalwart brands - like Tide - not recession proof?

2) Or, did P&G rest on its market dominance laurels too long to preserve their brand during the economic downturn?

Well, if this price cut pans out we'll never really know for sure. The price cut could register in the minds of the consumer as P&G saying, "our product is great, but not great enough for you to pay what you used to."

In reality, they're probably going to run an ad that says, "Times are tough and we're going to help you out but cutting our prices because no one should sacrifice being 'Tide clean,'" or something like that.

Not So Elaborate Phishing Scams Are Making Facebook Annoying

2009-05-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

It looks like our Memorial Day Weekends were made a little more annoying. Not once but twice did I receive one line notes from people on facebook to go to a phishing site. Honestly, if Facebook wanted to up their brand to a new level they should come out with some strategy to catch the culprits.

Danger Mouse v. EMI

2009-05-19T17:55:00.000-04:00

DJ, producer, musician, and self-described auteur Danger Mouse (real name Brian Joseph Burton) made his mark on the record industry by disregarding any legal protections they had set up and creating the Grey Album, a mash up of Jay Z’s black album and The Beatles’ White Album.

While it did not take long for the “cease and desist” orders to come in, the young producer’s name was everywhere. Since then he’s gone on to become 50% Gnarls Barkley, produce records for a bunch of bands both big and small. One of the “smaller” – and by smaller I mean lesser known but by no means not as good - bands is the group Sparklehorse. It was a bit of a dream- team collaboration. Not only would the record feature Danger Mouse and the band, but also the likes of the Flaming Lips and Iggy Pop. PLUS, it was going to come packaged in a book of photos shot by enigmatic film director David Lynch.

Anyway, the idea was way too expansive – and dare I say cinematic – for the folks at EMI, Danger Mouse’s record label, who have tried to put the kibosh on the release of the record. Rather than let a work sit on the shelf for legal reasons, the artists all decided to release the book of photos that would have housed the record with a blank disk and a note that says go ahead and download it from wherever.

What does this mean?

Despite the fact that we will never know how many torrents and megaupload.com downloads of this record will occur, stories like this will do nothing to quell the demand for a record. In fact, the shelving of the release by EMI, is the best marketing for the record. (See the Jon Brian version of Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine.) It may not translate to increased sales of the book with the blank disk, but it will undoubtedly give Sparklehorse added buzz behind their upcoming tour for the record. Touring is where most groups make their money, thus this looks like a win for the band.

As for Danger Mouse, he really won’t lose much either. His individual brand as an iconoclast who cares about quality products more than cold hard cash will continue to benefit him with more invitations to produce records from even more artists.

(Oh, and if you're interested in getting the album, this website will lead you to the place to get it.)

Saving Terrestrial Radio By Legalizing Payola?

2009-05-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

According to the most recent Sound Opinions broadcast on NPR, the recent attempt by the government to stop the continued use of Payola has failed once again. For those of you out there who are unfamiliar with the term, Payola is a scam where record companies pay radio stations to play their music. As a result, local musicians or musicians with less financial backing are played less on the radio.

In the days before the internet, when radio was the main medium for discovering new music, Payola was a real problem. Technically, one could argue that it was a clandestine effort by one organization to deny the market a possible alternative product. Nowadays, thatís not so much the case. As an avid music lover, I rarely listen to the radio to find new, exciting things to enjoy. (I'm sure it wouldn't take too much of an effort to find a study that proves my point.)

With all of this in mind, I would like to posit a solution to this "problem," and that is to legalize payola. As of now, consumers have little benefit to listen to terrestrial radio. The current payola scheme subjects listeners to general advertisements and music that record companies bribed the broadcaster to play, which is effectively an advertisement to purchase the music. Therefore, listeners are being given a smaller variety of what they intend to consume.

Let's bring this interaction above the table. Record companies should put together playlists of their artists and buy blocks of time from the broadcasters. During this block of time, a record company can bring down the cost by allowing the broadcaster to sell air time to advertisers, but the amount of ad time must be limited to 10% (six minutes per hour) of the purchased block.

Next, the broadcaster should post the playlist to their website. From the website, the broadcaster can collect some sort of click through revenue to the purchase of the music from whatever service the record label chooses, whether Lala, iTunes, Amazon, or what have you. This additional revenue from the consumers directly will compensate ñ and possibly overcompensate - for the loss in ad revenues from the new system.

For record companies, this system could be a win in that they can expose a greater number of their acts to the listening public and possibly get a greater return on the recording and promoting costs. For the broadcasters, this system could bring more listeners back from the other alternatives currently available with this new value proposition. Yes, they will have to pay taxes on the money that they used to take illegally, but they also would stand to make a greater level of revenue than the previous system could allow. Finally, for consumers, this system will allow them the potential of greater variety on terrestrial radio. If the record companies find that playing Britney Spears for an hour yields higher revenues than playing a greater variety of artists than they're pretty much where they are right now. But, at least this system gives consumers a chance to dictate the airplay on their local stations.

Uh Oh, Cheerios: The Matt Koppel Never Say All Theory of Marketing/PR/Advertising

2009-05-14T20:56:00.000-04:00

The folks at General Mills made a little boo boo the other day when they stated that Cheerios is "clinically proven to lower cholesterol."

It seems in making that statement they are putting their cereal on the same level as prescription drugs, at least according to the Food and Drug Administration. If they would like to continue to make that statement they can pull their cereal from the market and have it tested, or they could think of another way to say "clinically proven to lower cholesterol."

This fiasco leads me back to a theory that I am going to claim as mine (until someone else shows me a text that says otherwise): The Never Say All Theory.

Basically, I theorize that there is almost never a situation in Marketing, Communications, or Marketing Communications where a message can be completely authoritative. Therefore, as messengers, we must never say "All." In the event we are proven wrong, the negative backlash will be much greater than the brow beating you could take for not fully backing a statement.

Remember this picture?

Or, maybe this video.

Finally, notice how I am saying that this is a theory. If someone were to show me a message using an authoritative "all" statement that's true, I could say that's why my theory is a theory and not a law. Maybe it's anecdotal evidence, but we should know nothing is 100% in this business. The conversation would be over and we can move on to something else.

Please Stop Calling Them Pits...

2009-05-14T18:53:00.000-04:00

Okay, this may make me sound like an old man but I am not cool with these deodorant commercials calling armpits "pits."

I am a big fan of getting rid of euphemisms like "irregularity" or "not feeling your freshest" or whatever else is floating around, but "pits" is too casual. Besides, the armpit had a fine euphemism with "underarm." Now, Clogate's Speed Stick is running ads asking "What's your pit type" on Hulu. (It's not on youtube, sorry.)

Sorry Hulk, I guess we're not living up to your standards.

MiFi Will Kill Satellite Radio

2009-05-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

With the introduction of the MiFi from Verizon, we are about to witness the end of satellite radio. Why? Despite the fact that it was a good idea, satellite radio cannot provide the expansive and infinite content of the internet.

One of the main selling points for XM/Serius is commercial free music and talk for people who have to spend lots of time in their car listening to the radio to stay sane. With a MiFi in my car, my iPod touch can now stream podcasts and music from services like Pandora wherever I may be. (It sort of makes makes the iPhone a little silly now too, because the service plan costs less than an AT&T iPhone talk and data plan, but that's for another day.)

Back to the death of satellite radio. Whether you're a long tail type like me or a Britney listening pop junky like my sister, the internet gives users "on demand" listening capabilities. Until satellite radio introduces a product that's as easy to use as a net-top or an iPod touch with "on demand" capabilities, I have no reason to assume that XM/Serius will survive this new bit of technological convergence.

Are Luddites Making A Comeback?

2009-05-08T06:51:00.000-04:00

The Pew Internet and American Life Project is one of the most interesting reads for a marketing nerd like me.

The graph seen above is from a study covering how people perceive and use their cell phone in addition to their computer. What struck me as interesting is the growing discontent on the opposite side of the digital divide.

To me, it's understandable that less than half of these groups of people would find it hard to give up their cell phone because they are a little older and spent most of their lives without one. What's more interesting is the fact that - just one year later - big drop offs in these groups.

Can it be that technology is moving to fast for some people, and - as a result - making them increasingly angry? Now, I don't think people are to start throwing their gadgets out the window. But, I do think that as products become more advanced we will start to these groups, which are probably going to decrease in size, become even more discontent.

As a marketer, I would find this both troubling and as a gift. It's troubling in that, we've invested so much money into reaching all types of people through every medium, with hopes of maximizing it's potential; not giving up on it. Although, it's a gift because it means that there are fewer ways to get to these people, and it may mean that they are more receptive to those media. Of course, those media are changing too at a rapid pace. Are we prepared to cut some people off?

Get Ready For The Schlock

2009-05-07T07:16:00.000-04:00

A while back I wrote about the new Jay Leno show and how the NBC execs were saying it's going to be "untivoable."

After realizing the Tivo actually might be a source of revenue for the network as an advertiser, they decided to call it "DVR Proof."

How is it going to be DVR Proof? Well, he going to do live commercials.

NBC's Reasoning: If it comes from Jay they will watch. I'd love to tap into Tivo's numbers in a few months and see how many people skip over this part of his program.

Unfortunately, I don't think Jay is as cool as fictional late night host Larry Sanders who was also asked to do on air ads.

So Tired of The Rock Star Image... Even If You're Trying To Say "Our Rockstars Are Not Like Your Rockstars"

2009-05-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

Everyone wants to be a rock star these days, but no one wants to play an instrument or learn to sing. They'd rather play Guitar Hero than play the guitar. As a result, the idea of being a rock star is dramatically different from what it was even a few years ago.

When Venables Bell & Partners decided that Intel employees were going to go geek chic, they put together the campaign that brought us the photo featured above. For me, this just doesn't work anymore. First off, the age of the Spinal Tap rock star has passed once again. We don't see women chasing Chris Martin down the street and most people don't really want to talk to Bono anymore. This ad relies on a parody of a parody. Do you know what happens when you try to make that happen? You get such marvelous things as Mind of Mencia, Mad TV, or the craptastic Not Another "Insert Something Here" movie.

But, I digress; back to the "rock star" brand. The image of the rock star is no longer that of the iconoclast. If you were to take some musician who makes music like the music you would imagine coming from the band in the photo, it would probably sound like Nickleback. Here's what the Portuguese think of them:

I don't think these guys are anyone's rock stars, in my poll of one Canadian (home nation of Nickleback) I found that 100% think they suck.

Hey Venables: why do you need to make me feel like a person of lesser intelligence by saying that we worship goofballs like this? We don't, and we do admire Intel for their inventions. Listen, from one nerd to another, grow the hell up.

I can just imagine the people in the room who made this ad saying, "We need to show them that we're awesome now, but not just awesome we're ironic AND awesome." Here's a tip. Next time you think you are the first person to come up with this idea, go on to Netflix and pick it up in it's best form. It's called 16 Candles. Anthony Michael Hall is this nerdy kid (SPOILER ALERT) who becomes cool because everyone thinks he slept with the hottest girl in school.

I'm So Over Tablets

2009-05-05T07:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, I stole this picture from Wired and yes I have an iPhone; so, why am I whining about the possibility of tablet war?

My main reason, I like keyboards. I like that I can use all of my fingers rather than just my thumbs. Plus, other people have no excuse when they write in texting language on their computer, it just looks dumb.

Then there's cleaning. I find myself habitually try to get all the schmutz that my phone acquires off all the time.

Now, we're going keyboardless. Now, we're going to see how dirty our hands really are.

ABC Shows Coming to Hulu: Thank Goodness?

2009-05-04T06:59:00.000-04:00

While I don't watch many ABC television programs, I was a little delighted to see that Disney struck a deal with the Fox/NBC joint venture to post their programming on the website.

Why?

Hulu offers a better viewing experience than ABC.com; it's less clunky and - intelligently - offers fewer frills. When viewing an ABC.com show in full screen and it cuts to a commercial, the viewer leaves full screen to go to a small streaming video ad in the corner of a screen that features a gigantic banner ad. Plus, you have to click on the screen to go back to your program unless you fiddle around and find the "Settings" menu on the website, which oddly features the exact opposite of what you want to be default settings.

ABC.com looks much nicer than Hulu on the surface, but it lacks one of Hulu's strongest selling points: the queue. The queue - a complete copy of Netflix - allows a viewer to sit at his or her computer and pick out programming for a desired amount of time. After that he or she doesn't need to sit directly infront of the screen until that period is up.

What surprises me the most though is the fact that Disney did not try to right its course with ABC.com with the advent of Hulu. ABC.com's streaming video predated Hulu by at least two years, and you would think they might be a little more apt to fix their problems rather than fold and go in with the competition. This action leaves me with a couple of scenarios running through my mind as to why this occured:

1) Disney wanted to update the site but realized it would be cheaper just to throw programming up on Hulu and then offer expanded offerings on their own webiste.

2) Disney realized that Hulu's combined network programming makes it easier for advertisers to come spend money and they were being left out. The profile of a TV on the internet viewer is a specific demo/psychographic. If Hulu continues to grow in popularity - and programming - Disney would be left out in the cold when it comes to advertising dollars.

Finally, this whole thing is leaving me wondering what Viacom/CBS will end up doing. While they post Comedy Central programming on Hulu, CBS.com has a streaming player too, which is rather glitchtastic. But, they also offer programming that is both good and not on television anymore. Currently, a viewer can watch the first two seasons of Twin Peaks on CBS.com, and that's a very good idea. By offering unique programming - that is good - to the internet medium CBS has a chance to make some ad revenue of off old properties other than DVD sales.

The Audio Audit: The Dissonance of Nostalgia

2009-04-10T16:28:00.000-04:00

More often than not, advertisers will co-opt popular music from other times to some reasonable success. Lately Chips Ahoy and Swiffer have used the Human League's "Don't You Want Me Baby" to a good effect.

Then there's ads like this:

While I am sure that plenty of Boomers find some enjoyment with this parody, I cannot help but think that there's some people my parents age who are more then well aware that Elvis died on the toilet stuffed to his skull with pills. Some of those pills might have even been made by the same company that makes Viagra. Don't get me wrong, when I am their age and 1) I need Viagra and 2) someone actually wants to sleep with me, I'll go running to the doctor's office.

HOWEVER, if I really have a choice about which medication I get, I might want to go with the one that doesn't flash the image of a portly man with massive mutton chop sideburns dead with his pants down in my head.

Only in New York

2009-04-05T16:59:00.001-04:00

Oh sarcasm...

Join the mattkoppel audio branding fanclub on Facebook.

2009-04-03T18:34:00.000-04:00

Hey there friends. As you know, I am here in New York now trying my best to stay afloat and I have set up a Facebook page for my audio branding music. I would really appreciate you all joining up and having a listen to what I am working on.

- Matt

CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO THE PAGE

When Going Paperless Isn’t a Good Thing: The Sun-Times Declares Bankruptcy

2009-04-01T17:40:00.000-04:00

Well, we’re getting closer to pouring one out for our friends at the Chicago Sun-Times. The Second City’s second paper is the second Chicago newspaper to file since the media implosion of 2008-2009.

One might think that a person like me – a guy who has invested his education, free time, and potential livelihood in emerging technologies - would be happy to see these guys go down like the credit card companies at the end of Fight Club; however, this couldn’t be further from the truth for a number of reasons:

1) Emerging technologies need people who worked with the older media. Whether it’s the ethical standards of journalism or waxing poetic on effective layout and design, there is absolutely no reason these people cannot lead the transition. Moreover, the Sun-Times is a medium and there are plenty of people in that building that know how to effectively communicate with the world. It would be extremely foolish to think that every newspaper man and Sun-Times employee is a Luddite. They offer an understanding that a young medium needs.

2) Now the market is going to be oversaturated with talent of all sorts. For my IMC buddies out there still looking for a place to work, this is the last thing they need.

3) The Trib Sucks. The Sun-Times has done an okay job of keeping the Tribune in check over the years. If the Tribune survives bankruptcy and the Sun-Times does not, I am not confident that Chicago will be receiving high quality information.

4) Then there’s the doomsday scenario. Can Chicago really go without a newspaper? This is the third largest city in the country. Houston, the fourth largest, barely gets by with the Houston Chronicle. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good paper but they cannot cover everything that happens in the area no matter how hard they try.)

My mood might just be effected by these hard economic times, but events like this don’t seem to offer any potential upside.

Smarter Marketing for the Military? The US Marine Corp. Brooklyn Bridge Workout.

2009-03-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

You can go ahead and call me what you will, but I have a problem with many of the marketing efforts that the US Armed Forces use to market the opportunities they give to our nation's men and women. Whether it's an ad featuring the Navy Seals in action and Godsmack blasting in the background or the "Army Experience Video Game," I am always left a little unnerved at how they trivialize the commitment our soldiers make. With many friends in service right now and one cousin in Iraq, I can't help but worry for their safety, and these ads do nothing to assuage my fear.

Today, while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, I saw this.

A group of four or five Marines - some were wearing t-shirts that said US Marine Corp Workout - leading a workout on the bridge for a group of young men and women. At first, I felt that unease that usually comes from the marketing efforts of late, but that quickly faded when I realized that this was a slightly better introduction to the commitment our soldiers make. I cannot give this effort the full thumbs up, but it feels like it's a step in the right direction.

The Arcade Fire Sell Out

2009-03-28T15:05:00.000-04:00

Well, not really. In fact, on this blog I have discussed poorly chosen music for advertisements and this spot for the upcoming live-action adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are" features a snippet of their song "Wake Up" off of their record Funeral.

Here's the trailer:

For me, the combination of the song - which is a high point on a record about the maturation process and the realization of death as a part of human existence - and the images of story book that most Americans were exposed to as children strikes a raw nerve in the right way.

Of course, I am pretty damn sure that was not what the person at the film marketing company was thinking with the pairing. Odds are they thought, "Hmm Spike Jonze is hip and indie minded, let's see if we can get one of the biggest indie bands to lend us a song." I wish I could give them the benefit of the doubt, but after Third Eye Blind's "Semi Charmed Life" appearing in countless trailers including this (click here because I can't embed it) there's no way that I can assume there are people out there who pay attention to lyrics and themes of pop music used in ads.

(Yes, there is the amazing irony of Artie Lang's many drug problems that ensued but I am going to set that aside because Artie Lang is not the product they are sellling.)

A New, Smart Move from a Major Label Band

2009-03-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

More often than not, I criticize bands who are signed to major record labels almost as much as the labels themselves. However, some very big name artists are going out of their ways to remind the fans – who made them rich – that they appreciate taking their hard-earned dollars.

The latest and most interesting development comes from the band No Doubt. According to the most recent Sound Opinions broadcast, the band is planning a big reunion tour and with the purchase of a face value ticket that person can download every song that the band has ever recorded.

It’s rare for a band to make any money off of recordings even when you’re a multi-multi-platinum album band like No Doubt. In fact, they usually end up in debt to the record company and have to go on painfully long tours to try and recoup the expenses. Now that the band is the position of power in their relationship, they are basically saying, “Touring is where we make our money. So, please watch, enjoy, get all of our music on you way out the door and keep coming back.”

While this is definitely not the first tour with the consumer/fan in mind, it’s surely innovative.

My local AT&T store admits error and gives me a month of free service

2009-03-19T17:36:00.000-04:00

Right before I finished graduate school, my Blackberry Pearl started acting up. The cursor ball would get jammed and send hundreds of emails and texts and call people at random if I left the phone unlocked. If the phone was locked, it would just drain the battery in about two hours. Either way, it was grossly inconvenient.

Luckily for me, my two year upgrade was coming up. So, all I had to do was wait a month – while looking for a job – with a highly unreliable phone. During that time, I lucked out and found a job, and right before I moved I decided to go to my local AT&T store in Evanston and get either the Blackberry Bold or an iphone. I ended up going with the iphone for a number of reasons that I’ll talk about some other time, but a downside (or maybe an upside) to purchasing the iphone is that you can’t buy an insurance policy for the phone but you can get Apple Care.

While they had run out of Apple Cares at the store, I paid for it along with the phone and was told to come back on Monday to pick it up. Long story short, they sold mine before I could get there. In fact, they did this two more times: they’d tell me the shipping days, I’d come in that afternoon, the Apple Cares would be gone. Two days before my move, I went in to the Apple store for a fourth time with no intention of raising hell. The manager recognized me from my multiple visits, went to look for the Apple Care himself, said – once again – that they were out of stock, and said he would ship the stuff to me the day it came in AND give me a month of free service.

Well, a month has now passed and AT&T of Evanston, IL kept up their end of the deal. My Apple Care was shipped and I didn’t have to pay my most recent bill. That’s some great customer service.

Note to all those cell phone providers with retail outlets near college campuses: Making sure individual customers are happy is always important. Making sure that your customer – who can spread word across an entire community in less than a day by using a university’s diverse communications networks – is imperative to the survival of your business.

It's Not New, It's Not Clever, It's Just Plagiarism

2009-03-11T21:40:00.001-04:00

The other day the New York Times ran an article about the new Snickers ad campaign from TBWA/Chiat/Day New York. Basically, they are using the Snickers logo and font to create silly catch phrases. Prior to the article running, I had seen some of the ads around New York and I said, "Oh this reminds me of those Punkers t-shirts we used to wear."

Normally, I would be okay with the copping of a good idea. Anti-corporate art is a great source for advertising material. So here's where my beef comes from:

"The genesis of the Snacklish idea can be traced to elements of a campaign, also by TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, that appeared from 2006 through early 2007. There were outdoor signs in large metropolitan markets that offered made-up words like “peanutopolis” and “nougatocity,” in the typeface and colors of the Snickers logo."

This is completely and totally untrue. As far back as the late 1990s, I recall many people wearing the "Punkers" logo t-shirt. By not attributing the credit to where it's due, TBWA/Chiat/Day New York is committing plagiarism.

If any of you out there have pictures of themselves wearing the "Punkers" shirt, or any other mass produced piece of clothing/art from any year prior to 2006 that uses the Snickers logo, send me a picture. It's time to expose some frauds for who they are.

Worst ad ever? Yeah, Probably.

2009-03-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought that the 5 Hour Energy ads were terrible I saw this:

Apparently adding an hour of energy subtracts a few dozen brain cells, but what's sad is that this ad might work. My girlfriend, a seventh grade teacher, had to ban Axe body spray along with other foul smelling things from her classroom because these kids believe that it will attract the opposite sex. The last thing she needs is 30 hyper caffeinated, stinky children.