MEDIA COMMENTARY, MUSINGS, & GENERAL CRANKINESS
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, General Crankiness on Jan 8th, 2012
Recently, Canadian ad blogger Heidi Ehlers, founder of Camp Black Bag, told me about a lesson she once learned from her mother. Heidi had just moped into a room to whine to her mother, “Momma, I am so bored.” And her mother responded, sagely if a little coldly, “No my dear, you are boring.” Sue [...]
Posted in Commentary, General Crankiness on Dec 16th, 2011
(Article I wrote for the Los Angeles Times.) My mother, a dyed-in-the-wool Minnesota Democrat, is sitting across the breakfast table from me. She’s reading the paper and comes across an ad for the big after-Thanksgiving sale at The Mall of America. “How can people even go to that place?” she laments. “It’s just a … [...]
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, General Crankiness on Nov 6th, 2011
Distilled from a recent interview on blog radio with the delightful Heidi Ehlers, founder of Camp Black Bag – “The Boot Camp for Your Career.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [...]
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, General Crankiness on Oct 27th, 2011
As expected, U.S. entries to Cannes were way down this year given the recent Zombie Apocalypse. Observers are surprised ad people continue to even exist given their worthlessness in a economy that now values productive trades like farmers, electricians, and mechanics. In fact, the few agencies still operating attribute their success almost entirely to being [...]
Posted in Advertising, General Crankiness on Oct 3rd, 2011
Okay, Zen parable time. And I’m gonna update mine a little bit for the modern palate. Okay, so you got this Zen master dude, right? Dude looks totally like Uma Thurman’s teacher from Kill Bill Vol. 2, always brushing that long white mustache to the side and everything. He’s pouring tea for his student, Grasshopper. [...]
Posted in Advertising, General Crankiness on Sep 25th, 2011
The other day in class we were reviewing some work the students had done and an interesting conversation took place. As I looked at the work the students had produced, I asked one of them, “Where were you when you were working on this?” He said he’d been working on concepts while watching a movie. [...]
Posted in Advertising, General Crankiness on Mar 15th, 2011
The ideas that were actually selling here at SxSW were the ones that were actually sold – by a fantastic speaker. Now I agree, some ideas are so great they don’t need to be sold. For example, they day they discover a cure for cancer? They won’t need an ad agency. They can take out [...]
Posted in Advertising, General Crankiness on Feb 22nd, 2011
Thank you, ladies, gentleman. Okay….Chiquita vs. Dole? People…. c’mon, this is the “to-may-to’s” taking on the “to-mah-to’s” … except it’s bananas. There’s no difference here. And forget about using that tired old “loaded with potassium” crap. People don’t care. Chiquita needs a messaging platform people care about. One that gives Chiquita a point of difference. [...]
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, General Crankiness on Feb 14th, 2011
As expected, U.S. entries to Cannes were way down this year given the recent Zombie Apocalypse. Observers are surprised ad people continue to even exist given their worthlessness in a economy that now values productive trades like farmers, electricians, and mechanics. In fact, the few agencies still operating attribute their success almost entirely to being [...]
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, General Crankiness, Social Media, digital on Feb 7th, 2011
Well, I went 50-50 on my predictions for what would show up in the Top 10 of USA Today’s Ad Meter. I guessed kinda right that a Bud Light spot would make it in. I guessed that another user-generated Doritos spot would make the top 10. That Weiden would a cool spot for Coke. That [...]
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