AdGab

Art Show Blunder: Event Hosting Tips for Young Professionals

2011-04-09T13:59:00.005-04:00

I went to an art show last night where I encountered a less-than-professional young professional. From an event attendee and fellow young professional, here are my tips for yp's that are attending their own events:

1. Don't drink, especially if there's an open bar. A glass of wine usually leads to a second, and a third, and before you know it you're no longer running your event, you're at your own party.

2. Let your fellow event hosts know ahead of time that they will be asked to give a short speech. Don't throw them in front of a crowd unprepared. It creates an awkward experience for everyone.

3. Don't interrupt a speech to interject your own ideas. Especially if you're going to make statements that are offensive to the attendees. This connects to the first tip: don't drink.

Remember that you're not only representing your organization, you're also representing yourself. Any small blunder may seem harmless at the time, but is likely to leave a sour taste in your event attendee's mouths that may come in to play at a later point.

Chobani v. FAGE: The Greek Yogurt Advertising Battle

2011-04-01T21:23:00.001-04:00

It seems like there is now a yogurt out there for everything. Yogurt that cuts calories for those that want to be fit, yogurt for those with digestive issues, yogurt for those that crave sweets, and now the original Greek yogurt seems to be going main stream. Recently, commercials for both FAGE and Chobani Greek yogurt have been airing in the battle for brand awareness and consumer sales.

The FAGE commercial without sound is beautiful. The white oceans and flowers blending with color are gorgeous. I’ll ignore the fact that it makes the yogurt look extremely watery and milk-like because the visual concept of this commercial is fantastic. What drives me nuts about this commercial is the copy. There’s a comment on the YouTube video that says it best: “This sounds like Dr. Seuess was craving yogurt.” I can plainly say that rhyming is just plain lame, especially when the rhymes don’t sound the same. (See what I did there?) Nothing about the copy in this commercial makes me think, “Hm, I want to try that!” In all honesty, when I went to write this post I couldn’t even remember the brand name to look up the commercial. Oops.

The Chobani commercial is fairly plain (no FAGE pun intended). Quick spots that have a Chobani fan telling a story about their favorite yogurt. One tells the tale of an Angela look-a-like that hides her yogurt in the drawer at work to deter hungry coworkers. The other shows an early morning adventure of a man on a mission to see the plant where his favorite yogurt is made. There’s nothing overly creative or stimulating about these spots. The ability to relate to the people in these spots (I, too, work in an office where coworkers are not afraid to snatch an unmarked snack from the fridge) and the repetition of the brand name is what makes these spots work.

So how am I judging the overall winner of this battle? Not really by my advertising-side opinion, but rather my personal consumer experience. I had actually never heard of Chobani before I saw the commercial. After hearing these silly stories over and over I became curious. I now eat Chobani every day and I look forward to it! This is not to say Chobani is the better yogurt. FAGE may very well taste better or may even be better for me, but nothing about their spot makes me want to find out.

I know, I know...

2011-03-30T20:42:00.003-04:00

I've fallen way behind on the blog posts! But who can blame me? The weather has been beautiful (minus today) and since the start of daylight savings time I'm able to run outside after work instead of going on the treadmill. I can't resist! Plus, I have a lot of big announcements to share, but they will have to wait a while. New advertising posts coming soon. I promise.

MyTouch Doesn't.

2011-01-11T18:52:00.006-05:00

I was going to do a post about some print ads today (The Good, The Bad, and The One That Makes Me Giggle), but with the announcement that the iPhone 4G is finally coming to Verizon on February 10th, I thought it was fitting to gripe about another less-than-wonderful television commercial. In this case it's not just the commercial, it's the whole campaign.

Back in April 2009 I blogged about the Microsoft ads that were the answer to the Mac v. PC campaign. For me, the Microsoft campaign just did not match up to its competition. Now T-Mobile is stepping up against AT&T and the iPhone to advertise their MyTouch 4G.

I will start by saying this: PLEASE get your own idea. This whole "Hi, I'm this. "Hi, I'm this." is turning into, "Hi, I'm *insert brand* and my marketers aren't creative enough to come up with their own original idea for a commercial!" Beyond the lack-of-creativity in this campaign comes a lack of good strategy. The big push seems to be based on the fact that an iPhone needs WIFI to make video-chatting possible and a MyTouch does not. Neat. Except the last time I checked most people weren't lining up to buy an iPhone because it has video chat. The iPhone boom started long before the video chat option came along and clearly isn't the biggest selling point of the iPhone.

Nothing really compares to the iPhone. What T-Mobile needs to do is create a campaign that shows the features of the MyTouch without trying to make it "better" than xyz. When the Droid was first released an entire "Droid Does" campaign was launched. Rather than talking about how the same features available on both phones were better on the Droid, it pointed out the features that "Droid Does" that iPhone doesn't. Sure it still dissed the iPhone, but it left viewers with a taste of the capabilities available with the Droid instead of a picture of a less-cool-wannabe-iPhone.

More than one T-Mobile spot points out the video chat feature and the carrier network. Apparently T-Mobile feels strongly that AT&T is bogging down its customers with its super-slow network. There has been a lot of complaints about AT&T service, but Apple fans have a level of brand loyalty like no other. Have you met a non-AT&T customer that gave up their iPhone for a different phone to switch to better service? There's not many out there. Wait, what's that? Enter stage left: Verizon. Another network option for the same phone. Time for a new marketing strategy, T-Mobile.

New Year. New Writing. New Advertising Thoughts.

2011-01-04T21:12:00.009-05:00

Happy 2011! Almost a year later I've returned to my AdGab blog to write about my favorite and least favorite advertisements. I've been busy the past year working for a local television affiliate and learning a lot about the behind-the-scenes aspects of television advertising. A great perk of my job is getting to watch TV all day - yes, I got to see the 2010 Winter Olympics live, Regis and Kelly every day, and I won't even have to take off of work to watch Prince Williams wed. On top of all that greatness, my coworker (shout out to Justine!) and I get to pick apart the commercials that we can't stand. The number one winner for 2010 was Tide Acti-Lift.

Observe.

1) The shot of the mother and her friends walking into the club is reminiscent of a shot in the opener of season one of The Hills. Yes, let me screen-split it to show the full ridiculousness. (Also note the outfits her friends are wearing.)

2) Why is the mother and her friends at a club? Do mothers of teens relate to this? I'm curious, please let me know if you are a mother of a teenager and still go to clubs with your friends.

3) Is that Nate's Taco Truck at the club? Okay that's irrelevant and only understood by VCU students/alum.

4) The fine print at :20 says "Dramatization: Dry roasted pepper olive oil stain on 100% cotton." So no, it's not even taco grease and buyers will be disappointed.

5) Out of all the clothes her daughter has, she chose to borrow that ugly green shirt.

In all seriousness. WHO were they trying to target? Single mothers in mid-life crisis? Okay, I get it. Instead of the mom doing laundry to clean her kid's and husband's stains out of their clothes it's her cleaning a stain out of the shirt she stole from her daughter for a fun girls night out. Yes, mothers have lives other than laundry and housework, but I really hope "The Secret Life of the American Mother" isn't her stealing her daughter's clothes to go out on the town clubbing.

Okay mothers of kids and teenagers, what activity and spill do YOU think would have made more sense for this commercial? Hopefully this is out of rotation for 2011.

The Martin Agency wins US Agency of 2009

2010-01-24T17:55:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Richmond, Virginia's The Martin Agency for winning US Agency of 2009! Check out the article from AdWeek here.

Merry Christmas Ads

2009-12-07T21:17:00.004-05:00

Here are just some of the holiday ad's I've really been enjoying this holiday season.

WalMart Thanks Our Troops
I have to admit that when I first saw this ad it made me a little emotional. My heart always breaks a little for all the kids that are living with a parent stationed overseas and that goes double for the holidays. However, over the past few years I have seen some ads that seem to exploit this fact by creating ads based around this idea that are fairly insensitive. I think The Martin Agency did a great job with this ad. It's tastefully done and pulls on my heart strings every time I see it.

Target: Made by Elves
In all honesty, this commercial just makes me laugh. That's all there is to it. A big improvement from their horrible Black Friday commercials.

Verizon: Misfit Toys
I have been really enjoying Verizon's new commercials that go up against AT&T (more on that another time). My friend Jessica passed along this one to me after I Twittered about another Verizon ad. It's an amusing commercial that takes a great spin on those creepy animated children's holiday "classic" specials.

Which holiday ads do you like this year?

Brine Tribe

2009-12-07T20:17:00.004-05:00

Time to get interactive. Actually, Brine has been interactive for a while now, but I finally found the time to sit down and join the tribe.

I first saw the Join the Tribe/Mask commercial during last season's NCAA Women's lacrosse finals. I love advertising, social media, and all things involved in my career choice, but lacrosse is my first true love. I loved the idea behind the commercial - using lacrosse equipment to create a tribal mask.

For those that do not know much about lacrosse, it is America’s oldest sport and was played by Native Americans for a number of reasons. It is not America’s fastest growing sport and is known as the fastest sport on two feet. I also like to refer to it as the best sport ever. (For more info on the history of lacrosse, visit the US Lacrosse website!)

But I digress. Brine invites its audience to “Join the Tribe” by logging onto its site to create a personalized tribal mask made of lacrosse equipment. Creators can choose to make a mask out of a pre-made mask, form a mask around a stencil, or start with a blank canvas. Users click and drag Brine equipment to form their mask and then can save them to the Brine gallery. There is also a download option that allows the new tribe members to download their mask in various sizes that include an iPhone and Icon-sized option. Brine also features tribe member’s masks in its print ads.

What I really like about this interactive campaign, besides the creative, is the ability to build a tighter community of lacrosse players. Plus, it’s fun! Check out my tribal mask below. It’s called “Raider” after my high school team where I began my lacrosse experience.

Whoops!

2009-10-07T21:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I have been busy interning at an amazing organization: Women for Women International. Be sure to check them out!

Spike Runs on Dunkin

2009-08-24T15:27:00.003-04:00

Here is a hodgepodge of the Dunkin Donuts commercials for Spike TV. They are pretty funny. My favorite, of course, is the ad at 1:02 that is the lacrosse ad (YES! I will ignore the fact that all the lacrosse sticks seem to be mens sticks). "Can't has no place in ladies lacrosse, gentlemen." If only I had known that line while coaching this past season... the rest are pretty great as well. ENJOY!

Favorite Ads

2009-08-24T14:23:00.005-04:00

I Tweeted/Facebooked a request to my friends: Tell me your favorite ad (broadcast, print, etc.). Here are some of the responses.

VW Pink Moon (From Cole)

I vividly remember this commercial. What makes me laugh now is, from what one can actually see of the car, how out-of-date the Cabrio actually looks in the present. However, I remember it being a popular commercial and I attribute much of that to the calming, nostalgic feel of the commercial that is still very opposite of most car commercials that focus on the fast, powerful feeling of driving the advertised card.

"Bff Jill?" for Cingular (From Ellen)

Honestly I have yet to meet a person that doesn't like this commercial. Male or female, I've often heard "IDK, my BFF Jill?" quoted. Plus, the over-usage of the text lingo was comparable with filming the commercial in a different language... the viewers is drawn to watching just to figure out what is even being said. It still makes me laugh.

Think Before You Speak for AdCouncil (From Katelyn)

Unfortunately due to the small amount of air time PSAs receive, most people have not seen this commercial. Admittedly, I think I have only seen it once or twice. What I respect about AdCouncil PSAs is the use of comedy to draw the attention of viewers to become familiar with the issue being advertised. My favorite part of this commercial is the bluntness of having "Knock it off" at the end and the complete nonchalant tone of the woman's voice when she explains the use of "That's so Emily and Julia." Nice pick, Katelyn!

Schick Quattro TrimStyle for Women (From most females I know)

I don't feel this commercial even needs an explanation of why it's a favorite of many women. It is appropriate in the sense that a young viewer is not likely to understand the changing shape of the shrubbery. For someone that gets it, it is simply hilarious, but in a subtle way.

Supermodelquins for Old Navy (From various supermodelquins fans)

Personally, I am not a fan of the Supermodelquins. I think the commercials are cheesy and kind of dumb. What I am a fan of is how well these ads transition from television to in-store. When one enters an actual Old Navy store, the supermodelquins are there to greet them which instantly creates a connection from viewing the commercial to the actual brand experience.

There you have it, some of my friend's favorite ads (that, incidentally are all television ads).

It's a Twitter World

2009-08-21T15:41:00.005-04:00

I read an interesting article in the AdAge newsletter today about correlation between Twitter and Hollywood's box office success. Simon Dumenco's "Could Twitter Destroy Hollywood's Marketing Magic?" reflects on the recent Baltimore Sun article "Twitter Effect rattles Hollywood" written by Michael Sragow. Dumenco's article uses the Trendrr Chart of the Week to establish his observations between the relationship between the number of tweets and the movie's overall gross. It appears from the chart that the higher volume of tweets resulted in a higher box office income. However, what Dumenco misses that Sragow gets is that it is not necessarily the quantity of tweets, but the content of the tweets. While the quantity of tweets helps the topic reach "Trending Topics" status, I personally recall "Bruno" being a trending topic that was accompanied by an overwhelming amount of negative tweets.

It is very apparent that Twitter is really beginning to have an impact on word-of-mouth promotion and demotion not only on movies, but television series, music, and other brands. Looking further into this, I came across a site called TweetFeel. The site allows the user to type in whatever keyword is desired and receive a calculation on positive or negative Tweets about the topic. This tool could potentially be very helpful for companies to track the word-of-mouth on a particular brand. For example, the movie Inglourious Basterds has just begun its nation-wide opening weekend, but TweetFeel has already calculated the results of 62 tweets that revealed a 87% positive response to the keyword. It also displays actual Tweets so the user can see what is being said on the topic: "Inglourious Basterds is AMAZING. Go see." "[Username] thought Inglourious Basterds is amazing and wants to see it again!"

However, there are some tweaks to work out with TweetFeel. Sometimes the system picks up a tweet that contains the keyword, but may not truly reflect a negative or positive attitude toward that keyword. I searched the brand soda "Sprite" and was given 33 tweets that resulted in a 91% rate of positive tweets on the brand. However, negative tweets on the brand included ones such as, "I don't like Sprite with skittles yuck!" whereas a positive tweet on the brand included, "I need a Sprite and some skittles to regroup."

Twitter will continue to be an important tool in word-of-mouth promotion for brands and I have to agree with Dumenco when he says, "Some day soon somebody's going to get a Ph.D. in the statistical parsing of Twitter data streams -- high-concept stuff far beyond the purview of the humble Trendrr Chart of the Week." And, while I'm at it, follow Simon Dumenco on Twitter.

AdGab Makeover

2009-08-20T21:32:00.003-04:00

I gave AdGab a little makeover! It's been almost a year since I began this blog. Unfortunately it's been a little neglected due to the ever-present job hunt so I thought I'd spruce it up a bit for its first birthday. I was really getting tired of the orange template and decided to customize it a bit. Maybe the new look will inspire me to gab more than I have been these past few months. Hope you like it!

When I Grow Up...

2009-08-20T19:16:00.002-04:00

I just re-discovered this video while posting it on a friend's page. It's always made me laugh, but I like to think it explained a lot of my professor's personalities while I was studying advertising.

If Man Walked on the Moon Today

2009-07-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

The Martin Agency tweeted a link to this today. Their critique: "Should break to MJ news mid-story."

I personally like the Twitter tweets, especially the one that says, "Those space suits look gay."

Oh I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer Weiner

2009-07-09T13:41:00.007-04:00

A great article from AdAge about Oscar Mayer's advertising/marketing: Remembering My Days as a Hot Dogger.

Hmm... I think I'll go make a hot dog for lunch.

Bleeding Billboards

2009-07-06T23:51:00.002-04:00

An interesting twist to road-side billboards.

Here is a short article about the billboards that is followed by some interesting comments and opinions on the campaign: Disturbing Billboard Bleeds When It Rains

What is your opinion on this billboard?

Tweet Tweet: Kid's DON'T Twitter

2009-07-02T11:17:00.002-04:00

The Hartman Group has published an article surrounding the misconceptions of teenage usage of technology. The article is on point and very true. Though not a teen myself (thank goodness!), coaching tweens and teens sports really gave me insight into their use of social networking.

Hartman Group discusses 5 misconceptions:
1. Teens and Millennials communicate with each other via Twitter.
2. Email plays an important role in the daily lives of teens and millennials.
3. Teens are engrossed with utilizing technology to transform their lives and create cool software tools.
4. Facebook is the new Myspace for teens.
5. We can impute important learnings about future behavior by studying attitudes and behaviors of teens and millennials in their interactions with technology.

These are all extremely true. Technology does not play as important of a role in teens/tweens (or "millennials" I guess) in the way people assume. While studying advertising in my final semesters of college, it felt like the professors always wanted "Social networking!" as an outlet to reach the target audience. As long as those two magic words were said, the student was off the hook. What my professors did not understand was the truth of the 5 misconceptions above. If only this article had been published a year ago... it would have made senior year so much easier!

Read the complete article and find out the truth behind these misconceptions: Kid's Don't Follow, Kid's Don't Twitter.

NBA Wants to Think Outside the Bun

2009-07-02T00:09:00.003-04:00

Taco Bell is the NBA's newest fast-food sponsor, replacing McDonalds. Read about it on Adweek.

I'm not much of an NBA fan, but now that Utah Jazz has signed VCU Alum Eric Maynor (#3!!!) I'm sure I will be seeing a lot more Taco Bell adverts.

It's About You: Lance Armstrong/Nike Launch New Campaign

2009-06-29T23:54:00.008-04:00

Lance Armstrong and Nike launched the "It's About You" campaign Sunday night. The campaign, developed by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, uses mixed media to raise cancer awareness in conjunction with the July 4th start of this year's Tour de France. The campaign's was launched with a TV spot entitled "Driven" that features Armstrong and other cancer survivors. The spot will run throughout the duration of this year's Tour de France. Being a huge cycling fan and, therefore, a huge Armstrong fan, I may be a little biased in saying that I really believe this is a great campaign. The TV spot directly addresses the negative comments that have been countlessly made towards Armstrong claiming that he is arrogant, using performance enhancing drugs, etc. The most powerful part of the ad is Armstrong's statement, "I'm not back on my bike for them." As reflected in the title of his 2001 autobiography, it's not about the bike.

Videos on YouTube will feature stories of survivors as well as those affected or inspired by the fight against cancer.

The most innovative and just down right cool part of the campaign follows in a Tour de France tradition. Chalk writing, as seen in the photo below, floods the roads on the Tour de France route displaying inspirational messages for riders. This year, viewers can submit inspirational messages through text or internet that will be displayed in yellow chalk on the Tour de France route. GPS coordinates of where the message will appear on the Tour will be sent via email giving those submitting a chance to see their message. These "Chalking" events will also occur in cities across the country including New York and Chicago and photos will be featured on the Nike website.

According to an article from Business Wire, Nike athletes will also wear yellow LIVESTRONG apparel at numerous sporting events. Men’s mile and women’s 1500 athletes wore yellow at the Prefontaine Classic June 7. Nike Golfers, including 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover, will wear LIVESTRONG at the Travelers Championship June 22-28. Nike 6.0 BMX athletes Mike Spinner, Garrett Reynolds and Dennis Enarson will sport LIVESTRONG product June 26-27 at the Chicago stop of the Dew Tour, the most attended and viewed action sports tour in the world. Boston Red Sox pitcher and cancer survivor Jon Lester will wear a LIVESTRONG glove and spikes during the entire month of July. Sprinters Sanya Richards and LaShawn Merritt will wear LIVESTRONG uniforms and spikes at the Paris Golden League track & field meet on July 17. Nike athletes playing in the American Century Celebration Golf Tournament beginning July 14 will wear yellow.

Lance Armstrong is predicted to win the 2009 Tour de France. The win will make it his 8th Tour win overall.

Fox Teams Up with Apple's iPhone

2009-06-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

Fox is teaming up with iPhone to develop a Family Guy application. Read the article from Variety.

Gossip Girl Here: AdweekMedia Plan of the Year

2009-06-16T20:51:00.004-04:00

Adweek announced its AdweekMedia Plan of the Year winners this week. The most intriguing of the winners is Best Use of Moble: OMD. Honestly, the campaign was just downright cool. For the Gossip Girl Season 2 Premiere, OMD designed a campaign that linked viewers with the show in real-time via text message. For anyone that is a stranger to Gossip Girl, mobile devices dominate throughout the characters as the means of communication by text messaging and updating social networking sites. OMD recognized the popularity of mobile devices within the Gossip Girl audience and enabled the audience to receive text messages from "Gossip Girl" herself as the show unfolded. OMD teamed up with Clearspring to design a widget that allowed People.com updates to mobile devices. The widget was promoted using social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Ads for the widget drove traffic to the website. The campaign resulted in an increased Season 2 premiere audience as well as an increase in CW community website members. There are plans to repeat this sort of social network buzz success for the season 3 premiere.

While I do not watch Gossip Girl, I have to admit that this campaign is so cool I would have signed up for the text messages and watched the premiere just to be a part of it. Nice work, OMD.

He Always Tried to Be the Flyest Kid on the Block

2009-06-16T20:19:00.004-04:00

In an attempt to jump on the Twitter promo bandwagon, Aaron Carter "tweeted" his phone number so fans could call and talk to him. After countless reads on the ONTD thread, it seems that he mostly answered the phone for a 2 second conversation that ended with "Aaron is back!" He even posted live videos of him answering the phone to prove it was the real deal. A great attempt at a publicity stunt, but it seems that only celeb gossip blogs have caught on. Posting the phone number on Twitter seems more like desperation than smart promotion. Nice try, but I don't think all the Tweeting in the world will bring Aaron C. back.

Kutcher to Quit Twitter? Gasp

2009-05-27T01:36:00.003-04:00

That's right, Ashton Kutcher is threatening to quit Twitter after news broke that Twitter may join up with a reality show: Kutcher Threatens to Stop Twittering.

More Economic Struggles for the Advertising World

2009-05-26T19:18:00.003-04:00

Interesting article in the New York times about Titan Worldwide's struggle with the mass transit advertising market: Transit Authority Feeling the Pain From a Crippled Advertising Market.

VH1 Save's the Music with Social Networking

2009-05-21T21:51:00.005-04:00

VH1's Save the Music Foundation was been promoting music education in schools since 1997. The organization aims to raise money to provide new instruments to public schools and raise awareness of the importance of music education. According to VH1, the foundation has provided $43 million worth of new instruments to more than 1600 public schools in more than 100 cities nationwide.

The foundation uses celebrities that promote the foundation and raise money. Current celebrities, referred to as "Ambassadors," include The Fray, Natasha Bedingfield, Jason Mraz, Johnny Rzeznik, Gavin DeGraw, and Beyonce. Jason Mraz's upcoming "Gratitude Cafe Tour" will help raise money for the foundation by donating a portion of the ticket proceeds. Other Ambassadors attend SMF events and visit schools where they assist in handing out instruments and spending time with the students using them.

Save the Music also has also teamed up with a number of companies including iPopperz ear buds and LG (See the LG/SMF commercial below!). However, all these company and celebrity promotions are worthless if Save the Music cannot reach its audience. VH1 has jumped into the social networking world by using Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to update and inform on the progress of the foundation.

Using Twitter, Save the Music can send updates to follower's phones letting them know how, where, and when a Save the Music event or fundraiser is occurring. The Twitter page displays the featured Ambassador of the month (Johnny Rzeznik) as the background image. In addition, Twitter followers benefit by get ticket sale information for favorite artists and Save the Music benefits from proceeds of the ticket sales. Save the Music's Twitter currently has 2,674 followers.

Save the Music is also taking advantage of Facebook's Fan pages. Facebook users can become a fan of the Save the Music Foundation and view the same updates as Twitter users. Additionally, Facebook users can view photos and videos of Save the Music events as well as comment and share news stories and photos posted on the fan site. Save the Music's Facebook page has over 3,600 fans.

The Save the Music Foundation can greatly benefit from using these social networking tools. For example, Save the Music was launched when I was only in elementary school. I remember a few televised concerts and commercials, but knew nothing more about the foundation other than that it aimed to raise money to save music programs in public schools. The Facebook and Twitter pages have given me the opportunity to see how far the organization has come in the past 12 years and provided me with information on how I can contribute to the foundation. Most of the Ambassador artists of the foundation are those that appeal to my age demographic and are heavy internet and social network users. Additionally, it gives the opportunity for music teachers and students that are members of these sites to become involved and pass the pages onto others (I personally suggested the page to 14 friends on Facebook). With the current economic turmoil that is resulting in even more budget cuts for schools, VH1's Save the Music Foundation will be a key part in securing music programs in public schools making it even more important for the foundation to reach its audience.

For more information on Save the Music, visit vh1savethemusic.org.

For Your Entertainment...

2009-05-21T20:16:00.003-04:00

My commencement speaker, Francis Collins. While his actual speech was actually good and interesting, start at about 1:30 - it's pretty impressive, especially when you consider the fact that he is a genetic engineer!

Mac v. PC Update

2009-05-18T14:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a great article about the Microsoft ads:

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/05/17/would-bill-gates-have-aired-laptop-hunters/

Mac v. PC - Mac Wins & Goes Green

2009-04-06T13:52:00.003-04:00

Ever since Mac launched its Mac v. PC campaign the battle between Mac and PC has been going strong. I am a huge fan of this campaign and was interested in how PC would respond. Much to my disappointment, PC did not respond with a campaign that came anywhere close to the Mac campaign.

One of the newest PC commercials joins forces with Best Buy to tell the story of the journey of a girl that needs to buy a laptop. She begins her journey by describing her $1,000 budget and stopping by the Apple store to look at their laptops. Much to her dismay, the only laptop they that is under $1,000 is a 13" screen (because she wouldn't want to strain her eyes looking at Facebook for hours on such a small screen). So she heads over to Best Buy where she is able to get everything she needs to become a PC for under $1000. Okay, not only is this a boring commercial but I really feel the need to mention a small fact - BEST BUY SELLS APPLES. I guess in the poor economy being able to stay under a $1000 budget does sound appealing, but for all those youngsters that do not arm their PC with virus protection (or even use it, for that matter) this will quickly spiral into a much higher budget when the techies will have to be called in just to have their computer work again. I have personally been witness to a "Macboom" on campus in response to frustrated college students that were tired of their PCs failing at the most inconvenient times, but this is beside the point.

There are other aspects of the PC campaign that just do not work. Take, for example, the following two commercials:

Wow, aren't they cute? Thanks Kylie and Alexis for reminding all of those computer illiterates that as long as they have the intelligence level of a child from 4 to 7-years-old they too can use a PC! I hope those parental email controls are keeping Kylie from opening bad email.

The original "I'm a PC" TV spots were a bit better:

A great effort to build a PC brand community, but the ads fall short. I would really love this spot if it didn't seem like such a rip off of the Mac spots. Plus, the ad does not do much to break that PC stereotype set by the Mac campaign.

Maybe I am being biast... I am a Mac & a brand loyal member of the Apple community. I have had my Mac for almost 4 years now and it is still running strong. However, in the world of advertising I am still waiting for something big from PC that will make me say to people, "Yeah, I'm a Mac. I love my Mac, but being a PC is just as good." But while PC figures that out, Mac has moved onto being the Greenest Family of Notebooks.

Chips & Dip... and magnets and colors?

2009-03-25T16:23:00.001-04:00

Frito-Lay launched a new Made for Each Other campaign this past February. After seeing a few of the TV spots over the past month and a half or so I have to be honest - I am still confused. I understand that Frito-Lay's chips and dips are made for each other. The message is quite clear, but the way the message is delivered loses me. I do not understand what yellow & blue dots turning green have to do with chips and dip (and I still think they ripped off my kindergarten teacher who used the same type of story 16 years ago to teach us that blue and yellow make green). Yes, they are "made for each other" in the little green-dot world. Magnets with opposite charges? Made for each other. Chips & dip ... made for each other. Still not seeing the connection between these "made for each other" items and the chips & dip. Maybe I'm just looking into it too much, but what I get from it is cute little stories that do nothing to make me want to go out and purchase chips and dip...

"Who cares about the packaging?"

2009-02-25T21:06:00.002-05:00

Some poor reporting from CNN that unintentionally makes a great point:

The 4 minute report emphasizes on a sense of great mystery as to why consumers are so unhappy with the new packaging. The reporters discuss consumers wanting a sense of control in an unstable economy, etc. etc. That's just mumble jumble. The fact of the matter is clear: consumers want the orange with the straw. What seems to baffle the reporters even more is why the consumers want that image back. While Linda Kaplan Thalers goes on about how the straw in the orange represents pure and nautural juice what she is really missing is the fact that the orange with the straw is Tropicana's brand symbol. This symbol evokes brand recoginition with the consumer. So while it may very well represent pure juice, to consumers it represents much more. It evokes the familiarity of thebrand with which consumers have built a trusting relationship. Tropicana without its straw-in-orange is Target without its bullseye, Nike without its Swoosh, and Tiffany without its blue box.

I still like the new look for Tropicana, but then again - I don't even drink orange juice.

Phelps Flop

2009-02-03T21:34:00.002-05:00

In today's brandfreak.com post, Robert Klara discusses the PR crisis cleanup of the recent Michael Phelps flop:

Case 2: In a public statement, Phelps admitted that his November inhalation of loco weed represented "bad judgment." But then he used his age as an excuse: "I'm 23 years old" and acted "in a youthful and inappropriate way," he carped. (No doubt, dude—but you've got $100 million in endorsements at stake.) Fortunately for Phelps, there's still a little time. "I would like to see him tell his fans, many of whom are children, that he made a big mistake—and he should mean it," veteran PR man Sam Chapman tells BrandFreak. "The key to successful crisis communications is being authentic." Put that in your pipe and ... y'know.

I disagree with Chapman. If the key to successful crisis communication is being authentic, then Phelps saying he made a mistake would be lying and that would not be authentic. However, his response was authentic. Yes, he is an Olympic gold medalist and record holder, but he is also a 23-year-old. What does the public think most other 20-something-year-old males are doing when they go out at night? If it's not what Phelps was doing, then it's probably drinking & driving. But I digress... these "children" that are his fans probably don't even know what a bong hit is nor are they watching Entertainment Tonight or reading Perezhilton.com. If they do know what it is (or reading perezhilton.com), then their parents/guardians have bigger fish to fry.

Better Than the Bowl Commercials...

2009-02-01T22:21:00.003-05:00

Was the half-time show! If you went out for a snack run, check out this clip:

Super Bowl's Super (and not-so-super) Ads.

2009-02-01T21:35:00.006-05:00

Thank goodness for Bridgestone Tires. Not only did they sponsor an awesome half-time show (BRUUUCE!), but their Tater spot topped my list of best ads of the 2009 Super Bowl. The overall performance of most Super Bowl spots this year was less than spectacular, but Bridgestone definitely entertained.

Bridgestone: Tater

Not only was Mrs. Potato Head's constant nagging something male AND female viewers could relate to and be amused by, Bridgestone really sealed the laughing deal with the angry eyes. Check it out:

width="512" height="296">

Pepsi: Refresh Anthem

Pepsi's new campaign is one of my favorites. It is a smart campaign that helps connect the past to the present using pop culture and historic moments while still maintaining a focus on the Pepsi brand. The commercial uses music to thread the split past/present scenes together and, considering the fact that I sang along to every word of Springsteen's "Glory Days" - a song released years before I was born - during the half-time show, this was an affective way to connect with consumers old and young. width="512" height="296">

GE: Scarecrow

Despite my dislike for The Wizard of OZ (it creeps me out), this spot was another one of my favorites. GE's tag line "Imagination at Work" was well represented in its Super Bowl commercial and the commercial strongly reflected the brand's message. This was one of the more creative and well-thought-out commercials this year.

width="512" height="296">

With the good always come the bad and this year there were some really bad. I will start with godaddy.com.

Godaddy.com: Shower

This commercial simply made me say "What the hell? What the hell was that even for? That was horrible." If I were to describe the brand based on the message reflected in this ad, the words I would use are: Cheap, trashy, unintelligent, bland. This was by far the worst spot during the Super Bowl this year. Shame on godaddy.com for trying to use such low-class sexually-related material to drive consumers to its website.

width="512" height="296">

SoBe: Lizards 3D

Not that this commercial was horrible, but there were some things about it that earned it a spot in the bottom. First, I've felt this way since last year: Lizards = Slimy and I don't want slimy, lizardy water. Though the lizard has always been a symbol of SoBe the computer animated version just makes it icky and not something I want to associate with my drinking water. Second, though the concept was cute, it kind of felt like a rip off of the recent Justin Timberlake/Beyonce "Single Ladies" SNL parody. The commercial was presented in 3D, but really - 3D technology isn't anything new. Not the worst, but SoBe could do better.

width="512" height="296">

Bud Light: Drinkability

I was disappointed with the Anheuser-Busch commercials this year. Usually they rank up in my favorites, but this year's Bud Light, Budweiser, and Budweiser America commercials just didn't do it for me. Even the Budweiser horse commercials failed to make me smile. Instead of funny and entertaining they were slap-humor stupid. Nothing about watching a skier crash down a mountain and into picnic tables makes me want a Bud Light nor does it warrant any creative applause. Better luck next year.

width="512" height="296">

Which spots were your favorites and which do you think failed to entertain?

Tropicana Gets a Makeover

2009-01-13T14:25:00.002-05:00

The new gym-members are not the only ones getting a body makeover for the new year. Tropicana has introduced its made-over carton. They have ditched the old straw-in-the-orange and given Tropicana a look that will help differentiate it from brands that had similar cartons such as Minute Made. Simple, clean, and my favorite part - the screw cap is a little orange!

The website boasts, "New fresh carton. Same Great taste. There's a fresh new package just for you. Everybody has their favorite Tropicana. Some people like pulp. Some prefer no pulp. Others want a taste of strawberry or banana with their orange juice. The package is new and the variety names may have changed a bit, but we've still got your favorite Tropicana."

The little orange screw-top has won me over.

Super Bowl Scramble

2009-01-12T21:25:00.003-05:00

The Super Bowl is just a few weeks away, but with the current state of the economy I am anxious to see if viewer's will be receiving the same laugh-out-loud quality of commercials that have been the result of past year's advertising efforts. According to Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek, NBC has reported having sixty-seven $3 million spots left, but a media buyer survey claimed that only a baker's dozen remained.

Last year the commercial's were pretty disappointing, most being for FOX's own shows. This is what I am hoping for this February 1st (Since the Giant's won't be playing) when NBC puts on the big show:

Anheuser-Busch has continually delivered on creativity for Super Bowl Sunday and is sure to entertain this year.
Mac. I already own one, but that makes me love the truth behind the commercials even more. Mac hit it big with its 1984 Super Bowl Commercial and I am hoping that Mac will be paying that $3 million to do it again this year.
E-Trade. The baby spot was the most memorable for me in 2008 so I am looking forward to what they come up with during a time when the stock market is a mess.

If these three companies do not hit it big during Super Bowl Sunday, at least Bruce will entertain at half time. What are your favorite Super Bowl Spots?

Holiday Hiatus

2008-12-15T21:27:00.002-05:00

AdGab will be on a short holiday hiatus.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

See you in 2009.

Starbucks: Saving the World or Saving Its Stocks?

2008-11-25T00:23:00.006-05:00

Starbucks will launch its newest campaign beginning November 27th that will run through January 2nd. A campaign that, in my opinion, is a total disgrace. A campaign that was presented to me through Facebook Event Invite. I am actually a bit angry about it.

Starbucks will use cause marketing to attract coffee drinkers to its chains. From November 27th through January 2nd, any consumer that buys one of three drinks, 1) Espresso Truffle 2) Mocha Twist 3) Gingersnap Latte will have a whole 5 cents donated to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The other $5.55 will go to Starbucks, of course. In addition, on December 1st, World AIDS Day, the drinks will not be limited to just the 3 - all drinks will have 5 cents donated! WAHOO! (Completely sarcastic, of course).

Now, this actually isn't a bad idea for those that make a daily run to Starbucks already - these customers are given an option to donate 5 cents, of which would normally go towards their coffee addiction, to someone in need. What bothers me is that this billion dollar company is only donating 5 cents of its $6 drink to charity, but marketing themselves to be a company that, as I quote my Facebook invite, "is doing something GOOD." Additionally, the event invite goes onto say, "Everyone, for the sake of your neighbor, your friends, and most importantly to a stranger, become a PARTNER in this positive action. Come together with your community and contribute. Embrace the responsibility to make something happen, the potential for good. The world needs our help. TELL EVERYONE!" The world needs our help - but only 5 cents at a time. What a fantastic message.

Yes, the company still needs to make money, but it is only offering this promotion with THREE of its drinks. These drinks are also seasonal, which means the loyal customers that bring money into the company daily probably will not be purchasing these drinks everyday from November 27th to January 2nd. Here's an idea, Starbucks, why not promote donating that $6 that would go towards your coffee to a charity?

Sure, 5 cents can help to some extent, but there are plenty of organizations that are helping to raise money without gaining their own profit from it. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Hanson (the MMMBop boys!) has started their own organization to help raise money towards AIDS treatment and research. Take the Walk offers a number of ways to donate money while still getting something in return. For example, one can buy their song "The Great Divide" for $1 or the music video for that song for $2 and ALL profits will be donated. In other words they do not make money off of that sale. Also, they have partnered with TOMS Shoes - buy one pair of shoes and one pair will be donated to a child in Africa. TOMS Shoes donates a pair of shoes for every pair bought towards children in need. So yes, TOMS Shoes makes money off that one pair of shoes, but they are still donating another pair which pretty much cancels out the money made on the pair purchased in the first place.

What I'm getting at is: Consumers - please do not be fooled by Starbucks. Even in this strained economy, they are still able to afford to donate more than 5 cents for every $6 coffee purchased. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

What do you think? Is Starbucks saving the world or just trying to save its stocks?

Product Packaging: An Overlooked Strategy

2008-11-20T19:32:00.004-05:00

An article on AdWeek.com announced recent findings by Nielsen Co. that private label brands are considered equivalent to name brands. According to the article, Nielsen findings include:

• Private label accounted for $81 billion in U.S. sales this year, up 10.2 percent from the previous year.
• Sixty-three percent of consumers believe private labels' brand quality is just as good as name brand quality, while 33 percent of respondents said they consider store brands to be of higher quality than name brands.
• Sixteen percent, however, said store brands aren't comparable in quality to name brands, and the packaging is "cheap-looking"
• Price and value are the primary drivers for growth, with 74 percent of consumers expressing price as the key purchase factor. Two-thirds (67 percent) of those surveyed said store brands provide "extremely good value" for their prices, while 35 percent are willing to pay the same or more for a store brand if they like it. Twenty-four percent of Americans, on the other hand, said they'd pay more for name brands if worth the extra price.

Private label brands will need to step up their packaging efforts to win over the remaining brand-name consumers.

These packages are similar, however the private brand appears very outdated. In all honestly, it looks like a bag of cheese curls that has been sitting on the shelf since the early 90s. Private labels will not necessarily have to spend big money changing its packaging, but rather update it to match the current styles. A new, more simple, color-scheme and less cheesy (no pun intended) alligator pose along with smooth lines rather than jagged edges would do wonders for this package.

It is easy to overlook the importance of packaging. However, packaging contributes to the overall brand image and is reflective of the brand's quality. What are some characteristics of strong packaging?

1. Packaging should stand out from the competition in an effort to motivate the consumer to purchase.

2. Packaging should remain simple in order to clearly communicate the product to the consumer: avoid cluttering of text and images.

3. Packaging should reflect the brand message.

Consider the recent changes in chewing gum packaging. Wrigley's Orbit gum moved away from the stick-gum-wrapped-in-thicker-paper and introduced its product in a more unique package. Orbit gum is smaller and thicker than a traditional stick of gum and is packaged in two rows inside a brightly colored thin-cardboard box. Wrigley took this one step further with its 5 Gum by making it's package taller and leaner than Orbit and increasing the number of rows of gum inside the package by using traditional flat-long gum. Both of these packages stand out from the traditional gum packaging increasing the consumer's interest in trying the brand.

What products, based on packaging, do you find most appealing?

GAP Gets Interactive

2008-11-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

This week GAP aimed to top some of its best advertising with the launch of its holiday season campaign, "Mix it Up." GAP is taking advantage of a new strategy (dare I say, attempting to mix it up?) - interactive and viral - to boost its sales this holiday season. This is a different approach from past campaigns that featured only print and broadcast advertising. GAP is promoting the mixing of clothing patterns by remixing familiar holiday tunes featuring some of today's top music artists, actors, and actresses.

Entertaining, as always, but this year GAP takes it a step further. Consumers can go online and view the series of commercials, email their favorites to their friends, and create their own remix featuring the same celebs. Creators choose the singers and dancers for different segments of the "Jingle Bells" remix and then choose a message to be featured at the beginning of their video. Each emailed video contains a "special offer," where consumers can register their email address to receive 15% their next GAP purchase and receive further special offers.

GAP is truly using interactive to their advantage. The self-made remix only takes seconds to create, but has an addictive quality that has the potential to keep the consumer on the GAP website creating and sending out their own GAP promotions. In addition, the celebs are wearing the signature clean-cut-and-colorful GAP style and makes the clothes look so good it would be hard to pass up stopping into a GAP store to take advantage of that 15% discount.

How does GAP's campaign compare to Office Max's 2007 "Elf Yourself" campaign? First and foremost, does anyone even remember what "Elf Yourself" was actually promoting? It's hard to deny the GAP brand in its promotion since the style of the ad and interactive media is consistent with that of past GAP campaigns. Also, the user is taken to the actual GAP website rather than a sister site - an important detail considering Nielsen Online's recent report that holiday shoppers will spend the majority of their money shopping online this holiday season. The user can receive 15% off at GAP just for sending an email and the receiver is given the same offer - 15% off is a lot of money in today's economy. Additionally, each streaming ad features a list of the styles seen so the viewer can easily match the look. GAP's holiday campaign definitely has the ability to hit it big this holiday season.

Check out my mix!

New Faces for Verizon

2008-11-19T21:29:00.004-05:00

This post is really just a shameless plug for Verizon's in-store holiday campaign and it's next two years of in-store marketing. Tim Bryan, a friend of mine from high school and current Ford model, will be getting a lot of in-store face time. So get acquainted with him, Verizon customers!

Stop Signs of 2008

2008-11-18T11:27:00.002-05:00

This is a great little video that looks at what the creative process would be like if an agency was asked to design the stop sign in 2008.

Facebook: An Effective Advertising Tool?

2008-11-17T16:57:00.009-05:00

AdWeek.com posted an article today that discusses the unpredictability of consumer media consumption. The article, Welcome to My World, discusses AdWeek's study, conducted by Ball State University's Center for Media Design, that observed four individuals for one day during the first week of October. The study found that media consumption habits are becoming more individualized and, therefore, more difficult to predict during the strategic planning process.

The article also mentions that many companies are cutting out the "middle man," (agencies) because these agencies seem to be getting in the way. Is this possibly because, in an effort to keep up with the changing habits, advertisers are actually out of touch?

As a college student studying strategic advertising, web advertising is constantly being pushed. I often feel that professors thrive on hearing "Facebook ad" as a touch point for any advertising campaign that is targeted towards the college crowd or younger. Being so computer-savvy it must seem obvious that this is the best way to reach these younger generations. However, having used the internet since 5th grade (that's 11 years of internet use so far!), I barely even notice ad banners, pop-up ads, and I especially pay no attention to Facebook ads. Just as I can hit the "mute" button during television commercials, I can mentally mute out online ads. AdWeek's article says, " 'The millennials -- the people born in the '80s and '90s -- cram something like 20 hours of media consumption into seven actual hours of time,' says Scott Neslund, Mindshare North America CEO. 'Those kinds of habits greatly increase their ability to ignore commercial messages.' " In an effort to improve and personalize online advertising, Facebook provides the options of giving an ad a thumbs-up or thumbs-down and choosing why the user disapproved of the ad, but let's face it - none of us comp-savvy users are on Facebook to look at advertising.

There are ways to utilize Facebook to effectively advertise to a target market.

1. Don't bother paying for a banner ad - users of younger generations don't even realize they're there. And with the Facebook format constantly changing (3 times in the 4 years I've been using it) those ads get lost in the new layouts.

2. Create a brand page or Group. Users have the ability to become a fan of different brands or join a group about the brand and the page administrator can add videos, pictures, post blogs, links, news, polls, and start a discussion board. Pringles (as in the chips) currently has 713,350 fans.

3. Events. Facebook gives the option of creating events. This is great for contests and limited promotions. But a word of wisdom... don't invite every friend you know - only invite those that are interested in the product or brand (Group pages can create events that will only invite the members of the group). Inviting 7,000 "friends" that have nothing in common with the brand or product makes the event an obvious promotion, rather than an invite to something that may be of interest to the user. An event for a University-related Victoria's Secret promotion currently has 1,600 members. The best thing about events is that attendees can invite other friends that may be interested - oh the joys of social networking!

In other words, if Facebook is a chosen tool - use it accordingly. If you wouldn't go to a networking event to look at advertisements hanging on the wall, then it should be obvious that users aren't going on Facebook to click on banner ads. Facebook is considered a social networking site for a reason, so use it as one. Otherwise, using Facebook is a waste of time and money.

Sears Holiday Follow-up

2008-11-12T13:24:00.003-05:00

Adweek published an article this week on Sears' holiday campaign. Check out the commercial & the article:

Sears Grants Holiday Wishes

Nov 11, 2008

-By Kenneth Hein, Brandweek

NEW YORK Sears is encouraging consumers to help grant the holiday wishes of 29,000 members of our active military under its “Heroes at Home Wish Registry.”

Beginning today, Veteran’s Day, consumers can go to Sears.com or in-store to purchase gift cards for the families of servicemen and women who are currently overseas or experiencing hard times.

To promote the effort, MyNetworkTV, is running a two-hour, Sears-sponsored Heroes at Homespecial tonight at 8 p.m. Hosted by Howie Long, the special tells of the stories of six service members who share their experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The military effort, which runs through Dec. 24, dovetails with Sears’ new “Don’t just give a gift. Grant a wish” ad campaign that debuted last week. Spots feature a series of vignettes including Ty Pennington receiving his first toolbox and L.L. Cool J getting his first turntable from his grandfather (the rapper launched his fall line with the Sears earlier this year). Y&R, Chicago, created the TV and print effort.

“Individual gifts can change a person’s life,” said client repT om Aiello.

The retailer spent $260 million on media through August and $515 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Celebrities for a Cause

2008-11-11T22:31:00.011-05:00

There's a hot trend in the celebrity world of choosing a cause and joining an organization or starting their own organization to support this cause. Most are all familiar with the ONE Campaign, which has the support of many celebrities including U2's Bono, that aims to end hunger, poverty, and the AIDS epidemic in Africa and Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Campaign that aims to raise money for cancer research.

Here is what works so well for these non-profits:

1. A Loyal fan-base.

Really, that's it! Loyal fans are willing to join in on almost any positive cause their favorite celebrity promotes. In addition, these fans will happily buy any merchandise that support this cause, especially if the celebrity's name is on it or the item is endorsed by that celebrity because it becomes a trend. Think "LIVESTRONG" bracelets: they were only $1, but how many people bought one to show their support for Lance Armstrong & cancer research? Most people wearing LIVESTRONG bracelets had no idea who Lance Armstrong was before these yellow bracelets became hot, and even more of them had never and still have never watched the Tour de France. But bracelet wearers knew this: their favorite celebrity was wearing one (Ashley Olsen, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sheryl Crow), they probable knew someone that has cancer or was affected by cancer, and it was cool. It's easy to create brand awareness when the person endorsing the organization already had a fan base that is loyal to that person's individual brand. The moral of this story? Non-profits: Celebrities are your best friends. Even if it's just a local celebrity, he or she has the power to successfully promote your cause.

Here are two efforts that may not be as well-known to the general public:

John Ondrasik, the lead singer of Five for FIGHTING, started a video website called "What Kind of World Do You Want." It is "the first video community that gives back!" Websters can choose one of 5 organizations (Augie's Qust, Autism Speaks, Fisher House Foundation, Save the Children, Operation Homefront) and upload a self-made video to promote their chosen organization's cause. The idea was inspired from Five for FIGHTING's video for "World" (unfortunately, I cannot post the video due to the artist's request to disable embedded videos). Websters can view these videos and donate money to the organization of choice. As of today, the website has raised $270,605.

Hanson (yes, the MMMBop boys) has also started their own organization called "Take the Walk." Their organization was inspired during a trip to Africa where the brothers experienced, first-hand, the problems being faced by Africans everyday. There are a few different components to Hanson's non-profit organization:

1. Music Download: Download Hanson's song The Great Divide from iTunes and part of the proceeds will go towards THe Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU)

2. Shoes: Purchase a special "The Walk" pair of Tom's Shoes and a pair will be donated to a child in Africa.

3. Purchase a "Free the Children" T-shirt and part of the proceeds will be donated to building a school in Africa.

4. Take the Walk or host your own walk: Hanson hosts a 1 mile "Walk" around each city they perform in. They request fans take off their shoes to experience walking a mile without shoes (such as a child in Africa). Hanson is also encourages fans to host their own walk in their town to help raise awareness. To date, 11, 589 miles have been walked. I "took the walk" with Hanson last year and I have to say it was one of the most fun and one of the most eye-opening things I have ever done. Check it out:

Joey + Rory for Overstock.com. What?

2008-11-10T21:18:00.003-05:00

I keep seeing these Overstock.com commercials featuring "Joey + Rory". I have no idea who these people are or what it has to do with Overstock.com, so I did a little research.

From what I found, I have discovered that they were 3rd place finalist on a CMT reality competition called Can You Duet. They are from Columbia, Tennessee and they have a myspace.com page. Joey operates a small diner with her sister-in-law called Macy Jo's Mealhouse.

As for what this has to do with Overstock.com... well, this is where I feel Overstock misses the mark.

What I think Overstock is trying to do is show real people in their element that shop on Overstock.com. What I feel Overstock fails to do is connect its brand to the consumer. What do Joey + Rory have to do with the rest of us?

Their Holiday Commercial is especially confusing to me. It features Rory + Joey having Christmas get-together at the diner and singing a song. There is only a brief moment that Overstock.com is shown where Joey is purchasing a sled and it is immediately seen in the next shot being opened by the gift recipient, Danny. One other gift is seen, some sort of white sweater or shirt. The main focus of the ad seems to be Rory + Joey's performance.

There is some copy that appears throughout the commercial. This includes (in order): "Sharing Good Times," "In Macy Jo's Meal House, Tennesse," "It's Joey and Rory and Friends," "At home with the 'O'." Written out, this makes a perfect little story. However, throughout the commercial the sentences are broken up and it's nearly impossible to make them connect. The final shot is a gift that says "Overstock.com: Generously low prices."

It's hard for me to connect "Generously low prices" with Joey, Rory, and Friends at home with the "O." The whole concept seems jumbled and confusing.

There are many things about the ads that are unclear. Who is Overstock.com trying to connect with? What is their message? (Their tag line changes from commercial to commercial - the first Joey + Rory tag line is, "Touchingly low prices." What does that even mean?) Why is Joey always shopping on Overstock.com while she's working? What benefits does Overstock.com have for me?

The strongest advantage I feel Overstock.com has over its other online competitors is its super-low shipping rate. Year-round, their shipping rate is, on average, only $2 - no matter how much is purchased. This was the focus of past ad campaigns and it is one that I feel Overstock should have stuck with. The worst thing about online shopping is getting hit with a $10 shipping fee, especially on a sale item. I don't think Overstock.com has "generously low prices" or "touchingly low prices." When compared, Overstock's prices do not differ much from any other online retailer. Again, what Overstock has that the competition does not is low shipping rates. This isn't even mentioned in either of these ads.

I asked a classmate if she had seen the commercials and after a few minutes of thinking she said, "Oh, where they buy a guitar? That's for Overstock?" What I'm getting at is that Overstock.com should scrap their Joey + Rory campaign and come up with something new. How about going back to the basics? Have the brand be part of the message. Make the message clear. Communicate this message to the audience.

What do you think of the Overstock.com commercials?

The Magic of Macy*s

2008-11-09T18:28:00.004-05:00

My favorite ad on television right now is the ad for Macy's 150th Anniversary. The commercial is a composite of memorable Macy's moments including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and pop-culture references. The commercial has a nostalgic feeling that really attracts me to its message.

I think what is so powerful about this commercial is the strong connection it makes between the viewer and the Macy's brand regardless of whether or not the viewer has ever shopped at Macy's. It sheds light on how much of an impact the retail store has made on our culture. For example, no matter how boring or how repetitive the Macy's Thankgiving Day parade is, I have watched it every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. Any Project Runway fan could tell you that Macy's has been featured on the show, one of the challenges resulting in the winning designer's design being sold in the store. There's also Johnny Carson, Seinfeld, and Snoopy. If there is not one thing in this commercial that the viewer cannot identify with, he or she has been living under a rock for the past 150 years.

Halloween is Over - The Holiday Season is Here!

2008-11-03T15:32:00.001-05:00

November 1st marked the first day of holiday advertising. With the current state of the economy, it's pretty obvious why companies are getting an early start on holiday advertising. I was a little taken back at first, but as the weeks progress these commercials are helping to get me into the holiday spirit.

One of my favorite of this year's holiday commercials is the Sears "Grant a Wish" commercial. It features the song "World" by Five For Fighting and various celebrities that were "granted a wish" that ended up changing their lives. The end of the commercial features scenes from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" where deserving families are granted a home makeover. Regardless of what I'm doing, this commercial never fails to grab my attention. What works in this commercial is that, while it doesn't make me want to run to Sears for my holiday shopping, it does motivate me to put more thought into my Christmas gifts this year.

There are a few holiday commercials from that past that I also think are worth mentioning. One is the M&M's Santa Exists commercial. This commercial plays year after year and always puts a smile on my face. I love that the bitter know-it-all personality of the red M&M is shattered when he passes out at the sight of the REAL Santa. I also love Santa's reaction of the walking/talking M&Ms actually existing.

Finally there's the GAP Holiday commercials. There is an endless amount of great holiday commercials for GAP. They all feature catchy holiday-related tunes, bright colors, and, in the "That's Holiday" spots, eye-catching animation. The GAP Holiday Stripe commercial in 2002 always grabbed my attention and made me want to dance and even earned its own SNL Spoof.

These are some of my favorite holiday advertisements. Which commercials are your holiday favorites?

AdGab

Art Show Blunder: Event Hosting Tips for Young Professionals

Chobani v. FAGE: The Greek Yogurt Advertising Battle

I know, I know...

MyTouch Doesn't.

New Year. New Writing. New Advertising Thoughts.

The Martin Agency wins US Agency of 2009

Merry Christmas Ads

Brine Tribe

Whoops!

Spike Runs on Dunkin

Favorite Ads

It's a Twitter World

AdGab Makeover

When I Grow Up...

If Man Walked on the Moon Today

Oh I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer Weiner

Bleeding Billboards

Tweet Tweet: Kid's DON'T Twitter

NBA Wants to Think Outside the Bun

It's About You: Lance Armstrong/Nike Launch New Campaign

Fox Teams Up with Apple's iPhone

Gossip Girl Here: AdweekMedia Plan of the Year

He Always Tried to Be the Flyest Kid on the Block

Kutcher to Quit Twitter? *Gasp*

More Economic Struggles for the Advertising World

VH1 Save's the Music with Social Networking

For Your Entertainment...

Mac v. PC Update

Mac v. PC - Mac Wins & Goes Green

Chips & Dip... and magnets and colors?

"Who cares about the packaging?"

Phelps Flop

Better Than the Bowl Commercials...

Super Bowl's Super (and not-so-super) Ads.

Tropicana Gets a Makeover

Super Bowl Scramble

Holiday Hiatus

Starbucks: Saving the World or Saving Its Stocks?

Product Packaging: An Overlooked Strategy

GAP Gets Interactive

New Faces for Verizon

Stop Signs of 2008

Facebook: An Effective Advertising Tool?

Sears Holiday Follow-up

Sears Grants Holiday Wishes

Celebrities for a Cause

Joey + Rory for Overstock.com. What?

The Magic of Macy*s

Halloween is Over - The Holiday Season is Here!

Kutcher to Quit Twitter? Gasp