Gratitude in tough times: Your advertising agency may have taken a beating but it is still yours.
November 25, 2009
Beyond the low-hanging fruit…
As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m compelled to say a little something about gratitude. After all, gratitude is the very definition of giving thanks. Many of us (myself included) often experience a lapse in gratitude. We get caught up in the business of work and the mostly silly dramas that govern our lives.
I once heard a parable that I’d like to paraphrase here:
Every day a group of men set out to forage in the savannah by their village. They ventured far in order to get to the forest and its abundance of resources. Half way existed a lone, large tree in which they took a break to rest and eat lunch. “A shame this tree,” one man said. “It has no fruit for eating.” The others agreed. “And its wood isn’t suitable for building either.”
The men failed to realize the great benefit the tree provided. In fact, the old tree was a refuge. Though dead and barren, it provided shelter from the noonday sun without which their journey would have been infinitely more treacherous. This critical benefit was lost on the men.
I recall a company meeting at my previous agency. We’d had a tough year. Morale was low. The employees were skeptical about their agency’s future. Many used the setting as a forum to voice their complaints: Management was inept, they cried. Our clients are bound to mediocrity. Woe is us!
During my turn to speak I told the story about the old tree. Though our agency was, in fact, beleaguered I wanted us to appreciate all that we had: jobs, community and a place to voice our grievances freely and without fear of reparations.
In some respects I was talking to myself. I shared many of my fellow’s misgivings but I wanted healing words. Not apathetic ones. We’d had plenty of those already. Change was needed. And change would come. But on that day I needed gratitude. I worked for one of the greatest advertising agencies in the world. It had been hobbled but it was still there. Despite our weakened position, so were we.
That first winter for the pilgrims was a brutal one. Many did not make it. Yet, a precious few did. With help from the Indians, they not only survived the second winter; they thrived. Despite their many hardships the frail community held a great feast. The rest is history.
Wearing your heart…
Presumably you’re in advertising or you wouldn’t be reading this blog -unless, of course, you’re my mother. Hi Mom! That means you’re well aware how much our profession has taken it on the chin lately. And not just because of the recession. Other shit that has hurt our industry, in no particular order: too many awards shows. Corrupt awards shows. Scam ads. Holding companies. Ageism. A woeful lack of diversity. Closings. Firings. Layoffs. Bogus pitches. Greedy consultants. Cheap clients. Evil bloggers. And yes, bad product. As Lee Clow so eloquently put it, “Ninety percent of advertising is shit.” He may have said “Ninety five percent.” He may have used the word “crap.” I’m paraphrasing.
In any event, I bet we could all use a reminder of why the ad game is still so much fun…
I look forward to Mondays. I really do. Part of the reason is because I am subordinate to everyone in my home, including the dogs, whereas at work I am the CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER.
Anyway, other than recklessly wielding incredible power, here’s what makes me happy about advertising, often on a daily basis. First and foremost: I like coming up with ideas and selling them. The moment of creation is a blessed event in my life. Breaking through. Nailing it. However you describe the ah-ha moment. I love that. Unlike some of my peers, I also like selling ideas. Unveiling creative ideas to clients is exciting and fun. Not always, sure. But it’s supposed to be. After all, we’re showing the client a glorious new campaign. For some, this has become a fear driven affair. I’m lucky. Pitching and presenting thrill me to the core. Losing sucks, yes. But today we’re talking about what we like about advertising. What I like anyway.
I like the people. We are crazy, neurotic, brilliant, damaged, and young at heart. We dress up. We dress down. We ride our bikes to work. We are inappropriate. We have fun, even if it’s in a crazy, neurotic, damaged way.
I like the technology! The moment Apple created a laptop my agency gave me one. They’ve been giving me one ever since. I’m typing on it now. Advertising also gave me my Blackberry. We have more flat screens than an ESPN Zone. Down the hall is a full blown recording studio. Try finding that in a bank.
I like the travel. Milan, Paris, London, Shanghai. I’ve been all over the world. Especially L.A. and New York. And this isn’t just because of luck although I most certainly am lucky. Many creatives go many places, provided they are good at coming up with ideas and selling them.
Most advertising creatives adore production. Up before sunrise. 14-hour days. Hurry up and wait. That said you meet the coolest people on production. Like the film crew, who are cooler than you because you are now the client! Still, you’re making a film in Hollywood. It’s like being in the center of a reality TV show. What’s not too like?
I will finish where I began: Coming up with ideas and selling them. For me, nothing is as satisfying. This is why I like Mondays better than Fridays. This is why I love advertising.
Certain statements have staying power no matter who makes them.
November 20, 2009
Out of the mouths of babes…
Along with editorial about the nefarious side of our industry, the inimitable George Parker (Adcam/the Horror!) often posts sexy photos of supermodel, Kate Moss. English and silly; it’s like page 3 in the UK’s Daily Star, which is devoted to topless women. This is but one of the reasons why Parker’s blog is so popular.
The other day Parker had a story to go along with the photo of Kate. Apparently, Miss Moss was asked if she had any favorite mottos. She replied: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” According to Parker, she took some heat for saying it. Promoting anorexia in young women, etc…
Moral implications aside, as a piece of copy, I love this saying. For all the back and forth on dieting and body image, Kate’s axiom hits the sweet spot, or soft spot, depending on your point of view. The statement is persuasive in the extreme. It rings true (even if it isn’t.) It motivates. It’s a great line.
Given I recently wrote about annoying phrases we could do without, it seems only fitting I write about pieces of language that still hold their power. Sentences like that are pretty special; they don’t feel manufactured or repurposed. True or not, I feel as though Kate made this one up herself. And I say to myself: ‘Ah, that’s it. Now I know how and why supermodels stay thin.’
During an interview about new business pitches, I once made the following statement: “Losing feels worse than winning feels good.” I’ve since heard it used before. Yet, at the time, I felt I’d come up with it. Both lines (mine and Kate’s) are great reminders at how powerful the human language can be.
Ernest Hemingway was obsessed with making sure every sentence he wrote was perfect. Subsequently, most of them were. But once in a while schlubs like me, or Kate Moss, get it right as well.
Has our infatuation with “cuteness” gone too far?
November 18, 2009
Coochie, coochie, coochie, coo!
Cute article in the December issue of Vanity Fair, by Jim Windolf entitled Addicted to Cute. In it, the author discusses the “tsunami of cute” rolling over modern America. “We’re drowning in puppies and kittens and bunnies and cupcakes.”
Try living with three little girls, Jim.
But seriously (if serious is possible in a story like this), the author is on to something. Cuteness has become more than just the providence of young girls and their grandmothers. All one has to do is look at how many immensely popular websites are devoted to cuteness or what the keeper of YouCan’tMakeItUp called “bittersweet sadness and heart-splosioning adorablosity.” She’s talking about a collection of photos featuring small animals in casts. Kittens with leg braces!
Windolf’s essay opens with a discussion about a YouTube video called “Hahaha.” Perhaps you’ve seen it. It’s about a laughing baby. It has over 100 million views. Apparently YouTube officials showed it to Queen Elizabeth when she visited their headquarters in London. She said it was “lovely.” 100 million views? Queen Effen Elizabeth? It’s a laughing baby, folks.
Where all this gets interesting is where you least expect it. Take the phenomena of the Mini Cooper and the Smart Car. These adorable vehicles come off the assembly line smiling and America can’t get enough of them. Low gas milage? Sure. But it’s their unabashedly cute aesthetic that is driving sales.
And speaking of cars, Wildoff points to the GEICKO Gecko as a commercial manifestation of the cuteness pandemic. Over the years the popular spokes-creature has evolved from skanky reptile to adorable critter. His color has been warmed, his scales diminished and his eyes widened. Bigger eyes are a surefire marker of cuteness. Just ask the Japanese. Hello Kitty!
Finally, consider our President, Barak Obama. That smile. That gleam in his eye. All that hope! Could the guy be any cuter? Yes he could. By adding the perfect American family, right down to a dog named “Bo.” Let’s face it: the edgiest thing about our President is his skin color. Obama is the Commander in Chief of Cuteness.
So, what is up? Is cuteness backlash to the crippling financial crisis? Lord knows that’s been depressing. Is cute the antidote? Can puppies and cupcakes take our frazzled minds off staggering unemployment and underwater mortgages? Do laughing babies and big-eyed lizards placate the unemployed? Obama’s been in the Oval Office a full year. If nothing else, Cash for Clunkers was a cute idea. Public Health Care not so much.
Whether cuteness is spoiling our country or merely distracting it, we can hardly avoid its presence. Or can we? I recommend a good zombie movie. Try Dawn of the Dead, the original or remake. Of course zombies are my answer for everything.
Let’s hear it for those annoying phrases we’d like to see gone. (Now, if only we’d stop creating them!)
November 16, 2009
“You said it not me.”
Recently, I came across a list of “annoying phrases we’d like to see gone.” Unfortunately, I can’t recall who the “we” is. My apologies. Lists are ubiquitous in popular culture. Top ten. Bottom ten. And everything in between. We love our lists!
On this list I recall one phrase in particular. It happens to be a phrase I like and use and, honestly, would be sad to see go away. The phrase: “perfect storm.” For the record, a “perfect storm” is when circumstances collude forming an ideal environment for a particular event or phenomenon. The phrase is based, of course, on the best selling story of an ill-fated fishing expedition caught unawares by a terrifying storm.
I like this phrase. Adore it even. So I was saddened to discover it on a list of things we can do without. To me the perfect storm is an edgy, poetic and timely way to make a certain point. Or at least it was!
Funny, I can’t recall any other phrase or expression that was on this list. But there is one I wish was: the hackneyed summation clause, “at the end of the day.”
I once had a boss (who shall remain nameless) that used this expression every time she spoke. It drove me bonkers. I became obsessed. In meetings, I would wait apprehensively for her to utter those words. I did not have to wait long. At the end of every comment she said it: at the end of the day. She was like a parrot: Bawk! At the end of the day! Bawk! At the end of the day!
Granted, part of my problem was with the messenger. But to coin another hackneyed phrase, What are you going to do?
I bring all this up because advertising copy often employs, and sometimes even introduces, such phrases into the lexicon. I was part of the team who launched “Not your father’s Oldsmobile.” A week doesn’t go by where I don’t see a variation of this line. Has it worn out it’s welcome too?
I make it a point to avoid such catch phrases. I once thought they implied ignorance in the user. I’m not so sure anymore. I know plenty of very smart people who are stuck on certain statements. We all know people who overuse words like “like” and “you know.” Just as pervasive are the adverbs “basically” and “frankly.” I tend to think we use these banal terms to buy time when we’re speaking, like, you know, to get our thoughts in order. I also notice people applying them when they’re speaking to an audience, when such quirks are least desirable. Unfortunately, nervousness tends to breed the use of clichés. We get anxious. We want to say just the right thing. And we can’t. The perfect storm.
Miracle Whip takes a licking from Colbert then dishes it right back!
November 12, 2009
Miracle Whip vs. Stephen Colbert. Round II
A remarkable story from those adorable guttersnipes at Agency Spy; it’s about one of our clients (Kraft) and a competing agency (McGarry Bowen) so I have to tread carefully. Some background. Last month, on his popular show, Stephen Colbert teed off about Miracle Whip’s new advertising campaign. In his inimitable style, he took the salad spread to task for trying to be hip and edgy. It’s all here: Colbert & Miracle Whip on Agency Spy
So, Colbert ridicules another advertising campaign. Funny sure. But for him a lay up. Skewering commercials, pop stars and politicians is what he does. Most of his victims invariably take it on the chin, especially national advertisers. What are they supposed to do –fight back? Make a spectacle of them selves? PR 101 suggests clients remain above the fray. Don’t draw any more attention to the matter.
Kudos to Miracle Whip for not listening to this advice… What. So. Ever. According to Agency Spy, the brand took out a full-page newspaper ad today making light of the whole affair. It’s quirky, unexpected and that’s not the half of it. Adhering to their own brand strategy (We are Miracle Whip and we won’t back down), the brand taunts Colbert by stating their intent to run creative (the very creative he made fun of) during every commercial break on his show this evening. “In a sense,” they wrote, “We own you.”
Even if Colbert sarcastically thanks Kraft for throwing all those ad dollars at his show (what I’d do) I still think the proverbial shoe is on the other foot. Miracle Whip making him their bitch is pretty damn radical. Way outside the box wouldn’t you say?
Knowing the people, places and things associated with this story, I think it’s stunning. And brilliant. No matter what Colbert does he’s playing into their hands. More talk. More story. More buzz for Miracle Whip. In other words: social currency. Which, if I’m not mistaken, is what every agency is promising, and only sometimes delivering, for their clients.
And finally, props to Agency Spy for seeing this story for what it is. As of this writing the trades hadn’t.
When it comes to selling, the seven deadlies are a ‘hell’ of a lot sexier than goodness.
November 11, 2009
“Why is goodness so gosh-darned boring?”
In my novel, The Happy Soul Industry God decides to hire an advertising agency to market Heaven. Frustrated by how few converts organized religion is bringing in, She (that’s right, She) reasons a modern advertising agency might capture the imaginations of young people better than current theological tropes. If the bible (and similar texts) serves as advertising copy for goodness then, God observes correctly, few are bothering to read it, let alone be motivated. Nobody reads body copy anyway, right?
One of the things that prompted me to write the book was the poignancy of God’s dilemma: that no one is paying much attention to goodness. A big question then is how come goodness is so darn boring?
It’s easy to fault ancient rhetoric. After all what’s more archaic than scripture? By definition it’s old. In the age of instant gratification and Twitter how can old-fashioned goodness possibly compete? It can’t and never could.
The Devil has always been a better showman than God. Even now, popular culture is rife with evil characters, from Twilight’s sexy vampires to legions of vapid, self-serving reality stars wallowing in their own depravity. Even the good guys need a dark side in order for us to identify with them. House is a doctor but he’s self-centered to the extreme and a drug addict! Indeed, the Seven Deadly Sins are pretty much standard fare these days. Lord knows we play fast and loose with them in Advertising. “We make you want what you don’t need,” reads the header to my blog. That’s envy, gluttony, lust, greed, pride and sloth. We’re only missing Wrath!
But why are God and Heaven uninteresting to us? How come they can’t compete with evil’s myriad titillations? Why does goodness come off the bus sleeping?
Already my kids dislike church. They were bored from day one. Is this the best way to ignite their tiny, vulnerable flames of spirituality -via hot air? Must religion be dull, uninviting and, er, preachy?
I suppose snake handlers bring excitement to their message. Certain Baptist groups rattle the rafters with hymns of joy. I love that Bono sings about God versus getting laid. But by and large mainstream religion is duller than a bag of hammers. When it is exciting it is usually violent. Sister Mary is going to thrash you! You’re gonna burn in Hell! Yikes. My children’s illustrated copy of the Old Testament manages to be both dull and terrifying. So much is wrong with this picture…
The average person is neither beast nor saint. If on balance, we are neutral then it stands to reason we can be motivated in either direction. So why has evil always been seductive and goodness not?
I keep seeing this bizarre spot from US Cellular about battery swapping. Or at least I think it’s about battery swapping. To be honest, I get wierded out by the commercial so I never really pay attention to its message. Even as I write this I don’t actually know what this commercial is about. Yes, I could have studied the clip (I posted it after all) but I chose not to on purpose. Why? My ignorance is relevant to this discussion. I maintain the spot is so odd (and oddly boring) that I can’t (or won’t) discern what it’s about. I am made bored and uncomfortable by this commercial. An oxymoron I know. But that’s my reaction every time I see it.
A monosyllabic robot is playing jump rope with a strangely unresponsive child. As the robot turns the rope he delivers a message. Somewhere along the way the robot malfunctions…I think. The girl then stares at the robot with a look that can best be described as robotic. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure her catatonic reaction is unintentional. I honestly think the child simply can’t act or hasn’t been directed properly or both. I feel sorry for her. It’s all I remember from the commercial. See for yourself. It’s creepy.
Am I missing something? Is this TVC actually charming? Is the little girl cute? Is the robot cool? US Cellular is running the hell out of the spot so they must like it, right?
I’m not hating on this spot… per se. Hate seems too strong a word for this oddity. I don’t loathe it like I did “Saved by Zero” or, for that matter, the Progressive Insurance lady –both campaigns I punched around recently. Yet, with those campaigns at least I knew exactly what they were selling. Not so here.
What say you, Gentle Reader: Is this spot confusing and weird or am I just missing the point?
The Adchick featured a pretty terrific German TV commercial the other day. Highlighting the spot here also gives me a chance to introduce la femme d’advertising to you. Adchick runs a small agency in “Hooterville” (her words). The small-town perspective she brings to the urbane but jaded world of Adland is always appreciated… and fun. Bookmark this lady, folks. You won’t regret it.
Adchick, you dirty bird!
As for the pro-bono TV commercial, it’s the perfect subject matter for my blog. It’s not that we haven’t seen the idea before. Variations on its theme are ingrained in popular culture. The idea of following a piece of currency (in this case 50 Euros) from one person to another reminds me of countless stories, films and, if you think about it, the evolution of communication itself. Is not the telephone game a variation on this theme?
Here the currency circulates through society’s grimy underbelly, from stripper to thug to drug dealer, eventually being put to “good” use helping a worthy cause. Such a simple idea, as old and universal as organized religion. Good triumphs over evil.
Understandably, most of the TVC focuses on evil. That’s what makes the spot cool, right? Yes, but I’d also argue there’s deeper meaning here, perhaps more so than even the filmmakers intended. While the currency is inanimate it symbolizes mankind’s descent into Hell. Money is the root of all evil, right? In this short film we partake in all seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. Why? Because hitting bottom is a necessary part of recovery. We need to wallow in depravity before getting saved.
Then redemption. When the banknote is finally placed in the charity jar the story is complete. More than a happy ending, through this act of contrition, the giver receives salvation. In a sense, we all do.
Out of pride, I’m sure the creators of this film only wanted to win some awards… but their creator found them as well! God works in mysterious ways. Especially the Gods of Advertising!
“Pair-of-normal activity” Eric & Kathy in your morning face!
November 4, 2009
“We Want You! We Are You!”
I had an angry, violent reaction to the radio this morning. I am only just recovering. Hopefully, putting these thoughts down will mitigate the pain. I don’t know…
Some context: My wife was obliged to drive me to work, a rare event. My three daughters were also in the car, on route to school. As we all know, “morning drive time” is still a bastion of mass media -a radio stronghold. Mrs. Postaer had on a particular show: Eric & Kathy in the Morning.
I know Eric and Kathy from their innocuous billboards around Chicago. I am aware of their radio show from bits and pieces. However, I have never had to endure more than a few minutes with them. Until today.
Today, I learned why America’s mainstream is also a clogged artery. Today, I learned why terrorists want to kill us. Today, I became a victim of Eric & Kathy in the Morning. After 10 minutes of excruciating, inane patter I wanted to end my marriage – if for no other reason than to avoid becoming anything like them. After 15 minutes I wanted to become gay and/or black (same reason as above). After 20 minutes I wanted to end my life, but not without taking them out first!
Listening to Eric and Kathy, as one colleague so efficiently put it, is like listening to people who watch The View. For those unawares, Eric & Kathy represent the typical white suburban couple. They talk about American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. They make fun of gross celebrities and local buffoons. They cheer our sports teams and jeer their enemies. They finish each other’s sentences. They use an ampersand in their ads. So cute! Like those bushy, multi-colored sweaters Bill Cosby made us wear in the 80’s, they are inexplicably a part of Middle America’s wardrobe. Why, my God why, do people put them on in the morning?
My wife laughs at me during my tirade. “They’re funny,” she says. “They’re harmless.”
You agree with her, don’t you? You think I’m being melodramatic. Eric and Kathy can’t be as bad as, say Jon and Kate. Here’s why they’re worse: Unlike the Gosselins, Eric and Kathy believe they are on some kind of high road. Eric and Kathy believe you relate to them. When they joke about secretly loving the Olive Garden they know you do too! The Gosselin’s want no part of Middle America. Eric & Kathy want it slathered in mayonnaise!
Full disclosure: When I drive, I sometimes listen to sports talk. The knuckleheads manning the mics are not above criticism. Far from it. But at least they speak of things that matter, like the over/under on Monday night’s game.
