Yes Virginia there's more to life than advertising. PEACE, RESPECT, UNDERSTANDING... but mostly LOVE!!!

I orginally posted this last Chrstmas (2011)... somehow I felt it deserves an encore.

I mostly hate this poster but it still makes me think.

Yes Virginia there's more to life than advertising. After all we in advertising created that fat man in the red suit to flog just about anything under the sun and most rocks. Yup, there's more.
It's that time of year again to take a moment to simply say "Thank You"... to share peace, respect, understanding and most important to share our LOVE.

My LOVE is my family. My wonderful wife who supports a billion hair-brained ideas I seem to create in my little corner of my brain. My two wonderful sons. Each becoming awesome people. My first born just finished his first semester (UPDATE: now in second year studying linguistics and communications) away from home at university... somehow he is becoming everything I ever imagined he might and more. My little one amazes me everyday... he embraces life faster then it seems to come at him. I love my family, and I thank them for being my anchor and keeping me humble.

Christmas brings a few great and not so great ads. Some advertising agencies send out their self promos to clients or simple create that piece that will hopefully have them taking that long walk to the award podium.

Christmas brings a few legendary, great and not so great ads... maybe next year I'll start in August assembling a "Best of Christmas" since a YouTube search brought about a zillion ads.

FOLGERS - Peter's Home

This Folger's spot still ranks as one of my favorite Christmas spots of all-time.
 


COCA-COLA -  Snow Globes



LUCKY STRIKE -  200 Merry Christmas Wishes

This spot is truly in it's own class of copywriting... after all Don Draper of course proclaimed that "Lucky Strikes, their toasted'.



... and Santa flogging Camels

Guinness - We Dream of White Christmas

Some advertising agencies send out their self promos to clients or simple create that piece that will hopefully have them taking that long walk to the award podium.
Here's a few that caught my eye this Christmas season.

RETHINK CANADA - Holiday Piñata Bash 2011

Rethink’s Holiday Piñata Bash 2011 offers up the cool concept of breaking a pinata, but the real experience breaks some cool interactive rules... you can “interact” with each YouTube film.



BLAMMO WORLDWIDE - "hohoholdonasec"



Fold7 - Santa 'The Creative Director" (NSFW or Kids - some liberal use of the F-word)



The very best came from Droga5 in the form of a "Press Release"... gather attention at minimum cost... isn't that the ultimate? Droga5 announced it had lost their own internal “Holiday Card”  assignment to rival ad agency McGarryBowen who have won their share of new business in 2011. Well written. See the Press Release here.

Thank you for following along. My blog has taken a back seat to my Twitter feed this past year. I hope to return to this space more often. (Update: Man has my blog taken a hit sine Twitter came into my life... this is the first post since January, and it's not even a new post)

Remember, take a moment (everyday) to simple say either these two or three little words: THANK YOU... or better yet I LOVE YOU.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. Let's Rock 2012 with Passion.

I have said often in my lectures there's something you can't teach... PASSION. It needs to be nurtured, it needs to be inspired and it needs to honest.

My love and passion for advertising is 24/7/365... and I love a leap year (hey, isn't 2012 is a leap year). Yup, that's one extra day to be passionate about the greatest biz in the world. The legendary (and one of the original "Mad Men") Jerry Della Famina said it best, "I honestly believe that advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on". (Read more great Della Famina quotes)

I'm not saying you can't have other interests outside of advertising, G-d knows I have too many, but you gotta love "it". If you're a student reading this you need to shift your mindset from "advertising student" to that of "Student of Advertising". That simple shift will inspire you to learn, love and build the passion that is needed to day.

Add to your reading an amazing view of what the future trends are ahead for the ad business by TBWA\ChiatDay CCO Rob Schwartz on his Forbes blog "Metal Potential" titled "5 Places To Strike Gold in 2012". Yes, we have all been blinded by all the bright shinny objects that are digital and spend our every waking moments wrapped into the world of Social Media. This year there are new places to discover and own. I am truly inspired by change and adopting.

So here's to 2012. Make yours. Rock it. Be awesome.

After all, only you can/will author your future.

I remind my students everyday of my personal mantra. It's pretty simple, 10 words, 2 letters each.

IF IT IS TO BE. IT IS UP TO ME.

Happy 2012. Make it yours, 24/7/366.

Yes Virginia there's more to life than advertising. PEACE, RESPECT, UNDERSTANDING... but mostly LOVE!!!

 

I mostly hate this poster but it still makes me think.

Yes Virginia there's more to life than advertising. After all we in advertising created that fat man in the red suit to flog just about anything under the sun and most rocks. Yup, there's more.

It's that time of year again to take a moment to simply say "Thank You"... to share peace, respect, understanding and most important to share our LOVE.

My LOVE is my family. My wonderful wife who supports a billion hair-brained ideas I seem to create in my little corner of my brain. My two wonderful sons. Each becoming awesome people. My first born just finished his first semester away from home at university... somehow he is becoming everything I ever imagined he might and more. My little one amazes me everyday... he embraces life faster then it seems to come at him. I love my family, and I thank them for being my anchor and keeping me humble.

Christmas brings a few great great and not so great ads. Some advertising agencies send out their self promos to clients or simple create that piece that will hopefully have them taking that long walk to the award podium.

Christmas brings a few legendary, great and not so great ads... maybe next year I'll start in August assembling a "Best of Christmas" since a YouTube search brought about a zillion ads.

FOLGERS - Peter's Home



COCA-COLA -  Snow Globes



LUCKY STRIKE -  200 Merry Christmas Wishes

This spot is truly in it's own class of copywriting... after all Don Draper of course proclaimed that "Lucky Strikes, their toasted'.



... and Santa flogging Camels

Guinness - We Dream of White Christmas

Some advertising agencies send out their self promos to clients or simple create that piece that will hopefully have them taking that long walk to the award podium.
Here's a few that caught my eye this Christmas season.

RETHINK CANADA - Holiday Piñata Bash 2011

Rethink’s Holiday Piñata Bash 2011 offers up the cool concept of breaking a pinata, but the real experience breaks some cool interactive rules... you can “interact” with each YouTube film.



BLAMMO WORLDWIDE - "hohoholdonasec"



Fold7 - Santa 'The Creative Director" (NSFW or Kids - some liberal use of the F-word)



The very best came from Droga5 in the form of a "Press Release"... gather attention at minimum cost... isn't that the ultimate? Droga5 announced it had lost their own internal “Holiday Card”  assignment to rival ad agency McGarryBowen who have won their share of new business in 2011. Well written. See the pressrelease here.

Thank you for following along. My blog has taken a back seat to my Twitter feed this past year. I hope to return to this space more often.

Remember, take a moment (everyday) to simple say either these two or three little words: THANK YOU... or better yet I LOVE YOU.

Uprising and The Art of Cultural Movements

I was asked by Scott Goodson Founder of Strawberry Frog to join the Uprising team of writers, I am humbled and honored at this call.

In the spring Scott will be launching his first book "Uprising: How to Build a Brand and Change the World By Sparking Cultural Movements" and has launched a website to generate conversations on "Cultural Movements". The site is stocked with outstanding insights and dialog with timely updates by Scott and a growing team of writers. Take some time and check out the site, it's worth the time and plenty of great learning.

I discovered a great movement recently created by American Express last year called "Small Business Saturday: as an answer to the traditional "Black Friday" (day after US Thanksgiving) and "Cyber Monday" (the after Black Friday for online retailers). Here is the piece I wrote for Uprising.

Posted on Uprising 20th Nov 2011

In America this week we will celebrate Thanksgiving. A day to celebrate family, friends and reasons to be thankful, but the days following will give the economy a great measuring device; How good will this holiday season be in terms of retail sales?

Can a “movement” inspire people to shop different?

“Big Box” retail and mall chain stores will own Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) starting sometime after midnight and the following Monday on-line sellers will open their discounts to shoppers. But what about the backbone of the economy, the small local business? Last year, American Express® launched a movement to get shoppers to think about shopping locally. Meet “Small Business Saturday”, a movement to engage communities.

Small Business Saturday was a movement created in response to small business owners' most pressing need; to create a demand and traffic for their products and services and a reminder of their importance to community. In all, 130 small business advocate groups, public and private organizations and elected officials joined American Express® in declaring November 26 as Small Business Saturday.

So has the consumer and business bought into the movement? YES!

To date, over 2.3 million people have joined and helped spread the word by “liking” Small Business Saturday on Facebook and some 35,000 tweets using the hashtags #smallbusinessaturday or #smallbizsaturday were sent all in the name of getting folks to shop local.

American Express® has asked consumers to take the “pledge” to shop small and in return will get a one-time $25 statement credit when you use an eligible American Express® cards for a $25 purchase or more at a small business.

Local shops will also benefit from the program with American Express® offering small businesses $100 of Facebook advertising by joining the movement and give them the tools to build their messages using ‘geo-targeting’ for their locations.

Last year, American Express® pledged a significant donation to Girls, Inc. tied to the number of "likes" on Facebook, and based on the popularity of the Facebook page, Girls Inc., received a $1 million donation for programs to empower young women to become entrepreneurs.

It is such a simple idea to inspire and remind consumers that small businesses are the lifeblood of their communities and that thrive on these businesses that keep people employed, build spirit and keep money in the local economy.

So join the movement this Saturday, shop at a small business.

The campaign creative elements were a collaboration between agencies CP+B and Digitas.

Here's the link to the original Uprising blog post.

BRILLIANTLY MOVING: State Farm "Empire State of Mind"

I am not afraid to admit it but the first time I saw this spot I cried.

Directed by Spike Lee State Farm Insurance partnered with the director for this tribute following 150 New York City school children as they visited area firehouses and thanked the firefighters through song.

Jay-Z "Empire State of Mind" has become an update anthem for New York the Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" was for decades before it.

State Farm is paying tribute to the FDNY by showing gratitude for those who sacrificed all through a commemorative video of 9/11’s heroes and supporting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation by downloading a special version of “Empire State of Mind” throught iTunes. Click here to download http://st8.fm/ON2 


Visit State Farms YouTube Channel for additional videos.


The Making of "Empire State of Mind"

Credits
Director: Spike Lee

Artist: James Davis Jr. & The Children of New York City
Song: Empire State Of Mind (Part II)

The NFL is Back.

Yup NFL Football is back and Verizon is bringing it straight to you.

Great little spot well crafted and smart concept; "Built to bring you the game. Only from Verizon. Built so you can rule the air".

Verizon is using the spot to introduce "NFL Mobile" for the 2011 season.