Happy Early Halloween!

Cool print ad by Goodwill, found via AdGoodness

Ah, the subtleties of Advertising

I know everyone's eager to end the political campaign and are growing weary of the advertising, but I encourage you to watch these two ads delivered by the McCain campaign.

This is from late September:



This was released today:




What is there really to notice, they both attack Senator Obama, but take a look again at the messages in the ads:

Ad #1 - Obama: Not ready to lead.

Ad #2 - Obama: Not ready, yet.

Big strategic move here by McCain. The past couple weeks, he's seen undecided voters turn away from him, citing an overaggressive, unfair, smear job by McCain. With just a one word change, softens his tone and hints that Obama may be a suitable candidate down the road, but McCain is what is better NOW.

Although we may learn to ignore it, it's interesting to see the fascinating subtleties of political advertising.

Monday Morning Links and Reading

Happy Monday everybody. Let's get right to it:

First social networking took over the Internet, now it will be dominating your television.

Very good read here. It's a guest post by Peter Himler, a PR guru, touching on a wide scope of industry happenings, such as has social media become more powerful than the traditional media?

Here's some great local news for you: Lake Delton will soon look like its old self.

Let's play word association. When I write "attack ads," what's the first thing to pop into your head? Political ads? Not so fast, as brand heaveyweights, Dunkin' Donuts, Burger King and Microsoft have all jumped into the pool.

Sports PR: Not as glamorous it seems.

Study shows Coke is the most talked about brand in the country.

Executive Decisons Episode 4: The Return of Marisa

My Consensus: A++++++

I'm Joe the Plumber?

Hi I'm Marc, the account coordinator and I approve this message.

Whatever your political leaning may be, you have to be wondering how much more "Joe the Plumber" we'll see. After it was mentioned 5,323 times in the last debate and parodied on SNL ("Joe the Plumber stands 3.5" inches tall, but when he's upset he can be as big as a house!"), that's about it right? His 15 minutes are up, right?

Well, my friends...wrong.



The only way he could really hit this home for me, the voter, is if he finished it by saying, "I'm Joe the Plumber and I approve this message."

Via CampaignFreak

A look at the present

I typically delve into a look at yesteryear on Wednesday's, but every time and again (read: hardly ever), a local company puts out an ad that generates worldwide headlines. Harley-Davidson teamed up with All-America supermodel, Marisa Miller in efforts to appeal the company to a younger demographic. Well played Harley, you win this round!

Brand Wars: The Saga Continues

A couple weeks ago, I focused my Executive Decisions column on Microsoft's campaign that was a rebuttal to the successful "Mac/PC" ads ran by Apple. Well, Apple now has fired another salvo at the tech giant. Let me know if you think it hits.



AW SNAP!

Monday Industry Links and Reading

We've moved our Friday link's post to Monday. We all need some extra help getting through a Monday (particularly when it's raining like it is here in Milwaukee).

Internet marketing and promotions expert, Matt Bacak, explains the difference between PR and advertising. It's a short read, but a good one. Many people ask me the same question a lot.

Own Google stock? It's revenue is up 31% despite our weak economy.

Austraillans want to see a redution in the amount of alcohol advertisements.

Fox Mobile is getting a facelift. The News Corp. organization is undergoing some rebranding and reorganizing as it is expanded to include new territories.

If you're ever rebranding a company or changing the look of a client's Web site, be sure to read this story about Yahoo!. It is currently changing the look of its Web site, but is doing so in a very slow process, as if even a small fraction of the sites users don't like the changes, Yahoo! could lose millions of users and millions in advertising dollars. A must read.

Think you're going to be able to retire a millionare from the Web 2.0 company you lauched? Think again.

Sweet! 206 - Top 10 Music Videos

We've undergone some administrative changes here. The former Friday posts of Sweet 206 that provided links to industry happenings is being moved to Monday. From here on out, Sweet 206 will be the umbrella name for our weekly Top 10 lists. Everyone loves top 10 lists and everyone loves Friday's, so I think the change will be well received.

So here is our Top 10 Music Videos of all time:

10. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
His intensity and dance moves can't be re-created. If you tried to duplicate his moves, you would look very strange. He masterfully pulls it off.


9. Aerosmith - Cryin'
America, meet Alicia Silverstone.


8. Devo - Whip It
The pyrimid-like hats turned into iconic symbols.


7. Genesis - Land of Confusion
A brilliant claymation video mocking society. How great is Phil Collins claymation figure?


6. U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
Filmed in LA as a homage to the Beatles, I doubt many bands today could get away with or pull off playing on a rooftop of a building despite cops trying to stop the event.


5. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
No music video list is complete without at least one Jacko vid. Much like Devo's hats become iconic, the illuminating sidewalk when he steps on it is classic. When he was just a pop star, this was his best work.


4. Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
The 90s were a very odd time for music. Grunge bands completely destroyed glam metal and most of their music videos were a bunch of guys banging out sound on their guitars in flannel shirts and tattered blue jeans. That's what made this video so terrific. It was so unique for its time.


3. Blind Melon - No Rain
This music video defined the 90s. It was the 90s. All about not fitting in and wanting to be accepted. It was the 90s.


2. A-Ha - Take on Me
It needs no further explanation. Sketching's becoming live people and vice versa. Genius!


1. Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
This video is light years ahead of its time. Honestly, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Christopher Walken cutting a serious rug throughout the whole thing just makes so much sense. Sit back and enjoy!

Executive Decisons - Episode 3: Staying Fit

Good Morning, avid fans and welcome to yet another edition of Executive Decisions, coming to you live from Celtic HQ. We've talked about brand wars and whatever the hell drinkability is and now we turn to another popular trend in the marketing world today and it can be explained in three letters: MPG.

We are in a "crisis" (buzz word for 2008). There's a tanking stock market, unfavorable leadership, polar bears without Igloos, and Brett Favre is NOT playing for the Packers (but we're all doing OK). We're also all collectively addicted to fuel, which is where this week's campaign comes in.

The trend in the auto industry is zooming towards fuel efficiency, and no one is using it more to their advantage than Honda. Their popular model, the Fit, is a spunky, small, yet spacious eco-friendly 33 MPG hot rod with a new campaign to boot. The print ads are above, the commercials below.






What I Love

A lot of things. There is a fun element to these ads that really plays to the younger demographic looking for efficiency when it comes to their rampant fuel addiction. Car ads can be so cluttered and this just sticks out. There is a nice knock on the gas guzzlers of the world and overall I really feel this campaign has the best of both worlds: great creative while still staying on target.

What I Hate

The tag, "The Fit is Go" is almost literally blared into my ears by what sounds like the robot from "Lost in Space". I don't really understand the connection. Honestly though, that was reaching and there isn't much that I hate about this at all.

Consensus

A-

Daring creative that cuts through the auto clutter? Check.
Providing a fresh look at the MPG craze? Check.
Maintaining interest throughout? Check.
Keeping the message fluid through print and TV? Check.
Staying on target with the younger demographics? Check.

Great work here and this so far has the highest grade in Executive Decisions History! See you next week!

Best Buy Rebranding

I'm a big fan of Best Buy's change here. It definitely has a clean, modern design that was really the only hole left for Best Buy to fill in order to completely be in the 21st century. Nice that they kept the tag too.

What are your thoughts?

A Look Back - The Majik Show (1991)

The Green Bay Packers are currently in the middle of their first season without Brett Favre under center since 1991, when the quarterback was Packers cult icon hero, Don Majkowski. While the "Majik Man" had one of the coolest nicknames in the rich history of the franchise, his television show left something to be desired.

A clip from The Majik Show appears below. You'll see offensive tackle Ken Ruettgers provide analysis about a sketch of Majkowski, drawn by a young audience member. Nevermind the fact that one of the boys that took part in the show is on stage with Majik sporting a Detroit Lions Barry Sanders jersey.

The show was financed by sponsors that still provide a lot of clout in the area: First Wisconsin Bank and Old Style Classic Draft. The funny thing in looking back at this show, is knowing how widely popular it was at the time. Majkowski was the hero of the Packers, quarterbacking them to a winning 10-6 record in 1989, marking the first time the team finished above .500 since 1978.

It's inevitable that Aaron Rodgers will have his own show at some point down the road. Here's hoping Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood is every bit as popular as The Majik Show, with just a few upgrades on the producing side!

Political Advertising, for Gamers

Ever wish you could just get away from all the political ads on TV? Escape to a land of virtual reality, where it's nothing but you, a controller, a bunch of digitally enhanced race cars speeding through city streets, and NO POLITICAL ADS IN SIGHT?

Prepare to be extremely disappointed.

Brand of the Week

What does this brand mean to you?

Traits of Strong Brands: Where does your fall under?

Utilizing an Internet Surfing program like StumbleUpon is great for finding articles and websites of your liking. I just "stumbled upon" this:

The Top 10 Traits of Strong Brands

How does your brand stack up?

Product Placement: Always Around Us

I just caught glimpse of a nice top 10 list linked to the "Adages" blog on AdAge.com

The Top 10 Best Product Placements in Movies

Definitely a list worth checking out that touches on the longevity of product placement and how influential it has been on our entertainment society. I must agree with Ken Wheaton, the Wayne's World clip is my favorite. What's yours?

Sweet 206! - 10/10

It's almost the weekend...Sweet!

It's 10/10 today. Does that mean I'm supposed to make a wish like when it's 10:10 a.m. or p.m.?

We're all feeling the financial crisis, and so are retailers. Boston Store's parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., is down 4.6 percent in sales...and they're pretty happy about that.

Does Google ever rest? Ever? It has launched a new, in-game advertising platform, similar to how its AdSense works, only for Flash games. Amazing.

In 2007, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns spent $213.1 million on ads. With automotive and financial services ranking #1 and #3 in ad categories last year, media experts are suggesting that the food industry, a staple for everyone, could grow by leaps and bounds in the ad world.

The CW is creating an "America's Next Top Model" spin off, "Operation Fabulous." I thought they already did a spinoff modeling show called "Project Runway." Nice to see this market isn't over saturated at all.

Still think that high school football isn't a big deal in Texas? Check out this field, being nominated for the athletic field of the year. Amazing.

Behold the vast power of PR. Five Austraillan collegiate PR students raised $1,300 for cystic fibrosis with a starting budget of $0. They relied solely on PR to raise money.

Now you’re a little bit closer to the weekend…

Excecutive Decisions Episode 2: Drinkability?

Welcome to Episode 2, loyal readers. I originally wanted to focus on a Political Ad campaign this week, but I love nothing about them, while hating everything about them, so where's the fun in that? Let's find some substance people!

Well, I certainly haven't found substance yet, because this week I'm shifting my focus to beer. Hey, it's been a long campaign, and you know everyone else is thinking about it too.

Always regarded for their righteously hilarious Super Bowl commercials (who would have thought that crotch kicking and fire breathing equated with drinking light beer?), Bud Light just released its newest campaign with continuously looping ads through this year’s MLB playoffs, with a theme entitled "Drinkability." Let's check out those spots!






What I Love

It's a very safe spot. It doesn't go too far “over the line,” keeps it fresh with light humor, and hits on all the touch points of enjoying a light beer: social environment, a good taste, and not having that bloated, full feeling. And with all the tension of the InBev buyout of Anheuser-Busch, this provides the ol' standby distractions: sports, grilled meats, parties, and beer.

What I Hate

Dear Bud Light,

Thanks a lot for informing me that your light beer is drinkable. I was getting worried that whenever I would drink your product, that in reality, it was not drinkable and I would face serious repercussions in the near future. But rest assured, your beer is drinkable and also has a great taste! And is less filling! And WHY does that sound like something I've heard from a certain competitor that brews it's light beer just a few miles from the office? Better luck in the Super Bowl, Bud Light.

Consensus

D+

It's cute and fun and all, but I still can't get over how oversimplified "Drinkability" is. Look, if you want to differentiate your position, don't sound so much like your competitor. Everyone who drinks your beer or sees your ads knows you're a polished brand, and that it's a hard game to compete in, but reverting on the old formula to sound like a Miller Lite ad won't swing me.

Oh, and for the record, here's a spot from my favorite Bud Light campaign:

A Look Back -- Presidential Ad from 1992

On the heels of last nights second presidential debate, we take a look back at an ad from the 1992 election. This ad is unique in many ways.
1. Incredibly boring
2. Doesn't attack either of the other candidates
3. From a third party

Am I the only one who thinks that we'll never see a third party candidate put together an actual campaign that garners being invited to the debates as Ross Perot did in 1992? Take a look and see for yourself.

Brand of the week

What does this brand mean to you?

Top 5 Soda Commercials

The current issue of New York Magazine takes a look back at many of the top events that shaped what they call "modern New York." It's the magazine's 40th Anniversary Issue, and one portion focused exclusively on the most memorable ads ever generated by NYC Ad Agencies.

After enjoying their list, it got us thinking about some of our favorite ads, and for our first Top 5 list, we focus on our top 5 favorite soda ads of all time. Let us know what you think we missed or how much you couldn't agree more!

1. Pepsi-Crystal Pepsi
This is almost a no brainer. There has never been a larger "overnight cult favorite" than this short lived drink with the great Van Halen theme music.


2. Coca Cola-Polar Bears
It's not the holiday season without these instant classic bottled Coke ads! This particular polar bear ad was our specific favorite from the entire campaign.


3. Diet Pepsi-Ray Charles
"You've got the right one baby...UH-Huh!" became the "it" phrase seemingly overnight.


4. Mountain Dew-Davey and Tommy
The clamation made it stick out from the pack. The conclusion made it hilarious.


5. Vault-Drop the Hammer
This is far from a well known spot, but considering the drink bills itself as a hybrid soda/energy drink, the first time we saw this, we couldn't have drawn up a better ad for a drink that, "drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink."


Honorable Mention
Make 7 Up Yours
What did middle schoolers wear to school prior to this ad campaign that led to the t-shirts?

Thanks!

Celtic is sponsoring a car in this year's Fireball Run, a transcontinental rally to build awareness for America's missing children. Suite 206 is the official blog for Car #65 driven by Tom Warden and Chris Nielsen. Here's an update from the road...

Sun., Oct. 5, 2008

Now that the Fireball Run has come to conclusion, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who supported us along the way. A very special thanks to all of our sponsors, including Morgan Stanley, Palermo's Pizza and our good friends at Celtic. Without your support, we wouldn't have made it from Baton Rouge to Grand Rapids. More importantly, we wouldn’t have been able to raise awareness for lost and missing children throughout our country.

So what's the impact of The Fireball Run? Here's something to think about. Of the 65 children featured last year, 24 have since been rescued and reunited with their families and guardians. Talk about making a difference.

Here's what the good people at the Child Rescue Network have to say about this year's event.

Until next year!

-Tom W.

Fireballers Reach the Checkered Flag

Celtic is sponsoring a car in this year's Fireball Run, a transcontinental rally to build awareness for America's missing children. Suite 206 is the official blog for Car #65 driven by Tom Warden and Chris Nielsen. Here's an update from the road...

Sat., Oct. 4, 2008

After nine days, 3,500 miles and dozens of stops along the way, we finally reached the checkered flag in Grand Rapids, Mich. The second annual Fireball Run has finally come to a conclusion. It was a long journey, but one that was unforgettable. We saw tremendous sites and met some of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. Most importantly, we helped “spread the word” about America’s missing children.

When we arrived at the finish line, we were greeted with the following news from one of the rally’s organizers…

“We received some great news by the time we reached Grand Rapids. One of children we were searching for had been found when the California Highway Patrol stopped a stolen vehicle and found the 2 year-old who had been abducted in July!"

We’re hoping for a lot more stories like this in the days, weeks and months ahead!

-Tom W.

Sweet 206! - 10/3

It’s almost the weekend…Sweet!

For the first installment of our blogs weekly Friday morning column, the happenings in and around our home town of Milwaukee will keep the spotlight focused right here.

The buzz around town all week is the Milwaukee Brewers playing postseason baseball. Hasn’t happened here since 1982, and while the Crew’s chances of advancing to the NLCS are pretty slim after dropping both games in Philly, fans are still ready to give the team a hearty welcome home, creating an electric atmosphere at Miller Park.

No matter where you look around town, it’s tough to hide from the Brewers fever. Digital billboards flash the team’s postseason “Octoberfest” logo with nothing more than huge text reading, “CHEERS!” Full color, half page ads are all over the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as well as plastered all over the JSs Web site. On top of that, just about every other person walking around downtown or at the malls has on a Brewers t-shirt or hat. It wasn’t too long ago that the most frequently spotted jersey at a Brewers game was that of Brett Favre. Oh yeah, the Packers have a game on Sunday? Does anybody care with the Brewers in the playoffs? Should the Crew best the Phillies in Game 3 at Miller Park, Packers football will take a long overdue backseat to Brewers baseball.

Advertisers have recognized the tremendous vibes of the Brew Crew as well. The team (technically Major League Baseball) has sold every postseason sponsorship it has available, which includes all of the LED boards and rotating signs behind home plate. Good baseball, good advertising…there’s only one October!

Now you’re a little bit closer to the weekend…

(Above image/ad from JSOnline)

Executive Decisions - Episode I: The “Empire” Strikes Back

Brian touched on this earlier, but I’d like to analyze Microsoft’s new campaign a little closer in Suite 206’s newest segment: Executive Decisions. In this segment, I’ll discuss a campaign. I’ll discuss what I love and hate about it, all from my desk here at 330 Executive Drive, Suite 206. You get the idea.

Here’s a brief catch up on a certain campaign that everyone and their Grandma knows about.

Apple’s ads portray “PC” as an out of touch has-been and “Mac” as hip, intelligent, and most importantly, competent. In the ads, Mac continuously does almost everything in his carefree power to make PC look like nothing short of a moron. He does so quite well. Apple wins. Microsoft, you lose. Rebuttal?

Well apparently being beaten to a pulp and reduced to near obscurity in the tech world was something Microsoft hadn’t planned on continuing, because their rebuttal included two BIG splashes: hiring Crispin Porter + Bogusky as the agency and Jerry Seinfeld as the spokesperson.

The first spots with Seinfeld and Bill Gates living among the “common folk” were well, strange. It’s almost as if CP+B said, “Let’s make a commercial about nothing…Jerry, you’re good at that right?” and away they went.

The second round of spots highlighted the position of the campaign, “I’m a PC”. Now let’s get into the nitty gritty:

What I Love
Taking what Apple used against you and molding it to your advantage. It says, “yes, I own a PC, and I’m cool with that”. The spots targeted a variety of interests and made it all encompassing under the Microsoft umbrella. What’s not to love? Everyone’s happy! What’s best about this campaign? Just the sheer amount of dollars and the name Seinfeld get people talking. That in itself is something to respect.

What I Hate
It’s taken years and millions upon millions of dollars and we get “I’m a PC”? I applaud the simplicity, and maybe there is more to come, but how long was their planning session for this? 10 minutes? Guess why Apple beat Microsoft? Because they devloped a niche and it grew (and grew…and grew…and grew…) from there. In the end, Microsoft is only becoming more broad, and thus, more vague. Being vague is a slippery slope in a world of specialization.

My Consensus
C+

At this point, most of the damage done on Microsoft was irrevocable. As I said before, the best part of the campaign: the buzz of the big names. But at the end of the day, was it worth $300 million? No. Will it put out some of Apple’s fire? We’ll see. But probably not.

Fireballers Meet the King

Celtic is sponsoring a car in this year's Fireball Run, a transcontinental rally to build awareness for America's missing children. Suite 206 is the official blog for Car #65, driven by Tom Warden and Chris Nielsen. Here's an update from the road...

Tupelo, Mississippi was a great host to the Fireballers. Tupelo is where Elvis Presley got his big break. We even got to meet "The King" (both young and old) while were there.

From Tupelo, we made our way to other great stops, including Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. We spent most of the day on a scavenger hunt throughout town, including a stop at the home of Elvis himself.

Have You Seen This Girl?

Celtic is sponsoring a car in this year's Fireball Run, a transcontinental rally to build awareness for America's missing children. Suite 206 is the official blog for Car #65, driven by Tom Warden and Chris Nielsen. Here's an update from the road...

Wed., Oct. 1, 2008

The core mission of The Fireball Run is to find missing children. This year, 65 teams are racing 3,500 miles across the country to help build awareness for America's missing kids. We're handing out flyers and talking with anyone we can. We even have pictures of kids right on the side of our cars -- kind of like a rolling milk carton.

My team is searching for a runaway teen named Gao Nou Yang. She's a 14 year old girl who resides in Wausau, Wis. She left home in April and has not been seen since.

All week long, we've been passing out information, talking with reporters and doing whatever we can to find Yang, as well as other missing children. Thanks to great sponsors like Celtic, Palermo's Pizza, Morgan Stanley and others, we're "spreading the word" and making a real impact.

-Tom W.