This is advertising... maybe?

ART & COPY, a new documentary about the advertising industry has just hit select screens.
I haven't seen very many documentaries, but this one seems to strike a particularly resonant chord for me in the midst of all this talk about the evolving media business model.

The trailer already has my mind buzzing with ideas, and reminds me of the in-my-opinion flawed "principle" my marketing prof tried to feed me in university- that marketers don't create needs, they just match consumer needs with solutions (sorry Maslow, I'm too cheap to buy all of it.) This consumer relationship with a product/service is fascinating and certainly complex, but it has also changed and I'm interested to see how this movie will present its opinion of advertising and communicating perceptions.
As the trailer concludes, you can sell anything if you find a way to make it mean something to someone. Now whether or not that means someone needs that "anything" remains an entirely different question- and an entirely different post.

Check out the trailer for yourself:

Video-in-print

CBS will run this video ad in the September issue of Entertainment Weekly.



Why do I feel like this is only interesting because it feels like a stunt? I don't see how many advertisers could afford to do this yet, on top of the fact that it's shelf life is only 40 minutes...

It is creative and pushing the boundaries of what one can do in print, but until video ads are effectively and non-marginally used in video-friendly digital spaces, I think its a far cry to say this is the next big thing in advertising.

Up up and away....

This'll make you never sit @ the back of a bus again...

Text in to die

In case you didn't catch this initiative from the Gwent police force in the UK...
they've created an exceptionally nasty video to help ward against texting and driving.



Which totally grossed me out - but also didn't really have a punchline.

After having me spend my precious work-time watching this 4minute video, and having put me through endless screaming from one of the actresses, I honestly can say that the only reason I stuck till the end was to see the closing line.

And where was it?
Nowhere.

I personally felt that this could've driven the dont text and drive point further, but all this video really did in the end was make me REALLY want to pull our text in to win radio promos...that, and not text while driving.

Heat Exhaustion & Newsletter mad-ness

Ok so all weekend, I’ve been driving up north to a secret spot in the laurentians to take advantage of the summer (that took 2 months to get here) and go swimming.

The spot is this place off of the side of the road, with clean freshwater and decent rapids you can swim in, on public property, with NOBODY around. My friend Marco found it while cruising aimlessly one afternoon 7 years ago. And we've been going ever since. For 3 years though, it kindof dropped off our radar as university hit, and my friends got "real jobs".

On Saturday, I decided to take the Jeep out for a spin and rediscover what I've been missing out on - and revisit our old watering hole. Needless to say, I was back the next day, taking advantage of the sound of the water, and the sun.

So here I am today, back at my desk - hating the fact that I'm stuck working for a living...And BOOM - I come across a very relevant topic from one of my fav. newsletters...DailyXY - a guy's newsletter - on culture, things-to-do, and general coolness http://www.dailyxy.com/

Today's dailyXY is talking about summer pools in Mtl - HOW RELEVANT!
It's been our hottest weekend yet! I can't wait and read the thing the minute it gets into my inbox.

Here's how they open:
"After a typically abysmal winter, and a non-existent spring, summer’s been a disappointment. Cool weather and frequent rain have meant far too many movies and not nearly enough patios and pools. Now that the heat seems to have finally arrived, we don’t intend to spend any more time indoors. Our first order of business: We’re going to find a spot by the pool. And you?"

BOOM! I'm intruigued, I read on, where they go on to talk specifics...

The Wet Bar: Hotel de la Montagne
Summer revellers at this rooftop pool can drink like fish thanks to a swim-up bar. This vibrant spot offers all the dancing and flirting of neighboring Crescent Street – only with way more bikinis. 1430 de la Montagne St., 514-288-5656.The Urban Oasis: Royal Victoria Hospital Pool
Don’t be fooled by the decidedly unsexy name: Leafy, free of dive-bombing children, and nestled at the foot of the Mountain, this is the city’s finest urban oasis. Crawling with hot, tanned young Westmount babes. Beside the hospital, 514-934-1934 (ext. 34141).
The Campus Club: La Cité
Join fit university students on the rooftop of this posh building in the McGill ghetto. A $12 entry fee ($5 after 7 p.m., during the week), gets you access to the well-appointed gym, spa and the indoor/outdoor rooftop pool, which gets sun well into the evening. 3575 Parc Ave., 514-288-8221.
The Hipster Haven: Sir Wilfred-Laurier Pool
What this municipal outdoor pool lacks in cocktail bars it makes up for in setting and sass. Embrace park life and don’t even think of it as the pauper’s choice: This is the spot for bronzing among the Plateau’s jeunes et jolis. 5200 Brebeuf St., 514-872-4050.

And STOP.

The article by Valerie Howes kindof left me yearning for more - but I'm kindof torn.
I want more, but she's already kindof reviewed the place. I don't know how to feel.
Is it just the form of the newsletter that leaves me wanting more, or is it the way it's reviewed?

I mean, before I go out in the half-buff, in front of hipsters and fit university students, or oogling tourists - I'm wondering...has anyone even been to these places at all? Is this just an extensive yellowpages search? Or even worse...did she just use BING and add her own spin to it?

I don't know what to think - I seriously would check these places out, but i'm beginning to not enjoy an editor telling me in 140 characters or less (and on top of that, in a quirky newsletter manner) where i should go to get half-naked and pickup chicks.

I guess there is a definite need for long-form sometimes...or at least a peer review.

Johnnie Walker throws his hat into the Oscar ring

I really like how some brands are producing great short films..
(Adidas did it a few months back with their House Party vid)

Now, the famed Scottish whiskey maker brings a short film telling its story.


Johnnie Walker: The Walk (Source: LimitedHype)



If only we could measure the impact of such branding ventures...

The Humanthesizer

So Calvin Harris decided to create a Humanthesizer aka an excuse to "play music" on half naked girls.

Basic marketing precept: sex sells.

It's a Mad world we live in....Broadcast vs Web

Ok, so i just came off reading this article from MiC where its reported that MadMen season 3 will NOT be broadcasted on the network anymore (CTV has run both seasons 1 and 2 of the show, and was slated for the third with their track record...but....).

I'm feeling all these weird emotions. Anger, joy, frustration....I feel like i'm in the wizard of oz, and woke up a lil ahead of the group...like I've been seeing it this way for a really short while, and now ppl are waking up to technicolor - and we've realized none of us are actually crazy.

Paolo's current emotional spectrum
Anger: I JUST GOT HOOKED, I'm like a fresh junky...having come off a 1 week binge of nightly episodes of seasons 1 and 2...and all the features on the DVD....I need more and i need it now. Srsly, i've got the shakes.
Joy: OMG Web just beat out broadcast in canada! Huge news!
Frustration: But how will I watch mad men?

So lemme just concentrate on the good here for a minute - MadMen turned down broadcasting on one of Canada's biggest networks in favor for iTunes?!?!

Do you know what that means?

Somewhere, they've decided that the revenues from iTunes, beat out the revenues they'd be getting from a deal with CTV. Either the network got hardcore cheap and iTunes was too good - or this is a company deeply wanting to go web.

I'm kindof happy either way, as more money from online deals might just mean a slow migration of both advertisers and clients directly moving onto the medium....but imagine if it's that MadMen's producers are taking the reigns and migrating ppl to online on purpose...oooh that's one sexy strategy right there.

Bouncin' Bitrates Batman...the world's going to go digital!
-P-

What kind of art director lets this happen?

MY GOD!
Does she have any idea what she's doing?

It's like having her mime coughing.

My fav. marketing Buzzwords

Ok, so Cat and I have been talking about this post for a while now...and i've had it as a draft now for awhile....so let's get this out.



We've both begun to pickup on many of buzzword strategies recently, and have put a few of them down here.... let me know your thoughts and which ones i should add to the list. Each buzzword is accompanied by a catchphrase to use it in, and a brief summary of how else to use it.





User Engagement - Often thrown at us when a publisher wants to show how to "connect" through advertising or other means of communication. Also used as a success metric for those promising users acting with purchased ads.

"With us on your media plan, we'll guarantee the highest user engagement rates ever"



Benchmarking (also watch for conjugations of Benchmarking like "benching"). When publishers throw this around, they mean business. This is bar-setting in its best marketing jargon form.

"Based on your recent campaign, you're benchmarking pretty high already, it must've been the creative..."


Success Metrics - Another word for KPI or....get this....objectives.

"This campaign's success metrics are based on user engagement, and click-through, both of which we can deliver on! "



User Intent - Used when publishers want to pretend they understand what their consumers actually want.

"If we don't have clear user intent with your creative, it's harder to deliver on engagement"



ROI - Guaranteed ROI (note how there's no sign to what kind of value ROI you've got, it's just guaranteed).

"You want ROI - we deliver ROI"


Value Add - Something you don't pay for that you apparently should be paying for. Be warned for its use with extreme sarcasm.

"I can get you my artistic director's time as a value-add...oh, you have creative already?"



Brand Identity - If your brand were a person, they'd have feelings, and an opinion, and a brand identity. Sometimes, publishers give their publications a brand identity. If websites could talk....

"we believe that your brand identity fits with ours. That's why I'm not charging you ratecard and considering this a beta."

Alpha Testing - Apparently, there's something before the testing phase - so a test of a test...
"we cant talk about some of the technologies we'll have available cuz they're still in alpha testing"

Conversational Media Synergies - When Social Media works in tangent, there are apparently efficiencies that work together for the better...

"We need to create conversational media synergies in order to maximize our ROI. Twitter and Facebook - like Twitbook"



Conversion Analysis - When you look back on how much your campaign performed, and create a report.

"After a quick conversion analysis, we're recommending a larger investment in our property. We can't bench based on comparative data, but based on our own success metrics, we think we deserve more budget."


Social Networking - This is probably just a word that people think means "we can't figure out a real strategy, so well throw it to the wolves and hope it works" with the way some ppl use it.
"After many hours of thought, we've come up with an organic social networking plan, because we think people want to become fans of your screwdriver making company"



Actionable - Should just be a synonym for "more". Often used when someone wants to tell you what to do without making you feel like a subordinate. It's supposed to be a nice favor they've done you by using this word - you'll prolly just be confused.

"What a great brief on how to generate ROI. My only "watchout" is that I would've liked it to be actionable. I need to know what i'm investing in."


Usability - Whether or not something is of use, a positive reaction will indicate Usability.

"Increase our social media features. Posting to facebook is huge on usability."


Share of Voice - If everyone yells at once, measuring your share of voice is like a fraction of the volume that you've created as a group.

"Based on these success metrics, your share of voice was optimized based on the decrease in avails on our property. "



Long-tail (which is most often confused and mis-used instead of "long term") - Honestly, I knew what this meant once...but it's so screwed up right now i'm believing my own BS.

"We need to think long-tail and start looking at commitment levels."



Wiki - Something in constant development, meant to help speed along the learning process without having to formally review anything too seriously.

"I've built this wiki for us to use with clients such as yourselves. In the long-tail, I think it'll help to show how our social networking strategies have come along"


Best Practices -Also known as a key learning, but a key learning actually put to use.

"We're really hoping we can put together a case study on this social networking campaign, to help us iron out our wiki with the best practices for your brand."



If you have any others you'd like to include, or ones that you disagree with, or want on here...let me know - this is in constant development and I'm hoping to keep this a regular occurrence.

Financial Post Can't Pay for Proofreading?

As reported on the front page of the financial post - it says here that Porter would whore themselves out - simply to finance their new airplanes.

Beats paying for their planes with taxpayers's dollars...doesn't it?
FAIL.