Saturday, February 27, 2010

It's hard not to

My friend Eve moving-to-Texas-soon-but-already-got-the-boots Russell sent me this in response to the previous post.

"Go ahead,' she said "try not to cry."

Friday, February 26, 2010

Oh my good GOD I love Pedigree advertising




If you like dogs, this is simply wonderful. If you even just merely tolerate dogs it's wonderful. I especially like the look at 1:08.

Of course, "We're for Dogs" (below) is my all-time favorite. I can watch it over and over and over and over.

If I had done this, I'd quit the business while I was ahead. And maybe set my hair on fire to celebrate, too.


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

This is pretty cool no matter which day I put it up



Found it on The Denver Egotist. This was live.


(Just so you know, I did this yesterday even though I put it up today and the date is yesterday but I thought two posts in one day seemed like too many and I wanted to spread it out a bit but I didn't count on the date still being yesterday. Even though I am posting it today.)

We love you, you're fabulous, we're very impressed. Now get lost.


I just got one of the most amusing "we're going with someone else" letters ever. An e-mail actually.

To begin with, it came from the Legal Counsel, not the marketing people we'd pitched and presented to. That right there kind of explains what followed.

While he told us they would "not be accepting our bid", he wanted to assure us that they were "beyond impressed" with our proposal and that we "displayed a level of sophistication and forward-thinking that really energized our organization." And, of course, they'd like to stay in touch and have us be customers and when they get bigger, then maybe we can pick up conversations about the future. Finally, of course, they were "impressed" with our creativity.

And coming from the legal counsel, how can you doubt the sincerity?

OK, a couple of things here. We lose pitches all the time. Everybody does. No biggies usually. While I'm disappointed, I don't think I'll cry myself to sleep tonight. But if you're going to tell someone who has gone to the trouble to meet with you a few times and do some spec work besides that you're going another direction why not freaking tell them why?

Honestly kiddies, it's very useful to know why you lose. Was it money? Creativity? Personality? The fact that we swiped office supplies and donuts and dented your fender on the way out of the last meeting? What was it?

Also, really, no kidding, seriously, honestly. If you're who we've been talking to but can't bring yourself to make a phone call, at least have someone we've met send the letter or e-mail.

But the legal counsel? Please.

Have your people call our people.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Well, that was then. This is now.


I've been critical of the DC Addys in the past. In fact, I think the second or third post ever put up here was critical somehow. It's the kind of thing that always results in a "Hey you prick, so why don't you help then?"

So I do. A bit.

Anyway, I have to say that the creative for this year's competition, produced by HZDG (which is damned near impossible for me to get right three times out of five), is simply fabulous. Very creative and interesting. Different. Fun. All the things the frontman for a creative show oughta be.

I'm talking light years ahead of some of the things that have passed for creativity in past years.

Karen Zuckerman and her team at HZDG have set a high bar for future agencies and firms who do the creative for the show.



(Ok, enough of all that. Back to hating things . . . )

No commemt


None needed.




(Found on Washington CityPaper web site.)

Friday, February 19, 2010

This is what we call a "Guest Blog"


Sheila Campbell, ace creativity consultant, travel writer, sometime model and pal, is our guest blogger today kiddies. Sheila's own blog "True Compass" is probably much more interesting than this one, but she has a more cultured audience. She never writes about it, but she also knows a whole pantload about advertising.


A Lurker, A Shirker and an Addict

Social media's all the rage with clients right now, so I figured I had to jump in and experience it myself. Last year, I joined Facebook and Linked In, started Tweeting and began a blog. And the results are . . .

On Facebook and LinkedIn, I lurk. Oh, I post occasionally, but mostly I just read what my not-so-close friends are up to. And I like that. Some are very funny. Some of my "friends" on Facebook I don't quite remember ever meeting, but what the hell.

On Twitter, I shirk. Twitter is overwhelming; too much stuff coming at me. Tweeting does not make me happy, and too much of it is commercial messages with web links. Too hard to sort out the nuggets of information from the barrage of garbage.

Ah, but my blog. There, I'm addicted. I love constantly looking out for some interesting morsel of life and sharing it with -- well, whoever stumbles onto the blog. (It's http://sheilacampbell.com.) Because I write a lot about travel, it has become embarrassing for my friends to eat out with me. I haul out the camera and insist on snapping the food before anybody eats it.

(This photo is lobster Cobb salad at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, where I was yesterday.)

- Sheila Campbell


I'm not sure what this says about us, but it can't be good


Karen's cousin is giving up Facebook for Lent.

She announced this on Facebook, of course.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

From those wonderful folks who gave you The Flight of the Conchords


A bit of Business Time.

Found on copyranter, this banner from Auckland, New Zealand (which could well be the only city named Auckland on earth).

I guess it's fair play what with all the Wonderbra ads out there . . .


(This is post #500 for Juggling in the Dark. I only wish this auspicious occasion had been marked with a post that was bit more highbrow.)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Somewhat political


Senator Evan Bayh (prounced "bye") announced the other day that he would not run again for the Senate.

There was some kind of something in the story about his reasons or something but I never really saw it. I couldn't get past the photo caption that identified his family -- which includes the unfortunately named son Beau. (Seen at right in the photo.)

Beau Bayh? (Pronounced "bo bye".)

Who does that to a kid? It's like naming your child Hy Ho or Slappy Dappy.

Maybe we're better off without this guy in the Senate . . .

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I love this


Not that I'd ever SIT there . . .

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sorry for the lapse


Been out of touch, I know.

Bought myself a new shoulder a week ago, and it's a bit difficult to type (Like you care.)

Plus, it put me a bit under the weather and not terribly motivated. (So what else is new?)

We had 197 inches of snow here and haven't been able to do much of anything. (Yawn.)

So anyway, just a few thoughts of the moment:

In general I have liked the Olympic commercials better than the Super Bowl spots. Especially the Morgan-Freeman-voiced Visa ones. Especially the "right this second, everybody's tied" one that ran opening night.

Like everybody else, I like the Snickers Super Bowl Spot. And the Letterman one. I also like the Pythonesque one of men without pants marching through a field.

There was even a Bud Light commercial I liked -- the one with the asteroid about to hit Earth that spurs a farewell party and then turns out to be a non-even anyway which spurs a party.

I hated the "house made of cold Bud" commercial.

I'm worried that the e-trade campaign (one of my all-time favorites) is in danger of jumping the shark.

That's enough for now. I'm tired. And since Larry Hinkle has yet to volunteer to write the blog for a week or so, I need to take a break.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Unbelievable


According to the AAF SmartBrief today, the National Football League, has laid claim to the expression "Who Dat?"

In fact, they have gone so far as to send Cease and Desist notices to two stores in New Orleans that are selling t-shirts. Spare me. What a bunch of greedy bastards.

According to the Times-Picayune web site (link below) "Before it became a rallying cry of fans of the New Orleans Saints, Who Dat was used as a cheer by St. Augustine High School. And before that it was perhaps first heard in minstrel shows in the later 1800s."

See the poster at right.

Jeeze leave it to the NFL to throw cold water on something.

See more at nola.com.