Whoa dude! What a CONCEPT!

Duo to Launch Agency with a Twist

Digital advertising veterans P.J. Pereira and Andrew O'Dell caused a stir in the industry earlier this year when they left their senior posts at AKQA, then and still one of the hotter interactive ad agencies. Wednesday, they will announce plans to launch a new full-service agency.Messrs. Pereira, 34 years old, and O'Dell, 38, say the problem with most existing ad agencies is that they either have a traditional focus or a digital orientation.

Meanwhile, traditional ad agencies instinctively encourage marketers to buy television spots and print ads because that is what they are paid to produce, the two men say.

The two say their new San Francisco-based agency, Pereira & O'Dell, will offer clients both digital and traditional services, but won't sell them what they don't need. The company has secured $30 million in funding -- plus, the founders say, the prospect of an additional $70 million -- from Brazilian investment fund ABC International.

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Tracy saw this release today.

Don't sell clients what they don't need! How radical! How innovative! How out-of-the-ordinary. Or is it? All I know is that here at N+H Central, we've always put what the client needs first. Always believed that if your only tool is a hammer every problem tends to look like a nail.

So I'm not sure these guys have come up with such a radical concept. At least it's not new to us. A pretentious release? Oh yeah. But an original idea? Nahhhhh.

But about that $30 million in funding . . .

Honest to God, this is so cool, I may just throw up.

I found this work for Friends of the Earth on the always wonderful I Believe in Advertising site. If you go there to poke around, dwell on the Ambient & Outdoor section for a real reward.

If you can't read the copy on this even if you blow it up, it goes like this:

"The poster is blank with a clear sticky coating over the headline and visual. Over time, dust and dirty particles on the street get stuck on the poster, gradually revealing the message. In doing so, we let polluted air speak for itself." From JWT Hong Kong.

If I could come up with an idea like this JUST ONCE . . .

JITD is one year old today.

That’s 122 posts all told. Not including this one. Which would make it 123. I think.

In the past year, we’ve moved our office, hired a new art director, lost a client, got dissed by another, made several new friends and picked up a some nice accounts. Along the way, JITD has amused and entertained a few people, pissed off a few people and, with any luck at all, gave a few others something to think about now and again.

Or not. Maybe. I don’t know.

In any case, it's a great way to look like you're working.

This is a fun site.

Note to self: Never do a post just as you are getting ready to go home sick. If you do, you might have grievous errors like naming your post -- as THIS one was originally named until just now -- "a fin site" instead of "a fun site".

I'm better now. Thank you for your attention.


Classic Commercials TV4U.

Looking for that American Express commercial I mentioned in the previous post, I came across this site full of classic TV commercials. Obviously, not everything from the past is really "classic" (this probably ought to be called "Vintage Commercials"), but there are some spots there that would still work today.

Be sure to watch the old Pabst Blue Ribbon beer spot "starring" Jeff Daniels with Denzel Washington in a teeny little role (as the token black guy). Look under Classic Beer Commercials. Also check out the Anderson Soup spot.

Don't use the navigation at the top of the page -- the commercials are linked to the thumbnails.

Sort of like an old Amex Spot. But not really. But sort of.

This is a cool Visa spot by Saatchi and Saatchi.

It reminds me -- a lot -- of an American Express commercial years and years ago that featured a guy washing up on a beach with nothing but an Amex card. Haven't found it online yet, but I'll keep trying until somebody wanders in my office and tells me to do some real work.

Both do a good job of showing that you can get anything with the card. This one is probably a bit more original, although 25 years ago when the other one ran, it was probably considered "out of the box".

There is so much I don't understand.

Right now, this moment, what I don’t understand is why people spend perfectly good money to run a print ad, tv spot or radio spot but don't seem to want to have something worth reading, watching or listening to. I mean there is some really goofy stuff floating around out there.

Last I looked, they don’t give space or time away. So why not go to just a little more trouble and expense to get something good? You know, something that will actually work?

My guess is that there are people who a) don’t know the difference between good and not good, b) simply have a different standard of good and not good than I do or c) for some reason, don’t need the creative to actually accomplish anything.

Then again, as I’ve said before, I’m probably just an idiot. Besides, right now I have a headache.

So here’s a picture I took of the Cherry Blossoms at dawn today. And one of Alfalfa.

I'm not here today.

That’s because April Fool’s Day is a holiday at Nasuti + Hinkle, so we’re closed. I’m not even here. I slept late, went for a run, had a nourishing breakfast and then went back to bed for the rest of the day. I’ll be in tomorrow.

I love April Fool’s Day. April Fool’s Day was my first day on my own after I escaped the financial security of a corporate job. Seemed an appropriate date at the time. And in hindsight, I guess it was, but maybe not like I thought.

My friend from Fairchild Industries, Marlene Duvall, was born on April Fool’s Day. So was Karen’s uncle, Dana Nasuti. A few years ago, John Cassell, a friend of ours who is a wonderful remodeling contractor, waited at our house until we left for the day and then posted a VERY official-looking sign noting that our home had been rezoned for a duplex. It was great. Totally freaked out the neighbors. My friend Barbara Roybal used to go down to Dupont Circle and play the old money-on-a-fishing-line joke on people. We have a basket of old-fashioned hand-buzzers here for anybody who needs one. One day, we’ll start having April Fool’s parties again.

My buddy, photographer Carl Caruso, called this morning with a "new business lead". Contact name is "Meehoff, Jack". And in recognition of this day of days, I'm wearing a white Brooks Brothers, button-down shirt and tie. And if you know me at all, you can appreciate that.

Imagine. A whole day dedicated to nothing more than making people laugh.

Happy April Fool’s Day. Go do something silly.