Alexandra DiLorenzo

We all have a morning routine.  Wake up/check phone/shower/makeup/make lunch/whatever; if one thing is done out of sequence we freak out.  Before I leave I pack my essentials in my bags, jingle my coat pocket to hear my keys, and ask, “Do we have everything?”  Yesterday I blurted out, “Do we have today?”  I blame the gibberish on the lack of coffee and thought nothing of it.  The commute into work was a mix of workers with their heads down and families excited to see the Marathon.  I think I was a mix of both.  No one was really in the office and my boss said if you get your work done, you can head out.  Elated, I met up with my friend near Fenway Park, finally taking in the Marathon scenes (I’ve watched but never been). 

A couple hours go by filled with laughs, beers, and fried food when texts came.  My sister was watching the race on Boylston Street and said there was an explosion.  Not even a minute later she writes there was another one.  Not really sure what to think, I asked the waitress to please turn on the news.  We couldn’t believe our eyes.  Calls were going unanswered and texts were delayed.  I assumed my sister was okay but didn’t know how she was going to get to her apartment close by.  My boyfriend works a block away.  Once I finally heard from them and found out I couldn’t meet up with them, we started walking towards Allston among the crowds of urgent, stupefied crowds.  Thankfully our mutual friend picked us up and we headed to her apartment in Cambridge.  We made checked in with family and looked for answers on the news.  At this moment I have very few answers.  Who could have done such a thing?  On the most innocent, celebratory days in this city?  I don’t know if it will ever be the same. 

Which brings me back to my accidental blurt yesterday morning, “Do we have today?”  We can make sure we’re packed up for the day ahead all we want, but no one can be prepared for catastrophes.  As we Bostonians (and heck, everywhere) try to get on with our lives, make sure you have today.  Make sure you live it to its greatest extent and fill it with love; you might not have any more today’s left.

To the runners, your today was filled with a valiant effort.  You put your bodies to the limit and your hard work is ever appreciated.  To the volunteers, your today was heroic.  You ran to the injured crowds instead of running away.  To the victims, your today was supposed to be filled with joy.  To the slain, your today prematurely ended. 

My heart goes out to everyone involved in yesterday’s tragedy.  While we will never forget in the days to come, let’s start our today’s with more compassion, hope for humanity, and a tighter hug.

~ Touré

If you couldn’t already tell from my punny blog description, I’m a huge fan of Beyoncé.  I didn’t jump on the Bey Bandwagon after the Super Bowl either.  No siree.  From posters to live concert DVDs and even (trying to) convince my boyfriend to decorate our new place like this, I’m pretty dedicated.  BUT not dedicated enough since I had no idea her dad and longtime former manager, Matthew Knowles, was a marketing exec at IBM.  He had experience translating a standard product into something everybody needed.  Sound familiar?  The article asks why Beyoncé’s able to bridge the female (notably R&B) singer gap, being both the classic siren and the hard spitter.  She’ll confidently name her upcoming world tour the “The Mrs. Carter Show” but also say in her new song “took some time to live my life, don’t think I’m just his little wife…”  We fans don’t care if it sounds hypocritical, we GET IT!  Her dad packaged this with a sequined bow on top.  Wouldn’t be surprised if music managers having a marketing degree is a requirement by both the agent and artist from now on.  We all want to believe that her story is an American Dream archetype, but that’s what her dad helped spin.

Got GoT?  Stunning Game of Thrones spreads that (sort of) subtly promotes the premiere 3/31.  FINALLY.  The shadow treatment is especially striking in print.

We get it.  We as marketers get that for every wunderkind success story like Apple, there’s the side of marketing that isn’t as easy to take in.  That “pleasing mouth feel” leaves a sour taste in our mouths when you read stories like this brilliant NYT piece; marketers designing elaborate campaigns on food that kills us.  This story makes you want your days back as an eager marketing student, when you proudly exclaimed, “I’ll never do that!”  It also makes you think that while it’s morally very bad, these marketers at big food corporations are doing their jobs.  I repeat: they’re doing their jobs.  It sucks for me to type that but, ugh, it’s true. 

Play the devil’s advocate and think of all the commercials you’ve seen in the last day.  I heard Jon Hamm’s alluring voice trying to sell me a Mercedes.  There were numerous meetings to design that campaign for our viewing.  Granted, buying a bag of Doritos is a hell of a lot cheaper than a car, but the same rule applies.  These people are hired to try to get you to think (and hopefully buy) their idea around their products. 

Take everything you see with a grain of salt.  Otherwise, it’s bad for your health.

Ragu’s “Long Lost Childhood” campaign: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ragu?feature=watch

As you might have guessed by my last name, I know a thing or two about tomato sauce.  So when I see Ragu in the aisle, my nose goes up in the air.  I’m not a snob; I’m smart.  It might as well be ketchup on pasta.  WhichI’ve had before when a babysitter tried to pretend it was sauce.  Still recovering.

So when I was told to check Ragu’s YouTube page out, I was pleasantly surprised.  Does it make me want to run out to get some and let Mom’s frozen Tupperwares spoil?  No.  But I appreciate any brand that can pull from everyone’s past and seamlessly lend its name/product into the scene.  Admit that you cringed when you saw the mom’s wet thumb inevitably go for his poor cheek.  Too bad my past wasn’t documented for a Heinz ad but there’s still time.

Aaaaaanyone a little miffed they hired kids that looked like the candy?  Anyone even notice/care?

I wonder what the York Peppermint Patty Pieces would’ve looked like.  Ice-blonde tween girl? 

I’ll stop there before I get myself in trouble.

I’m not that impressed, Matt Damon.

City-themed billboards having been popping up as of late around Boston with the typical jargon.  Carnival, touting their new cruise port, used Good Will Hunting’s most famous quote in their billboard.  Wodka Vodka toned it down from their usual bigotries by saying “Lobsta Quality, Chowda Prices.”  Marker’s Mark whiskey have delivery trucks splashed with “Maka’s Mahk.”  So many others out there, so little time to elaborate.

I get that these are ads are supposed to instill pride in the city, especially when driving (road rage is a serious disease here).  But I also think they’re a cop-out by the companies/agencies.  “Hmm how do we get them to buy?” / “Let’s drop the r’s and use Boston-synonymous things!” o_O

A good example of a company marketing to Boston without it being too obvious is Target.  They’re hawking their grocery department by adding colorful produce and prose.  One notable one by Fenway Park read “Good times never seemed so fresh”, referring to a line off the BoSox fight song “Sweet Caroline.”  Clever.  Simple.  Appropriate.  Not in-your-face like a numba palm-slapped to a window.

Well done, Durex.

RIP Donna Summer.  All my divas are dying :(  This isn’t your Last Dance; this song will always be a karaoke favorite.

Does Lily Allen have any idea Red Lobster is using her song “Knock Em Out” in their TV spot?

Good excuse to propel her out of retirement.

…

Had to capitalize NUT in nutritional, Men’s Health?

I did it.  I thought I could get away with having only one pin board to suffice my inspirations but it’s just not designed to do so.  Their new UX makes customizing your page more pliable and I love the option of adding friends onto boards to share pins back and forth (perfect for upcoming apartment furniture wish list).  Even though Pinterest has pretty much garnered the “quirky fashion” / “sinful yet healthy recipes” / “fluffy animals” niches (admit it, those are your boards, too), it’s nice to see what companies are doing to differentiate themselves.  You can even apply for a job on it.

Click to see my parts (in particularly, the mktg_dva one!)

ilovecharts:

Consumer Goods

Which brands gave you :O faces?

My special someone.  He made this t-shirt last year for Luminate Surf & Skate.

Called it the “Gnarwhal”.

Then Vans made these boardshorts:

Not cool!  Sorry to get heated like this and I’m not even sure if there can be repercussions but I wanted to vent somewhere.  Vans, what’s your deal?  Let’s spread this like Etsy v. Urban Outfitters.

It takes a lot for me to turn my back to one of my favorite brands, Heineken (note synonymous green bottle turned away) but this was delicious to not only drink but look at.  Can’t get enough of unique beer label design.

If this is what boy bands sound like now, consider me eleven years old again.  Cue that high-pitched scream I can’t do anymore!

rebeccaj:

You guys, Fiona is back. 

<3 <3 <3

I would really love to get this out of my head…

…who am I kidding :)

First rule of social media…