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Tom Hanks got me into advertising.
It was 1987 and I had just watched a movie called "Nothing In Common." In it, Tom Hanks worked at an ad agency and got to do lots of cool stuff — act out commercials he wrote, shoot hoops at bars in the middle of the day and hook up with Sela Ward. Right then, I gave up on ever wanting to be an astronaut. Advertising just seemed like more fun. Plus, it didn't require regular Tang consumption.
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Projects
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Info
- Associate Creative Director | Copy | RazorfishMarketing and Advertising | Greater Atlanta Area, USExperience
- Jan 2011 - PresentAssociate Creative Director / RazorfishOriginally recruited for the ADT and TruGreen accounts, I’ve since become a leader on the AT&T business. Currently, I’m helping the U-verse Online group rethink the future of TV. I’ve also directed multiple teams on a variety of other projects, including banner advertising, landing pages, emails and more. I’ve additionally helped re-envision the million-dollar att.net property and contributed to the conceptualization of a splashy CES product launch.
- May 2010 - Jan 2011Direct Response Copywriter / Brunner, Inc.If it involved clicks, it involved me. I wrote emails, banners, rich media and landing pages for a wide variety of clients — including SeaPak frozen foods, Beazer homes, Bob Evans restaurants and Eaton clutches/transmissions. I also produced print ads, direct mail, point-of-sale materials, radio spots and more for clients like Cub Cadet, James Hardie building products and others. The work I did here won two Addys and was featured in Luerzer's Archive.
- Sept 2008 - May 2010Freelance Copywriter / Razorfish & Other AgenciesAround the fall of 2008, I made the bold (crazy) choice to freelance at the onset of the biggest global recession in 30 years. With agencies everywhere shedding staff, this actually worked out pretty well for me. After a few slow months, the phone started to ring and never stopped. Razorfish even locked me up for a few months to pitch in on ADT. During this time, I also helped out on direct, digital and other projects for Coca-Cola, NCR, Samsung, UPS and La-Z-Boy.
- Dec 2007 - Sept 2008Associate Creative Director / DigitasTalk about 'sight unseen.' I was the first creative person hired and didn't have a clue about who I'd be working with. There wasn't even an office at the time. So one of the first things I did was help build up the creative department. Next, I set out to grow The Home Depot business, which was transitioning from the Boston office. The direct and digital campaigns I led here consistently beat expectations, with the banner ads delivering a 16%-22% increase in click-thru. In addition to overseeing an eight-person creative group, I also took a leading role in strategy development, site audits and more. I ultimately left when the Atlanta leadership team bailed within a month or so of each other.
- Mar 2005 - Dec 2007Freelance Copywriter / Various AgenciesWhen the agency I was working for imploded, I found myself without a job—and without severance pay. I needed to hustle and that’s exactly what I did. Instead of relying on unemployment, I reached out to former clients and co-workers, securing jobs that I converted into repeat business. Over the next few years, I ended up writing print, broadcast, direct, interactive and more for The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, Cox Cable and others.
- Sept 2003 - Mar 2005Associate Creative Director / EmergenceI came back east to turn a catalog agency into something more. I took the lead on everything that wasn’t stapled — print, direct, broadcast and digital. I was part of a team that nurtured The Home Depot account from occasional assignments to preferred vendor status. I was also responsible for campaigns that improved ROI for Jerzees, with the average response rate being 10 times the average. Additionally, I supervised a small group of art directors, copywriters and designers, who together won a substantial amount of new business. But the accounting practices here made Enron look legit, and the agency up and closed with no notice.
- Jun 2001 - Aug 2003Senior Copywriter / FFwd (now Hawkeye)300 days of sunshine weren’t the only perk. I thrived in this super small office with its D.I.Y. culture. In fact, I grew the Sun Microsystems account beyond the original scope and helped win a piece of the Comcast business. I also relaunched the Adult Education Program at Mount St. Mary’s College. Shockingly, the radio ad I wrote for it drove a 169% increase in inquiries over the previous agency’s efforts. Of course, I didn’t just limit myself to flyover country. I also assisted the Dallas, Minneapolis and Chicago offices on Alltel, Pizza Hut and Equal sweetener.
- Feb 2000 - May 2001Copywriter / Brann Worldwide (now EuroRSCG)The first place I wrote “junk mail,” though I like to think that not much of it was junk. During my year-plus tenure, I cranked out CRM and acquisition programs for various banks and tech/telco companies, including Bank One and Pacific Bell. I was also active in pitch work for Marriott Senior Living, Hilton Vacation Clubs and Coleman. Little-known fact: this was one of the agencies Dan Snyder sold to finance his purchase of the Redskins. He probably should’ve stuck with advertising.
- Jan 1996 - Jan 2000Copywriter / Various AgenciesWorked at a couple of small shops you’ve probably never heard of. It’s at these places that I cut my teeth, paid my dues and did any other cliché you can think of. Produced print ads, broadcast spots and more for Circuit City, Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service and others. The high: a doodle of mine became the logo for the State Fair of Virginia. The low: hours and hours of reviewing B-roll from Christian Children’s Fund shoots.
Education-
2010 - 2010VCU BrandcenterPost-Graduate Class in Presentation & Pitch Strategy
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1992 - 1996Virginia Commonwealth UniversityB.S. in Mass Communications/Advertising Copywriting
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Tweets
- Joke credit goes to copywriter Ben Hawk, who told it to me. I have no idea who told it to him.
- Ad joke: an SEO expert walks into a bar, bars, pub, irish pub, beer, whiskey, wine, grey goose, belvedere...
- Ever wonder where .am, .fm and .me came from? It's a surprising answer: http://t.co/9mlWfIgp.
- Great ways to improve your __________ chops. Can't wait for General Assembly to offer e-learning. http://t.co/Uhnv4jZC
- This week so far: found out one project was being yanked away, then learned another won an award. Win some, lose some. Literally.
- Nine hours in Austin: bookstore, record store, French food, interview, coffeehouse, BBQ. A full day.
- I remember the good old days when client fire drills only happened Fridays at 5.
- New blog post on Lee Clow and creative insurgency. http://t.co/KFBqtk2L
- New blog post about giving the client what they need vs. what they want. http://t.co/KFBqtk2L
- Creatives get a bad rap. The account team left en masse at 5:30 yet most of us right-brained folks are still here working.
- Just put up a new blog post about what @kellyokeefe taught me about branding. http://t.co/KFBqtk2L
- Last night I started a blog for copywriters, particularly the junior ones. http://t.co/KFBqtk2L
- I've never worked at Leo, so it could be total B.S. But I love that they're promoting a culture: http://t.co/36Z7odzE.
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Posts
- Get Up, Stand Up
I stumbled upon this clip of Lee Clow, cribbed from the movie “Art & Copy.” He basically makes a case for creative insurgency. My favorite quote: “Creative people, rise up! They can’t do shit unless we make ads for them. We should be in charge.”
I’ve worked at the type of agency he’s criticizing and the do-anything-to-make-a-buck attitude is disheartening, to say the least. While I sadly don’t have the chops to work at a shop like Chiat, I think it’s possible to foster that “pirate spirit” almost anywhere. All it takes is a coalition of the willing.
Band together, my friends, band together.
Go to the 1:26 mark for the start of the bit I’m talking about.
- Want vs. Need
Some of my clients are the most inside-the-box mofos you’ll ever meet. It’s what got a few of us talking about the difference between giving a client what they want and what they need. The want is obviously what you see in the brief — a specific type of project that covers off on points X, Y and Z. The need, however, is something that’s completely above and beyond the client’s request.
For instance, let’s say you’ve been asked to promote a sweepstakes on Facebook. All the client really wants is an entry form fans can complete. But beyond offering people an opportunity to win, what does that really accomplish? Considering that social is an engagement channel, doesn’t it make more sense to give entrants a compelling reason to hang around (or keep coming back).
You could, for instance, transform the sweeps into a photo contest where the winner is picked through fan votes. Then you’d give people a good reason to tell their friends “hey, vote for me” while encouraging them to check back in. Of course, this is just one of many approaches you could — and should — take to satisfy the need.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t give the client what they want. I’m saying you shouldn’t stop there. While the bare minimum might be fine for the client (and it typically is), it shouldn’t ever be good enough for you.
- When Witty Isn't Enough
Early last decade I had a chance to work for Kelly O’Keefe, one of the smartest men I know in advertising. Towards the end of my run with his agency Emergence, he and I were working on a pitch for a retailer similar to Restoration Hardware.
In addition to coming up with spec creative, I was also charged with cranking out a mess of taglines for the brand. Never an easy thing, it was even more daunting because Kelly was the guy the New York Times and other pubs called about branding.
My initial lines were catchy, pithy and quickly shot down by Kelly. But before I left the room, he shared his philosophy on slogans, which still guides me almost 10 years later.
When digging into brand assignments, Kelly stressed authenticity over everything else. The best taglines, he said, reflected or reinforced the consumer’s own experience with the brand.
Kelly’s theory bears out, especially when you consider how many good slogans are indelible in our minds:
Reach Out And Touch Someone | AT&T
Takes A Licking And Keeps On Ticking | Timex
Be All You Can Be | U.S. Army
Have It Your Way | Burger King
It’s Everywhere You Want To Be | VISA
Now what’s truly remarkable is none of these taglines are currently in use today, yet you probably know them all. And that’s the power of a carefully crafted slogan. Unlike a headline that can be forgotten as soon as it’s read, a tagline can enter our cultural lexicon.
The next time you sit down to write one, think of the difference between the evocative classic Finger Lickin’ Good and it’s barely adequate replacement So Good. While they both probably took the same amount of time to develop, it’s clear they didn’t get the same amount of thought.
Forget words like ‘hard sell’ and ‘soft sell.’ That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something that will inform and serve the consumer, and be sure you’re saying it like it’s never been said before.
Bill Bernbach- 1994 Revisited
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was write about baked beans. Yes, baked beans. It was my sophomore year of college and Jack Haberstroh — my copywriting professor — had issued his annual Baked Beans Challenge.
The goal was to write copy that literally made the mouth water. It was tough. Real tough. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my name that ended up on the Wall of Fame. Chances are, it wouldn’t be yours either.
That’s kind of my point. Most of the things we’re asked to write about aren’t that challenging. It’s easy to sell sexy — cars, televisions and all the other things we lust after. Pushing cell phone service, lawn care and teeth whitening isn’t that tricky either. So if you ever want to test your mettle as a writer, go grab a can off aisle nine and have at it. It’s beans that separate the men from the boys.
- Rule No. 1
What’s in it for them? It’s a question those reading your copy commonly ask. Are you? Too often writers are so caught up in being clever, they forget to be compelling. Let’s face it, not everyone can be Louis C.K.
So instead of trying to be funny, try to be effective. Aim to evoke a response, be it emotional or rational. Identify the sweet spot, then convey it in a way that gets noticed. A couple of good examples:
The trick is to give people what they want — even if they don’t know what that is yet. As you can see here, you don’t have to be boring to be benefit-driven. Heck, the guy who wrote these ads got himself featured in Communication Arts. That’s not too shabby for promoting the virtues of clean living.
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Posts
- Apr 07, 10
My wife loves Crocs’ sandals. She owns more than one pair, talked my mother into buying some and will tell anyone who’ll listen how comfortable they are. So while this spot covers off on Croc’s comfort story, it fails in other ways. Big ways.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Avoided the creep. I’ve never been a fan of talking tubs of butter, chickens selling fried chicken or anything else that can’t happen in reality. But I hate these ‘living’ shoes for an entirely different reason: they’re damn creepy. Sure, the animation is nicely done, but it makes me want to buy a handgun to defend myself. I’m not alone either. The viewer comments on YouTube are not kind. So why didn’t anyone think the Chuckies of footwear might be a bad idea? I definitely would’ve found a different approach—one that wouldn’t frighten little children.
2) Featured the product. Apparently the whole point of this spot was to introduce a new, Keds-like shoe. You couldn’t really tell that from this ad though. That’s because it’s yet another example of a concept getting in the way of the message. People—including myself—have been so distracted by the CGI that no one’s really paying any attention to the new product (including the agency). I mean, if they were in love with the concept of animated shoes, why didn’t they at least feature the right shoe? Namely, the one that isn’t butt ugly and universally derided for its looks.
3) Fixed the tagline. Since the creatives choose to feature a tagline vs. the shoe at the end, I’m going to ding them on it. I can understand why they went with ‘Feel The Love,’ but I don’t think it stands on its own very well. Too many slogans these days serve the ad, not the overall brand. As such, I would’ve directly centered my tagline around the comfort my wife and others rabidly love. With a line like that, no matter what context you see it in, there’s a clear benefit that’s conveyed. Hell, comfort is something Crocs can own in a way few other brands can. And if the shoe fits…
- Mar 29, 10
I didn’t watch this year’s Super Bowl. As a result, I didn’t get to see the Betty White/Abe Vigoda Snickers ad everyone was talking about. I didn’t seek it out either cause, well, it was a Snickers ad, which have historically been pretty crappy. Then I saw the Aretha Franklin/Liza Minnelli spot several times and began to think Snickers might have one of the best campaigns running. That, of course, was before I saw this print ad, which feels like it wasn’t just produced by a different team, but by a different agency. Sure, it shares the same payoff as the spots, but that’s about it.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Kept it consistent. The art direction, while not exactly helping matters, really isn’t the biggest problem here. It’s the copy that lacks the verve of the TV. It’s a little too “went with my first idea” to me. After all, rock stars don’t bust hotel rooms because they’re hungry, they bust up hotels rooms cause they’re high. And that’s the biggest miss about this—it’s not terribly thought out. Plus, let’s face it, the hotel-destroying rock star story is one of the biggest clichés out there. What I like about the TV is how it takes a tired old stereotype and puts a fresh spin on it, by actually getting Liza Minnelli to be the diva. This print ad just has a tired old stereotype and doesn’t take it any farther. It is what it is and no more.
2) Gotten visual. Now this is where the art director could’ve started carrying his/her weight. In both of the produced spots, you have such great visuals—Betty White playing football and Aretha Franklin on a road trip. So why wouldn’t you use them? The media buy has these spots in such heavily rotation, you can’t possibly see the print ad without knowing the context. Hell, you could even have standalone concepts with celebrities not shown on TV. After all, people are already in on the joke. That said, I really would’ve focused on exploring this option. Even using the above print ad’s lame conceit, Alice Cooper in full greasepaint would’ve had a lot more impact vs. a 15-word headline set in 48-point type against a brown background. But that’s just my take. And I haven’t had a Snickers bar lately.
- Mar 24, 10
I think this one can really be summed up as “good idea, bad execution.” I say this because I’ve come across several iterations of this banner campaign and I think it has potential. Unfortunately though, it’s not going to be realized. Not based on what I’ve seen at least.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Put the concept front and center. There’s a certain whimsy to this campaign that I like. But it’s all setup and no payoff, as you can’t see the visuals very well. Way in the back there’s a carton of yogurt with Van Gogh’s face and, I can only imagine, some witty product name. Without being able to see that though, the ad really doesn’t make sense conceptually. And that’s a shame, because I think this could be a campaign with legs. So the no-brainer here would be to redesign the ad so you actually get the gimmick. To be honest, I’m not sure why the agency didn’t do this themselves.
2) Made it Flash-ier. When I’ve seen these ads, they’ve all been static. And I’m not a big fan of static ads, unless you’re going to keep your message super simple. By designing these ads in Flash, however, there’d suddenly room for everything. You could have the content in the starburst appear big and bold, then nest itself up into a corner. Next, a tight shot of the yogurt could appear before it takes it place in the background. Then, finally, the logo and other elements could animate in. That way, all the key points could be properly emphasized in turn. Plus, with the addition of movement, the ad has a better shot of standing out on the page.
3) Simplified the design. Like in most creative executions, you really don’t need the starburst. It’s so 1987. I would’ve reallocated its copy to serve as a true headline, giving the logo less competition. And speaking of logos, does this tiny ad need four of them? While I understand this is an ad bought and paid for by government programs, there’s no reason all these logos have to be featured. That’s what the program’s site is for, which brings me to my last point.
4) Driven the point home. Probably the biggest failure of this campaign is the site the ads drive to, which is a total disconnect from the established creative. On my fifth or so site visit, I noticed there sometimes is a module in the lower nav that offers up the 10 promised tips, but it’s not a consistent experience. As such, I would’ve created a landing page that echoed—and expanded upon—the conceptual aspect of the ads. Instead though, you have to keep hitting refresh until the right info comes up. Sometimes it takes three refreshes, other times eight. Let’s face it, if parents wanted their patience tried, they’d go do something with their kids.
- Mar 23, 10
I wasn’t really paying attention when the new LaQuinta ad came on. I was doing other things. So it wasn’t the ad that sucked me in, it was the awfulness that compelled me to look. It was like MST3000 decided to go into the advertising business, but forgot to bring the funny.
It boggles the mind that someone, somewhere convinced a CD to approve this, an Account Director to sell it and a client to sign off on it. This spot—this entire campaign—couldn’t have been the agency’s best idea. It couldn’t have even been the agency’s 12th best idea. With the exception of ads for natural male enhancement and trucking schools, this honestly has to be the worst spot I’ve seen in recent memory. In fact, I can’t even think of a way to improve upon it short of starting over. So…
Here’s what I would do:
1) Fire the copywriter. 30 seconds to play with and all he or she could come up with is 20+ seconds of cornpone humor? This spot ostensibly announces a nationwide redesign of the chain’s rooms, but that barely gets a mention. It’s a shame, too. The rooms actually look much nicer than I would expect, but this direction makes the entire brand look cheap.
2) Fire the art director. I’m not really sure this spot had an art director. Because no self-respecting art director would use the crappiest footage he or she could find for a national ad. But if someone with a visual eye was tasked to this spot, let the axe drop. Because the only future he or she has is making commercials like these (un-ironically, of course).
3) Fire the CD. He or she obviously can’t evaluate good creative and has no right to be pulling down six figures—which, incidentally, is roughly 600 times what was spent on the production of this spot.
4) Fire the Account Director. Why? Because he or she didn’t say no when it needed to be said. Sometimes, it’s good for the creative people to hear “no.”
5) Fire the client. If the CMO was willing to pin LaQuinta’s newly refurbished properties to a bunch of stale ideas and old B&W footage, he or she won’t be too long for this world. And when a new CMO comes in, the agency is going to have to justify why they did them—and no argument in defense of these ads will save the business. So it’s better just to cut the agency’s losses now and start fresh with a new team and account. Any more spots in this direction would just damage the rep of the agency and the brand.
- Mar 19, 10
Of all the traditional fast food places, I probably like Wendy’s the best. But man their marketing is awful. Sometimes, I wish they’d dig up Dave Thomas and reanimate him. Because at least then they’d have some consistency. I’ve never seen a brand go through agencies like Wilt Chamberlain ran through women until Dave Thomas died.
I think current agency, Kaplan Thayer, has had one of the longest runs, which isn’t saying much. But here’s the problem with a lot of their stuff—it’s all jingles and gimmicks. I mean, this entire site is built around a jingle. And a bad one at that. Putting that aside, if you were going to build a site around a jingle, at least make it sing.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Beefed up the viral. Take this page for instance. Shooting for something to go viral isn’t as simple as creating content. You have to create something compelling. And this promo fails for two reasons.
FAIL #1: the tweets make no mention of the promotion. So people who see their friends’ tweets don’t know there’s something in it for them, they just get mildly annoyed at yet another marketing scheme. FAIL #2: when people are given the option to share through Facebook, the actual promo is buried in the copy. The headline of the shared message is the page’s headline, which really isn’t that actionable.
Here’s the thing: when you’re running a promotion, it’s not a crime to be promotional. It’s actually encouraged. Because neither of these shallow attempts at viral offer people enough of a reason to spread the word. They’re not even fun. Again, for something to be spread, it has to be interesting. And I would’ve worked hard to make sure it was, telling people they could win free food in a way they’d want to tell others.
2) Offered people a reason to return. I’ve seen inflatable kiddie pools less shallow than this site. And that leads me to believe that the content gets refreshed fairly frequently. But nothing in the copy invites people to return for new games, promos, etc. Seeing as people can blow through this site in a matter of minutes, I probably would’ve added something to the site’s main copy that called this out.
3) Given full disclosure. Again, on another page, Wendy’s tries to hijack visitors’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, but they don’t provide a reason why you should give their data over. Sure, there’s the promise of finding out how “real you are,” but I probably would’ve conveyed in visuals and copy exactly what you get. Show me something cool and I’ll give you my information. Ask for it without delivering something of value and I’ll keep it to myself.
4) Stopped half-assing it. As if all of the above wasn’t enough, the agency actually botches the single semi-cool thing about the site: it’s lifestream. On one of the pages, there’s a continually updating feed of content related to Wendy’s: tweets, YouTube videos, Flickr pics, etc. But here’s the thing: their filters suck. For instance, instead of bringing in tweets about the Baconator, it pulls in everything that mentions bacon. And there’s a lot of bacon of Twitter. So really what you get is a lot of random thoughts on bacon…and not much else. Cool idea, bad execution. Personally, I would’ve thought this out more before the launch…and checked back afterwards to make any necessary tweaks. Maybe the agency’s guys are just too busy writing jingles to care.
- Mar 17, 10
Remember the aughts? Those days when khaki, song and b-list celebrities were synonymous with Gap? Well, in 2010, it’s all about denim. And every ad I’ve seen—print to in-store to online—looks like this, which looks an awful lot like another brand’s ads. I’m not sure why either. Gap’s brand isn’t one that’s broken, so I’m not sure why the creative team tried to “fix” it. In this case, I think it needs to be evolution over revolution.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Solved the identity crisis. When I first saw this ad, I seriously thought it was for American Apparel. Same bold font, same white background, same minimalist vibe. All that’s missing are people and the American Apparel logo. Maybe it’s a calculated move, but to me imitation isn’t the sincerest form of flattery. Especially for a retailer who historically has had such a clearly defined (and whimsical) brand. So I would’ve thought of a more unique way to position Gap and its denim. For some reason, when I think of Gap, I think of color. So I probably would’ve injected some of that, along with Gap’s trademark whimsy. But I wouldn’t have stopped there.
2) Trash the catalog look. In all honestly, the only time you should ever see laydowns is in a catalog. Even worse is cropping the product so you can’t see the detail. Frankly, I shouldn’t have to turn the ad sideways to see the product. And this whole “from $54.50” thing is very Old Navy to me. People looking to spend $50+ on a single item of clothing aren’t especially price conscious. Sure, Gap’s denim is cheaper than designer denim, but that’s it. It’s all very catalog-y and that’s not the way to go for a multi-channel marketing campaign. Speaking of which, seeing as I’ve seen this exact ad in several different mediums, I would’ve come up with different designs and messaging for a true campaign. What’s being shown and said here isn’t strong enough to be repeated over and over and over.
3) Found the perfect fit. This is where Gap has missed an opportunity: getting a leg up on premium denim brands. Sure, they’re never going to outspend Levi’s, but they can out advertise True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, etc. In addition to adding some Gap fun to the ads, I would really play this up. Then the aforementioned value message would actually make sense, except I’d take the “designer denim for less” direction vs. specific pricing. But what really makes sense is playing off the perfect fit promise that’s tossed off here. If the denim fits perfectly, why not show it on someone? And not just everyone, but people with different body types. This is an opportunity to bring in the B- and C-listers Gap is known for. Surely there’s a Kardashian free somewhere. Then the campaign would actually look like it’s from Gap—and not some Gap wannabe.
- Mar 10, 10
I have no love for Moe’s. And even less for this spot. Seriously people, Bo Bice? The man only has 1,062 fans on Facebook. That’s 2.6 Bo Bice fans for every Moe’s location.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) No Bo. This one’s…oh, who am I kidding? This one’s a giant softball, sitting on a tee. It couldn’t be easier. So instead of stating the obvious, I want to say that the only thing in the spot worse than Bo is the lame bodyguard bit. If you’re going to have it, commit to it. Don’t toss it off with “hey guys, relax.” Hell, given the value message at the end, you could mine Bo’s “tour stop” with comedic results. Do it in a way that’s self-parody and Bo might have even been down for it.
2) Embrace the kitsch. Moe’s is the place where menu items are named Joey Bag Of Doughnuts and Art Vandalay. It’s about as far away from Southwestern cuisine as you can get. So why not embrace the food’s fauxness? I’d probably play up the eccentricity of the joint and have some fun. Skipping the easy Western puns Moe’s usually defaults to, I’d go for the 90s zeitgeist.
3) No Bo, The Encore. I don’t really care if Moe’s lets Bo be himself. Instead of squandering a few seconds at the end like this spot did, I would’ve used the time to pay off my concept better or, at the very least, spent a little more time on the value message. When it comes down to it, you can do a lot in four seconds.
- Mar 05, 10
I follow Caribou on Twitter and was intrigued when I saw the promise of a brand relaunch coming soon. I’m not a frequent customer, but I do like them—their products, their stores and even how they communicate with their customers. In fact, one of my favorite collateral pieces is something they produced (it was a coffee tasting guide, done in the style of what you’d see for wine). And I have to say, their Life Is Short tagline has always done a pretty good job at capturing the whimsy of their brand. So why am I let down by a re-brand that’s built around it? I think because it’s too obvious.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Dug deeper. While I’m glad the slogan was held over, paying it off with phrases like Thank A Teacher or Plant A Tree seems a little too pat, too easy. If the client really wanted to head in this direction, I would’ve aimed for something less shallow. To me, all the phrases sound like something you’d see on a magnet at a gift shop.
2) Be less like Starbucks. I recently read an article stating that if Caribou wants to be more than a regional player, they need to be more like Starbucks. But I’d argue just the opposite. Largely because I see that being a lose-lose situation. Starbucks has lost a lot of their soul by becoming the McDonald’s of coffee and I’d hate to see Caribou stuck as the Wendy’s of coffee, struggling for an identity in their quest to be #2. Love it or hate, their old rustic branding was something they could own. Take out the coffee beans and this new direction could be for almost any brand (I’m thinking athletic shoes).
- Mar 04, 10
Ah, Jimmy Dean. I remember all those commercials from my childhood where Jimmy Dean would sit on a porch swing and dispense his corn pone wisdom. And this ad seems like a bad extension of that.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Written a different headline. Frankly, the current one insults my intelligence. Microwaveable sausage is the key to more family time? Please. “Regular” sausage—at the most—takes like eight minutes to make. And if you’re going to make eggs and slice all that fruit to boot, how much time are you really saving? Yet another example of someone trying to be clever and not thinking beyond that.
2) Connect more with Easter. I’m not sure how many families have a big Easter breakfast (mine didn’t), but I might try to think of a better way to speak to them. Maybe by promoting the idea of having a wholesome family breakfast. I think there’s something to suggesting that the kids have something other than chocolate bunnies for their morning meal. To me, that just seems a little more “real.”
3) Found a different background. Seriously, what’s a breakfast plate doing sitting in a field? The sun I sort of get, but grass?
4) Developed a different tagline. I don’t know how long Shine On has been around, but the only time it’s made sense for me was in the Jimmy Dean spots where that guy in the sun costume was energizing people by feeding them breakfast. Here, it makes no sense. My former boss, Kelly O’Keefe, had a pretty good rule about slogans that I’ve tried to adhere to. His thinking—and I’m paraphrasing here—is that taglines shouldn’t be a payoff to an ad, but be substantive in and of themselves.
5) Driven to something. Seeing as I would’ve probably promoted a better-than-chocolate approach, I most likely would’ve driven to JimmyDean.com for a promotional Easter tie-in—be it brunch recipes or something a little kookier (like how to make your kid’s Easter eggs look like piglets). Anyway, if you’re going to make a big deal out of Easter breakfast, why not go—pardon the pun—whole hog?
- Mar 03, 10
I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed the smart copy and sharp visuals of Sprint’s Now Network campaign. It was a marked improvement over the stodgy, black-and-white ads featuring the new-at-the-time CEO. But for whatever reason, he’s back again. Maybe it’s because he’s a colossal egomanic or perhaps it’s due to a failure of imagination at the agency. Either way, it’s a bad move.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) Given the CEO the old heave-ho. Unless your name is Lee Iaccoca, you’ve got no business being in your company’s ads. Period. And that’s it, really. The graphic nature of the Now Network campaign—with its inherent stats—would’ve been the perfect vehicle for a straight-up comparison ad. Update: Almost immediately after writing this post, I saw a Sprint banner ad that was handled this exact way. So there you go.
- Mar 03, 10
There are thousands of ways to convey “Be Good To Your Car” and word balloons shouldn’t be one of them. In fact, I can’t think of any situation where word balloons should be the go-to idea, short of comic strips and comic books.
Here’s what I would’ve done:
1) 86’d the word balloon. Yes, VW had talking cars in their old Crispin campaigns, but I didn’t love them then either. Frankly, the only car that should talk is K.I.T.T. So I would’ve just gone with something light and fun about taking care of your car—and not defaulting to a tired old movie quote.
2) Gotten personal. The body copy is fine I guess, but I would’ve tried for some personalization or customization here. Since I was driven to this microsite by an email, a database exists. So instead of having people go through multiple screens to select their state and dealer when scheduling an appointment, I’d work to remove those steps. It’d make for a better user experience.
3) Restated the offer. Frankly, I’m really not loving the offer copy—there’s too much of it. I’d save all that detail for the actual offer page and just hit the highlights. And while the inspection is free, people still have to take the time to go to the dealership and wait on the service. Smart owners know there’ll be a sales pitch as part of this, so I’d tell them why it’s really worth going in. Plus, using a phrase like ‘no charge’—in all caps no less—seems like VW’s hiding something. But maybe that’s the cynic in me.
4) Pictured something else. The photography here leaves something to be desired, so I’d really have my art director rethink these choices. First of all, an air filter shouldn’t be the same size as a stack of tires. All those images are just a jumbled mess anyway. Also, if I were tasked to advertise a free GPS system, I’d probably want to show it. I’m sure the tire is there for some B.S. co-op advertising reason, but I know there’s got to be a way around that. And I’d work with my art and account teams to find it.
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