359. Art of the Pitch by Peter Coughter.

Seldom do I do book reviews and even more rare than that is reviewing a book that has yet to be published. However, this is one that you should probably check out no matter if you are a fledgling student in the business or running one of the biggest and best independent agencies in the world. The Art of the Pitch, by VCU Brandcenter professor Peter Coughter, promises to be quite helpful when it comes to selling your ideas and winning business. Known for his presentation and communication skills, Peter has taught countless students and agencies on how to own that process and get better results. After all, if you come up with great ideas but they are never actually adopted by your clients, what good are they?

Not convinced? Here's what Dan Wieden has to say, "What you'll love about this work is the total freshness it brings to presentations. From the very first chapter, Coughter redefines the challenge, resets the approach and shares invaluable tales from the front lines that will make you ache for a chance to get back in the game."

The book comes out in hardcover and electronic (Kindle) format on January 3rd, but you can pre-order either format here right now.

You may recall—if you've been reading Graphicology for awhile—that Peter had participated in our little series on presenting, The Art of Presenting. (Holy smokes - I just realized this was in 2007. Man, time flies.) The Q & A is definitely one of my favorites and is filled with his general perspective on how to present like a champ. It reads more like a little teaser for all the good stuff the book will no doubt expand upon. Peter has generously shared his talents for years now, and it only makes sense that he begins to do so on a much larger scale. Personally, I can't wait for this book to come out and see how many things I can use to tweak my own presentation skills.

If you want to learn more about Peter Coughter, you can follow him on Twitter. You can also check out the simple site for the upcoming book, http://theartofthepitch.info.

When you do buy the book, why not share your thoughts here?

Happy Thanksgiving.

I couldn't resist.

358. Thankful. Createathon 2011.

I just realized that I have yet to post anything here about this year's CreateAthon. (In the past, I had written about what I learned during my first toe-dip into the 24 hour creative marathon.) With Thanksgiving coming along in a few days the timing couldn't be better, even if this article is some two months late. Sometimes, forgetfulness is all part of the plan, I suppose.

Freddie cheering on our team around midnight:

A little background. CreateAthon was started by two Riggs Partners, Cathy Monetti and Teresa Coles when discussing how an all-nighter would help them get everything done. Being the compassionate souls that they are, it didn't take long for them to make the leap to doing that for charity. Maybe five seconds. Flash forward 14 years and CreateAthon is now a growing, national movement giving communications firms the opportunity to give back to non-profit organizations in a concentrated effort. I have no idea how many studios or agencies have participated, or how many great organizations have been helped, but the number is a big one. A lot of good has been done under this banner. This past month, CreateAthon itself became a non-profit, in order to better serve its purpose.

Riggs Partners WECO sign, pretty cool, eh?

My individual contributions to this event have been small, but I've enjoyed every bit of it. In 2009, I drove down to the WECO building, World Headquarters for Riggs Partners, and pitched in on an effort to help the Palmetto Opera, a small, non-profit outfit trying to hold quality Opera events in South Carolina. It was a dizzying blur of activity from the moment I stepped into the building. Before I even had my first cup of coffee we were off and running. In the next 23 hours, we concepted an event idea that would help change their marketing plan, designed a fairly thorough identity system, a small but punchy ad campaign, and we even started on a website — foreshadowing a fairly ambitious goal two years later in my next CreateAthon.

Identity created for the Palmetto Opera. I liked the subtlety of the P + O icon, that also has a strong resemblance to that little thing that dangles in your throat, as seen by someone singing...opera of course.

This past year, I really didn't know if I was going to be able to make the cross-country flight back to South Carolina, or whether it would fit in with my schedule here at Engine Company 1. Sometime in August, I received a few emails from a friendly gal saying she has secured a flight for me to attend CreateAthon. Now, in my head, I thought maybe there was a little fund saved up for organizational things or whatnot, but I really didn't think too much about it, other than I was excited to be a part and donate my time and um... talents... to good use. I checked the schedule with the EC1 partners and said yes. I'm glad I did.

What I didn't realize was that my attendance was a gift of sorts. (I'm not saying it was a good gift per se, but a gift nonetheless, ha.) Apparently, Cathy had worked with a group called The Cooperative Ministry in the recent past, developing a fund-raising campaign called, With A Little Love. (I can't think of a better organization/effort for the holidays than this, by the way.) The campaign took a cue from the Hootie & The Blowfish song, Hold My Hand, and was designed to educate others about the plight of the working poor and to encourage song downloads and donations. You can buy the song, performed by The Benedict College Gospel Choir, here. You'll be hard pressed to spend a better .99 cents.

With A Little Love:

The Cooperative Ministry overhead Cathy talking about hoping to have me out for the upcoming CreateAthon, and as a thank you for all the work she (and the whole of Riggs) are doing for the group — they bought me a ticket. I didn't know any of this, of course, because they were keeping the whole thing a surprise. For all I knew the ticket was coming from Riggs and was business-as-normal. I was still thankful, but unaware of all the things that had transpired in order to bring me back. 

The first I heard of how I came to be sitting around the de-briefing table to kick of CreateAthon 2011, was at that very meeting. I was told that The Cooperative Ministry had paid for my trip out there as a thank you gift to Cathy, and that she was incredibly happy about all of this. I was incredibly taken off guard, flattered, a little embarassed, and a bit scared.

The Meeting looked a little like this (from 2010 Createathon, which I missed):

Because of all of this, I will never work on a project with more pressure surrounding it. I was determined to make good on this generous gesture on my behalf, knowing the whole time that my best efforts may still come up short to their kindness. I have known Cathy for some five years now, and really wanted to produce work and results that befitted all the effort that went into my arrival. What added even more pressure to the situation, was learning that my organization's goal this year was to have a deep, fully-developed website built from scratch in one day. The organization, a joint effort between The Columbia Opportunity Resource, The Central Carolina Community Foundation, Navigating from Good to Great (and others), had joined in a goal to help raise college-level graduation rates, itself an effort to raise the region's economic and social standing. I was pretty excited to help, but knew we had a huge task in front of us.

One of the best things about CreateAthon is the people you meet, and this year was no different. I would be working with the excellent TrueMatter, an interactive and usability consultancy to design and build this site. Partner Dean Schuster, a super cool guy who just happens to be running in the Antarctica Marathon in 2012, headed up a small team that I would be joining for the day, (Lies! I would be joining for the day + two and a half hours,) along with a wonderful writer, Kathryn White. I could not have teamed up with better, more welcoming folks. I'd like to say that, they would say that, we all worked seamlessly. Got that? I was in charge of the new design, but talked a little programming. They were in charge of development and talked about design. Kathryn provided content, but helped guide the design and site too. On and on this collaboration went, with a speed I had never heretofore experienced.

Dean is going to run with the penguins:

*By the way, Dean has to raise $30,000 to run in the marathon, as it's just as much of a charity event as it is athletic competition. You can donate your other .99 here. (That's $1.98 more than I have ever asked of my readers, all in one article. Not sure I'll ever do this again, but these are worthy causes, and wonderful people. The kind you want to help, doing things worth doing.)

Back to CreateAthon—we had to move fast. Some seven hours into the project, we decided to change the name of our cause, which sent a domino effect, well, into effect. I had to scrap all my design work and start over. The dev team had to rethink what they were doing, and had to set up new domains and hosting. And we still had content to write. So instead of 24 hours, we had 17 to do what was considered impossible anyway. To tell you the truth, I don't remember how it all went down, except that by our 9:30 AM client meeting, we were still making small changes to the site and walked into the presentation with the freshest, out-of-the-oven, website ever presented in the history of website presentations. You can view, The Graduation Imperative site, here. TrueMatter rocked it.

The Graduation Imperative Identity:

We walked the client through the new name. The new identity system. The new photography library. (Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that a photographer, Jeff Amberg, donated his time and went to the local colleges taking great shots of students earning their degrees. Or goofing off between earning their degrees. Either way, the shots were great.) We also presented the entire website, already up and running — complete with a nice jump on blog entries, sections for concerned business, students and schools. I'm not sure I've ever been more proud of work, not just because of how fast it all came together, but also because of the team that got it there.

The other great aspect about CreateAthon are the clients. I think because of the way they are selected, and the fact that they are really trying to do some good in the world with limited means, the clients seem genuinely thankful in a way that makes every client meeting afterward seem less rewarding. There were tears of joy. Applause. And yes, hugs. In a client meeting. If you have never experienced that, I would suggest that you and your agency sign up to be a Createathon partner next year. You will not regret it.

This year's group, before all the blood, sweat and tears were spilled:

After it was all over and I was flying back to California, I couldn't help but wonder whether or not I was worth the price of the flight. Why on earth was I—and whatever I can do with an idea and a computer in a day—a gift to someone from someone I had never met? I wondered whether or not I had made good on that gift. I still wonder that, actually. But as the last few weeks have passed and Thanksgiving approaches, I have realized that the gift was given to me. A gift of another experience that I will never forget, experienced with friends that—although we don't get to spend much time together—have a bond forged by a few long, caffeine-fueled, ambitious, daring, incredibly fun hours each fall spent in the service of others.

To get a better sense of what it's like, check out this video, produced—you guessed it— totally during the 24 hours of this year's CreateAthon by Emulsion Arts from Charlotte, NC.

One last time, if you can help spread the word about With A Little Love, it would help me pay off a little debt. (Obviously, I know where my donation money is going this year.)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope this is a little nudge to get out there and give something to someone.

357. Ad of the Week: Chevy True Stories.

It's been awhile since I've seen something that I really liked and thought was worth sharing, but this work from Chevy and agency, Goodby, is really nice. Called, My Dad's Car and seemingly part of a series titled, Chevy True Stories, this spot (and longer 5 minute mini-doc version) tells the tale of a car long-gone; but not forgotten.

"To pay for his sons' education, Herb Younger was forced to sell his beloved '65 Impala. Two decades later, they found a way to pay him back."

Yes, it's an overt attempt to pull on the ole heart strings, but few car brands can talk this way and I give them credit for doing so. I'm hoping there is more to come in this series since I can't imagine that there is a lack of such experiences to be shared featuring old and new Chevys alike.

Slowly but surely, spots like this have helped Chevy get its mojo back.

My Dad's Car — Long Format:

My Dad's Car — Short Format:

356. Guinness Factory Tour.

If you go to Ireland, you must go to Dublin, and if you go to Dublin, you must go to the Guinness Factory. Besides the obvious draw of drinking a Guinness as close to the source as possible, the factory tour is a top-notch experience featuring seven floors of exhibits. By walking along this self-guided experience, you learn about the ingredients, process, history, marketing, and industry behind the dark beer. But what I marveled at was their success in making the typeface, Impact, look good along the tour. (Somewhat kidding here.) I thought I would share a few snaps from my recent trip in case you can't make it across the pond.

The old brewery gate with the vintage Guinness logotype:

The whole experienced, designed as a huge pint-glass:

The message on this barrel/wall is my favorite:

That's a lot of Guinness:

They pretty much own St. Patrick's Day:

An unflattering pic of me explaining the brewing process to passersby:

There was an entire floor dedicated to Guinness advertising history:

The cooperage was one of my favorite parts of the tour:

The Guinness Guiding Principle:

Copper Tank Capacity:

This was hidden in a corner behind a presentation screen?!?

After the tour, you believe it too:

One of the many views at the top of the tour:

Your fresh pint at the end. Well, mine not yours.

355. Auto Razzle Dazzle.

As most readers already know, I'm a car guy. When I was a kid I took great pride in being able to name any car on the road without getting close enough to read the names on the car. At one point, I could name the car off of the front or back, and even at night just by the headlights. Of course, things change and when you grow up, you get busier. But I still try to keep up with the new models.

One way I do this is to read Autoblog.com fairly regularly. They do a really nice job talking about the new cars and pretty much anything else auto-related. One of the things they do really well is posting new car pictures captured during various stages of development while the vehicles are being tested on the roads of America and elsewhere. The cars are usually heavily camouflaged in order to keep the major design and engineering cues as secret as possible, keeping the surprise until an official unveiling at a car show or during an online event. This isn't anything new, as traditional car magazines like MotorTrend, Automobile, Car and Driver, and the like have been covering these 'spy shots' for many decades. However, the camouflage itself is of extreme interest to me, and has been getting more and more intricate as photographers get more and more crafty. The subject combines design and cars, two of my favorite things. (I'm going to be using images form Autoblog's archives, so be sure to check them out over there.)

Razzle Dazzle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Charles_S._Sperry.jpgIf you are new to automobile spy shots, the degree to which the cars are camouflaged will surprise you. They simply don't tape a tarp on the car anymore. The car is usually wrapped in a complete vinyl covering and printed in a wide array of black and white patterns—similar to what they used during World War I on navy vessels. Back then, this Razzle Dazzle paint scheme, was meant less for camouflage per se, and more for confusion. And that's exactly what the large carmakers are hoping for as well. To counteract this, there is a budding industry that attempts to capture the cars without the camo (or at least be the first). Brend Priddy & Company specializes in this, and contributes imagery to Autoblog on occasion.

The car camouflage is not an exact science however; as each manufacturer has their own take on the patterns they choose to disguise their yet-to-be-released models. The result is an interesting study of applied graphic design. I'm including some of my favorites below, but check out this interesting article from Vauxhall's 2009 Insignia testing.

Applying the Razzle:

Subaru: Subaru uses a precise pattern of swirls, each given a bit of space on a black background. Somehow the design plays tricks with your eyes, though isn't as thorough of a disguise as you will see from other manufacturers.

Audi: Audi's version of visual trickery comes in the form of white swirls on black. A weird mix of the Atlanta Bread Company's logo and the famous Starry Night painting by Van Gogh. You can see how the pattern makes it difficult to discern major visual lines on the car's body, even when standing still.

Lotus implements what might be my favorite, if not the most effective use of modern razzle dazzle. They take a checkerboard pattern and put a swirl in each resulting square. Something very pleasing about this, even if it doesn't quite disguise the shape of the car. Perhaps this is a more developed version of the car that is closer to production and as such less secretive?

Mini takes the theme of swirls and overlaps them, along with adding paint-dripping-esque design cues to the pattern in order to further obfuscate the viewer. It seems to work, though there is no mistaking this vehicle as anything but a Mini. This pattern is a favorite of mother company BMW and is seen often across their family of vehicles.

Land Rover is being super clever when test-driving the 2013 Range Rover model in Germany. At first glance you might think the image below is a low-resolution shot that has been made bigger, but then you realize that the pattern itself on the car is made to look low-rez, resulting in a weird eye-to-brain lost in translation kind of effect. The large swaths of black, white and gray do a good job of distracting one's eye as well; lending a crumpled paper affect to the entire form.

Cadillac uses an interesting series of black and white rectangles, cut and distorted by intersecting lines and shapes and composes what might be one of the more advanced efforts of disguise to date. Used on their upcoming small sedan, the ATS, you can see how difficult it is to discern some of the bodywork. You can also check out the effect when the car is in motion below.

Toyota Prius: This one is pretty complex. They take a hound stooth pattern and kick it up a notch with circular sections of warping applied to that pattern at key points on the car's shape. Again, you can still tell it's a Prius, but you would be hard pressed to make out any major design changes. (Please note the copyright on the image.) This hurts my eyes. The pattern, not the copyright.

Chevy likes to use large checkered-flag patterns, while occasionally covering their cars in black and white panels that resemble shards of glass. Both are seen below at different points of the new Camaro's testing timeline.

Opel GM-owned Opel is shown below using a shattered-glass type non-pattern to hide only the changed panels in their Zafira mini-minivan.

Ford is shown below disguising their new Focus ST, but since it's a car that has already been released, their camouflage doesn't need to be as extensive. The result is definitely one of the more odd implementations, and I'm not even sure it hides anything, and if so what. But it's worth a look. Below is what Ford uses most often, some variation of triangles randomly placed at odds with each other. Far below what is referred to as Ford's packing peanuts pattern.

I'm not sure how this new knowledge will help you out, or what we can do with it in terms of design and conceptual advancement, but I find it interesting. Hope you do as well.

 

354. Ad of the Week: Wheetabix

This ad has everything I hate. Music that is trying too hard. Kids that are oddly adult-like. Lots of the hip and the hop dancing. And last but not least anthropomorphic stuffed animals. But somehow this spot for Spoonsize (as opposed to what exactly is unclear) Chocolate Wheetabix just makes me laugh. I think it has to do with the bellies on the bears, which seem to have the same physical properties of our local beloved SF Giant's mascot Lou Seal. (See the bottom video.)

From the official YouTube page, "The new ad stars nine-year old UK Streetdance phenomenon Arizona Snow, 'popping', 'locking' and 'tutting' her way through a high energy street dance routine in her bedroom. The track is 'A New World' by Mord Fustang." Cute Mord, I see what you've done there with your name. Make that another thing overcome by this spot, produced by BBH.

Wheetabix Chocolate Spoonsize - Dancer:

Now, you may have seen this elsewhere, but have you seen the making of? Honestly, at this point, they should have aired the making of, and had the actual ad go viral. Maybe that's new ground for one of my projects, what would be viral is the ad, and what is the ad is the viral. This is gold, people, gold. Anyway, pretty cool peek into how this went down. 

Behind the Scenes:

Lou Seal Gets Down to Cypress Hill:

353. Commercial Patriotism? Patriotic Commercials?

Disclaimer: Writing articles like this is tough. There are a lot of different opinions out there, and lots of feelings, but thinking about these things is an important exercise, so here goes.

So, we all know that the ten year anniversary of 9-11 occurred yesterday. The date came incidentally on opening weekend of NFL football. So you have a very sad reminder of an atrocity meeting up with a day that most Americans look forward to, in a year we thought it might not happen. Clearly the former's importance is on a scale that the sport can't even begin to match in the smallest of degree. However, sport does intersect life - just as it did in the days and weeks following the twin towers falling. I remember a few baseball games that helped make everything seem normal, even if only for a few innings. Yesterday, we had another instance of sport intersecting life, and adding to the complexity of it all, was a layer of capitalism.

But first, a little background info on me so that none of you out there will quickly browse this article and declare me a heartless bastard, or worse, unpatriotic, or even worse, an insensitive jerk. On 9-11, I was driving down to Richmond, Virginia from the suburbs of DC to make an early morning meeting about a freelance project. The project was for a literacy center that I had worked at during my undergrad and graduate days at VCU, and even though the money wasn't very good, I liked the people and what they were trying to do in the world. I was driving down I-95 in my old pickup listening to some very bad DJs on some very bad radio stations, trying to find a decent tune. (This was before satellite radio or ipod aux jacks fit into my income bracket). When it happened, these poor DJ's were just not qualified to explain what was going on. In my head, given what they had said, a plane the size of a small Cesna had crashed into one of the towers accidentally. Didn't seem like much of a big deal squashed between two really bad country songs in the middle of Virginia on that rather pretty September morning.

When I got to campus, I parked my truck and walked up the four sets of stairs to the literacy center. I was totally not prepared for what I was going to see on the small TV set the employees had pulled into the middle of the lending library. It wasn't long before the towers began to fall. Of course, nobody knew what to say, or what to feel, or what to do. I actually got briefed on the project and started to drive back up to Northern Virginia. It was all a blur, but I do remember I-95 was empty. Which, if you are an east-coaster, you know how crazy that sounds. I might have passed ten cars on the hour and a half drive back north. The radio air was obviously filled with new words too: attack, terrorism, disaster, loss of life, and worse. I, like everyone else, watched the next few days and weeks in shock.

Oddly enough, I had had an interview in NYC that week that was obviously postponed, but I did end up going a few weeks later. What I will never forget were the holes in the skyline where I had been so used to seeing those buildings and the inches thick dust on cars coming out of the city. It looked like dirty snow. And the vigils set up all over town, but particularly the one at Union Square. And the Wanted-Dead-or-Alive posters for Osama. Those are hard things to get out of your mind. And I didn't lose anyone that I knew personally. I can't imagine what that must have been like, watching it all on CNN. Words like tragedy are overused, but not in this case.

So fast-forward ten years to NFL opening weekend yesterday. I have a cold, so instead of helping out on a last-minute project at EC1, I'm couch-surfing and watching football in a semi-Sudafed stupor. I know that I'll be seeing some 9-11 programming, afterall, you can't just ignore it, right? And most of the stuff the sports networks were doing was rather dignified and respectful for the most part. Robert De Niro reprising his role from the 9-11 documentary and talking about the events ten years ago didn't feel inappropriate, just to mention one. What I wasn't prepared for were the ads, even though I should have been. And as I'm want to do, I'm writing about this as much to figure out why I reacted the way I did, as much as I am writing for you the reader. First, let's take a look at three examples.

Budweiser:

In this spot, the brewery remakes an ad that previously had aired only once, soon after the terrorist attacks. It's beautiful, well-shot, super clear, uses honest copy and seems genuine enough given the history of the spot and the company itself. I'm pretty sure Budweiser donates a ton of money and tries to do their part, so all-in-all, in terms of remembering a tragic event goes, this is about as good as advertising can get. I'm not saying I like it, more on that later, but they did their best, I suppose.

Verizon:

Now, if this is what passes for an empathetic spot these days - no thank you. I was messaging a friend earlier today and said this, "I'm not sure if this offends me more as an American or as a creative." And I'm sticking by that. Now, I understand how difficult this must be, creating a spot that isn't supposed to sell anything, but acknowledging a tragedy. And I also understand the scrutiny a spot like this would go through, especially at a decent shop, like McGarry Bowen. (Wonder if the client simply asked them to run this old ad?) But that's all the more reason I don't like it. I feel like this ad is talking to me like I'm stupid. And although I'm personally okay with the religious undertones, I'm not okay with kinda-using them but not too much so that you can appeal to the conservative christian and the non-religious at the same time. The end result, feels like they're singing to Verizon, the Great Diety of Telecom to deliver them. I've heard that this ad also aired on the one-year anniversary and I think I would have reacted the same way then, too. Perhaps they should have done something different, since the temperature of the nation has changed quite a bit since then.

Talking with the same friend, he summed his response to the Verizon ad even better than I: "My personal problem with the Verizon ad for instance, is that it didn't say anything and was just treacle and saccharine. Kids staring up at the statue of liberty for 60 seconds doesn't do anything, doesn't present any idea, and most certainly doesn't mean anything about how we should remember and honor the past. It's just melodramatic fluff. Then seeing who it's from makes me think that that advertiser thinks I'm just an idiot who can be easily manipulated with trite imagery and sappy emotion."  Well said, better writer than I.

State-Farm:

Ah, more children singing, but at least this one feels like they're trying. Combine the innocence of children, a nice rendition of a modern song—one that ties into the vibe of New York City no less—and a visual nod to the first-responders and you have a decent spot. Another thing to like: the spots shows off the revived downtown of the city, a kind of subtle middle-finger to the event, which is a nice touch. Under normal circumstances this would be a great piece of communication. Of course, these are not normal circumstances. I wonder how many people in southern Manhattan had an easy time working with their insurance adjusters in the weeks after the event. Heck, maybe State Farm did a suberb job, but that doesn't mean that when most people think insurance and 9-11, they may have a different reaction to this spot. Maybe it's just the logo at the end. In the end, I would have rather just run/watched a more traditional State Farm ad on Monday Night Football.

As an added bit of exploration, take a look at how some advertisers handled advertising in the New York Times on Sunday, tip to Breaking Copy on these. Same issue here, I'm afraid.

 

It just comes off all wrong to me. Now, I understand how difficult this is. You're kinda damned if you do and damned if you don't for the most part. There will always be critics and there will always be toes to step on. I just feel like most of the work comes off as pedantic, condescending and insensitive to what happened. I don't know if it's just the logo slapped on this at the end that feels off - maybe at the beginning would be a simple fix?!? Maybe, that would keep it all from a whimper of an end. Maybe. I'm okay with a company having a perspective on the events and using their media clout to say something about it, and I am totally fine with people out there who think that this work is okay, even if it touches a chord with them. I'm simply trying to articulate my reactions to the work—which was not good—and think about how it could have been handled differently, and in my opinion, better.

Some of the most creative people I know work in this industry. Some of the most caring too. (And to be clear, I'm not one of those people against running a profitable business, since I like to have a job and pay for things.) I think we can do better with all this creative and business power and really show off our communication skills while doing just that - communicating a feeling to the country and world, albeit through a particular company's lens. If it were easy, anybody could do it.

So what is an advertiser to do? Okay, so it's easy enough to complain about something like this. But how about some answers? Here's how I would have approached an assignment that included advertising on the anniversary of 9-11, or referencing any tragedy for that matter, if I were in a position of power at any of these agencies or companies.

1. Don't. This may not be the most practical answer, and it certainly isn't the most business-savy either. No need in hurting the publications / stations even if for a day, right? But this would definitely have been a better choice for our friends at Verizon and Tourneau. If you're not going to put the time and energy into the project that will result in something honest and respectful, then you'd be better off being invisible. I've got to believe that if some individuals are reacting this way (I'm sure I'm not alone, right?), then there must be some companies that feel some awkwardness in pushing their products in a visible way on such a rememberance. Maybe pausing the ol' capitalism machine for a day isn't the worst idea out there.

2. Focus elsewhere. Personally, I didn't tune into any NFL games as the sole manner by which to remember the events of a decade a go. I tuned in to watch football. That doesn't mean that I didn't take time to reflect on the impact of that event, I just did it on my own time. Perhaps the advertisers that focused instead on the return of football were the more intellgent ones. You can have fun with that and it might respect the audience a bit more and feel more relevant for your brand. In other words, I'm okay with a company selling me soda and connecting with me through the launch of a new season. I'm not okay with a big advertiser telling me how to feel (or even how they feel, which indirectly tells me how I should be feeling) about an event like this, then putting their logo on that end to remind me that yes, you can still get that smartphone that you like. Just doesn't work. Granted, all advertisers were smart enough not to put a price  or item on their spots - but the underlying principle peeked through a bit too much for my comfort.

3. Advertising as Normal? Why not forget all the trappings of a normal advertising spot and actually talk to people like you respect them. The networks tried to do this during their pre-game shows. Not all to good effect, but none to really terrible effect. They showed people talking about how the event changed their lives. Why not have the CEO of a company say something like this, "You know, ten years ago the world changed for all of us. Today while we celebrate the kickoff of a new NFL season we are reminded of (using anything but these words, the tragic events of September 11th) and how the world just stopped. Today, we air this ad not to sell anything, push a product, or any of the usual marketing efforts. Today we just pause and thank all of those who helped us heal and continue to do so."  No logo or slogan or trite over-used message. Just a bit of honesty. I'm sure this could be done better than what I just wrote off the top-of-my-head.

4. Donate your ad time/ production. If you really care about remembering the event, why not donate your ad time and commercial production to an organization that is doing something about it. (This doesn't mean just tacking it on at the end, btw.) Maybe the 9-11 Memorial Fund. Perhaps any of the survivor groups. Just do something good and get out of the way. When you tell someone to (that we?) never forget - within the context of an advertisement, you have to be ready for people to respond negatively. You're telling them one thing, but not actually doing it. You want people to remember, tell them something that someone did that day that is worth remembering instead of following up those words with your logo. At least Budweiser tried to do this, and for that I respect the effort.

Again, there is no right answer to this, but I do think there are plenty of wrong ones, some on display in full HD glory yesterday. I also believe any of these four alternative methods would at least respect the audience and honor the victims in NY, DC and PA in a way that the ads that ran during the NFL games could not.

What are your thoughts on this extremely sensitive matter? Agree? Disagree?

352. Ad of the Week: Chipotle.

I'm sure this is not a perfect ad, the music seems a bit at odds with the style of the visuals, and it's a bit long at 2:20 — but it's definitely worth talking about. To support their Cultivate Foundation, Chipotle enlisted Willie Nelson to do his own version of Coldplay's Scientist, (You know it, "Noooobody said it was easaaaaaay...") and put it over a stop motion animation of farming gone bad and then good again. You can download the song via iTunes to do your part.

More and more you see brands tying themselves to a cause, sometimes to good effect and sometimes not. It usually works best when the cause doesn't seem slapped on as an afterthought or marketing trick. If it comes from the values of the brand it is way more believable. Personally, I believe it in this case, as sustainable farming has been something Chipotle has been talking about for awhile, it's part of who they are.

Here's what the company says about this latest piece: "Coldplay's haunting classic "The Scientist" is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled "Back to the Start." The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system."

Again, I'm not sure the 'haunting music' lends the right kind of tension with the visuals, but all in all, I'm glad to see a big company pushing this agenda. It's important. If you don't believe so - go watch Food, Inc.

I like to pull stills on such projects, as it helps appreciate the work and talent that went into producing it. Below are a few:

Happy Farming Family:

Love the perspective on this shot:

Uh-oh. Somethings gone wrong when you farm looks like this: (You hear us Monsanto?)

A Conundrum of sorts: (nice color)

Pretty cool technique here:

End Frame:

Here's the full-piece:

 Maybe even better are Johnny Kelly's production shots via Flickr:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Update on Sep 9, 2011 at 01:34PM by jj

Great featurette on this project. Love this stuff.

Back to the Start - Making of from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

351. The Ad Awards of LA. Noire.

First things first, or as the headline on every restaurant's drink menu across the US reads: Thirst things thirst. (Ugh. You know I'm right.) Anyway, I think I have found my dream job. Now let me state for the record that I'm perfectly happy with the job I do have, in the rare case that one of my bosses actually reads this drivel. (An unlikely scenario, I assure you.) But I think I've indeed found my dream job. It can best be described as Virtual Creative Director and the job description would center around creating fake ads for video games. Yep. Think about it. You not only pick the best creative you can conjure up, but you can actually make-up the best (fake) products too. Talk about total creative control, it simply could not get any better than that—concepting and executing an entire new world of advertising without any regard to actual market research, planning, client, agency or budget realities. You just create. And here's the kicker, everybody: somebody has this job. Or at least had this job for a time.

First, some background information.

Rockstar games has been putting fake ads into their titles for quite some time. Now, I can understand why a large company might not want to be associated with Grand Theft Auto. Or maybe even Red Dead Redemption. But when they released L.A. Noire earlier this year, they provided a great chance for a real-life, large advertiser, like P&G or Frito-Lay, to literally buy all the ad space in 1947 Los Angeles. In case you don't know, the game involves being a detective and solving cases throughout the city as you work your way up the police ranks. The city is a big cast member of this drama, since you have to drive all around to do your job. And like real life, you are subject to a whole bunch of advertising, some of the radio, but mostly outdoor and in the windows of the neighborhood shops and markets.

Imagine if Coca-Cola would have purchased the rights and simply inserted a selection of their vintage ads into the game, it would have felt perfect. (A major tobacco company would have been even better, but we all know why that didn't happen. Darn kids, they ruin everything.) P&G makes sense because they have a ton of different products and the ads would never have to repeat themselves. But like I said above, Frito-Lay also would have been a great option, not only because of the variety of products in their lineup, but also the target demographic. I think video-game playing and snacks go hand-in-hand, no?

Perhaps because of the producer we are talking about, and their past titles, (or maybe because no agency thought of this in time), the real advertisers stayed away. This gave someone the wonderful job of making it all up, and stealing my dream job. So when I got the game I was pretty excited about the seedy urban canvas that the game would be played on, but also because I'm an advertising, design, and cultural nerd — I was pretty excited to see the ads. You know your life is pretty lame, if you get excited about watching not just advertising, or fake advertising, but fake advertising in a video game. However, I know I'm not the only one, so I thought I would put the L.A. Noire advertising scene on display. I'm writing this perhaps in the hopes of having someone from Rockstar games read this and sign me up to develop the campaigns for the next update of this game. One can dream, can he not?

At first it seems like there are thousands of ads placed in the city, as you zip through L.A. solving crimes and shooting bad guys. Then, you realize that the same ads - maybe mirroring some of the worst parts of advertising - are simply repeated over and over again. But there are still enough pieces that were entered into the LA Advertising shows that year, so here's how they faired. (If I can't make these, I may as well be able to critique them.) Presented with tongue firmly pressed in cheek.

The Ad Awards of L.A. Noire.

MEDIA PLACEMENT. GOLD: Cola King.

The king advertiser in the game, on the basis of being the most prominent and having the most placements, easily goes to the aptly named Cola King. The ad features an illustrated suburban dad wearing a cheap crown and cape. (Most of the ads in the game are vintage illustrations, or more accurately, modern cgi versions of vintage illustration.) The type is set in what appears to be ATTimes bold italic or something close. The color palette stands in between Pepsi and Coke and comes off as more of a parody of RC Cola, which stands for Royal Crown. Appropriate I think. Like a lot of the other ads, the board includes a tagline, "The King of Cola." It's not great, but you see it everywhere. Not impressed? Players had a 100% recall on this campaign. How did your latest do, hotshot?

MEDIA PLACEMENT. SILVER: First-Prize Condiment Co.

The second most prominent advertiser in 1947, fictional Los Angeles is the First-Prize Condiment Company, "The Tastiest Sauces in Town!". Apparently, First-Prize makes a wide-array of sauces from Tomato relish, ketchup and mustard to steak sauce. What sets them apart from the other fade advertisers in the game is they actually run a bunch of different ad variations featuring single bottles of each variety and two different boards featuring their whole lineup.

It's impossible to drive around and not see their boards. I do think they might have trouble with some of the product claims, but kudos to the agency team for producing multiple layouts. (And that great line, "Number one for Mmmmmustard!"

AMBIENT. GOLD: EV-R-Mint Bubble Gum.

EV-R-Mint Bubble gum seems to have put a lot of money behind their recent product launch. You'll see this Rockwellian scene on outdoor boards, bus benches (another big favorite in the game), and on the sides of buildings. I do like teasing the warm weather residents with this Vermont snow background and frozen breath design, even if the concept is pretty shallow and tagline really nothing more than a written-out strategy. MINT being the important part, but who doesn't like cool and refreshed breath?

So, you're asking yourself how did they win best ambient? Well, what the video game doesn't show is their creative bus-shelter extensions, where the bus stops were converted into air-conditioned, Vermont log-homes to complete the winter experience of the campaign. They probably just haven't uploaded it to Ads of The World yet.

IDENTITY DESIGN. GOLD: Alaco Gas & Oil, Corp.

Another advertiser that you can't miss, partly because of their outdoor spend in '47 and because of their ubiquitous brick-and-mortar outlets, is Alaco - your friendly neighborhood virtual big oil company. Alaco's boards have everything. Bold colors. Friendly attendant. Super anarchy-like identity. And an underlined tagline, "At Your Service!" Clearly this comes from an agency that was ahead of it's time, given all the underlining going on in today's taglines. You know an agency really means it when they take the time to underline it. Powerful stuff. I mean, powerful stuff.

IDENTITY DESIGN. SILVER: Spenser's Delicious and Creamy Root Beer.

Like a lot of the ads in this game, they get right to the point. You want some root beer? Well, here you go. And bonus points for the power tie, root beer guy. But this add pulls the medal for their cute little Spenser guy in a top hat, who appears to be eyeing the cold frosty glass with more than a little animosity. That's not in the spirit of the "Cheerful Beverage" now, is it?

BEST AD UNDER $5,000: Capt. Saltee Potato Chips.

A small-time advertiser that gets my vote for one of the better creative solutions, is Capt'n Saltee Potato Chips. The captain illustration is great, though I'm not sure if he is smoking the potato chips in his pipe or if they are falling from the sky, but in any case it stands out. The tagline, "The Tastiest Chips on the High Seas!" is a direct rip-off of the First-Place sauce campaign, and I suspect will be the subject of some forthcoming litigation, perhaps by the Lawyers Law Practice, since they specialize is intellectual property. One more thing - that punctuation in their name can't be right, can it? I'm no style guide wizard, but I don't think so, so nice try Capt. They saved serious cash by using the Captain and CEO himself, Jehosaphat Alphons Saltee. What money they saved, they kept and put out this cheap board.

ART DIRECTION. GOLD: Crawlakill Insect Spray.

Now, here's my favorite ad in the whole game. I don't know if it's the bold red and black color scheme, the lightning bolt, the wonderful crawl - LA - kill name juggernaut, or the slightly Saul Bass-ish layout, but I do like it. I'd totally buy Crawlakill, even though I bet it has some nasty DDT in it. Hey, I'm okay using that on roaches and bedbugs. I bet this agency didn't have the same problems as some of the NYC shops have had recently. Not only does it kill insects and bugs, but it also kills critters. (Aren't critters like raccoons and opossums? Strong stuff indeed. And FAST!)

ART DIRECTION. SILVER: Professor Kleen Cleaning Products

Maybe the only product in the game I'd actually buy because of the advertising. Introducing Professor Kleen's line of cleansers. Check out the use of color and packaging design. I submit that this would actually sell on our shelves today, so there. The agency produced a lot of work for this account, outdoor, posters and print ads that were scattered throughout the city. They're also not shy about talking to their consumer, it's new and it's tops for housewives. There's that market research shining through boys.

VIRAL CAMPAIGN. Gold: BLA Airlines.

Another good one comes from the International Airline, Bla. Never has a creative idea been baked-into the product or service like Bla airlines. Bogusky would be proud. Seldom can an entire industry be summed up by one single outdoor piece, but this is it. I do hear speculation that this media buy has spurned industry competitors like, Bleh-Air and Meh Airlines to up their ad spend in '48, but that's just speculation at this point. There is something non-bla-like in the way the stewardess' skirt is twirling in the breeze, that seems a bit off-brand to me. Just a touch too optimistic if I were the CD on this account. Don't miss the award-winning Bla International Airlines viral video. It looked a little like this.

Honor of Recognition Because They Sponsor the Award Show. Platinum: The L.A. Inquisitor.

If there was one agency and client I'd like to go back in time to help out it would be those associated with the LA Inquisitor. Not only is their creative mediocre, but also their business plan. I'd get them started on their website offering and pay-wall subscriptions. Give them a leg-up on the competition. Looking at their outdoor board, however, I don't think they are a visionary bunch. Today's news just won't cut it in the 2000's, I'd tell them. Nor will the typeface Onyx. Or whatever it is. And using your building as some kind of phallic statement of your prowess isn't necessary. Just the facts, people.

Innovative Media. Gold: Denta-Kleen.

Now here's a company that should fire their media reps, because all of their placements are of the neck-straining, out of the way, hard to see variety. Clearly this product deserves Cola-King quality placements, perhaps a billboard spectacular off of Santa Monica Boulevard? Anyone? I mean, the board doubles as a PSA for brushing one's teeth (Always before bedtime, kids.) And if the cute bobbed and ribbon-haired little girl wasn't enough for you, it does let you know that it's terrific. "It's Terrific!"  I do think we have a decent designer behind this piece - check out the golden sphere and black star graphic combo here. Way ahead of it's time. But that ad won for it's innovative use of media - at night the little girls teeth glowed white.

UPDATE: Sadly this ad was pulled before award show date, for skirting child advertising laws. Apparently, little sally had to pose for 8 hours straight to get her teeth-brushing portrait made. Not cool, agency folks. Not cool.

BEST AD IN A TERRIBLE CATEGORY. BRONZE. Elysian Develoopment.

Now, don't look at this next ad unless you want to have dreams of orange trees and California sunshine. Residential developer, Elysian, brings it with either an architect or new home buyer carrying plans for his California dream in his hands, along with an 'original' headline. "Building a Better California." And I believe them, too. Check out that quality ranch-style home and .125 acre chunk of earthquake susceptible, So-Cal land on which it sits. Peering through a smoggy sunset, I even think I see a little shed in front of some type of agricultural planting in the backyard. They are heralding the next gold rush, folks. Get yours while the gettins good. Should be noted this creative also won The Greater L.A. Metropolitan Area 3rd District Realtors Ad of the Month, last month. Kudos.

BEST TYPOGRAPHY. GOLD: Valor Tobacco.

At first glance, there's not much to see here. Just a normal outdoor board for a cigarette company. But we give out awards for using a typeface in 1947 that was invented only 18 years earlier. That's a great choice and that's why Valor's agency took home the gold in the typography category. Well, for that and the gleaming recommendation from all the doctors out there.

BEST TYPOGRAPHY. SILVER: Delapore Pest Control.

Delapore's Rat-B-Gone rodent killer seems to mean business and cut right to the chase. Yeah, when we see rodents we want to see them belly up and stiff. And maybe amongst a lot of their droppings? The agency ties it all together with the look of horror on the good homemaker's face. And if there was still any question about the product's effectiveness, you are convinced with the claim of being "America's #1 Exterminator. Though I'm sure Crawlakill might claim otherwise, since they are pretty good against critters. Again, get the attorneys ready.

RETOUCHING. GOLD: Lemonella Soda Mfg. Ltd.

I really wish the agency behind the Lemonella boards focused more on that cool bottle design than the 'old country'. That was cliche even back in the '40s. But I do like the name and using the bottlecap as logo. The little grove of lemon trees, and the "Zing!" line just complete the sitting on your porch experience - maybe in your Elysian two-bedroom ranch home, if you're lucky. Can't believe you can have all that for 5 cents. The good ol' days for sure. I will say the yellow background makes these placements "pop" driving around L.A. So, there's that. (Oh, I just made an unintended pun. I'm keeping it in. Seems fitting.) 

Ironically pulled after we learned the hand was photoshopped to look smaller, so that the bottle would visually read larger. Apple would be proud.

COPYWRITING: GOLD. Burst Soda.

Check out that rhyme-scheme. Here's my submission for the wackiest ad in the game environment, Burst. I can tell you one thing right away, I'd never let my kids drink that stuff. First the personified fruit look more like balloons than actual fruit and there are not one, but two rhymes in there. Add the usual array of exclamation points and this creative becomes overwhelming. Probably like the sugary drink itself. No thank you.

PHOTOGRAPHY. GOLD: Inter-State Luxury Liners.

Now, here's an agency with chops. Perhaps no other ad in the game generates the visceral response that this ad produced. Contrasted with the somewhat bleak background of urban decay, this creative promised the joby of the open road to the residents of the city. Simply hop into your Inter-State Luxury Liner, and you can see America. If you can get past the construction for the Santa Monica Freeway. You might want to bring a few friends along, as it appears there's a lot of room, in this bus, er Liner.

ILLUSTRATION. GOLD: Stanley Brewing Teas.

Almost kicked out of the competition for putting long copy on an outdoor board, The Stanley Tea company wins for their 'cute' personifications of a happening teacup and a melancholy cup of Joe. You have a monocle. A bow tie. And a mustache. Clearly, they pulled no punches with this creative.

This award show was not without it's controversy. Just like the Dubai Lynx and Cannes Festivals are fraught with ads that are spec-produced, the L.A. Noire Awards have noticed a few entries that were plagiarized from other sources. All responsible agencies have been contacted and will be forbidden to enter any creative into next year's show. Shame on you.

Los Angeles Police Department Recruitment. Somehow, the agency ripped off an ad from a movie that wouldn't be released for another 50 years, L.A. Confidential. Go ahead and watch it. You'll see the same outdoor board as the one in the game, if you watch closely.

WPA-ripoffs.

There were a bunch of ads entered that were actually produced a few years earlier by the Works Progress Administration Federal One program. The most blatant entries are the posters seen below for Yellowstone and Pennsylvania. I hope all the agencies learned their lesson here. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

On a serious note, I would love love love to work on a series of ads for a game like this. They could be funny, charming, interesting, and interactive - what creative wouldn't want the chance to do that? I'm formally throwing my name into that hat, should anyone give this article to EA or Rockstar or heck, even that Angry Birds outfit.