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With all due respect
August 06, 2008, 08:00:09 posted by Charlie
If you think that phrase denotes a sense of respect, read it again. For years, that's what I thought. Then, my attorney explained that it's legalese for "dumba**." It is possible for you to mean what you say, but customers not understand what you say means. Being subtle is all about YOU--or worse, it's all about your agency being creative. Creative is good when it works. Effective creative creates buzz because what's deemed creative by creatives is so seldom effective. Say what you mean. Put it straight and mean it. First, though, make sure you can deliver. Inviting guests to your party before the balloons are all hung, puts you in catch-up and/or damage-control mode. More on that another time. This morning I came across this gem of a video by Paris Hilton, hitting back at John McCain's backhanded slap at Barak Obama's sudden celebrity status. He asks a legitimate question, but does so in a context that implies the answer--if you're paying attention. As Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show, "the ad actually plays well for Obama if you turn the sound off." Point made. Subtlety in advertising runs the risk of being an inside joke. The wasted media dollars that float such balloons are anything but funny. What is funny, though, is Paris Hilton's slap-back at McCain's besmirching of her reputation by bootstrapping her fame to Obama's leadership capabilities. We can discuss Ms. Hilton's reputation and pride thereof another time. For now, though, points to Paris for standing on the stepping stone of subtlety to sell herself. Nicely done. See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die
God only made him male
July 25, 2008, 13:07:02 posted by Charlie
It is our choice to a be man. Randy Pausch, a man in every sense of the word, whose inspirational "last lecture" about living life to the fullest even while battling pancreatic cancer, died today today. He was 47. ABC News first reported the story this morning. ABC's Diane Sawyer anchored an hour-long special with Pausch in April, seven months after Pausch delivered that "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon. The lecture has been viewed more than three million times on YouTube. ABC is preparing a one-hour special to run this Tuesday. Clear time on your schedule to watch his last lecture. It will change how you live your life. His courage and character are an example to every man blessed to be a father.
BMW's risk nets viral success
June 21, 2008, 15:52:48 posted by Charlie
Viral marketing is a chancy game. The best made plans have blown up on companies like Wal-Mart and
TBS . When the public discovers what seems real is just a marketing ploy, it's not just ineffective, it's damaging to the brand.
BMW rolled the dice with a mocumentary film about a Bavarian town attempting to launch a car off a ramp and have it land in the the United States. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) Even though its corporate roots became known, the film was still a success. It has been copied and distributed widely> Merchandise for the fictitious ramp jump is even being sold online.
So, why did BMW succeed where others didn't? Wal-Mart posed as RV'ers crossing the country; it was fake and drew RV'ers in one dimension. TBS stunted timers all over Boston only to have them mistaken as terrorist devices. BMW, in comparison, made good-hearted fun WITH the Bavarian lifestyle and sought to promote something as innately Bavarian as beer.
Viral works when it affirms something the viewer can easily believe and embrace. Authenticity again is the draws the line in viral marketing between success and powder burns.
Continue reading to see an excerpt of the film.
In case the video won't play, click here.
It only hurts because it's true
June 17, 2008, 10:50:14 posted by Charlie
When my kids come to me with egos bruised on the playground, I give them the same advice every time: it can only hurt you if it's true. That's what makes Michael Agger's Slate report on writing for readability all the more stinging.
A father's day
June 15, 2008, 16:43:56 posted by Charlie
Tim Russert's sudden passing has been chronicled, his memory feted, his legacy honored. It is a story of a man who's life honored God's greatest gift. The love he gave was evident in stories from every quarter.
This ground of shocking loss stirs memories of an earlier crossing for me. In the six years since, I've learned it's all choice: wallow in the sadness, mourn what seems a history truncated, or accept that endings are beginnings. When confounded by unfolding events, experience has taught me there will come a day when purpose is revealed for the incomprehensible. Instead of wallowing or mourning, what if we choose to live for that moment--a future worth living into.
I bought a TiVO because of Tim Russert; he had the audacity to broadcast during Mass. My DVR now holds that final program of remembrance, a sort of digital memorial. The last few minutes sum up a life well-lived. He was a good and faithful servant, an example to all who are blessed to be fathers too.
UPDATE: Be sure to click the continued link to see The Boss' surprise farewell. In case the video doesn't play, you can see it here.
The Boss says farewell...
In case Springsteen's performance of Thunder Road does't play, you can see it here.
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