Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Advertising for Men,



Dear Old Spice,

First off I want to apologize for how long it took me to write about this ad. I've seen it many times and everytime I watch it the jealousy continues to increase. Jealous of the fact that whoever wrote this was able to sell through the most ridiculous ad. And believe me when I say ridiculous I mean ridiculously amazing.

This is the kind of ad that got me into advertising in the first place but I only ever thought this kind of stuff was possible with beer and that deoderant ads should stick to mountains and lake fresh comparisons. Thank you Old Spice for making me believe again.

Sincerely,

Thursday, September 24, 2009

WWF - We're Melting, We're Melting, Ohh What a World










Dear WWF,

I have spent a couple of years of my career working with Not For Profit clients and have been privlaged to be a part of some good work for World Vision, Habitat for Humanity and CNIB. I always try to keep a close watch on NGO's of the world advertising campaigns. Not only for the reason that they do some great impactful work built off of great insights but for the reason that they usually do such great work on a dime.

Here is yet another example of some great work done by WWF. Unfortunately you are going to have to click through to YouTube to watch but trust me its worth it.

WWF Global Warming Melting Men

Sincerely,

Audi Garage
















Dear Audi,

You know I'm already a big fan of yours. Your marketing and advertising is always strategic, insightful and cutting edge. This latest outdoor campaign is no exception. This was clearly created to drum up some PR and has not failed to do so. I would be lying if I said I was the first one to write about the 'Garage Campaign' but never the less I had to give you the kudos you deserve.

My only question is: what's next to build on this? Is this going to be a one off execution? I could see this same idea living in parking garages in urban areas so that it actually gets the eyes it deserves rather than just PR. Great job on this Lowe Roche. You continue to push the Audi brand as a leader in the luxury car category.

Sincerely,

Friday, September 18, 2009

Audi to Tame Viral Videos?

Dear Audi,

I just had a look at your three part viral series called Electricity Untamed and am positive that you will be climbing up the ranks with these videos. Not only are the 30sec pieces entertaining but you have avoided muddying up the message by refraining from using any real branding.

This is the first time I've seen any car company put a spin on the Electric Car. To date its been all about the environmental benefit of having a hybrid car so it is nice to see that Audi is taking the Electric Car in a new direction especially considering they are competing for the luxary market.The video's were created by San Francisco based agency Bell & Partners.

In my opinion the Lawnmower and Static spot are the best of the 3 but you can be the judge.







Sincerely,

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Why HBO Rules



Dear HBO,

I don't get to tell you this as often as I would like to, but I just wanted to let you know, that you rule! Not just because of the on demand capabilities that allows me to watch as many episodes of Entourage in a row as I want or because you don't have any commercials (which btw goes against everything I believe in)which allows me to watch what would be an hour long show in 50mins but also because you do some kick ass advertising.

I just saw this spot today and I loved the perspective(s) of it. If anyone knows who is working on HBO I would love to know so I can sing their praises as well. Please post it in the comments section if you know.

Sincerely,

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Bud Light Lime - In the Can



Dear DDB Chicago,

Call me childish but I think the Bud Light Lime "In the Can" spot is pretty funny. I am usually not a tongue in cheek kind of fellow but I think that this new spot was both informative and appealing to both men and women. Usually a tough demographic to appeal to DDB and Bud Light Lime manage to get'er done.

It's too bad the summer is almost over because unfortunately I'm not going to be craving lime in my beer for that much longer.

Sincerely,

Friday, September 4, 2009

How to Succeed at an Agency



Dear Students,

At the end of “Back to School” week I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on my career thus far, and provide my two cents of what it takes to succeed in an Agency, and specifically how to succeed in your first year.

1.Be engaged. This doesn’t mean listening, taking notes, or going through the motions. You should be deeply engaged in what you are doing – understand the urgency of a project, and be ready and willing to share thoughts, ideas and provide solutions to roadblocks along the way or at the very least offer an opinion. People want to work with other people who get their problems, and want to solve them. Show them you are invested in the success of the project.

2.Build a network. And invest in it. Everyone will tell you that building strong client relationships is the cornerstone of a successful career in Account management. But in your first year, building your internal network is as important if not greater. Identify the people you will need to rely on to get your job done, and invest time in actually building relationships with these people. When people like you they are willing to go that extra mile to help make you look good. And when your network does pull through and save you from missing a deadline by working all night or putting in the extra mile, be diligent about recognizing their effort, and sharing your appreciation with their boss.

3.Be an expert. Be relevant to your team and firm by being a subject matter expert – whether it is on the newest trends in social media, or your clients category, or competitive. Own something that your team will find valuable and share this knowledge. You will become indispensible.

4.Be eager. Don’t just be a sponge in your first 6 months – be eager to immerse yourself in the agency, and your clients business. Volunteer to help with new business – it will show you are committed to the success of the agency and give you profile with leaders within the organization.

Finally – enjoy your time. This is a unique point in your career – the beginning. You have the opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to everything you do, and you will also learn a lot about yourself.

Good luck and have fun.

Sincerely,

Guest writer KB

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Real (Social Media) Life Experience




Dear Students,

I understand how hard it is to be a student or graduate trying to fight your way into the workforce as I was once there. I've heard it time and time again from post secondary students, graduates and even from my own lips "How am I supposed to get real life experience if no one gives me a chance?" While there are a few different ways to go about this I want to focus on how today’s students and graduates have resources available to them to help provide them with a stronger case on why they deserve the/a job. This resource; Social Media.

This seems to be the buzz word for every marketer, agency, news cast, charity, political campaign or mother trying to start a Facebook group. It is no secret that there are a lot of valuable uses for social media but I really want to highlight how you as a student or graduate can use social media to land yourself a job in advertising.

1) Facebook - Your FB friends whether a stat or a true friend, your FB friends are a good way to show your networking skills. Regardless of how many people you actually speak to everyday, this is a group of people who have either added you in order to keep tabs on your life or have allowed you to peer into theirs. Your ability to network is a transferable skill no matter how involved you are with each person you are connected to.

2) Twitter - This continues to be one of the hardest Social Media sites to find a true meaning for, this is true for both individuals and brands. Aside from the obsessed Miley Cirus and celebrity fans, we struggle as an industry to figure out what true value Twitter has. For a new graduate or student, the ability to keep and gain followers by offering some kind of stimulating conversation in 140 characters or less shows that you are buzz worthy and have something worth reading. I learned very quickly when I first started working how important it is to have an opinion and Twitter is a good way to highlight that.

3) Blogger - So what if your blog is about your collection of Ninja Turtles you've had wrapped in the package since you were in grade two. You've managed to grab the attention of 1500 readers passing by your site and I suggest that you even dabble in Google Analytics to learn more about what people like about your blog. Now you may not be the next Seth Godin, but by having a blog you are showing that you are a contributor instead of just another passenger on the web. Your ability to contribute content and have an opinion will speak louder than you will ever know to a potential job opportunity. There are enough passive people in the world. Stand up and stand out.

4) LinkedIn - So you've built your case on why you think you are advertising's next 30 under 30. You have over 500 friends on Facebook, 150 people are following you on Twitter and you've even had 1500 people read your blog. Those are some pretty good numbers and will definitely help you stand out when you start interviewing, but how do you find potential places to work? I would suggest signing up for a LinkedIn Account and building a solid profile for yourself. Once you've done this start searching to find the right people to talk to at the right agency for you. When LinkedIn didn't exist, the hardest part about getting a sit down meeting was always getting past HR and through to someone who could actually make a decision based on your potential vs. what your resume says about you. The great thing about LinkedIn is that you can search by city, company, job title, etc. to find the right person to talk to. Once you find the right person email them, send them interesting articles, opinions on their company and the industry in general. With each message you should be working towards that all powerful sit down. Once you nail the sit down it is out of my hands and I leave it to you to prove why they should hire you for this job.

So the next time you’re on Twitter and Facebook consider that these tools could be a contributing factor to your career. So think about it before you post a picture of yourself doing a keg stand or decide that 'Sitting on the can' is what you are doing.

Sincerely,