Archive for May, 2007
« Previous EntriesColon Blow
Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
In keeping with the theme of the post below, I’ve been getting some odd spam lately. Seems the internet gods are really concerned about my GI health. How I got on this targeted list I’ll probably never know, though I now really look forward to checking my junk mail folder every day to see if another one of these beauties shows up.
Not sure which is more amazing - that I can lose up to 20 lbs of my body weight from this miracle drug, or that some poor graphic designer has hit rock bottom and this is the only steady work they can get.
Topics: Fandango | 2 Comments »
Street Art
Friday, May 25th, 2007
Check out this brilliant urban beautification project in NYC. Rather than getting down about brown, the Sprinkle Brigade takes what is left behind by doggies and their owners and creates artwork that brings joy and beauty to the streets. We should all be so inspired. The Brigade just held a gallery showing in Lyon, France and recently published a book.
Topics: Fandango | 1 Comment »
PFE Is Watching You
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007There’s something about this year’s Spoleto poster that’s oddly familiar. Take a look for yourself….here’s a larger than life version covering the side of the Gaillard.
We couldn’t quite put our finger on it until TJ cracked the riddle. The face in the poster is indeed the face of PFE. Or at least these two were separated at birth. You be the judge through the magic of the airbrush:
Topics: Fandango, Spoleto | 2 Comments »
Campy’s 16th
Monday, May 21st, 2007
Lots of excitement around the office today as we celebrate JC’s birthday. Things kicked off with a pre-lunch pummeling of the SpongeBob Squarepants pinata (filled with a melange of unsavory treats - slim jims, lil’ debbie banana marshmellow pies, marlboro loosies, lance cheez crackers, googoo cluster supremes and one lifesaver) before moving to on to an extreme pizza fest.
Swinging For SpongeBob - it took about 8 hard knocks to open the little guy up.
SpongeBob’s Guts - note to self: next time don’t put crackers in the pinata.
Happy Bday JC.
Topics: Party | 1 Comment »
We Got Him
Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
Bonecrusher arrived at our offices yesterday. I was pretty excited… these toys aren’t supposed to be available to the public until June 2. Last night, as I was marvelling at how well connected I am, I hop online and find this press release. Seems they’re caving to pressure and releasing the figures early. Oh well.
He took me about 15 minutes to transform, though I’m getting progressively better each attempt. We also just got the green light to start incorporating some TF-related stuff on the Force Protection website. Check back often… you might be surprised what you find.
Topics: Transformers | 4 Comments »
Earthquake Preparedness
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007
Here’s a pretty interesting campaign from Publicis & Hal Riney for the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Prepare Bay Area project is an effort to raise awareness on the importance of disaster preparedness….and in San Fran that means earthquakes. Because a very small minority of people are willing to think about and prepare for a natural disaster, the campaign team decided to launch an aggressive display of what to expect. Running the theme of “What Do We Have To Do To Get Your Attention?”…..highlights include a mobile outdoor billboards (with scenes of destruction to some of the city’s landmark districts) and fake craigslist ads for destoyed apartments.
View other samples from the campaign.
Topics: Marketing & Advertising | No Comments »
Lame or Game? (part deux)
Monday, May 14th, 2007
In the second official installment of Lame or Game? (check Meth Coffee posting from June ‘95)…we offer Cocaine. This now defunct energy supplement drink from Las Vegas-based Redux Beverages took a gamble that it could blow Red Bull away in the max caffeine category (see their handy caff graph below…..I’m disappointed that Bawls has so little caffeine).
Turns out to be a bad bet on at least two counts. First, the FDA didn’t like the brand/drug association and declared the marketing campaign to be illegal. And second, what are the long term prospects of any brand built solely on controversial stunt publicity? Red Bull paid its dues working the crowds for yeards to build up a base. You can’t take that down with a name. Redux will rename the beverage and relaunch in the coming weeks. Will that make any difference?
Topics: Marketing & Advertising | 1 Comment »
Blogging Resources for Charleston AMA Visitors
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
Today was the Charleston American Marketing Association’s “blogging panel.” As part of our presentation and discussion, we wanted to post some helpful links to anyone getting ready to start a blog (or take an existing one to the next level).
Resources for “Business Blogging”
- BlogWrite for CEOs
- Corporate Weblog Manifesto
- 5 Tips to Building a Better Blog for Your Company
- Beginner’s Guide to Business Blogging
Wordpress Resources (our preferred blogging platform)
Free Blogging Platforms
Topics: Marketing & Advertising, charleston sc marketing | 3 Comments »
Corn Power
Monday, May 7th, 2007
Ethanex Energy is a new ethanol producer with some amazing technology up its sleeve. Stay tuned for the debut of the new website….for now we offer this simple teaser.
Topics: Sweat & Tears | No Comments »
Spokescharacter Stereotypes
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007
David Segal at Slate has an interesting slide-ssay (slide show essay) on “the strange history of racist spokescharacters.” Inspired in part by recent revisions to Uncle Ben’s rice spokescharacter that make him more of a fictional CEO than fictional chef/cook.
Segal writes that “nasty stereotypes have helped moved merchandise for more than a century and the history of their use and abuse offers a weird and telling glimpse of race relations in this country.”
Based upon his slide show….it looks like we still have a way to go. Some spokescharacters (including the Uncle Ben character and some sports teams) seem like they’re grandfathered in…but the pressure’s still on due to adverse publicity and they may change as well.
Topics: Fandango | No Comments »