I'm just going to say what almost everyone is thinking. Kanye West's "Bound 2" is absolutely f***ing horrible. And I don't just mean the video. The song is dreadfully painful to listen to. For those of you who consider it art? You have the right to your wrong opinion, and I respect that. James Franco and Seth Rogen put this crap in it's place by making light of how easily it could be spoofed. In other words, thank you for using your star power to remind us all that this song and video collaborative are a sad, sad joke. Also, your version is hilarious. I just wish I had seen the original music video first because stumbling upon something like this with no background information is, well, really confusing (Note my lack of analogy to better explain how I feel about it).
I wouldn't consider myself removed from pop culture- but it certainly doesn't keep me up at night when (insert generic celebrity here) is enduring a first world crisis. Celebrities often set the scale out of whack. Then again, it isn't their fault that the priorities of the general population are as organized as a Winner's sale rack. However, once in a while, they use their star power to draw attention to certain issues or sway public opinion for the good of man kind. I'd like to acknowledge one of these great acts. I'm just going to say what almost everyone is thinking. Kanye West's "Bound 2" is absolutely f***ing horrible. And I don't just mean the video. The song is dreadfully painful to listen to. For those of you who consider it art? You have the right to your wrong opinion, and I respect that. James Franco and Seth Rogen put this crap in it's place by making light of how easily it could be spoofed. In other words, thank you for using your star power to remind us all that this song and video collaborative are a sad, sad joke. Also, your version is hilarious. I just wish I had seen the original music video first because stumbling upon something like this with no background information is, well, really confusing (Note my lack of analogy to better explain how I feel about it). The point I'd like to make at the end of this long-winded rant, is that, while Kanye probably thought this was another one of his God-like creations, it turned out being terrible. However, thanks to a spoof gone viral, this story can now end on a famously hilarious note. Sometimes it just takes someone pointing it out in order for it to be realized. Kind of like a booger that's been on your face all day that no one had the cou pointed out to you. Thank you for pointing out the booger, James and Seth.
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We've all done it- tried something JUST to see what would happen. For some of us, it was touching the stove top burner as a kid, even though Mom said it was hot. For others, it involves ACTUALLY playing with fire. A good portion of the social media community are recovering from having their minds blown by Kimmy Kimmel and stunt woman Daphne Avalon's incredible display of viral video madness. With 9 million views is a week's time, it is safe to say that there is in fact a method to creating a viral video. If you haven't already seen the grand finally on the Jimmy Kimmel show, be sure to check it out before you read on. This video was uploaded on September 9th, and as I viewed it the following day, there were already 2,352,008 and counting. Not to mention, I'm sure a large portion of those views don't account for the 5 + people gathered around a computer screen in a cubicle somewhere when they should probably be working and such. Let me just say that this is f***ing brilliant. Every aspect of this monumental pranks' execution was flawless. That being said, there is something to be learned from this. Any company would die to get this kind of exposure for its brand's image. Aside from just gaining awareness, this has people talking, sharing and omg-ing. Think about it- if you weren't watching Jimmy Kimmel before, chances are you will be now! So what IS the formula for a successful viral video for the purpose of building your brand? Aside from the obvious including shock value, scheduled release and broadcast on appropriate channels, this is still a tough one to answer. Unless you're Jimmy Kimmel with the budget and resources to pull this off- it's hard to reinvent to wheel. I'd suggest seeing what everyone else is doing and dissect the elements that made them a success.
Both of these videos above proved that a little bit of whit and humor, when used the right way, can go a very long way. Never mind the countless blogs that raved about the creative genius- the number of views speak for themselves. It goes without saying that when it comes to marketing- broadcasting the right message to your audience through social media can really take your plan the extra mile.
P.S- I wouldn't suggest lighting a girl on fire to most businesses. This was a very special circumstance that should be left to the professionals. When it comes to machetes, packing tape, forklifts and cute little girls (however probably not best to combine all 4 of those into one creative concept), just go with it. Call me weird- but I like direct mail. Regardless of why, I guess I picked the right industry. My direct marketing class requires us to evaluate and blog about the best or worst marketing piece that our teammates bring in. I've noticed that direct mail is a hit or miss, but this week, they were pretty much all winners.
The one we decided to go with is from none other than Jack Astor's. Below is a list of why the brains behind this campaign did everything right, and why this piece of direct mail is stellar. Reason #1- The Attention-Grabbing Headline When I open my mail box, a pile of crap just pours out. This probably wouldn't be the case if I checked my mail more than once a month. Regardless, this piece landed on the top of the pile, and caught my attention with "Our Deepest Apologies". The white font on the black background stood out, and the wording was slightly concerning. Reason #2 - The Quality After I was tricked into picking it up, I couldn't notice how nice the mail piece actually was. It was printed on glossy card stock, and put the Loblaw's flyer (lying so pathetically at my feet) to shame. Reason #3- Content Upon opening it up, I quickly realized that it was made to look like a Specials Board- chalkboard style. It's actually pretty cute, for lack of a better term. It featured pictures and full descriptions of 4 menu items. I'm personally quite intrigued by "My Cookie Ate Your Brownie". Reason #4- The Incentive The best part about this mail piece was the $10 gift card when you spent $30. That's a great deal, especially for a bunch of broke-ass students such as ourselves. Reason #5- The Blended Campaign- Direct mail can be either very traditional, or completely online. This is an example of a happy medium. On the direct mail piece, there are calls to action, directing you to their online presence, including Twitter, Facebook, the website and a QR code. Reason #6- The Tone and Style- It's one thing to make a direct mail piece and send it off to your target market; it's another to resonate well with that target. The whole thing has a great tone and style. It's witty, humorous and communicates the message in an informal, casual way. and THAT'S how you get through to us young-ins. Reason #7- Relevance- I would like to acknowledge the relevance of the theme to the time of year. The "Resolutions are meant to be broken" concept is perfect for February. Mainly because, you know, those of little willpower have crashed and burned already. I'm loving how few people are going to my gym now. January had me worried. Reason #8- Successful Targeting The redemption rate of this gift card will likely be very high, mainly because of the successful targeting. Yes, it's a cool-looking piece of mail, but it was delivered to the right people: broke-ass students who live in sky rises and are looking for an excuse to go out an eat, rather than microwave last night's ramen noodles. Thank you Jack Astors. So there you have it folks, an exemplar piece of direct mail. I'm glad the assignment is over, now I can go use this gift card. Cookie Ate Your Brownie, here I come. Some may consider it a little unorthodox to interview a big-wig that typically requests to do the interviewing. But like most everything else in the advertising world, there is method to this madness.
I recently completed an assignment for my Careers and Placement class where we conducted an Informational Interview. Essentially, we call up a pro in our industry and ask them for a few minutes of their time to talk about themselves, their career, and any other tidbits of information that young grass hoppers like ourselves could use as we enter the work force. I stumbled upon Natasha Koiffman through a retweet on Twitter. After learning more about NKPR, I decided I wanted to interview someone on the inside, ideally Ms. Koiffman. I was just so impressed with the company’s work (not to mention the website is awesome). I figured it needed to get done at some point, so I logged out of Facebook, Twitter, and turned away from the crowd in student lounge to prevent myself from continuing to people-watch (So.Distracting). I decided to go about doing this in the most efficient way possible; I went to NatashaKPR's About Us page, and resorted to calling every single extension on the list until someone picked up, or called back. I would have loved to speak with Natasha herself, but apparently so does everyone else so her number isn’t public. Understandable. I managed to get Rebecca Kogon, an Executive Account Manager, on the phone. Her bio on the site describes her as a talented, outgoing multi-tasker with a background in PR. The interview was short and sweet, but I got a really good feel for the kind of person she is, and how she landed such a prestigious position being relatively new to the industry. The best advice I got from her interview was to volunteer- so I guess I’ll do a whole lot of that! Did the assignment seem slightly awkward? Yes. Did I take anything away from it? Absolutely. Thanks for the assignment, Kathy. . Hilarious, right? I was recently at my aunt and uncle's place for Thanksgiving dinner, and couldn't help but notice the one and only item that my aunt had strategically placed on the fridge. I think she might be trying to tell you something, Uncle Rick!
This ad is one in a series of Stampin' Up's new campaign, and can be found in American and Canadian magazines including; Better Homes and Gardens, Family Fun, Parents, Chatelaine and Today’s Parents. It may also occasionally be seen taped to kitchen appliances. This is the first I had heard of the company. Although the ad's aesthetics are great, it doesn't paint a very detailed picture as to what the company actually does. Curious, I went to the website which I'm sure many others did as well. This is proof that being mysterious DOES make all the girls want you. Boys, don't get any ideas. Regardless, thumbs up for driving traffic to their website. Stampin' Up is a great company/ distributor/ community for those who have a passion for scrapbooking, rubber stamping, and s*** most people don't have time for. Think AVON for the people who go Honey Boo Boo over Craft Wars. Yes, that was definitely a TLC reference. Also, I did in fact substitute "Go Ape S***" with Honey Boo Boo. Putting my obvious bias aside, this is a brilliant example of how a magazine ad should be done. It resonates so well with the target market that it's fridge-display worthy. And what chickie-dee doesn't enjoy sticking it to the guys once in a while (gentlemen, bear with us, the opportunity seldom arises). Talk about reach, the ad survived longer than the magazine it was featured in, and every woman that walks into my aunt's place is guaranteed to get a good chuckle out of it (I mean giggle; Chuckling is for dudes). What's more, here I am blogging about it. A good ad is noticed, but a great message- that's what gets around. I'm not sure how that relates to people who get around...whatever. Happy rubber stamping :) Ever taken a walk down the street on a Monday morning & noticed all the dollar-store-special garage sale signs stapled to telephone poles? Funny how you never see them the actual day of.
I was driving home to Gananoque with a friend when I noticed this brilliant display of inappropriateness. I actually demanded that she turn around so I could take a picture (the world had to see this). I was also pretty curious to check out this garage sale; the person who came up with this probably had some really interesting stuff to get rid of, right? Wrong. The garage sale was actually one of the worst I'd seen in town all weekend. Mind you, it was the first one I had gone out of my way to investigate. It's also the first garage sale sign I have ever stood next to with my thumbs up for a picture. That picture is for my eyes only. Sorry boys. I'm no expert in this field so I apologize if my diagnostic is slightly off... but this is some bad a** guerrilla marketing. The next time you have an event that you want passerbys to see, skip your local dollar store and head to Value Village for your advertising material. P.S: If any of you were wondering where the top half of this guy was, he was mounted on a fold up card table sporting a fur hat. You can not make this stuff up. They're heeeere. Well, sort of. I stumbled upon a blog on Uaddit called "19 Best Ads I Have Ever Seen" (wish I had that much free time on my hands). One of them really caught me eye, so to speak.
Conceptualized by Saatchi & Saatchi, this simple yet extremely effective idea takes direct mail to a whole new level. They've found a way that you CAN'T ignore the ad, unlike most direct mail that usually ends up lining the bottom of your bird's cage. Hey, at least I make use of it. Now I could be wrong, but when you consider the reach or number of impressions, this peep hole idea is guaranteed to show better numbers. Mind you, the only people who look out the peep hole before getting their mail are the same ones who have 20 cats and 5 bolt locks lining the inside of the door. And chances are, they let their mail pile up for weeks before venturing out into the unknown that is...DUN DUN DUUUN.... the front porch. If this showed up on my front door, I'd be super pumped. However, I think would appreciate the cleverness of the advertising method a lot more than your typical consumer. Actually- I'm pretty convinced this would creep most people the **** out. RegardCrazy cat lady (or man...?) you can't help by notice something like this and not want to test it out, right? Brilliant marketing, or a modern day happily ever after? Before you go any further: http://jessandruss.us/ I recently stumbled upon this link in my facebook feed which led to me to an nauseatingly cute website (can you feel a tinge of sinister?). It's an extremely dynamic single page site which compares the life of two lovers in column format, and ends with a place for you to rsvp to their wedding with the password they've provided you. By you I don't actually mean you, i mean their friends. (This would be so much easier for you if you just clicked on that link and saw for yourself.) The story of Jess & Russ is something that has the potential to be a viral link. It's real life Disney for grown-ups... It's friggin adorable. But WAIT- while you where looking at all the pretty pictures and skipping over the insignificant dates which highlighted dressing in penguin suits and celebrating Obama's victory in Kansas, did you notice the significant event that took place September 2008 on each of their time lines? Probably not. They both signed up to match.com. Now here comes my inevitable skepticism. Did this couple really meet on match.com, and decide to come up with an economical way to handle wedding invitations (I'll save my rant about the postal system for another day) Or is this undercover marketing? Given the personality of the content, I'm am going to assume Jess & Russ are real people who were lucky enough to find their other half. Has match.com realized the potential that this couple has laid down for them? They couldn't get more REAL than this. This is what you call free advertising. With any luck, the site will hit the mainstream media, Match will buy their story and the wedding will be paid for! Ya I know, not likely. In fact speaking of Disney, does anyone else remember that viral video where the little girl bursts into tears of joy when her mom breaks the news about the trip their about to take? She lost her sugar. (Yes, the PG way to say lost her s***) In the video, she's opening a back pack which is stuffed with licensed Disney merchandise, and then has a heart-melting reaction to the travel news. The video when viral, and Disney didn't have to do a thing. So I guess what I'm trying to say is; Jess & Russ- if you're real, congratulations and all the best for the future. Also, your friends are some mighty talented artists. If they aren't real, congrats to the guy whose gonna get a pay raise and a corner office out of this. 5 bucks says you're going to register for a dating site within the next half hour after having read this. Just saying. Let's talk razor blades. Schick has a facebook contest going on called Style Idol (how original). Will this campaign boost sales? I can't see how. For starters, there is no incentive for purchase (a.k.a coupon. discount) or even product information. An incorporation of the product into the contest would make sense, right? It is essentially a popularity contest; You know, like those small town singing competitions.
Maybe it should be Legs Idol, and the best looking legs win. Mind you, we might end up with a kankle alert. If you aren't sure what a kankle is, UrbanDictionary.com describes it as "Calves that become feet without taking an ankle break". Enough said. The contestants upload one (yes, just one) photo and a 140 character description of their style. I'm sorry, but in order for me to make an informed decision about whether or not you deserve to be a "Style Idol", shouldn't I see what you throw on before walking out in public? You could be wearing socks and sandals (or worse, toe socks) and I wouldn't even know it. Meanwhile, your description as to how "I’m fashionable AND comfortable" made you sound like a materialistic genius and I therefore dedicated a vote to you and your bad habits. *sigh* They ARE however giving away a free trip to NYC if you get the most votes, which is why I'm on board with participation. If you're interesting in voting for me, click here. I promise, I don't wear socks and sandals. And i have partially webbed toes so toe socks are out of the question. Now that THAT's out of the way... The winner gets a make-up and hair session and shopping money to spend for a trip to NYC, so that she can "strut her stuff" in the fashion capital. That's some risky marketing, seeing as the people with the most friends on facebook might not necessarily be...well put-together. Let's take a look at LuLu Lemon's ballsy grand opening event. The first 30 people to show up naked get a full outfit, free. Thankfully for them, the picture that plastered the papers was one of an exceptionally good looking 7/8 naked chick. How would it look for Schick if the winner is a get-dressed-in-the-dark kind of individual? It isn't really something they'd be proud to to display in their monthly news letter. I can see it now. "Say hello to our Style Idol!" Below the headline is a picture of an angry-looking woman in yellow sweatpants, a fur vest and bedazzled fuchsia Crocs. Oh well. I guess each generation has its "thing". And here I thought shoulder pads were a decade disaster... The 1900's called, it wants its sexism back. You think that was a cheesy line? Then check out Dr. Pepper's most recent diet drink campaign.
Dr. Pepper has taken on a rather interesting theme with the advertising of Dr. Pepper 10; "Not for Women". We aren't talking about testosterone injections or second day boxers (seriously guys, ew). We're talking about a diet soft drink. A line like "10 manly calories" won't get any guy I know running down to the local corner store to buy a case. (Oh, my bad. With only 10 manly calories per can he can afford to skip the walk and just drive his Volkswagen Beetle to the store. Might as well pick himself up a copy of this month's Cosmopolitan magazine while he's at it). Who was head of marketing on this project? Did they flip a coin? Heads says "Let's copy Coca-Cola". Tails says, "Hey, let's tell half the population of people who drink this s*** that it isn't for them, piss-off a few feminists while we're at it, and see if we can hit our projected sales targets. They've treated the campaign like a 10-year-old boy's club house, with a tacky "NO GIRLS ALLOWED" sign nailed to the ladder. I believe this was an attempt at viral-marketing, much like Axe or Old Spice (but with a pinch of awkward and a dash of epic fail). Let's face it; the majority of diet pop drinkers are women. You don't need extensive consumer research and an army of geeky dudes in lab coats to figure this one out. Just ask any waitress or bartender who serves drinks daily (that would be me). My point is, I get where they wanted to go with this campaign- but at the same time the commercial turned me off to the product. There was no need to use casual sexism to create a viral video. On the other hand, you wouldn't catch me dead drinking diet pop regardless of how great the commercial may be. Now get off your computer and out into the sunshine! Just a word of advice, opt for water. That is- if it's manly enough for you ;) |