Bryan Landaburu (aka Reno Bryan, Willie Vega, and Fuze) | Dont call me a blogger

Christina Aguilera for Target | Yes Please.

I will be shopping at Target almost specifically because of this ad. Cole needs a Big Wheel and I heard Target has the original artifacts. Anyway, the spot below featuring one of the hottest mommies ever, Christina Aguilera, is awesome on so many levels:

courtesy of AdGabber

I love comic books. Reminds me a little of Sin City (where I feel in love with Jessica Alba). Which also reminds me, can't Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez release Sin City 2 faster? Waiting till 2010 seems a tad excessive to me.

Something fun here for hump-day at the Fuze. Back to wireframes...

B

Crutchfield.com Customer Reassurance - get ready for more of this

I have long been a fan of Crutchfield.com and we have admittedly "borrowed" from their research and concepts for some of our own ecommerce clients projects (don't act like you've never done it). They are true innovators, the best of the best customer service wise, best catalog, best marketers, best photos, best descriptions, best content overall. Not however, the best prices but I digress.  They kick ass.  Today, in kickass fashion the CEO, Bill Crutchfield (go figure) sent out an email to all his customers that is preemptive and simply awesome as we approach the holidays.  It's also a nice "suckit" to their competitors in consumer electronics online retail. Wanna see it, here ya go...

There is one particularly notable paragraph that demonstrates this CEO's smarts and the company's ability to see past the end of their damn noses:

"For many years, I have been concerned about the growing credit bubble. It was obvious to me that it was unsustainable and that an inevitable day of reckoning would come. To protect our customers, our employees, and my family from the disastrous consequences of a financial meltdown, I positioned Crutchfield to withstand the worst. We became very frugal with how we spent money. We did not pay outlandish executive salaries and bonuses. We did not build fancy facilities. We did not expand our retail store operations. And we did not buy other companies. Instead, we worked extremely hard to improve how we serve our customers, while we managed every aspect of our business with excellence. Furthermore, we paid off all of our debt and accumulated cash reserves."

Hot damn! Makes me wanna buy a big screen for the den!  Seriously though, get ready for more of this from responsible and prepared companies as doom & gloom runs rampant throughout online commerce this holiday season.  Crutchfield is a company that will weather the storm and this sincere, and this authentic letter has me evangelizing for them and committed to them as a company.

Nice job Bill.  I hope someone on your PR team sees this (because I actually do matter, or so my mom says).

Happy FriDEE!

Bryan

Why does B to B usually mean Boring to Boring?

Here at Camp Fuze we are heavily vested in several vertical industries, but the some of our largest clients are true B to B players.  It is often that these clients revert back to being conservative vs. sticking their next out a little bit. This tends to go against our advice, but for the sake of being safe, they opt to go this direction. The results are watered down advertising and campaigns that struggle for relevance and meaning.  A watered down campaign makes the intended audience yawn and say, "so what?". In some cases you insult their style by assuming they have a "lack of", and quite simply, you lose their attention which goes a long way towards eliminating any interim interest or final conversion. 

To defend my point, I came across this video blog post from marketing guru Martin Lindstrom who clearly explains the Boring to Boring concept and why companies are losing out on $$ and opportunities because they are underestimating their customers ability to enjoy witty and fun messages just because they wear a suit and tie to work every day.

View Martin's message here...it'll take you a whopping 2 min and may change your focus some.

• Boring to Boring - Video Blog [link]

Stay witty businesses...

BL

The Allyance produced a great spot, doin big things.

Semi-known surf/skate/snow lifestyle brand, The Allyance released a killer new TV spot currently running only on FuelTV. The spots aptly fit their brand direction dubbed as "Rogue Heros" and are some of the most unique spots I've seen in some time, especially for a small emerging brand.  Allyance also stepped up and opened their own retail front my beloved myNOHO at Edge (on Bleeker bet. Broadway & Bowery).

Enjoy the spot, and consider supporting these creative folks.

WBV

Approved with changes...

I haven't posted in a while. Screw you, I've been busy.  :-)

Anyhoo, from the smarties at shankman.com I am passing along this video.  It's really for anyone who is regularly converted from campaign creators to utilitarian word art designers, or for those of us hear the term "approved with changes" or "we have a mionor update/resize/copy change/addition/etc.". If this is you, then this video will warm the cockles of your heart as much as it does mine.

http://view.break.com/542649 - Watch more free videos

Enjoy here at the end of your Friday.  Here's to a great weekend and smooth week next week.

May your Mojitos be made with only the finest rum...

B

Serena Williams HP Jumper EA Cross Marketing Overload

What happens when cross-marketing goes racing out of control with no brakes.  This spot exemplifies the term 10 lbs of shit in a 5 lb. bag

Her game character looks pretty good though. Still looks too hard. I will stick with Wii tennis...no learning curve. WBV

2007 Year In Review | We dun ran outa original idears

I frequently say that there is no such thing as a new or original idea anymore...just bastardizations of previous ones.  While once in a great while something shocks you as being original, this phenomenon is getting rarer and rarer these days.  People saying the same things, clinging to the same topics, everyone with the same self fulfilling prophecy.  We can see this on most items deemed as "retro" or "old skool", etc.  In advertising, it seems we finally hit the wall too.  I came across this post on AdLand which I found funny (and true).  They (IMHO) are correctly dubbing 2007 as: "The year we officially ran out of ideas." See their illustrated justification below...

You could add to this list a sentence and drawing on:

• Energy Drinks
• Luxury Water
• Luxury Vodka
• Green, Green, Green
• Agency re-invention
• Social networking
• and the list can go on and on...

Here's to 2008!  NOTE:  This still isn't my year end wrap up...thats still on the simmer.

WBV

Fuze invades the Influx Ideas Conference 2007

Here in San Francisco, Butler Shine Stern & Partners (BSSP) and their Influx Consulting arm put on another first class event - typical of everything they do. This year, the conference has a new name, Influx Ideas (formally Msquared) but one thing that's the same is the cast and caliber of speakers they brought together. This conference is always energizing to me. I really enjoy hearing from people out on the leading edge of marketing/branding/advertising success. Here are the speakers we heard from and my cliff-notes on what wisdom they dispensed...

Jonah Bloom - AdAge
a humorous & excellent talk regarding state of the game & the agency of the future.

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Christian Simm - Swissnex
Interesting discussion about branding a country, namely switzerland.

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Sarah Rich - DWELL Magazine
Green presentation. Consumer climate changes. Green will never be more SEXY than it is in 2007. Interesting presentation from an environmental perspective. Focus on the backstory...understanding where stuff comes from lends credibility to true green behavior. Interesting site was introduced "BadBuster" that constantly anayzes brand behavior in the global environmental space. Overall sarah had a very fact filled presentation which she 'read' - some of which hit home...however...much like other similar presentations on environmental issues, she is a little condescending towards mainstream brands/companies but she has good points and seems like a very informed and sincere person. I guess I am still waiting on someone to present this topic in anything other than an "I'm better-than-you" fashion...someone dynamic and interesting...possibly someone who can speak from experience from reinventing a green strategy at a big oil company, food company, etc. Otherwise mainstream GP will never embrace the movement and green will remain an evangelist effort of the creative class and socially motivated. Time will tell. Issues are real and can't be ignored.

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Scott Wyatt - NBBJ Architects
Branding buildings as a concept is very interesting. Building as an icon or symbol has incredible impact. Think of the Space Needle, Transamerica building, the Chrysler Building (which I have 100's of photos of) - all of which carry the spirit and persona of the companies & cities they represent. He pointed out the CCTV tower in Bejing and the olympic stadium are decadent and wasteful because their steel is 80% decorative & 20% structural. Overall, the discussion around space design, urban design, and your brand (and thus) advertising are all intertwined. Their global projects are some of the most impressive on the planet.

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Gregory Kennedy - Millions of Us
discussed the no-longer phenom SecondLife who's press approval has taken the track of Britney Spears. Since nobody wants to talk about secondlife, why is it still a topic? His take is that its not dead. Their recent projects for scion include whatisscioncity.com. His other clients include WB, Comcast, HBO, Microsoft, and others...which gives some credibility but I still don't see the fascination with the virtual world. He mentions that there are currently over 100 million people actively using virtual worlds globally. These include SecondLife (10mil)m habbo (7.5mil), zwinky, Gaia, etc. He says, immersive experiences and SL concepts appeal to younger folks because they don't have the ability to attain their material, social, etc goals because of their geo, financial, etc, limitations. Seems to me that with a highly skewed younger crowd in these UGC spaces that there really isn't value to a brand that targets a more mature person. I guess I'm just not cool enough to 'get it'.

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Kent Nichols & Chas Edwards - askaninja.com
Federated Media is a great example of the next generation of Publishing companies with their extense network of well-visited blogs. Their stance remains steadfast - your advertising is an ongoing conversation vs. A flighted "call to action". I couldn't agree more. I see this as so viable in branding and advertising. FM does this better than just about anyone. They believe advertising should drive people to content, where they share the experience, and spread the word. The search engines pick up on all this content and it creates a network of real content...displaying the conversation as search results. This may sound like a bowl of spaghetti, but in reality, this is a next level Landing page concept that is much more powerful than the traditional ones we do all the time...because it is all conversation/content driven.

Ask a ninja - ask + askaninja * mass advertising / social networks = a new advertising platform. the viral video is an edgie butter knife, sharp but safe. Great branding opportunities for advertising and humor - hyperengages vistors and stays true to the format.

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5x5 - 5, 5-minute presentations from participants.

Here are some of their topics (at least what i THINK they were talking about).
#1 TapProject - by far the best topic and cause.  [learn more about tap project]
#2 Convenience as innovation.
#3 poop
#4 Teenagers scare the shit out of me - presented by Casey Ingle of Campbell Ewald in Detroit - If i were to have a beer with someone after the conference, it would probably be Casey because he seemed like a good guy. His topic was designed to shine on various generation gaps. His talk would have been interesting if remotely rehearsed.  My feeling was that he wasn't prepared...and probably a little too irreverent for the setting (language was fine for a sports bar, but not the best for this sorta crowd - aside: I think i was introduced to about 10 new dirty words).  But, that said, he covered his presentation issues with some good ad-lib and humor. Hung in to keep relevant with the youth theme and raised some decent points and opinions. 
#5 ??? not sure...i was in the bathroom

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Becky Saegar - CMO Charles schwab
interesting discussion that reinforces that it's not about your products/services, its about how people associate your brand against other options and how working with you makes them feel. One question to ask your clients: would refer us to your friends, colleagues, family? responsibility of chief executives: need to stay connected to the world outside your company from your consumers perspectives.

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Some interesting 'other' things happening here at the conference:
» presentations captured digitally and published in real-time...more than just blogging.
» all materials produced on recycled paper products...very organic and cool.

Overall i was very satisfied with this conference much like all BSSP Events.  Everything first class...just like we like it.

WBV

(another Treo post | sorry for the typos [and grammar])

Online advertising makes me f-ING happy

Buzz buzz said the Bee (sorry I have been reading kids books).  Via organic, i was alerted to this hearty chunk of online advertising that takes the viral > to landing > to microsite > to conversion concept to a whole new level.  If you can believe it, this is from one of MY banks ING and is a tad racy for the financial world.  The campaign is getting LOADS of buzz for its originality and global appeal. Take it on a test drive above. (FYI - You will get to decide if you want to make #1 or #2.  I recommend trying both.)

If you want to access it directly and see the full experience (not just the porta-pottie), hop over to: i-needtogo.com

Enjoy this great advertising...oh, and get your budget calculators out  :-)

BL

Now I'm a Ninja Fan

 

I have to admit that I always saw askaninja as something gimmiky Ask.com dreamed up to promote its 4% market share search engine...but I stand corrected with a new opinion. The tie was a bit of marketing genius laced together by Federated Media to co-promote  Ask.com and AskANinja.com in a very clever, engaging, and almost transparent way. After a recent presentation at Influx Ideas in San Fran, I found a new love of the ninja format and I will be glued to new posts from these enterprising lads. It's worth giving another look if you aren't already a fan.

Do Ninjas love Fuze?  Come on...I don't even have to ask because I already know that ninjas love Fuze (and so should you).

WBV
this is another Treo post | sorry for the typos [and grammar]

Dove - Viral Done Right

More news from the redundant (since there is a buzz about these). I, like many others in the know, feel the following Dove spots are both amazing pieces of work.  Both are multi-medium, demonstrate social responsibility, true viral power, excellent creativity, and both communicate a spectacular message to young women.  Women who are constantly bombarded with "beauty" advertising messages, and the relentless pursuit of perfection which they must chase.

I was lucky enough to see the original campaign (Evolution) presented at FOOA in New York this July by Carla Hendra, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy North America. Their follow up effort is just spectacular.  Here are the spots from the Dove campaigns.

Spot 1 - New - Just started running
Dove - Onslaught

Spot 2 - The original
Dove - Evolution

Spot 2 spawned the sincerest form of flattery:

Now, I know there are no missing cows or the fun viral things we are accustomed to here in our fair city, but there may be a little magic all the same. I hope you enjoyed these examples of great work from the people who don't just read about the terms of marketing, rather from the folks that invent them.

WBV

Fuze Client Featured: CLP

We were just told that one of our clients CLP Resources (sites:  clp.com & clptravelers.com) had their websites featured in the Internet Marketing Report this month.

• Here be a link to the IMR article

The complimentary article explained some of the basics of what we did with the sites, but I felt many of the under the hood elements were not captured, so my feedback to the author is shown below here.  It may or may not make it to approved comments on the authors blog, but my dribble is just too damn genius not share with the 7 fans of the FuzeBlog.

Written in response to the IMR article - by yours truly 9/21/2207

Thanks for the article.  You pegged a couple points we try to enforce to our clients.  We were the strategists, designers, developers, and optimizers so to speak for the CLP family of companies. A few additional features worth pointing out on the CLP sites:

1) the goals for these sites are to attract and qualify as many candidates nationwide as possible. Once qualified, these candidates need to be routed immediately to CLP's national network of offices for recruitment effort. This process is fully automated end-to-end.

2) user audiences are clearly identified and their needs met at the site in order of priority.  At present, they want candidates to apply - so i defy anyone to miss the call to apply on the sites.

3) page and site structure are all 100% dynamic and controlled by the client and us - which makes page changes simple and indexing almost immediate.  All pages on the site are easy to find and have proper editorial style markup (H1, H2, Content).

4) client drives traffic through all sorts of media, so we harness and funnel this traffic through clean, clear, optimized landing pages that help pay off their traditional media, outdoor, direct mail, with a web element that we can track the landing and conversion on.

5) site is fully wrapped in analytics that let us constantly evaluate and fine tune the marketing efforts.

CLP is a company that believes in doing things right. They put the needs of their customers and the potential employees they recruit at the forefront of everything they do.  Your experience is consistent whether you meet CLP face-to-face, ear-to-ear, or screen-to-screen. This is just the beginning for what we are planning for their web presence.

Just a few notes from the source. We all appreciate your writeup on the current sites.

We always like good press.  Thanks IMR.  Ever forward...

WBV

Email Creative for Know-it-alls [like me]

I feel [very occasional] guilt from time to time that this blog is all about rants and opinion and not enough about what we do as a business.  So, here is a post that dispels said myth.

As I was clearing out my ridiculous inbox I came across a few bullets in a note from Responsys that I thought would be great to pass along to our email marketing clients, and now here as well.  The article discussed some of the most valuable things to think about when crafting messages.  Often conversations focus on how an email will look best if designed this way versus that way. The biggest lesson we as professionals need to embrace is that with email we must learn to design for the worst case, not the best case. Otherwise, it is a simple case of resistance to the facts — facts that have been validated time and time again through comprehensive testing across the industry. I have boiled down a few bullets from the article and added my own input below for consideration.

Several critical points your creative team must keep in mind when designing E-Mails:

• Best practices are best practices for a reason. If Outlook 2007 does not render background images, then why risk the integrity of the design and message by including them just because one email client will? Unless it will work in 99.9% of environments, it is not a best practice and should generally be avoided.
• Print is not the same as email. How the recipient will interact with it and read it will be very different. Emails are rarely viewed in their entirety. You have to be able to tell your story within consolidated chunks that are clear, easily scanned, and actionable. Emails are read top to bottom and left to right. Placing the headline at the bottom of the email is not going to work as the email recipient is not likely to be motivated to scroll down. You have only a few seconds to grab their attention — don't waste it making them search for the primary points and call to action.
• The way you would code a web page is not the same way you code an email. You must adjust your design to accommodate: no background images, no Flash, no forms, no Java script, no CSS, no image maps... the list goes on and on. The technology for a web page may be 2007, but the email has to be 1997.
• An email is never the destination. It serves as a stepping stone to motivate email recipients to take an action to a web page. If the email is not designed with this in mind, then the point of sending an email is being missed (and money is being wasted). Who cares what the open rates and click-through rates are if they are not converting! Clicks don't pay salaries.
• All email messages should have a relevant web landing page.  You cant say everything in the body of an email - and your home page is not a "landing page".  Landing someone on your home page after they agree to take the click action in an email is purposely putting a seek-and-find mission in front of them.  Now they have to remember how they got there, and what they were responding to.  Landing page creative should be an extension of the email campaign - but different than a traditional web page on your site.  In all cases, the goal is: get to the point, present the offer, tell me take it or leave it, dons.  Don't waste anyone's time.  Readers all appreciate that (watch for more articles on landing pages to come).

It is easy for us all to forget these simple steps when we craft and push our messages so hopefully these tips help you in your strategy and delivery.  Remember, if your messages have no point, or the recipient cannot read your email, whether because the primary content is hidden below the fold or because it is coded in a way that will not render correctly, they are not likely to take an action now, and are even less likely the next time around.

Hope you found this helpful.  I will try to post these sort of things more often.

WBV

Marketing that makes perfect sense - nice job Zappos.com

 

On my way through the astonishingly short line at security in Reno Tahoe INTERnational airport, I barely had time to notice the latest inanimate object to get a logo slapped on it.

Zappos.com has ad's in the bottom of every little bucket we have to cram our dirty shoes, laptops, keys, and belts into as they glide through the x-ray scanner. On the ads they came up with clever slogans about needing a new laptop case, or new shoes. Appropriately displaying a reminder to upgrade something, at a time we are most interested in thinking about it. Great ads, great placement, good 'ol Nevada company doin' big things.

I also heard through the rumor mill that ad revenues from this campaign are going to sponsor a new, more efficient type of checkpoint system that reduces passenger wait times at security checkpoints.

Nice job Zappos...if my vegas trip goes well...daddy'll need a new pair of shoes...

WBV

(another Treo post - sorry for the typos)

Funny comic strip - spreading propaganda

Funny little grassroots comic idea from the goodly folks at Where's My Jetpack.  Take royalty-free clip art and make it into a comic strip.  Genius I think.  Also, sums up most conversations at tradeshows, conferences, and pancake breakfasts I have attended recently:

Have a good weekend.  I plan to!

WBV

Have it your way [as long as it's OUR way]

This week I came across one of the most knee-slappin' funny examples of...

• explanation of service
• we reserve the right to...
• cars can be painted any color, so long as it's black...
• etc.

...that I have seen in a long time.  I was dining here in Reno at Sushi Moto (a relatively new addition to the abundance of all-you-can-eat sushi joints here in town).  The place is nice, food is good, service is good, prices are fair, and overall I give the place a B.  That said, I noticed on this visit that they have implemented some new "RULES OF THE SUSHI BAR" that I simply had to share with my 10's of readers.

I call this the "Management Bill Of Rights" and you will need to click the image and zoom in. Otherwise, it's a bit like an eye test (my trusty Treo ain't the best photo taker).  It's legible and you will get the idea.

I think my favorite line in this piece is the line where they indicate the "no special orders".  I am sure its a pain in the ass to field requests like:  one time, while I was on a business trip in Tulsa, the chef had this roll called a Blowfish and it had...hmmm...salmon, tobasco sauce, sausage, breadcrumbs, and rocky mountain oysters...can you make me one of those? I know that must piss them off, but is it smart to develop a list of your favorite "undesirable customer actions" and warn people that if they break the rules you will bounce them faster than the Soup Nazi?

Here at Fuze, we are pretty strict with our clients too but I am not sure if such a tact would keep our client retention quite as high as it is right now.  I think what Sushi Moto is trying to say is, this job would be great if it weren't for the f---ing customers!

Don't rule the place out based on this, it's a good restaurant.  I just found this funny.

Konichiwa!

WBV

King800[888] - Attention to detail...

I was doing some research today to work on some sponsor agreements with the energy drink [in a tall boy] - King888.  When i went to their site, to find some contact info, I saw that they had blown it on their phone number.  Wouldnt it make sense to have your toll-free number start with '888' if its in your name?  Maybe something like:  888-THE-KING or something.  Theirs on the other hand starts with '800'. Booo.

Kind of pointless post I guess, just a lapse in attention to detail. IMHO.

While I am on a rant...here are some things that I am tired of hearing about:

• What Reno's gonna "become next"
• Paris, Nicole, Britney, Lindsay, etc.
• Not one, but 2, Karaoke based TV shows
• Energy drinks based on a Thesaurus look up and every variation [spelling] for the word: EXTREME [enough already with energy drinks]

That's all.  King888 - call me...

WBV

Talk about grass roots!

Ok, so why in the world would someone write one post, let alone two about a Gyro stand in NYC?  Because I am cool, and I am right thats why.  Way back when I wrote a post describing the best street-side Gyro stand in New York...well apparently I am not alone.  This weekend I was catching up on a pile of magazines from the last month [or two] and I was reading our June 25th New York Magazine with an interesting article on iGod Steve Jobs...but more interesting, this big-time weekly pub featured my little gyro stand as #17 of the Concrete Elite - a ranking of New York's twenty best food carts. 

In addition to this recognition, I found that the cart has a fan supported support website as well.

So, my story has been proven true, and my theory is correct that this the best in NYC. Take the challenge if you are ever in the city - just DON'T CUT IN LINE - its not good for your health.

White-sauce, hot-sauce please...

WBV

Goin on up to Southpark...

The other day I stumbeled across the ol' southpark studio...a place you can create a version of you as a southpark character.  It's relatively meaningless, doesnt take too long, but i needed the distraction.  Give it a shot.

There are other options for sure...but note the eyes...that's a perfect representation of how i feel these days.

Here's a link to Planearium.de/SP-Studio - the goodly folks who have too much time on their hands that built to engine.  It's viral, so that makes it relevant right??  :-)

Give it a try if you want to build "you".

WBV

Desparately Seeking: Client who will let us run this campaign

I came across this ad for Metro Gym in the UK recently and I found it incredibly clever and funny.  I wonder [aloud] if we could find one of our clients with the sack to let us create a devilishly funny campaign like this. 

Form an orderly queue please...

Enjoy.

WBV
[credits: AdRants]

My cadillac story, BS.

Let me start by saying I am a Cadillac guy. I own a pile of detroit steel in the form of a '62 Coupe de Ville Kustom. But what has happened to GM? Have they lost it man? They can't seriously think that we buy their latest campaign do they?

Case in point: I don't buy the prophetic wizdom of actor Andy Garcia spew: "When going after a goal, never lose sight of the integrity of the journey."

I have NOTHING against Andy Garcia...but I frankly do not believe he crafted those words or any part of his mycadillacstory.com dribble. A copywriter wrote it, he read it, I am supposed to buy an Escalade. Its nonsense. Not because the car sux (I can't comment on that). Not because the words don't make sense (they do - its a nice sentiment). But because I don't believe the combination was natural...any more than I believe Tiger Woods rolls up to the links in a Buick.

Poo poo on u caddy and GM - GYST. I'm hangin' with my '62...its paid for.

WBV

(posted from my Treo...sorry for the typos)

A letter to Verizon

Today I was reading the feed from one of my hero's and mentors, Seth Godin.  Seth it seems, is frustrated about the idea of selling ad's on mobile phones, not because he has a problem with advertising, but because he, like most of us, wished cellular phone companies (some of the largest advertisers on the planet) would just focus on developing things that their customers "wish for" not what they want to develop to make an extra buck. 

Here are a couple of Seth's hit home points in his theoretical letter to John Harrobin, VP Marketing, Verizon Wireless:

A typical cell phone user spends more than $2,000 a year on telecommunications, and the number is going up. For a product with a marginal cost of zero, this is an astoundingly high figure. Why would you risk your market share and what little customer satisfaction remains by selling off screen space to advertisers?

Sure, some folks with more time than judgment will click on these ads, and sure, your advertisers will smile, but do you really want to alienate millions of users by giving us something we don't need and don't want?

Here are the two questions I hope you'll ask yourself:
a.) what does the money we make from this effort do to the long-term profitability of our relationship with customers and
b.) is this something consumers want? How many calls a day does Verizon get asking for more spam/advertising on their cell phones?

If you want to read the full letter post, you can view it on Seth's blog here.

Damn with the mobile phone carriers...

WBV

Good news, Chocolate now comes in Green, Red, and White

My prediction was wrong...they didn't come out with orange, instead Verizon marketing released the "Chocolate" in: Green (dubbed mint-chocolate), Red (dubbed-cherry chocolate), White (dubbed white-chocolate).  We are still on the lookout for a "Chocolate-Brown" version of the phone aptly named: Chocolate. 

     

I guess at least here is a justification for white-chocolate because that does exist as a food.  The mint chocolate version of the phone looks much more like "green-apple" to my pea brain.

Could it be that I just don't "get it"??  Hmmm...naaa...it is just a crappy name that some marketing smarty pants is too proud to let go of.  Maybe one day...

GYST

WBV

THEgyro guy

On the corner of 53rd and 6th (avenue of the americas) in New York, there is a gyro guy.  Big deal right?  What makes this guy different?  I'm not sure anyone knows.  Read on...

On our visit to New York for Search Engine Strategies '06, my buddy Chris (a client & friend) insisted that we must get a Gyro, but only from this guy.  Conveniently, "this guy" was across the street from the New York Hilton where we were staying.  His [Chris's] guarantee was that this will be the BEST GYRO YOU HAVE EVER EATEN.  I think to myself, whatever. It's a street vendor in NYC.  No different than snapping into a Sabrett dirty-water dog. It's a hot dog...good, cheap, fast, nothing special. He insists, this guy is special and he's open late so we  can get one after we go out, and i am not leaving the city until i have had at least one.

I will admit, I was skeptical, but on our way back home one late night, we stopped by Gyro stand numero uno.  Mind you, it was February in New York, and I would honestly estimate the temp to be in single digits at 1am that night...yet...there was not 1 or 2, but a LINE of people waiting for a Gyro from this guy.  There we were...some guy from Reno, some guy from Minneapolis - freezing our asses off.  After waiting my turn and ordering in a Soup Nazi fashion, I tried the gyro, and I was sold.  It was simply the best thing I have ever eaten (on the street). 

Every time I am in Midtown, including this trip, I try to get there for a gyro.  Same guy, same spot. Every time, in spite of Gyro stands on all 4 corners and more a block away, all with no waiting...this guy has a line, is pumping out gyros by the dozens, and if you want one, you will wait.

How can he do this with: no fancy logo, no business cards, no advertising, no brochures, a website...come on, no special deals, no discount pricing, no phone, no email, no customer service at all (he speaks as little as possible), long lines, almost no product selection options, his competition is surrounding him (his cart is even a little shabbier than others near by)?  In spite of all these obstacles...there's a line down the street 7 days a week from 10am-2am. What gives marketing gurus?  Sometimes a superior product and word of mouth, win.  I just hope I get to enjoy a few more Gyros before this guy pushes his cart into the Hudson, and jumps on a plane to some remote Greek island to live out his comfortable retirement.

You heard it here...take my challenge if you like.   53rd & 6th.  If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.

WBV

Chocolate (a black phone from Verizon)

Ok, I know I have been on a bit of a mobile phone rampage lately, but why am I the only one that finds Verizon Wireless' Chocolate phone a complete marketing blunder. Why isn't this phone brown?  In the words of Mr. Mugatu, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

The ad shows a fancy animation of a phone being unwrapped like a candy bar, only to reveal a...BLACK phone called...CHOCOLATE. WTF?

I predict their next model will be called Orange. The ad will feature a peeling orange that reveals a new...shiny...olive green (worst crayola color ever) phone-ie gadget. Fact...did you know that according to BtoB Magazine, 3 of the top 10 advertisers online and offline combined are Mobile Phone Companies?  A combined $1billion (yes billion with a B) in spending.  For all that money, you would think someone would have at least raised a hand and said, "...but its black". GYST Verizon.

Almost done posting about phones...maybe 1 or 2 more.

WBV

Importance...(revised: Responsibility)

Disclaimer: Let me start by saying that this post is graphic, frank, rambles, ties two seemingly unrelated thoughts together, and has nothing to do with design, advertising, or business at all. it was typed on my Treo so there are likely typo's. Still with me? Read on humans...

The last few days/weeks I have been feeling a little overwhelmed by life. To start, I've been on the road for the better part of the last 8 weeks. Our business is exploding, our clients are growing, my baby is growing...all good things. Many times I hear the answer..."oh you know, just busy" uttered in response to the obligatory question "how'z things goin?". When I hear this, I often wonder to myself...do you have any idea what busy means? Inside ourselves, we make our lives and our problems more significant than the person next to us. This has become human nature. I am currently at a point where I am feeling pressure from all sides and it is making me claustrophobic. The problem...I bring all of it on myself.

Weekend
As I laid awake this weekend for the 2nd night in a row...7am rolled around and on queue, my baby Cole woke up in his usual happy mood...he is so excited that another day is here to learn and experience everything for the first time. It's hard not to set your mind aside and get lost in his. The simplicity of his existence and his needs. Just a little attention, love, food, and some clean drawers. That's all he needs to put an ear to ear grin on. It's beautiful. What, or where along the way, do our perspectives change?

Flight to Atlanta
I had another epiphany today on my flight to Atlanta. A young guy, maybe 20's is on my flight and he is sick...not sure what from or why, but he is ill...really ill. The attendant moved him from the back of the plane up to my row in Poor-man's first class (the exit row) because the middle seat opposite mine was open. Immediately I am watching the reactions of the people around this poor kid. They get uncomfortable...adjust their seats...request a seat change...yet, nobody's first reaction is compassion of any kind. I imagine how uncomfortable it must be to be plunked down between 2 strangers with a barf bag in your hand and no sign of relief, comfort, etc. in sight. It's really a sad moment. He is alone, clutching a bag of ice to his chest, and his hands are trembling. He's very well mannered, shy, polite, very simple appearing. Ask me on any given Monday what my reaction to someone throwing up next to me on a flight would be and I would probably say, disgusting, but today I don't feel this at all. Maybe I feel like, what if it was my little boy sick, or maybe I realize that this guy would certainly not choose to feel the way he does if given the option. I really feel for him.  All I know is that I am thankful it isnt me.

The Moral (so to speak) - and some business relevance...
After posting this, I came across this ad that not only caught my attention because it's great, but also illustrated exactly what I was feeling in at least part of my rambling scenario here. This is an excellent spot for Liberty Mutual - deveoped by Hill | Holiday:

This situation, like waking up to my son smiling and laughing in his crib snap things into focus for me. I don't know what it is that makes us lose sight of our childlike instincts, to be more carefree, but at the same time care for someone, or show them the respect/consideration to ask how they are. I don't know what drives us to the point of stress, illness, oblivion...for the sake of success. Of course by we/us, I mean me. So today I am going to make some life changes. Something every human has the right to do.

 WBV

Entertainment = Engagement

Ok y'all...i came across this in my journ this morning and it is advertising...yes...bloody advertising.  And worse, it is from skeevie (so they say) Microsoft.  For me, this is a next level answer to Apple's anti-intelligence crappy TV campaign.  Better execution, better engagement, and frankly better skin in the game.  Microsoft is going all-in with the launch of Vista, and it WILL connect with the masses.  I encourage you to set your disdain aside and watch this video...its funny.

 

Then, look at the micro-site they launched for Vista.  http://www.clearification.com/

Both are genius. Demitri Martin makes this a winner.  The moral of the story...Apple, you're not cool because your CEO lives in black turtlenecks. Your TV spots with snide Justin Long (who, was funny getting hit in the face with a wrench in Dodgeball) make the assumption that the masses are all idiots.  This launch campaign from Microsoft Vista shows that they too are creative.  Apple...don't poke the tiger.  They can crush you...

Je'qui,

Willie B. Vega.