Clik here to view.
Why gyro? Because teaching old agencies new tricks can be a pain in the ass.
Good boy! Sigh. One of the tough things about working at a relatively young agency with a B2B/technology pedigree is the persistent opinion that such a group is not capable of creating big ideas at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We are legend: The “Selfie” has become the ditchweed of popular culture.
The shot heard ’round the world. Sometimes I take pictures of myself post them online. I know a lot of other people do, too. Selfies. We all do it. So much so it has become a phenomenon. In 2013,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On writing and mild hatred or #thingsthatsuck
Forgive me for I have hated… Since I began Gods of Advertising almost a decade ago (!), I’ve carefully avoided demonstrating hatred of any kind to persons, places or things. When I was critical, say...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Most creative departments are long on craftsmen and short on showmen. (Part I)
“Behold, my creation!” Lately, ny agency has made a slew of creative presentations. Two or three a week. Likely your agency is experiencing something similar. It’d better be. Like sharks, creative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Few creatives are skilled at presenting work. Here’s how I got better. (Part II)
“Employing Steff’s system improved my presentations…and my life!” I learned how to present creative ideas (mine and those belonging to others) by watching the best of the best and modeling my game...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Burger King brings back Subservient Chicken. A look back at this game...
He’s back… Has it been ten years? It seems like only yesterday that Crispin Porter & Bogusky and the Barbarian Group unleashed Burger King’s risqué digital critter, Subservient Chicken into the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Donald Sterling, the racist. As NBA owner, a tsunami of outrage. As slumlord,...
Donald Sterling, same as he ever was. Slimy shit this business with Don Sterling. Lord knows I don’t need to weigh in on the topic. Everyone and their brother are doing that. For those living under a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If the goal of modern marketing is to create ‘what’s trending’ then, like it...
What lights up the world? One can measure the passage of time by stringing together mega-trending items, those huge cultural conversations that seemingly light up the media. Such events are like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The art directors were right: words are visuals, too.
When it comes to evaluating ad copy, it’s not purely about judging the meaning of words. In order to truly assess copy properly, I also need to see what it looks like in a layout. The art directors...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Should advertising “close the gap” or should we let people draw their own...
“Me hate thinking about ads.” Read this piece by Bob Hoffman, former Chairman/CEO of namesake advertising agency, Hoffman Lewis and host of the popular trade blog, The Ad Contrarian. In the story, Bob...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It’s an even madder, mad, mad world when it’s caught on tape and shared like...
“Kiss me I’m Irish!” Has the human race jumped the shark? Talk about a Mondo couple of days. Where to begin? Was anything more sadly horrific than watching Donald Sterling dig himself into the abyss...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Trampling down memory lane with Godzilla. The more the King changes the more...
They all look alike. Not! Upon leaving the new Godzilla movie, my wife and I found ourselves walking behind a couple young boys, perhaps 15 or 16 years old, and we could easily hear their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why aren’t creative presentations more fun for clients?
“Does anyone remember laughter?” For some reason, Robert Plant ad-libbed the question during Led Zeppelin’s classic rock anthem, Stairway to Heaven. It’s a wincing sort of line, now relegated to music...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How many ‘likes’ maketh a star? Pondering fame in the You Tube era.
At a restaurant the other day I overheard a woman paraphrase the famous Andy Warhol quote, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” She was referring to a video her son recently...
View ArticleClik here to view.
These days, an advertiser’s own employees might be the most important (and...
“Our new campaign rocks and so do we!” I am delighted to report (with a bit of an eye roll) that one of the themes at this year’s B2B marketing conference in Chicago (BMA14), was the supreme value of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why is it so hard for most agencies to go from good to great? Examining three...
From this… To this… I first wrote this draft while I was between jobs, reflecting on some things that had challenged me most when it came to true integration and moving our agency from good to great....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Letting go of old ideas: Adland accepts foriegn languages and sub titles.
Understanding meaning without understanding words… Tim Nudd of Adweek asks if Beats by Dre “just out-Nike-d Nike” with a new five minute film celebrating the World Cup, which begins shortly in Rio....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ad agency, Cramer-Krasselt resigns Panera Bread in rare public display of...
Getting treated like shit gets old… I got an inordinate amount of traction from a link I shared on Facebook about a leaked memo from Cramer-Krasselt’s Chief Executive, Peter Krivkovich, regarding his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Previous post gets most views ever. Devil on my shoulder says do it again!
“C’mon angel, that leaked memo was pretty sweet.” My last post on advertising agency, Cramer-Krasselt parting ways with client, Panera Bread garnered more views in one day than any other in this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Changing Washington “Redskins” name not just right; it’s also good business.
The righteous drum continues to beat louder, calling for the termination of the Washington Redskins nickname, which got a huge assist when the United States Patent Office rescinded trademark rights...
View Article