Posts tagged agency
life on a new scale
May 20th
I have always recognized that sometimes advertising is tough to evaluate because of cultural differences. and possibly because I just finished an international project I am even more aware than usual.
Local culture, or even regional culture, has a variety of visual and non visual cues & quirks that if you are not from that area take a little while to shift your attitude from “wtf?” to “oh … the people here like this.”
Oh.
Note to USA folk. Unfortunately the world of culture <and anything else for that matter> does not revolve around us and what we do and say and wear. Our antics & quirks are … well … often our antics & quirks. Fortunately other regions have their own antics & quirks that they need to deal with.
Ok. All that said. When you go to the international communications level you have to pay attention to the nuances <because anyone going global will obviously be smart enough to avoid the real quirks>.
Korean Air is the reason I decided to write about this today. Korean Air has a global advertising campaign <supposedly to elevate the brand to a whole new level> called “For life on a whole new scale.”
I have seen the magazine advertising in The Economist and the television ads on CNNinternational <and BBC>.
Every time I see it I stop and pay attention because in some ways I like the imagery and in other ways it seems like something someone <in US or Britain> would have done maybe 20 or 30 years ago. But, beyond that, there is something that nags at me.
I am sure it is appropriate for and/or logical to Koreans, but it seems slightly dated <in imagery as well as how it depicts women> to me.
Korean Air (for asia): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zn_WE-VJgg&feature=relmfu
Korean Air: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAOVSaldLiA
By the way … I don’t think it’s bad (note: their last campaign was bad … really bad).
Old campaign
The idea behind this campaign is really really good.
And I absolutely love the final image of someone sitting in an airplane window (the image at beginning of post). Yet. It is a nuance … but I am not sure the woman they put in the window was right.
Anyway.
I just feel like it could have been done in a slightly different way and still depicted Korean culturally <which is important to the airlines> and yet been a little more global in its feel (outside of Asia).
But.
That’s me.
Regardless. It is a great airlines. And the idea behind the campaign is a really really good idea. But even great ideas need some subtle nuances incorporated into the execution to insure it is seen as equally good wherever it is shown. Something is slightly off in the execution of this idea.
advertising beer
May 4th
“his piñatas fight back.” – the most interesting man in the world
Cinco de Mayo brings out the beer advertising and my annual rant about beer advertising. And how bland it is … not bad … just bland.
Bland. I continue to think once a year all the beer company marketing people sit around a massive table (probably all drinking some fancy schmancy sparkling water because they are too high falutin to actually drink beer) and look at a reel of available ads and decide to divvy up the most blandly innocuous <and possibly mildly amusing if it’s not silly or immature humor> among each other.
Note: specific execution doesn’t matter because they can just insert any beer bottle/can in any of them and it would work <note completed>.
Ok.
The dog fetching beer commercial? Nice (and funny) but Alex from Stroh’s in mid 80’s was the first, and best, beer fetching dog <and multiple dogs have followed in Alex’s paw steps>: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upZ6EbaHigE
Then Budweiser wastes an awesome mashup song of Cult “she sells sanctuary” and FloRida with a pedantic ‘people having fun’ video <and having a Bud of course>. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ku0IOv78Yg
Ok. Some exceptions.
I have already written about Heineken.
And Coors. Well. How about … Coors is close. It seems like they are really clear on who they are (character and tone) and Sam Elliot’s voice over is a perfect choice but I feel like they could add some “grit” to their character. It may be bland but at least it is a reflection of what Coors is … well … at their core.
And, of course, dos equis (visit my post http://brucemctague.com/stay-thirsty-my-friends if you want a more complete review).
They are the current standard bearer for ‘what could be’ in the good advertising category.
Now. I am not sure anyone drinks the crap but everyone knows and loves the advertising campaign. The new cinco de mayo radio execution is priceless.
Absolutely frickin’ priceless.
You have to believe at some point the writing will become so absurd that the campaign loses its charm but somehow some way they keep the level of the writing very very high.
This year’s cinco de mayo?
The line for his cinco de may party starts on ocho de February.
His guacamole inspired the term ‘holy guacamole.’
He has 3 black books just for women named Juanita.
His 10 gallon hat holds approximately 13 gallons.
His refried beans are fried once.
His piñatas fight back.
Old cinco de mayo radio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqjFpDF3NhU
Older cinco de mayo radio:
It is said the sun comes up later on the 6th of May, in case his Cinco parties run long.
The Mayans prophecized his birth.
Even lucha libres remove their masks in his presence.
He once taught a German Shepard to bark in Spanish.
He serves sizzling fajita platters barehanded.
Bulls flat-out refuse to fight him.
I admit. I cannot figure out how the beer industry <at least in America> consistently showcases bland insipid work.
But thanks to Dos Equis we have some hope for better.
the flaw in creativity collaboration
Apr 26th
Ok.
This is not a popular point of view these days.
I am a firm believer, that in the creativity business, collaboration isn’t good.
Well. “isn’t good” is like saying “never” or “it always sucks” or something like that.
Let’s just say creativity isn’t about collaboration.
And I found a quote that says it perfectly:
“Art is I; science is we.” – Claude Bernard
I didn’t know who good ole Claude was until I found this quote … he was a man of science … in fact .. among many other accomplishments, he was one of the first to suggest the use of blind experiments to ensure the objectivity of scientific observations.
Anyway.
He says it best.
Art, and true creativity, is really an ‘I’ business. Ideas generated from an individual. Where creativity is sparked within. Look. Others can stoke the fire but an individual has to provide the spark. There you go … an original idea originates from an individual,
And let me dig myself into a deeper hole … in addition … by including others the original idea is rarely sharpened but rather dulled.
Ok. Science on the other hand is about We.
A confluence of factors & minds each sharpening that type of idea.
Ok.
He also said:
“The living body, though it has need of the surrounding environment, is nevertheless relatively independent of it. This independence which the organism has of its external environment, derives from the fact that in the living being, the tissues are in fact withdrawn from direct external influences and are protected by a veritable internal environment which is constituted.”
Once again.
A science thought … but a good life thought.
And a nice thought to complete the thought on creativity and collaboration.
Original creativity in thinking is relatively independent from the external environment. In the end an individual can absorb, can discuss, can incorporate as much of the ‘external environment’ that is necessary to feed creativity … but the idea resides within the individual.
That’s it.
That’s my thought.
fearless & young people & hook in your head
Feb 23rd
“Guess I need to unhook these thoughts.”
- Throwing Muses lyric from ‘hook in your head’
Ok.
I began writing this to remind us that young people are smarter and more innovative than we give them credit for as well as we typically have to look to the youth for trends and what the horizon has in store for us (whether we like it or not).
Oh. And this is is also just a reminder to us old folk how short our memories are.
So I began this with lyrics from a Throwing Muses song because it was written by Kristen Hersh (maybe 20 at the time) and Tonya Donnelly (maybe 20 at the time). And I used music as an example because … well … that’s what I do.
Two young 20somethings from Rhode Island creating things that would influence musicians for decades.
That said. I will say that aging, getting older, is consistent.
We begin to doubt that which we believed in when we were younger.
So this is a reminder.
Since I read Rat Girl it has re-instilled my belief that the youth is our future.
And the early 90s provides some good proof. And the Throwing Muses are proof. And Kristen Hersh (and Tanya Donnelly who has made every band she has played in sound awesome … not only did she co-found Throwing Muses with stepsister Kristin Hersh but then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly).
Anyway.
Hook in your Head is proof.
The song isn’t for everyone.
But it is a spectacular piece of song writing. In its 6:30+ length it is kind of 3 different songs.
In my words … it is a “clean messy” song.
(definition: the constant incredibly hooky rolling bass and drum riff is clean allowing Tonya and Kristen to be spectacularly messy).
Hook in Her Head remains one of my favorite Throwing Muses songs of all time (and no it isn’t a real hook it is something that is just stuck, or hooked, in your head).
Certain things I love, Spend my time
I guess I’ll have to unhook those hooks
This woman literally
Felt she had a hook in her head
When I first heard the song I listened to it … and listened to it over and over. Typical of the Muses it was odd … a fusion of alternative sections in one song(within 6:32). It has a brilliant drum steadying it with an awesome rolling bass riff holding it together.
And all the rest is messy.
But it sounds messy great.
The song is “ridiculously intense” as one commenter suggests (this is a live version but an almost perfect rendition of what you would hear on The Real Ramona): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcnDsTpO-CY&feature=related
And, most importantly, it is timeless (you could play this on any current alternative radio station I will guarantee multiple calls will come in asking who the heck the band was).
And they were teen-young 20’s defining a future sound.
Unpopular then? Sure.
Fearless ? Sure.
Young? You bet.
Old people hated it? Absolutely.
Acceptable today? It is what all alternative does and sounds like.
Truth? <as in “what can we learn” truth>
The youth are fearless and therefore, inevitably, they are influencers. Oh. Influencers of not only their own generation but of everyone.
At least everyone who pays attention.
At least to everyone who would quit bitching for “the good old days.”
And we shouldn’t forget it.
And any time us old folk do forget this I encourage you to go back to your youth and take a good hard look, and listen, and remind yourself.
And, frankly, we should remind ourselves more often.
Because too many of us are pretty frickin’ stubborn about today’s youth (and how irresponsible and immature we are so sure they are).
I have one suggestion for the old folk (say 40+).
Get your head out of your ass.
Young people are smart.
And they are innovative.
And, yeah, some of the innovations are aggravating … but we are supposed to be mature enough to delineate between “aggravating because it is simply aggravating” and “aggravating because now I am going to have to change.”
And, frankly, young people think of things we older people not only don’t – but can’t.
And if you ignore it or dismiss it (teen thinking) you are going to miss out on a lot.
Maybe worse?
You will have failed that generation. The young’s innovative thinking should be nurtured and fertilized like young plants that you want to blossom. For like flowers or trees they are the foliage that will line our horizons in the future.
If we kill their ideas our horizons will lie barren. Or worse. Our horizons will be lined in our ideas. And while we may be comforted in the sight of things we have created we are leaving nothing for future generations to look to on the horizon as their own.
(sorry … I felt kind of poetic as I banged away on the keys … ignore that bad imagery but accept the point … please)
Anyway.
Here is a thought for you as you think about today’s young people.
The Throwing Muses weren’t ahead of their time.
They were at their time.
But originality is often unpopular.
Play their music today and they would be a top 10 alternative band.
Does that mean they missed out? Nope.
Because they created. They were influential. They were a voice of the youth innovators of that generation.
Ignore the Throwing Muses music if you want.
But don’t ignore the youth.
Nurture the voices of this generation. Don’t mute them in your non understanding of what they say.
Just because originality is unpopular doesn’t mean we should discourage originality.
No matter what age the originality occurs.
Bottom line?
Unhook those thoughts from your head about young people.
voices of a generation
Feb 21st
Well.
This is about teens and what they are thinking and how the respond to reading <or claims they are not reading> and, frankly, a view from their perspective. And I am going to use their words. I am gonna use a lot of their words.
I am going to do this one in parts. First. A website dedicated to giving voice to teens globally. Second. Some response comments pulled from an article written … well … I cannot remember. Suffice it to say the article was from a reputable publication and the article was a bunch of moronic drivel written by an old guy waxing on about how this generation of young people are missing out on what his generation did (mostly reading) and are turning out to be a generation of illiterate mindless dweebs (sorry … it probably wasn’t that bad but you get the point).
I get tired of this (bashing today’s youth).
So … the first. The voice of the global teen. A blog created and written by teens. As a good friend of mine said “it is humbling.” Beyond that it is smart, insightful and extremely well articulated. And if anyone tries to tell me that this is a minority from a generation made up of a majority of morons I respond with a simple “bullshit.”
All generations think thoughts. But all generations have individuals who give voice to those thoughts. In fact all generations need an articulate few to create the voice of a generation.
Here is the site: http://voicesofyouth.org/users/11472
If you have any doubts that this generation doesn’t “get it” you can read the words of the younger generation globally right here … in one spot.
Do not doubt for one minute they are not extremely qualified to step into our shoes if not throw away our shoes and do us even better.
Second.
Reading.
Whew. This is one never ending gripe from old folk.
So I will begin with reading and literacy and … well … books, e-books and whatever else you want to consider reading.
Here is how one teen responds:
A major source of confusion is the fact that information from reputable sources is increasingly available on the Internet, which is far more convenient to use than hauling your ass to a library, browsing through the book collection, finding a giant tome, browsing through it to find what you need, and then rinse and repeat.
We’re keeping up with the modern world. And we’re definitely reading. We’re just not reading on physical paper, which is apparently a crime against humanity or something.
Hell, we’re reading plenty of things on physical paper too. Just not what we “should” be reading according to these “Damned-Whippersnappers”-crying adults. We’re reading not only fiction and fantasy (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc.), but also memoirs (The Glass Castle and Night) and many other genres.
We’re reading, just not what and how you think we should – GuywiththeContacts commenter
(amen)
Look.
I have read Hunger Games (a youth book … and I am looking forward to the movies) … the Immortal Nicholas Flamel book series (an excellent smart series) as well as I rarely read a newspaper anymore … oops … rather I read newspaper online. And, in fact, I probably read a wider variety of opinions and articles because I gather information online versus one paper newspaper than ever before.
So maybe I am also ‘just not reading what and how you think I should.’ Uh oh. I guess that means I owe an apology to the 50000 some people who visit my site each month.
Aw.
Bullshit.
Guywithcontacts is right. We adults need to stop crying. Reading (and writing maybe even more so) is alive and well. And prospering.
And the world is not losing its moral foundation nor is it crumbling …
Is Western Civilization coming to an end again? So soon after the last time? Actually, this article made me nostalgic for all of the other times Western Civilization was on its last legs. The symptoms are always the same – teenagers are distracted, can’t pay attention, and don’t have patience or empathy. The cure is always the same – read more, especially books from the canon. But the cause is different each time.
Remember when it was Facebook and Twitter that was going to bring us to an end? And before that, it was the internet? And before that, it was MTV? Before then, I think the culprit was supposed to be blockbuster movies (for killing our imaginations and preventing us from reading). Before that, it was television. And before that it was comic books. Then radio, movies, jazz, and vaudeville. And dime novels. And let’s not forget the assembly line and the automobile. All of them were, at one time or another, the cause of the demise of our culture.
I also recall, when I was a teenager, being told that I was the reason Western Civilization was doomed. Because all teenagers would lack the wisdom and common sense necessary to function. I heard the story about the high school student who hadn’t been aware that the U.S. and Japan had once been at war. “Who won?” she asked. I heard the story about the teenagers who saw a movie poster for “Amadeus” and wondered to each other who wrote the soundtrack. They sounded like jokes to me, but were presented as Actual Facts by adults. All it taught me at the time was that: (a) adults could be awfully credulous at times; and (b) backhanded put-downs weren’t much of an inducement to read more. But articles like this one are never aimed at the teenagers who are putting Western Civilization in peril. They are aimed at people who want to rail at the annoying, careless behavior of those who are just beginning to acquire the means to act independently, when carelessness or obnoxiousness could actually do someone harm. I propose that Newsweek retitle this article, “Kids today!” and leave it at that.
That being said, I have found texting to be both useful and terribly, terribly annoying. It depends on the context. – Maura commenter
(amen)
Get on the train or get run over by the train.
This generation is going to be managing our future one day.
Quit bitching.
If our generation didn’t kill civilization no generation will be able to. We have certainly done our best to do so … therefore … maybe this generation will pull our proverbial asses out of the fire and make all good as it should be.
But, as Maura so rightfully points out, ‘backhanded put downs are not an inducement’ for anyone to want to do anything.
This generation is not going to destroy civilization they are going to rebuild, recreate and renovate civilization. That said … we adults better quit bitching about reading and make sure we let them learn the good stuff any way they want.
Yeah.
Any way they want …..
“I’m so incredibly tired of everyone railing my generation for using the technology available to us. Yeah, cell phones allow us to communicate with each other easier. Awesome. That’s why they were invented. And the reason we use them a lot isn’t because the act of typing a message on a tiny keyboard gives us some immeasurable thrill. It’s because there’s someone on the other end whom we care about and want to be in contact with. Text-speak just makes things go faster. Is there anyone who honestly thinks that there are teenagers out there who don’t know how to spell ‘you’?
It’s like Maura said– you don’t think your parents said the same things about you? And their parents about them and on and on until you get back to neanderthals and the invention of the wheel. It’s just scapegoating and fear of change. It’s old news, buddy.
Also, I don’t hear people complaining about how Facebook and Twitter led an entire region to overthrow tyranny and oust dictators. Someone who did a great job of finding the real heart of the problem– and not maligning technology and advancement–was Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451.
So please, stop accusing teenagers of destroying the world before we’re even allowed to vote, and quit blaming my generation for things we haven’t even gotten the chance to do yet (such as, you know, spike the US deficit to over a trillion). – chrissy a commenter on a site
(amen)
In the end … maybe let’s try some of these words on for size and today’s youth …
Resilience.
Adaptability.
Innovative.
Optimistic.
Yeah. Optimistic. Instead of cynicism … which seems to appear in older generations … this youth remains optimistic.
Think about this … a Pew survey found most young adults today believe they have a harder time than their parents did:
- 82% say it’s harder to find a job.
- 75% say it’s harder to save for the future.
- 71% say it’s harder to pay for college.
- 69% say it’s harder to buy a home.
<note: I tend to believe ALL younger generations believe they will have a more difficult time then their parents.> Yet. Despite all of that … the same Pew study found high levels of optimism among young adults. Although the survey found young people are less likely now than before the recession to say they have enough income, their level of optimism hasn’t shrunk from where it was in 2004, the report notes.
“Their optimism is just as high as it was in a booming economy or a stronger economy” before the recession.
There you go. I bring up optimism to close this post because, dammit, it’s not up to older generations to kill this optimism … or bitch about how “they don’t do it the way we do/did” … rather … it is up to us to fuel this optimism and let this generation find its true voice … and foster the generation to create whatever innovations it is destined to create .. and reach whatever new horizons they are destined to reach … all of which “civilization” will benefit from.
Oh.
We will benefit to (just wanted to remind everyone about that).
beautiful brains
Feb 20th
“Moody. Impulsive. Maddening. Why do teenagers act the way they do? Viewed through the eyes of evolution, their most exasperating traits may be the key to success as adults.”- National Geographic
teen brain Harvard magazine
Ok. This is about teens … their <maddening> brains … science … and the art of how we can <positively> influence them.
And, yes, beautiful brains refer to the teenage brain.
And, no, I have not been drinking nor have I become <officially> delusional because I agree that the teenage brain is beautiful … beautifully creative, insightful, sharp, inquisitive, non linear & fragmentally brilliant (among other things).
Personally I love the way the teenage brain works and dealing with it.
Sure. If I was a parent and had to deal with this inconsistent brain 24/7 I am sure I would have a different perspective (or at least it would be colored by that perspective).
But. Beyond parenting … let’s focus on how the teen brain works and what it creates (beyond the obvious fairly maddening decisions) … because it is typically quick, expansive and sometimes quite brilliantly random, therefore, while it may appear impossible to deal with it is at the same time a whetstone for our own brains.
It hones us and sharpens our own logic, thinking & articulation skills (as well as our patience & character I imagine).
Their brains force US to weave our way through a veritable hornet’s nest of thoughts & thinking to uncover some pretty insightful quick thinking sharp ideas.
Yeah.
Think about that for a second.
And maybe that is why their brains are so maddening to us. It makes us work too hard. Or maybe it makes us move more quickly mentally then we typically are comfortable with. But think about what we “get” if we get involved with the intensely intricate beautiful brain.
We get the opportunity to jump in the middle while all that stuff is being jumbled in their head …. and … well … unjumble. And decipher. And guide. And redirect. And repurpose. And rejoice.
But we don’t get to relax. And maybe, once again, this is where we fail.
For even if we redirect & repurpose a teen thought it doesn’t stop moving …. it interacts with everything else that is going on in their brain and in an iterative fashion it begets additional brain activity.
So.
You snooze you lose.
Slow no go.
Pick your bad poetic poison.
If you don’t get in and stay to play, well, I guess it is just maddening.
Anyway.
This isn’t just me that find their brains beautiful. National Geographic wrote an article (called Beautiful Brains) and actually did research.
Here is the fascinating National Geographic article about the science behind teenage brains trying to understand why they are what they are.
National Geographic Teenage Brains: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text/2
So.
The proof is that while their thinking may sometimes appear illogical that it is sharp thinking …. and … if you read between the lines (and think about it) you can see the small windows of opportunities of which if we glimpse them we can make massive impacts.
Research shows “there is simply too much going on in the brains of adolescents” for them to concentrate on the task at hand. That means resources and energy in the brain are wasted as it tries to identify what to focus on … and, as with anyone <even adults> that has a negative effect on decision-making.
The study shows that the brain doesn’t actually grow very much between 12 and 25. It has already reached 90 percent of its full size by the time a person is six. However during the teen years the brain undergoes extensive rewiring and restructuring (they suggest it is like having an electrician come in and do a complete rewiring job).
distraction because of too much stimuli
During this period the brain has a much better chance of being distracted by something … and by ‘something’ I mean ‘everything’. It’s just the way rewiring works.
So. It isn’t that a teen cannot focus … it is just sensory overload. There is too much stimuli. And the sheer volume of stimuli management is challenged in that they don’t have the experience to shut things out … or maybe better said … they don’t have an experience filter with whoch to prioritize the stimuli. (
In the end it is an overwhelming combination of too much and an inability from lack of experience to manage.
It is easier for a teen to shift focus than to keep focus.
In national Geaograhic’s words … “In short, more grey matter means more room for mistakes and a sharp decline in efficiency.”
While us old folk may not like to hear this but as as we grow older we lose brain (it shrinks). but it’s not so much a loss as it is a honing. Our brains shrink, becoming more efficient, and (hopefully) less prone to distraction and what could be construed as stupid immature <inexperienced> mistakes. That honing is a double win for most adults. Less room fr random distraction combined with more experienced stuff crammed into it.
A Cornell study also points out that while teens do a lot of irresponsible things (drinking & driving, sex, drugs, smoking) it is not because they think they are invulnerable or haven’t thought about the risks.
In fact, the Cornell study suggests they are more likely to ponder the risks, take longer (about 170 milliseconds more) weighing the pros and cons of engaging in high-risk behavior than adults — and actually overestimate the risks.
“It’s just that they often decide the benefits — the immediate gratification or peer acceptance — outweigh the risks”, says Valerie F. Reyna, professor of human development at Cornell.
If you buy that (risk versus reward) and the fact that psychologists have found that teenagers are about as adept as adults at recognizing the risks of dangerous behavior you have to begin understanding the role we adults play (and in fact the opportunity we have).
This beautiful brain is a massive network of neurons constantly assessing the costs and benefits of potential actions calculating the reward … how far they are willing to go to gain the reward (the risks) and making judgments in hundredths of a second.
The article does a nice job of pointing out that at some level and at some times (and it’s more the parent’s job to spot when then the teen’s to ask) a teen recognizes that the parent can offer certain pearls of wisdom—knowledge valued not because it comes from parental authority but because it comes from the parent’s own struggles to learn how the world works. The teen rightly perceives that he/she must understand not just her parents’ world but also the one she is entering.
This last point is extremely important because:
“a sort of crucial period of learning—the wiring is getting upgraded, but once that’s done, it’s harder to change.” Douglas Fields, a NIH neuroscientist
The teen is quite capable, if not as capable, as an adult to make a decision … they just need assistance in assessing and sifting through the stimuli … and I imagine with some sort of prioritizing as they assess.
If we miss this opportunity to assist simply because we judge a teen as “unable to make good decisions” or “immaturity” or <gasp> ADD … we are cheating them.
We have an opportunity to help with the rewiring … actually ‘upgrade the wiring’ if yu will if we elect to do so.
This isn’t me … this is science telling us this.
I end (or close to the end) with that thought because I also found a whizbang interactive chart created by PBS on the teenage brain: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/
Even if you don’t give two shits about the teenage brain it is still interesting.
Now.
For the end.
From twitter:
ohteenquotes Clara Quiambao
I would love to meet the teenage version of my parents. Don’t you?
25 minutes ago
Am I asking us to be kids again? Nope. We lived those years and those experiences help make us who we are today. However … what I am suggesting is that we shouldn’t forget that we don’t have to be immature or foolishly act young … just interacting with children is how we return to our youth.
There really is no other way.
Any span of years we may live will never make what we say or do immortal. It is children that give each of us some immortality.
And with that thought we should all think of how we can help the beautiful brains … no matter how maddening they may seem at times.
Oh, and remember these wise words from one who you would have to have assumed would have been a stodgy Brit … and 2 time Prime Minister in the 1800’s … Benjamin Disraeli:
“Almost everything that is great has been done by youth.”
Smart guy for a Brit.
wasted or not
Feb 20th
Well.
Who would have thought Whitney Houston dying would make me write 2 posts? (not me)
And, while I’m not weeping over her death, I certainly respect her talent and how good she was at her craft.
But. What I do weep over is the fact it seems like when someone like Whitney Houston dies people start blathering about her addictions and shortcomings … and inevitably you see the comment “what a waste.”
Or.
“A sad waste of a great talent with a once in a lifetime voice.”
Well.
Was her life a waste? Really? C’mon.
The woman had more brilliant moments to take with her to her grave then most of us will ever dream of in a lifetime (so the whole “wasted” thing kind of aggravates me).
And as I noted when she passed away … why should we judge her based on her flaws (as if we don’t have any) and by our expectations … but rather by her legacy as a singer?
I admit.
It drives me a little crazy when people start questioning what her legacy will be … for a singer admired for her amazing vocals, but who also battled drug and alcohol addictions that generated tabloid fodder of her health, marriage issues and finances?
Surprisingly (to me) one of the best Whitney articles was written by a Pravda writer (and one who typically almost makes me scream & throw things with his often skewed slightly absurd opinions): http://english.pravda.ru/society/showbiz/13-02-2012/120486-whitney_houston-0/
In addition. 
I was also slightly surprised, among the spectacle someone calls her funeral, that Kevin Costner stepped up to the plate with a really nice articulation of what I imagine all these famous, talented, people face … insecurities of “am I good enough.” And the day to day neverending subtle, and sometimes not so subtle in today’s world, are you god enough questioning. It has to take its toll.
That is no excuse for how Whitney handled it (the well publicized flaws) nor how anyone handles it. But. In the end. We can only hope all the baggage that people are focusing on evaporates and what’s left behind will be is a focus on a spectacular career of work and music.
There was also a nice tribute from Lenny Kravitz as he was performing the night after she passed away.
Intro. To Push by Lenny Kravitz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQaTUg1JSw8
(side note: Craig Ross is the guitar player you always see by Lenny’s side – not only is he an incredible guitar player, and showman, he write/co writes the music. Are you Gonna Go my Way was his repetitive riff and the solo. Same thing for Is There any Love in Your Heart and My Love. He, and Lenny, is awesome in concert if you ever have the opportunity to see them).
Ok. Back to Whitney.
Separating the legacy from the lurid isn’t easy. “I’d like to say her incredible voice will trump all in how she’s remembered,” says Yahoo music’s Chris Willman. “Unfortunately, with a lot of entertainers who come to tragic ends, it becomes hard to appreciate their art or how it was intended, without thinking of the tragedy of their lives.”
Anyway.
I wish two things.
First is that people celebrate her life & talent and not focus on tragedy we may associate with her life. oh. And the spectacle ends.
Second.
Mainly because I cannot believe I wrote two things about Whitney Houston.
Because she was just one. And every day approximately 151,650 people die in the world.
It boggles my mind the amount of loss experienced every single day. Its not just the 151+ thousand but the ripples of people affected by each loss.
Maybe part of Whitney’s legacy is that it should remind us all of someone’s loss somewhere that happens every day.
That number I gave you makes one wonder just how many stories are not covered and discussed. Yet, each is maybe just as important as Whitney’s.
I guess maybe when one really special voice like this leaves us it should make us all think of the imperfection perfection of life.
And remember each and every one imperfect soul not as imperfect … but as perfect in their own way. And that there are another 151649 stories not being told that day.
social media ain’t antisocial
Feb 16th
Well.
Because I was in a recent business meeting where we were discussing social media and I was surrounded by a bunch of old farts (of which I am also) who were blathering about kids texting too much, how twitter is killing reading and basically all that old person garbage about how the internet is crumbling the foundation of civilization I thought I would write a quick factoid article on how social media is anything but anti social.
I am usually pretty harsh on the whole social media thing. Mainly because I don’t believe most social ‘tools’ (facebook, twitter, etc.) were created for marketing. They were … well … created to be social hubs not marketing hubs. But marketing people, being marketing people, came along and said “wow, how can I take advantage of that?”
Anyway.
Let me spend a couple of minutes on social as social hubs.
Because they do NOT diminish reading skills (by texting & such), or diminish social skills (conversation & talking) nor do they enhance marketing (for the most part).
Some factoids.
PewInternet research has shown that social relationship and sense of community are NOT diminishing but rather growing … and growing n non traditional ways. Simplistically instead of a tighter cocoon of friends there are now truly social networks … expanded groups of like-minded people (and there can be very obscure ‘like-minds’ but no less passionate & interesting) can be brought together regardless of geography. Social relationships now have no boundaries. Doesn’t mean they are any less meaningful in fact they can be empowering. Those who felt ‘alone’ … unlike others … are now empowered to find ‘others’ an, in fact, are quite pleased to find many others. Social relationships are being empowered. Let me close this section with this … PewInternetResearch: “Our research shows face-to-face time between teenagers hasn’t changed over the past five years. Technology has simply added another layer on top.
PewInternet research also shows that the internet has actually positively affected core ties and significant ties (definition: core ties identified as close/intimate relationships and significant ties as people to whom one is somewhat closely connected). Internet enables more contact (quantity) than ever before. The quantity translates into stronger, deeper ties with cores and significants.
PewInternet research reflects that 32% of respondents say that internet engagement has increased the size of their face to face network. Only 3% said it decreased them. Overall internet users have somewhat larger face-to-face social networks than non-users.
Research has shown the internet has strengthened church and fraternal organization involvement rather than diminish them (this is an indicator of social involvement).
Ah.
And texting.
Pewinternet research has found that more frequent texting actually encourages more face-to-face time. In addition research shows it is not about the quantity of texting but rather texting takes more careful crafting that telephone/face-to-face as well as texting more often happens at night/home therefore people share more intimate feelings.
3 out of 10 teens say “they are more honest when they talk with friends online.”
PewInternet research also indicates the internet doesn’t create false selves (and the predators are a miniscule minority … similar to the face-to-face predators who hide as Sandusky-like neighbors) but rather helps people bring out their true selves. Social scientists have suggested that “one can share one’s inner beliefs and emotional reactions with much less fear of disapproval and sanction.”
Oh (because it is topical and, oddly, among all the garbage about the degeneration of our youth caused by the internet social revolution actually came up).
Internet does not create social revolutionaries. The internet just means that anyone can have a voice. But the internet is as fragmented, no, more fragmented than cable tv.
Do you know every station you have available? Have you ever even watched every channel? <answer: no> Internet is the same. Just because someone has a voice doesn’t mean someone will hear it.
Yes. On occasion something can gain critical mass.
And, yes, that is what people call ‘viral.’
But in the scheme of things they are few and far between. What the internet does do is permit likeminded people gather. And if there are enough likeminded people who gather … and they become some derivative of a critical mass … that still isn’t a revolution … it is simply a voice loud enough to be heard.
Oh. And that voice has to say something meaningful & relevant.
Internet doesn’t (and cannot) create things from a void but rather it gives voice to those things that need to be said (and a LOT of things that don’t need to be said).
Suffice it to say with the internet that the good will be good, the bad will be bad and everyone can take a place in either the good or the bad line.
<note: marketers should read the social revolution section, insert marketing for social revolution and take a moment and ponder>
Lastly.
Reading.
Conventional wisdom suggests that YouTube, videogames, cable TV and iPods have turned us away from the written word. All these new fangled innovations have replaced paper and longhand letters only to shrink reading & writing into bite-sized status updates, text messages & colloquial emailing (or so the theories abound).
Conventional wisdom, in this case, is wrong.
A large-scale study by the University of California at San Diego and other research universities revealed what some of us have long suspected: We’re reading far more words than we used to as we adopt new technologies. “Reading, which was in decline due to the growth of television, tripled from 1980 to 2008, because it is the overwhelmingly preferred way to receive words on the Internet,” found a University of California at San Diego study.
Take a look at Facebook. It clearly shows we’re writing more than we used to. Take a look at the blogosphere … the young generation has more opportunities to write and read than ever before. And write and read in response to other writing and things they see.
<note: we adults also have the opportunity to interact with their reading & writing if we choose to>
That’s it.
After listening to a bunch of old farts babbling away about the good ole days (and taking a look in the mirror to be sure while I may look like then I wasn’t sounding like them) I thought would write this.
as one social scientist stated in a Guardian article: “Step back. The telephone, the car, the television – they all, in their time, changed the way teens relate to each other, and to other people, quite radically. And how did their parents respond? With the same kind of wailing and gnashing of teeth we’re doing now. These technologies change lives, absolutely. But it’s a generational thing.”
In my words? There is nothing anti social about what is happening in the social media world.
when down is up
Feb 13th
Ok.
Some times I believe economists and marketing people take the same voodoo math classes (assuming they actually take math). What do mean? Somehow through voodoo math they can both show everyone that down is up. No shit. Really. Down isn’t down … it is really up (if only my bank balance could implement that math). 
Examples.
Unemployment is down this month (but its still up versus a year ago).
Sales are down (but it’s up versus the rest of the category).
WTF.
So let me stick with business.
Let’s be clear.
When is down, well, up?
(Answer to that question)
NEVER.
Down is down.
Down is bad.
Down is never the objective.
If i hear one more time “… well Mr. Giraffeney, it’s a tough economy right now. The category is trending downward at 11%, but we are only down 5%. So we are doing well in a tough category. In fact … <insert pregnant pause here> … we are actually up when you look it that way.”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm …
(Mr. Giraffeney after a minute or so) “So our sales are down … but not really down? I love it!”
What a load of bullshit.
To me negative is down.
And bad (because it isn’t up).
To be fair it is easy to talk your way into the down but not really down rabbit hole of economic unreality (in fact … I say hanging my head sheepishly … I have done it myself years ago).
It is extremely easy to justify ‘down but not down’ by saying if people aren’t spending, it must be ok that they are not spending with us. And that if times are tight than that must be the reason they don’t value our brand as much (or any brand).
Anyway.
It may be easy to fall into this double speak but it is bullshit.
Here is something to chew on.
Business is out there. People are buying stuff. and there are plenty of people buying stuff.
Yeah. Even today.
Plenty of companies are gaining market share and there are a boatload of profitable companies (flush with cash by the way). And there are a lot of companies with increased sales.
We have an extremely robustly sized eceonomy out there my friends.
I say all this because it can be easy to justify doing what you are doing a variety of ways … and saying down isn’t really down is a way a lot of people do so.
Stop. Just stop.
Up is attainable.
You may just have to be a little smarter to get it.
“Smarter” almost always resides in appealing to consumer needs without losing sight of the fact you have to make money … profit. You cannot (and should not) discount your way to success. That path is a very slippery slope not only from consumer attitudes perspective (defining how they value you) but it is also puts a massive strain on profitability (which impacts the organization like a bad ripple effect).
You have to be smart and insightful with how you talk with people you want to buy your stuff. Maybe you need to seek a new role, or a differently defined role, that is more vital and easier for consumers to rationalize. And, god forbid, tell the truth & have something worth paying for.
Here is a fact.
People will spend against need – real or perceived.
They also search for value, but that doesn’t mean people will not spend premiums for quality. Or spend more money for a perceived need (which is actually a “want” instead if I was going to be technical with myself).
Look at SUVs, Starbucks, Apple and Whole Foods markets.
All doing quite well thank you very much.
This is simply finding growth under pressure.
Persistent sales stagnation is most likely a reflection of how people perceive needing what you have to offer more likely than it is “the economy.”
(sorry to burst anyone’s excuse bubble with that).
Businesses need to face the fact that the economy’s growth is going to be minimal at best …with the risk of another sharp downturn very real … and quit whining and go out and find a way to grow.
Businesses must not stop their quest for growth even in ‘bad times’ nor should they stop their quest under the guise that ‘well we were down .. but not really.’
Here is one thing I can promise you about growth companies.
In every case, there are a group of people (and I mean both business side people and advertising/marketing agency people) behind that company & brand that see things not just as they are, but as they could be.
And then they go out and get it.
No excuses.
So.
I guess I wrote this to warn people about people who stand up and say “we had a good year … we are not down as much as everyone else or the category.”
Down is never up.
And, by the way, up is attainable.
Even today.
confessions of an ad man
Jan 29th
Well.
Maybe its because I get to talk with a lot of teen/20somethings or maybe its because all my friends are cynical bastards … but I seem to defend the advertising business a lot.
And maybe because of that I thought I should take a moment and share some truths.
Because the business (for the majority) is not made up of liars, hucksters, clowns, alcoholics and smarmy assholes.
And mostly we try and tell the truth to businesses and consumers. I say mostly because I admit that there are some moments inside an agency where one of the minority (from the above aforementioned majority) find a voice (most typically with regard to new business) and says things that send a shiver up my ethical spine.
Regardless.
Some truth (I imagine this is just an abbreviated list of truths of which we could add many many more if I were to think about it more).
Advertising is not always about just selling stuff.
Advertising isn’t just a catalyst for buying (or convincing someone to buy) … it is a catalyst for how people see things, think about things and, sometimes, actually do things. I heard Spike Lee once say .. “I feel a responsibility for everything I create <because millions will see it>.” Advertising may be the most powerful thing out there to affect people. We know we are in a business but we also know we impact people significantly more than the sales numbers ever reflect. We in the business never forget this (albeit it may look like we have on occasion). Ok. Let’s just say that the people in advertising who really ‘get it’ never forget this.
That said …
Yes. Creativity is about results & awards (or recognition).
We understand what we do makes an impact … and should be measured by some type of results. On the other hand … because it is creativity we like some creative validation that you didn’t just have to throw mud against the wall to make something stick. The truth is that advertising people thrive on both. And we have to because sometimes bad advertising can generate results. And people get fooled by just looking at sales results (and not examining the results in terms of what people actually think … because that impacts future behavior). Good advertising can generate better results (and better long term impressions). And awards help better delineate between the crappy advertising that shows results and good advertising that shows results.
We like results & recognition. And we like people talking about it … speaking of which …
Social media is actually not that social.
We care about social media. Probably more than most business owners actually do. Many businesses create an illusion of ‘social’ but in reality maintain a relatively non-social business model (as defined in traditional social terms). So. The truth? The term social media has taken on galactic size proportions standing for everything … and nothing. Here is the truth. Most social media vehicles are simply information disseminators. They aren’t social. They permit people and businesses to narcissistically spew forth ad nausea about themselves. What makes the web different is that there is an OPPORTUNITY to respond. If you take part in responding … well … it still isn’t social … it has simply become a dialogue (sort of). It only becomes social when there is some interaction like talking with someone at a party. Trust me on this one … in most cases it remains at stage one (the spewing part). For the most part the current social world is a monologue.
Oh. Just like TV.
Now. This doesn’t diminish the importance of social media and the future … it’s just that the good agencies keep perspective and actually recommend what is going to be the best for a clients’ business.
Ok. Back to TV.
Television is not dead.
One TV ad on American Idol can reach more teens then a PitBull tweet. And make a bigger impression (because you have those funny moving picture thingies).
Anyway. As long as tv executives keep their heads out of their asses often enough to actually produce programs people will watch … there will be TV ads. And as long as there is TV advertising there will be a maddening mix of insightfully educating entertaining executions and pedantic pedestrian drivel waste of :30 seconds.
Why is that? ….
We don’t know what works (for sure).
Sure. There are some basic principles that can insure your advertising will be in the “good” portion of the gene pool but, in the end, setting research aside … people are fickle and clients (in general) find it difficult to make the hard choices (because they prefer to ‘please’ rather than ‘prod’ the mind) needed so that the advertising actually has enough sharp edges on it to stand out. I will say this … give a good advertising agency (not a hack agency) one year to do whatever they believed was the best thing to do and I would bet over 80%+ of everything they did would be good (people like it) and effective (creates results).
Anyway. We are probably like songwriters. We write songs and we know some are better than others when we write them. We also kind of recognize when we write a hit – on the off chance when we write something like that – but you can never be sure until it is actually out there for all to hear & see.
And we do care what people think …
We do care about clients (most of them).
There is nothing better than knowing you have created something people like and generates results in partnership with a client you respect.
Nothing.
The only advertising people who have no/little respect for their clients or nothing good/nice to say about their clients (most typical comment is “they just aren’t that smart”) aren’t good advertising people. And you don’t want to work with them anyway.
And we do care about the people who buy the stuff too, but …
The consumer is not the king/queen.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but if they were (kings & queens) they could demand anything they wanted and businesses would go out of business chasing their fleeting whims.
Here is the truth. A sale is a partnership between the seller & the buyer. At its best it is a marriagelike relationship. In either case … things are balanced … with one not significantly more important than the other. And why is this important? Well. With balance there is trust. And that is the basis for any long term brand or business proposition. Treat them like a king/queen? Yikes. At some point they will believe they are one and … well … treat the company like a serf (that is bad by the way).
Speaking of how people are treated …
Creative people always have a thread of insecurity (or fear).
If people want to wonder why creative people (or agency people in general) do wacky things … well … try this on for size. Remember what it felt like the first time you were in love and decided to say it out loud? You were scared shitless it wouldn’t be reciprocated. Or, worse, someone would just laugh. Well. That’s life in advertising on a daily basis. Creative ideas and ads and thoughts are emotionally, typically insightful, parts of our soul we elected to have the kahones to share with the public. In the end no client is the enemy, the consumer isn’t the enemy … fear is the enemy. Understand that and you understand the people in the business.
Ok.
I am sure I missed some other truths, but those are probably the biggies.
Good advertising people don’t lie. Either by omission or in actual ‘untruths.’ And they actually have the clients’ business interest in mind with almost everything they do … because when a client is successful, even if an agency may not get credit, they almost never get fired.
That’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (at least for today).
