Happy New Year

Man, this just reminded me what I am returning to.

Hope everyone had a joyous holiday break. Now welcome back to the ridiculous world of client/agency relationships.

Virgin America - Truly Creating An Airline Americans Can Love

Instead of just creating a checkmark video (client: "We need a safety video as it's regulation and all of our competition has one. So, just create something so we can so.") ... Virgin America goes on and creates a relevant and engaging safety video that I actually paid attention to and I even learned from.

So often I tell myself in my mind that if my flight experienced any problems I wouldn't really know what to do - even though, I fly more than once a month. Now with this video I, a frequent flyer, paid attention, wanted to watch and actually learned.

Thanks to Anomaly and Virgin American for going against the grain and not just creating another checkmark video.

Cheers to many happy and safe flights.

p.s. I love the announcer's voice...very soothing and friendly.

P&G: The Next Bono?

Procter & Gamble has launched a new ad campaign for their Always and Tampax brands. Following in the footsteps of (Product) RED, P&G is latching onto a social cause in Africa.

According to a P&G press release and their program microsite, 1 in 10 school-age African girls do not attend school during menstruation or drop out at puberty because of the lack of clean and private sanitation facilities in schools or because they can't afford to buy sanitary pads or tampons. Those girls who miss school because of their menstrual cycle, lose an average of more than a full month of classes in a school year. Then there are the girls who refuse to lose time from their studies and instead resort to utilizing other methods like old pieces of cloth, used blankets or tissue paper. The sad news is that these methods are unsanitary for the girls, their classmates and teachers.

So, P&G has decided to step up to the plate. The company has vowed to donate $1.4 million through 2008 to the United Nations Association HERO Campaign - at least with the help of our purchases. Still not sure how about the financial specifics of this program as I'm unable to find specifics about the deal. Wonder if P&G will donate X amount for each purchase up to $1.4 million or if a specific sales goal needs to be met overall. That information would be beneficial for a consumer.

As part of their Protecting Futures program, P&G is also funding a health, hygiene and puberty education program that will be taught by a traveling health educator and are funding a health care provider who will provide health care to the girls.

It's an interesting strategy. Especially in a low involvement category. I personally feel no attachment to any specific brand of sanitary products. I stick primarily with the P&G brands because of the smooth blue coloring of the packaging and it's a nostalgic brand that I have been consistently using since my teen years. Both brands actually remind me of the Cover Girl brand...they are teenish, all-American, convenient. But, this program, actually gives me a bigger reason to continue purchasing Always and Tampax. It's a little way to help the world. Which as a Millennial is right up my alley. That's what my generation is all about...a little, effortless something that allows me to give back is something that is worth participating in. The Entitlement Generation wants to be in the limelight and tell others that they are doing good, but they also don't want it to be too time-consuming or laborious.

I have a feeling this program will get a lot of buzz (I hear Oprah or Tyra calling) and will be a financial success (as it's just giving us women - the non-price sensitive consumers out there - a reason why to choose one brand over another...especially in a category that in the past didn't give us any reasons why to pick them besides price).

"Who knew a little thing like purchasing a pad or tampon could make such a huge difference?"

W+K: Awwweeessome

W+K knows how to make me smile & they know how to make me all giddy inside full of inspiration & childish hope for great creative marketing campaigns. I get all warm and gooey inside.

They got me with their external promotion of themselves.



W+K is hiring. What a fun way to get me interested in you. And W+K thanks for making me feel warm & fuzzy inside. Go & experience the application process - so fun!

Office Max Launches Elf Yourself 2.0 - The Start of a Christmas Tradition

Marketers pay attention.

It's good to acknowledge an old campaign that worked and it's ok to bring it back to life. Actually, sometimes it's better than ok - it can be even more successful.

I applaud Office Max. Welcome Elf Yourself 2.0. Hopefully, the start of a Christmas Holiday tradition. I expect an Elf Yourself 3.0 next year and a 4.0 the year after that.

In 2006, the Elf Yourself microsite for Office Max was a big success bringing in 200 unique visitors per second and creating 8 new elves per second (according to viralblog.com)and generating 36 million visits in just about 5 weeks for a small budget (Office Max created 20 microsites - one being Elf Yourself - for a budget of 3 traditional TV spots. Not to mention how much press time and consumer buzz this creative effort received. You can still find Elf Yourself 1.0 examples on Flicker and YouTube - even the Good Morning America crew created elves and don't forget the ever hilarious farting elf.

To give you an idea of the extent of the success of Elf Yourself 1.0, Burger King’s Subservient Chicken generated 14 million visits in one year.


So, it's 2007...
and, right in time for the 2007 Holiday season, Office Max launches Elf Yourself 2.0. I believe the one difference is that this time you can select multiple dancing elves. Exactly what my little sister decided to do with me, my mum, my grandmama and of course herself - click here to laugh your pants off...I'm the slow elf.

The aspect that I really appreciate about this effort it that it's a fantastically fun and engaging consumer experience that I WANT to share with friends, family, strangers and it actually starts to shift my perception of the stogy and undifferentiated Office Max brand. I caught myself considering shopping at Office Max for a Holiday present. And trust me this is a store that normally would not even come remotely close to falling into my consideration set. I have very high standards - admittedly, a bit of a shopping experience and brand snob.


A couple recos for Office Max:
1) Make this an annual Holiday tradition. Make yourself part of our Holiday experience by providing us with an Elf Yourself version every year. Great way for a brand to become emotionally attached to a consumer during a highly emotional and transactional period of time.

2) Ever hear of Facebook, MySpace, iVillage, Social Networks? I'm missing the Facebook Elf Yourself 2.0 application for 2007. Missed opportunity to generate even more buzz and participation. I would keep an eye out in 2008 for the latest online environments that can help this effort have an even larger presence. Just remember not to force it and to keep it authentic. That's one of the beauties of Elf Yourself.


Now, go spread the cheer and create your own elf.

Quote of the day

In preparation of the upcoming and long anticipated Sex in the City movie here's a great Carrie Bradshaw quote:

"Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them, what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

Ok, one more...& not such a sappy one...
"I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are to women. It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in public without it."

Egos in Advertising

The Ego Epidemic in advertising is ridiculous. This is one industry - probably because it's idea driven - that is high on ego and self-rightesness.

How many times do people take credit for someone else's idea? How many times do people add in comments to briefs/in a client meeting just because they want to be heard? How many times are people wrong and just don't say "Oops, didn't mean to do that?"

I'm in the account planning field and I am so sick of watching planners walking around all high and mighty. Like they are some kind of magical wizards that have all the wisdom and answers. Little do they like to admit that without the creative department they would be nothing. Nada. Hear that. Planning should inspire the creatives not be nit-pickers on briefs and wheels in a larger cog.

The greatest planners of all time are those that are genuine and not full of themselves. These are the ones that creatives take to, want to work with and go seek out for input. Those other planners out there - you know if you're one of them - are just wheels in the cog.