Category Archives for I’m Calling You Out
Two Things College Profs Should Teach Ad Students (But Often Don’t)
The student across the table from me at the Portfolio Review had one of those deer-in-the-headlights looks my way when I asked the question. It was a question that I thought was simple enough, but apparently it was a real brain teaser. I wondered if I was dealing with a kid who had just had […]
Read More »Are We Giving “Buzz” Way Too Much Weight?
“So, we’ll like, create a series of posters that are really in your face. Offensive to some, but whatever. It’s going to generate such a buzz. And everybody will be all over it in the media, so it’s a win-win.” I picture the person saying this to be a Creative Director with a goatee, thin […]
Read More »News station, Korver polar opposites on Rose’s dark day
“NBC Miami reporting that a Derrick Rose Hologram will take over as a starting point guard for the Bulls.” “NBC Miami reports the Chicago Bulls have lost the Eastern Conference Finals to Thomas Dewey.” “NBC Miami reporting their baseball team is missing.” When NBC Miami reported prematurely that Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had torn […]
Read More »It’s Overthinking Season in North Dakota!
This is an ad for North Dakota’s tourism. It’s talking about having dinner, drinks and how the evening might just turn for the better. Yet, the North Dakota Tourism Division had to pull it because it was too racy. When I heard this, I thought maybe I was looking at a different ad. Not this […]
Read More »Lesson of Lowe’s: Your Competitor Royally Screwed Up. Don’t Just Sit There.
Attention, Head Media Buyer for The Home Depot. Can we talk? You’ve got an opportunity for yourself handed to you on a silver platter if you’re intelligent and I’ll bet you are. So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to pick up the phone and start placing ads on “All-American Muslim” […]
Read More »Advertising on Architecture? Now You’re Reaching, Rahmbo.
When I was a kid, I read Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” It was a funny little poem that imagined a place where there’s no more ground under our feet. I’ve often wondered the same about Advertising. When it comes to placement of media in the public domain, where do WE end? Where are […]
Read More »NBA’s Hammer Will Fall Hardest On Midwest
Welcome to the 2022 NBA Season. We’re 10 years removed from the lockout that claimed the 2011-2012 season and the landscape sure looks different. It should be an exciting season in the East/Central Division, which of course, is comprised of: Chicago Detroit Miami Orlando Washington What’s that, you say? Where’s Milwaukee, Indiana and Cleveland? Why, […]
Read More »Book Can’t Tarnish the Enduring Brand of “Sweetness”
As I learned of the details of Jeff Pearlman’s new biography on Walter Payton, “Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton,” I admit my reaction was the way many Bears fans would react: I wanted to find Jeff Pearlman in a bar and ask him to step outside. But after I cooled down a little, […]
Read More »Every social media cocktail needs a beer chaser.
By now you’ve probably been bombarded with enough posts elsewhere on Google Plus, so you’ll be glad to know this isn’t one more of them. Because what I’m writing about has wider implications than just one tool. It has to do where your entire brand lives in the social media realm. I’ve come to the […]
Read More »Your Comment turned into an E-book and now it’s a full-on Buzzkill
Hanging out in enough discussion forums, from LinkedIn to the AdAge Small Agency Diary blog/forum, I enjoy the generally good discourse that takes place between people. Opposing views can be great for the conversation. But what I can’t stand is when someone takes over the discussion with what can be only described as the equivalent […]
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