Super Sunday, And The Other 364

Here's the great irony of The Super Bowl. And the part I've never understood.

It's the day when every advertiser decides their work has to be Great.

Great!

They do this, because they know lots of people will be watching.

So if the instinct is to try to do great, entertaining work when lots of people are watching, wouldn't you naturally expect that to carry over to the other 364? Even a little bit?

You might expect advertisers to adopt the British model of advertising as entertainment, and apply it to the other 364.

It's a disconnect. I've never been able to wrap my head around it.

My Partner Left Today

We met at Leo Burnett. The secretary outside her door was handing out pretzels.

We worked together on an alternate Allstate campaign. We beat what they’re running now.

We free-lanced together in Phoenix on a pitch. We won the account.

We went to lunch at Chipotle. The restaurant paid for my burrito.

Our third day working together, I wandered into the ladies’ room by accident. I won an award for it.

She gave my 12-year-old a book. It’s one of Ellie’s favorites.

The accounts were hard. We laughed every day.

If you’re starting to think I lived a charmed life when I worked with Marie-Claude Garneau, you would be right.

Au revoir, M-C.

Hillary Is Not The Marlboro Man, Or Even The Menard's Guy

I often speak to my clients about thinking of their brands as people – with specific personality traits, ways of behaving, and hopefully no prison records.

But with the 2008 election, it’s useful to think of people as brands – who has one, who doesn’t. And if they were a product, what they’d be.

Hillary – Not a brand. If she was, she’d be The Gap – all things to all people.

Obama – A brand. Clearly defined, optimistic. He’s Target.

Edwards – A repositioned brand, but erroneously so. Think Harley targeting housewives.

Rudy – A brand. Chevy trucks.

Huckabee – A brand. Hallmark.

Thompson – Not a brand. Maybe a poor man’s Motel 6.

McCain – A brand. Marlboro. Trusted, imperfect, strong.

As usual, the marketplace will coronate the two best-defined brands:

Obama and McCain.

Has Anybody Heard Of This Alex Bogusky Person?

Seems to work for some agency in Florida called "CPB"....not sure what those letters stand for but this fella, he's in this 10-part interview sponsored by the Atlanta Ad Club, and let me tell you, it's good stuff:

http://www.adclubcast.com

But enough of this Al Bogusky. Let's talk about the true genius here: the person interviewing him. Dry wit/raconteur/ad legend/Atlanta Ad Club president (not in that order) Patrick Scullin of Atlanta agency Ames Scullin O'Haire.

Take a listen. Fascinating stuff. Interviewer and interviewee (whoever he is).

Things That Won't Happen In 2008

You don’t need more 2008 predictions. You need a good-tasting fat-free bran muffin. Failing that, here are my fearless and guaranteed 90% accurate predictions of What Won’t Happen In 2008.

The cel phone won’t take over as an ad medium (nobody wants the intrusion).

Consumer-generated content won’t be a fad (some big company will systemize it.)

Big Dumb Agencies won’t get it.

Hillary won’t make it.

My agency won’t offer beer in the vending machines.

Advertising for a General Motors product won’t adopt a tone of modesty, humanity or humility.

Menard’s won’t – I repeat, won’t -- win at the Media Arts Festival.