Well, another BIG GAME (no copyright infringement here) is in the bag, along with the year’s cavalcade of ads….both good and bad. Okay, mostly bad. Too many cars. Too much beer. In the ads, that is.

Here’s a quarter-by-quarter breakdown for your sweet, innocent eyes.

Legend:
Mannings = Standouts. Yay. Ads I liked.
Bradys = Zeroes. Boo. Insults to the ad world. Ads I didn’t like.

Pre-game Mannings:
Styler: Although I’m not really the target audience, I dug the Ocean’s 11 feel of this spot, particularly with Adrien Brody in tow.
Hyundai Rocky: Knowing what it took to script, time and shoot this spot, I have a great appreciation for the payoff.

Pre-game Bradys:
NFL Wind Beneath My Wings: The NFL is not touching, in any way. And this spot is not funny, in any way. Five thumbs down.
Verizon Droid: I don’t need more overdone spots about the poor man’s iPhone. Hey! We have more colors! We should get a cookie! Nope.

First quarter Mannings:
Chevy Apocalypse: Great effects, spot-on music choice, zippy punchline and Twinkies. LOVED it. So did Woody Harrelson.
First quarter Bradys:
Audi Vampires: I’m equally bored with vampires and car ads. This one didn’t stand a chance.

Second quarter Mannings:
Budweiser Prohibition: Out of all the beer ads, this one is the standout. That’s not saying much.
GE Turbines: Another nice spot in their Big Game package. BUT, is it “turbins” or “tur-bines?”
VW New Beetle Exercise Dog/Cantina Scene: CUH-LASSIC. From start to finish. I love Volkswagen’s marketing and I know I’m not alone. And the New Beetle is, as Pat says, my best friend. My favorite ad of the whole game.

Avengers Trailer: Normally, I exclude commentary on movie trailers. Seems like cheating on an advertising blog entry. Buuhhhh-tttt. AVENGERS. AVENGERS! AHHH-VENNNN-GGGGERS!
Second quarter Bradys:
Go Daddy: Hate this as much as I hate their ads every year. Insulting to BOTH men and women. And Geeks! Go Daddy thinks all men are stupid. And all women are floosies. Yes, I just used the word “floosies” on our blog. First time for everything.
H&M: Just as sexist as Go Daddy. If you buy your knickers at H&M because David Beckham does, I suspect you’re as smart as David Beckham is.
Cars.com Confidence: Just too creepy. That extra head looks like something out of Total Recall ala Kuato.

HALFTIME LOCAL BREAK ALERT!

Halftime Mannings:
Madonna. She’s 53??? Really? That stage was amazing and she rocked it.
The Voice: I loves me some Betty White. But, Miss Thing is getting close to over-exposed, IMHO. Thoughts?
Halftime Bradys:
Cee-Lo. Enough said.
Padgett (local): So, you bought the big spot, but you couldn’t invest in a little video production? Animated stills? Probably outta Powerpoint? Nice “blur” on the logos on Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. I can tell that’s a Pepsi logo, guys. We’ll be calling you soon.

Third quarter Mannings:
Dodge Clint Eastwood Detroit: Beautiful. Harsh. Real. So well done.
Darryl Isaacs (local): He caught 6 footballs! SIX! This one may not have stood out for a good reason. Could have easily landed in the Bradys. Then again, 6 FOOTBALLS!
Fiat Abarth: Yeah, yeah, yeah…sex sells. That car is so sweet. Sex didn’t sell it to me. Cleverness did.
Acura NSX Seinfeld: Perfection. One of only 2 car ads I’ve liked so far. Second favorite ad of the whole game, although it could be because Seinfeld is one of my all-time heroes.

Third quarter Bradys:
Smash: Anybody else want NBC to just get this over with?
McDonald’s: I think we’re all done with “a little somethin’ somethin’” as a useful turn of phrase, don’cha think McDonald’s?
Camry Reinventied: Good lord. Tenuous connection much? This spot was an exercise in mental you-know-what (yeah, you know what – don’t pretend like you don’t) for Toyota’s ad agency.

Fourth quarter Mannings:
Chase: Drew Brees Mobile Banking. Smart celebrity endorsement. Concrete illustration of how mobile banking works for people who don’t understand/don’t trust mobile banking…which is most of us.
CareerBuilder.com: Whatever, PETA. This spot is super fun. CB.com never fails to delight.

Samsung Galaxy Numb: The Darkness!!! Gospel Choir!!!! BMX Stunt!!!!! Human Canon!!!! Who cares that it has a stylus? I believe in a thing called love! But, I’ll still keep my iPhone.

Swamp People History Channel Promo: Tight spot – tightly written, tightly shot, tightly edited. Tight.
Fourth quarter Bradys:
Ferris Bueller: After much pre-game blog hype, I was a little disappointed. Maybe it was that there wasn’t really much surprise here. And it could have been any car in that spot, so the C-RV didn’t really stand out that much.
Go Daddy: Ugh. Double ugh. Triple ugh. Quadruple ugh. Need I go on?

Comprehensive Mannings:
(Ad series throughout the game that caught my attention)
GE: I love the brand extensions of “Imagination at Work.” Cancer diagnoses, turbine production and testimonials from real people in a gritty light. Loved it.
Hyundai: Great writing. If the people who make these cars are as smart as the people who make the ads for these cars, then I’ll at least consider buying one.
Doritos: Great Dane. Granny Kid Boomerang. Doritos always has great Big Game spots.
Bridgestone: The idea of making sports equipment out of tire synthetics. With celeb appearances. Me likey.

So, there ya have it. Thoughts? Agreements? Disagreements?

While I’ve worked with InDesign for quite a few years now, it seems that I still learn something new every week. There are so many things Adobe programs can do and I run across a new function every now and then. Here are a few little tricks you may find useful.

• If you are working on a document that is super long and page heavy you can opt to view the document in multiple windows. This comes in handy if you are trying to fit copy in a certain amount of pages, you can delete copy at the beginning of the InDesign file and see how it effects the last page at the same time. Simply go to Windows > Arrange > New Window.

• InDesign also has a feature that lets the designer add the colors from another file to the swatches panel in your current file.  What if you don’t want ALL the colors from that file? InDesign has got you covered. In the Swatches panel > choose New Color Swatch > Color Mode > Other Library > Select the file with the color you would like to use > Choose which color you would like to add.

• Trying to figure out the best font for your design can become time consuming. You can try out different fonts on existing text by Selecting the text you want to use > Place your cursor in the font/character panel > Scroll through the different fonts using the up and down arrows.

• Tables can become mind-boggling at points, especially when trying to go from selecting cells to type. To easily do this, Click the type tool in the cell > Hit the escape key (Now the cell is selected) > Hit escape again (Now the text is selected). You can continue to go back and forth between the two selections with the escape key.

What does this mean for us? First of all, there is an industry watchdog group that can ban software that we have to watch out for. Secondly, while the ban applies only to cosmetics, we shoot food for our clients and we hire food stylists to come in and make our clients’ food look as appetizing as possible, without misrepresenting the product that gets delivered to the table. In post-production, we use software that colors the final picture to make the most of the color of the food, while drawing the eye to the food. We’re already aware and sensitive about misleading the public, but you have to make some effort to display the food as attractively as possible or you run the risk of looking like something out of Secrets of Louisville’s Chefs.

It just seems to me that if you can’t sell a product based on its actual merits, it doesn’t deserve to be in the marketplace. I just wish the NAD would ban the font Fajita.

But, one thing that can ruin everything at the drop of a dime is bad ad placement! Suddenly all the hours, days, sometimes weeks, of planning turn your ad into the butt of jokes all over the internet! Sometimes it could be print, online, outdoor, who knows!? While this is generally a rare occurrence, it does happen, and when it does I must admit, I laugh too!

Which is exactly what I did when I came across these 11 (very unfortunate, but hilarious) ad placements on Funny or Die. Many publications we work with are great when it comes to layouts and thinking about our client’s needs, but here are a few that slipped through the cracks! Luckily, no CurrentMarketing ads were involved!

OMG, a commercial for dogs!  I will be the first to admit, I LOVE, LOVE my four legged best friend and tend to spoil him just a tad, but I am not sure what my thoughts are on this.

Nestle, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pet food, has created a 23-second television commercial for dogs!  The spot has high pitched whistles that can only be heard by dogs.

Nestle’s Anna Rabanus, said, “We wanted to create a TV commercial that our four-legged friends can enjoy . . . but also allow the owner and dog to experience it together.”

It is hard for me to picture myself experiencing a commercial with my dog, especially when I can’t hear anything.  It is one thing to experience something with my dog if we are walking or playing in the park, but not as much for a tv spot, ESPECIALLY for food.

While I would laugh and think it was cute, I wouldn’t just change Bodie’s food because he was drawn to a commercial.  Anyone that has a dog knows it isn’t easy to change a dog’s food…it can be hard on their stomach and takes some adjusting.  The food we feed him is good for his health and he can’t talk to me to tell me what he wants.  I think advertising to the dogs targets the wrong audience.

Tell me your thoughts on Nestle’s new TV spot:

What would it take to get you to choose one brand of potato chips over another? When standing in your grocer’s aisle, contemplating the perfect brand and flavor for an afternoon snack, you may ask yourself, “How do I know which one is for me?” “How can I be sure if the ingredients are real or merely chemically based?” Well, fret no more, my friend.

PepsiCo is unveiling an innovative way to market Lay’s potato chips. Beginning this month, the company is launching new vending machines that will demonstrate how Lay’s creates their potato chips. This is no ordinary vending machine, you see. It does not accept money or coins! It only accepts potatoes! Now I bet I’ve got you wondering…

Wondering, how will this work?

Wondering, how will I get my beloved bag of chips?

Well…

First, a promoter will be standing by to give you your golden ticket (the potato) to start the vending process. You simply drop the potato in and a show unfolds before you. It shows you how they wash, peel, cut, cook, salt and package your chips. As soon as the demonstration is over, a warm bag drops down for you to retrieve. It seems as if they’ve just made the bag especially for you- cooked to order!

These special vending machines will not be distributed everywhere. They will be rolled out to retailers such as Walmart and Carrefour in Argentina. These retailers will simply be product sampling testers. If all goes well, you may be seeing one of these vending machines at a store near you. Click here to see a video sneak peek of the new and innovative machines!

I recently came across this story about a Canadian man named Harold Hackett who has thrown more than 4,800 message-stuffed, neon-colored juice bottles into the Atlantic Ocean since 1996. Astonishingly, he’s now received more than 3,100 responses from bottle recipients stretching from Africa to Ireland. Even more impressive, all of the replies have been handwritten letters, as Harold doesn’t include his phone number with his messages opting for the more sincere, personal correspondence.

Aside from the fact Harold is felonious polluter, with his phenomenal 63% response rate I couldn’t help but wonder, is there a marketing lesson to be learned here? Then it occurred to me: A good ad is a lot like one of Harold’s messages. Adrift in a boundless ocean of sameness, it sticks out. It floats to the top. It inspires consumers (or beach bums) to investigate, engage and respond in a positive way. So the challenge becomes making one’s advertising seem like a message in a bottle. But aside from bottling it and throwing it into the Pond, how does one accomplish such?

I think Mr. Hackett’s story shows that in order to connect with an audience while floating in vast sea of banality, you need at least three ingredients: surprise, mystery and sincerity. To explain further, outlined below is what I’m deeming the Unauthorized Harold Hackett Guide to Direct-Response Marketing (UHHGDRM). Have a look.

1. Surprise the consumer with the delivery. This doesn’t necessarily mean a fancy package (or juice bottle). It could be as simple as a great visual or a snappy headline. Whatever it is, it must grab the consumer’s attention.

2. Create a sense of mystery. Like Sarah McLachlan, one must build a mystery to arouse the consumer’s curiosity. It needn’t be heavy or convoluted, just something intriguing enough to get the lid off the bottle.

3. Deliver the message with sincerity. Once the consumer has the message in their hands, it’s game time, and an honest, personal tone will score more points than trite, salesy tripe.

While I admit the UHHGDRM is somewhat vague and undeveloped, it’s meant to be more of a compass than a roadmap. Just a basic set of maxims by which to judge an advert before releasing it into the sea. And though the formula isn’t perfect (since I came up with it about two-and-a-half minutes ago), surely it has some merit, right?

Regardless, I think Harold Hackett’s story sends an S.O.S. to the world of marketing, proving that everyone loves a surprise, a mystery and a sincere appeal. When we as marketers inject these elements into every breath we take and every ad we make, only then will we walk in fields of gold.

I’m a big fan of great packaging. More than once, I have bought something just because I enjoyed the way it was packaged.

Recently, I ran across a fabulous packaging design from Lee Jeans. Pushing their eco-friendly initiative, their “Never Wasted” campaign features a shopping bag that can be repurposed into many different items. These items include a game board and game board pieces, dice, masks, boxes, and a pencil holder, among others.

This packaging has all the key elements of a nice design: Fun, Functional, and eco-Friendly. If anything, this design has made me want to go buy a pair of Lee Jeans just so I can get the bag.  And apparently, I’m not the only one. Lee Jeans stated “A surge in interest from patrons forced us to produce 1000 times more bags than the initial production of 3,000 bags.”

So, everyone loves free stuff, right? I usually get excited about free anything, but a free car? Sign me up!!!

What would you say if someone offered you a free car, but you just had to find it first? That’s exactly what Dodge did with their latest ad campaign to promote their Journey crossover SUV. I was mid commercial break when I realized the exciting concept Dodge was introducing. Working at a super creative agency, I’ve seen a lot of innovative ads, but Dodge definitely had me engaged with this one (the entire goal of advertising to begin with). For a minute, I actually debated on going on a cross country road trip for a chance to be this lucky winner!

In the commercials, Dodge let America know they would leave three sparkly, new SUV’s in undisclosed locations (basically in the middle of nowhere). If you wanted to find one, you just needed to catch the following Dodge commercials with subtle hints leading to the whereabouts of each car. Dodge was nice enough to narrow the three locations down to one in the West, one in the East, and one in the Midwest. Once found, a live camera would catch the entire happy ending all on tape!

After a month long build up of ads and clues, all three cars had been found – well, sort of! Come to find out only the campaign in the West was 100% success. A father/son duo from Nevada found the car hiding in California, just 16 hours after seeing the TV commercial air. This warm, fuzzy video was just the press coverage Dodge had in mind! Check it out!

Got 60 seconds to have your mind blown by physics?

MinutePhysics posts some really cool (if you are a dork like me) YouTube videos about physics. In high school, I took the biology/chemistry/computer science route and I missed out on physics, so their videos explaining basic physics concepts usually have me staring slack-jawed at my computer screen. But one that I caught recently really blew my Art Director mind: apparently there is no such color as pink.

Now, before you tell me about your favorite dress or your pet bunny’s cute little nose, take a minute to watch the video. I’ll spare you my lame interpretation of their explanation. Suffice it to say that what we see as pink doesn’t exist in the visible spectrum of light. It’s an optical illusion our mind plays to bridge the gap between the ends of the ROY G BIV spectrum we all learned about in grade school.

Let’s just all agree not to tell Bruce Springsteen. “Minus Green Cadillac” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.