But that’s just the way they like it.

Even the company’s website proudly proclaims:

“Dr. Martens have always been different. No other brand has been mutated, customized, f$@%ed up and freaked out like DM’s. Without asking or being able to stop it. It happened to them. They were just fascinated bystanders on a journey that has raced through every crevice of subculture, every twist and turn of youthful creativity and now, here, with a generation who have always had email, mp3s and downloads, it is as relevant and vibrant as ever.”

So perhaps it comes as no surprise that to celebrate their 50th birthday, Dr. Martens wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary.  The company asked 10 artists to create their version of a cult classic track that represents the spirit of the people who’ve worn DM’s over the past 50 years. Vanessa Marzaroli, a director at Blind, was invited to participate. Vanessa was asked to direct a video that did not include talent, but was given no other creative parameters or rules. So what did Blind and Vanessa come up with? A stunningly beautiful video that will surely give you goosebumps:

Does the video capture and represent Dr. Martens as the unique, remarkable, and extraordinary brand it is? Well, that’s certainly up for interpretation. But the haunting music, Cinematic Orchestra’s version of the classic “Lilac Wine” (made popular by early 90s crooner, Jeff Buckley), combined with the exquisite “moving visual poetry” is certainly poignant and beautiful to look at.

A little over a month ago new GPS satellites were launched with relativity low fan fare, but they could have a potentally large impact on the way we navigate through life. The current GPS set-up that many of us use on our iPhones, car navigation systems, etc… can, assuming you have a good clear signal, pinpoint you within about 20 feet.

The new technology will trump that, promising not only a much stronger signal but accuracy up to two feet - that's about an arm's length.

Social check-in apps like FourSquare and Gowalla will no doubt take advantage of the stronger signal (especially in densely populated areas) and will be better able to pinpoint a business' location. With a accuracy of +/- 2 feet, the apps can tell not only if you are in Kroger, but in which aisle. Heck, you could become the mayor of aisle 6 of dirty Kroger....or I guess that would be an alderman?

With such a degree of accuracy, retail outlets can (via your smart phone) market a specific product or send a coupon to a consumer as they approach that product on a store shelf. How's that for interactive POS?

Augmented reality apps may finally become a reality. Think of looking through your iPhone as you walk down a street. Your screen will now be a virtual tour guide with restaurant reviews popping up or directions to the nearest ATM.

The possibilities are limitless, or at least within a few feet or so.

I handle several retail clients for CurrentMarketing, which means that even slight changes in the world of financing can rock my world from a creative perspective. Lately, we've seen serious changes take hold.

Gone are the days of promoting "interest FREE" or "0% financing" - welcome to the world of "No Interest if paid in full within 12 months, minimum monthly payments apply."  That poses a big enough real estate problem, right? Follow that with two paragraphs of disclaimer copy at 8-point type (minimum) and you can see the conundrum with creative for our retail clients.

In spite of the challenges newspapers are facing these days, the cost of a print ad in the local newspaper is still very expensive (that's another blog topic all together). Now we also have to consider the amount of costly real estate that must be left for financing and disclaimers, not to mention shrinking widths and heights to accommodate for increased hard goods costs.

So, the dilemma becomes how to explain to my client that the extra retail price point they want to include in an ad has to be cut to leave space for the disclaimer? Or how do I justify to my client that the space we've secured has to increase to allow for the additional copy requirements on financing?

We can't leave financing out of the equation, especially in a competitive division of retail, and the associated fees for espousing inaccurate financing offers can be steep.  We've considered moving budgets to other forms of advertising, but banks are also savvy and have imposed special requirements to all forms of promotion, even digital arenas.

What is the best way to handle the changing face of financing?  Any ideas?

You heard it here, on UnderCurrent, first! Miss Media’s pick for the #1 new comedy in the fall is $#!* My Dad Says, airing Thursdays this fall at 8:30 pm EST on CBS.

The series is based on a popular Twitter handle by the same name.  The feed currently has 4,136,799 followers and is run by 29-year old Justin, who lives with his 74-year old father and records the random things his dad says on a daily basis.  In addition to the Twitter feed and TV show, Justin maintains a blog and has written a book based on his dad’s little ditties.  Before you check out any of the links, please make sure you are over the age of 18 or have a parent or legal guardian’s permission.

The series stars William Shatner as Ed, a 72-year old divorcee whose slacker son, Henry, has moved back in with him.  From the clip that is available on CBS.com, the show looks to be full of classic one liners.  The cast is likable, it appears to be well written and it seems that everyone can relate to the having that one crazy relative.  Local affiliates are predicting great success for the show, based on ratings projections and the buzz the show is already receiving; I agree.

Look for my September post on UnderCurrent, where I’ll review this show, along with other fall series premieres.  What do you think, will $#!* be the next big hit?

We all have our skeletons in Advertising, especially account executives. There is a mystery to the magic of advertising and how account executives perform their tricks. What makes AE’s tick, what keeps them going, how do they balance it all? Find out from a one-on-one interview conducting by me with my fellow account executive sisters.

For the privacy of all individuals involved, names have been replaced with fun titles.

Account Executives have to balance so much in a day. Client calls, emails, research, proofing, notes, follow up, tactical details, creative briefs, timesheets, client meetings, internal meetings, and that is all before lunch. What are the secrets to getting all of this done at Current?

Party Gal says:
Listening to jazz and not overanalyzing things

Margarita Mixer says:
Trusting your team, fun snacks and making lists for everything, all while jamming to some My Morning Jacket

Southern Belle says:
80’s music, a game face and rolling with the punches

Dog Lover says:
Always be ahead of schedule and let Dave [Matthews] show you the way

SUMMARY:
Music, Milk Duds and Management

The secrets to capturing every account executive’s heart are a pat on the back and letting the good times roll. Around these parts, we call these guilty pleasures. What are the guilty pleasures that drive our AEs?

Everyone says:
Margaritas, chocolate (Thanks Dawn and Tracey for keeping us stocked!), dance music, joking about mixed metaphors and yummy lunches. All of this can put pep in any girls step.

SUMMARY:
Margaritas and Marketing do Mix (after hours of course)!

We all have tools that we use to make our jobs easier. Designers enjoy cool applications like Photoshop and typography sites. Copywriters enjoy research and peace and quiet. What tools do our AE’s enjoy the most?

Party Gal says:
Keynote

Southern Belle says:
Keynote

German lover says:
CurrentTrack

Dog Lover says:
Excel, Love me some spreadsheets!

Funny Gal says:
Pages

Margarita Mixer says:
CurrentTrack

SUMMARY:
Get a MAC with iWork, spreadsheets are your friend and use CurrentTrack by Developware.

Stay tuned for more Account Executive Confessions.

I heard on the radio recently that the National Pork Board has implemented a five year strategic plan that among other things, calls for a new slogan.  There’s going to be transitional advertising until March 2011 when the new brand materials will be unveiled.

My initial reaction was, why?

If there is anyone out there who hasn’t heard, “the other white meat,” I’d sure like to meet him.  The slogan is 23 years old and widely recognized.  And this statement, from the website of the National Pork Board, demonstrates that they recognize the equity of the slogan:

"We know for certain that we will protect the Other White Meat’s important heritage both in marketing and legally.”

So, why change it?  When a tagline enjoys such recognition and equity, what creates the feeling that you have to start over with a new one? I did a little research to find other slogans that have been in use a long time and remain effective, even despite longevity. Here are ten popular tags (some still in use, some not), followed by the company and date which they were first used.  Do the age of any of these surprise you?

Just Do It. - Nike 1988
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. - State Farm Insurance 1971
It's the real thing. - Coca Cola 1969
Because I’m worth it.  - L'Oréal 1967
Finger lickin' good. - KFC 1952
The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand.  - M&Ms 1954
Diamonds are Forever. - DeBeers 1948
Snap! Crackle! Pop! - Kellogg's Rice Krispies 1932
Good to the last drop. - Maxwell House 1915
When it rains, it pours! - Morton Salt 1911

This past week, a few of us here in the copywriting bullpen got into a discussion on the state of advertising. It was Angela T., our social media “Buzz Builder” who started it, calling to our attention a set of banners on the Spirit Airlines website. The banners were attempting to find humor in the gulf oil spill, something that isn’t even remotely funny, less so to Angela who’s originally from the coast.

Yet it got me thinking about what seems to me to be a decline in advertising generally. The industry is sliding away from clever selling and towards merely vulgar attention-getting. Obviously, a certain stripe of ad man (a stripe like me) has been railing against big budget “entertainment”-type advertising for decades. Yet I think something different has been happening in the industry lately. Traditional mass-media agencies are flailing, throwing everything they possibly can at the wall, hoping something will stick. How else to explain the Dockers’ bewildering “I Wear No Pants” campaign?

What we’re seeing, I think, is the traditional agency trying to stay relevant at a time when selling is declining as a marketing activity. To be sure, buying hasn’t stopped. People still love to buy. What they increasingly don’t like is being sold, hence the overall reduction in selling as it’s traditionally been defined, and the rise of branding.

No wonder so many traditional ad agencies are at a creative crisis point, racking their brains trying to come up with ever-more outrageous methods for garnering attention, under the mistaken assumption that what they’re doing constitutes branding. The reality is that any attention isn’t necessarily good attention for a brand (just ask BP). The dinosaur agencies of yesterday had better wise up, because the number of opportunities left to use the old tried-and-true mass media techniques is shrinking, fast. Meantime, creative, cost-effective opportunities for companies to differentiate and build brand continue to proliferate.

As a long-time marketer, I know which side of this particular fence I’d rather be on.

Look at this blog entry. Now look at your blog. Now look back here. Is your blog as well written as this one? No. Can it at least be written in the same language? Yes. And if you haven't enjoyed the Old Spice The Man Your Man Could Smell Like spots, you should. Last week, a new one came out and it is as clever and well done as the "I'm on a horse" spot.

After the fifth or sixth viewing, I started wondering how the hell did they do that? It looks like most of it is real, meaning non-CG. The beach background and sky in the beginning were composited, but the dock, towel and prosthetic legs look real. Is the background real or on a soundstage? Probably real, but who knows? The sawdust kicking up on the circular saw looks CG to me, but it might be a rig. In any case, it's a fake, because this required more than one take to get it right, and you're not going to have your actor keep sawing planks off your set every take.

The "swan dive" is either real or they took a lot of trouble to make the move look fake (that would be going pretty deep, but considering the creative, not out of the realm of possibilities). The real mind blower is the transition at the end from shorts and barefoot to jeans and shoes.

Here's what I think: The camera is on a computer controlled track. The splashing water is CG. You can see between 22:08 and 22:09 he abruptly, but ever so slightly, changes position without motion blur, meaning there is a cut there. They probably stopped action shortly after he landed from the swan dive, then they placed the motorcycle on his mark, refilled the tank, then used a still from the take they wanted and positioned his body to make the transition as smooth as possible, then used the CG water to obscure the cut. The trees and rocks are blocking the sky, so you don't have to worry about the cloud continuity.

Either way, it is so skillfully done, that I applaud you, Old Spice. Your attention to detail is refreshing and astounding. But I'm still not going to buy your body wash. See the rest of the spots here.

As a member of our media department here at CurrentMarketing, I am a firm believer in the power of numbers. I am especially impressed when the power is driven solely by a large group of people, working together to make a difference. Our world has experienced natural and man-made disasters of equal magnitude, all of which have produced some of the most moving scenes and inspirational stories.

You hear it everywhere you go. "I just don't have time." I truly believe that people want to help, but as life goes, most people can't seem to find the leftover hours in the day to volunteer at their local shelter, ring the Salvation Army Bell, or pack food boxes for Dare to Care.

When I first read about this company, I knew I had to share the story on UnderCurrent, because frankly everyone has time to text. We all have time and how easily we forget, that it's how you spend your time that really matters. We are now in the age, when a text message can be the beginning of a significant event in history.

mGive began as a 25-person mobile software company whose initial mission was to recruit non-profits to adopt mobile giving. Metro United Way, for example, can sign on and any fundraiser or donations they accept will be transmitted through text message. As grassroots movements go, it was very difficult for founder, James Eberhard, to recruit even one NPO to jump on board. Eberhard put over $4 million of his own money into the company before the morning of January 13, 2010 at 4:30a.m. when the State Department reached him to get a very specific mobile giving campaign going for Haiti.

Literally hours later his company launched a national campaign that allowed people to donate $10 to a number of different charities via cell phone. Thanks to the many cell phone carriers that waived their fees and allowed pledges to show up on the next month's bill, people could text the word HAITI to the number 90999 and the dollars would instantly show. And they did!

To date, more than $40 million has been raised for Haiti. We always say we need things faster and easier. It doesn't get much better than this! If you want to feel like you've helped in some small way, I urge you to find the time to text.  Here are just a few U.S. organizations offering mobile giving campaigns:

• American Red Cross: Text the word “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10.
• The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund: Text the word “QUAKE” to 20222 to donate $10.
• Salvation Army: Text the word “Haiti” to 52000 to donate $10.
• UNICEF: Text the word “Hope10” or “UNICEF” to 20222 to donate $10.
• National Religious Broadcasters (NRB): Text the word “Haiti” to 40579 to donate $10.
• Save the Children Federation: Text the word “Save” or “Safe” to 20222 to donate $10.
• World Vision: Text the word “Give” or “World” to 20222 to donate $10.
• Americares: Text the word “Americares” to 25383 to donate $10.
• Habitat for Humanity: Text the word “Habitat” to 25383 to donate $10.
• American Jewish World Service: Text the word “AJWS” to 25383 to donate $10.

Looking back on my high school days, a lot has changed in the office setting.   While in high school, I can remember taking Shorthand.   That class was important if you wanted to work in an office as a secretary.  I was one of the girls that wanted to be an Executive Secretary; taking shorthand was an added plus on your resume along with your typing speed.

In my junior year, I took Shorthand 1.  I still recall how easy it was to pick up the method.  Once we had the abbreviated symbols down, our teacher dictated a letter to us to help build our speed.   She verbally punctuated with  commas, periods, new paragraphs...which was very important to know. Keep in mind, though, when you were hired for the position with an officer of a company, he/she would not punctuate while they were dictating.  You had to know where the commas went, the start of a new sentence and even a new paragraph.   After the teacher was finished with the dictation, we would then have to type the letter she dictated from our notes.

This was so serious that we had to practice so we wouldn't lose the speed that we had built up or forget the symbols.  My girlfriends and I would get together during summer breaks and practice shorthand and dictate to each other so we could keep up our speed.

My senior year, I took Shorthand 2.  In Shorthand 2, we were taught how to abbreviate more symbols to increase out speed even more.  Believe me, it was important to keep my speed up because if I got behind on the dictation, I was lost when it came time to type what was dictated.  Back then we had the good old typewriter, not a computer to edit until everything was correct.   If we made a mistake, we had to use either the White-Out or Correction Tape to correct the misspelling and hoped it wasn’t too noticeable on the paper.   Typing letters today, using Microsoft Word or Excel, all you have to do is hit the “Spell Check & Grammar” button and it points out the mistakes on grammar or spelling that needs to be corrected.

I'm not sure, but I suspect Shorthand isn't used in any type of office setting anymore.  I’ve read that the Medical Field uses it when they are making notes in our files, but otherwise, can you think of anywhere else?  Would it help the Account Executives to know shorthand while they are taking notes in meetings with the clients? Maybe so!