Lee Dunbar

Jul

15

The Capo d’Astro Bar

July 15, 2008

When I was in college one of my profs gave us a paper with the following story, and suggested that if we only learn one thing from him, he’d like it to be the lesson learned from the story of a copywriter, a piano and a Capo d’astro bar.

The story is as follows:

Back in the sixties, I was hired by an ad agency to write copy on the Aeolian Piano Company account. My first assignment was an ad to be placed in The New York Times for one of their grand pianos.

The only background information I received was some previous ads a few faded close-up shots . . . and of course, the due date.

The Account Executive was slightly put out by my request for additional information and his response to my suggestion that I sit down with the client was, “Are you one of those? Can’t you just create something? We’re up against a closing date!”

I acknowledged his perception that I was one of those, which got us an immediate audience with the head of the agency.

I volunteered that I couldn’t even play a piano let alone write about why anyone should spend $5,000 for this piano, especially when they could purchase a Baldwin or Steinway for the same amount.

Both allowed the fact they would gladly resign the Aeolian business for either of the others, however, while waiting for that call, suppose the deadline was attended to.

I persisted and, reluctantly, a tour of the Aeolian factory in upstate New York was arranged. I was assured that “we don’t do this with all of clients” and my knowledge as to the value of company time was greatly reinforced.

The tour of the plant lasted two days and although the care and construction appeared meticulous, $5,000 still seemed to be a lot of money.

Just before leaving, I was escorted into the showroom by the National Sales Manager. In an elegant setting sat their piano alongside the comparably priced Steinway and Baldwin.

“They sure do look alike,” I commented.

“They sure do. About the only real difference is the shipping weight-ours is heavier.”

“Heavier?” I asked. “What makes yours heavier?”

“The Capo d’astro bar.”

“What’s a Capo d’astro bar?”

“Here, I’ll show you. Get down on your knees.”

Once under the piano he pointed to a metallic bar fixed across the harp and bearing down on the highest octaves. “It takes 50 years before the harp in the piano warps. That’s when the Capo d’astro bar goes to work. It prevents that warping.”

I left the National Sales Manager under his piano and dove under the Baldwin to find a Tinkertoy Cap d’astro bar at best. Same with Steinway.

“You mean the Capo d’astro bar really doesn’t go to work for 50 years?” I asked.

“Well, there’s got to be some reason why the Met uses it,” he casually added.

I froze. “Are you telling me that the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City uses this piano?”

“Sure. And their Capo d’astro bar should be working by now.”

Upstate New York looks nothing like the front of the Metropolitan Opera House where I met the legendary Carmen Rise Stevens. She was now in charge of moving the Metropolitan Opera House to the Lincoln Center.

Ms. Stevens told me, “About the only thing the Met is taking with them is their piano.”

That quote was the headline of our first ad.

The result created a six year wait between order and delivery.

My point is this. No matter what the product or service, I promise you, the Capo d’astro bar is there.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Design Stuff, Marketing Stuff
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Jul

3

It’s Thursday night and you’re presenting a campaign to your client Friday morning. You’ve got nothing. Your gut is twisting. The sweat pours from your brow. You’ve drank a few pots of coffee. You’ve typed, scribbled and doodled to no avail.

Don’t worry, here are ten no-fail ways to come up with an iron clad creative campaign that your client will love.

1. The Game Show. Turn your ad into a game show parody. If you’re really clever, you will turn your product into the answer to the question. This great strategy has been used by government organizations, retailers and even car manufacturers. Bing! What is ad strategy number one Alex?

2. The Retail Rap. Have the owner of the store, an employee or even better yet, the boss’ daughter sing on a broadcast commercial. Better yet, an American Idol-inspired contest. Hey — it worked for Pepto Bismol. What’s better than a dancing pink Pepto Bismol bottle singing? A bunch of people on a stage doing their own version of course! Indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. Gah!

3. Include the Family. Have the clients family members —  no matter how horrible they are —  voice the spots or appear in the ads. Especially if they are cute young kids. You likely won’t understand what they are saying and the production value is horrendous, but boy are they cute and your client can brag at the next wedding reception.

4. The Inside Joke. You’ve got that inside joke about Martha in sales? Bill in accounting? A commercial is a great time to share this with the general public. Your customers won’t know what’s going on, but you can have a good chuckle with their families’ at the next company picnic.

5. The Lazy, Stupid Male. Yep, make fun of Dad. There is no better ad strategy than to make fun of the idiot of the family. Show him breaking something, falling, building some really ugly dog house or getting caught in a fib. Nothing makes a product more appealing than a dumb man.

6. The ‘New’ Bimbo. This is the new 21 Century Bimbo we’re talking about here. Women making fun of women. Not only are ad agencies using the same creative strategy — they are even using the same actresses! That’s right, you too can use the same bimbo women popularized in commercials by Special K and Kraft Cheese — jalapeno (gel-ap-eno) in your shredded cheese anyone?

7. The Cornucopia. The oldie-but-goody rears its ugly head. Nothing more cliche than the good ‘ole cornucopia of savings.

8. The Popular movie Rip-Off. Take an expression or line from a movie and drive it into the ground. I still get queezy when I hear anything to do with “show me the money” from Gerry McGuire. I think every variation was used for years — show me the savings! Show me the coupons. Show me the buffet! Show me the exit. Ugh!

9. The Stupid Intern. No better way to make the client look good than to pair him or her with a dumb intern. The dumber the intern the better.

10. This deal is so good I have to run away from the cops. Ah yes, even heavy weights like Pontiac and IKEA have used this one. Show a customer who has just left with a product that was such a great deal that they think they will be arrested. Delightful!

Bonus Strategies

11. The Super Hero. Fighting gingivitis? Need someone to fight high prices? Along comes the super hero to save the day!

12. Insult your most important customer. I recently heard a commercial for a building materials supplier that essentially tells the man of the house to leave the woman of the house at home because they don’t have fancy cappuccino machines or nice decor. That’s right, ignore the fact that woman account for 80% of building material purchases and go right ahead and insult the ‘little lady’. I am sure the grizzled contractors coming into the store will have a chuckle with you, but I guarantee the woman sending them wouldn’t.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Just Stuff
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Jun

24

The Round-Up

June 24, 2008

What happens when Google and Disney get together to throw around a few ideas? You get the Walt Disney World Resort available on Google Earth in 3D. The project features over 1,500 fairly detailed 3D models of buildings and attractions in all four theme parks and more than 20 of Disney’s Resort hotels. I had a lot of fun scrolling around — what a great way to allow your guests to move around and explore the park when they are either planning or dreaming if a trip to the most magical place on earth.

Montreal is the first North American city to role out a self-service bike rental system. Users will be able to pick-up a bike at one location for a nominal fee and drop it off at another location which are dispersed around the city.

More search engine election fun. A blogger has launched a Google bomb attack on McCain. The strategy was designed to raise the rankings of negative news stories about McCain. Yes, the same strategy you use to raise the visibility of your organization, can be used by your competitors to raise rankings of negative stories or reviews about your organization, officials, staff, or product. It is a good strategy to continuously monitor your own brand, trademarks and product category keywords. It can be as simple as subscribing to a comprehensive Google news alert.

It also seems that people are messing with page views and video ranking on YouTube. In an effort to make it the most viewed video, a blogger has created a refreshing web site that is increasing the number of views of Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend video.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Community Stuff, Customer Service Stuff, Design Stuff, Experience Design Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Search Engine Stuff, Web Stuff
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Jun

24

Where is Matt?

June 24, 2008

I am not sure who Matt is, the story on the Stride Gum web site and also on Wikipedia is that he’s a guy that quit his job so that he could travel around the world. And this he does — dancing in some of the most beautiful and interesting places on earth. Not only does Matt dance, he has many guests that jump in and dance with him.

I am not sure if this is real, or just a buzz/viral tool developed by Stride, all I do know is that it brought a smile to my face.


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Design Stuff, Funny Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Web Stuff
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May

30

Themepark bans PDAs

May 30, 2008

For a one week period, an amusement park in the UK, Alton Towers Resort, has experimented with a no PDA policy. The experiment could become a permanent policy if things go well, becoming part of a social movement designed to draw lines of proper gadget usage in public places such as movie theatres, convention meetings and restaurants.

They actually had a squad of “PDA police” roaming the park. If any dastardly adults are caught with a qualifying device, they will be directed to a PDA Drop Off Zone where they can leave their device for the day. The web site does not mention what reproductions adults will face if they refuse to turn-over their phone.

Russell Barnes, Divisional Director for the Alton Towers Resort explains; “What we have here is the ultimate short break location where every member of the family can unwind and have fun. We feel it’s so important for parents and kids to focus on nothing more than having the best possible time, we are prepared to take drastic action to ensure that parents really leave their work behind!”

Of course, many people in this day and age will use a device as such to take pictures of their vacation and remain in contact with other family members or friends if they go separate ways for a time period while at the park — as family members have different interests and age will dictate that some family members are not permitted on certain attractions.

It is an interesting concept, and does create/support a perception that Alton Towers is certainly about putting family first.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Experience Design Stuff, Marketing Stuff
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May

18

Wall-E Spotted in LA

May 18, 2008

There have been rumours that Disney has built a real life version of Wall-E. Below is video that shows that Wall-E does indeed exist.

 
Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Design Stuff, Experience Design Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Neat Stuff
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May

18

One thing I remember from college is what we nicknamed the “Mac and Cheese Theory of Economics”. This occurs when consumers trade down from higher-end products to less expensive products in times of economic down-turn. While a middle class family of four may eat mac and cheese a couple times a month, (kids love the stuff don’t they?), in times of economic pressure they may eat mac and cheese once or twice a week.

We have seen a couple indications of this in the last week. First, Report on Business reports that Miller Brewing CEO, Tom Long, has outlined that while Miller’s premium beers are struggling, they have seen the market shift towards their economy beers. While they expect to see volume remain the same, they also expect to see a continuation of this trend — especially if the price of gas continues to remain at current levels.

Second, there are a couple of stories I saw this week that are related to how gas prices will affect peoples’ travel plans. While there has been a trend for people to travel closer to home because of pressures related to time constraints (a cost as well), the increase in the price of gas is exacerbating the trend. There are two things to look at here that affect the local tourism market. First, air carriers have added a fuel surcharge on flights. Second, the hassle of crossing the US/Canadian boarder.

While we are expecting to see considerably fewer tourists from Northern New York in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, it is also expected that even more people will travel closer to home.

Look and the trends and focus your resources appropriately. Don’t completely abandon previously strong markets as the economy will strengthen, In fact, studies show that companies that continue marketing through poor economic times return stronger than those who cut their efforts.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Business Stuff, Marketing Stuff
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Apr

24

So you’re watching A&E TV, and these strange images fill the screen. You see a grainy picture full of static. A dog walks down a deserted small-town street. You might notice what appears to be dead bodies lying around. A website URL flashes on the screen www.whathappenedinpiedmont.com.

You visit the site and find the blog of one Andrew Tobler, a student at Berkley,  who apparently received a “bizarre” voicemail from his sister who lives in Piedmont, Utah. Despite his attempts, Tobler has not been able to reach anyone from his hometown.

A search for Piedmont, Utah on Google returns a list of links to blogs, Yahoo! Answers, news stories and, yes, Andrew’s blog all discussing the military build-up and the mystery that surrounds this small town.

You can find pictures of a military blockade,


and a screenshot of a news clip about a chemical spill,


you can even watch a video news clip that Andrew was able to capture, digitize and upload to YouTube,

 

but what you won’t find in your Google search is any information about Piedmont, Utah, because it doesn’t exist.

And thus begins a viral campaign for A&E’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain.

Looking at posts on forums, blogs and services such as Yahoo! Answers, it seems some people have bit. There has even been some distressed speculation that this could have been terrorism. We haven’t seen people jumping from buildings, or the hysteria that surrounded Orson Welles’ 1938, radio adaptation of the H. G. Wells’ classic novel, The War of the Worlds, but discussion of the mysterious happenings in Piedmont, Utah is certainly making the rounds on the net.

The success of this campaign is yet to be determined (although Google Trends does show a definate sign of some action around keywords that include variations around Piedmont), but other media properties have seen great success extending the story beyond a passive experience into a more experiential, interactive activity.

A good example of this is ABC’s Lost, which has used a number of websites to reveal clues, provide back story and allow fans to discuss the show. In doing so, they have successfully created a massive online social community built around a one hour sci-fi drama.  On the larger screen, we saw the producers of The Blair Witch Project provide back story and a treasure trove of bonus features and extras that helped vault this low budget horror into the mainstream.

If you want to experience Piedmont, Utah, you’ll have to tune into the Andromeda Strain mini-series which is to air starting on the US Memorial Day, or you’ll have to visit British Columbia, CA, as the film was actually shot there.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Design Stuff, Experience Design Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Search Engine Stuff, Web Stuff
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Apr

20

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a pretty busy day, so we hit the wires a day early …

You had to see this one coming. After success with the increased amount of product placement campaigns, (I’m looking your way 24, CSI and ER), NBC Universal and an ad agency are teaming up to produce shows written around products.

Dilbert has gone all Dibert2.0. That’s right, a new Flash-heavy version of the site has been launched and according to a few reports I’ve read, some of the regulars aren’t overly fond of the new digs. You can even create your own Dilbert Mash-Ups – how trendy. Next thing you know, he’ll be shedding his pocket protector.

AT&T has made claim that without serious investment in infrastructure, the Internet will reach capacity by 2010.

Speaking at a Westminster eForum on Web 2.0 this week in London, Jim Cicconi, vice president of legislative affairs for AT&T, warned that the current systems that constitute the Internet will not be able to cope with the increasing amounts of video and user-generated content being uploaded.

“The surge in online content is at the center of the most dramatic changes affecting the Internet today,” he said. “In three years’ time, 20 typical households will generate more traffic than the entire Internet today.”

And finally, here’s a pretty good article about how companies that engage their customers with [buzzword alert] 360 degree experience design [/buzzword alert] are flourishing. CEOs, CFOs, and COOs please take note of this article, your entire marketing department isn’t on crack after all. ‘Design’ is the differentiator that will separate the successful companies from the rest of the pack – more-so now than ever before.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Business Stuff, Design Stuff, Experience Design Stuff, Funny Stuff, Marketing Stuff, Technology Stuff, Web Stuff
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Apr

8

Here is a neat story about how CBS has created a division called, Eyelab. This is essentially a team of four who chop up network shows into small segments and then forward these videos to a number of web sites and blogs.

Some of what Eyelab produces looks much like the promos that are commonly seen on television. Others offer amusing twists: a compendium of slaps doled out on “How I Met Your Mother”; the various times David Caruso dramatically removes his sunglasses on “CSI: Miami”; and “Smut Whisperer,” a clip of dialogue from “Ghost Whisperer” with words bleeped out to pretend the characters were talking dirty.  

Ron Scalera, executive vice president and creative director for CBS Marketing, said he specifically went after people with no mainstream advertising experience in hiring the four employees whose day-to-day job is creating this material. He wanted people who saw the world differently.

“The bottom line is we just don’t want to create something that you can see anywhere else,” Scalera said.

Another great example of a viral web strategy.

Tags: Advertising Stuff, Brand Experience Stuff, Web Stuff
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