It’s a go! Recess Creative will be coming over to the Melamed Riley rec room for a little agency vs. agency competition, table tennis style. Here’s what Chris Jungjohann had to say upon receiving the invitation: “Yesterday morning I heard the elevator operator open the door outside of our office and thought I heard someone. Then the sounds went away. So I opened the front door and saw the challenge poster and right then and there we accepted! Heads will roll, I tell ya! Heads will roll!” So it’s set, minus the actual date. We’ll keep you posted on when it’s going down, scores and overall tournament highlights.
When I stopped by to take the promotional shot this morning, Chris and I got a quick game in. I lost 21 to 19.
In the wee hours of a dark night in the not-so-distant past, two gentlemen, who will remain anonymous, made their way to Recess Creative dressed from head-to-toe in black Shinobi shozoku. There they delivered a challenge of epic proportions on behalf of the Melamed Riley Ping-Pong Squad.
We hired these two ninjas to deliver our challenge.
The message was read loud and clear.
During the month of June, the Melamed Riley team requests Recess Creative’s participation in a tournament of Ping-Pong. It will be a civilized competition at Melamed Riley world headquarters in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, commencing at approximately half past five on a mutually agreed upon evening. The victors of the two-on-two competition shall be determined by the best of seven 21-point games. Wagers optional. Swaggers mandatory.
We seek Recess Creative acceptance and look forward to meeting them on the field (or table) of battle. Respond at dhintz@mradvertising.com.
One of the old advertising stories I bore my clients/friends/family/people on public transit, etc., with is about the Sears DieHard car battery TV commercial that aired in the ’90s. The premise of the spot is that they take a Sears DieHard battery to Soldier Field which has been conveniently stocked with 300 cars — all with dead batteries. And, of course, it’s the middle of winter. And, of course, it’s the middle of the night. Cutting to the chase, the legendary Diehard starts all 300 without breaking an anthropomorphic sweat.
Pretty cool, right?
Nice, dramatic demonstration of the key brand attribute that drives the consumer decision of which replacement car battery brand to trust — nothing is more powerful than the Sears Diehard.
One problem: Even in 1990, any new standard car battery had 300 starts in it. Even when it was cold. And even in the dark.
Drained batteries or not, any competing product on the market would be able to pass this test with flying colors. However, this is not common knowledge among the general car-battery-shopping public and the iconic Sears DieHard brand had a well-established reputation for industry-leading power and performance in even the most demanding weather environments. So, basically, this approach to communicating the superiority of the DieHard to other car battery brands was not, strictly speaking, exclusively factual. It merely implied that this was a spectacular challenge that the DieHard was clearly up to.
It calls to mind one of my favorite lines from “The Blues Brothers” — the scene in which Jake asks Elwood if he has indeed, as promised, held the band together while Jake was doing time in Joliet:
Elwood: I took the liberty of bullshitting you. Jake: You lied to me. Elwood: Wasn’t lies, it was just… bullshit.
This is not meant as a knock on the fine and upstanding professional marketers who have historically or are presently stewarding the iconic DieHard brand. This is just a colorful way of describing a much-revered approach to product advertising: The “seemingly-impressive-but-questionably-scientific-or-differentiating” product demonstration.
At this point, anyone who knows me is asking this question: What does this have to do with sports? Glad you asked, I was just getting around to that.
Prior to this year’s NFL Draft, Brandon Weeden, a 6’4″, 225-lb. quarterback from Oklahoma State by way of the New York Yankees farm system, was featured in an ESPN-produced video. In this video, the viewer is introduced to the physics involved in the sport of skeet shooting — which is pretty simple. A catapult launches a clay pigeon (which presents roughly 5 sq. inches of surface area) at 43 miles per hour (about twice as fast as the NFL’s fastest wide receivers). In skeet shooting, participants are armed with shotguns. For this spectacle, Brandon Weeden was armed with, well, an arm.
The “product demonstration” featured in this video consisted of the strapping Mr. Weeden standing perpendicular to the flight of the clay pigeons and attempting to strike them with a football as they pass. Spoiler alert: Amazingly, he hits (and shatters) 4 of the 5 clay pigeons he throws at.
Pretty impressive.
Looking at his body of work, Brandon Weeden does not have much to prove in terms of collegiate success — these are all Oklahoma State records — and as OSU plays in the Big 12, they were achieved against teams clearly in the upper echelon of college football:
• Passing Yards, Season — 4,278
• Total Offense, Season — 4,209
• Completed Passes, Season — 342
• Completion Percentage, Season — 66.9
• Passing Yards, Single Game — 435
• Completions, Single Game — 34
Any pro football pundit will tell you that you don’t need an All-Pro quarterback to win a championship (I’m looking at you, Trent Dilfer). But, not having at least an efficient quarterback can prevent you from having any chance at all. If you break down the skill set of a successful NFL quarterback you’ll come down to 1) arm strength, 2) accuracy, 3) quickness of release, 4) ability to identify and adjust to defensive coverages, 5) intelligence and 6) leadership (in roughly this order). Against the objective of convincing an NFL team that you’re “their guy,” these are effectively the purchase drivers that would promote your brand ahead of your competitors.
Fast-forwarding to this year’s draft, the so-called experts had determined through a seemingly endless period of intense study, that the two best available quarterbacks coming out of college this year were Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Heisman-Trophy-winning Robert Griffin III — followed at restraining-order distance by a host of others, including Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill and our video star, Mr. Weeden.
Our very own Cleveland Browns, not apparently sold on their incumbent quarterback Colt McCoy, spent quite a bit of time wringing their hands over the most judicious use of their bevy of high-round draft choices — most of which they acquired during last year’s draft by the Atlanta Falcons, who used the Browns pick to select Julio Jones from Alabama. With the 4th, 22nd and 37th picks in the draft, and multitudinous holes to fill on their roster, the Browns were apparently inclined to think that Brandon Weeden, if not fitting the bill as Mr. Right, was well on his way to being Mr. Right-This-Second-Round-Pick.
However, our aforementioned experts felt very secure in saying that he was a dislocated-shoulder reach at #4 and a pretty solid Little-Leaguers-elbow reach even at #22. The smart move, they said, was to take the best available player at #4, the best “need”-based player available at #22 — and then blow the 37th pick on Brandon Weeden, who would certainly still be sitting by his phone in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
So, my question is, what did Brandon Weeden achieve by smashing four clay pigeons on ESPN?
This simple product demonstration showed that he had arm strength, accuracy and a quick-enough release to react to a 5 sq. inch target moving at a speed equal to 15 yards in .7 of a second. In short, he managed to show that his brand’s performance attributes included the top three purchase drivers of the NFL quarterback buying decision. And this likely moved him from the 37th pick in the draft up to the 22nd, where he was selected by the Browns (against the counsel of the so-called experts) — which very likely will amount to a high-percentage increase in his rookie year contract salary. Not bad for five throws, one of which he missed.
Time will tell whether this was a solid decision. There’s a significant difference between hitting defenseless clay pigeons in a closed studio and hitting Mohamed Massaquoi in a 40-mph snow storm in Cleveland Browns Stadium in December as James Harrison tries to perform a spine-ectomy on you without a local. On the other hand, you have to admire the tried-and-true marketing strategy.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, in the spirit of comparison shopping, I’m heading over to Colt McCoy’s house with a bag of ping-pong balls and an air compressor.
As you’re well aware, the internet is full of “Top 10” lists. Not one to be left out of the fray, I decided to add my own to the mix. The subject would be what I consider the “Top 10 Most Underrated Taglines,” and there would be some ground rules:
1. I had to list the first ten lines that came to mind, whether or not they are still in use — no exceptions. If it’s not top of mind, it’s not in my Top 10.
2. To avoid recycling old opinions, I would not be allowed to reference any other Top 10 lists having to do with advertising, including taglines.
3. I would disregard the opinions of others. If someone else in the office thinks a tagline is underappreciated, it’s probably not underappreciated.
Anyway, here’s what I came up with (in no particular order):
One thing you’ll notice throughout this list is that I’m a big fan of taglines that quickly spell out why you the consumer should choose one brand over another. “Expect More. Pay Less.” separates Target from big box competitors like Walmart® by reminding shoppers that it’s about more than getting the lowest price, it’s about feeling like you’ve gotten more than you paid for.
Perhaps more than any other restaurant chain, T.G.I. Friday’s has overcome its generic menu offerings (Loaded Potato Skins, anyone?) by making it all about the atmosphere with “In Here, It’s Always Friday.”
In a world full of high-priced, high-fashion jeans, Wrangler has stuck to the basics and used “Real. Comfortable. Jeans.” to capture the hearts (and thighs) of men with a simpler taste in denim.
Any time a brand can create a tagline using the thoughts or feelings people experience when using their products — in this case, toasted sandwiches — it’s a winner in my book.
Brand:Lexus® Tagline: The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection.
When Toyota Motor Corporation introduced its luxury automotive brand in 1989, the automaker took aim at German competitors like BMW® and Mercedes-Benz® by vowing to make Lexus the best and never look back. “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” was the line that drove this commitment, and remains one of the most powerful automotive slogans ever written.
“Where Amazing Happens” does nothing to put off the NBA loyalists and more importantly, convinces casual viewers to tune into the action by promising plenty of memorable moments.
Just when it seemed like the only fast food menu option was a slab of low-grade quality beef between two pieces of bread, Taco Bell came along and offered low-grade quality ground beef inside of a crunchy shell, and all was right with the world. Jokes aside, perhaps no quick-service chain understands its audience better than the Yum! Brands subsidiary.
As the manufacturer of everything from autos to lawnmowers — even a jet airplane — Honda Motor Company has positioned itself as a technology leader, and “The Power of Dreams” speaks to a strong dedication to pioneering the latest innovations.
As the world’s first Japanese luxury automotive nameplate, Honda Motor Company’s Acura brand used “Precision Crafted Performance” to introduce drivers to something the competition – namely BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi® — had seemingly never heard of – an affordable, reliable ownership experience.
We are extremely pleased to announce that our brilliant, endlessly talented Creative Director, Stephanie Landes, has been honored by becoming the first recipient of The David L. Stashower Visionary Award. And quite the visionary she is. Whether it’s with the work she does for local causes such as Shoes and Clothes for Kids or that which she performs for our clients, Stephanie has an uncanny knack for envisioning what will work wonders, time after time. Her vast imagination and ability to harness it in incredibly strategic ways to create amazing outcomes is something to behold. Congratulations, Stephanie. All of us here at Melamed Riley could not be more proud of you.
I remember when my first radio commercial ran almost 25 years ago. It was an IRA spot for a Columbus, Ohio headquartered financial institution known as Bank One and featured the silky smooth tones (hardly) of the late actor and voice of Smucker’s, Mason Adams. Using Mr. Adams as the talent was a given — already under contract as the voice of the bank. But this isn’t about the celebrity. The bank’s not important to the story either. This is all about ME!
When I decided in my junior year at Ohio University that advertising was the way I was going to use my mad writing skills to fund my life, one aspect of the biz I wasn’t even thinking about was how cool it would feel to see (or hear) something you dreamt up out in the marketplace. Hearing my retirement fund commercial on the radio that day back in ’89 was a bigger rush than the wind coming through the hole in the floor of my $500 VW Rabbit. I remember thinking, “Wow, I may not be the only one hearing this right now!”
Fast forward a million years later to a world in which social media has exploded. I’ve been wondering, is part of the allure of Facebook and Twitter and other social platforms the fact that anyone can jump onto center stage just by posting a pic or poking out a few words? I think it may be. I mean, without any worry about a creative strategy, adhering to a brief, getting a client to sign off and fund its production, dozens of people can see your brainchild. And, geez, if you really know what you’re doing, hundreds or thousands or even millions of people might see your “work.”
Am I wrong about this? I don’t think I am. The new world of social MEdia gives people an easy and relatively safe way to feed what may be an innate need (or maybe just a want) in all of us to be noticed. Tiny bits of celebrity…without the expense and headaches associated with becoming an ad agency creative and using advertising MEdia to stroke our ego. Have thoughts on this? Post ‘em here…no degree, title or budget required.
Here are some related viewpoints on the topic of the new MEdia:
If you are one of the 800 million users who watched a video on YouTube in the last month, you may have noticed how the site has been evolving to include even more premium channels with original, professionally-produced programming. No longer just a website with amateur videos of cats and babies or instructional videos on how to tie a tie, YouTube has been ramping up its efforts to become a preferred entertainment destination. The media platform recently hosted a big upfront event in New York to give potential advertisers a preview of some of its newest channels and niche programming and announced plans to invest in a $200 million campaign to promote those channels.
In addition to bringing out some star power at the event (Jay-Z, Flo Rida, the Neon Trees, Julia Stiles, Jennifer Beals, and Virginia Madsen, to name a few), YouTube introduced three new channels:
TeamUSA: This channel from the U.S. Olympic Committee will feature original content that will highlight the 2012 U.S. Olympians and hopefuls as well as past Olympic legends. You can look for past footage from the games and even some instruction from Olympic sport coaches.
WIGS: Created by filmmakers Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Risky Business) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs, In Treatment, Mother and Child), this new drama channel will feature original, scripted series, short films and documentaries about the lives of women featuring some well-known names in starring roles.
The Picture Show: Debuting later this year, this new channel from Tribeca Enterprises (parent company of Tribeca Film Festival) in partnership with Maker Studios, will present short films and will serve to boost emerging talent—directors, writers and actors—through collaborative programming from established filmmakers and up-and-comers.
These are just some examples of the premium content that will be available among YouTube’s ever-growing community of channel partners. With so much niche content now available, the site can boast that their latest line-up has something for everyone. As a result, YouTube is looking to increase monthly visitors and, with better quality programming, the amount of time users are spending on the site.
Not only does this increase sponsorship opportunities for advertisers, this is good news for brands who want to increase the likelihood of their own videos being seen on YouTube. According to Google VP-content, Richard Kynci, “We will fish where the fish are … and it’s a mighty big pond! If you want to lead, join us now, as the next seven years will be a lot faster than the last. We can build audiences together. We can build brands together.”
Will you be tuning in to YouTube’s premium channels?
What happens when you’re an on-the-go creative and you’ve got to combine your afternoon appetite with your desire to physically exert yourself? Well, if you’re Rick Riley, this is what you do:
Feel free to graft onto this video a metaphor about how, say, how a modern advertising agency functions — fast-approaching deadlines, multiple clients, no small amount of fun — but we’re happy to just let the juggling do the talking.
