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October 31, 2007

Bringing Spooky Back

Marketers are bringing spooky back. According to the New York Times’ Stuart Elliott, scary is the theme for advertisers this Halloween.  That’s a nice change since six years ago when we were all scared out of our wits by 9/11 and needed a safer holiday to soothe our psyches.  This year, all out horror is cool. Cases in point from Elliott:
  • A skeleton is the star of a campaign for the Craftsman line of tools sold by Sears, Roebuck.
  • The AMC cable TV network and Web site are promising "10 days of nonstop horror."
  • The Bravo cable network will offer programs like "100 Scariest Movie Moments" and "Even Scarier Movie Moments."
  • Six Flags amusement parks are advertising their annual Fright Fest.  
  • Sirius Satellite Radio is devoting a channel, named Scream 119, to "blood-curdling sound effects."
Cool. Scary is definitely reassuring this year. Have a blood-curdlin’ Happy Halloween.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:10 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 30, 2007

Spit and Polish

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This from my favorite ... boingboing.net. Every mom knows the power of Momspit. Oh yeah, we won't admit it, but Momspit works wonders on just about every kid stain ever invented. And, of course, there's the fact that it's the universal cleaner for sticky kids' faces.

Good for this company for having the gumption to call their product after mother's "dirty (or clean) little secret." Just hope that it doesn't gross out folks (is dadspit far behind?). 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:15 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 29, 2007

The Art of Bee-ing

3755555604.jpgDreamworks and Jerry Seinfeld are certainly cranking up the promotion of Bee Movie, the animated feature in which Seinfeld stars. Promotions include Brachs Candy Corn that’s labeled as being made with “real honey” and McDonald’s Happy Meals, which is including toys in its classic “Happy Meals.” Plus there are all those shorts aired on NBC.

Now, I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m a little suspect. We all know about the Seinfeld curse. Plus we know that Jerry was never the funniest guy (unless, of course, you enjoy jokes about socks in a dryer).

Give me a grasshopper movie starring Larry David any day. Now that’s where I’d show some enthusiasm.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:25 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 26, 2007

This is Gonna be SO Huge

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 Keith Cronin’s The Adventures of Comma Boy is very clever. According to his bio, he “is hard at work on his latest novel, about "a guy who does some stuff with a thing” and also “writes marketing copy for soul-sucking corporations.” Love it. Love the cartoons.

 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:15 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 25, 2007

Birth of an Interesting Debate

Very interesting article in the New York Observer on the “pro-create or not” debate.  Seems that in NYC, of all places, there’s a certain status in pushing a baby stroller. As Lizzy Ratner writes:

"But sometime during the past few years, something strange happened to these historically reticent reproducers. They freaked out, got busy and turned themselves into mascots for the new maternity. In just five years, between 2000 and 2005, the number of children under five living in Manhattan ballooned more than 32 percent, according to Census figures."

Hmmm. Seem to me the worst reason to have a kid is to feel “under pressure” to do so. Of course, that’s just me. But then again, I was influenced – and had the privilege to work with – the great Betty Friedan. She wasn’t against breeding, but if a woman could give birth to a great treatise or theorem, that wasn’t bad, either. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 24, 2007

Stuff You Can't See in California

logo.jpgYou can’t air this kind of spot in the United States (too racy for the FCC, etc.). Nevertheless, this AIDS spot from Sidaction in France is worth watching. Very scary and very raw. The line at the end reads, more or less:   "Every 10 seconds, someone dies of AIDS in the world."

Much tamer, but still a little “somethin’ to think about” is this spot from Greenpeace. It will make you think the next time you mindlessly print out 50 extra sheets at the old office copying machine.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 23, 2007

The Things We Care About

27f7002b6a4f726ed5bc40fb6d2b049b.jpgWhat would you grab if you had 15 minutes to evacuate your home? It’s a question on all Angelinos’ minds this week as we walk among the ashes of yet another fire season.

That question really boils down to – so what’s most important to you among all those things you’ve collected over the years?

Me? I’d grab the photos that were never digitized, of course. And I think I’d take one really killer pair of Choo shoes, just for sentimental reasons.  But another “thing” most important to me now is my stupid old laptop. It holds my life – lesson plans, writing drafts, my connections to the outside world. Several years ago, I’d never say  one of my most important “things” is “a computer. Ahh, how we have changed.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 12:46 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 22, 2007

Clicks to Bricks

photo1.jpgThreadless.com was always a great idea. It’s an on-going tee shirt design competition. Anyone can submit their design and if it gets a high enough score and is chosen by the Threadless crew it is printed and sold from the site.

Now, Threadless has a retail store in Chicago. Yes, it went from clicks to bricks!

Why a retail site now?  Says the site…

“ A zillion reasons. Most of them revolve around ideas we come up with for giving back to the Threadless community and not having the staff, resources, venue or time to make happen. Ideas like teaching design classes, hosting galleries with Threadless artist's work, having real-world group critiques and other various events.”

Love it! The online mode didn’t give the customers enough of an “experience.” So, now there’s a place for designers to feel at home. Nice.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:32 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to Move Your Astra

You wouldn’t advertise those cool Vans shoes in the Wall Street Journal. And you wouldn’t try to promote a “really cool retirement plan” on myspace.

Some products are just incongruous with the medium advertisers use to promote them.

So why does Saturn – yeah Saturn – feel compelled to advertise on myspace? Clearly the company is trying to reinvent itself with the Astra, a dull looking little vehicle.

The promotion invites users to take a test drive.  But the copy is kind of odd (don’t “tweeze in your car!”) and the test drive is confusing.

Maybe Saturn should have gone for news radio.  That’s about as big a yawn as the car.
saturn astra.png

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:14 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 19, 2007

Clever Mashup

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I always thought those Kaiser “Thrive” commercials were for a gym.  The “Geico cavemen?" Seemed better for a beer commercial.

If you’re an ad geek who always wanted to mess with certain campaigns, take a look at Ad Mashup, “where advertisers come to play.”  Here, the creative community takes liberties with certain ads and alters them …often quite well. The ad above is actually for the bread, but does make a very clever statement about Nickolodeon's late night programming.

Of course the site makes some obvious (and sexist) gags about Wonderbra and Levitra --- but there are others that are far more interesting.

Says the disclaimer, “The ads on this site are not real. They have been altered and no longer represent the views or claims of the companies advertised. This site serves creative, experimental and educational purposes only, for sick and twisted advertising people. So don't be stupid and try to Cease and Desist me.”  

Cool.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 18, 2007

Who's Afraid of the Local Halloween Store?

When I was little, a store bought Halloween costume was a cheap affair with a flimsy plastic mask and sorry swatch of fabric.  If you were saddled with one of those for the “bestest holiday all year,” the other kids took pity on you.

Today, it’s a different story.  A homemade costume is just … well, odd. And the Halloween stores that start popping up in late August are swamped by early October.  The best stores are filled with gorey props and outfits that scare the dickens out of young shoppers.

Although Halloween teeters on that mass commercialism that mars the December holidays, I like the new hoopla. Those stores are filled with a much different energy than Macy’s on Dec. 24. If you haven’t been to one, try it this weekend … if you dare. Waaa-haaa-haaa (that’s supposed to be an evil laugh).

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 17, 2007

Blondie's Back

  No band will ever replace The Ramones in my heart for number one.  Those bad boys from Queens were the essence of my formative years (and those who know me thought I was a much more middle-of-the road gal, HA!).

However, Deborah Harry comes a close second.  “Heart of Glass” was my theme song the year I spent in a cold British dorm on a wind-swept hill in Canterbury.

As a recent New York Times article about Deborah Harry states, “She never stopped being cool.” (As evidenced by pic at left of the blonde one wearing jeans jacket backwards.) Yeah, every woman of a certain age wanted to be Blondie’s lead – and still does. More than Madonna, she will remain an icon well into her 80s. (And if my book EVER gets published – ah hem – the main character’s fantasy persona is a true Harry type.)

At 62, DH has a new album out. Good for her.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 12:48 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 16, 2007

Good Grief!

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Have you heard about the new biography Shulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis? The book is a controversial look at the life of Charles M. Schulz, creator of the comic strip “Peanuts.”

Controversial? Peanuts? Apparently, Michaelis says Schulz was plagued by dark moods and problematic relationships.  His characters --- the domineering Lucy and milquetoast Charlie Brown – are representative of these personal demons.

Years ago, I was ghostwriting a book on surviving a heart attack and had the opportunity to interview Mr. Schulz.  To me, he sounded exactly like the guy I would imagine scribing my favorite toon from childhood – happy and full of optimism. He even talked about sneaking a hot fudge sundae or two although his doctor warned against them.

I’ve interviewed or worked with several prominent people over the years and am well aware that flaws are part of what makes these people so outstanding. If Schulz was deeply troubled, he hid it well to a young (at the time) writer and recognized that his work spoke louder than his personal problems. That to me that is the sign of a guy who knew how to deal with the world on some level and give back to it with a great body of work.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:02 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 15, 2007

Rolling in Fried Dough

When I was 17, my driving skills were a little slipshod. One day, I tried to pull out of a parking lot and inadvertently put the car into forward instead of reverse. Wham! I drove my parents’ Mustang right through a donut shop window.  Sheets of glass came raining down on the car. People ran screaming from the shop. Fortunately, no one was hurt. However, the incident has changed my attitude about fried dough forever.

When I was much older, I was channel surfing and chanced upon a cooking show that featured a happy chef who talked about “sammies” and “EVOO.” I couldn’t believe what she was making on television – hot dogs and super greasy grilled cheese sandwiches. Ugh!  Made me sick to my stomach. The incident changed my attitude about the Food Network forever.

What do these two stories have to do with each other? Well,this Spring Dunkin’ Donuts announced that it will make Rachel Ray its spokesperson. Oh goody, my two biggest causes of indigestion on the small screen together!

I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a bad combination. Super snooty Anthony Bourdain recently weighed in. According to the New York Post, Bourdain said, "I'm not a very ethical guy. I don't have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line. Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don't have necks. And she's up there saying, 'Eat some [bleeping] Dunkin' Donuts.”

Ow. Harsh.  Although I tend to agree with Bourdain, I’m sure Ms. Ray could care less if neither of us ever visited a donut store. Actually, I’m betting Dunkin’ Donuts is relieved I never pulled into one of their parking lots…

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:35 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 12, 2007

I Won!

 A few days ago I joked about the night I was on call for a university and received a message at 3 a.m. that I had won a Nobel Prize (which, of course, was for a distinguished professor at the university, not silly old me … but that was the way the message was phrased and caused me to giggle).

Today, it turns out that Susan Solomon actually did win a Nobel Prize for her work on climate change, along with Al Gore and the UN Panel on which she serves.  Again, tis not me … tis the illustrious scientist who shares my name and even once shared her grades with me in college (see my entry on her from way back).

I’m so pleased THAT Susan Solomon has been recognized for her work, She is making an enormous difference on this earth. As for me, well, two almost-Nobels in a lifetime isn’t bad either!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:17 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 11, 2007

Un-Tye Preteens from these Gals

1004287235_c2fff13abf.jpgCheck out this new doll, a TyGirl named Jumpin Jenna. She's the latest novelty for preteen girls. 

Now tell me what my daughter learns from Jenna's bee-stung lips, streaked hair and tight sweater? Does she learn that even if you're six inches tall, you need to be a hot mama?

Back in the day, I had books about Susan B. Anthony and Marie Curie to teach me about role models. Today's pre teens have televsion shows about a "real girl"/rock star.

We just gave up the Bratz dolls -- not into them, says my daughter. However, these aren't any better. They're just more bad stuff for the hugely profitable pre-teen market. 

Give me a doll that both parents and kids can agree upon. There's the gold, folks. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:25 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 10, 2007

Howl Against Censorship

I saw this story on BoingBoing and had to comment.  Apparently, we are traveling back in time. Fifty years ago this month, a San Francisco Municipal Court judge ruled that Allen Ginsberg's Beat-era poem "Howl" was not obscene. Yet this month, a New York public broadcasting station decided not to air the poem, fearing that the Federal Communications Commission will find it indecent and impose massive fines.


Ironic? I think so. The poem is a statement against American consumerism and conformity and still rings true today. However, the only way you’ll be able to hear it is on the Internet at www.pacifica.org. Once again, thank goodness for the Internet.

In the words of Ginsberg, “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness.” Indeed.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 12:59 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 09, 2007

My Nobel Moment

So, they announced two more Nobel prize winners.  Congratulations to them.

This announcement reminds me of a story from about 10 years ago in my public relations career. I was working for a university and “on call” for media relations.  Our phone rang at 3 a.m. and my husband answered it. I heard a few “ok, sure, rights…” from him and he hung up.

When I asked what could possibly be happening at 3 a.m., he told me a reporter was calling from Sweden. I’d won a Nobel prize!  

Actually, it was two of our university professors who had won. And, yes, I was a bit concerned that I didn’t have the reporter’s number to call him back (he did about 5 minutes later).  

However, what I love about this story is that there aren’t many professions where you can be awoken at 3 a.m. to be told you won a Nobel Prize. It was a nice moment of recognition for the five or six minutes that it lasted!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 12:55 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marketing at the Table

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If you haven’t seen this yet on other marketing/marcom blogs, check out the Branding Table of the Elements. It’s an inventive way to explain all those marketing terms our profession loves to throw around

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 12:46 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 08, 2007

Don't You Agree About Consensus?

 Can good marketing exist with consensus? 

As marketers, we have all been through the hair-ripping process of hearing a vast amount of subjective opinions before a campaign launches. You know the drill – the color is wrong, the message uses a period instead of an exclamation point, the woman in the picture looks like someone’s ex-wife…We all know that eventually it’s up to the marketer to just nod his/her head, move on and launch.

Seems to me that great marketing is bold. Great marketing breaks trends.  Great marketing has edges that just may scrape some the wrong way.  So, how can great marketing come about if massive consensus is required?

The answer is that it can’t. Don't tell me that everyone at Nike said their logo should be a "swoosh." Don't tell me that everyone at a certain tech organization agreed to call it "Google." Don't tell me that everyone said, "Oh man, that Subservient Chicken is genius at Burger King.

Truth is, marketers must take risks every now and then. Just get enough folks on your side to support the risk. After that, good luck!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:44 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 05, 2007

Why?

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This ad has an ick factor you can't ignore (there were worse in the series, but I spared you). So, why on earth is this supposed to move product?

 

Now I love the Virgin brand (my trip on Virgin America was cool), but why exploit senior love?  It's kind of pointless and really degrading. But that's just my opinion... 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:37 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 04, 2007

Why I'm Not Afraid of Raising an Internet Zombie

My new Facebook account has started to get addictive. Now, I’m buying little icon gifts for people, posting questions and drawing maps of my travels.  It can be a tremendous time-waster, but I’m hardly the only one wrapped up in these silly tasks. Most of the kids my teen-age son’s age are heavily into Facebook and similar sites, which begs the question – will today’s kids become Internet zombies the same way our generation became t.v. coach potatoes?

I don’t think so.  For all their silliness, online communities force kids to interact.  It’s a bold act to send a friend a  “gift,” even if it is a teddy bear icon.  There’s also the element of expanding one’s world. In just one day of posting, my Facebook world gathered profiles from India, Turkey and England.

And consider the self-discovery. Building a profile means having to think about the image one projects to the world – favorite books, music, movies, etc. It’s a wake-up call that tests if you are truly interesting. 

Sure, there’s a dark side to all of this (I’ve seen enough “To Catch a Predators” like everyone else).  Yet at least today’s kids aren’t passive about their passion. Call me crazy, but I’d rather have my teen interacting with friends online than doing what I used to do in my formative years – staring at re-runs of "Nanny and the Professor."

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:36 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 03, 2007

For Parents On the Go

prod_Benadryl_PerMea_lg.jpgDon't you hate it when you're on the go and the little tyke starts acting up? You know you gotta slip him a little Benadryl to bring him down a notch. But if you're in a hurry, how do you prevent massive overdose? Ta da! "Perfect Measure" Benadryl helps you drug the young ones just right.

If this sounds callous, sit in one of those hard chairs at an airport gate and watch the parents ply their kids. I've seen it more than once.  Wouldn't just stuffing them with a fast food burger make them lethargic enough?

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:25 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Easier Than We Thought...

So what do you think about this? According to a study by Yahoo and MediaVest, ads that are displayed out of context had about the same impact as similar placements shown next to related content.

For example, an ad for a hotel chain did just as well on a travel site as it did on a news site. All that counts is that you target a specific audience…such as travel enthusiasts wherever they’re online – on a travel site or not.

Wow. Seems we’ve just been trying too hard.  Great, this marketing stuff isn’t as hard as we thought!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:10 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 02, 2007

One of Many Faces

3472843809.jpgI am not what ya call an early adopter, so pardon me if I write about my new Facebook account.  I got started last night after I heard another post-40-year-old talk about her page.  I’d known about MySpace (my son has such a “space,” but as the Tricks ad says, it seemed just “fer kids.”) I have no idea why a Facebook account appears more acceptable.

In any event, Facebook went through my address book last night and notified practically anyone who has ever sent me an email that I have established myself on the site. So, if you got a message from me …. and barely know me … I apologize. On the other hand, if you want to indulge me in my new teen-age habit, send me a message.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 01, 2007

Forever Young?

If you've got a young girl at home, it's worth taking a look at Onslaught, the new campaign by Dove. Images of so-called perfction come at a pretty young girl in rapid fire. It's compelling enough for any mother to say, "Stop!" and throw away those awful Bratz girls on my kids' shelf.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)


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