By katie, 2:23 am
As this week’s @OldSpice advertising juggernaut unfolded, we were captivated by the sheer creativity, but also because we knew we were watching our industry change. Advance.
Unique, memorable spokesperson: check
Witty, quoteworthy, parody-worthy script: check
Target market that can be swayed by unique spokesperson with quoteworthy lines: check
The formula worked for the SuperBowl. The second commercial (Swan Dive!) came out a few weeks ago and re-invigorated the chatter. But none of us could guess what the team had planned next. Plenty of celebrities have used Twitter to engage with fans and push their own brand, but is this the first time our industry has created a Twitter celebrity?
If eyeballs, followers, fans, subscribers, ReTweets are measures of success, there is no doubt how this project turned out for Old Spice. And for the hundreds of thousands of young men out there just starting to care about hygiene, we have no doubt they’re considering the same brand their father probably used (uses?). But are older users switching?
We hope so.
When great, inspiring creative captivates the jaded, skeptical advertiser inside us, we have to wish for the product’s success. Product sales make clients happy. Happy clients are more likely to entertain the creative idea every agency person wishes they could pitch. What it comes down to is trust. To pull off the Old Spice YouTube project was no small feat in effort, but before a team even started building the bathroom set, there was a level of trust. P&G had to implicitly trust W+K (their traditional, not social media agency, it’s worthy to note) knew enough about the brand and the audience to make this a success.
We think they did. Congrats to everyone involved. We may just have to go out and pick up some Old Spice body wash. And we’re a woman.
By katie, 2:20 pm
There’s a reason for registries: they take the guesswork out of picking the right gift and eliminate the embarrassment of opening (or giving) a third blender. But it can be argued that they also take the fun out of finding The Perfect Gift and the surprise out of opening something that’s so perfectly you and how did they know?
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By katie, 5:38 pm
Advertising has never been a 40-hour workweek industry, but at least in the madcap days of the Mad Men when they left the office, they also left work behind.
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By katie, 5:00 pm
When is the last time you dashed off a personal note to a friend? Not on the computer, but with an actual pen and paper? Me? I just used my last of the holiday stamps.
As much as digital technology has revolutionized communication, there is one vestige of the past that I am trying desperately to hold onto – stationery. Yes, I still visit paper stores, and yes I even still buy birthday cards. And while I can be a bit of what my husband calls “a paper snob” I’m very impressed with Hallmark’s section of sympathy cards. And if a store can give you a range of messaging in the sympathy section, you know you’re in good hands.
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By katie, 2:19 pm
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this to you, but I only discovered online grocery shopping this week. I mean, I’ve always known about grocery delivery services, but those seemed a bit too indulgent, my inner frugalista outweighing my efficiency-obsessed side. Until this week when a coworker mentioned that he does his grocery shopping online and then schedules to have the order ready for pickup on his way home from work. Now that’s a compromise I can get behind.
How much shopping do you do online?
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By katie, 3:54 am
Interviewing for a creative position is a tough gig, but if you’ve found your way to The Creative Attic you likely know that already. Interviewing for your first creative position is even harder – when you’re promising you’ve got what it takes to be the Next Big Thinker. But your tie or pencil skirt reveal how much you have to learn about the industry yet. Or maybe that was just me, 10 years ago now.
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By katie, 7:17 pm
How would you explain Twitter to someone who only comprehends it in terms of Why Does Anyone Want To Know What I’m Eating For Dinner? The simplest breakdown I thought of was to describe Twitter as walking into a humongous, crowded conference hall with the ability to pop in and out of any conversation you felt like. You can talk (well, @) to your favorite celebrities, and pretty much participate in any conversation from Art to Zen. And for anyone who still doubts the value of Twitter, one only needs to Google “Twitter and Hudson River” to quickly access the Tweet that changed everything.
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By katie, 10:10 pm
Before even touching the hands of eager consumers, the iPad has generated an incredible roller coaster of emotions.
Initially tech geeks lampooned everything from name to capabilities (or lack thereof). No flash. No webcam. No 3G service! Slowly at first, people started thinking of the iPad’s different uses. Perhaps the iPad wasn’t perfect for the traditional Apple-head, but for the casual web surfer… or better yet, the avid reader. Ahh-ha.
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By katie, 4:18 am
As an independent contractor, I’ve gone back and forth about the advantages of having business cards. Much of my work comes via referrals, existing relationships or “meeting” me on the internet, and I very rarely meet someone in person where I have the opportunity to suggest they “call me if you need me.” However, it certainly wouldn’t hurt any to be able to hand someone a physical reminder of my services and contact information. There’s no guarantee they’ll remember my last name when they get to their open search engine bar. And worse, there’s someone else out there (albeit across the country) that has the same name and works in the same field. If my potential client were looking at my business card while typing in my email address or URL, there would be no risk of them sending my business to a woman in California who specializes in medical writing.
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By katie, 8:09 pm
The Vancouver Games are beginning to wind down, and there will no doubt be quite a few highlights that will rise above and be remembered, recanted and debated for years to come. You’ll have to head over to ESPN, Deadspin or whatever your favorite sports blog to read parse every detail about those athletic achievements; we’re going to talk about the advertising stories.
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