Doritos: The Best Part
While the Doritos: House Sitting ad was very good, there was something about this one that just made me laugh. Perhaps it was the absurdity of it all? As a person who licks the bottom of her ice cream bowl when no one's looking, I could certainly relate.
Volkswagon: The Force
Maybe it's just because I'm dating a geek, but I thought this ad was adorable as well as effective. My boyfriend doesn't care much for advertising, but the sometime in the next 5-10 years Dad related to this ad. And so did I.
Chrysler: Imported From Detroit
What a wonderful ad for Detroit, and Chrysler, too. Even though I've never been to Detroit, I've had a tendency to view it as a broken, blue collar city with a high crime rate. That said, you have to admire the pride that this ad inspires. If I was in the market for a car, it would make me take a look at Chrysler. And it certainly made me hope for Detroit.
Honorable Mentions:
NFL Super Bowl Celebration
Pepsi: Love Hurts
I first saw this video on Todd Defren's blog, PR Squared.* I'm sure a lot of you have seen it, but I think it deserves another view. It's a satirical take on the agency-client relationship. 'Nuff said.
*PR Squared is one of my favorite industry blogs. Defren provides valuable insights on social media, public relations and what working in an agency is really all about. I highly recommend you check it out.
I've been spending a lot of time preparing for the PR + Social Media Summit at UW-Whitewater this coming Wednesday. I have been invited to speak about personal and professional online brands. I hope you'll come to my breakout session.
Until then, I wanted to share this adorable TV spot from Hillshire Farm. It's part of their "GO MEAT!" campaign. Enjoy!
A lot of people have asked if I’m planning to go to grad school lately. While I applaud those who have chosen that path (and there seems to be a lot of people my age who have) there are several reasons why I feel it’s just not right for me.
- It's all about the money.
Many people I talk to say grad school is their back-up plan in case they lose their job. Maybe I’m a cynic, but I don’t see how this is realistic. Most 20-somethings already have a hard time managing student loans, car payments, cell phone bills and let’s not forget, credit cards. Grad school is expensive. The economy is bad, and let’s face it we’re getting paid crap. Grad school doesn’t seem like a smart financial decision. - Who’s going to hire me?
Before you start lecturing me on all the professions that require a Master’s degree please, read further. I understand some professions require a higher degree of learning. Doctors for instance, but I’m working in the ad and PR agency world. In my world, a Master’s degree means my employer has to pay me more than someone else at the same experience level. Employers are trying to keep costs low. If it comes down to two people with the same level of experience and similar backgrounds… Sorry, but I think the bachelor’s degree gets the job. - What’s the value?
Again, while I applaud those with Master’s degrees, I simply fail to see the overall value. For PR professionals in the corporate or not-for-profit world a Master’s degree might be useful. For PR professionals on the agency side, I think an APR accreditation is more valuable. By now you may think I’m just lazy. That’s not true. I simply would rather work towards my APR, and be recognized by people in my industry than an educational institution. And yeah, it doesn’t hurt that an APR is much less expensive.
I’m sure there are many arguments that can be made on behalf of grad schools everywhere, but for me, getting a few more years experience and becoming APR accredited is of greater importance.
As a side note, if you really want to feel awful about the money you’ve “wasted” on college read this article from Gawker, “College: Waste of Time.”
Do you agree? Disagree? I’d be interested in hearing what others think on this topic, especially if you work in upper management. Which do you value more? A Master’s degree or APR? Who are you more likely to hire?
Within the past year I have become a huge fan of watching TV online. It’s a great way to save money (no need for DVR) and for the small price of four to six commercials you can watch most shows without resorting to illegal downloads. Thank you Hulu and ABC.com.
As I’ve been watching copious amounts of TV online I have noticed many different styles of online ads. Some can be very entertaining and informative while others are just plain boring. Most web sites give you 30 seconds to capture an audience that can easily go to the bathroom, grab a snack, or even (dare I say) surf the web during that time. That said, running your standard 30 second spot is not going to cut it.
Here are a few of my personal guidelines for creating online ads for TV shows.
- Do not go over 30 seconds.
It sounds pretty basic, but you would be amazed how many people violate this rule. As soon as that little timer hits zero I am finding out if Chuck Bass will finally tell Blair "I love you." It’s okay to give your audience the option to engage with your ad a bit longer, but by 30 seconds you have to be done talking. - Provide me with valuable content.
The keyword here is valuable. I am not a robot sitting in front of the TV. I’m online baby, I have options. And if I don’t like what you’re doing I can easily look through my Google Reader while you’re yapping away.
One of my favorite sponsors has been Florida Orange Juice. Their spots included educational games and quizzes that taught me why orange juice is good for me. Short and quick online games are always an easy win. - Use multiple techniques.
There are several ways to do this. One online ad for a car company showed their traditional spot in the upper left hand corner while allowing me to learn more about their car on the right hand side of the screen. I actually remember probing around while listening to the ad. Remember, people can be surprisingly good at multi-tasking and chances are they’ll be engaged by at least one of the options you present. - Develop multiple ads.
If you are the sole advertiser/sponsor for a show, seeing the same thing five or six times in a row gets really annoying. I will never forget the commercial for digital cameras with the quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald and how I came to despise it.
Nesquik does a decent job of mixing it up. While their ads don’t always entertain me for the full 30 seconds I appreciate how they switch it up. One time I get to play around and make the rabbit dance while another time they show a more formal commercial.
What did I miss? What do you like and dislike about online TV ads? Do you have any guidelines you wish advertisers would follow?
In today's economy it can be easy to keep your head down and stick to what "works." This clip (courtesy of Agency Spy) of Leo Burnett helped remind me that even though many of us face potential layoffs and are uncertain about the fate of our agencies, it is not an excuse to lower our standards.
To everyone looking for jobs, battling to keep jobs and just hoping to make it through... Please do your best to stay inspired. Do your best work and come up with new ideas. Question the way you do things. That is the only way our industry will prosper.
