Well, I nearly threw a little parade around the office when I found out there would be a third in the series that began with one of my favorite ads of all time, the Bravia balls.

According to a Sony PR representative, the next installment will be called "clay" and will be shot in a secret location Monday, August 6th in New York. And, if the first two ads were any indication, it’ll probably be another huge production. I can’t friggin’ wait. Stay tuned for more details…

Absolut Vodka has provided us all with a good many friends in the past; We had ebullient Mr. Raspberry, tart Ms. Green Apple, and my personal BFF– the lively, yet always comforting Miss Ruby Red.

Now, for the first time, Absolut has created a flavored vodka (henceforth also referred to as "Friend") inspired by a city.  Yup, a limited run of 35,000 cases of Absolut New Orleans will soon hit store shelves (for $19 a bottle).  The bold elixir offers a pump of mango, jazzed up with a little black pepper. 

The best part?  Part of the proceeds go to help five Gulf Coast charities.

Very smart niche marketing for Absolut– with an even smarter charitable angle.

Ohhhh, friends… 

[More at Room 116 and Luxist. Photo Cred to Room 116.]

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, advertising, absolut, vodka, absolut new orleans

Just in case you’re the one person who hasn’t heard, the Age of Conversation has launched, and with it, the age of me not seeing fellow BMAer Sean Howard’s nipples has ended. That’s right, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster over the past week.

If you haven’t heard about the book, first, pull your head out of your ass. Second, read about it here. It’s actually pretty damn good, despite my unfortunate contribution. The book is ranked 2nd, 4th and 8th on Lulu (ebook, paperback, hard cover), and will raise to number one after you buy it here.

Back in early May, only a few days after finishing my last final for high school, I went in to interview at an agency called Topolewski. Just being able to finally get an interview with an agency was monumental for me. On a monthly basis starting junior year of high school, I had been writing letters to agencies asking for work after school, possible internships, or anything they could give me. Most places didn’t respond and others said they had no room. Even though my dad works for Leo Burnett Detroit and knows most everybody in the business, I refused to let him help me get a job- I wanted to do it myself. However, after a year with no internships or advertising job to speak of, he helped me out.

My dad had worked with Gary Topolewski in the past and met with him for lunch back in early May. I got brought up and Gary said he wanted to meet me. The rest is history and now I’m working full time as an intern at Topolewski. Sure, it can be stressful and the work can be hard, but what the hell, I’m doing something I love. The day I started was the first time we started conceptualizing a new campaign for Quiznos. From that day for a month straight we worked on Quiznos until they gave their account to Cliff-Freeman without exactly informing us. Sure, it was upsetting, but more work was on the way.

Since the agency is comprised of about seven to eight people working full time and another handful helping out when we need it, I’m able to work with everyone. Plus, I have been lucky enough to see every aspect of the creative process, not to mention given a good deal of assignments such as writing radio spots, commercials, viral videos, interactive websites, or anything else we need copy for.

Besides getting used to the whole, working full time thing, I’ve enjoyed every minute of the internship. I’m getting more experience in the business than most college students get by the time they’re juniors, heck, even seniors. Considering most advertising internships are reserved for upperclassmen, I’m hoping this internship will open doors most underclassmen don’t have access to. In addition, I hope to put together a nice little portfolio by the end of this summer, even though the process seems a bit confusing and I have tons of questions- I’ll save that for another post. Oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the pictures from my office here.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Internship, Job, Career, Advertising, College, Summer, Topolewski, Cliff Freeman, Quiznos, Writing

I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to hear about my trip to Nike HQ last week. Overall, it was an excellent experience and very well run. I left NY on Thursday morning. An inevitably delayed flight out of LGA contributed to my missing the group trip to the Nike Employee store and the tour of the Nike campus in Beaverton, so I headed to the hotel to relax for a few minutes before meeting the group for dinner.

Nike put us up at the Westin downtown which was quite nice and centrally located. Upon entering my room, I was greeted with my first bag of goodies from the Nike crew. And what a bag of goodies it was!

Open up the bag, and it pretty much puked Nike goods all over the place…

Initial goody count consisted of: 2 pair of Nike+ running shoes, 2 Nike shirts, 1 pair of Nike running shorts, 1 Nike running jacket, 1 pair of Nike socks, 1 Nike+ kit, 1 personalized Nike+ armband for the nano, 1 Nike water bottle, 1 Nike+ travel pouch, 1 book on shopping and eating in Portland, and 1 Nike duffle bag.

After digging through my new toys, I met the group in the Lobby for a walk to dinner. This was my first opportunity to meet our contacts from Nike as well as the rest of the group (or those who’d already arrived, a few were still traveling). Dinner was a fun time at a Fridays-ish type of restaurant, courtesy of Nike. Then we headed back to the hotel to call it a night.

Friday was the big day. We met in the Lobby at 7:30 to meet the rest of the group and head over to Nike HQ for the big day. Our meetings were held in the design library of the Mia Hamm building (all of the buildings on Nike’s campus are named for famous Nike athletes). The design library itself could have been a playground for me for the day alone. Nike described it as their inspiration room; it was a collection of magazines, design pieces, and other information from around the world (no pictures allowed in the building).

I’ll have to settle for a broad overview of the day’s discussions (both because I signed a confidentiality agreement and because it would take a week’s worth of posts to cover the day’s talks). The morning was spent discussing the web and digital aspects of the Nike+ system. What would we like to see changed, what do we like about the current site, how can it grow, how has it created a community, etc…

Lunch was excellent and included the opportunity to meet some running greats such as Alberto Salazar and Adam and Kara Goucher. These runners were fun to chat with and were quite happy to offer some thoughts and tips to those of us who are a little less…talented.

The afternoon was spent discussing the hardware aspects of the Nike+ system. A representative from Apple was present to talk to us about any problems that we had encountered as well as any further wishes and wants we have about the system. Then things got interesting…

There has been a rumor about Nike producing a watch/remote that integrates with the Nike+ system, which, of course, someone brought up. To which Nike answered with a giddy grin, “well, it’s funny you should as about that…” We were then introduced to the Nike Amp+ and were each given a pre-production sample to test out and report back on.

After the discussion on the Amp+, we were introduced to one of Nike’s running shoe designers who came by to get our feedback on a new shoe that is planned for launch in October. I can’t share much on that one, but will do so in October…when Nike sends each of the summit attendees a pair to review!

This final session was followed by a short group run. And since one of our Super Users (as Nike dubbed our group of summit attendees) challenged our Nike hosts to a 400M race, we made a stop-off at Nike’s on-campus track for a little race fun:

After our fun-run/race, we all hopped the bus back to the hotel for a quick shower and then met back in the lobby for another Nike sponsored dinner. This one was a lot of fun as well since many of the Nike designers that we’d met during the day were there, so we got to continue our discussions over a few drinks and a tasty meal.

I hopped a plane early the following morning for a long travel day back to NYC, though many of the Super Users did stick around Portland for another day or so to explore and play. Overall, a very fun day at Nike with some extremely generous hosts. They seemed very interested in listening to what we had to say and putting it to good use. The entire day was video-taped so that they could go back and review the discussions. Nike also went to the trouble to bring in creatives from RGA here in New York (the agency that designed and maintains the Nike+ site) to listen to our comments as well.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions; I’m sure there are things that I’ve missed in this brief review. I’ll answer whatever I can.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, Nike, Nike+, Nike+ Super Users Summit

Are you in the mood to wildly exclaim, "Wait, huh, what…. oh, okay, yes… okay, no, wait, what?"

Then you should read this letter to the Financial Times by Peter Fleischer of Google’s "Global Privacy Counsel" (yea, I don’t really know about that title either…).

Fleischer’s response comes in reaction to an article entitled "In spite of Paxman, the tie will flap again," a piece that debates whether or not men’s ties are on their way out.

Fleischer’s argument starts off solidly: "Men should lose their ‘business attire’ and wear T-shirts to work."

Okay, cool. 

Then, he digs a little hole: "Wouldn’t you like to know whether your business partners are fit?"

Um, okay, I guess? Maybe? No?

Next, he widens the hole and gives a little spit (with excess phlegm): "Why should you trust a man in business if he abuses his own body?"

Wait, huh, what…. oh, okay, yes… okay, no, wait, what?

See?  Warned you.

[thank you, nick carr.]

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, google, ties, business attire, peter fleischer, nick carr

Ok, fine, no ponies. 

I have a special spot in my heart devoted to clean, friendly UIs.  I have another special spot in my heart devoted to fresh and minerally Alsatian white wine.

Combine the two, and you get Snooth– a wine search site that I’d really love to see succeed.  Currently still in beta, the search options are limitless yet accessible, informative yet never patronizing.

Although the few built-in social networking features don’t seem all that sticky, the basic search functionality is fantastic.  After playing around for a few minutes, I was quick to declare it a bookmark. 

My favorite part of the UI?  The scrolling "Can I see some examples?" link on the homepage.  A simple, perfectly-executed way of explaining an entire site without any clutter whatsoever.  As a matter of fact, I tip my hat to the site designer overarchingly– beta site or not, the homepage is close to flawless.

[via Springwise.] 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, wine, wine marketing, snooth, search engines, consumer products, UI Design

This little chipmunk and/ or prairie dog has been getting some serious attention- I’m sure you have seen it. If not, take a look at what they call the, "Dramatic Chipmunk."

If you don’t think this is funny now, just wait a little bit and watch it in a few days. At first, I thought, "wow, that was stupid," then days later, for no apparent reason, this video had me laughing like I was high on opium. If I wasn’t high on opium I thought I was turning into one of those people who just laugh for the sake of laughing regardless of whether something is funny or not. You know the type, it would be like they break something really expensive and then just say, "Whoops," and go on to laugh as if somebody was lambasting them with a funny stick. Or, they trip down a stairwell in a crowded place and start laughing. If they think scaring people around them half to death and then causing somebody to call, ‘911′ is funny- they should be pushed into a lamppost.

Alright, now that I have vented, back to the chipmunk. Since this video seems to be popular among the younger crowds, marketers have a lot of potential in which to use this video while targeting teens and adults in their 20’s. In a TV spot or Viral video, marketers could remake it entirely, yet use the same humor, or do a "remix" version by throwing in some product placement. By effectively utilizing this funny video, the response could be tremendous.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Marketers, Viral, Funny, Laughing, Opium, Dramatic Chipmunk

We write so often around here about childhood obesity, processed foods, and ads where girls make out for no apparent reason than to have a creepy tree splooge into their WTF glasses… So it’s nice to give a little hat tip once in a while.

This one goes to JCDecaux, the out-of-home behemoth, for sponsoring a massive bike sharing system in Paris.  Called Vélib’ (a portmanteau of velo and liberté), the program aspires to combat pollution and pump up Parisians’ physical fitness levels.

Springwise gives an excellent rundown of the program:

Customers can pick up a bicycle from one of 750 self-service points. If no bikes are available, renters are directed towards a well-stocked point nearby. After identifying themselves and providing credit or debit card details, users can take out a bike. A day pass costs EUR 1, allowing users as many rides as they like, provided each trip is less than 30 minutes. An additional half hour is EUR 1, with prices climbing for additional time used; the pricing model is aimed at encouraging quick turnover. Bikes can be returned at any service point. Once all 1,451 are in place (end of 2007), the nearest service point will never be far off — one every 300 metres, which means they’ll be 4.4 times as densely distributed as metro stations. The number of bicycles will also be doubled, bringing the total to 20,600.

So why is JCDecaux so smart for fully funding this endeavor?  Exclusive rights to 1,628 Paris billboards.  Wow.

A big batch of Flickr pics here.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, advertising, paris, bike sharing, jcdecaux, velib

Wait, are we allowed to make viral sequels? At what point are they just episodes?

It’s a question for another time, I guess. But after the monstrous success of the first ray-ban viral, I guess it makes sense to swing for the fences at least another time.

As Josh Warner of the feed company said, "As you know, one of this summer’s most successful viral brand videos
was from Never Hide Films sponsored by Ray-Ban. "Catch" or "Guy catches glasses
with face" as it was titled on YouTube featured two young filmmakers from Santa
Monica, CA throwing Wayfarer sunglasses at each other from increasingly
challenging distances. After 11 million views on multiple video share sites and
blogs; features on MSNBC, CNN, and the BBC; and over 11,000 comments on YouTube
alone, "Catch" filmmakers Steve and Benzo are back with a summertime sequel ‘Bobbing for glasses.’"

It’ll be tough to amass the same kind of success as the first one, but we’ll see…

Our good friends at BrandflakesforBreakfast and Make the Logo Bigger, as well as some other folks from Plaid, are set to embark on the first ever design and branding firm tour, an adventure that will see them criss-crossing 2,450 miles across the good ol’ USA.

Along the way, they’ll be proving their web 2.0-y credentials by using a live webcam, and blogging, twittering and youtube-ing the whole experience.

I must say, I love it. It’s nice to see an agency doing more than just a cool website to get noticed a bit. And for me, I get to see them on the last stop of the tour, August 3 in sweltering Dallas, Texas. Hopefully, with some other Dallas bloggers, as well.

See you then, boys!

No idea.  Really, none.

Technorati Tags: I do not know

It’s one week away!  There’s lots of excitement amongst the group.  Someone started a Google Group for our little gathering, and I’ve been getting around 15 messages a day from it.  Word is that we’re getting a more specific itinerary on Monday. Nike has been excellent about arranging travel, etc.  I even changed my ticket after having them book the original and they didn’t bat an eye.   

I’ve also been getting my form back a bit.  I’ve put in…around 40 miles(?) in the last couple of weeks.  Not nearly as high as I was back in winter, but still not bad after an injury-induced lull that caused me to miss the marathon I’d been training for. 

Now here’s the kicker though…my Nike+ unit has been extremely finicky lately.  I’ve had trouble in the past, though Apple has been nice enough to replace it each time, no questions asked.  Unfortunately, it’s still dropping runs and not connecting to my iPod all the time.  Certainly discussion points for the Nike trip.  I love my Nike+…when it works. But its frustrating to lose mileage in challenges, etc. on a regular basis.

I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be able to share from the experience beyond general impressions and brand interaction.  I know specifics are bound by a confidentiality agreement, but I’ll do my best to fill everyone in on the experience.

It looks like users were selected from across the US.  There are 3 or 4 of us from the NY/NJ area (me, one from NJ, one from the Bronx, and I think someone from Staten Island).  There are a couple from the southeast (georgia/s. carolina area), one from Kansas City, another from Colorado, and another couple from the Pacific Northwest.

I don’t believe that our "everyday lives" played a huge part in our selection.  For example, I don’t believe that my interest in advertising/branding/design had much, if any, bearing on my inclusion.  I don’t think Nike had some ulterior motive like my blogging about them.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, nike+, nike+ users summit, nike plus

I’m In Like With You is the newest mashup of social networking meets online dating meets ebay.  Or as they like to call it, "people watching on the internets".  The site is still in beta, and therefore invite only, but it looks like they have some solid upgrades in the works.  And I happen to know that this includes some sort of editorial content.  For which IILWY is looking for interns.  Did I mention that’s PAID interns?  Heather is the editorial director over there and she’s awesome.  If you want to vye for one of these positions, you’ll have to impress her.  Here’s what she’s looking for:

We have five paid internships available in our soon-to-be launched news section. Posts are simple, news- and gossip-based clips around 100 words, and will pay $6 a post (plus, you get to work with some super-awesome people as well.) Commitment is at least one post a day for two months — extensions and upward mobility after this point will be based on performance.

Please email two short writing samples (no attachments) to heather@iminlikewithyou.com along with a quick bio. We are looking to fill these positions immediately. Please, please pass along to anyone you think may be interested.

These will go FAST!  I guarantee it.  The site is uber-popular right now and is gaining momentum quickly.  And to sweeten the pot, I have a couple of invites to give away for those who haven’t gotten signed up yet.  Comment here if you’re interested in those.  Do NOT bug Heather for them.

Technorati Tags: IILWY, im in like with you, beyond madison avenue

I don’t know how I came across Teensurance, but I’m glad I did. So get this, if you can’t trust your teens on the road, what is a parent to do- maybe send them back to driving school or not allow them to drive at all? No way, if your teen sucks at driving or you can’t trust them, it’s all good, get him/her Teensurance to "keep an eye" on them. With Teensurance, you can get real time info with the speed at which your teen is driving, where they are, if they are out past curfew, and even perimeters to prevent "exploration" of forbidden parts of your city. Unfortunately, Teensurance forgot to offer a breathalyzer and urine cup to check for any illegal substances. However, you can still control every aspect of their driving experience while still allowing them freedom. RIGHT…

Seems like everybody in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s did fine. Teensurance is one step way to far. Honestly, let your teen be a teen, let them learn from their mistakes. I’m not saying to allow them free reign, but give them some trust and they’ll give you some respect. Because if you don’t give your teen some space, by the time a he/she gets some real freedom, say college, they won’t know what do with it.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Teensurance, Random Stuff, State of the World, Stupid, Useless, Automotive, Insurance, Teen

Well, now you have one.

Go to www.mentosintern.com and put a task in Trevor’s calendar.  Then tune in to see how it goes.

In the meantime, you can chat real-time with Trevor and he will talk back to you in real-time on the webcam in his office.

While I was there he completed a prank call to someone’s friend to accuse them of dancing with his wife at a club.

LOL.

As I was in line for my usual morning coffee today, I witnessed an interaction that made me stop and think about brands for a moment, and what exactly a brand name means to people.  It went something like this:

Girl notices friend’s shirt (green, white screened four-leaf clover, says "It’s better to be lucky than good."
Girl: "Oh, I love your t-shirt!  Where’d you get it?"
Guy wearing shirt: "I dunno…" (turns around and pulls label out for her to look at)
Girl: "I really want to get one for myself… (reading label) American Eagle Oufit… Oh.  I definitely don’t want one"

That was all it took.  This wonderful t-shirt that she HAD to have 15 seconds ago was completely thrown by the wayside because of the brand name stitched on the inside.  Nobody would have known (maybe there was a logo on the front of the shirt somewhere; I didn’t notice), or at least she didn’t know until she looked.  But that invisible name was a total deterrent.  Now, I’m guilty of this too.  There are certain brands that I refuse to buy for various reasons, despite what their clothing (or whatever product) might look like. 

And it works the other way too…I remember in middle school, Tommy Hilfiger shirts became all the rage.  I had some REALLY UGLY Hilfiger shirts.  But brands as status symbols are nothing new.  Look a iPod sales (or simply the fact that I know that it’s "iPod" and not "Ipod" or "ipod"). 

So do we revolt soon?  Do "anti-brands" become all the rage next?  How do you create a brand name that isn’t trying too hard?  Or one that carries its personality in a manner that doesn’t degrade the brand itself?

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, branding, brand name, american eagle outfitters

I really like this collection of spots for the Sony Cyber-shot. Though you don’t need to watch the whole clip to get the idea, it still does a remarkable job of recognizing the Sony brand and their Cyber-shot products. Personally, I’ve never seen these commercials in the U.S., probably because Fallon London does the work.  However, it makes me wonder, what is Sony U.S.A. work like?…I can’t think of anything memorable.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, Sony, cyber-shot, commercials, fallon london

Now THIS is what a response should look like. Period.

Recently I pointed out my experience with a visit to FINN here in NY. Not long after, FINN added me as a friend on facebook, which I found a little surprising (I had, after all, just pointed out a negative experience on a public forum). Well now I’d like to point out this comment from Jamie on the old post. It’s an excellent example of how to handle the situation that I pointed out, and it has immediately boosted FINN’s brand image in my eyes. Anyone who’s willing to personally respond on public blog, especially with an offer like this, deserves another chance (at the very least).

Hi Danny,

First, I’d like to thank you for your support of Freedom is Natural Nirvana (FINN) and listing it as one of your favorite clothing brands. From one artist group to another, that carries a lot of weight.

Second, I’d like to apologize for that dreadful turnaway on the 25th. Your depiction was absolutely accurate and I was caught off guard - our buzzer rings on & off throughout
the day by random visitors (or people waiting for the bus out front?) and 6pm on a Friday was quite random. After you mentioned that you are in the design field, I should’ve realized that you were actually here for us.

It’s not common that people go the extra mile to explore and develop new ideas and I’m sorry that you walked away disappointed. We invite you to come back to visit us and share your thoughts. As a gesture of our thanks, we’d like to send you and your roommate the tees you so lovingly wrote about. Please let me know your sizes and address. Hope you
have not lost faith in FINN completely – we’ve only just begun!

Sincerely,Jamie @ FINN

So, Jaimie, big thumbs up for the response! And I’d love to take you up on your offer to stop by again. I’m definitely interested in an inside look at FINN. I’ll be in touch.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, FINN, freedom is natural nirvana

It’s unfortunate that members only jackets aren’t really all that cool anymore. I admit, I own a white one. And I’m bringin’ that shit back. Nothing you can do about it.