I guess it’s just human nature to want more right? In what has become an endlessly consumption-driven world, do we never find something that accomplishes what we want it to? Can we never simply be happy with what we have rather than continually wanting something more or something better?

Core77 has an excellent assessment of the iWant syndrome:

Our theory is that when you give people what they want, they actually complain more than they did when they were simply putting up with whatever was doled out to them.

They’ve laid it out with Apple as the prime example. Apple creates the iPhone, and people immediately criticize it for what it doesn’t do. Apple releases Leopard, and the immediate reaction is "it’s great, BUT…"  My question is why? 

Is it just an issue of semantics?  Do we really have an underlying love for these products which prompts us to immediately offer ideas on how to make them better still?  Or do we view Apple as the closest point to perfection in the technology world and therefore expect them to think of everything before we do? 

This also opens up the opportunity for conversation. A brand that’s willing to listen to the people who are talking stands to make exactly the changes that people want - granted, you’ll never satisfy everyone. Even better, a brand that’s willing take a speaking role in the conversation, in addition to listening, (something that Apple has never been very good at) has the opportunity to create true advocates for themselves.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, core77, apple

We reported on Friday that Apple would be running a broadcast ready version of a student-made commercial for the iPod Touch. Apparently they’ve been working quickly because it’s already posted to the Apple website as of yesterday. They’ve stayed very close to the original version, created by Nick Haley.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, apple, ipod touch, nick haley, UGC

 

Christine over at PSFK points out this fantastic mish-mash backlash to Dove’s newest masterpiece, Onslaught. Filmmaker Rye Clifton has created a piece called A Message from Unilever pointing out the irony that one company believes it can get away with creating Onslaught for Dove with one hand while churning out spot after spot of bikini-clad, writhing women for Axe with the other. His mini-film ends with the statement: "Talk to your daughters before Unilever does." And apparently not one to shy away from whatever attention he gets from it, Clifton has posted his email address at the end of the piece as well. So let him know what you think.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, dove, onslaught, axe, unilever, psfk, rye clifton

MacNN is reporting on an interesting story. Nick Haley, an 18 year old student in the UK, produced a home-brewed, fan-boy-esque spot for the iPod Touch.  Haley posted the video on YouTube (where else) where it grabbed 2000+ views in one day, leading to…an email from Apple. Contrary to what most companies do when someone creates content or talks about their product, Apple has asked Haley to work with Chiat in LA to produce a broadcast-ready version of his commercial.

Talk about falling into advertising at a young age. But it’s great to see that a company the size of Apple isn’t hiding from the UGC that’s coming out about them (granted, this isn’t exactly critical material).

 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, apple, nick haley, youtube

 

Things are just more laid back in Europe - in almost every aspect of life. The French would say we take ourselves too seriously, and they could point to the FCC’s Standards of Decency to prove their point.

Marketers and Advertisers there are allowed to be creative with their campaigns while sticking true to their original visions.

Take for example this advertisement for AIDS awareness.

Sidaction, the organization that produced this spot, would never be allowed to get away with something like that on anything less than premium cable here in America.

Moving, provocative and quick to get your attention, this is a brilliant campaign.

While talk of advertising on Facebook is by no means difficult to find (have a look here and here and here and here) I did notice an interesting little tidbit just a minute ago. Maybe it’s not new, though it is the first time that I’ve noticed it. I’m talking about the Axe-branded Facebook gift ducky devil guy. The world of Facebook gifting, is, IMO, an utterly brilliant move by Facebook. They produce a few little pictures and sit back and laugh as their "limited-edition" (usually 1 million) "gifts" sell out.

What makes the Axe ducky interested is two-fold: 1. it’s the first time that I recall seeing a branded gift and 2. it’s available for free. This one is also a slightly more limited-edition at only 250,000. So did Axe pay Facebook for the $250,000 that they would have otherwise earned for a normal facebook gift? Is this run limited to that number because it’s all Axe wanted to spend? What do we really think this does for Axe as a brand? Somehow it seems to fit TAG’s slightly more high-school-esque branding to me, but then if Axe thought of it first…

Come on people, help me speculate and create wild rumors here!!

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, facebook, axe, facebook gift

 

An excellent take on the "make the logo bigger" conundrum from Creative Bits:

And it references Pinky and the Brain. Awesome.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, creative bits, logo, brands

 

One of my favorite David Ogilvy quotes is the very famous, “I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.”

This video puts that sentiment in context like I’ve never really seen before. You’ll see actual clips from the pre-testing of the most famous advertisement of all time, Apple’s 1984. If consumers had their way, the soldiers would have been robot dancing and their might have been achimpanzee involved somehow. Anyway, great stuff.

I came across this story this morning and I’m truly impressed.  I’ve never purchased from Zappos (the online shoe store that lets you buy shoes and return them to get the right size with no extra charge), but after reading this I might just have to try them out.  Here’s a short version (edited by me, please do read the full story):

…in May we had ordered several pairs of shoes from Zappos for my mom. She’d lost a lot of weight, and her old shoes were all too big….Out of seven pairs, only two fit…

The rest were here waiting to be returned. Because of various circumstances - lost label, my mom being hospitalized and me being away, the shoes were never sent back. There’s a time limit on the return of 15 days….When you do a return to them, they pay the shipping, but you have to get the shoes to UPS yourself…

When I came home this last time, I had an email from Zappos asking about the shoes, since they hadn’t received them….I replied that my mom had died but that I’d send the shoes as soon as I could. They emailed back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes, so I wouldn’t have to take the time to do it myself…

Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos…So…

IF YOU BUY SHOES ONLINE, GET THEM FROM ZAPPOS.

With hearts like theirs, you know they’re good to do business with.

Talk about a company truly going out of their way for a customer. They helped her out by having the shoes picked up, they waived the normal 15-day return window. And then they sent flowers?? How fantastic is that? A shoe retailer made a customer feel like a million bucks at a time when she was really down. That’s not a line I hear too often.

And what does Zappos get from this? Technically nothing. Unless you take into account the 100+ comments and countless links that this woman’s blog has received from this story. Conservatively speaking, this story has wandered in front of…1000 potential customers? I bet at least a few of them will check Zappos next time they’re shoe hunting.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, zappos

A few weeks ago, I went to a Sox game.  I bought a program. 

I got a free gift. A bumper sticker.  OOH!
It read: "Eric Gagne is a Yankees Spy."  (Don’t snicker… that’s possibly true.  Also, I’m cranky.)

But that’s not the end of it.  Let’s now check out the awesome power of Facebook groups.  There are now over 100 of ‘em devoted to lambasting the guy. 

A short list (via Sportsblahg):

Eric Gagne for Prezident (Description: Chokes harder than Bush on a pretzel)

Eric Gagne Hurt My Feelings

Killing Eric Gagne is justifiable homicide

Eric Gagne ruined my picturesque playoffs

Isn’t it ironic that Eric Gagne’s last name means "to win" in French??

Eric Gagne should be kicked in the balls by everyone in New England

 
When Mark Zuckerberg called Facebook a "social utility," I believe this is exactly what he meant.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, facebook, social utility, eric gagne, red sox

Apartment Therapy, one of my favorite blogs, posted something today that would prove scary for any blog/small business: 

After over three years of reviewing stores and soliciting your comments with great happiness all around, we’ve been hit with a rash of lawsuits from stores that can’t deal with being publicly reviewed by us.

Now, I could sit here an wax poetic about the problems with our legal system and ask why we live in a society where companies are free to bully the little guy in hopes of scaring them with lawyer fees. But I won’t. We all know that in a post "I got paid for spilling hot McDonalds coffee on myself" world, lawsuits are just a way of life. What I absolutely can’t understand though, is how companies could see this as anything other than an opportunity. 

Your company has just been publicly berated for…something…a lack of service, treating a customer poorly, whatever. Now, obviously your first inclination is to go after the person speaking out against them. Spend a grand or two, search out their real names, and slap them with cease and desist letters that probably cost $100/word from your corporate attorneys.

OR

You call up these customers who are complaining - after all, you’ve just spent the time and possibly money to figure out their real names and addresses - and ask them for their help. "Hey, we noticed that you had a bad experience. Will you spend a little while on the phone helping us understand what we can do better?" Or better yet, send someone to meet them at the store and go through their experience with them step by step.

Think about it…. You’ll save money on lawyer fees. You’ll learn how to better your store in the eyes of your customer. That customer will probably go back to all the people they complained to and tell them about their new and improved experience. More people will shop at your new and improved store. Velvet curtains will open. Champagne will rain from the heavens. Your brand will be lauded from here to eternity.

In fact, this is from the same post on AT:

One moving company not only apologized to a reader for a bad move, they let everyone know what the reasons for it were and promised that they would be working harder in the future. This turned things right around and - with their comment and hard work - subsequent comments were incredibly positive.

 This isn’t rocket science. This is simple brand management. If you were a customer who had a bad experience - and yes, it happens to the best of companies - how would you like to be treated? Lawsuit? No, I didn’t think so.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, apartment therapy, branding, brand management, lawsuits

I saw this spot for Hyundai by G.S. & P. last week and didn’t think much of it. Then I saw it again and realized the copy is confusing and cluttered. Take a look and make sure to listen to my home slice Jeff Bridges belt out some copy.

As advertisers we are supposed to pay attention to detail and if you take
note of anything said in this commercial it’s easy to pick out the follies. Here is some of what you just heard, "Instant gratification has us in a stranglehold. So much so, we don’t want to fix things anymore, just replace them." Then they made references to one’s nose, job, or wife saying if you don’t like them, get a new one. The copy goes on to ask, "What ever happened to commitment, standing by our decisions?"

First of all, this idea of commitment really bothers me. I can see comparing commitment with-in a marriage, but not so much with a job. Nobody should have to keep a job they hate, there is no glory in killing yourself for the man unless it makes you feel worthwhile. Secondly, if you have schnoz and you’re peppered with nose jokes like a piece of chicken, why can’t you get a nose job? You have a commitment to your nose? Not to mention, there is no instant gratification in getting a nose job. The recovery process is painful and about a month long.

Secondly, when I think about the connection between cars and commitment I hardly think about Hyundai. I think about American automakers with deep roots in the U.S.A.

Thirdly, I absolutely hate the sound of the typing keyboard at the end of the commercial. Southwest used to do it and now Hyundai is doing it in all their commercials. It is more annoying than people who quote Will Ferrel movies.

I will say though, the ThinkAboutIt.com website is interesting.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Hyundai, GS & P, Commercials, Advertising

Ha! See eharmony, it is possible to create a humorous look at the dating scene.

 

 

via

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, core77, RSVP, eharmony, online dating

 

If you haven’t already played the Get The Glass game for Milk, take a look.  It’s the most exceptionally executed online game I think I’ve ever seen.  And as well it should be given the work that went into it.  This is no ordinary flash game.  Have a look at "the making of" here.

Stumbled onto this excellent, fun set of spots from Nike…Japan, I believe China (thanks to Adrian for correcting me on this one).  Can anyone help us out with a translation of the characters just before the swoosh?

 

via

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, nike

 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, a few good men, a few good creative men

Around here, we like to point up instances of fantastic customer service…

Even more so, we enjoy sticking our critical fingers in the eyes of any company that majorly drops the ball.

Mona Shaw is with us.

The photo caption sums it up quite tightly:

"What the hell, I’m 75," said Bristow resident Mona Shaw about heading into the Comcast office in Manassas with a hammer and using it on a telephone and computer keyboard, after trying for days to have her phone service connected.

Mona, you go. 

[Thanks to Kate.D for the tip]

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Mona Shaw, customer service, Comcast

For the past month or so on Creativity-Online I’ve seen this little video occupying the corner of the page.

First of all, a blunt edge is not capable of cutting a holiday ham. Second of all, who tries to cut a holiday ham with a mouse, but not any mouse, an Apple mouse noted for its smooth and round design? I can see someone using an old school optical mouse with it’s sharp edges slicing and dicing the ham, but not an Apple mouse.

Even though the video doesn’t make much sense, it did get me to check out The Now Corporation. They have reels and a roster of creative employees, but I’m still hazy as to what they exactly do. Then again, their reels are really good so who needs a company description or "What We Do" page with a portfolio like that. Plus, they can afford ad space, therefore they must be doing something right.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, The Now Corporation, Advertising, Agency, Apple Mouse, Creativity-Online

 

Late last week, AdAge pushed out a thorough recap of Anderson Analytics’ third annual fall brand survey of college students, which polls the brand and media habits of the 18-24 demo.

As author Beth Snyder Bulik nicely sums up:

They love Apple, shop at Target, use Facebook online and are split on whether they adore or despise the Geico lizard. They wish they were better at sports, watch TV more often than surf the web and view a lot of YouTube videos, but generally don’t create them.

In addition, FaceBook trumped MySpace (especially with females), and Taco Bell surprisingly beat out Mickey D’s, and Coke is still the bev of choice.

And, although I hate to admit it, the NY Yankees (as a brand, mind you) upset the Red Sox;
Yea, well, last night’s game proved that strong brand messaging doesn’t necessarily win games.

Check out the full run-down below. [Chart courtesy of AdAge; Source: Anderson Analytics]

 

 

[Cross-Posted at The Web Outside] 

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Brands, College, Audience Analytics, AdAge, The Web Outside

 

We’re obviously not the only ones who have some questions about Sony’s new Bravia spot.  AdRants also posted about it as well.  And apparently, they’re a little better at stoking the fires than we are, because they got a response from Sony:

There is suggestion that there is a similarity between an illustration by Kozyndan and the new Sony BRAVIA ‘Play-Doh’ advert. Sony would like to stress that the advert conception, creative and final animation is not based on any pre-existing artwork. "Sony Europe, its agency Fallon, production company Gorgeous, and animation company Passion Pictures, assert that the wave, whale and bunnies were arrived at without reference to these artists. In the original script, the rabbits were one of many creatures to cavort around a cityscape. In fact, the location was only finalised shortly before the shoot. The final creative, led by Juan Cabral at Fallon and director Frank Budgen at Gorgeous, was chosen to champion the brand and best reflect ‘colour.like.no.other’. Sony enjoys working with experienced and talented creatives and all involvement in a campaign is always credited.

Like AdRants’ reaction to it, I think I’m gonna have to call BS on this one:

Dude. They used the same color and shade palette for the bunnies. Are you going to tell us that the Kozyndan team and Passion/Fallon fell asleep and had the same fucking dream?

This, folks, is one of those moments that can shape your brand. Yeah, you never wanted the media coverage crying out that your latest coup de gras was stolen from someone else’s work…maybe you didn’t even know because it all happened behind the closed doors of your agency.  But right, here, right now, is one of those moments that some of your consumers will remember.  How does your brand stand on it’s own in the midst of controversy? I’m going to venture a guess that statements reeking of BS aren’t the best solution. 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, sony, bravia, play-doh, fallon, kozyndan, adrants, bunnies