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Thoughts on great business writing.
And other stuff.
 8 July 2008
A potential new client reminded me of Ziba, the Portland-based brand and design firm. I reviewed Ziba's site a few months ago when I was helping Lextant develop new content for its own site, and the Ziba site didn't make a big impression on me. I didn't care for the narrow content columns (difficult to read) and I found the tiny labeling frustrating. But the more I looked at it today, the more I began to appreciate it.
I love magazine-like design, and this feels like it was born from print. And I've really fallen for the company's unique approach to client case studies: big, bold photography, with very simple storytelling, presented in a slideshow. And many with an accompanying PDF available for more detail (including download file size, a minor obsession of mine).
Authentic storytelling is a big part of what I try to do for clients, so I also liked seeing Ziba's "Authenticity Is Now" book in its Education section. I'm hoping I can track down a copy.
5 July 2008
I get a tingle every few years when a new Pixar movie is about to arrive. It's something I always look forward to, that rare treat you know will be special. So I was delighted to spend part of my birthday watching WALL-E on the big screen with my family last weekend. And as always, I found the movie beautiful, funny, touching...but not quite as original as I'd hoped.
One thing I love about Pixar productions is how relatively transparent they are about story development -- DVD releases provide lots of evidence of the painstaking story and character editing process that happens before and during animation. As much as I enjoyed WALL-E, I though it owed some debt to TV's Futurama, the cult film Idiocracy, and a somewhat obscure Mad magazine I recall from about 30 years ago. (I'm guessing writer/director Andrew Stanton, who's my age, also read lots of Mad growing up.) It will be interesting to see if those sources are given some credit. Here's a great article that provides some background on how it was created.
27 June 2008
Here's a great quote I ran across recently:
"Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations." — Paul Rand
25 June 2008
Partnering with WD. A new client is WD Partners, the amazing large-chain retail and restaurant consultancy based in Dublin. WD always has great marketing ideas, and has asked me to help polish some of its web-based content prior to launch. The most recent: "The R-word," the company's reaction to the current economic climate.
I've really enjoyed meeting and working with WD's internal creative/web team, and look forward to more projects.
23 June 2008
George Carlin, 1937 - 2008. When I learned George Carlin died today, it really saddened me. We've lost one of the truly unique voices, not just in comedy, but politics and social commentary.
His work was a much spoken-word poetry as comedy, and no entertainer has ever come close to his mastery of (and fascination with) the English language. Sure, he's best know for his groundbreaking and timeless "Seven Dirty Words," routine, but he was just as funny when he wasn't pushing boundaries, but simply observing. Here's one example I always loved, and which my dad used from time to time in his class on multiculturalism. (If for no other reason, I will forever be a fan of YouTube thanks to the deep archive of Carlin work it holds.)
I've been aware of Carlin for as long as I can remember, but I became a devotee after borrowing a friend's beat-up cassette of "An Evening with Wally Londo" for a long drive home from grad school. I listened to it over and over, amazed at just how ahead of its time it was. And he managed to stay topical and relevant to the very end -- as Harry Shearer pointed out on Huffington Post this morning, his remarkable "Modern Man" rant is a great example. George, we'll miss you.
29 April 2008
A woman on the verge. A writer I knew at Resource, Jessica Hagy, is about to be very famous. Her terrific blog, Indexed, and has earned loyal fans ranging from Penn Gillette to the guy who wrote Freakonomics (that's as good as an endorsement gets, in my book). The blog is a collection of consistently clever/funny/poignant diagrams about life, love, and work — take a look.
I ran into Jessica Friday night (at Ruth Milligan's fun industry gathering) and we chatted for a while. Her success has been almost entirely viral; she started doing this as a simple creative outlet, and word got out. She now has a smart agent to manage the buzz, and a book of her work was just published. Rumor has it she'll be featured in Time soon.
You go, Jessica. Enjoy the ride.
11 April 2008
The Other Editor. My very first job out of college, in the summer of 1988, was as sports copydesk editor for CM Media's 18-paper Suburban News Publications chain. It was a tough and mostly thankless job, but it had one big upside: my desk was right beside Danny Russell's.
Danny was commentary editor, and I was intimidated. Not because he yielded the power of political endorsements and edited some really good writers. It was because I had no hope of competing with Danny's constantly funny banter with SNP's photographer, cartoonist, and managing editor, all of whom sat within earshot of us. I soaked it up. It made the 15-hour days worth it.
I stayed there about a year, then headed off to grad school. A few months later, Danny also made a change: he helped SNP launch a brand-new alternative weekly called The Other Paper. And he's been editor of it ever since.
Till now. Danny's leaving TOP to take a job in PR and marketing. If you get a chance, be sure to read his farewell column in this week's paper -- it's a classic. (And if you missed it, you can read it here.) Danny gave the paper its distinctive voice, and made it the must-read publication in Columbus, from the suburbs to city hall. Remember stories about that hideous Christopher Columbus statue? The campaign to name our hockey team the Mad Cows? The attempts to translate Lashutka press conferences? That just scratches the surface.
Back at SNP, Danny published my very first professional byline, a schmaltzy reflection on a local fruit farm about to close its doors. (The following week, he published a letter to the editor praising the piece -- written by my best friend's dad.) Danny let me write a few more columns, and I'm convinced those samples helped me get into Northwestern. I kept a stack of those clips for years.
More recently, Danny trusted me (and designer Chris Galvin) to create The Other Paper's very first website, which we launched in 2000. (It's the same site the paper uses today...note the Christopher Columbus statue tucked into the skyline banner.) That project led to other work for CM Media, including sites for Columbus Monthly, Columbus Bride, and Columbus C.E.O. The success of those projects (completed over nights and weekends while I was employed elsewhere) helped give me the push I needed to do what I'm doing today.
Well, so much for personal growth. All these years later, I'm still writing schmaltzy reflections. Just wanted to say thanks and good luck to one of the best and funniest people I know.
5 April 2008
Exel Logistics. If you get a chance, be sure to visit www.exel.com, the new website for the global logistics company based right here in Columbus. Exel isn't the highest profile company in the area, but it's one of the most impressive. Exel helps major corporations (VW, Goodyear, Sears, GeneralMills, and many more) assemble, warehouse, and distribute products around the world.
I partnered with Ologie and Shift Global to develop and manage all content for Exel's new site. Note the effective use of case studies, contextual sidebars, targeted contact information, and the different ways visitors can identify content they need: by industry, service, or customer need.
I continue to do work with Exel, and I during my last visit there, it was fun to see the many ways the company is promoting the new site, including bold lobby banners and a motion-video tour that plays on flat screen displays -- the first thing you see when exiting the elevator. Very cool.
Oh, and if you've ever wanted to peek under the hood of a site like this, here's my favorite working document from the project...
28 March 2008
Larry Hamill Photography. A few years ago, we created a basic website for Larry Hamill, one of the city's best and best-known commercial photographers. It has served Larry well, but recently he noticed he wasn't ranking very high in search results. So he asked us to apply some low-cost SEO (search engine optimization) techniques to his site.
By adding "recent work" galleries to his homepage (which he can update himself), applying Google Analytics, and using a few other tactics, his search results improved dramatically. Be sure to check out his site and galleries -- he's a remarkably kind person and his work speaks for itself.
10 March 2008
Jesse James Garrett. The term "thought leadership" is overused these days. But this guy is the real deal. As I wrote in CSCA's recent email promotions, if you have any interest in the design and usability of products, websites, or information systems, you won't want to miss our next guest speaker. Jesse James Garrett literally wrote the book on user-centered design for the Web: The Elements of User Experience is still considered one of the best works on the subject.
Garrett will be guest speaker at CSCA's next meeting, Thursday, March 20, at CCAD's Canzani Center. With so many strong interactive agencies in and around Columbus, we're expecting a big crowd, so get here early. As always, there will be drinks and appetizers provided, as well as copies of the special promotional poster (printed on beautiful Metallic Ice Gold 80# stock, courtesy RIS paper -- always gotta mention those sponsors!). Learn more about the event.
If you aren't familiar with CSCA, I encourage you to look into it. I'm an officer this year, and there's a renewed sense of energy with the group, thanks to the great leadership of co-presidents Deron Husak of Resource and Ologie's Mike Lai. There are some great initiatives in the works as we head into our 40th year. Visit www.cscarts.org to learn more and join. If you're part of the creative marketing community, it's a great investment.
15 February 2008
Introducing CraneGroup.com. Crane Group (often referred to as "Crane Plastics," one of its operating units) is one of central Ohio's best corporate citizens. It's a third-generation family business with remarkably loyal associates, and it is consistently one of the area's most generous funders of local arts, education, and social service organizations. So I was thrilled to work with Ologie and developer Mike Limes on Crane Group's new corporate website.
Crane's many companies (such as TimberTech and Crane Performance Siding) have had great websites for a while; now the parent organization has one, too. The site provides information about the Crane family, its history and philanthopic efforts, and serves as a portal to its many business units (far more brands than most people realize).
It was a privilege to work with Tanny Crane and other company leaders on the site. Feedback has been very positive -- the site is a great foundation for future development (we're currently working on job listing functionality and more). Visit the new CraneGroup.com.
10 February 2008
North American Auto Show. Or, better known as the Detroit Auto Show. A friend and I made a spontaneous trip to it a few weeks ago, the first time I've gone. Well worth the drive — photos can't quite capture the magnitude of the thing. But I tried anyway -- here are a few shots, with commentary.
Top impressions:
• The industry has finally tipped toward alternative fuels, green initiatives, etc. Related displays were everywhere.
• Segmentation continues. More two-doors, lots of new small and mid-size cross-overs, you name it. I ran into a friend from college, Tom Patterson, that I hadn't seen since my wedding. He's a market research and brand guy for Ford, and was there scoping the competition. He said the diversity really creates challenges for him. You have to wonder if all the choices, sold in smaller volumes, drives up costs (or lowers margins) at all price points...
• ...which might explain the surprisingly high stickers on many family vehicles. Example: a well-equipped Toyota Highlander now stickers at $40,000+. That's nearly twice what we paid for ours six years ago. For a few grand more, you can get a similarly equipped Mercedes R350.
• Didn't we all think the cockpit of the future would be *simpler*? Well, wait till you see the ridiculously complex arrays of buttons and dials on the new models from Infinity, Lexus, and even Honda (say it ain't so!). Gadgetry has never encroached on the driver space like it does now. Only Audi and VW seem to understand that some (most?) people want restraint. The car I fell in love with -- the new VW Tiguan -- is beautifully simple.
• Built-in GPS is everywhere. And no two work the same way. Can that be good?
• Most amazing brand reinvention: Saturn. Their cars and SUVs are NICE. And seem to be priced more fairly than most.
• Most impressive display: Mini, which felt like a nightclub/disco (in a good way).
• Strangest new car (real, not concept): Mini's new stretch model, the Clubman, with a suicide-door for getting in the back seat. What's the point?
Sidebar: The last pic in the gallery is actually a video -- my very first experiment with Apple's new iMovie HD. I found it absolutely counterintuitive and confounding and depressing...until I took the time to watch a handful of Apple's tutorial videos, which are brilliant. It really forces you to work in a new way. But once you get it...MAN, does it speed things up. It's actually quite amazing.
25 January 2008
A stunning documentary. Frontline, the superb news program on PBS, featured a remarkable piece of journalism last night titled "Growing Up Online." If you're only loosely aware of the impact being made by social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook, I highly recommend watching it. (You can view it on the Frontline website.)
Through a series of interviews with parents, kids, and educators from a single New Jersey town, the program dramatically demonstrates how the Internet has transformed the experience of growing up. These are kids who've never known life without websites, cell phones, and constant networking among themselves. The shocker is, the real threat isn't from online predators. It's from themselves.
Thirteen years ago, I wrote a lengthy cover story for CompuServe magazine that touched on some of the issues raised in the Frontline piece. I was proud of that story, and I think it stands up fairly well even today. But back then, I (nor many others, I would guess) would never have anticipated how the web has changed childhood.
Another thing I love about Frontline is the impressively deep content they post online following each show. When they say "find more on our website," they mean it. Extended interviews, meaningful resources, even first-person follow-ups written by people featured in this documentary. In the "Join the Discussion" area, for example, one subject in the film posted a clarification immediately after the initial broadcast, for the record. Brilliant.
19 January 2008
The website for Kinzelman Kline Gossman was one of the more interesting projects I've been a part of. They're a deeply talented collection of architects, planners, and landscape specialists who design smart, sustainable environments on a huge scale. (Projects include campus-wide master plans and extensive urban renewal efforts.)
In creating content for the site, I met nearly a dozen KKG associates. I was amazed by the complexity of their work -- not just the beautiful end-product designs, but the delicate balance of zoning, politics, history, community support, and other variables they manage along the way.
One highlight was getting to know the thoughtful, soft-spoken Mark Kline, a KKG partner and well-known figure in his profession. When Mark speaks, everyone listens. In fact, KKG's studio leaders had so many interesting things to say, I encouraged them to include interviews on the site (here's a good example) that help raise important issues and further enhance the firm's credibility.
Many thanks to Integrate for asking me to be a part of the project.
12 January 2008
The worst hotel in Amsterdam. That's the positioning of the Hotel Hans
Brinker, part of a great campaign for an ultra-cheap place for students to crash following a day exploring museums, canals, and bars. At least, that's what it was for me and seven friends who, in 1987, piled into a rented van and made the five-hour trip from Luxembourg, where we were spending a year during college.
When I saw this ad mentioned on a blog, I had to laugh. As I remember it, the Hans Brinker wasn't that bad -- the location was great, it had a bed, and we didn't get robbed. And it was certainly more comfortable than the time we slept on the cold concrete floor of the Munich train station.
I love companies that aren't afraid to have some fun at their own expense. I'll bet more than a few of these posters were brought back and put on walls for senior year.
2 January 2008
Happy New Year! After a long hiatus from updating this blog, I'm back. And there's so much to talk about!
I'll up posting new content and marketing ideas in the coming weeks; for now, with the Iowa caucus a day away, I wanted to a link to what could become a classic campaign ad: Obama's "One Voice." Refreshing and inspirational, it reflects the appeal of his campaign, whatever party you favor. Whoever is producing his ads and speeches, they've struck a nerve.
And if you think the whole caucus process is somewhat silly and unncessary (as I had been lately), here's a refreshing take on why it matters.
28 December 2007
Holiday cards for Exel. I've been pleased to be a part of a six-month team effort (including Ologie and Shift Global) to develop a new website for global llogistics provider Exel. I'll announce the new site when it launches in the next month. During final content development, we took a brief break to also create several holiday cards for Exel, using the updated brand look and voice. The client loved them, send sent hundreds to customers around the world.
The red one reads...
Front:
He's got a list. He checks it twice.
Inside (with pic of Santa):
That's what good supply chain management is all about.
Your friends at Exel with you a wonderful holiday and a happy new year.
11 March 2007
The Book of Cool. It takes some hubris to name your product this way, but once I saw it, I couldn't argue. And the "book" is only a third of the story.
Have you ever wanted to know how spin a pencil on your thumb? Or cut a deck of cards with one hand? Or juke a hoops defender with a sick between-the-legs crossover? There are just a few of the dozens of insanely cool moves that are disected in this unique book-and-DVD set. Through a series of stylized and beautifully directed videos, it shows you how it's all done, mostly by unknown talents (outside their own fanatical circles, that is) from all over the world.
I have to be honest here. I've known about this thing for about a year. And I kept it a secret until Christmas, until I gave it to a few of my favorite collaborators. (It was a hit.) It merits mention here because The Book of Cool is a rare example of a product that is, as far as I can tell, available exclusively through its own Web site, which is an elegant and entirely on-brand extension of the box set itself. Check it out when you get a chance. And if you order it, prepare to lose a weekend taking it all in.
13 February 2007
Extraordinary customer service. It doesn't happen every day. When it does, it should be celebrated as an example of what builds brands.
If you've ever read this blog, you know I'm an Apple loyalist. Through good times (now) and bad (much of the 90s), I've been faithful to the company that makes computers that are easier to use. And today, I was reminded why.
In December, I purchased a new iMac, which included a wireless keyboard and mouse. It's the best Mac I've ever owned. But after a few weeks, the mouse started to scroll in only one direction. Then, yesterday, the scrolling became erratic in both directions. So I called Apple around 4:30 p.m. and described the problem. After a quick (and futile) attempt to fix it over the phone, the rep told me Apple would send me a replacement.
Fast forward to 1 p.m. this afternoon. I'm standing in my driveway, digging my car out from under 6 inches of snow that had just fallen. No one is on the road. Then I notice a DHL truck slowly pulling up to my house. The driver waves me over. I put the shovel down, make my way to his door, and he hands me a small box. It's the Apple replacement mouse -- delivered to my door, in the middle of a major snow storm, less than 22 hours after my call to customer service.
I don't know how they did it. But that, my friends, is a positive brand experience.
29 January 2007
"Is starting hard?" This simple question begins the fascinating documentary Sketches of Frank Gehry, a look at the background and accomplishments of the iconic architect. I viewed the film to better understand what makes the man tic (my wife and I planned our honeymoon around a visit to Gehry's dramatic Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain); what struck me as much as anything was director Sydney Pollack's low-key approach to the film itself.
Pollack, who directed Out of Africa among other well-known features, is the first to admit he had no experience in documentary filmmaking and little detailed knowledge of architecture. But Gehry liked him, and asked him to take on the project. The result is surprisingly personal and balanced, due in part to Pollack's very basic questions of his subject. That first sentence -- "is starting hard?" -- could be asked in any number of more complicated ways, but he stripped it down to the fewest words possible, which I really admire.
I think all marketers, whether writing copy or interviewing subject-matter experts, would do well to do the same. I know I will try. (Plus, I loved Gehry's answer. Who knew we all had so much in common with him?)
11 January 2007
A phone that inspires. By now we've all heard about and seen glimpses of Apple's new iPhone. I have no doubt it will be a market-shaking product when it debuts in June. I'm excited about it, but not just because it will be beautiful and useful. I'm excited because the flurry of media coverage reminds us why Apple is such an innovator: they take products that are difficult or intimidating to use, and rethink them completely to make them easy and enjoyable. It's as simple as that. And it's what any marketer should strive for.
"Jobs likes things that are broken," writes Lev Grossman in a great piece in Time magazine. So he can fix them. Apple gleefully eschews market research (at least, in terms of design and engineering), relying instead on the proven intuitive abilities of Jobs, design chief Jonathan Ives, and other in-house geniuses. Time and time again, the great CSCA speakers of the past year said the same thing -- most of the time, true innovation doesn't come from focus groups. It comes from thinking different.
1 January 2007
Is it really the new year? Time flies when you're having fun, and this year was very fun. I was fortunate to work with some amazing clients in 2006. Highlights included partnering on the Ohio Division of Wildlife's live falcon video cam and photo gallery, launching the CTPro website and brochure system, editing ECNext's website, e-book and Manta product interface, rolling out the McKnight Group Web site and marketing materials, updating the Salvation Army website, and lots of other activities. Many, many thanks go to Jeff Ivany and Keith Tatum of i5 Consulting, Denis Bruncak at CTPro, Greg Vennerholm at ECNext, Mark Siebert at the McKnight Group, Brenda Stier at Marketing Works, Mindi Trank and Tom Panek at Chute Gerdeman, Erika Shemberg and Oather Tally at The Salvation Army, Andrew Reardon at Stonefly Group, and other clients and collaborators. I deeply apprepreciate being asked to support your efforts.
13 November 2006
"Set the Earth Reverberating." That's the slogan I've always wanted to put on a T-shirt, and now I've got it. For those who don't recognize it, it's a great line from the Ohio State fight song, "Fight the Team Across the Field." And yet I've never seen it used on sportswear. So in honor of the upcoming Michigan game, I decided to make my own.
The solution: CafePress.com, one of the easiest and most functional e-commerce sites on the Web (usable, useful, and desirable -- they hit the Fitch trifecta). CafePress lets you upload graphics and have them professionally printed on a range of Ts, sweatshirts, and other stuff. And once you've done it, they encourage you to build a store to sell your stuff, and even share a little profit with you if anyone buys. It may sound complicated, but it couldn't be simpler. See for yourself -- visit my new store, Versatile Shirts, where you can browse the vast collection of...a single item. Yup, that's me, right there at the very end of The Long Tail...
Oh, and if you're wondering, the line "Smash Through to Victory" (on the back of the shirt) is from the other great OSU fight song, "Buckeye Battle Cry."
2 August 2006
Bad information design is all around us. And it's something we've all learned to live with. Maybe it's the poorly-translated instructions that came with your new DVD player -- or the purposefully difficult rebate form that made you buy it in the first place. I've been noticing it a lot lately, perhaps because as a few companies (TiVo, Apple) respond to the need for simple, literal, intuitive design, the remaining offenders contrast so dramatically.
So I've decided to document examples here -- the frustrating or confusing signs, messages, and other missteps I see in and around Columbus. The first case, above, was taken at the point where Riverside Drive splits at Rte. 161 -- the most prominent intersection every driver encounters heading north to the Columbus Zoo. I think it speaks for itself.
13 July 2006
This ad has almost no words. But I love it anyway. Most billboards are designed to make sense in a split second as you drive by. Here's a new one that's just the opposite. Which is fine, because its audience -- the crowd at
Wrigley Field -- will stare at it for hours. It's funny, original, and took an engineer to get it just right. And it really makes the brand identity work. One question, though: what happens on a cloudy day? More details here.
29 June 2006
I hope it works. But I doubt it will. This one got me really fired up.
A new series of ads appearing in Fortune and Fast Company titled "Why Ohio?" point to a Web site that sells Ohio as a good place to do business. Let's hope visitors don't base their judgment on the campaign itself. When you see creative this weak, it makes you wonder if maybe Indiana or Kentucky or Michigan is actually behind it, hoping their own efforts look better in comparison. After Ohio recently failed to land a new Honda manufacturing facility, I think it's fair to study the efforts being made to promote this great state.
The campaign is sponsored by...well, it's not immediately clear. There are numerious mentions of the pro-business incentives and tax changes...but I don't see any obvious political orientation. In fact, it's downright mysterious. I can find no copyright information on the pages, and even the info-request forms fail to indicate where the submission goes. I assume it's the Ohio Department of Development. But I don't know for sure, and that makes me suspicious.
Here are several other ways the ads and Web site miss the mark -- things to consider the next time you create an integrated campaign. View a sample ad and the website and then let me know if you disagree.
~ The print ad looks very dated. What is this, a time capsule? The layout and typeface is mid-'80s, and for a full-color ad, there's very little color in it. There is too much copy for an ad that points to a Web site for more information. And the photo of the products and smiling workers are Photoshopped nearly beyond recognition.
~ The Web address is buried. Apparently someone realized the campaign URL is too hard to find, because a faux Post-it note has been placed on the ad -- an eye-catching but costly device. The Post-it itself encourages readers to "register," but for what, it doesn't say. And it introduces yet another competing tagline.
~ Why Ohio? Good question. Leading with a question (in this case, "Why Ohio?") is always risky, because it begs the reader to think "I don't care" and turn the page. In this case, the question isn't answered immediately -- and only then at the very bottom of the page. An unrelated tagline, "Grow Your Business, Enrich Your Life" competes with the question posed.
~ Is this related? The Web site itself has no visual ties to the print ad, and is unnecessarily designed in Flash, requiring a high-bandwith connection...and patience. It is slow to load, and the animations detract from the message.
~ It isn't usable. Worst of all, because the site is in Flash, there's no way for a visitor to forward a specific page URL to a friend. Text can't be copied from the page, and there is no way to print the information.
~ Prove it. Claims on the ad -- "no property tax on investments on machinery," "21% lower personal income tax," and others -- sound suspect or vague. None of them are sourced to specific legislation or law. And of the seven articles in the press room, all of them are from last year.
I'll stop there. It pains me to think that this campaign could be the first impression of Ohio that's made on thousands of CEOs and entrepreneurs around the nation.
15 June 2006
Which came first? By now you've probably seen the Apple TV spots that compare Macs to PCs through two very funny actors. The first few were the best; the newer ones are a little mean, and risk having the audience side with the hapless PC, versus the smug Mac hipster. Nevertheless, a new print ad from Toshiba begs the question: Is this a case of campaign flattery or
bad timing? Or bad timing that's good, because you end up asking questions like this? Compare the ad above to what I think is the best of the "I'm a Mac" Apple spots...
4 June 2006
Best ad ever, revisited. I'm back to work, following a much needed and enjoyed vacation crossing the north Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, and spending a few days in England. Remember the awesome Sony Bravia ad I
mention in this blog back in November? The campaign continues to thrive in London, where I spotted this version of it. Hard to miss.
20 May 2006
Simple question: Which page gets you more excited about buying a laptop? From Dell or from Apple?
Apple just gets it. (Also notice how they're not afraid to push the boundaries of Web page width.)
30 April 2006
"I was wandering the souk at Marrakech, searching for an exquisite burlap that I'd heard tell of in rumor and legend." Thus begins a description of a $69 Westinghouse breadmaker, the one and only item for sale on woot.com today. Tomorrow it will be something else: $20 Boston Acoustics PC speakers, perhaps, or a five pack of HP 4x6 photo paper. These products share just two things in common: dirt-cheap prices, and hilariously quirky sales blurbs.
Woot is a mash-up of e-commerce, community, humor, and tech obsession. Site fans fill a daily blog with semi-serious posts about the price and quality of that day's item; real-time sales stats reveal the percentage of sales per hour and how many were purchased by woot newbies. Each product even gets its own podcast, complete with an original song and a brief introduction by a guy who sounds just like John Waters.
Someone's having a lot of fun with this -- and selling lots of stuff. And for every buyer, I'll bet there are 10 browsers who go simply for the copy. Where else can you read about a hanging nylon chair renamed "Hammock Chair of Death" because of it's scary-sounding warning label? That item's day has come and gone, of course, but I've got the podcast to prove it... (1.6MB QT audio)
9 April 2006
The Ottoman Empire and Skating with Celebrities. Those are just two of the funny, obscure, and just-right references in Dan Neil's latest car review, which appears (courtesy of sydication) most Saturdays in the Dispatch. This week he writes about the new Suzuki Grand Vitara. You skipped it, right? Next time, take a look -- regardless of the vehicle, his stories are detailed, entertaining, and unexpected. You'll learn about the car, its competition, and how in this case Suzuki smartly "plagarized the Toyota term paper," Neil notes. "Never borrow, Stravinsky said, just steal."
While his final judgment of a car usually pulls up alongside those of other critics, the journey getting there is the fun. I've always thought sports writers are among the best in the business, because they have to make a game with familiar rules, personalities, and locations seem fresh and new in every story. It's true for automotive writers, too. Literal descriptions of the same brands and technologies just aren't interesting. They need context and metaphors from beyond the auto world to bring them to life. It's a good lesson for marketing writers, too.
Here's a preview of what will probably be in the Dispatch next week: Neil's piece on the new Honda Fit , which appears in his home paper, The Los Angeles Times. (You've gotta love his first sentence.) Neil also hosts a radio show, which offers a wealth of audio goodies via his own section on the KCRW Web site. See (or hear) why he's won a Pulitzer for his work.
26 March 2006
On podcasts and OfficeMax. I have a neat new client, Priority Designs, an industrial design firm in Gahanna. My first project for them was to write an entry for this year's IDEA/Business Week design awards, and in preparation, I listened to a podcast interview with one of the judges, Chris Conley of Gravity Tank in Chicago. In it, he mentioned that his firm is working with OfficeMax, updating both its store design and its own label packaging. Its target (like everyone, it seems) is to be more like Target.
A few days after I heard this, I noticed in the Dispatch that a new OfficeMax had just opened in Hilliard that represents, I assume, Gravity Tank's brand work. The OfficeMax insert in the Sunday paper spelled out many of the ideas behind the refreshed retail space, which I thought was unusual for a big box retailer. (I kept the ad if you're curious to hear how one company chose to articulate, to customers, its new look and feel.) There are definitely some neat elements in the new store, including better sightlines and signage, a free WiFi business cafe, and self-serve, mix-and-match office supply bins. If you visit the place, let me know if you think the changes are surface or substantial. Were you more compelled to buy something? Was it easier to find what you needed? And -- bottom line -- did it make you feel better about the brand?
15 March 2006
Random thoughts. My new favorite band, based solely on its name: the Editors. Turns out, they're also pretty good. I discovered them as a featured new artist in the iTunes Music Store. And better yet, for the next week, you can download their new single for free. Between the constantly changing iTunes Music Store homepage, and the always-interesting iTunes, QuickTime, and ApplePro e-newsletters, Apple is showing that permission marketing (along with some nice incentives, like free songs) really works....I've been an on-and-off subscriber to Wired magazine for the last decade. I'll read it for a few years, then decide I don't have time and quit for a while, only to pick it back up when a great subscription offer comes along. I started receiving it again a few months ago, having missed the look and feel of the oversize publication, it's unique paper stock, and its once-controversial design. So I was disappointed to read, in the new issue, that they've reduced the size of the pub to a more newsstand-friendly format, and seem to be using a thinner, more conventional paper. Moneysaving efforts, to be sure. Let's just hope, in terms of editorial and design, they aren't cutting corners there as well. I'm a little concerned: the current cover features a digitally stylized Keanu Reeves from the new Richard Linklatter movie. Weren't the Johnny Mnemonic and Neo covers enough for them?...One Wired piece I enjoyed last year was a short profile of London graffiti artist Banksy, which, from what I can tell, scooped most mainstream magazines in the U.S. I noticed a Banksy work in the background of a street scene in the movie Match Point...see if you can find it.
18 February 2006
Massimo was great. I enjoyed his presentation at CSCA -- he spoke for more than two hours, detailing his early work in Venice and his later triumphs in New York and beyond. Little credit was given to anyone on his staff (beyond his wife)...but that said, he was funny, engaging, and surprisingly self-effacing. I was pleased to see him rave about not just his brand and environmental work, but his joy in pure information design.
When he graciously signed a copy of a book I brought to the event, he made a point of spelling both my first and last name correctly, before signing his own. What an interesting twist -- how often does someone of his stature take the time to write anything but their own scribble? (In retrospect, I should have had him sign the poster Dave Bull designed, then put it away for safe keeping...or eBay...)
His presentation largely mirrored the book I had him sign: "Design is One," a retrospective of his career, divided up by decade. It's the next best thing to being there.
30 January 2006
Get to know Massimo. Believe it or not, design legend Massimo Vignelli will be the guest speaker at the next CSCA meeting. This is a man worth seeing. He has created iconic print, product, environmental, and identity design since the 1950s. Benetton. Ducati. He created his own version of Bodoni, then applied it to lots of projects, including the Brookstone identity used to this day. The meeting costs just $5 for members, $15 for the uninitiated. Feb. 16, 2006, 7:30 p.m. at the CCAD Canzani Center.
To learn more about the meeting, and Columbus Society of Communicating Arts in general, visit our site. (I say "our" because I'm volunteering with the group this year...hope you like the new way we're begging for membership renewals, cause those are my words...) CSCA's co-presidents this year are a fantastic young husband-and-wife team who bring new energy to the group. If you have anything to do with professional design or writing, I hope you'll join.
20 December 2005
Want to feel like a kid again? Then check out this great new ad from Mini, which I found in the December issue of Metropolis magazine. Like the earlier print ads for Mini cars, this one is "interactive" and beautifully executed. It consists of a piece of graph paper and an "Imag-a-Mini" cut-out plastic template for drafting a customized Mini, both side and top views. On the opposite side are instructions with the typical funny disclaimer: "If you are not 100% satisfied, happy, and gleeful with your Imag-a-Mini experience, we unfortunately can't do anything about it. You can, however, put it back in the publication and let someone else have a try."
The piece, front and back, is detailed and begs for close study. It says nothing about the car's quality, price, or models -- only that there are many ways to make one uniquely your own. And the template actually works -- check out the quick drawing I did. (I'm going to let the kids color it in.) It was fun, and it did motivate me to see if the Web site lives up to the ad. Indeed it does -- if you like cheeky copywriting, don't miss the "90/10 agreement" at the beginning of the "build your own convertible" section -- where you must comply with a rule that says all ragtops must be driven with the top down at least 90 percent of the time. If you don't agree...the "disagree" button drives away from you off the page.
Some clever campaigns get tiresome. Somehow, after five years now, Mini keeps it fresh.
1 December 2005
My all-time favorite slogan is "Our products do less than the competition -- intentionally."
OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it's certainly my favorite of the moment. It's just one of many refreshing expressions on the Web site for 37signals, an innovative Chicago-based Web software company. They're an exciting company because they do so many things right. Their Web site is unusually clean and beautifully written. They're fanatically devoted to usability. And their products -- Web-based productivity tools -- are radically simple and purposeful. Some you subscribe to, others are free, including my favorite: Writeboard, an online collaboration and editing tool. If you've ever co-written or edited a document with two or more people in different locations, take a look at Writeboard and you'll instantly understand its value. It's nice to know someone out there continues to innovate on behalf of us in the "Fortune 5,000,000," as the 37signals guys like to say.
To see Writeboard in action (and try it yourself), visit a demo document I set up for the crew at GSW (password: testingthe).
And don't miss Signal Vs. Noise, 37signal's great blog on design, usability, culture, and more.
11 November 2005
Follow the bouncing pixel. That's the idea behind this stunning new ad from Sony that's creating a buzz online. There's no narration here, no feature set or comparison to other products -- just an unexpected (and sometimes funny) celebration of color and imagery that presumably looks fantastic viewed on Sony's new line of televisions. The product line isn't familiar to me, and I hear the campaign was created for the UK. Thanks to the Web, though, we all get to enjoy it.
If you've got a high-bandwidth connection, be sure to watch he extended, hi-res version (it will take a few minutes to load, but it's worth it). Then click the "Behind the Scenes" page to see how it was done, and view the stills and other downloads they've made available on the portal. This is a great example of documenting the creative process and serving it up as additional "sticky" content, to keep people thinking about the brand.
9 November 2005
Presentation Zen. That's the name of a great blog I've been following for a few weeks. Created by consultant Garr Reynolds, the site is devoted to making business presentations better. Everybody uses PowerPoint (or Keynote, as Reynolds seems to prefer) to project slides during speeches, pitches, and so forth -- but few people do it in a memorable, compelling manner. Reynolds uses friendly commentary and smart examples to show how much better and more effective they can be. Be sure to see the post that contrasts Steve Jobs' presentation style with Bill Gates' -- it's priceless. Check it out.
29 October 2005
So long, Song. Delta Airlines has announced it is closing its spinoff brand, Song, created to compete with boutique airlines like JetBlue and Southwest. I'm sorry to see it go -- it was a grand experiment in branding, and a fantastic example of rethinking customer touchpoints: language, materials, services, attitudes, everything. Check out the look and tone of voice of Song's Web site before it's too late. You can also learn more about its brand development in the fascinating PBS Frontline episode, The Persuaders. Frontline's excellent Web site includes tons of bonus material, including an interview with Song creative consultant Andy Spade.
22 October 2005
Most advertorials look fake. When companies use ad space in magazines to run flattering editortial they've written about themselves (always flagged by "special advertising section" placed somewhere on the page), it rarely passes for the real thing. Network Solutions, however, does a better job than most in the 10/05 issue of Wired. Sandwiched between two ordinary full-page ads (pgs 54 and 57) is a two-page interview with CEO and "turnaround guru" Champ Mitchell that's very effectively designed to match the Wired style.
More notable, however, is the copy. I've never seen an ad reflect so harshly on the company itself. From the intro: "...Not bad for a company that was once famous for its poor service, bad attitude, and unhappy customers." Wow. I've been a Network Solutions customer since 1997, when I registered the domain gilliom.com...I didn't realize it was such a crummy company. The rest of the well-written piece is a serious mea culpa and look at how they've resolved the problems. I like it, but the question remains: how many people were really demanding an explanation? View the ad (130K PDF).
13 October 2005
Timex makes good, cheap watches. Lots of them. But aside from a classic tagline ("...keeps on ticking"), the company's strength hasn't been communication. So I was pleased to see them do two very smart things recently.
1. A Timex ad in a magazine caught my eye, but days later, when I decided to learn more about it online, I couldn't remember the product name. So I went to the Timex site, expecting to search for a needle in a haystack. Instead, on the product overview page, they included a very prominent link to "advertised watches," which leads to this page. Smart! I immediately found what I needed. I loved seeing the ad repeated -- made the site feel very connected to current marketing efforts.
2. Along with its cool new watch designs, Timex has decided to bring its user manuals to life, too. From personal experience, I can say that until now, Timex instructions were incredibly bad -- microscopic type, repeated in six languages, printed on see-thru paper thin enough to be folded six times and tucked behind the watch in a box. And the copy itself was dull and often failed to match the interface of the watch. Contrast that with this manual (240K PDF), which accompanies a new Timex line. The voice matches the product and is carried all the way through. A copywriter somewhere had a lot of fun with it.
11 October 2005
We love Boinx. They're a great little Mac software company based in Germany. They design tools that give non-technical people like me the ability to create beautiful slideshows and stop-motion animations. Their software is elegant, intuitive, and fun to use, and their marketing (on the Web, and in monthly newsletters) is smartly written and cleanly designed.
I wrote them a letter recently, praising their FotoMagico app (I use it all the time), and included a link to a recent project. They, in turn, featured my project on their homepage! Since then, it's been replaced with more recent work by other customers, but a link to my stuff remains in their blog.
View it here.
9 October 2005
It's not like chocolate needs help. You could wrap a bar in newspaper and people would still eat their weight in it if given the opportunity. I know I would.
But at a time when the most memorable chocolate marketing involves two giant, talking M and Ms (who sometimes die, er, get eaten, during the ad), it's refreshing to come across a piece of writing so compelling you don't mind spending $8 for an 8 oz bar. Vive le Vosges Haute Chocolate!
I bought my first Vosges bar at a Dean & Deluca in Napa Valley recently, and not since Charlie saw the corner of a shiny ticket has opening a bar been so filled with anticipation. All because of the fun copywriting on the cardboard wrapper: "Firstly, there should be a glossy shine to the chocolate bar, this shows a good temper; a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cocoa mass."
And that's just the first of four steps explaining "How to eat an exotic candy bar." The copy truly adds to the experience. It helps that the Naga Bar's mix of sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes, and milk chocolate more than lived up to the promise.
Click the pic to view the full text of the copy, then visit the Vosges site and order a box of truffles. (Pity the site isn't as inspired as the packaging.)
28 August 2005
"Our TV sucks." That's the money line from the recent series of Dish Network television spots. I laughed out loud when I first saw one. The idea is simple and memorable. It's also a little crude -- conservative bloggers have complained about use of the word.
The concept: A TV in another room keeps "sucking" things toward it -- silverwear, pets -- as a nonplussed character shrugs and utters the phrase. It's a little less obvious than the usual shots at the cable companies. Watch them here. I'm guessing you'll love it or hate it.
14 September 2005
When in doubt, there's always Carmina Burana. Music often factors into the tone and voice of a brand. Lately, I've seen a lot of ads and parody movie trailers poking fun at this over-used music. Here's the best example yet, by an Australian beer company. I'm told it aired just one time, then became a huge viral hit on the Web. Thanks to posts like this...
View "It's a big ad."
9 September 2005
Take a lesson from the magazine business. Look at your average brochure. Often, it's columns of uninterrupted narrative wrapped around generic, metaphorical stock photography. Then look at your average business magazine. It spices up every page with compelling quotes, facts, and sidebars that let you enter the piece from various points. Which would you rather read?
Look at all the different ways feature stories in Fast Company, Sports Illustrated, and Macworld pull you in. If the headline doesn't grab you, maybe the subhead will. Or the caption. Or the marginalia.
Works, doesn't it?
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