Convenient, yes. Fair, no.

I'm really happy for the team that created this Exit Strategy NYC app. It tells you which car to get into so that you can get out of your destination station faster. Firstly, Exit Strategy Team, get out of my head! This kind of meticulus commuting is meant for one's own neurosis, not for public consumption. But also, this will flood the second to last car on the Downtown 4/5 between 59th and Grand Central. It took me 2 years to find that exact door/car, and I think others should have to learn the hard way. It's a perk of experience. But I guess it's still pretty great, I hope they get rich. It's compelling content, as soon as a brand attaches itself to the app. Perhaps its a watch company? Weak, but ill keep thinking about it. And I'll start using the app, too.

Maybe Cookies aren't so bad?

Yesterday I was browsing for men's wedding rings (I'm not cheap, these were just for style). So this morning during my routine checks of certain blogs, cartoons, news stuff, (it's all very OCD) And sure enough the rings I looked at were there, sparkling in a banner ad, ready for me to click and resume my search. I'm sure this is not excting to anyone, since this technology dates back to the early 90's. But it affected me today, and I found it to be compelling content in the simplest form.

If they're shorter, i think ill actually watch em

So Miller High Life is doing 30 1 second ads during the superbowl. The premise revolves around the well known price for a TV ad on the superbowl. "3 Million dollars? that's a hundred grand a second! If high life had a spot, all we'd need is a second..."

It's so true. You need a logo and a smile, that's it (at least with beer you do).

But what's more interesting is that since it's so quick, I will STOP MY DVR to watch it. When I'm fast forwarding commercials, a one second commercial will look like blip... a very intriguing blip. That's compelling content. A spot (which is not usually compelling content) which is specific to the modern media it's on, recognizes the bloated spending and messaging in tradvertising, and takes it on, head on.

We need more campaigns that recognize the DVR user. I propose a slow motion spot, viewed best in fast motion...1, 2, or 3 triangles fast.

Oh, I see.

Turns out these legends of the ad game are not looking to be my friend. Fine, I had nothing in common with them anyway. Apparently, you need to win some awards to get on their radar. That's why the Andy's did such a great job of selling their premise: Win an Andy, win them all. The campaign basically says that this particular award show is so prestigious, you'll get the other awards easy, and perhaps, friendship with the best of the best. So I'm off to register for the Andy's, since they used compelling content to get me into the season of awards shows.

Good day for me, friend wise

Looks like I did the impossible. I became officially, publicly friends with some of the greatest creative directors in advertising today. Now, I'm a nice guy, but this still surprised me. I'm so glad that all that ass kissing the last three years has payed off.

Click the pic to see the proof.

CareerBuilder, Monster get to work

If you're agency's got some hard working creatives, get them to work on making this into something. The clock is ticking. Go.
Maybe this guy, once he's out of jail, could be placed at a new job, and you could be the ones to show the before and after.
I saw it first from another angle at Agency Spy.

Award Shows are Relevant, Dammit! Vol 8

So, I went to the One Show Interactive last night, Nikon and MRM Worldwide won a gold pencil for its project Nikon Picturetown. It's a ripe example of compelling content. They said, who better to taut the product of experts and afficianados than the users themselves? So they gave away free cameras and said "let us and the world know how it well it works." It spread like wildfire, and the users became lifetime fans. It's another step forward for these clients, who first dabbled with their D80 project, praised by new marketing bloggers like Joseph Jaffe . So the relevant part is this: If more creatives win awards for community based thinking like this, then more creatives will present it. And if those presentations are for forward thinking clients like Nikon, than our whole industry will benefit.

PS All this award show talk will end soon, I promise, the season's almost over.

Building the tree of specificity

This site is a case study in grass roots marketing. Explore the site, and come back for my comments.
Ok, you back? So ESPN sucks. If I want to really hear about the Cleveland Browns, I have to wait for ESPN to assign a writer to the Browns and to write some interesting stuff (i.e. never). But I could also refer to this sports network and find the podcasts in my area, created by fans of my team.
So, apply this to a sponsorship stream. If I want to advertise next to Browns content to reach Browns fans today, I have to hope they see my adwords next to the ESPN article. But, reaching those who have actively sought the Browns podcasts on CSN, then I've reached a very engaged and willing audience. Even further, I can reach out to the podcasters themselves and say, hey, I run a pizza shop, let me sponsor your next tailgate party with your listeners. It really is a great business model, and its finally relevant to specific audiences, not just the faceless cold ESPN content monopoly.