Sunday, April 19, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
All On East 53rd Street
It's a street found in the South Side of Chicago in Hyde Park where fond memories of the current United States President Barack Obama fill the air and the minds of those who had the pleasure of knowing and frequently seeing him along this strip.On East 53rd Street Obama's presence has been captured in the restaurants and shops where he was once a frequent customer as everyone tries to show that they have some link to this American icon.
Located at 1518 East 53rd Street is Valois Cafeteria where they have a special menu called President Obama's Favorite Foods which includes the top four
breakfasts he liked to order, and a signed picture of him is hung with pride on the wall near the kitchen that says "To Valois, thanks for the great eats".
The Valois night manager, John Lathouris, spoke kindly of Obama and said
"We're very proud of him. He was a nice guy and a regular customer. We would
have never expected him to become the president but he made it."
Antonio, a barber at Hyde Park Hair Salon, says he always knew Obama was someone special. "Obama used to come in here every other week. If you knew him he had that personality that just demanded attention. He had a 
presence." Visiting this shop is like being at a museum. The chair where Obama used to sit is on display and covered in a glass casing for preservation.
presence." Visiting this shop is like being at a museum. The chair where Obama used to sit is on display and covered in a glass casing for preservation.Some changes have taken place on East 53rd Street since the days Obama roamed these parts. The Baskin-Robbins where Barack and his wife Michelle shared their first kiss is now a Subway restaurant and the building that housed the old barber shop is currently under construction forcing them to move down the street.
But there is one thing that remains a constant and will be hard to get rid of and 
that is the impact that Obama has had on the people in this neighbourhood.
"I think it's amazing that the president is someone from right here," said Robert, a sixteen year old boy who came up and tried to hit on me while I was sitting down taking notes, but I convinced him to talk to me about Obama instead. We ended up getting into a pretty deep discussion about life in general.
"Sometimes you could begin to feel like you're trapped in certain circumstances that you're in and there is not much you could do to have a better life or better yourself," said Robert, "but having an African American president gives you a
that is the impact that Obama has had on the people in this neighbourhood."I think it's amazing that the president is someone from right here," said Robert, a sixteen year old boy who came up and tried to hit on me while I was sitting down taking notes, but I convinced him to talk to me about Obama instead. We ended up getting into a pretty deep discussion about life in general.
"Sometimes you could begin to feel like you're trapped in certain circumstances that you're in and there is not much you could do to have a better life or better yourself," said Robert, "but having an African American president gives you a
greater outlook on what is possible."
How not to market your marketing company
I'll admit, sometimes I pass the time by google searching 'offensive ads' or something along those lines. But this one is just weird. It's an advertising agency that is advertising itself with a photo of a dude who presumably just killed and cut up a woman he presumably just had sex with? Umm... I'm looking but definitely not seeing.
I've Come Full Circle
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for a fantastic year in the Ad major. I loved getting to work with each and every one of you and wish you all success in the future. Thanks as well to Kenton for being such a supportive and entertaining instructor. Yogurt will miss you.
My blog is a tad different than others. Kenton and I realized what a prime opportunity I had to write about Oprah for the blog, so I decided to go that route. After receiving the rules contract, I realized no quoting would be allowed. Thus, I give you the condensed basics of a trip to Oprah!
I woke up on Wednesday, April 8th with a giddy excitement running through me. It was a day unlike any other, that some wait their entire lives for – the day I would see Oprah live.
Now, love her or hate her, Oprah is still one of the richest and most talented women in the world. I’m sure you can understand my nervous sentiment as I prepared myself, to be in the audience, about 50 feet away from her.
Brenlee Coates, Megan Benedictson, and Kristy Rydz accompanied me on the journey to the show. When we arrived at Harpo Studios, we were greeted by a large line and a handsomely charming attendant, who led us inside. Once we made it through the ID check, coat check, and purse check (confiscation in my case), we were seated upstairs in the lounge. Amidst the sea of women lingered some supportive men, carefully working away at filling out waivers and show ideas.
After a 30-minute countdown to Oprah, the approximately 250 guests were herded down to the set. The stage is big and small all at once, so every seat in the house has a great view. Guests were directed to their seats and then pumped up by the studio producer. After such great build-up to Oprah, she literally just walked into the room. A standing ovation which followed seemed to last forever, and then she said we could be seated so the show could begin.
Wish I could give further details, but its best I let you tune in for the real thing sometime next season.
My blog is a tad different than others. Kenton and I realized what a prime opportunity I had to write about Oprah for the blog, so I decided to go that route. After receiving the rules contract, I realized no quoting would be allowed. Thus, I give you the condensed basics of a trip to Oprah!
I woke up on Wednesday, April 8th with a giddy excitement running through me. It was a day unlike any other, that some wait their entire lives for – the day I would see Oprah live.
Now, love her or hate her, Oprah is still one of the richest and most talented women in the world. I’m sure you can understand my nervous sentiment as I prepared myself, to be in the audience, about 50 feet away from her.
Brenlee Coates, Megan Benedictson, and Kristy Rydz accompanied me on the journey to the show. When we arrived at Harpo Studios, we were greeted by a large line and a handsomely charming attendant, who led us inside. Once we made it through the ID check, coat check, and purse check (confiscation in my case), we were seated upstairs in the lounge. Amidst the sea of women lingered some supportive men, carefully working away at filling out waivers and show ideas.
After a 30-minute countdown to Oprah, the approximately 250 guests were herded down to the set. The stage is big and small all at once, so every seat in the house has a great view. Guests were directed to their seats and then pumped up by the studio producer. After such great build-up to Oprah, she literally just walked into the room. A standing ovation which followed seemed to last forever, and then she said we could be seated so the show could begin.
Wish I could give further details, but its best I let you tune in for the real thing sometime next season.
Obama Pride
As a Canadian it seems a bit silly that there is such an interest in the President of the United States and his family. Personally, I couldn’t care any less about our Prime Minister’s personal life.
Being in Obama’s hometown of Chicago last week only heightened my awareness of just how much he is loved.
Posters and photos of him can be seen all over town. No area I visited, however, could compare to Hyde Park.
Walking through the streets I couldn’t help but
notice how many houses still had Barack Obama and Joe Biden signs in their front yards from the election. Even more homes and apartments proudly displayed the President’s portrait in their windows.
Hyde Park businesses were no different. Valois Cafeteria (1518 E 53rd Street), the last place Obama ate before heading off to Washington, D.C., has renamed Obama’s favourite breakfast Obama’s Breakfast.
A few blocks away on East 55th Street, the small store What the Traveller Saw had a life-size cardboard cut out of Obama tucked away beside a stand of nightlights, not to mention countless other items clad with Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces.
What The Traveller Saw is the store where the Ugly Doll that Sasha Obama has been spotted wearing on her backpack came from.
Store owner Laurel Stradford is extremely proud to have come from the same neighbourhood as Obama. “If you think we have a lot of Obama merchandise now, you should have seen it before. There’s really not much left” she said as I snapped photos of everything Obama.
Of the neighbourhood Stradford said “it is a really great place. Very forward-thinking.” She herself has travelled all over the world, but says that “Hyde Park is home.”
Back towards East 53rd Street, is Hyde Park Hair Salon, where Obama used to get his hair cut. One of the barbers informed me that “he’s not allowed to” get his hair cut there anymore. He quickly added that if he did though, he would just be another client. “Everyone who walks through those doors is just a client.”
The Obama collection at the Hyde Park Hair Salon had to of been the most impressive I collection I saw while in Chicago.
Obama’s barber Zariff (who had the day off the day of my visit), has a gorgeous photo of him cutting Obama’s hair, as well as another photo of him and another barber standing with Obama.
Walking into the shop, I was greeted by a black leather barber chair behind glass—signed by Barack Obama.
There were two plaques; one reads “this is our moment,” and the other reads “change we can believe in.” The rest of the entrance was filled with paintings and photos of the President.
Seeing and hearing so many people talk about Obama with such pride and admiration was actually very cool. It kind of made me wish Canadians felt that way about our Prime Minister.
Maybe some day.
Being in Obama’s hometown of Chicago last week only heightened my awareness of just how much he is loved.
Posters and photos of him can be seen all over town. No area I visited, however, could compare to Hyde Park.Walking through the streets I couldn’t help but
notice how many houses still had Barack Obama and Joe Biden signs in their front yards from the election. Even more homes and apartments proudly displayed the President’s portrait in their windows.Hyde Park businesses were no different. Valois Cafeteria (1518 E 53rd Street), the last place Obama ate before heading off to Washington, D.C., has renamed Obama’s favourite breakfast Obama’s Breakfast.
A few blocks away on East 55th Street, the small store What the Traveller Saw had a life-size cardboard cut out of Obama tucked away beside a stand of nightlights, not to mention countless other items clad with Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces.
What The Traveller Saw is the store where the Ugly Doll that Sasha Obama has been spotted wearing on her backpack came from.Store owner Laurel Stradford is extremely proud to have come from the same neighbourhood as Obama. “If you think we have a lot of Obama merchandise now, you should have seen it before. There’s really not much left” she said as I snapped photos of everything Obama.
Of the neighbourhood Stradford said “it is a really great place. Very forward-thinking.” She herself has travelled all over the world, but says that “Hyde Park is home.”
Back towards East 53rd Street, is Hyde Park Hair Salon, where Obama used to get his hair cut. One of the barbers informed me that “he’s not allowed to” get his hair cut there anymore. He quickly added that if he did though, he would just be another client. “Everyone who walks through those doors is just a client.”
The Obama collection at the Hyde Park Hair Salon had to of been the most impressive I collection I saw while in Chicago.
Obama’s barber Zariff (who had the day off the day of my visit), has a gorgeous photo of him cutting Obama’s hair, as well as another photo of him and another barber standing with Obama.
Walking into the shop, I was greeted by a black leather barber chair behind glass—signed by Barack Obama.
There were two plaques; one reads “this is our moment,” and the other reads “change we can believe in.” The rest of the entrance was filled with paintings and photos of the President.
Seeing and hearing so many people talk about Obama with such pride and admiration was actually very cool. It kind of made me wish Canadians felt that way about our Prime Minister.
Maybe some day.
Chicago outdoor advertising = not what I expected
Let me preface this entry by letting everyone know that this weekend Jason and I shall be posting a video on this blog from our trip to Chicago. We carried a camera around at all times and I believe we have truely captured the spirit of the trip. The video will be a montage of all the things we did during our stay, as well as a feature interview with a Chicago resident. I am sure you have all been eagerly anticipating the final result...
Video aside, I thought I would write about my impressions of advertising in Chicago. Having spent time in New York City the last three years, I have to say I was expecting a lot more. Everybody knows the gargantuan scale advertising takes on in Times Square, but it doesn't stop there. Anywhere I went in Manhattan I was bombarded by messages. There were billboards, murals, posters, ads painted on the sidewalks, anything you could think of. Anywhere a message could be placed, there was one.
Chicago has nearly 10 million people living in it. That is one-third of Canada. So when I walked down the Magnificent Mile, I was expecting to be hit in the face with piles of advertising. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was quite the opposite. I say pleasantly because while I may be a student of advertising, I still don't like being overrun by ads. I like being able to walk through a city, especially one with as much historical significance as Chicago, and appreciate it for its architectural beauty and culture, rather than be taken aback by the volume and scale of its advertising.
Of course it was still on a completely different scale than any Canadian city I've been too. The superboards were, well, super in size and impact. I saw many mobile ads by a company called "Target Mobile Advertising" I believe, where a truck pulled a huge LCD billboard behind it. Winnipeg has something similar where a small truck has ads that rotate on the box, but these were much brighter and more attractive. At night they would shine across the street and command attention to themselves.
What I am getting at is that I was surprised by the lack of large-scale advertising in a city that is itself large in scale. I have heard before that when a building is being constructed in Chicago, it has to pass an aesthetics panel. This panel ensures that any building being made in the city looks good. Obviously having a beautiful city is important to residents of Chicago. Buildings aside, the cleanliness of the city alone is a tell-tale sign that appearance matters. I am curious to know if Chicago has stricter rules governing outdoor advertising than other cities of similar size. I was not able to find any information on this online aside from limitations on tobacco and alcohol advertising. Does anyone know if this hunch has legs?
And on that note, did anyone else feel the same way as me?
In any case, Chicago is a beautiful city. I enjoyed visiting Critical Mass to learn how advertising works in a major American city. Working with a team of over one-hundred people on a campaign would be quite an experience. And to think I thought a group of ten was large!
In closing, keep checking back for the video. I'm sure you will all enjoy.
Critical Mass....
Great job everyone on all the blog entries posted so far. I went to Critical Mass's website to check out some more of the stuff they've done and take a look at their front page:
http://www.criticalmass.com/
Recognize anyone? That guy on the left of the Blackhawks group (I forget his name) was the one who showed us the Vegas campaign.
I love how they show their inter-office rivalry.
Dan.
http://www.criticalmass.com/
Recognize anyone? That guy on the left of the Blackhawks group (I forget his name) was the one who showed us the Vegas campaign.
I love how they show their inter-office rivalry.
Dan.
Chicago vs. Winnipeg
Winnipeg is often known as the Chicago of the north. I decided that assumptions were not good enough to judge a city, so on April 6 2009 my advertising classmates and I took a trip down to Chicago, Illinois to add validity to the old nick-name. We piled into a seven passenger van and began the long trip down to Chicago.
“I’ve never heard of that.” said Ryan Barrett, 23, a gas station attendant in Minneapolis. “But I have a friend in Canada.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked with a laugh. “Where does your friend live?”
“Vancouver.”
I thanked the young man and left the gas station, shaking my head all the way back to the hotel. The next day we arrived into Chicago, population approximately 9 million, in the early evening. Immediately I began to notice the similarities to Winnipeg. The buildings were oddly familiar. When we passed through China town, I could not help but see the Princess Street face of the Red River College down a lonely street. The sky scrapers looked like something out of a Winnipeg post card. Many of the architects who worked in Winnipeg had also been contracted to design buildings in Chicago.
I don’t know if it’s the media, or simply small town ignorance, but I always expect the worst kind of treatment from people in big American cities. I bumped into a man on my first day into Chicago. We hit hard enough to force us both to turn back toward each other. I was preparing to fumble out an apology when he shocked me by saying:
“Pardon me, sir!”
When I overcame my state, I cursed my traitorous tongue for not saying anything in return.
I have been to cities from London to Glasgow to Vancouver and the only other place where I have been treated with such respect was in Winnipeg and Chicago.
I had also heard that Winnipeg and Chicago have a booming music scene. Since Chicago is traditionally known for its blues music, I decided to gather up a few friends and visit two different blues bars… which turned out to be much easier than I thought. There were blues bars all over the city; you just needed to know where to look for it. There is always a concert going on somewhere in the two cities, and all the local acts know each other from performing in the same venue circuits.
“We play everywhere in the city. Sometimes we play the same place two nights in a row.” Said Jimmy Johnson, local blues musician. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to Winnipeg.”
I decided one day, since we were in the home city of the current President of the United States (and because of this assignment), that we would visit his old neighborhood. We rode the red line rapid transit train all the way to Hyde Park Township to do some exploring. The area is known for being a little rough, and the police cars every couple blocks gave witness to that reason. Despite being a small group of tourists, we were still treated with respect and kindness.
“Sit down and relax, man!” said the aptly known ‘Blade.’ He was named such because of his skill with the straight razor. He and I conversed for a good twenty minutes about Chicago. “Yeah, Chicago is pretty clean. Lots of street sweepers.”
That was the biggest difference I noticed between Chicago and Winnipeg, besides the obvious size difference: cleanliness. There was no snow, very little litter and the streets were in much better condition. They think that they have pothole problems, but I assure you that they have no idea what a pothole problem really is.
Winnipeg and Chicago certainly share their small town mentality. They developed in the same type of environment and share quite a few of the same interests, including being different from the unappreciative east coast. Another difference that I noticed was the panhandlers and street buskers. There are so many of them in Chicago that they have to hustle and entertain if they want to earn a living. In Winnipeg, it’s more likely that one of them will stab you than entertain you.
“I’ve never heard of that.” said Ryan Barrett, 23, a gas station attendant in Minneapolis. “But I have a friend in Canada.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked with a laugh. “Where does your friend live?”
“Vancouver.”
I thanked the young man and left the gas station, shaking my head all the way back to the hotel. The next day we arrived into Chicago, population approximately 9 million, in the early evening. Immediately I began to notice the similarities to Winnipeg. The buildings were oddly familiar. When we passed through China town, I could not help but see the Princess Street face of the Red River College down a lonely street. The sky scrapers looked like something out of a Winnipeg post card. Many of the architects who worked in Winnipeg had also been contracted to design buildings in Chicago.
I don’t know if it’s the media, or simply small town ignorance, but I always expect the worst kind of treatment from people in big American cities. I bumped into a man on my first day into Chicago. We hit hard enough to force us both to turn back toward each other. I was preparing to fumble out an apology when he shocked me by saying:
“Pardon me, sir!”
When I overcame my state, I cursed my traitorous tongue for not saying anything in return.
I have been to cities from London to Glasgow to Vancouver and the only other place where I have been treated with such respect was in Winnipeg and Chicago.
I had also heard that Winnipeg and Chicago have a booming music scene. Since Chicago is traditionally known for its blues music, I decided to gather up a few friends and visit two different blues bars… which turned out to be much easier than I thought. There were blues bars all over the city; you just needed to know where to look for it. There is always a concert going on somewhere in the two cities, and all the local acts know each other from performing in the same venue circuits.
“We play everywhere in the city. Sometimes we play the same place two nights in a row.” Said Jimmy Johnson, local blues musician. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to Winnipeg.”
I decided one day, since we were in the home city of the current President of the United States (and because of this assignment), that we would visit his old neighborhood. We rode the red line rapid transit train all the way to Hyde Park Township to do some exploring. The area is known for being a little rough, and the police cars every couple blocks gave witness to that reason. Despite being a small group of tourists, we were still treated with respect and kindness.
“Sit down and relax, man!” said the aptly known ‘Blade.’ He was named such because of his skill with the straight razor. He and I conversed for a good twenty minutes about Chicago. “Yeah, Chicago is pretty clean. Lots of street sweepers.”
That was the biggest difference I noticed between Chicago and Winnipeg, besides the obvious size difference: cleanliness. There was no snow, very little litter and the streets were in much better condition. They think that they have pothole problems, but I assure you that they have no idea what a pothole problem really is.
Winnipeg and Chicago certainly share their small town mentality. They developed in the same type of environment and share quite a few of the same interests, including being different from the unappreciative east coast. Another difference that I noticed was the panhandlers and street buskers. There are so many of them in Chicago that they have to hustle and entertain if they want to earn a living. In Winnipeg, it’s more likely that one of them will stab you than entertain you.
Revolving Conundrum...
As soon as I laid eyes on the
Beside me, Kenton tightly gripped the steering wheel, his breath hissing through his clenched teeth as he attempted to negotiate the Chicago Expressways. I ignored him as I took picture after picture of the incredible skyscrapers of
Let’s put this into perspective, in
So let’s get back to Kenton’s stressed out ride and my awe of the
I mean, we’re not talking about on or two here, we’re talking every single building. As I walked down the magnificent mile on my first full day in 
:
As did other conveniences such as Walgreen’s (like Shoppers Drug Mart) and Dunkin’ Donuts
:
This couldn’t be coincidence, there had to be a reason for this! So I started asking around.
“I never even thought about it,” said Dave, a businessman exiting from
“Are there a lot? Doesn’t every city have them?” said Joan, a woman carting her kids out of the Disney Store through –you guessed it – another revolving door.
The guy working the graveyard shift at the 7-11 just gave me a weird look, like a “you’re crazy!” kind of look. Then he gave me my jumbo Big Bite. He had actually given me the same look the night before, when I had asked him about the foam, “We’re #1” White Sox fingers behind the counter. (Why would you need to keep those behind the counter? Is there a huge problem in
So apparently I was the only person in
Only today, as I was getting ready to post this blog entry, did the answer come to me. Crystal Klippenstein, known for her savage Ellen-like dancing skills and her quick wit, said to me: “Is it because of the wind?”
…
Of course. The wind. “The
Who knew?
No one I had talked to, and after full four days in Chicago, 28 total hours driving with Kenton Larsen, and a couple of drunken Minneapolis hotel nights, the answer came to me in Winnipeg, also known for its high winds (although none of those three buildings I mentioned previously have revolving doors, at least on the outside,) from the first person I talked to about this.
Just goes to show you, you can take the Winnipegger out of
If that even makes any sense.
Thank you everyone for the trip of a lifetime!
Dan Vadeboncoeur
I hate this city.
It was friday night in Chicago, and the next morning at 8 was going to be the day my ass gets shipped back to Winnipeg. I found myself at one of those piano bars one didn't need to pay any cover for, drinking $1.50 margaritas. Drinking in the night as my last night in the beautiful U S of A.
And people were nice here. It was a lot like winnipeg. In fact, Winnipeg has a lot in common with Chicago. For one, both are called the windy city. Both kind of served as the gate to the west (kind of). And both are pretty big hockey towns, granted Chicago has a bigger population to make an NHL team flourish. And like i said, the people were nice.
So why was Clint popping balloons angrily with the cherry of his cigarette outside the bar, cursing the golden name of Chicago to an outsider?
"I hate this fucking city!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"When was the last time you've seen the fucking sun set?"
Pop!
"All the time, we're from Winnipeg."
"Ontario?"
"Manitoba."
Clint continued on his drunken tirade.
"Visited with my sister in Phoenix, and I looked up into the sky and was like, 'what the fuck is that? What's that orange ball in the sky?'"
Pop! Pop! He was running out of balloons.
His trip to Phoenix was much like mine to Chicago. I'd be pointing up, looking out asking "what the fuck is that? Another skyscraper being built? Do they need any more of those?"
"What's that? Things to do and see?"
Clint took his city for granted as much as I may be taking mine. But the truth is, I couldn't give a shit less about the sunset. I await the day for my next Butter Burger.
I'll be making a video in the coming days when I find time. I'll then youtube it and bring it up here. Thanks to everyone who made this trip a great one.
And people were nice here. It was a lot like winnipeg. In fact, Winnipeg has a lot in common with Chicago. For one, both are called the windy city. Both kind of served as the gate to the west (kind of). And both are pretty big hockey towns, granted Chicago has a bigger population to make an NHL team flourish. And like i said, the people were nice.
So why was Clint popping balloons angrily with the cherry of his cigarette outside the bar, cursing the golden name of Chicago to an outsider?
"I hate this fucking city!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"When was the last time you've seen the fucking sun set?"
Pop!
"All the time, we're from Winnipeg."
"Ontario?"
"Manitoba."
Clint continued on his drunken tirade.
"Visited with my sister in Phoenix, and I looked up into the sky and was like, 'what the fuck is that? What's that orange ball in the sky?'"
Pop! Pop! He was running out of balloons.
His trip to Phoenix was much like mine to Chicago. I'd be pointing up, looking out asking "what the fuck is that? Another skyscraper being built? Do they need any more of those?"
"What's that? Things to do and see?"
Clint took his city for granted as much as I may be taking mine. But the truth is, I couldn't give a shit less about the sunset. I await the day for my next Butter Burger.
I'll be making a video in the coming days when I find time. I'll then youtube it and bring it up here. Thanks to everyone who made this trip a great one.
Going Down With the Ship
Lavish indulgence, wanton debauchery and questionable morality; these are the principles on which the profession of advertising has been based since our forefathers realized that you could trick drunken rubes into buying your butter if the milk-maid showed a little leg at the county fair. It’s a proud tradition and, if you believe what the panic-mongers on Wall St. are saying, it might be in jeopardy.
It’s true, companies have been cutting their advertising budgets as they weather this economic storm, which means less cash on hand for scotch and cigars, but there might be more to this turn of events than meets the eye. As it stands, companies are coming to the obvious conclusion that the old holy trinity of advertising - TV, print and outdoor - isn’t as relevant, or cost-effective, as it once was and they’re looking to find a lifeboat before the whole thing goes under. Oddly enough, a global economic meltdown might be the perfect opportunity.
With executives pinching pennies, and the whole world howling for companies to tighten their belts, slashing a few million dollars from an advertising budget is an easy first step, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong first step. Spending the money to produce a TV spot and run it on the dozens of specialty networks you need to get a decent reach/frequency only to have half the audience TiVo past it anyway is a bad idea no matter what shape the economy is in. This won’t be the death of the 30-second spot, but it’s bad news for the commercial break.
Luckily, for every TV screen being turned off there’re two monitors being turned on and the money men are starting to realize that. Basically, with the TV model of advertising being left behind, the loss of a few million dollars from the ad budget doesn’t mean that a company is going to run fewer ads, it just means they’re going to need to find more cost-effective mediums. It’s a good time to be a code-monkey.
Saying the internet is the future of advertising is nothing new, but it might just be the golden goose that gets the industry through this economic crisis. Companies now have every incentive to invest in a broader advertising strategy, which means some lateral thinking, creative buying and, probably, more ads being produced. Sure, the margins one each project might be a little thinner, but the economics of scale can work in our favour.
The days of producing a slick 30-second spot, running it during the Super Bowl and calling it a campaign are over. I know, the web doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of TV, at least not yet, but it’s been the wave of the future for more than a decade and maybe an economic meltdown is what we needed to shake up the ivory tower.
It doesn’t mean we have to stop drinking in the office, but we should probably start inviting the IT guys.
It’s true, companies have been cutting their advertising budgets as they weather this economic storm, which means less cash on hand for scotch and cigars, but there might be more to this turn of events than meets the eye. As it stands, companies are coming to the obvious conclusion that the old holy trinity of advertising - TV, print and outdoor - isn’t as relevant, or cost-effective, as it once was and they’re looking to find a lifeboat before the whole thing goes under. Oddly enough, a global economic meltdown might be the perfect opportunity.
With executives pinching pennies, and the whole world howling for companies to tighten their belts, slashing a few million dollars from an advertising budget is an easy first step, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong first step. Spending the money to produce a TV spot and run it on the dozens of specialty networks you need to get a decent reach/frequency only to have half the audience TiVo past it anyway is a bad idea no matter what shape the economy is in. This won’t be the death of the 30-second spot, but it’s bad news for the commercial break.
Luckily, for every TV screen being turned off there’re two monitors being turned on and the money men are starting to realize that. Basically, with the TV model of advertising being left behind, the loss of a few million dollars from the ad budget doesn’t mean that a company is going to run fewer ads, it just means they’re going to need to find more cost-effective mediums. It’s a good time to be a code-monkey.
Saying the internet is the future of advertising is nothing new, but it might just be the golden goose that gets the industry through this economic crisis. Companies now have every incentive to invest in a broader advertising strategy, which means some lateral thinking, creative buying and, probably, more ads being produced. Sure, the margins one each project might be a little thinner, but the economics of scale can work in our favour.
The days of producing a slick 30-second spot, running it during the Super Bowl and calling it a campaign are over. I know, the web doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of TV, at least not yet, but it’s been the wave of the future for more than a decade and maybe an economic meltdown is what we needed to shake up the ivory tower.
It doesn’t mean we have to stop drinking in the office, but we should probably start inviting the IT guys.
Final Ad Assignment Ever !
Advertising – What do I think?
For this last assignment I wrote out several different possibilities of topics in my red notebook, as per my habits. Potential topics were things like does advertising carry a value? What does the economic crisis really mean to the world of advertising and so on.
I began the assignment with an opening paragraph. Upon the second paragraph I realized that I was not happy with the topic and I didn’t like what I wrote. Delete. Next topic the same thing happened. Third try, this assignment came to life. I truthfully cannot settle on a topic, nor have I found one that I like enough to write approximately 500 words about.
This same thing happened when I was writing my final short story for the Advanced Creative Writing class. I wrote about four pages of fiction based loosely on a true story. At the forth page I realized that I didn’t like where the story had gone. Once again, I hit delete.
For the sake of this particular assignment I can easily described to you how important I feel advertising really is. Without advertising how on earth can a company expect to attract business and customers?
Word of mouth is a powerful tool. Customers come into my place of employment, Canadian Footwear, all the time claiming that “A friend told me to come in and here I am.”
Word of mouth also does great work for the music scene. One of my hobbies that has been dormant for the last two years while I concentrated on school, is finding/discovering almost-unknown bands. Myspace is good, Uptown has reviews but the most trusted source I have for finding these bands are people. Talking with people about music is the best way that I find new music. That and watching Going Coastal on Much Music.
I’m going to stay on the music bandwagon and discuss the importance of radio advertising when your band is playing a show. For this argument I’m going to use an example that I experienced. The band was Just, they hail from Calgary and the only radio airplay they got was on Freq 107. Not a huge band by any means but they loyal listeners of Freq were familiar and loved their music, myself included.
Freq presented Just the first time that they played here. Playing the West End Cultural Centre, the venue was packed. Tickets almost sold out. The advertising the band had was the spots on Freq and their Myspace event updates.
The next time that Just came to Winnipeg a few years later the results were sadly different. Freq saw a slight format change with the new music director who took the station on a more Metal route. Just, not fitting into the Metal scene was not presented by Freq. The only advertising that they had was the Myspace event updates and the occasional mention by a DJ.
A total of maybe 50 people made it out to that show.
I still believe that radio spots are the best way to get word out about a show. I understand that times are changing along with technology. IPods are literally taking over and people are running to iTunes instead of HMV for the latest album releases. Radio has lost some of its presence but not all. I’m not the only person who would run back to radio at an alarming rate if Freq 107 came to be again.
In conclusion what I take away from being an Ad major is an appreciation and recognition of the world of advertising
For this last assignment I wrote out several different possibilities of topics in my red notebook, as per my habits. Potential topics were things like does advertising carry a value? What does the economic crisis really mean to the world of advertising and so on.
I began the assignment with an opening paragraph. Upon the second paragraph I realized that I was not happy with the topic and I didn’t like what I wrote. Delete. Next topic the same thing happened. Third try, this assignment came to life. I truthfully cannot settle on a topic, nor have I found one that I like enough to write approximately 500 words about.
This same thing happened when I was writing my final short story for the Advanced Creative Writing class. I wrote about four pages of fiction based loosely on a true story. At the forth page I realized that I didn’t like where the story had gone. Once again, I hit delete.
For the sake of this particular assignment I can easily described to you how important I feel advertising really is. Without advertising how on earth can a company expect to attract business and customers?
Word of mouth is a powerful tool. Customers come into my place of employment, Canadian Footwear, all the time claiming that “A friend told me to come in and here I am.”
Word of mouth also does great work for the music scene. One of my hobbies that has been dormant for the last two years while I concentrated on school, is finding/discovering almost-unknown bands. Myspace is good, Uptown has reviews but the most trusted source I have for finding these bands are people. Talking with people about music is the best way that I find new music. That and watching Going Coastal on Much Music.
I’m going to stay on the music bandwagon and discuss the importance of radio advertising when your band is playing a show. For this argument I’m going to use an example that I experienced. The band was Just, they hail from Calgary and the only radio airplay they got was on Freq 107. Not a huge band by any means but they loyal listeners of Freq were familiar and loved their music, myself included.
Freq presented Just the first time that they played here. Playing the West End Cultural Centre, the venue was packed. Tickets almost sold out. The advertising the band had was the spots on Freq and their Myspace event updates.
The next time that Just came to Winnipeg a few years later the results were sadly different. Freq saw a slight format change with the new music director who took the station on a more Metal route. Just, not fitting into the Metal scene was not presented by Freq. The only advertising that they had was the Myspace event updates and the occasional mention by a DJ.
A total of maybe 50 people made it out to that show.
I still believe that radio spots are the best way to get word out about a show. I understand that times are changing along with technology. IPods are literally taking over and people are running to iTunes instead of HMV for the latest album releases. Radio has lost some of its presence but not all. I’m not the only person who would run back to radio at an alarming rate if Freq 107 came to be again.
In conclusion what I take away from being an Ad major is an appreciation and recognition of the world of advertising
Chicago
The land of the free, home of the brave. I love Chicago. Advertising is bigger, better and wilder down south. Check out this series of Snickers ads.
These things were everywhere, and the greatest thing is that none of them actually mentioned Snickers. They merely used its' chocolatey iconic logo to get their message across.
What an absolutely ingenious concept to revive a lagging brand.
Chicago is full of money. The downtown is filled with the world's most expensive brands: Burberry, Ralph Lauren, etc. (One tie in a Burberry store = $238, wow).
While in Chicago I was lucky enough to take part in a tour of Critical Mass, a digital-age advertising agency with seven locations world-wide. The office was much bigger than I expected. Critical Mass' client list features the likes of NASA, Rolex, and Dell.
While at the agency we toured the amazing facilities (and got to mingle with the staff).
Shortly thereafter, we were treated to a demo reel of the agency's latest creative endeavor. Critical Mass has just completed a campaign for Only Vegas, a division of the Las Vegas tourism board.
Critical Mass came up with the concept to take an entire small Texas town (many of which has never been on a plane), and give them an all-expenses trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas. So cool.
Critical Mass developed web videos telling the story of the town's vacation, and focused the webisodes around a few main characters.
Critical Mass proved that with a little imagination, advertising can move forward past its' reliance on convention methods.
The new world of advertising is all about surviving. With papers dying (The Sun-Times applied for bankruptcy a week before we left for Chicago), and TV ratings plummeting, these are the type of things ad agencies will need to do to advance the medium.
I truly loved the fact that CM was willing to take risks (or at least more so than in a huge agency). All the people in the office were dressed as they please (when asked about how the clients feel about the casual nature, "They are cool with it. They know this is how we are."
What a great experience.
Other places to visit when in Chicago (though not necessarily advertising related):
United Center - See the Blackhawks up close and personal.
The Art Institute of Chicago - American Gothic, need I say more.
Chinatown- Visit the oldest restaurant in Chinatown, the Won Kow, just like your hero (?) Al Capone.
The Blues - Blue Chicago, and Kingston Mines; absolutely great nite clubs in the city that claims to be the "Home of the Blues."
If you've never been to Chicago, you'll leave your heart there.
Advertising in the U S and/or A
Note: I can only seem to add the first two pictures, and in the interest of getting to work on-time, I am going to work...adding the rest of the pics this wknd.
Advertising and the Recession
One of the things that I had been told about a visit to the US, is that I wouldn’t have a full grasp of the economic situation until I arrived in the US. That was very much the case. Along with all the “For Lease” signs in windows on what should be prime real estate on the Magnificent Mile, and the proliferation of cash advance stores since my last visit, I was struck by how much free inventory out-of-home dealers seemed to have. From bus-shelters in the big city, to super boards on the highway, to even ads in the men’s room at the United Centre (I didn’t take a picture of that), there were ads all over pleading for business. To this laymen, that doesn’t seem like a good business practice, the fact that there are so many ads asking for the business, suggests to me that the ads don’t work. Perhaps giving current advertisers some extra faces might not be a bad idea, to create the illusion of scarcity.
Advertising and Civic Pride
One of the things I’ve always loved about Chicago is that it is a very confident city. Not obnoxious about it like Toronto, but a city that carries with it a very quiet pride. One of the things I noticed is that people take care of their surroundings. If they have lunch in Millennium Park, they make damn well sure that they clean up every crumb left behind. Perhaps this direct appeal, from Mayor Daley has something to do with it.
Also the campaign is in full swing to have the Olympics held in Chicago in 2016. In a city that is renowned for it’s advertising, these ad treatments seen around, (this on was in the lobby of Critical Mass) are marvelous.
Advertising and Politics
Something that is a sure thing, is that after you clear the Pembina border crossing, the super boards on the side of the highway become huge. And generally the feature the gigantic likeness of stupid looking fat men selling you vehicles, stupid looking white men selling you real estate and stupid looking fat men looking to sue your neighbour for not putting sand on her porch in the winter. But something else that is abundant are the incredible amount of pro-life billboards on the highway. I’m not sure if the pro-lifers think that after a couple finds out about an unwanted pregnancy, they’re going to make their way from Alexandria to Tomah for some gas station cheese, so that’s the place to get them, but it seems to me I see more appeals to keep the baby on the side of the highway then anywhere else in my travels to the U S and A.
Funny
I’ll end with this...it struck me as funny. All over Chicago there are “City Information” kiosks where one would assume you would learn about what to do in Chicago. In this case it just says “City Information: Drink Jameson Whiskey”. ‘Nuff said.
Advertising and the Recession
One of the things that I had been told about a visit to the US, is that I wouldn’t have a full grasp of the economic situation until I arrived in the US. That was very much the case. Along with all the “For Lease” signs in windows on what should be prime real estate on the Magnificent Mile, and the proliferation of cash advance stores since my last visit, I was struck by how much free inventory out-of-home dealers seemed to have. From bus-shelters in the big city, to super boards on the highway, to even ads in the men’s room at the United Centre (I didn’t take a picture of that), there were ads all over pleading for business. To this laymen, that doesn’t seem like a good business practice, the fact that there are so many ads asking for the business, suggests to me that the ads don’t work. Perhaps giving current advertisers some extra faces might not be a bad idea, to create the illusion of scarcity.
Advertising and Civic Pride
One of the things I’ve always loved about Chicago is that it is a very confident city. Not obnoxious about it like Toronto, but a city that carries with it a very quiet pride. One of the things I noticed is that people take care of their surroundings. If they have lunch in Millennium Park, they make damn well sure that they clean up every crumb left behind. Perhaps this direct appeal, from Mayor Daley has something to do with it.
Also the campaign is in full swing to have the Olympics held in Chicago in 2016. In a city that is renowned for it’s advertising, these ad treatments seen around, (this on was in the lobby of Critical Mass) are marvelous.
Advertising and Politics
Something that is a sure thing, is that after you clear the Pembina border crossing, the super boards on the side of the highway become huge. And generally the feature the gigantic likeness of stupid looking fat men selling you vehicles, stupid looking white men selling you real estate and stupid looking fat men looking to sue your neighbour for not putting sand on her porch in the winter. But something else that is abundant are the incredible amount of pro-life billboards on the highway. I’m not sure if the pro-lifers think that after a couple finds out about an unwanted pregnancy, they’re going to make their way from Alexandria to Tomah for some gas station cheese, so that’s the place to get them, but it seems to me I see more appeals to keep the baby on the side of the highway then anywhere else in my travels to the U S and A.
Funny
I’ll end with this...it struck me as funny. All over Chicago there are “City Information” kiosks where one would assume you would learn about what to do in Chicago. In this case it just says “City Information: Drink Jameson Whiskey”. ‘Nuff said.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Mr. American, I Apologize
On a recent trip to Chicago with fellow classmates from the Creative Communications graduating class of 2009 (thank you, thank you) I realized that this was it. This was probably the last time I would see some of these amazing people. Some would move on to more exotic locations like Calgary or Saskatoon. Others would sadly never cross my path again, simple as that. I looked around the bus at all the faces that had grown so familiar over the years, then, I leaned back in my chair, and promptly fell asleep. I never could stay awake in a moving vehicle.
Hours passed. When I awoke, I was over my bit of sadness due to the crick in my neck and the rumble in my stomach. Luckily (and I use that term lightly), we were pulling into a McDonald’s parking lot for lunch. While in line waiting for my meal – very crabbily waiting for my meal – I had my first encounter with a pedestrian American.
“So, uh, what is this?” he asked, leaning in a little too close. “Where y’all from?” Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I slowly responded, “Winnipeg. Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.” Then he said it. “Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?” and he laughed. AND he elbowed me so I would get the joke too. I didn’t get the joke. In fact, I had no idea what he was talking about and he was elbowing me and I was crabby. I turned to look at him, confusion and annoyance on my face “What?” I demanded. By the time he realized that I was confused, I had caught up. Oh, right. Canadians say eh. Gotcha.
He was still talking. “I’ve been up there before. North Bay. Know anyone from North Bay?” The poor man. I almost felt like I should warn him. I am not the kind of person you make small talk with when freshly awakened. I informed him that no, I did not know anyone in North Bay, Ontario.
I picked up my tray and began to walk away to enjoy what was previously known as a Big Extra in Canada (the U.S. decided that a Big N’ Tasty was a more appetizing name for some reason), when he stopped me with an even better joke – except he wasn’t joking. “You folks have snow year round in most parts don’t ya? Where exactly are the igloos?” I guess you could say I temporarily lost it. I even surprised myself. “I don’t know,” I shot back, “I think they’re in Alaska actually – in YOUR country.” Eep. Red-faced I hurried to join the safety of my fellow Canadians.
As I sat in silence eating my burger (not enjoying my burger) and replaying what had just happened, I realized that I had definitely not lived up to the “Friendly Manitoba” moniker that has adorned our license plates for so long. I suppose I had just been in shock that I had faced almost every major Canadian stereotype in one conversation, with one of the first Americans I had spoken to – and while I was still half asleep.
I will admit, every American I encountered on the trip was very, very kind and I was extra kind in turn. I wanted to repair the damage I had done to my fellow Canadians by my rude behaviour toward the man in the McDonald’s. To you sir, if you’re reading this I have a few things to say: 1) We don’t all say eh. And if some of us do we probably don’t realize it. 2) A Canadian does not know every other Canadian. Canada is pretty big. 3) We don’t live in igloos. Maybe there are some that still do way, way up north but I doubt you or I will ever get the chance to meet them. 4) Anyone who gets off a huge bus with out-of-town license plates is bound to be crabby. You may want to steer clear. 5) The last thing I want to say (and the most important thing) is that I’m sorry. It was a bad day to run into me and try to make friendly small talk. I swear I would’ve been equally as obnoxious to a Canadian.
By the way, Chicago was incredible. I can't wait to go back... if you'll have me.
This guy was one of the funniest Americans I met!
Hours passed. When I awoke, I was over my bit of sadness due to the crick in my neck and the rumble in my stomach. Luckily (and I use that term lightly), we were pulling into a McDonald’s parking lot for lunch. While in line waiting for my meal – very crabbily waiting for my meal – I had my first encounter with a pedestrian American.
“So, uh, what is this?” he asked, leaning in a little too close. “Where y’all from?” Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I slowly responded, “Winnipeg. Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.” Then he said it. “Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?” and he laughed. AND he elbowed me so I would get the joke too. I didn’t get the joke. In fact, I had no idea what he was talking about and he was elbowing me and I was crabby. I turned to look at him, confusion and annoyance on my face “What?” I demanded. By the time he realized that I was confused, I had caught up. Oh, right. Canadians say eh. Gotcha.
He was still talking. “I’ve been up there before. North Bay. Know anyone from North Bay?” The poor man. I almost felt like I should warn him. I am not the kind of person you make small talk with when freshly awakened. I informed him that no, I did not know anyone in North Bay, Ontario.
I picked up my tray and began to walk away to enjoy what was previously known as a Big Extra in Canada (the U.S. decided that a Big N’ Tasty was a more appetizing name for some reason), when he stopped me with an even better joke – except he wasn’t joking. “You folks have snow year round in most parts don’t ya? Where exactly are the igloos?” I guess you could say I temporarily lost it. I even surprised myself. “I don’t know,” I shot back, “I think they’re in Alaska actually – in YOUR country.” Eep. Red-faced I hurried to join the safety of my fellow Canadians.
As I sat in silence eating my burger (not enjoying my burger) and replaying what had just happened, I realized that I had definitely not lived up to the “Friendly Manitoba” moniker that has adorned our license plates for so long. I suppose I had just been in shock that I had faced almost every major Canadian stereotype in one conversation, with one of the first Americans I had spoken to – and while I was still half asleep.
I will admit, every American I encountered on the trip was very, very kind and I was extra kind in turn. I wanted to repair the damage I had done to my fellow Canadians by my rude behaviour toward the man in the McDonald’s. To you sir, if you’re reading this I have a few things to say: 1) We don’t all say eh. And if some of us do we probably don’t realize it. 2) A Canadian does not know every other Canadian. Canada is pretty big. 3) We don’t live in igloos. Maybe there are some that still do way, way up north but I doubt you or I will ever get the chance to meet them. 4) Anyone who gets off a huge bus with out-of-town license plates is bound to be crabby. You may want to steer clear. 5) The last thing I want to say (and the most important thing) is that I’m sorry. It was a bad day to run into me and try to make friendly small talk. I swear I would’ve been equally as obnoxious to a Canadian.
By the way, Chicago was incredible. I can't wait to go back... if you'll have me.
This guy was one of the funniest Americans I met!
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