Wedding

It's official!! You have the invitation to the wedding, yay!!!

Ariel and I really hope you can come to Costa Rica and have put together a little website to help you with some of the details. You have a lot of decisions to make. So pick up a guide book to plan your trip and head on over to the wedding website for some practical advice on getting to the hotel, the day before and the day of the wedding.

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/VirginiaIngram&ArielCintronArias

XOXOXO, Ginni

Commentary on Mad Men shenanigans

First published on the Capstrat website 7/28/10.

This blog post is in response to Allison's article 'Mad Men Shenanigans.' I have a different interpretation of the episode. What follows is a rebuttal to Allison's article on the Public Relations episode of Mad Men.

I love the show and I love the commentary on the industry. I also love the idea of a debate!

I am not so sure the publicity stunt was unethical - though there were plenty of unethical situations surrounding the story.

There are three press pitches referenced in the episode.

1. The interview of Don in Ad Age.
2. The story about the two women fighting over the ham in the Daily News.
3. The interview of Don in the Wall Street Journal.

I think the PR reference is related to all three of the news stories - and not as much about the publicity stunt.

1. Don interview #1: This reporter made up facts because Don didn't give him a story. Inexcusable.
2. The ham story: This reporter had a story - albeit fabricated - but took a bribe and reported on a story as if it were fact. Reporting on fiction as fact is inexcusable - unless there were plans to reveal the full story at a later date (and that was def. not the case). Taking a bribe is also inexcusable. But the stunt itself was okay. It's okay to stage a situation to get attention. IT IS NOT OKAY TO REPORT ON IT AS FACT.
3. Don interview #2: This reporter was called in to do an interview after Don realized that:
   a. he couldn't lower his standards to deliver creative that would make the Janzen client happy and
   b. to give a real story and boost awareness of his new agency.

Peggy, Pete and Joey got lucky the ham incident didn't turn into a story about the story, but it also sounds like the client made some missteps in their rollout strategy. Two of the four stores that carried the hams were in Jewish neighborhoods. It also sounds like the client dictated the creative to the point that Peggy and Joey thought the work was compromised - but that is probably just the egos of the Sterling Cooper Draper Price employees talking.

I think the lesson here is that if you call in the press, you better be:

• prepared to deliver a story
• you better be certain the reporter you speak with will do his homework
• sure you contact a reputable reporter

Perhaps the Daily News - in 1960 - could be equated to blogs today?

A look at Shark Week

Shark Yourself

First published on the Capstrat website 7/26/10.

I've been watching a lot of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel lately. It's summer. There are no new shows. And I have a giant crush on Mike Rowe. 

Over the past two weeks, I've seen a lot of promotional commercials for Discovery Channel's upcoming Shark Week (beginning August 1). I've heard about it for years. I've seen aquariums jump on the bandwagon. Why does Shark Week exist? And how could there be a sustainable audience for 23 years? With the premiere week 12 years after Jaws.

Shark lovers seem to think they have shark week to educate people on shark safety, but there is still some sensationalism and some debate.

Though my fears are unfounded, I am too fearful of shark attacks to watch. But I think the inventors are genius:

• Sharks are universally known, feared and revered.
• The Discovery Channel created a holiday week that will have controversy and discussion every year. 
• Non-fatal shark attacks are frequent enough that a tie in to a real event or story is possible.
• The Discovery Channel shows the same shows every year, only adding a handful of new programs.
• The Discovery Channel has created an arsenal of reusable promotional materials to entertain those interested. 
• As a viewer, you may watch to learn what you should do if you see a shark or you may watch to see scary footage - but with 24 hour programming 7 days a week, there is something for everyone.

Though I am not sure I will understand the precise goals of Shark Week, with almost 30 million viewers Discovery Channel was on to something. 

Related links for shark exploring:

• Shark Week programming guide.
• Romancing the Shark - a romance quiz to determine your shark mate.
• Shark Puzzles - online puzzles, much like offline ones. (I found them much harder online than in real life.)
• State of the Shark - Shark population and statistics, notable shark discoveries and factual information about the unprovoked shark attacks.
• Shark Anatomy - Reviews shark anatomy and senses.
• Shark Yourself - A game that allows you to create a shark version of yourself.
• Shark Week on the Discovery Channel Blog - Has information about a photo contest and other shark facts. 
• Shark Week on Twitter - Discovery Channel didn't nab up @SharkWeek, but they are chatting it up on the @Discovery account and using #SharkWeek.

The Michelin Man and the Gorilla

Gorillaz Demon Days album cover

First published on the Capstrat website 7/21/10.

I've always loved music. I've DJ'ed in several capacities:  at multiple weddings, at a classic rock radio station and at two separate college radio stations. But when I picked up my TV-and-Internet-at-the-same-time habit, I gave up a lot of my music listening activities.

You may have read an earlier article about giving up an indulgent TV-and-Internet-at-the-same-time habit. A side benefit? I have rediscovered listening to music in my freetime. And I have had time to write an article that ties my music passion back to my dayjob.

My taste in music is odd. It is either independent label rock (indie rock) or the sugary-est most popular pop music that is currently on the radio (yes, I LOVE the Black Eyed Peas - judge away). Over the years, I've noticed that people with my taste in indie music work in advertising.

The Sea and Cake and Citibank encouraged us to spend our money wisely in 2009.

The Magnetic Fields have helped advertisers sell diamonds (Helzberg diamonds early 2000) and dog food (Cesar dog food commercial in 2006).

In 2006 Of Montreal encouraged us to go Outback tonight. (This commercial was played so often I had to add some additional Of Montreal albums to my collection)

My latest discovery? A song very similar to a Gorillaz song has appeared in a Michelin Man commercial.

I unapologetically love this. The indie bands get to make some money, without selling out. And advertisers and most TV-commercial consumers get to hear great music on commercials without screwing with our memories (an article by Todd that discusses the use of popular songs on TV commercials).

Why I am glad I am not a Mad (Wo)Man

Image by Mad Men Yourself

First published on the Capstrat website 7/20/10.

It's easy to get caught up in the AMC series Mad Men, the characters are flawed, glamorous and brilliant. I celebrate the notion that great creative, paired with a great product, can move the needle on sales and awareness. BUT, despite all that they have right, it is important to look at how far we have advanced over the past 50 years.

• On Mad Men research does not impact the work. In early episodes, Don Draper throws away research on the harmful effects of tobacco. Other than focus groups, research is not mentioned. It seems that research is used only if it is convenient. You'd get in a lot of trouble for that today.

• The work/life balance is very different. On Mad Men the staff places their job at a higher level of importance than their family. Today we make sacrifices for our jobs, are rarely away from our Blackberries and iPhones and always work more than 40 hours per week, but I have a hard time believing an ENTIRE agency would work on a holiday as they do one July 4th at Sterling Cooper.

• The constant party would be tiring. I am glad I don't have 3 martinis while at lunch. I'd either not be able to drink all three drinks, or be a wreck when I went back to the office. Either way it would be embarrassing and unproductive. There is no way I could hang. Who wants to blend work with a party?

• I am glad I don't have to golf to win over clients. In one of my favorite episodes a rising star at the agency gets his foot run over by a John Deere. His career is proclaimed to be over.  Thank goodness my performance is not based on my golf game. I've spent most of my golfing career learning how to caddy. I still can't golf worth a damn, but I make a great caddy.

If a show were made in 2060 about advertising in 2010 what would they say?

• Can you believe people typed in 2010?
• Can you believe people carried more than one device?
• Look at the size of that computer!!
• Look at what this bunch of nobodies did to transform the industry!!