April 13, 2018 · 2:31 pm

August, Wyoming


I’m sitting here on the banks of the Snake River as it passes through Grand Teton. It’s warm, calm, and altogether as peaceful a place as you’ll come across out west. Dragonflies coast low over the water like pelicans from saltier environs. There are no sounds to speak of, save the cast of fly fishermen in the distance, hoping the scheduled sunset brings with it a trout worthy of dinner and Instagram.

The hills in the distance are more voluptuous and bottle-shaped than their Colorado counterparts. Here, they’re more a show of hospitality, less an episode of American Ninja Warrior.

If these hills had eyes, they would be privy to a view unlike any I’ve come across in twenty-eight and a half years on this planet. Great, jagged peaks looking out opposite these hills, the stereotypical kind a fourth grader would pen as a hand-drawn mental escape from an algebra class. They rise out of a lake the aqua equivalent of The Giving Tree. Water so glassy, you’d think making wake would result in a court date.

And perhaps the most shocking and most enjoyable part about this place is what you won’t find. There are no hyper-bros on selfie sticks doing backflips off party barges. No hunters getting out of an F-350 Super Duty with “sporting rifles” dead-set on shooting an animal worthy of a supporting role in a Thomas Kinkade painting. No enemies, just friends. It sounds about like an Outback Steakhouse slogan, but damnit it’s true. It’s a similar feeling to the one you get stepping into a place of worship or higher spiritual realm. Everyone wants to be their best self. Full stop.

After about an hour of this impromptu riverbank near-meditation, a familiar sound and feeling brings me back to the world I left: my fucking iPhone vibrating, asking me if I’m going to attend a recurring meeting that I’m absolutely not going to attend because I’m on vacation in fucking Wyoming.

I exhale, calmly decline the meeting invite, and glance at my other push notifications to make sure the world is still in one piece. And despite Supreme Leader Un launching some missiles over Japan, it’s still there. Pretty fucked, but there.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

May 31, 2017 · 3:16 pm

Hey, Tiger.


You are Tiger Woods.

You are the reason, the only reason, I wanted to play golf as a kid. My dad, a used car salesman, and my mom, owner of a regional modeling agency, never played a single round (save some nights of putt putt at the local Hawaiian Rumble). I didn’t have a legacy membership at one of the many golf clubs in Myrtle Beach, nor did I have hand-me-down clubs from siblings.

Just a shade past eight years old, I was hanging out with my mom at a photoshoot at a local bed & breakfast. It was Sunday, April 13, 1997, and I was watching you make history at The Masters huddled over a 13” television while a makeup artist was sitting next to me touching up one of the models.

Instantly, I wanted to be like you. When I got my first cap that wasn’t associated with my favorite baseball/basketball/football team, you can guess what it looked like. When Santa finally adorned me with my first pair of golf cleats, he was smart enough to know I didn’t want a FootJoy logo on them. I never got your Titleist (or later Nike) clubs, but two out of three ain’t bad.

I’m not here saying I wouldn’t be a great golfer if it wasn’t for you, Tiger – because the fact is I’m not a great golfer at all, and frankly never have been. I’ve never broken 80, I don’t play from the championship tees, and I only made the golf team at Myrtle Beach High School my sophomore year as a sympathy selection after trying out (and failing miserably) the two years prior. Shout out to my teammates who played with me that winter, as you all waited patiently on many fairways while I gained an intimate knowledge of South Carolina flora in the nearby woods. But what golf (and you personally) taught me goes way beyond handicap. Vision. Self discipline. Competitiveness. How to talk to a bunch of old rich white guys. You were more of a positive influence on my childhood than you’ll ever know.

And you got this pseudo-only child excited about a sport that could entertain me solo for hours on end.

Just ask my parents, who cringed every time their son – sporting black pants and a red shirt in the middle of a 90 degree summer afternoon – would hook a ball left on the opening tee of the McCollum Family Golf Club [read: home] and accidentally graze a window. Were they terrified of my new summer hobby of working on my swing inside each night, carefully crafting a track for my steel-shafted clubs to narrowly avoid the family antiques (sometimes wearing rollerblades)? Certainly. But did they know golf was ultimately good for me? You bet, and you played a major part in that.

You are Tiger Woods.

For the next ten years, you being in contention on Sunday was as sure of a bet as the CBS coverage being followed by a new episode of 60 Minutes (except on the west coast, as Jim Nance reminded us). Your chip-in on 16 at The Masters in 2005 is the greatest golf shot of all time, and your 72nd hole birdie putt to force a playoff on your bum knee at the ‘08 US Open was just one of the many reminders we’ve been given that your greatness is limitless. You’re Michael Jordan with a collar. 

You are Tiger Woods.

Since that tournament, the 2008 US Open, it’s been a weird ride, hasn’t it?

I remember where I was when details of your personal life were released in ‘09. I was sitting in my Jeep, about to go to class at The University of Georgia. Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” had just played, and a morning DJ was giving Athens, GA, his two cents on the developments. I remember feeling like one of my childhood heroes had been living a lie. I can’t imagine how Elin felt.

Although I forgave you, it’s never quite been the same. Between the injuries, the surgeries, the tournament withdrawals, and now the DUI, I keep feeling like my hero hasn’t been 100% with it. But that’s the underlying problem with heroes: they’re human, not super. You had relationship issues, just like many of us. Chalk me up in that group. You’ve battled an aging body that’s kept you away from the game you love, just like many all who came before you. And you got arrested on a DUI charge, just like 1.5MM do each year.

But that’s where our similarities end, Tiger. Because we’re not Tiger Woods.

You are Tiger Woods, and you need to remember that.

We weren’t on TV playing golf with Bob Hope at age 2. You were.

We don’t hold the record for most consecutive weeks as the #1 ranked golfer in the world. You do. 281 weeks, if you had forgotten.

We didn’t grace the cover of the EA Sports PGA Tour video game for 15 straight years. We just played it. As you.

Oh, and you won some golf tournaments, too. 79 professionally, as it stands right now.

I’m not here to say you owe it to us to come back next season and write your greatest chapter yet. After all you’ve given us, you don’t owe us anything.

But you have to try.

Because you are Tiger Woods.

2 Comments

Filed under Life

December 19, 2016 · 12:06 am

Consider The Garbage Man: The Musical


He’s Tom, and I’m Cory.

And we don’t have much of a story.

We’re making ends meet

On the edge of our seats.

We’re garbage men.

 

We have a helluva truck

With unusable stuff.

The job doesn’t pay.

Another smelly day.

We’re garbage men.

 

But the garbage man life

Is actually quite nice.

Seeing your family at night.

Watching the sun always rise.

Writing this here ditty

After cleaning the big city

Is all we need.

 

But garbage men have ambitions too.

Polishing the South Bronx

For the School Of Hard Knocks.

Heads Of Sanitation

For the best cities in the nation.

Hashtag Goalz.

 

So let this be a reminder to all.

Do what you love and life will be a ball.

Every man’s trash is our utmost treasure.

If we weren’t paid, we’d do it for leisure.

We’re garbage men.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

January 21, 2016 · 7:03 pm

Proud Dropout?


NYC Dropout
When our friends who’ve lived in New York City for a while bail for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, and other cities, we usually celebrate their time spent grinding away in The Big Apple, and wish them the best on their futures spent elsewhere. But if and when you leave New York, you can’t really say that you’ve defeated it – that you won. In some way, leaving NYC after beginning to shape your career here is quitting – on the city, on the lifestyle, and on the ideology (#NewYorkValues, maybe?). You, in a sense, dropped out.
New York is a different, and oftentimes tough environment to live in. We carry our groceries home in our hands. We do not push our groceries 100 yards to our cars. We’re not saying you’re an idiot for leaving. On the contrary, we’re probably the idiots for thinking this is the #bestlife. But alas, we’re still here, currently waiting to see if this winter storm brings one foot or two feet of snow, checking to see if the L train is still down, and trying to remember if April or May is when it usually gets warm again, while you’re likely researching the pros and cons of buying a hybrid and/0r checking the availability of your favorite wedding venue. Really, you’re probably in a better place. But you did kinda dropout of New York.
But hey, dropping out is nothing to cry about. Zuckerburg did it. Jobs did it. One of my college roommates did it, though he’s not a case we’ll dig into. What I’m saying is, dropping out of NYC is honorable, and something worth celebrating.
NYC Dropout 2
The idea is “NYC Dropout.” Much like alumni attire given to you by your alma mater, but with a bit of edge to say that you’re proud that you said “to hell with New York!”, or something along those lines. If you’re into this idea, hit me up, and we’ll make some shirts. Maybe you’ve got a friend who’s leaving town, or maybe it’s you who’s calling it quits. Either way, rocking one of these could be a fun conversation starter at CostCo and Sonic.
Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 6.25.08 PM

2 Comments

Filed under Ideas

Tagged as , , , , , ,

Video

New York Presbyterian Hospital Spot


When a 93 year old woman says bitch, I listen.

Leave a comment

June 10, 2012 · 10:02 pm
May 2, 2012 · 7:28 pm

Miller Lite Selects Familiar Song for New Miller Time Spot


Miller Lite recently relaunched their tried and true “Miller Time” campaign with a series of new spots. One of those spots features a very catchy song, How You Like Me Now, by The Heavy. It’s the classic case of a great song becoming discovered by being paired with a high-profile commercial with a heavy media spend supporting it. I had yet to hear of the song or the band before hearing it during a commercial, and after hearing it in the ad I thought about the brand every time I heard the song.

The problem for me (and Miller Lite) is that I first heard this song in the 2009 Super Bowl spot for the Kia Sorrento, not the 2012 spot for Miller Lite.

Why do brands feel the need to latch on to songs that have already been used in very prominent ads? Think about the reach the Kia Sorrento spot had. Don’t you think it would be smart for Miller Lite to select a song that people don’t already associate with another brand? And even if you didn’t associate the song with Kia, you probably had already heard that song by now, right? I think it would have been a much better play for Miller Lite to go with a track that was cool and felt right to listen to before a night out on the town, but had not yet been discovered. If they did that, people would hear the song and associate it with Miller Lite, and they would look at the Miller Lite brand and think, “Damn, these guys are purveyors of awesome music.”

Often times, music gets overlooked during the production of broadcast spots, and that’s not a good thing. When you treat the music selection for commercials as an afterthought, you increase the chance of your commercial becoming an afterthought.

3 Comments

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 1, 2012 · 8:54 pm

Will time heal Gregg Williams’ wounds?


Image

Former New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams faces a serious image problem right now. When you lead a bounty program that promotes and awards injuring your opponents, people are obviously not going to be very happy with you. Of course, as the old saying goes, “Time heals all wounds,” right? In the case of countless celebrities and athletes, you’re damn right it does. Look at Tiger Woods. He went from an O-zone-piercing high to a burrowing earth worm low.  Of course, like so many before him, Tiger rebounded from his version of rock bottom and salvaged his career. With that said, I think Gregg Williams faces an even steeper uphill battle than Tiger faced. The reason? Gifts. Not monetary gifts, as I don’t think that would have changed Tiger’s public perception for the better, but emotional gifts – memories. Do Saints fans associate the fond memories of the 2009-2011 teams with Williams, or do they associate it with the players? Gifts are why Tiger Woods was sure to get a second chance, and the same reason why it’s going to be tough for Gregg Williams to ever get that chance.

In this day and age, a character issue is not even close to a career-killer for athletes. Even instances of cheating in some cases can be forgiven if the player admits to his or her mistake and learns from it. (Come clean, Roger Clemens.) The reason is that athletes (in a very raw sense) are products that bring millions of people happiness. Tiger Woods fits the mold perfectly.

Image

Tiger Woods cheated on his wife Elin hundreds (if not thousands) of times, and he upset a ton of people who looked up to him, myself included. With that said, he’s the single biggest reason I took up the game of golf as an adolescent. Sure, I lived in a golf-happy town with great deals for kids wanting to learn, but ultimately it was Tiger that made me want to play – his fire, passion and intensity made golf fun to play and watch, even at age 8. I distinctly remember watching the final round of the 1997 Masters, and I remember multiple occasions where I took my pitching wedge into the yard in the middle of 90+ degree summer afternoons in Myrtle Beach wearing black pants, a red polo and a black Nike cap. He was, and still is, awesome. He gave me so many gifts – so many fond memories from my childhood. After the details of his unfaithful personal life became public in late 2009, I wasn’t happy at all, but I knew I would get over it. It has been a little over two years since the scandal broke. Sure enough, I’m completely over it and extremely stoked to watch Tiger face off against Rory McIlroy this week at The Masters.

It’s rare for a coach to have that kind of connection with the general public, although it isn’t unheard of – just look at Joe Paterno. Did the late Joe Pa make mistakes in regards to reporting the child sexual abuse scandal involving his longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky? Of course. Do I think his inaction will hurt his legacy in the long term? Absolutely not, and it’s because of all the wisdom he gave over the years to his players, fans of Penn State and the general public. Like I said, though, coaches like Joe Pa are scarce, and I don’t think Gregg Williams has ever had the likability of a Joe Pa.

Arguably the biggest play of Super Bowl XLIV came late in the fourth quarter when Saints defender Tracy Porter intercepted a Peyton Manning pass and returned it for a touchdown, essentially sealing the Super Bowl for the Saints. When Saints fans think of that play, do they think of the incredible play call by Gregg Williams, or do they think of Porter snatching the future Hall of Famer’s pass and sprinting untouched to the end zone for the game-clinching score? My guess is the latter, not the former, and that is essentially the problem that will make it much tougher for Williams to repair his image than any of the Saints defenders that played under him.

Image

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 21, 2012 · 10:23 pm

Advertising Introduces Music to the Masses


Working at an ad agency in the Live Music Capital of the World means being treated to a lot of free concerts. Aside from the awesome bands that play at our agency parties, we have groups come into the office all the time for a midday show in the hopes that (among other things) someone who’s working on a commercial will say “Damn, that song would go perfect in the new (insert brand) spot.” When said situation plays out, it’s a beautiful thing for both band and brand – more-so now than ever before.

With YouTube and Shazam being a part of our everyday lives, it’s easier than ever to figure out who is behind the great music in certain commercials.

The last time this happened to me was earlier this week, when a fairly new Internet Explorer commercial caught my eye…I mean ear.

Now, I’m not very music-forward (especially for an Austinite), so there’s a fairly good chance many of you already know who Alex Clare is – I had no idea. Anyway, he’s a British singer-songwriter whose song Too Close caught my attention during an episode of The Big Bang Theory. It’s a pretty badass song, and you can find it on his debut album, The Lateness of the Hour, pictured below along with the accompanying music video for the song. Isn’t advertising great?

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

February 19, 2012 · 8:34 pm

Kashi Go Lean Protein Claim A Stretch


9 grams of protein to 6 in the average egg

I want to be clear: I love Kashi cereal (Cinnamon Harvest to be exact), and I love my eggs. That is what makes this a difficult post to write.

The way Kashi advertises their Go Lean line of cereals irritates me just a tad. Here’s the ad for your viewing pleasure (this one’s kind-of old, but the campaign/claim continues, as I saw an updated spot this morning).

If you only took away one thing from the above ad, it is that Kashi Go Lean Crunch has the same amount of protein as an incredible edible egg. “True, but” are the first two words that came into my head after hearing that claim. Those are also the first two words that came into my head when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s Grammy speech to say that Beyonce had one of the best music videos of all time, as in “True, but this is not the time or place to make that argument, Kanye.” Sorry. I got off track there for a second.

Kashi Go Lean Crunch has the same amount of protein as an egg. If you’re measuring by the number  in grams that’s on the label, then yeah, it’s just as good (even better) than an egg. But there’s no mention in the ad of what kind of protein you’re getting in the box. Here’s the label.

CONTAINS WHEAT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. Boom. There’s the one thing that turns me off. While both egg and soy protein contain all the essential amino acids, they were not created equal. Here’s a quick breakdown from Livestrong.com comparing egg and soy (and whey) proteins in a different way:

Egg Protein

The average egg contains 6 g of protein and contains about 70 calories. Eggs are a low-cost, high-quality protein and an important source of choline. Most protein powder is made from egg whites, which contain protein without the fat found in the egg yolk. All proteins are rated for their “biological value,” which measures how quickly and how well your body can use the protein you consume. According to Wageningen University in the Netherlands, “Egg white protein is considered to have one of the best amino acids profiles for human nutrition.” Although many foods contain all amino acids, the protein in egg whites is the most bio-available — meaning you body can use all of its protein quickly and efficiently.

Whey Protein

Whey is a by-product of cheese making. When casein is separated from milk by curdling, the watery remains are whey. Look for whey protein isolate, which is strictly the protein, with all other components of the whey removed. Whey is a complete protein — meaning that it contains all amino acids. It’s particularly high in the amino acid leucine, which may help to build lean muscle tissue.There is slightly more leucine in whey protein than in egg protein. Whey protein may be a better choice than egg protein post-workout when your body needs quick energy and fast protein synthesis. However, it isn’t absorbed as well at other times.

Soy Protein

Soy is the most problematic of these three proteins. Soy is unique because it’s the only plant-based protein that contains all the amino acids, but it also contains isoflavones — an estrogenic compound that can affect hormones levels. It may affect thyroid levels and can raise estrogen levels in men. This often isn’t a problem if you use soy rarely, but daily supplementation may have side-effects. This is the best protein option for vegetarians and vegans.

————————————————

A raised estrogen level is obviously a bigger concern for men than it is for women, and like the above info shows, it’s probably not a big deal if used rarely.

But soy is becoming more and more prevalent in our diets today, and in the case of this Kashi cereal, it’s competing against the egg to become the consumer’s everyday breakfast choice.

I’m not here to say that soy is the anti-christ and that you should avoid it at all costs. I’m saying that egg and soy are two completely different beasts with their own sets of pros and cons. According to Kashi, they’re exactly the same. That is false.

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 29, 2012 · 5:44 pm

Maker’s Mark Campaign Misses The Mark


For the past eight months or so, Jimmy Fallon has been popping up on my television talking about Maker’s Mark Kentucky bourbon in their It is what it isn’t campaign. After eight months, I have the same opinion I had at day one: I just can’t see this campaign being a success.

I commend the effort. You certainly can’t wear a pink oxford shirt instead of a blue oxford shirt and call yourself an innovator. It isn’t easy to stand out advertising spirits. Everybody can’t tell an inspiring story like Johnny Walker and expect sales to skyrocket. If you want to do something amazing, you have to do something really different.

A well-regarded brand of bourbon hiring a late night talk show host as spokesman is really different, but it’s the classic square/rectangle case: All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. All extraordinary ads buck the norm, but not all ads that buck the norm are extraordinary.

Here’s the copy in full.

It isn’t Hip Hop. It isn’t Heavy Metal! It is definitely not Techno. So why is Maker’s Mark® a hit with so many people? Maybe it’s because even though we’ve never been cool, we’ve always been us – a full bodied whiskey that’s remarkably easy to drink. Just call us the unplugged bourbon. To quote our founder: “It is what it isn’t.™”

He describes a brand that is consistent. A brand that is true. A brand that has never wavered from what it believes in. On its own, that sounds pretty damn good.

The problem  is that the messenger makes the message utterly unbelievable. That’s Jimmy Fallon talking. That’s Jimmy Idiot Boyfriend Weekend Update Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ Fallon! He’s a celebrity. He’s cool. He’s funny. We’ve never been cool, we’ve always been us? It just isn’t believable. He’s reading copy that suggests he grew up sleeping in a bed with a white oak cask for a headboard. You gotta love the guy, but at this stage in his life he was not meant to deliver a marketing message for a Kentucky bourbon. I hate to say it, but he is what Maker’s Mark isn’t.

1 Comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 20, 2011 · 8:50 am

Frank Sinatra Thriving in 2011


2011 has been a great year for Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Dirk Nowitzki and Frank Sinatra. Of course, Sinatra sets himself apart from the pack by being the only one I listed that had a great year posthumously.

It’s so true, though – at least from an advertising perspective. Ciroc Vodka, Nike and PacSun all used Sinatra tracks for ads in 2011. Check ’em out!

1 Comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 18, 2011 · 4:39 pm

Jane Seymour, The Open Heart Collection and Wedding Crashers


For at least the past three years, starting around Thanksgiving and running through Valentine’s Day, I’ve been witness to many ads for  Jane Seymour’s Open Heart Collection at Kay Jewelers. The ad goes something like “If your heart is open, love will always find its way in.” That’s sweet, right?

The problem I have with the campaign has nothing to do with the message itself, but rather with the message’s authenticity. Does anybody remember Wedding Crashers? Jane Seymour played the roll of Kathleen Cleary, the unfaithful wife of Treasury Secretary William Cleary, played by Christopher Walken. Wedding Crashers grossed over $285,000,000 in the box office and is on cable television nearly every week. I guarantee I’m not the only person who has a flashback to the below scene every time I see an Open Heart Collection ad.

Now, obviously the Open Heart Collection has been successful, judging by how many years I’ve been seeing these ads. Plus, it’s also worth noting that she’s cheating in a movie, not in real life. With that said, where is the line drawn when marketing a jewelry product intended for a significant other? Larry King wedding bands? Newt Gingrich engagement rings? Jenna Jameson anniversary collection? Just wondering…

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

November 18, 2011 · 1:27 pm

Wal-Mart Lady Tries To Be Target Lady…And Fails


That is Maria Bumford, the comedian and actress who has played the role of the Target 2-Day Sale Lady for the past two years. She owns the roll, and that positioning for that matter. Why would Wal-Mart want to compete with her?

Now, Wal-Mart’s entire holiday campaign doesn’t revolve around this lady, but it seems obvious to me that they were going for the Maria Bumford quirkiness. Why not do something different, Wal-Mart?

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

November 16, 2011 · 9:38 am

Sonic Branding: Nationwide vs. V8


Sonic branding is a great way to reinforce a brand’s identity and make viewers or listeners aware of whose ad is on the air. It speaks a universal language, and it can serve as a brand’s signature on its sound and motion advertising.

Essentially, it’s a logo you can listen to.

Sonic branding can be awesome, but what happens when one brand’s melody sounds like another brand’s melody?

Here’s a spot from Nationwide Insurance’s World’s Greatest Spokesperson in the World campaign. Turn the volume up, and be sure to listen to their sonic branding in action at the start of the spot.

Now, watch and listen to a spot from the new V8 campaign featuring Jackie Chan, and listen to the sonic branding at the start of the spot. Does it sound distinct, or is it pretty close?

Personally, I think it’s a pretty close match. Now, it might not be that big of a deal since these two brands are in completely different product categories, but it does raise a couple bigger questions: How distinct is distinct enough, and is it only important to be distinct within your product category, or is it vital to be so different that you’re not like any other brand in the world?

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 15, 2011 · 8:37 pm

Movember 2011: Halfway Point


So we’re halfway through the month of Movember, and my ‘stache is starting to make its presence known.

After a couple weeks of growth, I’m kind-of getting sick of calling it a moustache. That’s why I came up with a couple of general nicknames to describe everybody’s fantastic Movember facial hair growth. Which one do you prefer?

If you’d like to make a donation to my Movember page, you can do so at http://mobro.co/corymccollum Our team is in the Top 100 nationally, but I haven’t had the success that my teammates have had. That’s why I’m willing to do ridiculous things in exchange for donations. Check out my Movember page and see what I’m willing to do for a good cause!

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Life

Tagged as ,

November 10, 2011 · 11:41 am

Bieber Karaoke King


So it seems that almost everybody is coming down with Bieber Fever these days, and one case is so bad that it’s making a fan believe that The Biebs fathered her child. I feel almost certain that the story is fabricated, but I think reading the paternity results on Maury Povich would be awesome. “Justin, you ARE NOT the father,” Maury would say. Anyway, let’s get back to Bieber Fever.

After watching the above Google Chrome ad, featuring Justin Bieber’s meteoric rise to stardom, I have to admit, I myself came down with a case of Bieber Fever. What can I say? It’s an awesome story.

What I’ve learned about Bieber Fever is that it’s kind-of like the common cold. There are lots of different strands, and some cases are more severe than others. My Bieber Fever probably topped out at a mild 100 degrees, whereas this epic karaoke artist was probably running a whopping 108 degree fever with a bad case of Ebola when he came up to sing Justin Bieber’s Baby  last week at Ego’s in Austin, Texas.

There is no cure for Bieber Fever, but symptoms can be treated by watching this performance; side effects include a case of the giggles and tears.

–I wish Google Creative Labs had this footage when they were editing the above spot.

1 Comment

Filed under Advertising, Life

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 20, 2011 · 7:17 pm

Lowe’s Ad Shows That Home Improvement Can Be Fun


The below commercial for Lowe’s has been out for over a month now, and I’ve seen it upwards of 30 times due to how much football I consume this time of year. Yet, I haven’t gotten tired of it in the slightest bit, and part of the reason for that is how vastly different it is from anything I’ve ever seen from them or The Home Depot. The music, the choreography and the talent completely buck the norm for the category, and I love it.

Agency: BBDO

Choreography: Hi-Hat

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , , , , ,

October 3, 2011 · 2:15 pm

Obsessed: Twitter Bios


The average word length in the English language is 5.1 letters. The average sentence length is 14.3 words. After adding in 13 spaces to place in-between those words, and throwing in two more characters for a comma and a period, you’re looking at an average of 85 characters for every sentence that comes out of your mouth or fingertips. Throw in some book smarts and a well-educated audience, and those averages go up. Twitter allotts you with 160 characters to describe yourself to the online world, and that is what makes the Twitter bio oh so interesting.

Can you imagine what English class would have been like with a pro-Twitter professor? “I want you to write me a two sentence autobiographical paper about yourself, and it better be good” he or she would say.

It’s a little bit ridiculous to believe that day will ever come, but that’s what users are already asked to do on Twitter, so who knows. How would you describe and introduce yourself to the online universe when only allotted the amount of characters in the sentence that you are reading right now?

Twitter is the mullet of social media platforms, part business and part party, and the Twitter bio is essentially a mash of business card, eHarmony.com profile and Midnight at The Apollo. The formula for my Twitter bio can best be described as job title and education, followed by a small tidbit about myself and ending with an attempt at a clever comment or observation in the hopes of leaving readers with a smile on their face by character 160. It’s far from scientific, but I dig it. I also dig the way these celebrities I follow describe themselves on Twitter.

For some guys who found instant-stardom by way of their YouTube videos, they seem like pretty cool and humble guys from their bio.

If you know who Brian Wilson is, then you know how awesome this bio is because of how un-Brian Wilson it sounds. Then you realize that nothing is un-Brian Wilson.

Aziz sounds like just another dude in his Twitter bio. It works.

You knew it was going to be ridiculous, but you have to love the bio of the brand that has more quirky charm than previously thought to exist in the entire universe.

This is a shout-out to future celebrity, Sam Leon. They say one way to become something is to act like that's what you already are. You're well on your way to a verified account, good sir.

Do you know anybody else with an awesome Twitter bio? Share!

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising, Life

September 25, 2011 · 7:40 pm

Very Nice & Very Subtle Service Placement


*If a brand offers a service, I’m assuming you call it a service placement instead of a product placement.

Travelers Insurance found its way into the season premier of The Office last Thursday by way of a pregnant Pam Beasley watching the Fallon-made ad telling the story of  a cool pooch protecting his bone (Click here to watch). Did it work? I’d say so, considering that the two top comments for the commercial on YouTube each refer to its appearance on the show.

What I like about this service placement is that Jim and Pam never once mention Travelers Insurance. Instead, it’s referred to as “that dog commercial.” Good stuff – and much more believable than VW’s  product placement in Horrible Bosses.

Here’s the original ad in case you missed it.

Leave a comment

Filed under Advertising

Tagged as , , ,

September 2, 2011 · 12:21 pm

This Is Not A Casual Friday


 I suggest reading this in the voice of The Old Spice Guy, but that’s just me.

For college football fans, this Friday is not casual at all. As far as we’re concerned, this Friday is all business.

College football fandom is serious business, and the 2011 season is now open for business.

As our favorite teams and alma maters take the field tomorrow, we will be watching – anxiously, intently and passionately, as they begin their pursuit of a coveted national championship. And after 12, 13 or for some even 14 games, we will look back at our fall Saturdays and say, win or lose, that they were Saturdays well spent. Here’s to the college football season officially getting underway! Go ______(s)!

Leave a comment

Filed under Life

Tagged as , , , , , ,