You are currently browsing Kathy Justice’s articles.
If you haven’t heard, AMC’s Mad Men will be returning in March. And with that triumphant and highly anticipated return will come many marketing opportunities for media outlets and consumer brands. Before it’s extended hiatus, the series had sparked a new wave of midcentury interior design trends and a specialty clothing line at a national outfitter. These retro fads grew to a crescendo just as the series dropped off the TV screen and out of fans and consumers lives. But never fear, Newsweek is aiming to get audiences revved up for the new season. The news magazine will celebrate the season 5 premiere with a Mad Men-inspired issue.
According to Tina Brown, editor of Newsweek and The Daily Beast, the magazine’s structure and design will pay homage to 1960s America but its content will remain culturally relevant, including a cover story on the series and a feature on the role of advertising in America’s culture. In addition, Newsweek has issued a call to clients and creative agencies for ’60s-inspired creative that has the look and feel of a vintage print ad but contains modern products and messages.
We’ll have to wait ’til March to see the final print product and for the season premiere of the show but until then we can dream about the output. What type of products or creative would you like to see in the Mad Men-inspired issue of <i.Newsweek? Which agencies or clients do you think will or should contribute to the issue?
I receive an iPad 2 as an early Christmas present this year. A lovely little gadget, my husband thought it would be an ideal present for a frequent traveler like myself. I would no longer need to dedicate space in my carry-on for the bulky novels, library books, and trashy magazines that accompany (and amuse) me on long plane rides. But what my husband intended as a considerate, thoughtful gift slowly began to put a wedge between us. The iPad 2 became a catch all for my “to do” and shopping lists. It tagged along with us on our weekly trips to Target and Whole Foods. Then it cozied up on the couch with us for our weekly episode of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” It sat with me in the kitchen while I cooked and it even came to bed with us one night. (I fell asleep playing “Plants Vs. Zombies.”) My lack of attention to daily chatter and life in general was first a frustration, then an annoyance, then an issue of jealousy for my husband. We turned the iPad 2 off and we talked. The iPad doesn’t come out to play as much now.
This year, as I’ve listened to folks from all walks of life, I’ve picked up on a theme about technology and relationships. Many of my girlfriends feel they can’t connect with their husbands because their husbands are so busy connecting with their phones. I’ve also heard rumors of banning cell phones and texting from the family dinner table. Focus group participants talk about feeling too connected to technology but not connected enough emotionally. It seems people struggle to use technology to build or even make better those intimate moments of human connection. So when Microsoft’s “Keep Shopping” commercial popped up on a DVR’d episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” I paid attention. The commercial features a dad shopping for grocery’s using Microsoft OneNote (an organizational tool that comes with Office 2010) to buy groceries. He’s accessing the program on his phone, his kids are accessing it from their home PC. After he picks up the usual eggs, milk, etc. more curious items pop up on the list like coconuts, candy, and soda. Dad realizes his kids are masterminding the list. Laughter ensues and then this messages flashes on the screen,”It’s a great time to be a family.”
Here, Microsoft is using warm fuzzies and funnies to illustrate how technology can connect families and even enhance their relationship through increased communication. But is this a reality or a marketing ploy? Turns out, Microsoft conducted research to add some proof to the pudding. According to a survey conducted through Impulse Research, 64% of surveyed parents age 22-40 said technology brings their families closer. It’s even more important to younger parents (age 22-30) with 74% reporting the same.
Microsoft takes its lead from this report and is now committed to a whole “how to” campaign for connecting families through technology. To look at their bullet list of how to connect over the holidays and get advice on”…how to take advantage of all technology has to offer and help ensure screens don’t become a barrier to connecting,” click here. To tell me what you think about Microsoft’s overall campaign, the “Keep Shopping” commercial, or whether you think technology is a tool for distraction or relationship enhancement, head to the comments.
Yesterday, Advertising Age announced it’s Marketer A-list, including it’s Marketer of the Year-Coca-Cola (still going strong after all these years)-and other smart, innovative brands like L’Oreal, Starbucks, Amazon, IBM, and, newcomers, the Kardashian “Klan.” I must give props to Ad Age for so boldly calling attention to the bits of brilliance that comprise the Kardashians’ branded empire. Sure they are annoying but part of that aggravation comes from their ubiquitous nature. Going to the mall? You’ll find the Kardashians “Klan” at Sears, selling their own shiny, slinky brand of club and professional couture. Looking for a new fragrance? Kim K.’s got you covered. And you can’t turn on E! without running into at least one of the families’ members or spouse spin-offs spring, summer, fall, or winter. Rounding out the empire is the Kardashian stamped facial care line PerfectSkin, the weight-loss supplement Quicktrim, and the sisters’ original claim to fame, their brick-and-mortar clothing boutiques, Dash.
Thankfully, Ad Age tempers its praise by turning a critical eye on the brand, citing the all-too-realness of the Kardashians’ reality shows as a danger to their brand. Recent press surrounding the potential “fake” wedding vows between Kim K. and NBA husband Kris Humphries could damage a brand that hinges heavily on creating a lust worthy lifestyle and reputation. According to Kris Jenner, keeper of the family brand, this is a smart move in itself. Momma Kris thinks that people love the transparency of the Kardashian Klan and long to see them grow. Showing the growth cycle means looking at the family as a whole-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Whatever the formula, the Kardashian brand seems to work despite the family’s general lack of talent, unless you consider their talent an unequivocal knack for being famous.
Don’t let the Kardashians spot on the Marketer A-List dissuade you from checking out the rest of the line-up. There’s some great ideas percolating about extending brands beyond coffee, beyond culture, and bringing it all back to the human. To review the rest of Ad Age’s Marketer A-Listers click here.
“It’s like being a policeman. You analyze people the minute they are in front of you. It can be very subtle. Shoes say a lot.” – Ari Versluis, Dutch Photographer
Ari Verslui and his creative partner Ellie Uyttenbro size people up the minute they meet them. They’re not judgmental per se, they’re just accustomed to categorizing people according to style and attitude.
You see, Verslui and Uyttenbro have been scanning the crowds for similar identities for years. This is all a part of their creative process for, “Exactitudes,” a photographic collection that explores the dress codes of various social groups. Their project is rooted in a basic theory: humans use clothing, behavior, and attitude to reflect originality and identity. Versluit and Uyttenbro both explore and demystify the concept of originality in their work by handpicking pedestrians who fit a specific identity to model their “look” in a studio photo shoot. Photos are then organized by social group and fit into a grid, defusing the appearance of individuality and originality. Photographed subjects represent such social groups as “teknohippies,” “bimbos,” and “gabberbitches.”
The fifth and most recent edition of “Exactitudes” features social identities culled from the Italian café scene. Photographic stills of sweater-frocked, prickly-bearded male “Americanos” and tight-lipped, fur-ensconced women of a certain age, a.k.a”Sciura Decaffeinatas” are featured. A compelling and interesting study in the incongruities between originality and conformity in style, this is a creative project to keep an eye on. Most importantly, Verslui and Uyttenbro dare to challenge the human quest for a special and unique identity. Their work invites everyone, even those who classify themselves as subcultural, to ask: “How original are we?”
To read more about the new edition of “Exactitudes” click here. Or here.
For those of you who follow all things fashion, your head is probably spinning from the blogosphere’s New York Fashion Week reports. But have you met the newest fashion week blogger, Marina? If you’ve been following Missoni for Target’s marketing campaign you’re probably familiar with the 25-foot tall marketing marvel. Yes, twenty-five feet tall. Marina is, in fact, a doe-eyed blogging mannequin/doll outfitted in a gigantic Missoni for Target dress and tights, easily recognizable by the fashion house’s signature zigzag design. She’s also styled with a chic mod haircut and armed with a larger-than-life smartphone (for blogging/social media purposes, of course). Marina certainly looks like a hip chick you’d like to follow on Twitter.
This week Marina will be available for just that. Flown in from Italy, Marina plans to spend her time in New York tweeting and Facebooking her whereabouts, contributing to Target and Missoni’s Tumblr blog, “All the Way Up Here,” and making special cameos at hot spots like the Missoni for Target pop-up store in midtown Manhattan. A genius move from NY ad agency, Mother, who lovingly crafted the super-sized model. For all purposes and intent, Marina appears to be the perfect concoction of fashion-forward style (cheap-chic courtesy of Target and Missoni), technology (she’s a living doll, well, kinda, her limbs are operated by puppeteers), and social media (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr). She’s the ideal companion for New York Fashion Week and an eye-catching advertisement for Target’s latest line. Want to tweet with Marina? You can reach her at @MarinaWithStyle or via text at 1-917-409-7260. Or you can catch Marina over the weekend at these locations:
Friday, Sept. 9, 4 to 6 p.m.: Times Square (42nd Street and Broadway)
Friday, Sept. 9, 7:30 to 10 p.m.: Fifth Avenue at 58th Street
Saturday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Merchant’s Gate, Central Park
To see Marina in action, click on this link, scroll down to the small square box, click and press play.
Today the internet is buzzing with retrospectives of Steve Job’s innovative work as Apple’s CEO. Jobs sought to change the world by taking computer generated technology to the next level. And his marketing of these new technologies was, to say the least, inspired.
Commercials for Apple products use a variety of tactics to achieve “stickiness” with consumers. They often let the technology shine as the superstar to open our minds to new possibilities. But for me, the commercials that really “stuck” were those that tugged at the heartstrings. I’ll remember Jobs’ legacy through those advertisements that told a great story about how new technology could bring us a little closer to one another:
For a highlight reel of the Apple ads that captivated us during Steve Job’s creative direction click here.
Duke University Libraries continues digitizing the world of advertising with their latest digital collection: Road 2.0. The images are part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Marketing & Advertising History collection (a wonderful resource) and include images of roadside advertising from America’s highways and city roads. The collection includes a mix of advertising media including billboards, wall paintings, electric “spectaculars” (think of neon signs in Times Square), bus shelters, taxi displays, and even some behind-the-scenes images of ads under construction.
The collection nicely documents the evolution of the outdoor advertising medium in American from the 1930s to the 1980s and contains both national and local campaigns featuring all manner of advertisements from well-known brands (Marlboro, Taco Bell, General Electric to local mom and pop businesses (M.D.Pruitt’s Home Furnishings in Tuscon, AZ). To chart the growth of road side advertising from yesterday’s paints to today’s pixels click here. Enjoy.
Better by design. It’s a simple concept, yet it seems lost on many of today’s biggest innovators. Today, consumers have a plethora of media services and technology to choose from. You can download music from Rhapsody to your phone or laptop, stream movies from Netflix to your PC or TV, and even upload photos taken by your mobile phone to Flickr or Facebook with that same device. But syncing service across multiple devices or something as simple as organizing your music library according to your own specific filing system can be problematic if not downright impossible. Technological advances lead us in new directions and open our minds to new possibilities but sometimes they miss the mark of customer satisfaction. This is because design isn’t always customizable.
On that note, here’s a group of entrepreneurs who, I think, get the formula right. This group puts a new spin on an old standby: the journal. The principle here is to hand over the design tools to the consumer so he or she gets exactly what they need. It’s simply performance perfected.
