Before everything changed

I'm breaking the rules of my blog, writing about something that took place pre-9-11, pre depression, the world was heady and it was New York baby. It was the second week of January 2001 when my sister and I were enjoying a lovely dinner at Cafe Luxembourg on the upper west side NYC. Seated in a tiny booth for 2 at the front, only inches separated us from the next booth. At dessert, the booth became occupied by--well, two amazing actresses of two generations. Lauren Bacall and Natasha Richardson. Since I'm the pop culture afficionado, and uncertain whether my sister knew who these 2 ladies were--I somehow signaled, "act cool." Lauren Bacall, in true grand dame fashion, silently siganled, "Don't even." Yes, even after moi had read BOTH her biographies, including the one she wrote in long-hand on yellow legal pads.

Both were lively and kissed each other Happy New Year. Natahsa was bubbly and bright, and ordered a "wine spritzer." Lauren announced 2000 had been one lousy year and asked in a gravelly voice, "double vodka." I knew Lauren's ex and the father of her son Sam, Jason Robards, had just passed just two weeks prior. Double vodka made sense to me. Made sense to Natasha too, who changed her drink order to something more serious.

Can't help think of that time, when everything seemed hopeful, golden, happening, happy. I can attest that these two ladies lit up the room, and the electricity within 6 inches of their booth is a great memory. Who knew our worlds would change so dramatcally in the new Millenium? So it was bittersweet to see on the news tonight that Laruen visited Natasha in the hospital today. Somehow, that's comforting. God speed Natasha.

Got Pie?

All my trend attenae are shouting, it's time to return to pie. This week, Time Out Chicago writes about Hoosier Mama Pie opening in West Town. The owner, a former pastry chef from some of the most well-heeled joints in Cgo, decided to go back to her Indiana roots and return to pie. Yesterday, a group of colleagues decended on the counter at Apple Pan in LA. Magnificent burgers. Amazing Pie. Chunky layers of banana and whipped-from-scratch cream! Sitting at the counter, I felt we were channeling that famous painting, Nighthawks. Even the sound of the slamming screen door at the front of the restaurant just seemed "right." There's something so comforting, so retro about pie in these times!

Side-note: both of these pie restaurants trace their food culture back to Indiana pie traditions.

Redefining a Generation: xY = Z

Marc Gobe, visionary and creative thinker on brands and consumer motivations was the speaker at a webinar on how to connect emotionally with consumers in this time of crisis. I've been a fan of Mr. Gobe's since 2002, and have found him to be ahead of the rest of us when thinking about brand experiences. He makes a very compelling case for redefining Generation X and Y as a new cohort that embraces the same dreams, aspiraitons and values. He calls them Generation Z and believes they were the defining influence in Obama's win. As a campaign, Obama was more about generational values than ideology. Mr. Gobe sees hope as the resonant value of Z, even as they grapple with the mess Baby Boomers have left in their wake.

"Particularly right now where people need so much information, there is an expression of trust that needs to be redesigned or reinvented. I think the baby boomers have told us trust looked like Greek columns in front of a kind of temple-like buildings. What we’ve been experiencing, there is a new visual vocabulary, there’s a new image that can be created by industries that want to show they are much more futuristic and a much more up-to-date kind of industry.” Marc Gobe

www-waa-akam.thomson-webcast.net/us/dispatching/?event_id=867ae387b8a664a45bfd67b451f558f3&portal_id=70f1891ac5234c5c09b4b4e0a4e96d32

"Social Media Watchers Are Becoming Their Own Cliche"

This week's ad industry buzz about the Skittles.com foray into social media made me curious. I went to the site and low and behold, 2 of the 6 featured pix of "Skittle friends" were actually 2 of my FaceBook friends. It made me wonder, is there a secret algorithim that matched my FBook to Skittles FBook? My social network expert said, "not likely."

It just seems so improbable! Two of my friends pictured out of 600,000+ registered fans just when I choose to visit? These friends happen to be ad folk, which made me think: Are ad people, as social media watchers and chasers of all things cool, actually heightening Skittles' buzz? Then it hit me--ad agency folk have become the "chattering class" of social media. We are not only watchers, but participants and pushers. We are our own target.


Have we become our own cliche? That's the provocative question from the socialmediainsider @ Mediapost.com. In the write-up, "Hey Who Stole My Twittles? I Mean Skittles?" the author concludes that the chatter has been less about Skittles brand, and more about what their campaign signals for the future of social media. Did the client and agency team recognize that the chattering class of ad people could be relied on to "push" the buzz out to the non-ad world? Just how many ad folk are on FBook and Twitter anyway? (me thinks, a great percent).

So is the Skittles "spider" going to pick-up the conversation from this blog and add it to the evidence of buzz created? Today, you can call me "pusher."

Keep Reading the Label

For years, we continue to see data and hear consumers say they are reading the label. Häagen-Dazs Five brings a new itteration to an old trend with it's new, all-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients: skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and natural flavor. Healthy positioning that doesn't sacrifice the promise of indulgent flavor--smart!

Although--I do think that Subway now owns "5" ($5 footlong....)

Inspiration

"To see what is in front of one's nose

needs a constant struggle."

George Orwell

Recipe Culture Goes Viral

Back in the olden days (circa 1999), I thought it would be cool to work on a branded recipe that would take food culture by storm. You know, those recipes that suddenly seem to sweep every Mother's Day or 4th of July party, like so many of those 1970 classics: Hello Dolly Bars, Seven Layer Salad, Tater Tot Casserole. Today's story from the NYTimes conjures up ginormous portions of Oscar Meyer on the outside with tons of Johnsonville on the inside. The "Bacon Explosion" recipe is reportedly taking the digital world by storm. Evidence that America's food porn passion is going digital.

These two guys from KC posted the recipe just days before Christmas-- placing it for full viral potential. Their goal was to get ad revenue to support their BBQ championship hobby, but can a stint on the FoodNetwork and a big brand sponsorship be far behind? Is this the first big viral recipe in digital history? Wonder if we'll be seeing this at my friend Ralph's SupaBowl party (he's a sucker for the odd or novel recipe).

Link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?scp=1&sq=take%20bacon%20sausage%20blog&st=cse