A Shot of Joie de Vivre: just what we need

Joy and happiness. We yearn to escape the dark cloud of uncertainty of recession. We strive to fill the void caused by our helplessness with problems facing society. Trendists have been writing about how brands can connect with this emotional territory for several years, but the recession has heightened the need. I suspect the folks at Grand Marnier figured this was fertile territory. These classic French images are the centerpiece of their new digital campaign and special promo package. Love the feeling--Vive La Vie.


Brandweek: Why Grand Marnier Is Pouring More Energy Into Digital Ads, 9/21/09

The Ukulele--just what we need in these times, so says the richest man in the world

The idea of charity concerts isn't new, but 2 guys from Brooklyn have put an indy twist to the culture of Performance Art + Charity. Their concept is Performance Philanthropy. They held a concert for charity, and all the songs were Beatles covers performed in ukulele. The cash they raised was put in a brown paper sack and delivered to the world's richest man. Warren Buffet said he will use the money to buy ukuleles for girls in Omaha. If you're wondering how they got to Mr. Buffet, one of Warren's sons was involved in the project and sings a Beatles cover in this video (FYI...he's a philanthropist too).

The execution of this causal idea is so lighthearted and authentic, so atypical to what we typically see in social marketing. After watching the video, I just get a feeling of happiness. Context research, who just published their latest on what Americans want to feel in these recessionary times, say consumers are searching for happiness and joy. As we've been hearing this past year from consumers, they want to get back-to-basics and celebrate the simple things.

I feel inspired to pick-up the ukulele. I've been thinking about it for sometime, since it's a favorite of one of my fav rockers, Mr. Todd Rundgren. Who knew? Todd and Warren would have something in common!


http://forthebenefitofmrbuffet.blogspot.com/

Knowing the source.... of your food

This new initiative from the government is getting the buzz in food circles this week. I worked in this campaign territory way back at the turn of the century (2000). It's a trend that just keeps growing!

If you've been reading my blog posts over the past year, you'll see this is one of my favorite movements in food culture. Now, what will I buy at the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning?

Remembering: the New Jerusalem

Today, Carly Simon and her children Ben and Sally paid tribute to the memory of the World Trade Center and the victims of 9-11 by singing "Let the River Run." How appropriate. Carly wrote the song (and won an Oscar) for "Working Girl." It's one of my fav movies, and has become more poignant for me as with the scenes of Melanie Griffith crossing the river (Jordan) into the area of the Towers--the new Jerusalem. At the end of the movie, we pull-out from an office window that looks like it's shot from the WTC.

Yesterday, I was looking at "Trend Blend 2009+" map of time and tide. The trendists cited the "fall of US Empire" as a trend. It sent shivers down my spine as I read that. Did the crack start with 9-11-01 and the egg finally break with the fall of Lehman on 9-10-08? Can Humpty Dumpty put us back together again? Sigh.

New Thoughts On Taste: Part II

Love this new social marketing platform from the Wisconsin Cheese Council. Food porn at its finest. If you get the chance, tune in and listen to the sensual audio copy and the clever tweet copy. Manly yes, but I like it too!

Tweets to share:
When was the last time you truly worked out your jaw muscles?
So you think you're a carnivore, huh?
http://www.cheeseandburger.com/bohemian

New Thoughts on Planning

If things had been going better in the ad industry, the annual Planner's Conference would have happened this week in San Francisco. The 4A's is trying to make-up for the cancellation with their "Summer of Planning" series. For $35, I could attend a webinar with a guy I worked with 10 years ago (sorry Dr. Cohen--psychologics is interesting, but not new). I wondered, where is the new thinking about planning? So I googled on over to Slideshare, and lo and behold found a presentation Gareth Kay posted last year. Gareth, considered a leading light in the biz, made news last week as he jumps from Modernista to Goodby.

At Element 79, our thinking, our approach is all about getting to an idea that incites interaction. I guess I shouldn't be surprised--but I am--to see Gareth sharing a similar POV. In a nutshell, Gareth writes:

1. Brands need to have a point-of-view on the world…not a position in a category
2. Brands need a social mission--it drives brand energy (Landor’s BAV model states brands with energy fare better financially)
3. Brands need a social idea (vs. an unsocial idea)
4. A distributed identity is about coherency… not consistency
5. Planners should understand what people are interested in and work backwards
6. Planners need to plan for a different outcome (it’s not about awareness, it’s about interaction)
7. We're in the business of creating ideas that solve business problems in a culturally positive way

Gareth's thoughts are inspiring reminders of where we're going. I wish I had said or thought about some of these things first (although I was the first kid on my block to get excited about Landor's model of brand energy).

Why are ideas so important? Ideas drive our economy. In fact, two-thirds of our country’s GDP is driven by ideas.* A nifty soundbite for the next presentation.


*Cited by John Gerzema, author of the Brand Bubble and CIO of Y&R, based on research conducted by Brand Finance.

Getting Sensual: New thoughts on taste

One of the biggest challenges I've faced in food advertising has been strategizing about "taste." How to portray the benefits of taste while avoiding the cliches. (one of my pet peeves is putting "TASTE" in the headline). Lately, I've been seeing ads that are really doing the whole taste thing in very exciting ways. Now I know you're thinking--mayo ads--exciting? Well I think Hellmans has done something exciting.

The idea of "double whipped" is not only differentiating food news, but supports new thinking from researchers about the impact of sensory stimulus into ad copy. Of course we all know that food ads do impact taste perceptions. However, the article from Journal of Consumer Research reveals ads that use multiple sensory stimulus (language, visuals, sounds)heighten taste perceptions. Like the whisk with the flowery dollop of mayo. Or the icy, breezy motion and sound we "hear and feel" in the ad for 5 gum. Nice, multi-sensory touches!


Jrnl of Consumer Research, June 2009: The Effects of Ad Copy on Sensory Thoughts and Perceived Taste