1. How the economic slowdown has changed spending in the US
2. Good deck on FOMO (The Fear Of Missing Out) from JWT
3. Ed Templeton talks about his photography series Teenage Kissers
4. Limited Edition posters for each Portlandia episode
5. Kreayshawn: The Game – It’s what the kids are doing.
6. Hunch shows what elevator button pushing says about you
7. NYC rooftop camping
8. Absolut celebrates 30 years of advertising to gay consumers
9. An article contending grit is more important than talent
10. The best Venn Diagram I’ve seen. Take notes strategists. Link and below.

It’s a great primer for those just starting in the discipline and reminder for the rest of us to act not just as problem solvers but also change agents.

I, like many planners, having been keeping track of and keeping my clients up-to-date on the content online that’s spreading across many people for a while now. It started years ago as a way to shift the conversation away from “We want the next Tea Partay” to “what’s right for us and our audience and what would they want to pass along” by providing examples with various levels of taste, humor, shock, etc. Plus, because the majority of “viral successes” come from individuals, it was helpful to start looking more closely at what companies were doing.

Read full article here

Fast forward to present. Thankfully we don’t get too many briefs with “viral” as a deliverable anymore. But for those who do, there’s been some great thinking about the problems with the term/request done by Faris, Bud, Paul and Ivan. However, I still do collect examples of (mostly) brands’ attempts to produce (mostly) video content to be passed around…and rack up that coveted 1 million YouTube views.

Since I had all these links in my delicious or email, I figured I’d put them all in one place and share them with you – just in case it’s useful in any way. Without further ado, the 2009 “viral” year in review:

Q1 kicked off with Mini has some fun with the “Is it fake?” theme of many viral videos. Geico feeds off the equity of the Numa Numa Guy to create a hit video (though other videos leveraging memes that they put on their YouTube channel “itsthegecko” had significantly less views). Nike had Taylor Momsen (from Gossip Girl) do some parkour to avoid the paparazzi. Ray Ban “Never Hide Films” (behind the catching sunglasses video which has over 4 million views) came back in early January with another video, which did not get quite the same response. Cadbury, on the other hand, came back strong (after the drum-playing gorilla) with “Eyebrow Dance” and got a lot of views.

Then, there were the commercials, which were heavily spread online like McDonald’s Fillet o’ Fish commercial, which has a techno song remix as well. Though, Pharrell trying to get the Mickey D’s in Paris airport gained more traction. Then, there were ones that just didn’t stir up the controversy they had hoped to, such as Domino’s CEO going hard at Subway.

After his death at the end of June, it was no surprise that Michael Jackson was all over the Internet. Millions of views for everything from this old Pepsi commercial to this Twitter mashup to the tribute by Philippines detention center inmates, who are more famous for their original Thriller performance.

Back to brands, Samsung put out this LED sheep thing which got tons of views. Then followed up with more crazy stuff at a trade show. I know it’s a TV campaign, but the geeks went gaga for this Intel work. And sticking with tech, peeps have been all about Xbox’s Project Natal and its first official look. T-Mobile is back (in the UK) with a follow-up to their train station dance, getting a crowd together to sing “Hey Jude”.

There’s what Nike did for Free And what FC Barcelona’s coach put together with Catalonian TV before playing Manchester United in the Champions’ League Final, which was inspired by this.

Remember the EA Sports response to Tiger Woods superfan and YouTube user? They tried to build off it (but less successfully) with this before the Open. And I think Gilette’s still sour that Philips had such a hit with their body groomer (“Shave Everywhere”) work a few year’s back and came out with this “manscaping” tip video. But that’s probably better than the Comfort Wipe infomercial out there and Burger King “Square Butts” (Sponge Bob + Sir Mix-a-lot) commercial, both of which have been racking up views online.

Of course you’ve seen “I’m on a Boat” by Lonely Island, but even better is this a Capella version. Plus, on the subject of singing (or lip-syncing in this case), here’s a kid who produces and broadcasts his talent from the Apple Store.

There’s the Kanye interrupting Obama mash-up and likely the most viral video as of the year (parodied on NBC’s The Office): “JK Wedding Dance“.

Nike, EA and RayBan returned with Skateboarding and Ice Cube, FIFA 2010 and a SxSW video respectively.

Discovery Channel launches a bunch of mini-clips for Shark Week. Disneyland brings us a magical (come on, don’t be a hater) proposal. Evian helps you feel young…with roller-skating babies. And MSI gives us “Guy catches laptop with his butt.”

United Airlines gets firsthand experience in the power of the customer and a PR nightmare when they broke a dude’s guitar. The Muppets sing Bohemian Rhapsody. There’s a Christmas Light Hero and a Gap commercial tribute.

Over the holidays, we had the option to stay warm by the fire or with your Weezer Snuggie. But, as NYC Health advises, stay away from the soda (WARNING: KINDA GROSS). And if we ventured out, we could have brought some money for the Salvation Army and ImprovEverywhere. While brands were not pumping out as much online video content as in past quarters, there was this nice set of videos for Google Chrome.

And there you have it. Say goodbye to 2009 (again)..and (now) to “viral.”

I had fully intended to write a list of advice for those children hoping to be advertising’s future. As recently as when I interrupted myself writing that first paragraph to type this fun use of “JOB”:

Embrace the best of what it means to be JUNIOR
Find OPPORTUNITIES where they’re not obvious
Take a BOLD approach 1 out of every 3 attempts

But I’m realizing more and more that my opinion may not be as valuable as I think it is. It seems they’ve heard it all before, and though I make it a point NOT to talk about the difficulty of finding a job in this economy, I don’t get the sense that I’m helping. Even when I give these students a short list of tangible action items (Mike K. would be proud), there’s still no inspiring going on. And when I boil it down to one thing—it’s all about forming relationships—it somehow feels both too narrow and broad.

Plus, there’s lots of recommendations and information out there on this subject already—on the web, in-person, from industry experts and insiders, from your parents. There are books on cover letters and blog posts claiming they’re a waste of time. There are resume services and professional networking sites and job posting sites.

In a lot of ways, I feel like it has gotten so easy (with the amount of options and ideas out there) that it is almost impossible for these students to find direction and focus. And in a lot of ways, I feel like the singular and uncompromising focus on being a “planner” is part of the problem. I, like many I know in planning departments, not only weren’t sure they wanted to work in advertising but also had no idea what planning was/that it existed. I mean, these wannabe-planners have already been to school become planners, so how do you suggest they may be better suited for an account or creative position? Or a job outside of advertising? The easy answer is: I don’t. But I do seed the idea that you can be strategic in just about any career you choose.

And I do believe in the J-O-B and forming relationships (vs. networking) advice, and I cannot overemphasize the importance of embracing “Junior.” That doesn’t mean accepting shit work or buying into the “paying of dues.” Fuck that. It means bringing enthusiasm and fresh perspective to projects. There’s nothing worse than the student that’s already jaded about advertising and trying to relate to me on that level. I love this shit and when I don’t it’s because of people’s complacency or egos. If you’re genuinely looking to learn AND teach (through work ethic), you’re already a step ahead of many of your counterparts.

Another thing that will keep you ahead of your entry-level job competition: doing what some would call “little things” in an interesting way. Honestly, doing them – period – puts you in a small elite group. I may not provide the silver bullet to getting a job when you come in, but I always provide my contact info and an open invitation to get in touch. And what do you think happens every time? The same thing that happened last week. I get an email saying, “I’m sure your inbox is filled with emails after our visit, but I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for hosting our me and my classmates…” or something similar from…3 out of 20 students. Really? Come on, you can do better than that. I don’t need appreciation or hand-written notes, but even after all these times, I still expect the next group will take me up on my offer to start communicating – especially if they’re dying to get into planning like they claim.

But I digress. The third paragraph was going to say this:

So instead (rather than write up advice – oops, my bad), what I’ve decided to do is share something that I’ve kept stashed deep down in folders on my hard drive. Something I’ve saved and shuttle from computer to computer. Something that, quite frankly, makes me cringe when watching it. It’s not embarrassing as much as it’s painful. But as painful as it is to see, hear, know is now out there for judgment, I think it’s important for those looking to get hired as well as those hiring.

It’s the video I submitted at 21 years old to be given the chance to participate in “Account Executive Survivor” at a boutique NYC ad agency called DiMassimo (now DiMassimo Goldstein). It’s the start of my journey through advertising. Things to note: I lived and worked in the agency for a week with 7 other people. I came in second place. I wasn’t hired to be an account exec; rather, I was hired as a copywriter/new biz person/receptionist for $27.5K. I took this ambiguous position that I just as easily could have viewed as beneath a Georgetown grad in title and pay. And perhaps most importantly, an agency (Mark and Lee) took a chance on hiring me WITHOUT PREVIOUS ADVERTISING EXPERIENCE, invested in my development and allowed me to find my place in this [insert adjective here] industry.

Okay, no more delaying the inevitable. (Sorry for the crappy quality – I don’t have the original videocassette tape.)

That’s the last time I watch it…and hopefully the last time you do as well.

(Note: Many of the slides contain hyperlinks to videos. Also, I have no idea why that clip art heart shape would upload properly. But I’m done trying since it’s not relevant to the pres. Plus, it’s only getting further away from Valentine’s Day.)

UPDATE: Many people have told me they need the VO with this or even the notes, and unfortunately I don’t think there’s a way to upload it with them. But in the absence of each, I must clear up just one misconception – I’m not feeling that State Farm spot creatively or strategically. Of course I understand that it was just to get the NFL sponsorship across; however, I used this slide to make the point that advertising is not the end game – that it must serve the brand, connect to your memories of the brand, etc. In hindsight, that was probably not the best example or title of that slide for those reading it. Thank you, Clay, for bringing it to my attention considering I got the idea to use when he and an ex-colleague bashed it on the same day.)

But given it’s a snowy Friday morning, I figured I’d give you a couple cozy videos. Plus, I wanted to ask (in an accusatory way): How have none of my “friends” told me that these exist? Natalie and Rashida. Come on. Sure, there’s funnier stuff on the site but seriously. My favorite of the three:

As for one of the best series of videos on FoD, Zach G. is back with his third installment of “Between Two Ferns.” This time with John Hamm. So you know, it gets a little inappropriate at times but the “Websites” part is classic.

Here’s an interesting idea that seemed worth a post rather than just a delicious bookmark. Seth Godin is offering an alternative to Business School – spend 6 months in his office. It’s an “apprenticeship/not-internship/graduate school/charm school track-changing opportunity.” Yes, apprenticeship slash grad school…and not the other way around. And yes, that Zoolander reference probably wouldn’t fly in an application to his program or any of the prestigious universities from which he may steal talent. More probable than getting the MBA-seeking to reconsider, he’s created something motivating for the entrepreneurial path-changer. The idea is great, the timing is even better, and the price is best—it’s free. If I hadn’t found something real and if I wasn’t so into keeping it real here at W+K NY, I’d definitely give it some serious consideration.

UPDATE: My buddy, who is likely headed to a top ranked business school next Fall, passed on this site to get prospective B-schoolers take on Other Seth’s offer. Also, note to planners, the Business Week Business School forums are usually filled with great opinions, emotion, and insight. Last note, my friend did not want a “shout-out” on the blog because he’s “trying to stay as much under the radar online as possible until this whole silly business school process is over…interviews and such.” Now there’s a new, FREE perspective for us bloggers.

I was just alerted to Clay’s latest post via Twitter. He sets expectations upfront that it’s introspective, focused on the job of a strategist in the world of communications, and a bit long. I will do the same. This is my initial reaction, also focused on the role of an account planner (another term for strategist), and I have no idea how long it’s going to be.

As I started reading, I found his honesty refreshing and many of themes he touches on relatable—at least to another 27-year-old in the advertising industry. Though I’d imagine much of what he’s offered will be less than foreign to older strategists and anyone looking for professional satisfaction. Anyway, somewhere around his third paragraph, I realized I was going to comment—most likely, “good stuff, brother.” But then when he started tackling his second question—Can strategy be fulfilling?—I started taking notes. (Yes, buddy freehand first – just like your pops taught you.)

I was compelled to write…

You may be surprised (if you haven’t been already) how many people don’t know what to do next, what to do now. Yes, that goes for job searching. However, I’m going talk about marketers. They just aren’t sure what to do for their “brand.” (This is the last time I use the “b” word in this post.) They don’t know what to do say about their companies, its products and/or services. They don’t know how they should be saying it or where. Often, they don’t have know who they should be talking with. A few steps back, they don’t have a clear sense why they want to “communicate” in the first place.

We are problem solvers. And sometimes the most important work we do is helping people (our clients) define the real problem they want to address.

We are storytellers with discipline. And though we don’t create the ads, we can blend strategy and creativity in weaving together a story that’s rooted in a deep understanding of people (our client’s current and/or potential customers) and how we can actually offer value to them.

We, as Denzil Meyers put it, help people find the best way to move forward.

Without us there would be less differentiation, interestingness, and effectiveness. There would probably be less respect for the people many of our clients and co-workers still call “consumers” as if they are waiting around ready to hear about the company’s latest and greatest. Even if now they’re not only sitting on their couches in front of a TV but also at their desks in front of computers, online.

They still need someone to explain the social aspect of communications. Because many have only been broadcasting out for their entire lives as marketers. That worked. It’s all they had to do. They understand the two-way nature of conversations in theory but not necessarily how to practice it. With regards to the respect you brought up and I just mentioned, they are respectful individuals but don’t always practice respectful communications. This respect has to manifest itself online as well as in communications meant for traditional media.

Take the recent Motrin headache. (Yeah, I know hundredth person to go there.) Do you think it matters that it was an online video rather than a TV commercial? Hells no. It’s a piece of communications that showed a lack of understanding of the people they wanted to talk to—moms. To be fair, it’s possible they we’re looking to talk with, or engage, these moms in dialogue. But I’m quite sure this is not the “we get you” takeaway they were hoping for. In short, some moms found the ad to be disrespectful. Yet now they have a community that’s bigger than their yoga class, brunch group, or (insert modern mommy stereotype here), more easily connected, and has a stage to respond. (They weren’t going to buy a TV spot in the past and a strongly worded letter probably would not have made the splash a group of bloggers and Tweeters and YouTubers did.)

Marketers need to understand the expectations of their companies, not just for speed of apology. I feel like it’s more important than ever that they have someone helping them dig down to their essence, truly get to know the people they want to sell to and support, find their voice, and keep them honest while not losing their specialness in communicating with others.

As strategists/planners, this is our job. And while I don’t find it fulfilling every day, on the whole, it’s pretty damn sweet.

Ironically (?) not having written anything on planning in a while has had me feeling less fulfilled. So thank you for putting something out there that made me think and type out more than a half-assed comment.

Also, just so you know, I already consider you a “thinker-doer.” In fact, I have that as a label in G-Mail for convos I have with you, Mike (who you shout-out), Noah, Eric, Chet, Johanna, Amit, Kevin, Leland, Adrian, Paul, and a few others. No joke. I agree I will only be adding more planners and ex-planners to that folder.

And one more thing…Brands! Ah, that felt good.

As I posted back a few months ago, I contributed to the Secrets-themed chapter. More specifically, I try to capture the struggle I think a lot of people are having with being at times both a really private person and over-sharer, and thus, the world that has created. For example:
“What are your biggest weaknesses?” the HR director asks. “Oh, I mean besides your inability to strategically choose which pictures you upload to your Facebook profile. Trust me, you’ve proven you’re not too much of a perfectionist.”

If that didn’t whet your appetite for AOC2, there 200+ contributors, who probably did a better job giving you some E & E (education and entertainment):

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, James G. Lindberg, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Since Clay kicked it off by making a bad-ass video titled “How To Wireframe”, I figured I’d follow up with another “How To” post. Definitely got aggressive with the title, but creating a movement is the goal. Let’s begin at, well, the beginning.

The inspiration: Very simply, Barack Obama. I, like many of you, have been moved by our Democratic Presidential candidate. I credit him with building broad interest in politics. But more importantly (knowing that interest would have grown given dissatisfaction with Bush and our current economic crisis), I credit Barack with generating true enthusiasm about our future. I’m in Paul’s camp of believing in the power of the Hope message. We both understand it hasn’t been proven to stir people to action quite like fear. Even so, it took him through the primaries and continues to motivate many of us to do something…including me.

What’s great is a ton of people have take action—whether at the grassroots or national level, whether in the art community or celebrities or youth, whether working within his campaign or outside of it. Yet, ‘wanting to do something’ is where I’ve been for months, and I get the sense that I’ve not been alone. Until last week, September 24th, when I had an idea worth sharing:

I show you this screen grab from my GChat conversation with Clay for two reasons. First, because it’s always interesting (at least for me) to see ideas in their birthplace (i.e. napkins, sketch books, PowerPoint, etc.). Second, because sharing an idea makes it that much more likely to come to life. in this case, Clay and his Hustlewood team were the fire-starters, the catalysts for action. A special thanks to Kevin for the work he’s been doing here designing our above logo and soon-to-launch site.) Third, because sharing also makes your idea better from adding others’ thoughts or just clarifying your own. The next line in that convo was “let’s do barackbaton.com – with virtual baton to sign, hold design competition…” As you can see, the name has changed (initially called Barack Baton – those who know me know I love me some alliteration) and the idea has become more focused on real life interactions.

Getting the right people on board (especially people with skills/passions, other than writing which you can tell by the length of this email is the area I enjoy most) was key. Additionally, I’m getting some other parts in place such as:

1. Developing a voice for Obama Baton before and after the site launches. I’ve, unsurprisingly for those in the ad world, decided on Twitter. Had been looking into Yammer but have to stay where my people are.

2. Creating a face for Obama Baton and showing the faces of its supporters. For this, I’ve gone to Flickr. Take a peak at the logos, which we’ve made available to take, as well as some shots of my family with the baton. Which brings me to step 3.

3. Buying the physical batons. On a tight time-line, this was a bit harder than expected given I was looking for blue batons specifically that were not made of cheap plastic. After unsuccessful trips to Sports Authority, Modell’s, Paragon and Jack Rabbits in Manhattan, I finally found a couple nice aluminum ones at Super Runners Shop in Huntington, NY and was able to get them engraved at Things We Remember at Walt Whitman Mall.

4. Building a community for Obama Baton supporters and runners in New York on Facebook. Chicago coming very soon.

That’s that for the next hour at least. More to come as we run full speed forward. Hope you found that interesting. Now it’s your turn. Follow Obama Baton, Take Photos and tag them “obamabaton”, and/or Join the Obama Baton group. Or comment here.

It’s called DailyLit and true to its name, it provides literature in bite-sized quantity via email or RSS feed daily (or on the exact schedule you’d prefer, so you don’t have to receive text on weekends for example). And to answer your next question, if you have more time you can receive the next installment (and more) on-demand.

According to the founders:

We created DailyLit because we spent hours each day on email but could not find the time to read a book. Now the books come to us by email. Problem solved.

I know Matt is going to wish he thought of this given this post of his detailing the challenge laid out and solved above. As someone who hates starting something and leaving it incomplete, such as the three books I’m stalled on right now—Sharp Teeth, 1776, and A New Earth—I thinking very seriously about browsing/signing up pronto.

Actually upon further investigation, I found this incredible idea/service they are providing free of charge: Book Reading Groups via Twitter. How sweet is that! And it’s rare for me to quote something a CEO says for a press release but you really get the sense that DailyLit’s Susan Danziger is sincere:

We’re interested in exploring new ways to make books more accessible to readers, and sending book installments via Twitter is an innovative way to do just that. I also love the idea of creating a group experience by having folks from different parts of the world read books according to the same schedule.

Very cool idea and very smart execution.

First, Russell Davies writes about Booklert, which allows authors to track the rank of their book(s) (or competitors’) on Amazon and receive updates via email or Twitter. As Mr. Davies notes that this is the type of thing a major book business should have thought of to offer as a service to its authors.

Second, Brand Flakes for Breakfast posts about the Awesome Highlighter, which allows you to highlight the exact text or image that you want someone to read/see on any site and them send them a new highlighted link. As BFFB wonders, “why isn’t Staples sponsoring these guys?” Taking it one step earlier, why didn’t they come up with it?

I’m out of town for a friend’s bachelor party starting tomorrow, and thanks to Mike’s Hard Lemonade I have a better reason. Not quite a utility as much as entertaining and somewhat useful content (made for a good OOO email). If only they embraced the 4-day weekend like I am.

I think more words are linked than normal text. It’s late.

P.S. Admittedly this is a bit of a stretch for this post, but why isn’t Sharp or some other HD TV company coming up with (via Consumerist) such an interesting way to explain the HD difference?

That said, I was extremely delighted to see my buddy, Jake, back on the blogging horse (again, bipartisan horse) with his take on the Veep Selection. As he holds a degree in Philosophy from my alma mater (and mathematics for those counting – I can’t help myself) as well as has lineage in Congress (my father’s father was a mechanic…), I always like to get his perspective in this area. And his thoughts on whom each candidate should choose for the VP position are definitely worth the read.

Out of respect to Tim Russert—did anyone else watch the Remembering show this weekend? So moving—, I wanted to keep the intersection of politics and immaturity to a minimum last Friday. Though the mourning period isn’t over, I did want to pass on these things that made me cringe before they are too out of date:
1. This fake McCain and Montag correspondence.
2. This real Fox headline.

Finally, for anyone who hasn’t seen Obama’s Fight the Smears yet, take a look. There’s a reason he keeps getting positive articles written about his web strategy. Tools like this one, which to paraphrase BFFB re-frame the conversation (smears, not claims) and allow you to spend more time having the conversations that matter to the American public.

Wow. That’s just about the cheesiest way to start off a post whose purpose is to link you to one of the most inspiring reads I’ve had in a while.

My friend, Leland Maschmeyer, now the Director of Strategy at COLLINS: (soon to be Director of Concept Design and Storytelling, I believe, as it is a more appropriate description of his job there) has recently posted “On Life Support: A Transformation Design Speech”.

Let me start off by saying, it is fantastic. And not in a “Man, that Leland is a smart dude…I got through 66% of that post and understood 39% of it and of that 39% approximately 90% was f-ing brilliant” sort of way. I read the whole thing, comprehended all of it (I think) and found it very compelling. And I’ve been trying since our breakfast yesterday morning to figure out a way to expand on his thoughts. But just as Lee feared he’d never post his speech if he waited for every element, I fear I’ll never pass on this link if I take time to build on it.

His observations/examples range from JFK to DJ Dangermouse, from Sao Paolo to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, from Target to BP to tell the story of transformation design. Which he defines as “the process of developing a system of activity that enables organizations to support or create in individuals the positive change he or she desires.” Because as he posits:

The companies that will thrive…will not be those with a great sales pitch. It will be those with a great support system.

He started out just wanting to make better marketing. But the opportunity seems quite a bit bigger (like changing the world bigger).

Enjoy reading the speech here.

Instead, I’m just going to say how interesting it can be to see where a quick, innocent search takes you…whether it starts on someone’s blog, twitter feed or one of the many new tools out there like TimeTube. This search was short and specific. And thus the story (above) was framed in such a way. But it is nice to know that a less directed search can take some unpredictable turns if you let it (stumble), and it can lead to an even more random and intriguing story.

The publication of its Passover haggadah by the Joseph Jacobs Advertising Agency beginning in 1934 made Maxwell House a household name with many American Jewish families. This was a clever marketing strategy by owner Joseph Jacobs, who hired an Orthodox rabbi to certify that the coffee bean was technically more like a berry than a bean and, consequently, kosher for Passover. Maxwell House coffee was the first to target a Jewish demographic, and the haggadah continues to represent a synthesis of American and Jewish interests.

After gorging ourselves, we went back to the living room and relaxed—this time to something other than Pope TV—and brainstormed the big evening event. Predictably, we found our way to Fandango, picked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, went and didn’t regret our decision for a minute. Heavy Recommend for my weight at the time and level of enjoyment. That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t want to spoil any amazing scenes, cameos or one-liners. Go see it.

One of the other benefits of going home—besides eating like a king, suburban running, getting out of the city and generally spending qt with the fam—is picking up some new reco’s and ideas from each of them. (Hence, the “As Discovered” rather than “As Seen” post title.)

1. How I Met Your Mother (Sis reco): I’m sure many of you are reading this and wondering how it is possible I’m only catching onto this in its third season. I’m sure others are thinking I jock (yeah, I was back on Long Island) Jason Segel. Hopefully there are a few of you whom are looking for a sitcom to get into and I just tipped to view. Because it’s fantastically current and insightful. Who doesn’t love NPH. (No, that wasn’t a question.) Especially since he now blogs Doogie-style. Who doesn’t love a good Canadian viral success like Robin Sparkles. (New video features the Beek from Dawson’s Creek.) I want your life!

2. Cash Cab (Dad reco): I only saw a couple episodes of Cash Cab: After Dark (where the prizes are greater because it is later), but was sold. All the talk of surprise and delight recently, this is a show that delivers (even if some of the cab-goers are pre-screened). A general knowledge trivia show that starts the second you get in the cab and ends when you reach your destination (unless you get three strikes and the boot out in NYC) with a host, Ben Bailey, who as a comedian has the perfect sense of humor for it.

3. Limoliner (Mom reco): It’s a 28-passenger silver shuttle that goes to and from the Hilton NY and Hilton Boston with business-friendly wi-fi, outlets, news TV channels in headrest and reclining leather seats as well as complimentary snacks. Though none of us have actually taken this service yet, I may give it a shot on Thursday as I head to ROFLcon. Who’s coming with me?

And just like method was the brainchild of an ex-planner, Eric Ryan, help is too! (Yay for us! Boo that we’re didn’t come up with it first! Reminder that every competitive landscape review/analysis we do for a client is an opportunity!) Anyway, I first read about this company yesterday in a post on coolhunting, and the first line—”Richard Fine, one of the founders…”—made me stop and think: That name sounds really familiar. A few seconds later, I was checking the site for his info and found it in the press kit. A minute later, I was checking my gmail for past correspondence. The connection was made and confirmed: That’s the dude who rejected me at an interview for a job at an innovation consultancy back in 2005. April 22, 2005 to be exact. (Gotta love the Gmail…and the Drake.)

I wish I could have waited for the 3-year anniversary to post this, but then you’d be behind the news. I don’t remember much from that interview other than the sweating and how out of practice I was. (Yes, excuses! But I got my first job by sending in a video of me dressed up as Joe Millionaire then living, working and competing in an agency for a week. So a 30-minute, 360-degree brand experience-grilling was a bit out of my comfort zone to say the least.) I also remember him asking me about Tropicana’s packaging and me saying something about maybe they could update it to a perhaps a vibrant orange. WRONG! (He honked my nose like Ralph Macchio did to Chozen as Daniel LaRuso in Karate Kid 2 - “Live or die, man?” Anyone?)

Now I (and you) can see, he’s a truly a fan of simplicity. Not only does he respect the white space, he has thought about the way people interact with products in the health space and found an opportunity to offer something better (for headaches and cuts currently). Look out for them in boutique hotels and design stores for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these get greater distribution soon.

“This is exactly the type of customer we’re looking to reach,” said the campaign’s chief strategist Ben Jacobs, 28. “It’s showing tremendous impact on the cool, media-savvy rebels who distrust authority, prize alternative culture, think outside of the mainstream, and are willing to base their actions entirely on advertising images presented to them on TV. How dope is that?”

So this post is just a reminder for me and other Gen GuY and GalY planners (or creatives or account peeps) out there not to become Ben. And a reminder for marketers to really get to know their audience on a deeper level even if they’ve picked the demographic wisely.

via Someecards. By the way, this was the featured e-card when I just visited the site. Pure gold.

I did, however, check out Behance’s new site, which I know Michael’s been working on a ton since he moved here to NYC. And that ton he says, “is like the recorded time of Earth vs. our planet’s creation!” Holla at me/Get in my inner circle if you’re on the site and let’s make some ideas happen. For real. They have a great mission and great methods (in addition to their action pads as MK points out) to help you achieve productive creativity. Doing.

Also the TED conference has kicked off today, and if you like me didn’t have the 6000 beans to pony up I encourage you to check out the blog of W+K’s Global Director of Digital Strategies for updates. He talks about how using a crowdsourcing tool (Kluster), they are trying to develop a product over the course of TED (a single 72 hour period). Cool.

Goodnight.

1. Tumblr: I’m leading with this because it’s the one about which I’m most enthusiastic…and late too the game as well! I’ve been “testing it out” for about a week now here. (Yes, I’m still El Gaffney.) And I have to say I’ve found to be ridiculously easy, fast, and fun to contribute. It allows you to post from a variety of places—from the site, a browser tab, a desktop widget, and most importantly, from your phone or BlackBerry. I love the mobility of this format for posting pictures with captions. Plus, it allows you to bring in up to five feeds from outside blogs, twitter, del.icio.us, Digg, VOX, or YouTube. While it doesn’t beg for a long post like a blog (see right in front of you), it is limited in the conversational nature of Web 2.0. You can create groups and follow friends, but people cannot comment what has been tumbled. Regardless, I recommend this platform to anyone whom finds blogging appealing but daunting.

2. Seeqpod: I’ve been telling people about the song “Summertime in the LBC” by The Dove Shack for years now. (Basically whenever I’m talking about camp or early rap jams like Regulate.) I’ve even spent some time looking for it on old mix CD’s (I’m certain I have it so refuse to buy it.) Not anymore, thanks to Seeqpod—a site that lets users search and find audio and video from across the Web. And, what I find really cool is how easily you can share what you find…

3. Tooble: Learned about this one from the incredible Brand Flakes for Breakfast (as well as Seesmic—a video conversation site, which I still need more time to try out but they believe is gonna be huge). Basically Tooble is a technology you download that let’s you import YouTube videos into your iTunes and then onto your video iPod. As someone who doesn’t have a video iPod, I was more interested in getting YouTube videos onto my hard-drive so I could then upload them into powerpoint. See how I had to hyperlink everything in my Georgetown Marketing Association presentation? Now I don’t have to. I can import these videos into my pres and have them play without getting online. My only gripe is that the quality suffers a bit, which could be an issue since many YouTube videos are already a bit blurry. Yet, I can think of a handful of times I really could have used this application. So go for it, presenters!

What do you think? I mean, I’m no Tom Green, but I may need to get myself a new Web 2.0 logo pretty soon. And thanks to Matthew for the inspiration—a post on Blackberry apps. Got any other suggestions of online tech to check?

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P.S. Is anyone on Pownce anymore? It was supposed be a new great way to share files, links, messages, etc. with people (I think mostly files—music and pdf’ed articles, for example). But if my 15 friends are any indication, this place is a ghost-town.