Incite Kitchen

Bogusky vs. Jobs - Round One

I remember reading about a conversation that took place at some sort of posh Seattle country club in Scott Bedburry's A New Brand World.  It went something like this:
Steve Balmer: "Wieden & Kennedy never really got the soul of Microsoft."
Scott Bedburry: "That's funny, I didn't know Microsoft had a soul."
And therein lies the crux of all the hype regarding Microsoft's hiring of Crispin Porter & Bogusky.  As the old adage goes, great advertising only kills bad products faster.  If Crispin does great work, it could very well be the worst thing for Microsoft.  The fact that Crispin (at least that I know of) isn't confident enough in Microsoft's product to switch their creative staff to Windows machines, therefore creating one of the world's most fascinating marketing-ethnographies, speaks volumes.  Crispin has a soul - Alex Bogusky.  Apple has a soul - Steve Jobs.  MINI has a soul - the product, itself.  Whether it exists in its product or its founder, Microsoft doesn't have a soul.  And, unless Crispin somehow has a way to influence more than just image at Microsoft, I can't imagine any campaign truly working.  That said, I wouldn't be surprised come the launch of the new work, if Crispin completely and pleasantly surprised me.  It wouldn't be the first time they did.

Happy Trails NAU

Although I'm a little late in announcing the news of NAU's unfortunate closing, I at least wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone at NAU for being an inspiration to so many people, for being so willing to take the risk that you did in starting and running your business with such clear and authentic purpose, and of course for your efforts in helping causes for good that are important to so many people.  I'll miss you guys, but I haven't a doubt that what was learned from the NAU experience won't be turned into something, perhaps even better, sometime not far from now.  In the meantime, to anyone else who might be reading this, they're having a great sale here... get it while you can.

Poor Dove

It's been an interesting year for Unilever - especially its Dove brand.  First, the stories started circulating regarding the hypocrisy of its support for the Dove campaign (to raise the self-esteem in women) while simultaneously supporting Axe's campaign (which seemed to just as effectively place women in a shameful light).  This video, which, of course, is the product of a conversation I had last fall with Rye Clifton, is just one example.  Then, just a few weeks ago, Green Peace's version of Dove viral broke, actually prompting a quick and bold reaction from the soap-maker.  Unilever, the world’s largest consumer goods company and buyer of palm oil, weeks later, announced it will start using palm oil from certified sustainable sources by the end of 2008.  Now I hear that it is quite possible that Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty did have at least some retouching.  If true, this would of course be an act that contradicts the point of the entire campaign.  The Advertising Age article that made me aware of this development can be found here.

As a fellow advertising practitioner, I simply can't understand why agencies, clients, or both, continue to think they can pull a sheet over the eyes of the public.  Most people know that ads are "airbrushed."  It's expected to be "fake."  And that's ok.  But, if you're going to be a purpose brand, you simply cannot be anything short of 100% authentic in your efforts.  Agencies: you can't have that "honest conversation" you  worked so hard to sell to the client with people you're trying to fool.  Clients: your agency is dangerous if they're trying to have you live up to standards you can't inherently keep on your own. 

Softsoap turns competition on its head... literally

While it's almost the name of one of my favorite blogs, I think it was TS Elliot who first said, "talent imitates, but genius steals."  In the case of Softsoap brand liquid hand soap, talent imitates, genius steals, and then together they both do a 180 degree turn and squat down a little bit. 

Steve Nash as "The $60-million Man"

Nike seems to be popping up a lot with me this week.  To promote a shoe made of scrap leather and recycled rubber (yet another green shoe technology) basketball player, Steve Nash, made the below ad.  Nash, who also owns production company Meathawk, produced, directed and starred in the 90-second YouTube exclusive with a little help from his friends, for $90,000. The spot launched on Earth Day. 
Now the question remains, what happens when celebrities who already are living ads, start producing content with their celebrity friends to promote brands at bargain-basement prices?

Jordan Brand Cures Writer's Block

More and more it seems that things that are made to connect with one type of person or group of people are discovered by others and appreciated at an equal or greater rate than the intended target.  Honda's Element, designed to be the car of teens has become the car for dog owners everywhere.  Dansko and Crocs are now the de facto shoes of doctor's offices and hospitals in cities across the world.  Even vinegar has been rediscovered rather recently as the ultimate in green surface cleaning.  On a micro-level, last August my wife found Patagonia Capilene to be the perfect fabric for her wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses.  And while I'm sure the folks at W+K New York weren't aiming to inspire account planners with writer's block when they made this spot for Jordan Brand, it was exactly what I needed this morning.

The Second Coming...

... of Steve Jobs... is here.  Schultz is the new Jobs.  A few months ago, you may remember me asking if Howard Schultz was the new Steve Jobs.  Well, the answer is yes... almost.  The first step was for Starbucks to very publicly thank their customers for putting up with their brand's unfortunate meandering over the past several years.  And they just did this with the nation's largest coffee tasting of their new blend, Pikes Place Roast - which is a definite throwback to everything Starbucks originally stood for.  They also included this note

in several newspapers today.  I feel it's an honest attempt to get things right and I'm glad to see the changes.  You're welcome, Starbucks.  Now for the interesting part... more improvements in the experience.

Still Dowdy After All These Years

About a decade ago, while still a student at Boston University, I heard a senior art director from Arnold speak about how he and his team were just put in charge of reinvigorating the Talbots brand.  How over the years it had become stale, dowdy, and more than anything, lifeless.  "The first thing we noticed," I remember him saying, "is that the women in Talbots catalogs weren't doing anything.  They weren't acting like normal people.  They were just standing in rooms that don't really exist, doing nothing."  I remember him saying this rather clearly as it struck a chord with me.  Creating communications that connect (dare I say engage) with people is what it was all about.  In the case of Talbots, people needed to be able to imagine themselves acting like and looking like the models in their ads and catalogs.  While I'm definitely not a Talbots shopper, beyond being young, I'm a 6'8" male, I kept an eye on the changes that Talbots was making under the stewardship of Arnold and I liked what I saw.  They seemed to accomplish what I was told they wanted to do.
Then in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, I read an article that claimed Talbots had become... believe it or not... dowdy.  It said, "a survey found that all the chain's customers - even those older than 65 - thought its styles were meant for someone older than them."
How could this have happened?  I dug a bit and learned that just six months ago, the account went into review and Arnold no longer has the business.  Did Arnold lose their touch or did the client get lazy and fall into their old ways of doing things from their pre-Arnold years?  As a co-conspirator on the A message from Unilever video, I feel hypocritical saying this, but it seems that Talbots might want to take a page from the Dove playbook.  That is to say, show the people who are going to actually wear the clothes, wearing the clothes.  Young and young-looking models can make most any garment look good.  Can Talbots make most any person look, or more importantly, feel good?  That's the question they need to ask before they start producing more ads and catalogs. 
Another Ogilvy play that Talbots might want to consider comes form the man himself... "The consumer isn't a moron, she is your wife."  When one of your shoppers is trying on clothes, she isn't going to remember the thirty-something model in your catalog, she is only going to notice how it makes her feel at that moment.
105 really is the new 65.

People's Car?

Volkswagen has launched an interesting new campaign via Crispin Porter & Bogusky that deeply taps into the brand's heritage.  Not only do the ads resemble the classic Bernbach work, they even go so far as to tap into the meaning of the brand name, "people's car."  A teaser print campaign was sprinkled through the Sports section of today's USAToday and the website works to reinforce this.  I just wonder one thing... does anybody know or care that the car was designed and built to be the car for the people of Hitler's Third Reich?   Will people (especially younger, more socially-conscious people) recognize this and disassociate themselves from VW, as to not be "one of those people?"  I don't know to be honest.  I have, however been doing this long enough to know that it is amazing what people will complain or get angry about.
Of course other companies beside VW have roots that today's brands would like to ignore or forget.  Mitsubishi built the Japanese Zero airplanes that attacked Pearl Harbor and Henry Ford was famously antisemitic.   I just wonder if the VW campaign doesn't touch on the history in a way that's a little too close for too many people's comfort.

Personal Barber

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "Surrogate Craftsmen," expressing my desire to truly know the people who make my things and perform certain services I pay for.  I saw this sign in the window of a neighborhood barber shop in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday.  It makes me want to go there for my next haircut.