2007 June

• How do we decide how many social networks is enough? Are there any central tools that can load all our info for us into multiple sites? #
• Organizing paper. As long as it’s vertical everyone is happy. #

• Service workers who call me to ask for directions really irk me. Get a mapping system, go to the internet and print or buy a map. Geez… #
• I wonder if there is a real “chill” pill. If so, I need a prescription. Everything seems to be irking me lately. #

• Would you spend 2k to get your name out with the big boys? Even if it meant sharing your spotlight with other small companies? thinking… #
• @andruedwards – I’m thinking of making our top sponsor this year small companies. Instead of one big company. 30 small on rotation. :) #
• @andruedwards… that’s where the thinking outloud comes in… any ideas? #
• I’m thinking we can do a “cloud” of some kind… an advertising cloud… on the wall with the names in rotation #
• tickets… that’s the hard part. And, upkeep. #
• @andruedwards – maybe it should be geared to companies not doing what we’re doing. Who don’t want tickets but want eyes. Non geeks. #

• Food shopping. My Father and brother are flying in for the day. :) I’m going to prepare a nice dinner for the family. I’m thinking adobo… #
• My Father is here and we’re catching up. I’m cooking a lazy lunch of roasted veggies chicken adobo and jasmine rice. Fresh fruit for dessert #

I’ve heard so many times if something is ten years old it’s out of style if it’s twenty years old it’s back “in” again. I guess in advertising the check point is fifty years. Check out the Tonight Show this evening for a rare treat in to yesteryears advertising business model brought to life.

Seventeen percent of homes have DVR’s of some kind. Mine included, we have a Comcast DVR in each livable room of our house. This has turned advertising as we know it on its ugly little red head. When I want to watch television I don’t ever watch it live. Not even my most beloved Grey’s Anatomy. Why you ask… commercials. I love to fast forward through them with my remote. It’s almost a little power trip.  I make the “whhhoooooo haaaaaa, haaaaaaa” sound in my head as I do it. I’m taking back my ten minutes per half hour show. And, dammit, I should be able to with as much as I pay for my cable. Geez.

Finally the “powers that be” have realized that this seventeen percent of American households are the at the cutting edge of knowledge, awareness and especially dollar power. So, what do they do now that we can fast forward through their million dollar TV commercials. They go to the ways of yesteryear. Product placement within skits with a commercial following.

Interesting. This is the way it was done oh so long ago before I even understood what an ad is to corporate America. Today I heard they would bring dogs out on the late show and have them eat Alpo as they praised it’s goodness. (I wonder if Johnny Carson’s dog really ate Alpo.) My favorite memories are of I love Lucy episodes where she’s selling something, like vitamins. Makes me smile just to think of it.

Back then advertising was done this way because the technology to make commercials wasn’t there. Now things are being done this way because the technology has out smarted the Advertisers. We’re at a sort of odd space in history aren’t we?

I’m sort of excited to see what the skit will be about. I know it’s a Garmin commercial skit with a full on regular commercial to follow. The supposed statistics are that there’s a 40/50% ad recall with this formula. We’ll see, this is the first time I’ve wanted to watch commercials in quite awhile.

Oh I will admit there is this one commercial that has struck my fancy it’s from a card company that is touting musical cards for Father’s Day. It has an old guy, some MC Hammer music, really bad haircuts and good dance moves, cracks me up every time – actually makes me want to pause and watch it. Now that is good advertising.     

• I thought I was better… then I slept for four hours in the middle of the afternoon. #
• Working on Gnomedex design… #

• Hi Ho, Hi Ho and off to work I go… Hi Ho Hi Ho…. ;) #

• If you have to pick would you be coherent with a runny and stuffy nose or foggy with medicine head – but able to breathe? #
• @cybertoad – agreed. lol Breathing and admiring how everything is shiny. :) #