Read it out loud

July 25, 2008

Here’s a word of advice. Make sure you read your television and radio spot out loud.

Be extra careful. Because sometimes, things get by.

For example, whenever I hear Southwest Airlines commercials on the radio, I’m always confused. The fast paced nature of the spots and the quick radio read always garbles their new tagline. And I’m left wondering why Southwest would end every spot with “Please Don’t Fly With Us.”

(For the record, it’s “Fees Don’t Fly With Us.” A nice line, but poorly executed for radio.)


But that’s not nearly as bad as the most recent True North TV spot.


Seriously, was this a joke by a copywriter that no one caught? Was it a bet that made it past production?

Yeah. Nut Snacks. Maybe my mind’s in the gutter, but I can’t help but snicker every time I hear it. And I wonder how many people involved with the account, from production to placement, finally realized the error.

Read it out loud. Carefully. Then, have someone else read it. Out loud.

Lest you find yourself defending an extraordinary nut snack.

By Corey

Filed Under Advertising, Criticism, The Process

Faith in Sue

July 12, 2008

I went to Faith, SD, for a South Dakota Humanities Council meeting this weekend. They’re currently promoting the return of Sue, the most complete tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found.

It’s a big deal for a little town. Fewer than 500 people call Faith “home.” And, due to their location in the northwest corner of the state, two hours from anywhere, it’s doubtful that many more people will call it “home” as the population shifts. It’s west of Pierre, north of Rapid City. It’s a beautiful drive, actually, highlighted with rolling hills and bluffs and, thanks to the heavy rain we’ve received, lush with vegetation.

SueSue is a replica. Not the real dinosaur. They don’t disclose this. I guess they don’t need to.

Sue is impressive, but she’s just as impressive as any full skeleton fossil. For instance, the mammoth pits in Hot Springs. Or the dinosaurs on display at the School of Mines.

Sue is the only attraction in Faith, SD. It cost, reportedly, nearly $100 thousand dollars to bring it to town.

And, it’s reportedly not making that money up.

The entire display is fascinating. But is it worth it? Does this truly bring a new wrinkle to Faith? Will people veer off of their path to drive two hours out of their way (yes, that’s four hours total) to see a dinosaur? Especially in a dinosaur-heavy area of the country, where fossils are distributed throughout the state, scattered in nearly every direction.

It’s a neat homecoming. It’s a great exhibit. But it’s probably not going to pay off.

But let’s look at it this way. There’s a good chance at the beginning of this post you hadn’t ever heard of Faith. And I will guess that you’ve never even thought of going to Faith. Not in your wildest dreams.

Now? You’ve heard of it. You know what makes it famous. You might even travel to go see it. The seed has been planted. Because if you never ask for people to come see you, no one ever will.

By Corey

Filed Under Criticism, The Process

Walmart vs. Wal-Mart

July 11, 2008

Walmart

The new Wal-Mart logo.

Sorry. The new Walmart logo.

It’s clean. It’s bright. It’s streamlined and sleek.

The star is gone. Actually, the hyphen is gone altogether. The big chunky big box letters are gone. The blue is gone.

In other words, it’s everything Walmart wants to be these days. And it’s gotten rid of everything that has hampered its image.

It looks a little more boring, a little bit more ordinary, and the starburst has no explanation, but I will admit (much as I hate to do it) it’s a positive move. It’s a change of the brand, and nearly every change makes sense.

The question is – is it the right move? Have they lost a good chunk of their identity? Or are they big enough that they can weather a new look without any loss of feeling?

(Though, let’s be honest. I think we all know that Walmart will be okay.)

By Corey

Filed Under Design