How Mad Men is doing it wrong.
August 26, 2008
Imagine this for a second.
You’re producing a very successful television show. You have a loyal following. You can’t open a magazine or newspaper, or read a blog, without seeing a pile of praise heaped on your show. Popularity is rising. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.
You’ve helped create something that’s difficult to make: a critically acclaimed television show that is receiving tons of public attention.
Everything’s looking good.
Now imagine that a group of fans hops on the Internet and starts emulating the characters in the show. They are true to the nuances of the program. They are gaining quite a following on their own, in fact, leading those who love the show to become even more involved during the six days in between new episodes. They are promoting your product in a fresh, original way.
Why would you sabotage that?
I’m not sure. Let’s ask the creators of Mad Men.
It’s no question that Mad Men, the AMC drama about advertising life at fictional 60s shop Sterling Cooper, has gained a big following. So it’s no surprise that, given this era of global online marketing, someone was bound to take the Mad Men idea and make it better. And they did – on Twitter, of all places. (What is Twitter? Watch this video.)
What this group has done is take the personalities of the main characters from Mad Men and created a series of online avatars. Acting out the parts. Furthering the behind the scenes identities of the characters. Being as completely true to the original concept as possible. Go ahead – ask them questions. They’ll answer in the way you’d expect the character to answer.
The only problem: they’re not AMC employees. Just fans. And now, AMC is forcing Twitter to suspend these accounts (via VentureBeat) due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
I understand copyrights, and I get that AMC thinks they’re protecting their intellectual property. But this is fan fiction. This is like telling a group of Star Trek fans that they can no longer dress up as their favorite characters. Because that’s exactly what this is – it’s a group of fans dressing up, using an Internet avatar instead of a pair of pointed ears.
Even more, this is a golden opportunity; to create a cult following, to promote the television show in new ways. Don’t suspend them – heck, HIRE THEM. Give them a stipend to keep the banter up. Use them to your advantage. I’d guarantee that almost every one of them would accept some kind of payment for doing something they loved doing for free.
Because even though it isn’t an official series of accounts, the Mad Men doppelgangers are more than just fictitious slander magnets. They are an extension of the characters that many of us have grown to love. Fans of Mad Men get it. Those who aren’t fans are intrigued. Awareness is rising.
And for AMC, apparently, this is a bad thing. As if they don’t realize the public relations dream this could turn into to.
The goal in today’s marketing world is to be embraced by those who follow you. To be allowed into the precious circle of permission marketing. To gain feedback from those who know your product best. Business models are based on taking free publicity and working with it, not against it. Consumer generated content. Letting the people speak freely, feel comfortable and, in turn, become loyal.
In other words – before you rush to grab the lawyers, take a chance. See if the road bumps in your path can actually help you before tearing them down.
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New. Improved. And all of that.
August 7, 2008
It’s been a while, but we think the wait is certainly worth it.
Introducing the new HenkinSchultz Web site - a new look, with easier navigation and prettier pictures of, say, yours truly. Copywriter extraordinaire. Guitar Hero champion. All around great guy. Etc.
We’ve freshened up, cleaned out the corners and given you what you’d need in an agency Web site - the people, the work, the ideas and the philosophy. In the immortal words of Outkast, We’re “so fresh and so clean. (Clean.)”
And, we’ve even given Post Haste a facelift. Hooray blogs!
If you’re new to the site, go ahead and click the RSS feed and get Post Haste updates whenever we make them. Or, enter your e-mail for e-mail updates. Whichever you prefer. The choice is up to you.
And if you’re a seasoned veteran of Post Haste and HenkinSchultz, well, we hope you like the new look.
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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.
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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.
Sue 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.
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Walmart vs. Wal-Mart
July 11, 2008
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.)
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Introducing Wabli’
June 19, 2008
You never quite know what a client’s going to ask for. And sometimes you never quite know if you’ll be able to pull it off.
Our client, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls, came to us with one of these requests: a mascot to help promote high-return children’s savings accounts.
It turned out to be pretty cool.
Wabli’ (which stands for “Eagle” in Lakota) is the mascot version of The First National Bank in Sioux Falls’s iconic eagle statue and logo. And he/she took a tour of bank branches, showing off his style and preening his polyester wings.
Wabli’ and The First National Bank in Sioux Falls’s Executive Vice President Bill Baker.
Wabli’ standing beneath his shape-sake, the original FNB eagle statue.
Attempting a heist.
Relaxing after a hard day of strutting around with a head that’s seventeen times larger than it should be.
And just like that, a new mascot is born – from idea to reality, Wabli’ is now among us.
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Batter Blaster!
June 19, 2008
No more mess! No more time-wasting mixing! IT’S PANCAKE BATTER IN A CAN!
WATCH THE VIDEO NOW.
“Make better breakfast faster! BATTER BLASTER!”
Who says we’ve run out of things to invent?
(Unfortunately, it is not available in South Dakota yet.)
2 Comments
Mistaken identity
June 13, 2008
I love Guinness ads. The combination of the traditional Guinness glass and the contrast of dark beer/white foam makes for a striking image. It’s an icon that’s recognizable to anyone who has come in contact with the beer, like the Budweiser bow-tie logo or a Stella Artois glass.
I especially enjoy these ads, where a concert has been illuminated in the shape of a Guinness glass, filled with a pulsing mob that represents the rolling thunder of the beer’s patented post-pour brewing process.
Click to enlarge
Pretty neat visual.
What?
Wait. What are you saying?
Oh. How embarrassing. My bad.
Apparently, this is a Heineken ad. Heineken. Not Guinness.
Hmm…
Looks like this is another lesson in being careful what image you portray with your ads. I wonder how many people see this Heineken ad and say, “Yeah, a Guinness WOULD taste pretty good right now.”
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Whistling Dixie
June 3, 2008
I noticed the weirdest thing the other day while I was watching television.
Someone had taken all of the Dixie commercials and replaced them with something completely different.
Now, when I say different, I mean to say that, while they were still showing Dixie commercials, they certainly weren’t the Dixie commercials I had grown up with.
You know the ones: Make Life Easy! Throw Away! No More Clean-up! No More Germs! Dixie promised a life of ease and convenience, of victimless consumerism and trash collection. The only thing you hurt was the pride of those who didn’t have the same foresight as you, who looked on in agony as your life’s schedule miraculously cleared up, while theirs was still tethered to the yoke of washing dishes!
Now?
The trend toward green products has placed disposable plates and cups in the same realm as oil spills and burning tires.
So let’s switch the spin, for a little bit.
This is the only version I could find on YouTube, pardon the poor quality.
Now, Dixie cups give you back your identity. You are no longer a woman washing dishes – you are a caring mother. You are one step closer to raising children who will make the right decisions. That’s what throwing away your dishes (instead of spending a crucial 15 minutes washing) will do for you.
On one hand, I applaud them for reinventing the brand, even if it means combating the onslaught of mainly beneficial Go Green messaging.
On the other, the pandering to Them Cute Kids seems so forced and non-genuine. It’s a play to every parent’s fear of not caring enough about his or her children. “I will no longer be defined by the number of dishes I wash!” she claims. Who said you were in the first place?
Of course, I already feel guilty enough when I throw away when I throw away a paper plate. So take it for what you will.
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Social Media in Plain English
May 30, 2008
We’re reaching a point in our industry where social media is starting to become more and more accepted by those Seth Godin classifies as the early majority - the people who are catching onto the trend because they’ve heard enough about it to put a little bit of trust into it. The value is at its highest. Everyone is scrambling to catch up.
But do newcomers really understand what the benefits of social media are?
If you find yourself needing to explain social media to the uninformed (or if you are still hazy on it yourself) CommonCraft has created an easy way to do it: Social Media in Plain English.
There. That was easy.
CommonCraft also has great videos explaining the relevance of blogs, social networking and, of course, my new favorite social networking tool, Twitter.