All posts for the month August, 2012

Retro Ad of the Week: Honeywell Electronic Mail, 1981

Did you know that email was around in 1981? (The first one was actually sent 10 years earlier). Did you know that it was powered by black magic? Despite its cheesiness, this is a good example of how B2B advertising doesn’t have to be all business and no fun. —> CHECK OUT MORE VINTAGE ADVERTISING FROM [...]

A Moment of Marketing Clarity: The Three Little Pigs

Unless  you’ve been living under a rock your entire life, you know the story of the three little pigs. Have another look at it, except play around with the words. House = Business Big Bad Wolf = Uncertain Economy Pig = CEO (no offense to CEOs) Once upon a time there were three little pigs. [...]

Come See the Smarter Side of Sears

Many people probably don’t realize this, but Sears has a lot going for it. Like highly-trained associates bearing iPads programmed with an exclusive app to help customers find the right products and even apply rewards points and check out then and there, without stepping foot in line. Like the option to receive an e-receipt instead [...]

Retro Ad of the Week: Mustang, 1967

Anybody can write a list. But a tongue-in-cheek pledge – that’s an interesting way to highlight product benefits. And there’s that Mad Men-esque male chauvinism to give it just the right touch. Also in 1967, “Take the pledge” (sort of) translated into this horrible TV commercial: FUN FACT: 1967 was the last year F-O-R-D block [...]

A Moment of Marketing Clarity: Social Media Seems To Work for Everyone Else

Some results from the social media efforts of other major brands (as published by Bain & Company): What are you waiting for?    

Luxury Brands Rock Instagram

A recent study done by Simply Measured, a company specializing in social media analytics, reported that 40% of Top Brands (Interbrand’s Top 100) are using Instagram. What’s more, the most active brands on the list are luxury brands. It’s not surprising that brands like BMW, Hermes and Tiffany have found an affinity for a social media vehicle that centers around [...]

Retro Ad of the Week: Pierce-Arrow Motor Cars, 1917

Fancy lady + fancy cat = fancy car. Right? Apparently, yes, if the luxury automobile in question was a 1917 Pierce-Arrow. Despite the fact that there isn’t an actual photo of the car anywhere in this ad, the glaringly overt affluent visuals allow the brand message to come through loud and clear.   FUN FACT:  Although best known [...]

A Moment of Marketing Clarity: The Blind Man and the Advertising Story

An old blind man was sitting on a busy street corner begging for money. On a cardboard sign, next to an empty tin cup, he had written: ‘Blind – Please help’. No one was giving him any money. A young advertising writer walked past and saw the blind man with his sign and empty cup, [...]

What Are All the Rich Kids Doing?

Are you a marketer trying to reach affluent and ultra-affluent 16-25 year olds? Then I have a website for you to check out! The Rich Kids of Instagram tumblr page is the spot for you to get an insider’s look into how they manage to spend their (parents’) disposable income. Started by an anonymous user, [...]