Category Archives: Culture

The King’s Speech(less.)

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The King’s Speech(less.)

Perhaps the only thing that lasted longer than Colin Firth’s award winning movie was CP+B’s hold on the Burger King account. In my humble opinion, I think both went on a touch too long.

Clearly, the award judges did not agree, but I would suggest that a slightly shorter movie would have sold more tickets and a shorter run with the King would have sold more burgers, to more people, for more money. Think about it, Burger King has the very best tasting burger, yet trails the leader and many upstarts in most every way that you can count. They have slid into an essential tie with Wendy’s for a distant third when McDonald’s has never been stronger and the burger has never had a bigger hey day in our society – from gourmet to sliders.

The ad industry is in a flurry. Some are trying to use this as a platform to stand up for the art of what we do (read: kissing Crispin’s butt.) Some are jumping on the band wagon to kick them as they show a rare wound (read: shame on you Groupon CEO.) The rest are just scrambling to put together their retail/QSR credentials for a quick send off to Miami (read: no consultant review.)

Adweek just reported on the top 15 campaigns Crispin did for Burger King in the last 7 years. Chickens, Virgins, Freak-outs et al. It was really some memorable work. More amazing though was how many more did not make the list – from the original office series to the strange little Mexican dude to the Coq Rock band to the odd salad fashion sacks. When you add these to the numerous product introductions, one can easily count closer to 35 campaigns in that same period – and that is conservative. All clever, perhaps, but nothing consistent. When you compare that to the intense focus of a McDonald’s and Papa John’s – big growth in same time – one has to wonder if the last 7 years was the clearest case of “Art > Commerce” that the industry has ever seen.

To the many that will claim I don’t appreciate great work, I would argue that great work has to work great – or it isn’t that great after all. Let’s look beyond the surface of the BK work for a moment:

  • People speak of the commercials and viral campaigns, but no longer speak of the food.
  • The burger is the broadest appeal platform, yet the so called “social anthropologists” simply created limitations.
  • The goal appeared to be more about making us talk instead of making us hungry.
  • BK is more slave to their value menu than ever before and far more than McDonald’s who invented the concept.
  • The King was creepy from the beginning. Cool teens could not buy enough video games to offset the loss of young kids and families.

I love art, but art must serve commerce or it ends up simply framed on the wall of a building that can’t pay its rent. Let this be a wake up call for all of us. To Burger King, focus on addressing the real drivers of what makes a QSR successful. To the industry, never lose sight of not just what we really do for a living, but why we do it. To CP+B, remember that the Crispin brand should never outshine the brands of their clients — and to allow the K-k-k-king to #RIP.

A Song For the World.

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A Song For the World.

Every single day, there are blessings that appear before our eyes. My greatest wish for people is that they simply have the perspective to realize they are blessed while they still are – and that no measure of this precious life is taken for granted.

At the same time though, tragedies happen across the world at the very same pace. We watch in small windows of amazement as we see buildings fall, hurricanes pound, terrorists strike, Dictators act and even tsunamis crash. Because of the speed of communication and the clarity of HD, we have never been closer to what pains the world. Why then are we no closer to what heals it?

I would propose that in a world that measures data in zettabytes (yes, bigger than terabytes) and debt in quintillions (yes, more than trillions), the belief that a single voice can be heard above the noise has never been lower. Think about it, we sing out for Africa and there is still famine. We all share the philosophy of Livestrong, yet so many are still weakened by cancer. We text aid to Haiti and there appears no aid in sight. We’ve been giving to Jerry’s kids since I was a kid, yet the power chair business for people with MD is one of the growth areas of the healthcare business.

Perhaps it was my time with Up With People that taught me that everyone has a song for the world. It can certainly be a helping hand to those in need, but it can also just be talent, a concern or an expression of love that moves people. To face each other. To understanding each other. To take even a small step towards each other. Person to person, song to song, one to one.


One to one, we change the world by giving to another,
A helping hand along the way
A simple act of love is what changes are made of
So, one to one we change the world

Audio

Singing this song alone may not change the world, but why stop singing if it just might? Most likely, if you sing loud enough, others will hear it and be interested in singing along with you. That’s when all the little notes add up to a big difference – and blessed harmony can drown out any tragic melody that happens to be playing.

As I type this, my 10-year-old daughter is coincidently singing an old John Lennon song on karaoke in the other room. Regardless of the volume or what Simon would say if he heard it, I chose to believe that she is sharing her song for the world and I’m going to sing along. Join us and the world just might live as one…

What is your song for the world?

Value On Sale

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Value On Sale

I just had Lasik surgery done on both eyes. Good news? Perhaps, but the better news is I got the first one for 25% off and the second one for close to 65% off. More, Dr. Burnyak allowed me to finance it with no money down and no interest. My vision is still a tad fuzzy, but it was such a good deal, I could not resist.

Far fetched? Not really if you consume any media at all. In response to the economic pressures, retailers in almost every sector are dropping their pants and taking discounting to a new level. If you buy one tire at full price, you can get three free. If you buy one burger, you can get the second for a penny. If you need a suit, you can get two, with two ties, two shirts and two pocket squares for less than $200. Stroll the mall and it is like a clash of the % signs. 40% off, 60% off and even 70% off! How can that be? How can something really be 70% off? One of only four things happen:

  1. The retailer is in a spiral of death and doesn’t realize it
  2. They overly inflate original prices enough to make shoppers sick, which will lead to #1 above
  3. They are training consumers to never pay real prices again, which will again lead to #1 above
  4. They are pouring onto the anti-trust movement in society, which will soon enough lead to #1 above

How can so many retailers be so blinded by their own paranoia that they fail to see the better model right under their nose? If you look at the most successful retail brands, not one of them drop their pants. Instead, they build undeniable and unwavering value in their brands, in their store experiences and in their trust. Think about it:

Apple There are too many computers to chose from, yet Apple demands a premium without apology and people stand in line to get into the store to talk to a Genius.

WalmartWal-Mart doesn’t have to create fake discounts because we already trust they always have low prices.

Five Guys Try asking for two burgers for the price of one at Five Guys. All five guys will laugh at you.

MercedesMercedes will charge you $360 for a “Service A” oil change that you feel good about when sipping a latte from their Benz Bistro.

Papa John's Pizza If you want a pizza delivered, you will not get “Papa in the House” unless you value better ingredients and more than saving a buck on some new, “still cardboard-like” substance.

Abercrombie You need to access your credit line to buy the shirt off the naked dude’s back at Abercrombie just because we believe we will get interest from the opposite sex (or with whomever you’re into.)

No matter how much things change, they always stay the same in retail. Value has never been about price alone no matter how many fools try and prove it wrong. Consumers will always spend what is necessary when they find worth – be it physical, intellectual or emotional. There is nothing for consumers to do except buy with your eyes wide open. If retailers give you true value for less, that is not your problem. As brand marketers, our responsibility is much greater. We have to guide them to better business practices and, as much as we advise them to respect the consumer, it is as valuable to make sure they respect themselves.

As much as I could go on, I need to get to the Urologist by close of business, as he just email blasted me an opportunity I could not refuse.

Go Packers. Go Steelers. Go Daddy.

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They say the big game is now the big show. More eyeballs watching the tube, more clicks on websites, more pizzas being ordered, more chips being dipped. To this Broadway loving ad guy, the Super Bowl has also become the Great White Way of advertising. Just like the game being played on the field, there are winners and losers off the field as well. Here is my take on some of the ads and some lessons they each provide:

Previous Super Bowl Winners:

Apple “1984”

This was the shot heard around the world. It was the breaking point when commercials hit prime time and became as important as the game itself. It was bold and powerful statement. While others in the ad business will speak of Ridley Scott, the great cinematography, the iconic representation of the Orwell book and such, I respect it for two reasons. The basic reason is that it translated into over a billion dollars of sales volume. More, it opened up a new segment of the industry, gave birth to the creative class and paved a way for Apple to be the most successful brand and retailer of our time – selling more sales per square foot than any retailer ever thought possible. What you may not know is that consumers hated the spot in pre-testing. After trying to sell off the space before the game, Apple trusted their instincts and history was made. Lesson? Trust your gut.

Google “Paris”

Last years’ spot was a perfect, emotionally crafted story about how relevant Google is in our daily lives. It was the spot that made people realize Google is not just a noun, but can also be used as a verb. I applaud them for not just talking about the features and benefits of the company, but rather depicted how important it is as consumers/shoppers in our society. Lesson? Become vital. Position yourself not just as something nice to have, but rather a need to have and the value will always take care of itself.

Previous Super Bowl losers:

Denny’s “Free Breakfast”

Some say the spot was funny. Maybe it was, but who cares? Most say that it drove an unprecedented amount of people into Denny’s. Maybe so, but who cares if the company could not operationalize the brand? What happened was that the actual restaurants were not able to handle the traffic and ran out of product. The good deed went punished, as the very same people who they motivated to go to Denny’s are the same people (because of a negative experience) that will never come back. So, it turned into a huge investment with little chance of return visitation. Lesson? ROI must be your friend, as Denny’s has already learned- they pulled out this year.

Lions, Tigers, Frogs, Lizards, Hamsters, oh my!

Most every single take on cute animals have historically served little purpose beyond driving awareness. I have news for you; you can pick up the business section of the paper and see companies with high awareness going out of business. The reality is that – because of that awareness – everybody knows, but nobody really cares. Lesson? Cash never lies.

All this attention calls for greater responsibility. The downside of the bright lights and big stage is that many abuse the moment with irresponsible acts. The ad business often likes to forget that we are in business to help clients sell things. The more they sell, the more they make and in turn, the more agencies get to grow. Reckless spending is one of the main reasons so many don’t stay around too long and the trust rating of our industry remains so low. Yet, on any blank sheet of paper, your ad could be the ad other ads smell like. Make the most of it.

Enjoy the show.