CrapHammer

Eat Sleep Blog, Episode 5

I want to dedicate this episode to Mack Collier and all the others who kept asking us when we were going to put out the next ESB. 

And thanks to Kaltura, here she is.  Episode 5.  [embedded video]

Links:
Richard Huntington's Are Brand Ideas Too Big for Advertising
Fight for Kisses campaign
Think you can market contest
The Texas Weather

[ Belated Edit:  Been so out of mind that I forgot to give links to my co-creators:  Gavin and Paul. ]

Kaltura, savior or foe?

Gavin, Paul and I are talking about re-surfacing the ol' ESB (Eat, Sleep, Blog) again.  Only this time, potentially using Kaltura.  It allows for us to co-create a show and actually reference other media (youtube videos, etc.)  Could be cool.  If we could get it working.  Fingers crossed.

Yesterday was my birthday...

Yesterday was my birthday.

I already had a birthday post all set to go when I was blown away by a "gift" sent by my dear friend Katie over at GetShouty.

As I will be hung over and not posting the day after my birthday, I thought I would set up my blog to auto post this on my behalf on the 21st.  It's a message good for everyone (aside from the "happy birthday sean" part).  Thanks again Katie! 

P.S. Everyone buy the Bright Eyes "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" album.  It's the most unbelievable work of musical art on the planet.

[embedded video]

Coming clean on my birthday.

Time for me to come clean.

• I have fallen too far behind and had to mark all of my blogline feeds as read.
• I am stalking Richard over at adliterate.  He remains one of the most insightful planners I read.  I want to have his baby. (sorry Richard.)
• I still pick my nose.
• Gavin and Paul share socks.
• It's my birthday and I'm too lazy to come up with any real substance for a post.

Which brings me back to Richard.  His latest post declares "Digital may be one of the very few marketing disciplines that can cope with the enormous bandwidth of today’s ideas, but unless those agencies have the intellectual and creative firepower to conceive of the idea in the first place they will struggle to usurp the traditional advertising agency as the primary brand partner."

We can argue about the roles of all the various disciplines.  But the trend is clear.  Advertising needs to move below the line (sell) and digital offers some amazing opportunities to truly deliver on giving "brand ideas" their due.

Want an example?  Gavin has one.

[embedded video - fight for kisses]

Fight For Kisses //// www.ffk-wilkinson.com
Uploaded by killafather

In a world of shaving videos that are beyond atrocious, here's a brilliant use of digital media.  Maybe not as strong of a "brand idea" as Richard talks about, but a brilliant example of how digital can deliver a cohesive and immersive experience across vehicles. 

Richard's post is a rallying cry to digital agencies around the globe.  Will any respond?

Playing with therapy

I've been doing more "playing" of late.  Stop frame, drawing, writing and even juggling again.  It all started when I began exploring some writings from Jung about his own explorations of play in dealing with a dark period in his life after his breakup with freud.  These writings are pointed to by some as the beginning of play therapy.  It's part of what has allowed me to refocus on my own passion and to bridge this into my business.

How many of us take time to play in our lives?  I did a lot of things for fun, but when I examined how I played when I was much younger I noticed a marked difference from the things I now did for fun.  The suspension of disbelief had disappeared.  The act of "creation" had also been removed.  So I am working to find this again and to learn to play as before.

This playing has expanded to include some short format pieces.  So for those who are interested, here is a bizarre little piece I shot and a friend wrote and directed. [embedded video]

Turkey's Ready Oct.17 noPAR web from Blackheart Peirc on Vimeo.

 

So, you think you can market? Ha!

Want to prove you have what it takes to bring a viral campaign to market?  Here's your chance.  Gavin has launched a contest online together with The Bargain Queen.

The budget is tight but they have significant resources to bring to bear.  And you could get a pretty amazing case study (not to mention an ipod touch) out of the deal.

Get all the deets by clicking here!

What does Marcus know that you don't?

I've recently looked back at the many faces and facets of the amazing Marcus aka 'The Kaiser', 'Caesar', 'Sacrum', 'The Ghost', and more.  I couldn't tell you a complete list of them but Sacrum was definitely my favorite.  I forever smile when I recall Sacrum's success in engaging the folks at wieden + kennedy.

But I haven't just sat back and watched Marcus.  No, I've been a member of the Senate, participant in a painting auctioned from beyond the grave, a follower of all things "brand warmness" and even strong armed all my friends to vote for the king of European disco, Boney M. 

As I look back, I've been anything but alone.  I've been joined by hundreds of others (often leaders in the online community) who have merrily jumped on board each and every scheme.  And I'm sure all of these people are just as busy, overworked and at a loss for time as I am. 

So what does Marcus know that we don't?

I believe he knows how to have fun.  How to make things forever playful. He changes campaigns and websites like many of us change clothes.  But rather than make assumptions, I went ahead and asked Marcus.  Here is his response.

“I don’t think it’s that I know something you don’t, but maybe be my take on Social Media is slightly different to yours – and maybe I need it more than most. I think the driving force behind everything I attempt to do is a mischievous joy in creating networks around ideas and simply accepting the fact that opening these ideas up to a larger group of people can be dangerous and fun.

I’m a strong believer in looking outside of a particular medium, exploring what works there, reworking those components and grafting them into something new. The fact that there are so many sites, characters, projects and initiatives comes from a strong belief in the fact that people love series, episodes and chapters, that there is a beginning a middle and an end. People love a good cliff hanger, a tangent in a story line, the villain and the hero. They are sad when “season one” is over, but get all excited when “season two” kicks [in] but what they really love is to be involved in making stuff happen.

I just try to be creative with what I’ve got. I’ve got a computer, a little yellow kitchen, a head full of ideas and a bunch of friends around the world who ask themselves 'what’s he going to do next?' ”

Well Marcus, here's one such friend looking forward to whatever that head, computer and kitchen decide is next.

What is "Good Enough"?

It's not everyday we hear the term "good enough" in branding, marketing or communications work let alone in business strategy discussions.  I propose this is a problem of a hefty order.  "Good enough" signifies we have taken the time to identify the measurement criteria for our campaign.  It means we have a clear goal and are focusing on a return on investment versus winning awards or making something that looks good in our portfolio.

read rest of article on spinglobe blog

Note:  We can also discuss whether cross posting is "good enough" as a substitute for not posting here in half a month.  ;)

A week to remember

I've had a lot of difficult weeks in my life.  But this has been one to remember.

A good friend's 21 year old brother died.
A key account put all work on hold for a few weeks.
I lost my designer jacket.
Our boardroom was just flooded.

What matters in this list is the death.  Nothing else.

And what matters even more is the people that I've managed to surround myself with (company and life) because they see our priorities in the same manner.