Those lips have been around for a while.  Is it just me or have they taken on a more lascivious posture within the past year or so?  In fact, they’re familiarly disturbing.  In all honesty I don’t spend a whole lot of time ruminating about the Dairy Queen lips – but when I see the ads and watch “the lips” in action they do evoke a vague sense of unease.  I mean how are a pair of lewd and in your face lips portraying the brand that has historically focused on wholesome family values?  Read More

It’s no secret that the media landscape is changing. I’ve noticed a major shift in the way reporters and editors get their story ideas.

Today, many Omahans (yes, that’s what we’re collectively called) are excited about the opportunity to go out and spend some of their hard earned dollars. We just got official word that a Trader Joe’s store is indeed coming to town. The Twitter stream and Facebook updates extolling this glorious day have been pretty steady.

Sorry to disappoint you but we’re not addressing a beautiful start to a day at the beach – we’re here to talk soap suds? And both of these suds producers want you to know that they care about us and Mother Nature. Read More

First Toyota – sorry to kick you when you’re down. Up to now I’ve always been a fan. In fact I’ve had a Toyota Sienna for a few years. Your recent ad campaign has made me question my selection. Apparently Sienna drivers are either self-deceived young moms who try to pass themselves off as “hot babysitters” and see how many times they’ll get hit on or fussy flaky Dads who take their trikes and run home when someone copies them and gets a Sienna. Read More

Send your cover letter and resume with clear direction as to which department you are interested in joining. When letters come in saying the writer wants a job “anywhere” in an ad agency it is clear that they don’t know the business well enough to know where they fit in. Read More

I’m so not a morning person. And typically on a Saturday I sleep in, but this morning my husband and I  were up, dressed, and out the door at 8:30am to go pick up the iPads we had reserved. Read More

Stay Focused on Your Values: Oftentimes companies and business owners try to create an image that communicates their ENTIRE business concept. This is asking an awful lot! Instead of focusing on the big picture, zero in on the values and ideas that your company stands for. As customers come to know your business and what it means while interacting with your brand, they’ll quickly learn to associate your logo with these principles.
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I had a weird experience today. A guy showed up in our lobby to give me a packet. I did not have an appointment with him. He told the woman who greeted him that someone from his office had said she was sending information over to me. True enough. I’d spoken to her about two weeks prior and told her to go ahead and send me her contact info. I did not tell her to reach back into the 70’s and send a Barney Miller look alike (replete with London Fog raincoat) who smelled as though he’d been assaulted by a giant bottle of Paco Rabanne to deliver that info. Read More

Often times, when a company launches a sweepstakes, the grand prize and even some of the tactical elements don’t align closely with the brand.  I recently read an article in Marketing Daily, by Karlene Lukovitz, about the new Ghirardelli Chocolate sweepstakes, “Million Moments of Timeless Pleasure”, and I was impressed by the engagement, relevancy and integration that they are bringing to the initiative as they target a large audience and correlate the elements back to the brand.  Read More