The 1960s are seen as a hinge point in American history from both those who welcomed the change and those who feared it. But that decade proved to be a tectonic shift socially, culturally and politically – tackling issues from civil rights, immigration, feminism, the Vietnam War and environmentalism.

Similar to the 60s, as we ushered in 2020, we began seeing fundamental shifts and a call to arms on many fronts. From sustainability, gun control, feminism (#MeToo), Read More

“We’re in this together.”

“In times like this.”

“Now more than ever.” 

“We’re here to help.”

Not long after the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., we became bombarded by TV commercials and Facebook ads from various brands saying these same phrases. Over and over. So much so, that one of my co-workers pointed out we could be playing advertising bingo every night with all of these now mundane phrases. Read More

Okay, I’ll bite.

Burger King released its The
Moldy Whopper ad campaign yesterday and it has a lot of marketers and consumers talking. Why? Because it’s gross and brilliant all at the same time.

How much do I love this
commercial?

Let me count the ways. Read More

Photo credit: MediaPost, Nov 2019

The good, the bad and Sam Elliott’s mustache.

Robin Donovan, President

When it comes to TV commercials there is no more widespread, public venue than the Super Bowl. Advertisers in the Super Bowl must be prepared to wow the audience, the whole audience, even the part that does not fall within their target demographics. In order to generate a level of excitement worthy of the Super Bowl, most advertisers choose to make their commercial hilariously funny, Read More

Insurance has typically been an avoidance category. We never want to think of bad things that could potentially happen to us and we don’t want to hear or read boring clause after clause of legal mumbo jumbo. So, we shut it out. Read More

Has Super Bowl advertising jumped the shark?
As way of explanation, here’s the definition of “Jump the shark”:
“Jumping the shark is the moment when something that was once popular no longer warrants the attention it previously received, particularly when attempts at publicity only serve to highlight its irrelevance… reaching a point at which far-fetched events are included merely for the sake of novelty, indicative of a decline in quality.”
Sounds an awful lot like the current state of Super Bowl advertising. Read More

With the holidays in full swing, a great deal of focus is being placed on the time crunch we’re all feeling and how that makes us take dangerous short cuts. Texting while driving is, arguably, one of the most dangerous.
A recent article focusing on Travelers’ new safe-driving campaign reminds us that there is already a plethora of videos and photos showing horrific accidents. Read More

If you could anticipate the source of the next major disruptor, who would you guess? Apple? Tesla? Blue Apron? Maybe a surprise move from stalwarts like Xerox, Procter & Gamble or Disney. Could be SWIT©H, possibly. Read More