My former colleague Randy White is an activist in the Peak Oil movement. On his Lawns to Gardens Blog he’s posted a split-screen video. On the right side, a very attractive young woman, dressed for extremely warm weather, does a dance that would melt a glacier. On the left side, the same woman (I think), […]
Each year, the folks at Lake Superior State University ask the public to submit expressions that have become cliches. And on New Year’s Day, they issue a list of those expressions that are heretofore banned. More than 2000 cliches were nominated, and they’ve been whittled down to 23 used-up words and phrases. Smart move on […]
“Most ads aren’t written to persuade, they’re written not to offend.” — Roy Williams Not long ago an ad agency pulled a home improvement commercial off the air in Portland and Seattle because several listeners had called the client to complain about it. The client was concerned that he was offending potential customers, and the […]
In the Men’s Room on the 300 level of the Rose Garden Arena in Portland — over a urinal — is a sign with this headline: “You’re Back Again.” The ad is for Flowmax, a pharmaceutical product for men with prostate-related urinary symptoms. Dan Kennedy calls this “message-to-market match.” If you’re Flowmax, the people you’ll […]