Master Of All You Survey?

I rather like the hokey charm and wit in this promo for US indie advertising agency Boone Oakley.It is simple and different. But mostly it challenges the notion of a 'domain' - asin Master of All You Survey. I've never really thought much about why, but the word 'domain' has always seemed curiously awkward to me - not as much as 'eyeballs' instead of 'visitors' or 'guests', but it has a kind of exclusive, ring-fenced, silo'ed introspection that is so last century.

So. When you visit Boone Oakley you don't get admitted across the moat through the portcullis and into the walled city of their 'domain'; …you get passed directly to a video on YouTube that is navigable and is hyper-linked to other videos on YouTube. It is utterly simple and very charming(especially the reason why the agency name doesn't follow the silly convention of anonymously including the names of every partner - fans of Wheel of Fortune, pay special attention).

Of course there is the obvious problem that the strategy doesn't allow for Google to spider the domain for descriptions and Metatags but, then again…I'm not writing about other agencies am I? And I suspect I won't be alone.

Share it with your friends and marvel at their audactity.

Thanks to Idealog for the heads-up

Follow the link to BooneOakley.com to experience it as intended.

Thought ReStarters

"So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here -- not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms." Hunter S.Thompson

I haven't written anything here for a month. I have been somewhat distracted with one thing and another.I've also been thinking about the best way forward with this blog. Originally it was intended as a tribute to iconoclasm, but over time it simply migrated into a collection of contemporaneous thoughts, some my own and others I found thought provoking or interesting. Judging from the emails I have received regarding my silence (which is only a perceived silence - if you follow me on Twitter you'll know what I mean) some people enjoyed reading my rants and raves and miss them. As I like to rant and rave it seem only fair that normal transmission be resumed. Perhaps with a slight refocus. No harm in that, it is useful now and then, to take stock.

So, what is this conversation (i.e. ThoughtSpurs in toto) all about?

The initial focus was on brands and marketing, as conditioned by differentiation and iconoclasm. That is a subset now, though. I find it difficult to separate marketing, advertising and brands from society as whole. A challenge for business is surely to overcome the 'them and us' model of mass communications to really open the way for more inclusive dialogues.

The social media phenomenon really does change my perception of the way forward. I have less and less regard for brand messages that are virtuoso - you know the kind I mean - the spectacular set pieces of yesteryear, film making fetishism in microcosm. Today I am more like to be receptive to messages that have far greater relevance and, oftentimes, utility - which might be expressed by the facility for me to understand more or engage more with the message personally. The scale of my engagement is relative. The simple facility to comment or offer and opinion is sometimes sufficient and demonstrates the thought that I, like other people, want to be heard and acknowledged, rather than simply being yelled at or sung a silky siren song by spruikers.

Perhaps this is another reason why I have been contemplating the future of ThoughtSpurs; I haven't really created a sense of community, aside from the loyal cadre of readers, many of whom I know personally. Comments are as rare as hen's teeth. That might simply be because I haven't invited comment, or that I am not remarking on matters you find remarkable? If this is the case, let me know what interests you and we can discuss it.

I have said it often that I don't believe that agreeing is thinking - not that I want to be disagreeable. I do, however enjoy examining a topic from a different point of view than the one my biases and predispositions lead me to by the nose. I once thought that I fell somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan on matters of economics. Since I have been writing this blog I have found and it has been pointed out to me that I am far more liberal than I thought I was. It's hard to be stuck in dogma when you express your thoughts out loud. Not only do opinions become apparent to others, they are clarified in one's own mind in the airing. In any case, though it may be a trope, I often console myself over my changing mind with the remark by Emerson 'A foolish consistency is the hob-goblin of little minds'.

Perhaps the format for ThoughtSpurs should be a discussion of my thoughts and an examination of why I think as I do, and perhaps what if I thought differently. Thinking different, as Steve Jobs and Lee Clow, persuaded us back in the day, is crucial to moving forward.

I began this post with a quote by Hunter S. Thompson (who, along with Chris Locke, is a favourite writer and thinker) not only because I think his remark to contain a pivotal truth, but also because I like iconoclasm, I like 'the crazy ones' and I am suspicious of 'received wisdom'.

I don't know if I have really answered my own questions but I am thinking again and look forward to getting to the nub with you and hearing your thoughts, here, on twitter or out there in the real world. It's important. After all, we may have opposable thumbs but we also have to capacity to hold two or more opposing ideas in our minds - and that is what separates us from chimps.

Real Life Twitter

Watch Real Life Twitter and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

The ONE thing

The origin of this blog was my thesis about being The One & Only (1&O). A simple idea that follows Gerry Garcia's thought: "Don't be the best at what you do. Be the only one who does it." If that smacks of monopoly, then I am sorry, monopolies always work for the people who own them. People who create things have relied on the monopoly afforded by copyright, trademarks and patents. I have a feeling that system is fraying at the edges, but we can talk more about that another time.

To be unique or utterly distinctive you have to determine what will set you apart. I had a fascinating conversation with a friend the other day. She was dissatisfied with her life and felt that she should improve all sorts of things that she - frankly speaking - sucked at. She felt anxiety about her weaknesses and had become fixated on them. How could she accomplish anything if she could not communicate in writing? (She has dyslexia). My advice was not to bother with writing. Her talent for interpersonal contact is achingly obvious - attractive, personable and well liked, why not concentrate on those strengths and forget about writing. Or, if writing was important then turn the madcap malapropisms into a strength. Write insane stories of everyday life in uncorrected prose (seriously it would be hard to duplicate her quirky style) - don't apologise. Hey, Bob Dylan has to be the world's worst singer - and yet he has a long, illustrious career behind him and a substantial fortune to match. He has recently inflicted yet another collection on fans, who can't get enough.

What is the one thing that you can do, that guides your energies and keeps you focused. If you're lucky - it will set you apart.

Whether you are a brand owner or an individual - what sets you apart. You might be happy cowering under the rocks with the rest of the river bugs, eking out an existence. But there comes a time when you should let go and succeed or fail in the mad venture that is both life and business. If you've read Richard Bach's story Illusions, you'll know what I mean.

Discuss with me on Twitter

One of the best ads of all time

Back in the 80's John Webster was a leading figure in the advertising community. He was a believer in telling human stories. In 1988 I clipped an op-ed piece in Campaign (UK) magazine by Webster. Back then he bemoaned the rise of the technology and tricks - which have become commonplace today in advertising. This ad is genius for its idea, or should I say insight - The Guardian newspaper gathers all the facts to offer its readers an informed point of view (presumably instead of a rabble rousing opinion).


Not only has journalism declined, but so has advertising - both crafts that went hand in glove to tell stories that helped us form opinions.

Maybe a nice recession will push the reset button. We'll go back to the truth well told and be suspicious of tricks - except when they challenge bigoted, biased views.

Someone out there thinks you're great

Here's a ditty from Ze Frank. More of a hug than a song.
Found on the Blip.tv - I like that platform, I hadn't seen it until today. It is interesting how much content I have been viewing as a result of recommendations from friends in my Twitter network, and the recommendations improve over time and I learn to filter and group people by interests.
It is too easy to write Twitter off as an insignificant cutural artifact. I'm not convinced. Twitter is the raw material, not the product.

Talk it through on twitter.

How Trent Reznor shows the way forward in music marketing

Trent Reznor has a band called Nine Inch Nails.Quite good, by my muso brother's reckoning. What interests me more is how he has become a legend in the music industry - loved by those who believe power should reside with the artists and reviled by those who exploit the artists and alienate the fans - the recording industry.

Reznor criticised Universal Music Group (parent company of the band's record label, Interscope Records) for their pricing and distribution plans for the NIN album Year Zero ('07) He said the company's retail price "Absurd" and said "as a reward for being a 'true fan' you get ripped off","the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more."

In September 2007, Reznor continued his attack on Universal Music Group at a concert in Australia. He urged fans to "steal" his music online instead of purchasing it legally. "Steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin'."

Needless to say Reznor's comments made news, infuriating the recording industry and the band split from Interscope Records.

The guy is a legend. The video above does the forensics on how Reznor has developed a successful business model that tips the old music industry model on its ear.

In essence Reznor succeed using the following formula:

CwF+RtB=$$$$

where CwF = Connect with Fans
RtB = give them a Reason to Buy
and be rewarded with money.

One of Reznor's first acts of CwF was to place a code on tour T-Shirts, when highlighted letters were combined they spelled out 'Iamtryingtobelieve'. It didn't take long for fans to figure this would lead to a web site. on the site fans were engaged in further decoding what it all meant.

Reznor also irritated his record company executives by leaving flash drives in bathrooms at concerts containing unreleased NIN materia, to be found by fans who, naturally soon began sharing through peer to peer networks. RIAA responded with threats and 'take down notices'. This did nothing to endear RIAA to fans.

But Reznor also offered fans Reasons to Buy physical editions of his tunes - he created a CD that changed colour when it heated in the CD driver - an experience impossible to duplicate or share.

Other RTBs included extra features and benefits.

When he released his next album the first 9 songs could be downloaded for free. Is this guy insane? I hear you cry. Well, no. in short order the album and its variations ranging from a $10 double disk set to a $300 deluxe boxed set - which included a DVD/BlueRay and book, personally signed by Reznor which took less than 30 hours to sell out and raised $750,000. NIN made 1.6 million from direct sales - all the while also giving his music away for free. NIN's album also became a best seller on Amazon.com.

He has innovated in other ways - including profiling his fans by asking them to complete a 10 page survey.

When he release The Slip album sales data was overlaid onto google maps to dramatically display to fans where the NIN tribe was distributed around the planet and building a sense of community.

Reznor uses the web to promote live concerts, the ultimate NIN experience. He not only promotes his own work but also the supporting acts touring with him - who also offer their music for free on a sampler.

He creates community all the time - online through forums, chatgroups and wiki. Fans can also upload the photos and video they have taken at concerts to Flickr, which are aggregated and displayed on the NIN website.

Recently he released hundreds of gigabytes of high definition concert footage with the comment that '..some enterprising fans might make something pretty cool."

He's a genius. But it is nothing that brands, large and small couldn't do (other musicians too)- if only you can shake of fear and the illusion of power and control.

Here's an interview with the man himself: watch and learn people. Watch and learn.

Journalism's red ink.

The future of journalism is something of a hot topic in the media. Probably because it is a subject near and dear to the media - their bread and butter. Blogging comes under scrutiny for its lack of 'rules'. Bloggers can, and do, say what they want without the fetters and constraints of editors or fear of offending advertisers who, whether journalists like it or not pay for the existence of the mass media.

Amongst the mudslinging I came across this list of suggestions from blogger Peter Cresswell (via the Whaleoil blog who, like Cresswell makes no bones about his conservative/libertarian views). I agree wholeheartedly with the points on the list. The fact is that media in New Zealand (and I am sure the rest of the western world) have created their own crisis by failing to observe an objective standard:

* don't editorialise;
* don't pontificate;
* don't ask how people feel, ask instead what they saw;
* don't report events as if people are outraged, just report the events themselves;
* don't report what "celebrities" do as if it matters a damn;
* don't report puff pieces about actors/musicians/writers as if they're not just puff-pieces for their new film/album/book;
* don't report what everyone knows is just spin) -- report instead what's being spun, and the news that someone is spinning, and who;
* don't assume the whole world has the same values as your friends;
* don't just rewrite press releases as if they were news;
* and don't create the news yourself.
* In short, just report the news. All of it. As if the truth actually mattered.

Here here.

Honda - Let it Shine

It's not enough to make a beautiful commercial. Which Honda has done. Now you need to produce a documentary to go with it:



When your customers are media savvy they might well be interested in seeing the background story - Some of us enjoy the extras on DVDs as much as the film. One of may favourites was the creative process behind HellBoy 2.

Discuss with me on Twitter

The terrible folks who have distracted me from blogging

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Thinking Local

When you shop at chain stores and in shopping malls you are sucking the life out of your community. That is the idea discussed in this video.

It makes sense. If you are shopping at The Warehouse (New Zealand big box retailer) then, other than wages for employees and low value expenses, most of the revenues are returned to head office, rather than the communities that the individual stores reside in.

I'd never given this much thought in the past. But it resonates with me as a social issue. Sure, The Warehouse in Porirua offers employment to some local people but the majority of benefits are enjoyed elsewhere. Local business employ local people in the store, but they also hire local accountants and lawyers, they hire graphic designers, web designers, printers etc who, mostly will live locally and reinvest the money back into the local economy in a cycle of economic virtue.

I'd be interested to know how much of the profits of chains like Subway, McDonald's, Footlocker, Woolworths, Foodtown, Westfield (Malls)...and on and on are being exported to Austrlalia and beyond. What percentage of the total New Zealand economy is being remitted overseas?

Discuss this with me on Twitter

Little Red Riding Hood - all funked up.

Here's an interesting mash-up of contemporary information graphics and a timeless tale by the brother's Grimm. And grim it is when Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother is dispatched by the wolf.

The clip was exectuted, if I might indulge in the theme a little further, as a school project by a Swedish Chap. I am assuming he's not in primary school - though these days who would know?

Discuss with me on Twitter

Viral advertising references itself

There always comes a time in advertising when the ad makers decide it's time to reference themselves, with a knowing wink to the audience - nudge, nudge.

This mini commercial is intended to be spread, as I am doing now, on the web.

I rather like it. I'd probably be disappointed by my new Mini if it couldn't perform as if it was an invisible HotWheels track though.

What do you think? Chat about it with me on Twitter

Confessions of an Advertising Insider

Charlie Booker is still the funniest media observer I know of (though, if you know anyone funnier, feel free to send me a link).

In this short piece he says what advertising agency people say amongst themselves, but don't really want you to hear.

I warn you now. It's not MadMen. But I'll wager it's the best TV you'll see today.

Thank you BBC, for sharing your content.

Tell me what you think on Twitter.com/joegreenz

Testing Creativity

A Twitter friend, Kirsten Wright wrote this on her blog:

Creativity Test

Creativity is not to be taken for granted, it is not something you ‘have’ it is something that you must work at, and practice, to keep strong. I practice my creativity daily, by writing, twittering, designing and researching. I am always trying to find new, unique ways to practice my creativity. One of my favorite ways is to pick a photo from flickr, and create a marketing campaign for a product, using the image. I don’t do it for work, or because I have to, but because it helps my mind to stay sharp and think outside of the box. So, I figured I would let you all try it with me today. Here is the image that I chose:

And here are the questions you have to answer:

1. What product would you use this image for
2. What would the tagline be for the product
3. Where would you promote it (web, billboard, tv, etc)
4. What would you expect people to visualize when they saw the image
5. What other colors would you use with the image
6. What fonts would be great to use with the image

Here is my assignment ma'am.


(Click on image to enlarge)

I made the client up: The Karma Center for Meditation.
The tagline (copy) reads 'Next time will you regret the choices you made this time?'
I'd use social media and other onscreen media.
I'd imagine they'd engage with the cute squirrel. Read the copy and join the dots with the advertiser and a little light would go on. Hopefully they would see that Buddhism doesn't take itself so seriously.
The green is so predominant in the photo I would be sparing in use of color.
I chose JY Artemis from Jack Yan Fonts for the caption, it's nice and unusual without being too hippy. The use of Futura for the logo is to avoid cliche's about Buddhist iconography - the use of the infinity symbol to represent the road to Nirvana via reincarnation also avoids trippy symbolism.

How'd I do?

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