Bringing the Digital World into the Physical

Interesting technology out of MIT and Pranav Mistry.

We talk a lot about User Experiences at my company NGAGE. We tend to speak in terms of the current digital landscape, but this is a really interesting look at where we might be going.



Plus, I like the fact that he refers to keeping humans human by bringing the digital world to the physical world. Call me crazy, but I have seen too many movies where computers take over, I know that could happen. I am convinced that my Mac Pro is smarter than I am already, he's just biding his time.

Hey! Remember November?

I don't, it was like a blur.

A lot of stuff happened, and I saw and heard a lot of interesting stuff and things. I hope to bring everyone up to speed in the next couple days.

But for now, I want everyone to stop what what you are doing and become addicted to a game.

It's called Continuity, and it combines an Atari simplicity, with a Mario Bros. style and the frustration of a tile puzzle.

Here's a screenshot to give yo an idea.



Play it today, and I'll catch you up on my November by EOD.

And no, I haven't been playing this game all month, but it was tempting.

The Fun Theory from VW in Europe - New Video

Recycling, made fun.



See more, here.

The BQE - Sufjan Stevens

Just wanted to give everyone who is a Sufjan fan the heads up about his instrumental album The BQE. Maybe some have heard it already or don't care, but it came out last week, and I have been enjoying it all morning.

Not to diminish his eerily beautiful and emotion filled vocals, or his expansive and vivid song writing skills... but the star of the Sufjan show for me is the musicality of his arrangements. You often can't tell if a Sufjan song should be played at a house party or a funeral. But, either place is a perfect fit. The music alone provokes the release of a spectrum of emotions, and often continues build in intensity throughout the entirety of a piece.

Well, The BQE takes his time tested and mother approved skills and expands them across an entire album, with out all those pesky lyrics getting in the way.

An apparent homage to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (and maybe Hoola-hoops), the entire album emits a clear vision of movement, busyness, loneliness and excitement. When you hear it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

It's done in a way only Sufjan could, or would do. However, this album takes the man from Detroit to another level of credentials and status that normally wouldn't befall even an indie artist. It puts him on a pedestal that will allow his next tour to be in Symphony Halls and Opera Houses, not smokey and small night clubs. The BQE brings socialites and hipsters alike come together to appreciate and explore the same music.

Apparently there is also a film that accompanies the album, or vice versa, you can check out bits and pieces on Youtube, or get the entire film when you buy the album. Here's a sort of trailer to give you a taste:



Check it out.

Do you like to Travel... by plane... for cheap?

Awesome deal!!! >> Check out this offer Southwest Airlines has going on for the next 48 hours.

$25 for a short flight, $50 for a medium, $75 for a longer flight, and $100 for flights over 1000 mi.

It only counts for travel Dec. 2 - Dec. 16, 2009 and Jan. 5 - Feb. 10, 2010, but you almost can't pass this up.

Denver in skiing season. New York for Christmas shopping. San Fransisco for... San Francisco.

Get online and buy them now before the deal is done.

Jim Barnthouse, of Arch Observer informed me of this.

Get on my horse...

The Diesel, Scott Lichtenauer, sent this to me yesterday, and I'm sure I'm late to this viral gem, but I thought I'd share anyway.

WARNING >> ANIMATED HORSE WINKIE MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES.



Sweet Lemonade!

Brings me back to the good old days where this graced a majority of out time in our dorm room.



Usually preceded or followed by Curve Ball and a lot of Collegehumor.com

The Fun Theory - Piano Stairs

I work in the advertising industry and one of our biggest segments over past few youtuberific facebooktastic years is social media. So, user or company generated content that will be passed virally around the blogosphere, email and of course social networking sites and micro-aggregators like Twitter. Ideally they are produced at a fraction of the cost of TV and are seen by more people than the series finally of Friends in like 5 minutes.



The problem is noone has perfected it yet. There is a delicate balance in this medium of people not wanting to be marketed to and wanting better and more interesting online content.

Plus there is an argument being made that, aside from a brand touch by seeing a logo, there is no payoff for companies. Are consumers converting from viral video to purchase or at least brand awareness at rates that make it worth it? Or does the normal Youtube user go from a branded video strait to a video of a cat bathing itself in the kitchen sink, and forget everything that came before it?

I say it is worth it. Indubitably. Unequivocally. If nothing else, it shows that a company understands their customers. Where they are, what they are doing. That says a lot in the minds of the general population. Second, a well done video or app will direct individuals to websites where purchasing, more information and further brand impact can ensue. And lastly, it's cheap. It should be anyway. And if something doesn't work, change it, evolve it, take it down, put it back up. We live in a world of immediate gratification, corporations need to get in on the chaos. Let consumers tell you what they want either through views or comments and be open to changing to oblige.

Here's a good example of a video, campaign, idea that is shareable, socially aware and delicately but seamlessly branded.



Volkswagen. like a whisper right there at the end. But the company's long established brand makes sense here. It doesn't feel forced as it would with even another car company like Ford or even BMW.

I don't know if it is tricky editing, but I love the old guy (see photo above, or 1:23 in the video) who is going for the stairs. That guy is awesome, he'll probably play Chopin all the way up.

I think this idea will work, and will be really interesting as it moves forward. And even if it doesn't, 7,000 people in one day are now aware that VW is trying to make the world a little more fun.

See more of the campaign here, in German. I guess the english site is not up yet.



Ogilvy tweeted this today, which is where I saw it.

"You're a mustache away from being one handsome devil..."

FAME a branding agency from Minneapolis chose a "dive bar" theme for an open house they put on. They did an amazing job with both design and copy.

I love when a company lets their creatives go all out for something non-client related. I see no better way of proving how you can propel a client's brand and culture than to dominate your own brand through design and culture.

The average client might be scared to try something new. Out of the box. I once had a client ask me not to use gradients for fear their customers might not be ready for that yet... true story. But if you can do amazing, fun, different, game changing work for yourself and show clients the results, they will feel much more comfortable. In fact, they will probably come asking for it.

Check out this whole integrated campaign:



















I saw this on Behance.net.

ORK City Neighborhood Posters - STL?

I saw these posters and prints on Uncrate today, and thought they were worth a share.



They are from Ork Posters. They're cool. Simple and almost novice typography manipulation, but it really works.

I just wish they had a STL version.

I want St. Louis get back on its game, reintroduce ourselves to the world as a place of popularity with a cool cultural vibe. Personally, I think, and I am one of the biggest critics I know, that STL is an awesome city.

In the last year I have been to Nashville, Chicago, Portland, Rome, Paris, Philly, NYC, Orlando, Kansas City and San Diego. After reflecting on each trip, each city, I look back and say, "That was awesome, but really, honestly, did I do anything different here that I do in St. Louis? Was I more cultured, was the food better, were the women more beautiful, did I have more fun?"

Obviously there were various check marks in the "Yes" category for multiple reasons (The Beach, Gniocci, Subways, Mountains, etc.). But in each place I always felt like, if I got past the touristiness and the shock of seeing things I'm not used to, I would do pretty much the same thing there that I do here. Plus I would miss a lot from STL as well.

Things like relatively cheap housing. Farms. Sold Out Baseball Stadiums where people come early and stay till the game is over. The Hill. Frozen Custard (I know its everywhere, but I have a distinguished palette in this regard). House design and architecture styles (plus basements, storage, brick, backyards, trees, etc). Food. We have great food, again with good quantities, and not so presumptuous an attitude or prices as other cities. What else? Free concerts under the Arch. Seasons. You know, Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall. They smell so nice in St. Louis. Sure they get old, but right when you're pissed off about them they change, and there's that sweet smell that makes you want to lay down wherever you are and stay there the entire day.

Anyway, we just need to communicate to the world what we know and they forgot. That we can compete in the culture war. We can create new things, be thought leaders, make art, win Superbowls and World Series and Stanely Cups, but most importantly, we need to come together as a city and MAKE IT HAPPEN. Maybe we'll get a city neighborhood poster. Or maybe we should be the ones creating posters of our own.

Here are a few more posters from other cities.

1980's Schnucks...

I as prowling Ffffound.com tonight and stumbled on something really familiar. Maybe familiar isn't the right word... nostalgic?

Check out this photo of Schnucks, circa 1980.



I wrote the other day about the pool I swam at growing up. Well, the pool was often preceded or followed by a trip with my mom to get groceries. I see this photo and I can smell the store. The bakery, produce and even the cleaning supplies.

Lots of things interesting about this time in history. First of all the style is awesome. That sort of Star Warsian modernism with the strange but constant addition of American Flags and Ferns. Most know how I love my orange, not the fruit, but the color, and this period was not stingy when it came to the swatch.

Something else to note, for all those who wonder why global warming "snuck up" on us or why BPA and the over abundance of plastics in our society is so predominant, take a look at the options for bagging your groceries as of 1980. Paper or.... Paper?

Anyway, thought it was a cool shot or a piece of my history, and probably yours as well. The next time I walk into Culinaria in Downtown STL (the newest in Schnucks design) I am going got take special notice of anything that carried over. I do think their logo is orange. Good call!

Want to see more 80's vintage stuff (ads, products, photos) check out this Flickr page. That's where the original photo came from as well.

Summerhaven Swim Club

I heard this song the other day, and it reminded me of my youth, but more specifically, the pool I swam (lived) at when I was a kid. It's Aretha Franklin ft. George Michael "I Knew You Were Waiting".



Great song. Makes me flashback to smells of chlorine, tastes of deep-frozen Snickers bars and that irreplaceable feeling of having the time of your life just splashing around with your best friends. The sounds of soft rock ever-present in the background.

Summerhaven, later Paddock, wasn't exclusive. It wasn't ritzy. Hell, I'm not afraid to admit the place was kind of a dump. But it was the community's dump. And we loved it. My parents, along with a group of others kept the place weedless, wet and working until and amid the 90's North St. Louis County white-flight. They did all they could do, but couldn't keep the place going, so it closed. It was a church for a while, but I think now its just a concrete hole filled with rain water. Disgusting, desolate and depressing.

What my parents and the others may now see as a worthless struggle or wasted time, I look back on as some of the best times of my life. Due to their hard word I not only learned the Butterfly and Backstroke, but how hard work, cooperation and friendship can accomplish amazing things.

"Thanks."

Here is short list of other songs that graced mine ears while frolicking in the sun and splashing in the pool... wearing Speedos, mind you. I looked good:

1. Every Little Kiss - Bruce Hornsby



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2. Valerie - Steve Winwood



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3. These Dreams - Heart



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4. I Want To Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston



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5. The Motown Song - Rod Stewart



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6. Do You Believe In Love - Huey Lewis and the News



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7. Middle of the Night - Billy Joel



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8. When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean



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9. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago



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10. Free Fallin - Tom Petty



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Check back in the next few days, and I'll post some photos of the pool and my Speedos.

Super Michael Bros.

Have we seen this. I like it.



This game would be awesome.

Saw this on Twitter from FWA.

Best Post-Beatles Song by a Former Beatle...

It dawned on me today the the answer to this question was not at all hard for me.

"What is our favorite song by a Beatle in the Post-beatles era?"

That's right, John? Paul? George? Hell, Ringo? Why not.

For me, hands down it's "Got My Mind Set On You" by "Georgie Boy" Harrison as his friends called him.

The song dominates. It automatically makes you want to dance, or at least smile and kind-of wobble your head. Maybe do a Carlton from Fresh Prince if your feeling up to it. The song has a clear message, that is transcendental... if you want a girl it's, "gonna take money, a whole lot of spending money". This is true, just ask George's ex-bandmate Sir Paul. Largest divorce settlement in British history. And lastly, amazing music video:



So, what about my Top 10. No, you say? Tough.

Top 10 Favorite Songs by Beatles in the
Post Beatles Era.

#10. "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" - Paul McCartney



This album came out last year, and was released under the artist The Fireman. It came out, at least to me, later that it was Paul. I like this song because it shows that with so many artist taking from The Beatles over the years, that Paul can be inspired by influences he's hearing now. And then/still write and play in that realm.

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#9. "Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney / "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon





That's right. A tie. I feel that writing a Christmas song has got to be one of the hardest songs to write. It's the one time throughout the year people are guaranteed to be listening to music. They are wanting something nostalgic, which is why A Christmas Song and Joy to the World is covered so much, so something new is not always invited. Plus, since the music is being played so much that if the song sucks, it's very clear, very fast. But these two have become mainstays of the season, playing again and again without annoying (too much). One is pop-ie, the other cause oriented, but they both are quality songs that brighten my December. November. Part of October, now.

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#8. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul McCartney



I like "Butter pie". What can I say?

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#7 "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison



You gotta love when an artist can take a fundamentally religious song, and make it a broadly popular and iconic track. You feel love, joy and excitement when you hear the song. And the lyrics are inspirational, yet not overdone.

#6. "Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney



Arguably the best Bond song of all time. This song has an extreme range and depth. It's a genuine Rock song, yet the strings and the chorus make it a beautiful song to listen to as well. I like to make a gun with my fingers, and duck around corners when listening to it. Sometimes somersaulting.

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#5. "Say, Say, Say" - Paul McCartney



Paul and Michael. Can't be beat (except by the next 4 songs).

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#4. "Instant Karma!" - John Lennon



Classic. It's been covered by everybody, but noone quite lands it like John. A rallying cry still today, regardless of your personal issues or endeavor.

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#3. "Maybe I'm Amazed" - Paul McCartney



Beautiful love song. Heavy Rock. This is a love song for men. Huge range here as well. Paul's vocals are spot on. Not to much screaming, not to much singing. Just right.

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#2. "Imagine" by John Lennon



Probably most people's number one. I love it. It's sweet, has meaning. Its sad, inspirational and makes anyone who hears it feel empowered to change the world. Perfect song.

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AND

#1. "Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison



Again, perfect combo of salty and sweet. The epitome of a pop song. You here that drum track in the beginning, some synth and Georges voice, and you're done. Two times out of 10, if "Imagine" comes on my iTunes, I'll skip it. I never skip this song, in fact, in all likelihood I'll play it twice.

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Tell me your list. Comment here or find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox'

I love Wes Anderson. Some people don't get him, his style, his humor or his movies.

I do.

He's probably my favorite director, and definitely my favorite Art Director. He was roomates with Owen Wilson at the University of Texas where they collaborated on short films, most notably Bottle Rocket, which was later made into a feature length film. His other films include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited.

In Life Aquatic we saw Anderson's fasination with Stop Motion Animation in a lot of the wild life portrayed in the film. Well, his most recent film Roald Dahl's The Fantastic Mr. Fox, is a feature length animated movie. I was curious how Anderson would keep his signature stlye (balanced cinematography, panning one-take shots and a keen eye for set and character organization) in the animated universe.

Check out the Trailer and you'll see it wasn't that hard.



I've been excited for this film since I read about it, and I'm more excited now.

It looks like the entire this was done stop-motion. Think Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, not Pixar. No CGI, or not much. He just made sets, made characters and started shooting and moving, one frame at a time. Here's a little featurette that explains the technique Wes Anderson and his team used.



The movie comes out this November and stars a lot of the standards, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, but this time adds some newbies including George Clooney as Mr. Fox and Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox.

Check it out.

Vampire Weekend - New Album Date

New album, apparently called Contra, out January 12 in the US of A.

Just a little news flash. Music has been boring me lately, I need this I think.

What are you listening to? I want in. Let me know here, or Facebook, or Twitter.

Digital Distraction Pyramid

I am easily distracted, thus... take a look at this.



This would qualify as a second tier distraction. Saw it on FFFFound, which got it here.

Enjoy.

Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

Troy Duffy finally did it? After the fiasco that was Boondock Saints and his life, he finally got his long awaited sequel made and ready to distribute. Fiasco? Have you seen this film, Overnight:



Basically Troy Duffy sold the script with little to no experience in the industry. Made a million dollars then started spending, abandoning friends he considered leeches and drinking a ton. At the same time, the studios faith in the film and Duffy began to sour. Instead of instilling confidence, Troy Duffy lashed out at producers and studio execs, likening himself to the next John Woo or Tarantino. All in all the film barely got made, was never released in theaters and Duffy had to sell his rights to the movie just to get a distributor to release it strait to DVD. Meaning as popular as it got, he never made a dime.

This is why the first film went strait to DVD, but also why it became a cult classic among college aged guys across the country. It wasn't a movie forced down their throats, it was a film they happened upon or were referred to by a friend. And they loved it.

Boondock is action movie porn and directorial masturbation, but it works. It appeals to the masses, while having the feel of an indie film. It's super quotable, just mention needing a rope to any guy between 19 and 30, and see what they say. Gratuitous violence in the name of God has a soft spot in my heart, and every guy wants to be a vigilante at some point in their life.

But, the sequel:



All Saints Day, which features the majority of the original cast (Except Willem Defoe) could go either way. Either it will try too hard to be the first movie, and not reach a full potential. Or, it will try too hard to be a different film, and abandon the fans that have made the, now, franchise popular. I guess there is a third option, and that is that it will completely dominate. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm sure one of my hundreds of friends that consider the first Boondock Saints one of the best movies ever made will get me into the theater to see it. October 30, 2009.

Unsanctioned 9/11 World Wildlife Ad

Check out this ad for the WWF, think Gorillas not Macho Man Randy Savage.It has sparked a lot of controversy, and understandably so.

It is well art directed and interestingly concepted. I wish the writing was better. Something which ties to the idea that, "you thought 9/11 was bad ...". I don't feel that using "The Tsunami" as an example, especially art directed the way it is, works. I guess they mean the Tsunami that ravaged Indonesia a few years ago, but I think that it gets lost in translation.

However, what are our thoughts on using September 11, 2001 for marketing purposes? Cause marketing? Is it time?

I think its ok. It's unfortunate this ad has a few too many flaws to be effective. But, I feel with the right tact, the emotional luggage that 9/11 pulls along with it can be an effective tool to help push social issues, or at least give them a benchmark for comparison. An example would be comparing the 1,000s that died on Sept 11 to the 100s of 1000s that have been massacred in Darfur. Something like that.

Just make sure it all makes sense, and works really well. Even a slightly poor idea or execution will not be effective.

I should mention again, as I did in the title, that this ad was and is not sanctioned by the WWF, and if you do find this ad über offensive and want to lash out, please aim your anger somewhere else. Trust me as a designer, it is sooooo easy to get companies actual logos and rip off their style. In this case it was done by a DDB Brazil creative team, and according to this article from AdFreak, that team is, "No longer with the agency."

Let me know what you think? Find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Michael Jackson, Warewolves and YeahYeahYeahs

My friend Niki commented that she liked this song on Facebook today, and I have to say that I agree.

Not much to say here, just watch.



Also, speaking of videos, check out this. Jack White in the video for The Dead Weather song "Treat Me Like Your Mother". Decent song, amazing video.



Enjoy!

Have I made it clear enough that I love Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Well, I do.

They have been thought leaders, digital innovators and downright funny people since I was a kid. It wasn't till I attended a forum with Jeff Goodby and he presented their reel that I realized that they were responsible for almost every ad campaign I have ever been floored by, and that GS&P were probably why I got into the Biz in the first place.

Just take a look for yourself, and you tell me if these ads, nay, experiences have stuck with you.

Anyway, saw these on Ffffound today, thought I'd share.





I love this style of illustration, but the message they convey is pertinent as well.

Advertising gets a bad rap. Like lobbyists and lawyers, we are a hated people, until we're needed. The reason being there is noone better at creating buzz, informing, educating, selling and maintaining loyalty than us.

The argument is made that we manipulate people and products so that people are persuaded to buy products they don't need or that aren't any good. And, I won't lie, this happens, but is rarely sustainable. It applies to fads (in a broad sense). I might be able to convince a ton of people to do something once (watch a movie, buy a soda, wear a shoe), but if the product didn't work, I and the company may have lost you for life.

There's a quote I learned while in Ad School. I can't remember if it was a Steve Kopcha original or from the David Ogilvy's of the ad world, but it goes something like, "You can't advertise a shitty product." It falls into the fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me category. Especially in this Facebook/Twitter era, where if something sucks everyone knows.

So, in our truest, purest and least invasive form, Advertising helps people's decision to open their wallet a little or a lot easier. By definition... serving capitalism. We have a place in a capitalist society. And it's not a small place either.

Awkward "Boss Over My Shoulder" Text

The iPhone has a fairly standard function that allows a new text message to be previewed on top of its sleep screen. This is über convenient, because I don't have to go in and check my texts, I can just read them really quick.

This function presented a problem yesterday that is epic on the scale of workplace awkwardness.

I have a friend, for the purposes of this post we'll call him Dustin Kaminsky. Dustin noticed yesterday I posted I had been listening to the song, "The Giant of Illinois" by Andrew Bird off the Dark Was the Night compilation album, on repeat for like an hour. I posted a link to the song along with the message. He downloaded it. Liked it. And was compelled to text me about it.

Now to his defense, I was working late, I am usually alone in my office and his texts provide some of the best laughs I get in life. But, for this text, it just so happens that my boss David Johnson and I were discussing proper technique for an After Effect project I'm working on. He was literally right over my shoulder helping me for like an hour. So when Dustin's text came through, he was the first to glance down. I was only alerted to check it when I noticed that he was just staring and pointing in silence.

This is what it said:



Again. The song is called "The Giant of Illinois".



Calm down ladies.

It wasn't a big deal in the slightest. In fact, it was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a while, and Dave got a good one too.

But, it leads me to wonder just how frequently this kind of thing happens, and what the best story is. Comment to this post if you can and tell me yours. If Blogger won't allow you to comment find me on Facebook or Twitter and comment there.

Best story wins a free order of Cinnamon-Sugar Biscuit Holes (with Icing) from Hardee's. Coupon expires September 15th.

Doctor Goes Insane... Ads Become Awesome

I was sent this article today from Ad Freak by Scott Lichtenauer. He and I tend to really appreciate the life that insanity breeds. The erratic behavior, crazy antics and complete lack of remorse for one's actions often result in the most amazing life experiences.

Under those guidelines, Scott has done a lot more "living" than I have, but the St. Louis doctor that this article, and its source from The Riverfront Times, discusses has most people beat.

Apparently when this Dr. Kalk cracked he went by the book. Total loss of hygiene, delusions of grandeur, destructive behavior and a complete disregard for financial restraint. In his case, he spent a reported $50,000 on advertising (In RFT primarily). This is during a time when his practice was losing $90,000 a year, according to the article.

But, like a phoenix, out of the ashes comes some of the most amazing things. Check out the ads he was running.











Good for him.

I hope Dr. Kalk is getting better. The article reports he has recently been arrested for crimes he may have commited while bat shit crazy, but more than likely they won't hold up in court.

You really should read the entire article though. It's an incredible story of the fall of what appeared to be a promising life of a normal and friendly individual.

My favorite quote has got to be this, said of Dr. Kalk by a burned friend, business partner and the son of a mafia hit man,

"I don't have much of a social life. The friends I got I can count on one hand and with fingers left over ... I really liked Alex. If it had been anyone else, they'd be dead."

Hakuna Matatah... Awesome Photo...

Saw this on Ffffound, which saw it on Threadless, which got it from someone who either took an amazing photo, or had a clever idea for a photoshop project.

Either way this is a funny shot.

Thought I'd share.

Art & Copy - Advertising Porn

As if Creatives weren't full enough of ourselves, heres this:



Should be fun to see, especially with how dark the directors other films have been. I like to see the ugly underbelly of my industry.

Or is our face that's the most ugly?

Crispin Porter + Bogusky Loses VW

You probably love or hate Crispin Porter + Bogusky. You may not know them by name, but you've seen their advertising work. Think the King, Big Buck'n Chicken or Whopper Freak-out from Burger King. Or Windows Mojave, Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates or I'm a PC from Microsoft. And for the last four years, anything that you have seen from VW.

Volkswagon has had a storied advertising past, from their iconic "Think Small" from DDB in the 50's, through the cultural phenomena that was the VW microbus in the 60's. They were early venturers in product placement in the 70's with the Herbie the Lovebug films, and through the 80's and 90's expanded their Jetta, Rabbit, Golf and Passat lineups with advertising that was way above par. In the Early 2000's, Arnold Worldwide was doing extremely interactive and fun things with the brand, starting with the launch of the New Beetle and extending that buzz across their entire brand. I remember the "There's a yellow one." ads off the top of my head.



But in 2005, something that happens quite frequently, but isn't talked about much, happened. A marketing executive from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, left to change jobs. As a matter of happenstance, she went to work for a "small" car company called Volkswagon. And when it was time for an agency review, guess what agency she favored. Goodbye Arnold, hello CP+B and more personally, goodbye to my College plan to work for Arnold here in STL.

Anyway, you may remember the "My Fast" campaign, featuring a little humming creature sitting in the passenger seat of thos drivers that find it hard to control their fast. That was one of the earliest CP+B VW campaigns. Subsequent campaigns have featured extremely realistic and often unexpected car crashes, a lot of lame but funny usage of "Germa-nglish" like "Unpimp Mein Auto", and recently a talk show-esque set of spots, featuring a pristine vintage Bug as the host.

No more. C'est la vie.

VW is looking to become more mainstream, and they don't feel that Crispin Porter + Bogusky is the right agency to get them there. I can't help but agree with them. Look, people love to hate CP+B, or at least root against them, but they have done a good job, especially with VW. Adage.com sites that VW's market share climbed:

"to 2% from 1.6% through July, according to Automotive News figures, the result of a 13.5% sales decline as the decimated auto market as a whole fell 32%"

But, I describe Crispin as a "Underdog" shop. Their style and marketing sensibilities cater to clients that have nothing to lose in gaining ground in the consumer conscious and pocket book. Look at Burger King, Dominos and Sprite as examples of that. All of which are chasing giants.

Even their Microsoft Vista stuff screams, "We're not as good, but...



So, for VW, if they want to become a more mainstream choice, and yet maintain their immaculate brand, I don't think that CP+B is the right agency for them.

Many VW lovers are worried about their beloved brand trying for the mainstream, especially as so many mainstream automakers are failing. But, I don't see how wanting a larger market share does not require cannibalizing your niche brand or charm. There is no reason why when someone is shopping for a Honda or Toyota (which are a lot of people), they shouldn't also be thinking VW (which is not as many people). And Honda and Toyota's public perception, brand and quaity hasn't been compromised. At least not as I see it.

VW will find an agency that will do them right. And now is the time when market share is up for grabs as we come out of the recession. I don't fear that they will go the Krispy Kreme route, and toss their brand and let quality suffer for short term profitability. Plus every ad man and woman has dreamed about this "holy grail" of accounts. Anyone who gets their hands on it will handle it with the respect and creativity it deserves.

Ehemm...Goodby...mmm.

Here's a look back ad VW ads from the past (Stolen from this blog):