Celtics forward Paul Pierce was feeling himself after his teams defeat against the Orlando Magic Tuesday night. He had some swag in his step. Maybe a little too much of it. After the game, Pierce was anything but humble in on-court post game interview with ESPN.
Around the same time of that interview, Pierce posted a tweet that said, “Anybody got a BROOM?”
Whoa, Pierce, chill man. There’s no need to tweet that. Or did you? According to Pierce and Athlete Interactive - company that manages his digital media, his twitter account, @paulpierce34, was hacked. Apparently the folks over at Twitter did a great job at regaining control of Pierce’s so called hacked account, because a day later he tweeted the following:
Now whether his account was hacked or not is irrelevant, but Pierce’s over-confidence can teach all of us who frequently use social media a lesson – Tweet and update with Humility! Most of us don’t have a whole agency or team of PR reps to cover up a possible gaffe on Twitter, so that’s why we all have to tweet with a little self control out there. We should be confident, share our ideas and be opinionated, because all that stuff makes Twitter the engaging platform that it is. But, that doesn’t mean we should hide behind the safety of a Twitter handle to talk smack, ridicule, and act like someone we aren’t. You wouldn’t pad your resume with experience you don’t have would you? Nah, of course you wouldn’t, because that will catch up with you later, so don’t pad your social media presence either! I mean, we all try make ourselves out to look a little better or cooler than we really are out there, but just don’t over do it.
When tweeting, facebooking, and blogging, always remember who you are and who is listening, because sometimes we forget.
This past weekend, the legendary hip-hop producer Dr. Dre was in my hometown of Boston promoting his Red Sox branded Beats headphones. Lucky for me, I actually saw the man up close on Newbury St., but I’m not here to bore you with celebrity sighting stories. I’m here to ask you this: Would you pay $350 for a single pair of headphones?! The Red Sox ones are even pricier at $400!
I was originally opposed to shelling out that kind of cash for headphones. Do I think they look cool? Yes. Is the sound quality really that good? Yes, it is, but $350 seemed like a little too steep for me. Plus, I didn’t think that the trio of Monster, the company who actually makes them, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine of Interscope would be able to market the headphones to a mainstream audience. Musicians, audiophiles, athletes, and early adopters of technology were the only markets that I thought Beats headphones could successfully tap into. I never thought the product had the potential to reach the average listener.
However, after watching this CNBC interview with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, I definitely think Beats can become more than just a niche brand, because the headphones are unique and offer tons of value. When you think about it, it’s hard to say no to having as-close-to-in-studio sound wherever you go. And let’s be honest, those white iPod headphones don’t cut it.
As much I love and hate Jimmy Iovine at the same time (love him for helping Eminem grow to what he’s become, can’t stand him for just generally being the head of a music label), he’s created a fascinating campaign for these headphones.
Iovine and Interscope are hoping to revolutionize the music industry by going on a quest to ”fix the eco-system of sound.” As he explains in the interview, Jimmy thinks the eco-system of sound is dying. Due to the digital revolution, compressed digital files have essentially cheapened the sound quality of music, which has killed off some of the emotion we feel when we listen to music. Iovine made a great point when he said that buying a $300 iPod and listening to the music on a 30 cent pair of headphones is like watching a Avatar on a portable TV. I think people will be willing to pay up for these things. I see more people wearing them everyday on the T or roaming campus.
The marketer in me wants to see this brand succeed because I think it would would be crazy to see a super premium product like Beats become ubiquitous in todays market and break through the premium cost barrier. It could be a future marketing case study if it can indeed break through.
What do you think? Is the bang worth the buck? Have you noticed a cheapened audio quality due in part to the digital music revolution? Are you buying into the big campaign idea that they’ll save the Eco-system of sound?
Let’s be honest. It would have been stupid for Golf Digest to not feature Tiger Woods on the cover in light of the recent events surrounding his life. But, is this cover trying to take a subliminal shot at Obama? Just read the headlines. What do you think?
Since my exposure to the world of advertising, I quickly realized that it’s not the most ethical business out there. People in the industry sometimes take what they want, and do what they want, with reckless abandon. One of the most common things taken, for lack of a better word, in the industry are ideas. Ideas for ads and campaigns are recycled from previous campaigns or, in the case of the latest Toshiba ad, artists, really good, creative artists who get no recognition for their work by the agency.
View the new “Space Chair” commercial created by Grey London for Toshiba.
After watching, you’ll notice the ad is for a new Toshiba monitor, which supposedly offers a brand new viewing experience for the customer. This is expressed in the strapline, “Armchair viewing, redefined.”
When I first watched it, I thought to myself wow, “That’s a pretty cool ad. I’ve never seen something like that done before. Gotta hand it to the agency for coming up with such a creative idea.” ( Sidebar: I think the idea is creative, but I’m not sure how well it advertises the product. That’s a different story though).
After watching the ad on Brand Republic, I browsed through some of the comments to find out that the idea was inspired by an artist named by Simon Faithfull. Check out his film, Escape Vehicle No. 6. , commisioned in 2004 by The Arts Catalyst. I couldn’t seem to find an embed link on YouTube, but you can watch it here. Watch it then get back to reading this post.
Faithfull’s film and Toshiba’s new ad are pretty similar, right? If it wasn’t for the insanely high quality visuals of the Toshiba version, they would nearly be carbon copies.
The Arts Catalyst said they’re flattered that Toshiba realized Simon Faithfull’s vision, but that they are asking Toshiba for some credit.
I haven’t seen Toshiba give poor Simon any credit for what he did. I think he deserves kudos. I tend to lose some respect for brands that don’t give proper credit to artists for their original ideas. When you write an research paper, you cite it correctly right? If you fail to cite, your work can be considered plagiarism. We were taught that at a young age. Toshiba’s agency plagiarized a little bit here, and it reflects the brand too because they signed off on it.
What do you guys think? Do brands lose credibility by failing to give proper credit to an artists work? Or does it just reflect badly on them in general? Or maybe it doesn’t matter to you at all, but either way, feel free to chime in with your opinion in the comments section.
UPDATE:
Someone who worked with Toshiba on this project reached out. Here’s her reply.
I’m working with Toshiba on this project, and I thought you’d be interested to know that Toshiba’s new ‘Space Chair’ ad was inspired by a sub culture of scientists and artists who send objects to the edge of space using weather balloons. Grey London collaborated with a number of talented individuals, including British artist Simon Faithfull, to re-create the concept of launching a generic chair into space, and by using their own HD cameras, to demonstrate how Toshiba technology can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.
Are colleges and universities responsible for making sure their students acquire jobs after graduating? Trina Thompson, a 27 year old graduate of Monroe College in the Bronx, NY thinks so. Since graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from Monroe in April, Trina, like the millions of other recent college grads, hasn’t had much luck in the tough job market. She essentially claims that the college has not done enough to help her find a job, so she is suing for the $70,000 in tuition she spent on her education. In her lawsuit, Thompson wrote,“They have not tried hard enough to help me.”
So does Trina Thompson have a case? If she does, then should the millions of other college graduates who are unemployed sue their schools as well? It ultimately depends on whether or not the college absolutely guaranteed her a job upon successfull completion of school. I didn’t see anything on the Monroe college site about giving its students a job guarantee after graduation, so I don’t think she has much of a case.
Here’s the school’s mission statement:
“Monroe College provides professional, career oriented higher education to students from diverse backgrounds. We proudly offer access and opportunity to motivated students who desire to enrich their lives in a personalized and supportive environment. We provide caring and effective teaching and sustain faculty who are passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to student success. We build on these strengths to prepare graduates for successful careers.”
It looks like Monroe’s philosophy is similar to most college in that it seeks to guide and prepare students for the “real world” through a supportive faculty and a meaningful education. In this day and age, a college degree doesn’t automatically equate to a job. Maybe in past decades a degree made it more likely that you could find a job, but because everything is so competitive now, you just have to create your own path and work really, really hard.
We’ll see how it all plays out. And it’ll be interesting to see how much attention the media gives this situation. I’d love to hear Trina’s point of view on television. Until we find out more on the situation – feel free to discuss in the comments section.
The Nike advertising blitz began soon after Roger Federer broke Pete Sampras’ record for Grand Slam titles by winning Wimbledon on Sunday. It was a hard fought match against Andy Roddick. If Andy had won, I bet Nike would have been dissapointed. Nike was estatic that Federer beat Sampras’ record on the very same grass court that Sampras owned for much of the 90’s. After Federer ended the match, this is what came on during the commercial break:
Yep. Federer recieved endorsements by not only other tennis greats, but also by the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. These are incredible endorsements by athletes of legendary status. Yes, Roger has reached legendary status, athletically, but I don’t feel like he has the potential to reach the celebrity status of the Jordan’s and Woods’ of the world. Also, I’m not sure if he can carry the Nike Tennis brand and lift the sport into a new-found popularity. As a tennis fan, and long-time player, I hope he can. Even Pete Sampras, who was the greatest when I grew up, didn’t drastically increase the sports popularity. Guys like Aggasi, and Nadal, guys with personality and flair (I’ll add Roddick to that list as well) are the guys who can turn the brand of tennis around.
I’m not saying Federer isn’t doing the sport any good. Of course he is. Roger is great for tennis. Here’s the point I’m trying to make: if Nike can do work to improve Roger’s image and persona in the minds of average people who aren’t interested in tennis, then the sport will thrive like never before. So far, Nike is doing a good job.
I was always one of them. A brazillian agency did this spot here for the Panamericana School of Art and Design. They ask, “How Far Does Your Creativity Go?”
Now time for a little creativity exercise of your own to test how far your own creativity goes. I’m reading “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell. There’s this thing called a divergence test that measures ones creative intelligence. It seems simple enough. Here’s the question Gladwell pointed out in his book: Come up with as many different uses that you can think of for the these objects…
1. a brick
2. a blanket
Put what you come up with in the comments section.
Last Thursday night, I had the privilege of going to the Agency Insiders event at my school. It’s basically the Account Managers version of portfolio development for creatives. HR and upper level executives from Arnold, Digitas, and Parters and Simons spoke to us about what agencies for in entry-level candidate/interns. Most of these can apply to any type of job in marketing/communications. This is what I learned.
1. The need for digital experience is on the rise
+ This is a no brainer. Digital experience can set you apart from the rest of the pack. If you don’t have digital experience yet, then learn. Soon. If you don’t have much experience in digital, then at least show a passion for it.
+ Positive energy, flexibility , and attention to detail are 3 of the big “soft” skills that recruiters are looking for.
2. Be passionate about the industry, yet be well-rounded at the same time.
+ By showing a genuine interest for the industry in your cover letter or interview, you’ll immediately connect. Know everything you can about the agency you are trying to work at and stay informed on all the latest trends and news within the industry.
+ Wordly experience is important too. They stressed the importance of knowing more than just advertising. Highlight your interesting hobbies or activities. Studying abroad or being involved in charity work is a big plus.
3. When following up, put yourself in the recruiters shoes.
+ One of the toughest parts about finding a job is following up. How soon is too soon? And how late is too late? The HR representative from Partners and Simons suggested to follow up 2 weeks after the date of posting as a general rule of thumb. If you are unsure. then put yourself in the recruiters shoes. Don’t forget that they have hundreds of applications to review, so if you follow up too soon, you might annoy them or your resume may get to the top too quickly. In order to get your resume to the top of the pile, be original in how you follow up. Try coming up with an enticing headline.
+ After an informational interview, send them a well-thought out thank you letter. Send them an interesting e-mail every few months or so. If all goes well, they’ll keep your resume on-hand for when a position becomes available.
4. Use interesting anecdotes from life, work, or school to compliment your experience and qualifications in interviews.
+ So you finally made it to the interview round. Now what? The interviewer is going to test your ability to view the big picture. When talking about your 3 strengths, back them up with stories. Even if it you overcome a tough situation working as a waiter, and it shows your ability to work well under pressure, the interviewer will like that you gave concrete evidence of your abilities. Tell stories and talk about how you arrived at solutions to difficult situations.
+ Thread ideas together throughout the interviewer. Don’t just recite what’s on your resume. Build a theme around your skills and personality.
+ Bring a portfolio that consists of projects or case studies from classes or internships.
Well those are some of the things I learned. Thanks to my great professors for making this event happen. If you have any other advice, throw it up in the comments section!
inspiration, vision, determination. to be good, is not enough – Jacek Utko
Watch this video please. Listen to how Polish newspaper designer Jacek Utko is single-handedly saving the newspaper business in Eastern Europe. Through design. American newspapers, hire this guy please! I think design can save the newspaper. Newspapers aren’t just dying because information is so readily available online, but because peoples attention spans today last about .00383 seconds. Better designed newspapers can grab readers attentions. Newspapers need to think about how they brand themselves if they want to stay competitive in todays society.
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