EconomyBeat.org » advertising

“Who the hell is John-Boy?”

Jon Brooks — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:07:54 +0000

On Grant McCracken’s blog, which “sits at the intersection of anthropology and economics,” this post argues that the American corporation is out of touch with much of the country’s population.

The John-Boy Problem (Boomer managers out of touch)

Let’s say we are a luxury car company. We’re doing a year-end review of marketing. We’re looking at everything, including person who supplies the “voice over” for our ads.

The room is filled with around 25 people. This room is mostly Boomers with 8 Gen Xers and 4 Gen Yers (aka Millennials).

“I say we stay with John-Boy,” says the most powerful person in the room. There is a pause as other Boomers nod their heads sagely. Richard Thomas has been the voice of the brand for many years.

But Generations X and Y are thinking, “Who the hell is John-Boy?” They don’t say anything. Then the penny drops. “Oh, they must mean that guy Richard Thomas.”

Their confusion is forgivable. Richard Thomas starred in a TV series called The Waltons, a show that ended in 1981. That’s almost thirty years ago. The oldest Generation Xer was 20 in 1981, the youngest was born that year. No member of Generation Y was watching TV in 1981. For Generation Z, Richard Thomas might as well be a Martian.

For half the room, Richard Thomas is just “some guy.” Actually, he’s just “some guy” for half the country. Certainly, it’s true that Boomers buy most of the luxury cars in this country, but this will not last. And in the meantime, we have 3 generations listening to a voice that means nothing to them.

And this is just odd. As these markets mature towards the age and income, the corporation insists in addressing them in a voice they do not recognize.

I believe this problem plays out in the corporate world several times a day. Boomers make choice that work for their culture, for the world they know. And the other half of the room (and the market) is left to wonder, “Who is the hell is John-Boy?”

The John-Boy problem is bigger than it seems. The American corporation is not just bad at youth culture, it’s out of touch with a good deal of the American world. It doesn’t have any real feeling for the ethnic variety of America, the alternative and indie movements, the constant ebb and flow of lifestyle, the churn in the sports world. What is happening in the world of music, film, sports (post arena), art, and social media? For that matter, what is happening in the kitchens of the American heartland? Even this is changing. Even this is mysterious.

The corporation needs to know. It’s not enough to bring in the cool hunters and trend consultants. These people have no vested interests. Frankly, they disdain the corporation for being clueless. No, the corporation need its own internal brain trust, stock of knowledge, and enduring mastery of American culture. Anything else is just guessing. And guessing is something the corporation is not allowed to do.

The inverse of this is that it took me months to figure out that Lady Gaga wasn’t some aristocratic infant with a great press agent…

Pro-healthcare reform ad suggestions

Jon Brooks — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:54 +0000

The Rude Pundit suggests two pro-healthcare reform ads:

Where Are the Pro-Health Care Reform Ads When We Need Them?:
F***, the Rude Pundit will just do the work for you, DNC and other groups:

Ad #1: We’re in a grocery store. POV of being behind a shopping cart, rolling down an aisle. Camera turns to a loaf of bread. Close-up on a sign: the price “$2.99″ has been crossed out with a black marker. A new price, “$4.15,” is written in. As the cart moves up aisles filled with similar signs, all with prices that have been raised, a voice says, “This past month, Anthem Blue Cross sent out notices to 800,000 individual health insurance policy holders informing them that their premiums were going to rise as much as 39%.” A woman’s hand picks up a carton of milk, and we see a sign indicating the price has gone from $3.49 to $4.85. “Anthem’s parent corporation, Wellpoint, made $2.9 billion in profit last year.” The hand puts the carton of milk back. We see that the cart is empty. It is left behind as the camera heads for the sliding doors. “And for people with pre-existing conditions, there’s nowhere else to go.” The doors open and the camera pulls back to reveal that the grocery store is in the middle of a deserted wasteland. There is, indeed, nowhere else to shop. End it with a tagline about telling Congress to pass health care reform. Or, even better, “Ask Senator (fill in your favorite Republican) why he/she stands with profit-making corporations and against reform.”

There? Is that so hard?

How about this one:

Ad #2: We’re outside on a dark, cold, lightly-snowing night. A row of people in threadbare clothes are standing shoulder to shoulder, each holding a baby or toddler. A sinister-looking bureaucrat with a clipboard is walking down the row, looking at the children. He approaches one mother with a little girl. VO says, “United Health Care in Colorado turned down 2-year old Aislin Bates of Denver, Colorado for coverage because they said she was too thin.” The bureaucrat shakes his head and makes a mark. The mother and child head off into the dark. He walks to the next parent, looks at the child, and nods. They head forward, into light. He goes to the next, a father holding a baby. VO say, “8-month old Jaxon Thornburgh of Dallas, Texas was denied health insurance because he needed simple therapy to help with an easily curable condition.” Same thing: bureaucrat shakes his head, makes a mark, they head into the dark. Then he nods to two other parents, who smile gratefully and step forward. He moves to the next, a pair of parents with a boy. VO: “In New Jersey, HealthAmerica denied doctor-recommended life-saving treatment to cancer patient Kyler VanNocker, who is 5 years old.” The bureaucrat shakes his head and continues on. The camera pulls back to reveal that those given the nod are going into a hospital. Those denied are heading into the snowy night. VO: “Call your Senators and tell them that your children shouldn’t ever have to risk losing their health insurance.”

…Or make a really outrageous web ad where an executive from Aetna is just shooting sick kids in the head. It’s pretty much the same point. That shit’d get all kinds of coverage for free.

Oh, it’d get coverage, all right…

Local commercials

Jon Brooks — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:05:26 +0000

Despite all the unemployment, bankruptcy, and business failure out there, commerce continues all over America. It’s not easy for the little guy, but a company called MicroBilt, which sells data services to small businesses, is offering help.

In a somewhat brilliant promotion, MicroBilt has hired a local North Carolina comedy duo, Rhett & Link, to produce commercials at no charge for small local businesses nominated by people over the Web.

The commercials are aggregated at the site I Love Local Commercials. I’m not sure where else the ads have run, but they have garnered hundreds of thousands–and in at least one case, millions–of page views over the Web.

Here are four particularly amusing ads that might have been created for “Saturday Night Live.”

Except they’re real.

See more of these commercials here.

It’s official…

Jon Brooks — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:12:26 +0000

A severe recession, crippling unemployment, a housing collapse, long-lasting foreign wars, a growing chasm between rich and poor, and a political system crippled by partisan gridlock, unable to grapple with entrenched problems…not a few commentators have speculated that American hegemony is rapidly waning, and that an analogy to the Fall of Rome might be in order.

Personally, I look for more esoteric signs of impending collapse. Perhaps this qualifies:

Chocolate Cheerios

In the midst of downsizing lifestyles and mandatory austerity, is such a product an offensive decadence or merely an inexpensive treat when more luxurious pleasures have fallen out of economic grasp?

In either case, Thought Gadgets deconstructs the pitch:

To understand Americans’ hunger for self-pleasure, simply read this box.

Cheerios has launched a new chocolate cereal that must compete with hundreds of alternatives in the aisle. In the U.S., Cheerios is a favorite of moms who want a wholesome, feel-good breakfast for kids. Yet General Mills knows that the real consumers — children — love a sweet treat in the morning. So here comes its new product with 9 grams of sweetness per approximately 25.5-gram serving, more than one-third pure sugar. When Sigmund Freud wrote of humanity’s lustful, chaotic “cauldron full of seething excitations,” he could have meant this.

So how can Chocolate Cheerios break through? By appealing to both Freud’s Id (lust) and Ego (restraint) at the same time. Chocolate Cheerios is “made with real cocoa” (natural ingredients), it “may reduce the risk of heart disease” (what mom doesn’t worry about her family’s health?), and of course comes with a “whole grain guarantee” (this is not just real natural food, but General Mills is so certain this is real, it guarantees it). Even the colors of the cereal itself are half white and half cocoa, visually meeting Id and Ego halfway.

“More than one-third pure sugar.” I hope at least you recycle the box.

“Save the Traders”

Jon Brooks — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:49:19 +0000

This ad for Volkswagen in France is called “Save The Traders,” a parody of musical charity events involving lots of pop stars.

Gawker noted more recession-themed ads back in February.

“Don’t Call It a Family”

Jon Brooks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:10:56 +0000

“Spare the “we are family” bullshit…Because families don’t lop off the newest or most expensive offspring when the belt needs tightening.“

That’s from a post on Eric Proulx’ web site Please Feed the Animals, devoted to laid-off advertising professionals. (See previous EconomyBeat entry.)

It’s a rather profound if bitter denunciation of what Proulx sees as hyprocrisy in the advertising industry, but in this day and age, where mass layoffs are considered a routine part of the economic cycle, I think it speaks to the feelings of many workers concerning the changing nature of their relationship to the companies they work for.

Don’t Call It a Family

I should have known better than to think the worst was over. That the anecdotal hires and increased headhunter activity signaled a respite from the putrid pall of pink slips littering our lives these last two years.

But no. Not yet. Not even close…

I’ve been able to distance myself emotionally from this absolute, indisputable fact. That is, until yesterday, when I stumbled on yet another post-dismissal drink- fest and saw, I dunno, a dozen amazing talents drowning themselves in their bottomless mugs of layoff lager. Some of them my friends. All of them too talented to be there.

I’m like the victim – not the criminal – who returns again and again to the scene of the crime. Or, as fellow animal Michelle tweeted to me yesterday, “You remind me of an Italian grandma who goes to funerals for social activity.”

Bukowski’s is where Boston’s ad scene goes to die. The otherwise amazing pub has been popularized by this brutal f***** business. This thankless, sure-we’ll-take-your-life-then-crap-on-it-when-we’re-done-with-you career we’ve chosen.

I’ve tried to stay positive. I’ve tried to give our collective creativity the benefit of the doubt. That somehow our industry would find a better way. But no. We are still nothing more than the fecal byproduct of advertising’s ineptitude.

And, you know what, I’m fine with that. We are line items. Gears in a cog. Makers of widgets. Stricken from the budget as easily as new copy machines and Aeron desk chairs.

But spare the “we are family” bullshit. Enough with the rah rah emails and company retreats. Stop telling us that the talented humans of Agency X are what separates Agency X from other Agency Xs. Because families don’t lop off the newest or most expensive offspring when the belt needs tightening.

Imagine that dinner conversation. “I’ve called this Proulx family meeting with some unfortunate news. As you know, we’ve just lost our main source of revenue – my job – so we had to make some tough decisions. Ben, as the eldest child you can stay but with 33% fewer meals. Clara, I’m sorry to say, your position as a child in this household has been deemed redundant. Since you were the last in, we thought it fair that Ben keep his position as Proulx spawn. However, because you have been here for 3 years, you qualify for a severance package, which includes placement assistance into a foster family. Feel free to use me as a reference. Really, I mean that. And thank you for all your cuteness and unconditional love. Best of luck.”

We are not family. Commitment is not reciprocated. It says as much right in the offer letter. “Employment at Agency X is at will and can be terminated at any time….” Shame on us for thinking that’s just boiler plate language. Shame on us for forgetting that everyone, EVERYONE, is out for #1.

We hang onto the culture myth. We believe you when you spout family values. We want to drink your Kool Aid. We want to join your movement. We want to be part of the something special that the 1/10th of 1% of advertising agencies temporarily achieve. We’re human. And humans need connectedness to something larger, spiritual even.

Shame on us for believing we could get all that from our jobs. And shame on you for making us believe you wanted the same thing.

Mad men-without-jobs

Jon Brooks — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:07:19 +0000

Please Feed the Animals is a blog for “recently laid off advertising professionals,” created by copywriter Eric Proulx, who is also coming out with a film about the same topic, called Lemonade.

The blog features a useful section on companies that are hiring, and a column specifically for those in account services. But the highlight is the first-person accounts and reactions by those in the industry (or formerly in the industry) who’ve been let go. Here are a couple of good ones:

Don’t Fear the Reaper – Brad Mislow

The thought of losing my job used to freak me out. It was, in my head, the boogeyman of the office – hiding amongst the cubicles. Wearing a bloodstained hockey mask. Cutting short the careers of budding creative directors. It was merciless…It doesn’t want to hear your story about your family and your mortgage and your bills. It wants you gone. It wants your security pass and your office keys. It wants to laugh maniacally in your empty office as it dances on your desk, banging at your laptop, stealing your downloaded music and deleting your files…

Then it happened to me. And it wasn’t so bad. (My boss) told me the news as gentle as he could. He shook my hand and told me it was a pleasure working with me. I told him likewise. He told me to see some HR people. I saw those HR people, sadly hugged my partner goodbye and went along my way. No blood. No gore. No echoing cackle of doom.

Throughout it all, I realized something. I’m an adult. I may be a boyish-man in a childlike business where 38-year-olds dress (and sometimes act) like teenagers, but underneath my Threadless t-shirt and faded jeans is a responsible human being. We ad people are not helpless teen counselors at Camp Killgore running through the woods to escape a homicidal manic. We’re professionals, and we must act that way. We deal with rejection and failure like adults. We call our support team of…anyone who can help us get back on our feet…It’s not an easy process. There’s probably some drama. But a horror film it’s not.

So, yes, I lost my job. But hey, I had a good streak. Ten years of consistent employment. I survived so many rounds of layoffs I stopped counting. I was overdue. And now, it begins again. I’ll get a new job. I’ll settle into a new routine. And as long as I’m in this business, chances are I’ll most likely get laid off again. And if so, so what? It’s nothing to be afraid of.

The Five Biggest Surprises About Getting Laid Off – Jeanne Schad

1. Talent doesn’t matter.

So you put in fifteen-hour days for a pitch. So you’ve never had a bad review. So the clients love you. That’s…ikely not anything that could have saved your job. Most often, layoffs are made based on a salary level, title or position and everybody meeting those criteria, regardless of their talent or hard work, are cut…

2. Your boss might not have been able to save you.

You may have a great relationship with your immediate supervisor who made a great case for you. Sometimes it doesn’t matter and the decision to cut you was made at a much higher level…

3. Your alliances at work might not carry over past your employment.

This is especially true when you’re friends with survivors – people who didn’t make the last cut but fear they’ll be next. You might call them for sympathy and find they may not be very willing to kvetch with you. Recognize that the primal instinct to survive may have kicked in and social niceties may get set aside…Don’t be surprised if they’re not as willing to share your company-bashing.

4. This industry might not fit you anymore.

Advertising is a relatively young profession and as we age, our priorities change. What excited you about the business (trips to LA, nights out to expensive restaurants, late hours on really cool projects) may be the things you hate most now. With new priorities, it’s fair to re-evaluate whether the industry fits the lifestyle we want…Now that you’re a free agent, what possibilities open up?

5. You’re going to be okay.

It might be hard to see but it’s important to know you will survive. More people than not in the great advertising jobs have been laid off. It’s a cyclical business and soon somebody somewhere is going to need your talents. Go enjoy yourself in the meantime, do things you might not have tried and expand yourself…