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My first post

a soldier in all of us

On Saturday last week Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson.

While there may be many reasons that lead a loner gunman to commit such atrocities, one must wonder why such events are far more common in the US than in any other large developed nation: More Americans were killed in the US between 1979 and 1997 than in all Foreign Wars fought since 1776*.

The same day Giffords was shot, I stepped off the 6 train and saw this ad for Call of Duty, Black Ops.

I realized that large scale and unrestricted exposure to gun imagery in the US (from Hollywood posters to video game ads and Marines parading at the start of baseball games) not only slowly makes "guns OK", it also imbeds in our culture the notion that taking a life with a bullet can be justified.

Once we accept it's OK for the Good Guys to kill Bad Guys, all that stands between murder and "justice" is a good reason.

It's time to reconsider the indiscriminate use of weapons in advertising: in a country where people take issue with nudity (remember Janet Jackson's nipple?) no one seems to mind when thousands of guns are shown in advertising everyday.

*the brady campaign

Wired to Help

Marketing has started to realize that making a positive difference in the world is actually good for business.

From Pepsi's Refresh Everything to Target's Community Giving or Patagonia commitment with the environment, some of the very same organizations that contributed to the huge mess we are in have decided to proactively improve the world.

Here's Jeremy Rifkin's take on Humanity's drive towards empathy:

Why Believe

In a recent study, 81% of the class of '09 interviewed by NY Magazine declared themselves optimistic.

"Looking on the bright side has become all but mandatory in our culture" says Barbara Ehrenreich, and everyone from Kennedy to Obama have reminded us of its importance in the American Dream.

But Optimism does have its foes:

If you spent anytime in Europe you probably heard people describing America's optimism as "childish" (in 1947, Simone de Beauvoir wrote: I'm irritated by those imperious invitations to 'take life easy', repeated in words and images throughout the day. On advertisements ...the smile seems like lockjaw. The constipated girl smiles a loving smile at the lemon juice that relieves her intestines. In the subway, in the streets, on magazine pages, these smiles pursue me like obsessions).

Older people's sarcastic declarations of "admiration for your youthful optimism" have plagued teenage dreams the world over and now even Ehrenreich argues that "promotion of positive thinking has undermined America".

Now look at your work place: your professional self, your colleagues, your clients, your bosses. How many of you truly believe that anything is possible to the point of actually doing what it takes. To challenge the nay-sayers and pursue that dream until that crazy project actually gets done, until your agency does redefine the landscape, until your brand does shape popular culture and until you look back and tell yourself you love what you do. Everyday.

I am going to shut up now, give you a second to think about it.

Now enjoy this beautiful 1972 talk by Viktor Frankl:

BP's spill, day 86

As the general outrage grows around this crisis, it is good to reflect on its causes, get informed and if you are so inclined, take action.

- To find out more about how to volunteer click here or here.

- If instead you'd like to donate, click here for advise on how to donate wisely, and here to help the affected birds specifically.

To those campaigning for "smaller government" the following chart may provide some food for thought:

From Balls to Eyeballs: how rich nations are losing more than games in this World Cup

One of the wonders of the FIFA World Cup must be that it puts all nations on an equal footing, regardless of their wealth. Since 1930, this gave poorer countries a fair and unique shot at publicly humiliating the established Rulers of the World.

But this year something new is happening: poor nations are gaining ground, beyond the scoreboard. The US, Japan, France, Italy and England lost more than early games.

If you've watched some footie these days you may have noticed ads on the side of the pitch for brands you never heard of before: once the exclusive province of American, European and Japanese brands, pitch-side advertising is also witnessing the rise of Emerging Nations.

Out of 14 official FIFA partners and World Cup sponsors, almost half are from nations that only 20 years ago were considered poor like India, China, Brazil or the UAE. Yingli, Satyam, MTN, Seara and Emirates now compete head-to-head for global media exposure with the once unchallenged Big Boys of the rich world.

Even Budweiser, sponsor the event since 1986 and now partly Brazilian-owned is ceding pitch-side exposure during some games to its InBev sister brands like Quilmes, Brahma and Harbin.

Emerging Markets brands, until recently unheard of in the world of global sponsorships are here, and here to stay. For anyone working on global brands today, brace yourself. This shift represents greater challenges and opportunities than you may think.

(here is the list of official FIFA sponsors since 1986)

World Cup: Ad Age's top 5

Very proud to see that last week AdAge listed Puma's work among the top 5 World Cup spots, based on total number of online hits.

This testimony of a solid strategic foundation coupled with a brilliantly conceived and executed campaign is particularly touching given Puma's relatively modest spend:

- Nike came out 1st on this list at a cost of a multi-millionaire execution and media buy.

- Adidas, the official sponsor of the event, didn't even make the cut in spite of counting on stars like Messi (the world's best player) and Zidane.

Enjoy,

Ar-gen-tina!

The 2010 World Cup is almost here, and we've all read plenty about the beautiful, the world's game. Although there is no discussion of where our allegiances lie, we are sometimes confronted with difficult questions:

- Because one nation is supposedly the football arch-enemy of yours, should you join your compatriots in wishing its defeat, even when you love everything about that country?

- When you suspect football is being used as a populist tool of cleptocracy, numbing the masses and accelerating of your country's decline, do you still want it to succeed?

Of course you do, even if it makes no sense at all.

Even if it contradicts everything you believe in.

Powerful stuff indeed.

2010 Brazilian beer commercial

2010 Argie commercial

GuerrillArt Gallery

One key thing to get done before the World Cup was holding The Corners Project show. So we joined forces with Carlo's The Street is in the House and from the 14th to the 28th opened our own GuerrillArt Gallery in the Lower East Side.

Click here more on this project

why we help?

If there is one positive note coming out of the tragic events in Haiti earlier this week, it must the solidarity that the rest of the world immediately demonstrated.

Just a few hours after the initial reports of devastation, images of Port-au-Prince-bound firemen and rescue teams in Charles de Gaulle, Schipol, Ezeiza and other airports around the world appeared on our TVs. Even China, a country with no diplomatic ties to the impoverished Caribbean nation, sent help.

Our portraits in social sites were changed to Haitian flags and our Facebook status were replaced by tips on how to donate via text messaging. SoHo boutiques are holding fundraising events and even WyClef got involved.

Although the efforts are still under way, this is likely to be the greatest demonstration of solidarity in the history of natural catastrophes, surpassing the Great Tsunami of 2004 and Katrina in 2005.

Why?

This is the result of at least 2 factors:

1- The accelerated growth of digital media makes generosity both more visible (e.g. there were 1 million Facebook user when the Tsunami hit, vs. 375 million today) and easier (e.g. donating by text message)

2- As social beings, we are wired to help others: when we do, our brain rewards us in a similar ways as when we eat or have sex, two activities critical to the survival of our species.

This is the conclusion of a recent study conducted by a team of neuroscientists from Bethesda, Rio de Janeiro and Geneva, that found that the parts of the brain that light up when we think of donating to charity, are the same as when we think of sex or food.

These 2 observations provide the basis for an optimistic perspective on the future of humankind, but they also help explain the relation between "corporate social responsibility" (the second suggestion when you type "corporate" in google), the growth of digital media and human nature.

To donate $10 to the RedCross, text 'haiti' to 90999, or click here to find other ways to help

Go on, be a Tiger

After 6 years of using his image as a "powerful metaphor of business success" Accenture announced on Sunday December 13th the end of its relationship with Tiger Woods.

There are 2 troubling things with this announcement:

1- a missed opportunity:

A brand that has been working so hard to position itself as a reliable partner could have taken this opportunity to demonstrate how it 'collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses' not only when they are making millions, but also when times are tough.

2- an unfortunate choice of words:

Beyond the decision itself, which may be understood considering Accenture's past and line of business, the firm could have exercised greater sensibility, if not class, when it came the announcement.

Compare their press release with declarations by other major sponsors:

- Accenture: "given the circumstances the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising. We will immediately transition to a new advertising campaign. Accenture wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family".

- Nike:"I think he's been really great...when his career is over, you'll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip, but the media is making a big deal out of it right now." (Phil Knight, CEO)

- Gillette: "He is still part of Gillette. As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs". (Mike Norton, spokesman)

At least Accenture's rapidly redesigned website offers one possible explanation for their un-sportsmanly attitude.

why we need luxury and fashion

As social beings, we have always looked to define our place in society.

Whether by a system of casts, nobility, landownership or other, rigid systems gave us a sense of identity and order, for the greater good of the species. These structures were so useful that across eras and cultures our place in society was passed down from parents to children.

With the invention of agriculture 9,000 years ago, ancient hierarchies disappeared but were quickly replaced by new ones, based by our contribution to the group: laborers, merchants, warriors, priests, artists and rulers.

The next major change came with mass democracy and capitalism, old structures disappeared and true social mobility was born. Our own fate would no longer be limited by our parents'.

What hasn't changed in these 9,000 years though, is our need to define our place in society, and this is were fashion kicks in.

While luxury had always existed (kings and priests from Papua New Guinea to Egypt and the Inca Empire have always used jewels to advertise their place in society), the idea of ever-changing tastes is relatively new, and has accelerated tremendously as our daily lives were increasingly removed from the farming cycles.

In fact, some claim that fashion helps us regain a sense of "seasons", in a world of farm factories.

In short, both fashion and luxury help us regain a sense of social order. But one does it horizontally (where do i stand vs my peers), while the other does it vertically (how high do I stand in the food chain).

for more on luxury, read Luxe Oblige, by V. Bastien and JN Kapferer

7 Rules of Luxury

From Trump to Diddy to Cadillac SUVs, more brands than ever like to think of themselves as players in the luxury market.

But are they really? can a rearview camera, a GPS and premium price transform a small truck into a luxury vehicle?

What is the difference between luxury and premium? Are there different degrees of luxury? or is it something you either are or not?

By the time this boom goes bust, marketers who couldn't quite answer these questions will find themselves unable to sustain the healthy margins of luxury and instead competing on price and features.

To help shed some light on the issue, here are 7 key observations from some of the the world's profitable brands:

1- Luxury dominates: it is consumed to elevate us, and therefore it can't be "our peer". It treats us with utmost respect, but always keeping its distance.
2- Like art, luxury is driven by its creator's inspiration, not by consumer demand. It doesn't follow consumer tastes, it creates them.
3- Luxury needs to cater to "those who know", who understand the subtleties, appreciate the craft, revel in the myth. The others will follow by imitation, but without a core of passionate connaisseurs, a luxury brand is destined to disappear as such.
4- Luxury is both eternal and ephemeral: Created 1921, N.5 is still Chanel's best selling fragrance. but sprinkles of disruption can help design stay relevant (Stephen Sprouse inspired graffiti on LV's bags)

5- Luxury doesn't speak in USPs. It is not a product, a price, a set of features. It is a UNIVERSE defined by carefully groomed ingredients like its history (since 1876), its creator (madame Chanel), its craftsmen and their attention to detail, its myths (Cliquot overcoming Napoleon's blockade to ensure supply to Russia's imperial court), visual cues (Louis Vuitton's LV) and stories told among users and connaisseurs (Panarea watches used by Italian submariners in WWII)
6- Luxury brands focus on excelling at 3 things: product, distribution and communications, so that consumers forget about the fourth: price.
7- Luxury seeks to fuel desire, not sales: employees at LV stores do not earn a commission on their sales. Luxury never advertises price, but if it must be disclosed: it's $15,000 and never $14,990.

But perhaps a more colorful way to define luxury is spelling out what it's not, in the words of madame Chanel:
"Luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity".

Mademoiselle, chapeau.

For more on Luxury, read "Luxe Oblige" by V. Bastien and JN, Kapferer

What a difference 2 years make

As part of his Asia trip last week, President Obama visited Emperor Akihito. Upon meeting 天皇 tennō, literally "Heavenly Emperor", he bowed as a sign of respect and understanding of Japanese customs.

The picture below was taken in 2007, when a US vice-president by the name of Dick visited the same palace.

For more details on the matter, check out this article from the LA Times.

are marketers helping perpetuate segregation?

At a Client meeting recently, the media buying agency was presenting the media plans for the next year. Given that African Americans over-index in the consumption of this particular brand, the young executive explained how we needed to keep buying space in "Black zipcodes" and "Black media" channels such as BET and blackplanet.com.

The entire room complacently nodded. After all, it makes sense and we've done the same last year and the year before.

But wait, there aren't really "Black zip codes" in London or Sao Paulo. They don't even have "Black media" or "Black brands".

And if you paid attention you might have noticed how in those places the locals' clothes and accents have nothing to do with the color of their skin either.

The US racial history alone cannot explain the gap between White and Black Cultures in this country. After all, Brazil has the world's largest Black population outside Africa, and they didn't exactly board those ships willingly either.

So while there may be other forces at play, it's important to note how lazy marketing, unconsciously or not, benefits from feeding stereotypes and perpetuating the racial divide in this country.

After all, nothing easier for an executive in charge of a "African American brand" to keep plastering "AA zipcodes" and "AA media" with "AA marketing".

Taking risks

When Porsche launched the Cayenne in 2002, the mere idea of a Porsche SUV seemed like an oxymoron.

By then the SUV fever had begun to wane as environmental concerns and the price of gas were quickly growing. (1)

But a Porsche SUV? really?

In time it proved to be a brilliant move, and became Porsche's best selling car worldwide (2)

But how do you extend such a brand further? how do you launch a sedan, a "family" car, without upsetting the finely calibrated image that 60 years of masterful brand management built in our imaginations?

Here is how Cramer-Krasselt suggests it can be successfully done:

- First, it's a Porsche: the latest expression of a fine breed that traces its roots to the dreams of one passionate driver and designer. Beautifully brought to life here by the family tree, among other clues.

- Second, it's a Porsche: no satisfied dad with wife and happy kids rolling on a suburban parkway. It's meant to be driven with the same unapologetic passion and satisfaction as a Carrera.

Keep your audience dreaming, and their realities will eventually justify the premium.

enjoy,

sources: US Energy Information Administration (1), Harvard Business School (2)

The Landfill of Opportunity

The fact that every FMCG company from Coke to Colgate continues to sell their goods in landfilling, ocean polluting trash has to be a huge opportunity.

After all, a business model that relies on discarding 18 million plastic bottles every hour in the US alone seems too easy to attack:

• only 25% of plastic bottles are recycled in the US, the rest of them end up in landfills or the ocean. (the image above represents 1.5 million bottles, the number discarded every 5 minutes in the US)
• 26 million tons of plastic are dumped into the seas every year.
• there are islands of trash twice the size of Texas floating in the Pacific. Yes, Texas.

And while a few companies have taken a more sustainable approach with initiatives like 1% for the planet, most still feel good about themselves just for running "green" ads or adding a "please recycle" logo on their labels and passing on their responsibility to consumers.

The question for anyone sitting on the board of an FMCG giant then becomes: how much longer will the savings of doing business as usual will outweigh the financial and environmental danger of acting irresponsibly?

How much longer before a competitor changes the rules of the game, slashing short term revenue in favor of a more responsible approach that eventually catapults them into consumer Nirvana, making us look like a 21st century Exxon Valdez?

As consumer awareness grows through sobering reminders like the one below from Chris Jordan's work in Midway (2,000 miles from the nearest continent) and most companies continue their Detroit-like approach, a giant opportunity is created for visionaries willing to end irresponsible practices before they are enforced by law or a competitor.

sources: National Geographic, UN Environment Program, Earth 911

Who really decides?

If Freud was right, and our subconscious plays a huge role in the decisions we make everyday, understanding it is of fundamental importance to anyone wishing to influence others.

If you ever sat through hours of bad research downloads, instinctually knowing the "findings" made no sense, perhaps a look into Bernays' theories and work will inspire you to think about consumer stimuli and response differently.

Here's a great BBC documentary on 100 years of market psychology.

enjoy,

Fueling spiritual ADD

Money can't buy you Happiness, but it can buy Joy.

As ad people, we wonder about the value our work brings to society. Are we really helping the world move forward? or just convincing people to buy things they don't need?

Advertising certainly helps improve the world by informing people and fueling competition, which eventually translates into better, more affordable goods for all and creates jobs along the way.

Another way to look at it would suggest that advertising helps fuel spiritual ADD, distracting society from the pursuit of happiness and instead tempting us with the rewards of joy.

A new dress, a new car, a new stereo or a vacation are Joy Fuel: acquisitions that give us a rush of a temporary wellbeing, which disappears as soon as new events unfold or the novelty wears out.

Happiness in the other hand may be a permanent state of higher bliss, but attaining it requires years of spiritual work. Certainly a daunting prospect, and a far less attractive one in a society driven by instant gratification.

In such a world, it is far too easy to be distracted from our pursuit of Happiness and instead fall prey of the quick fix offered by the Joys of Capitalism.

So while advertising isn't any more evil than a hammer or a cup, it can enrich popular culture and our lives just as quickly as it can become the lubricant of our procrastinations, perpetually distracting us from our true purpose in this Life.

Interestingly, research indicates that the elder, precisely the section of society less impressed by brands, novelty and trends, are consistently happier than younger generations.

For more details on this particular evidence, see this Washington Post article.