Well, I will admit that I am one of those Mad Men fans that Nicky is referencing in her post below. Entertainment value aside, as marketers, I think we need to be reminded of the core advertising principles that are so evident in this program. It is so refreshing to see traditional American brands such as Dove, Hellmann’s and Klondike use the legitimacy of the series as a way to demonstrate that core marketing fundamentals still work best.
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I’ve noticed a few “apology” ads as of late, or companies practicing a little self-deprecation in their marketing efforts. “Sorry” is nice, but are these companies really cleaning up their mess or trying to figure out ways not to make one in the first place? READ MORE »

I love pizza. There, I’ve said it. Not just any pizza—Pizzeria Uno pizza. Growing up in Chicago, you had to decide early on where your loyalty lay. We had Gino’s, Lou Malnati’s, Nancy’s, Giordano’s, Uno’s, and on and on. But the original was Uno’s, created under the guiding hand of Rudy Malnati. The ‘kids’ hung out at Pizzeria Due, just down the street, which was a little more casual. You knew it was special when your date took you downtown to Uno’s or Due’s. READ MORE »

As a designer of 15+ years, anytime I see something in print, I immediately and subconsciously evaluate the layout, colors, typography and imagery (some of y’all may relate). I don’t even know I am doing it sometimes. And the things that draw me in the most are magazines. I am compulsive about buying them and, I am sad to say, I am drawn in by the pictures and the interesting layouts, before I look at what the issue is actually about. So, as more and more magazines are moving from print to a joint print/online execution, and some even to online only, I find myself disappointed in the beauty of it all. Gone are the lovely full-page photographs of a living room, rock star or a great pork loin recipe. Now you have tiny images and 20 pages of print crammed onto the home page of the online version. READ MORE »

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find an agency that doesn’t have at least two or three employees addicted to Mad Men. Over the last week, several people (including me) here at ALPHA were anxiously awaiting the season premiere last night. I personally changed travel plans in order to make sure I was at home watching it in HD in my favorite chair. What is that all about? What is the deal with this show?

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