There is an inclination for brands to want their stories and their images to tie up neatly into a simple narrative – into a slogan or catch phrase or topic sentence that captures the brand and allows 1 + 1 to equal 2. What was interesting for me about this mini-documentary on Ken Burns and storytelling is… read more>>

In 1984, as part of his re-election campaign, Ronald Reagan ran a now-famous commercial titled “It’s morning again in America,” which was written and narrated by legendary adman Hal Riney.  The spot, which in a very soothing and optimistic manner spoke to economic prosperity, was in short a hit, and while it did not single handedly re-elect… read more>>

People often ask me if I watch Mad Men.   Well, do you think Texas oil men in the early 80′s watched Dallas?  The funny thing about Mad Men is that the advertising business is just used as, what we call in the business, an executional device to tell a cultural story about the period from 1961-1966,… read more>>

The Cartier brand has a lot to be proud of after 165 years, and their recent short film is no exception. Not only is it gorgeous and a testament to luxury goods branding but it is unusually strategically sound for a category where often we get lost in beauty (and why not?). So what’s the big fuss… read more>>

So there I was just minding my own business trying to read an ArtInfo (now brought to you by Blouin) piece on the 2013 budget proposal for NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) when a Mr. Porter (men’s Net-a-Porter) skyscraper banner caught my eye. Was it the handsome man, the clean art direction, his name, or just the… read more>>

Well now that the smoke has cleared and it’s just a mild haze (blue not purple) I suppose it’s time to weigh in on the events of last night.  If only the commercials lived up to the game – but wait one (or some) did.  As far as everything else, well it was pretty typical save for… read more>>

The Top Ten Super Bowl Commercials of All Time Yes, it’s a big game for the New York Football Giants and the New England Patriots but it’s just as big a game for advertisers and their brands.  The cost ($3.5mm for :30) the stage (50MM households watching)  and the post game effects (everyones a critic and with… read more>>

Any athlete will tell you that it takes a collective effort to win, plain and simple.  This is especially well documented in a new spot by Adidas showcasing the new Adizero running/training show.   Let’s just say in a very clever and compelling manner they speak to the performance end benefit of a shoe while  emphasizing the… read more>>

Whilst taking a walk through Mayfair the other morning I spotted a City of Westminster sign in a small park that not only caught my eye but drew me closer to the information at hand. The key element of interest was the icons which represented the do’s and don’ts in the city park. While I tended to… read more>>

In the 90′s, being a teenager meant dressing in grungy plaid shirts, watching My-So-Called-Life (Angela TOTALLY gets me) and listening to Nirvana.  Shoes of choice: Doc Martens.  Everyone wore Doc Martens.  If you were cool, you wore Doc Martens. However, slowly but surely their popularity faded. Well, fast forward 10 years and Dr. Marten is trying to… read more>>