I Love it When Copy Carries the Day

One of my highlights from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi was this powerful TV spot from Guinness.

Created by BBDO, NY, specifically for the Olympics, it was released before the games, but then pulled to comply with rules re: official sponsors and Olympic competitors. Hopefully we’ll see it on-air again now that the rules no longer prohibit airing. The music is strong and the visual is striking… but it’s the words that carry the weight of this spot, as the image remains static for most of the full 60 seconds. You have to read the captions to get the message.

As a copy guy, I love it when words bear the burden of telling the story and conveying the message… and I think they really pulled it off with this one. 

Up for debate: how this message actually sells Guinness beer. But an inspiring, well-written message, nonetheless.

Waxing Philosophical on a Trip to Costco

I fear my appreciation for humanity diminishes with every trip I make to Costco.

I really don't shop at the wholesale warehouse store that often – maybe once every few months. But invariably, I leave feeling a little less optimistic about the human race. It starts in the parking lot, where every trip to Costco is like a visit to the mall at Christmas time. Drivers aren't their best selves in a Costco parking lot. It's every man for himself, frantically searching for a spot and avoiding any general sense of courtesy or basic rules of driving. And in spite of well-marked corrals for the return of shopping carts, many shoppers choose to leave their carts pretty much wherever they can, as close to their car as possible and other drivers be damned.

Honestly, the parking lot alone is enough to make you want to abandon the journey altogether – which we actually did yesterday, when Rich declared, simply, "Nope. Not today." Add in the threat of a coming snowstorm and every horrific thing about shopping at Costco is magnified a hundred-fold. That was the situation yesterday – and we graciously admitted defeat after one quick loop around the lot. Even if we had been able to find a spot, it wouldn't have been worth facing the frenzied crowd of "staples shoppers" inside – those irrational masses who insist on hoarding milk and bread at the slightest mention of snow.

But we returned today, determined to get our goods and save our dollars. The parking situation was better, so we stayed. But the experience inside was sufficient to once again reduce my fondness for the human race. There's something about the Costco experience that reduces many people, who in some other setting I might respect very highly, thank you, to some level of primal shopping fanatics who are oblivious to the presence of others. I think that's what astonishes me the most – how this particular shopping environment can reduce one's sense of awareness (and concurrent courtesy to others) to a primal level. It's that every-woman-for-herself attitude that begins in the parking lot and extends throughout the entire shopping experience.

Maybe it's the giant warehouse/circus atmosphere that overwhelms and transforms people. Maybe it's the sensory overload that hits you smack in the face when you enter, with row after row and shelf after shelf of EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN ONE STORE!, from snow shovels to TV sound systems to cantaloupes to undergarments to milk to dishtowels to couches to potatoes - all in BULK SIZES! and at HUGE SAVINGS! Maybe it's all those FREE SAMPLES RIGHT HERE LADIES & GENTLEMEN! TRY YOUR FREE CRACKER WITH OUR SPECIAL DIPPING SAUCE - YOURS FOR ONLY $7.69 TODAY!

It's a dangerous mix of free food plus bargains galore just around the next corner plus the fear that if you don't get it first someone else will (whether it's a parking space or a free piece of brownie or the last 48-roll package of toilet paper) that throws everyone into a "me-me-me" fit of obliviousness. And it's not so much a frenzied mass of shoppers like you might find on Black Friday, with people fighting to the death (sadly, sometimes true) for the last Xbox. No, at Costco it's more like shoppers fall into a trance-like state... the "Shopping Dead" if you will... pushing their carts around, eyes glazed over, rudely cutting in front of someone else for their free sample (and one for my husband please) or stopping short right in front of you because, "Oh, do we need Osteo Bi-Flex? Look they have it right here next to the orange juice."

When I'm finished with my occasional Costco experience, I'm reminded of quotes from two of my favorite thinkers. It was Albert Einstein who said,

"I love humanity, but I hate humans."

And it was Charles M. Schulz speaking through the voice of Linus who said,

For their sakes, I'm glad Albert and Linus never had to make a trip to Costco.

May the Force (of air across reeds to produce sound) be with You

You haven't truly heard the theme from "Star Wars" until you've heard it played on an accordion by a subway musician. I was blessed to hear a short portion of this musical oddity recently and it stayed in my head for way longer than it really deserved to. I think that's because:

A - I hadn't heard an accordion in way too long and it made me smile.

B - It was totally unexpected and refreshing in a weird, New York City kind of way.

And C - The theme from "Star Wars" is probably the last song I'd expect to hear played on an accordion. OK, well maybe not the last one - I guess it might be more odd to hear a heavy metal or punk rock song jammed out on an accordion.

But somehow, it worked.

It's fun to hear or see things out of context, in a new and different way or from someone's alternate interpretation. It has a way of forcing you to reconsider the song, or object, or whatever it is that's out of context or outside of the place we normally associate it with - and to hear it or see it with fresh ears or eyes. For me, it's always a welcome diversion to be jolted into experiencing something from a new perspective – especially in the midst of a routine, mundane activity like riding the subway.

May the force be with you, in new and unexpected ways.

Startled by Kindness

“Are you OK?”

Those three words startled me out of a mind-daze I found myself in recently in the early morning, standing by the door inside the train station. It was one of those moments of staring with a fixed gaze at something but nothing at the same time. My eyes were slightly unfocused as my mind wandered. I was clearly more interested in what was going on in my head at the moment than what was playing out before me visually; hence, I “zoned out,” as I may do upon occasion. I was completely awake and cognizant of my surroundings – but it must not have seemed that way to a young guy who walked into the station, saw me, and quickly and concernedly asked me that opening question.

“Are you OK?”

I quickly snapped out of my daze and assured him that I was fine, and he went on his way. But I was left with a couple of interesting feelings. For one, I was slightly but not terribly embarrassed for being noticed and called out for what must be an unusual state of appearance. More than feeling embarrassed, though, I felt a little more self-aware of this mind-daze state. I never really thought about how trance-like I might appear when in one of those dazes. Note to self: look down and not straight ahead next time you decide to zone out.

But mostly, I was left with a good feeling about this chance encounter and what was truly a random act of kindness. I’m typically in my own world on my morning commute, as so many fellow commuters are – keeping to ourselves, minding our own business, not interacting. This day, however, a fellow human being stopped on his journey to make sure that I was OK. Nothing monumental – and it shouldn’t be cause for proclaiming the hope for or rebirth of humanity. But on this day, in that moment, it left me with a good feeling, knowing that someone – even a stranger – cared enough to look after my welfare.

And that makes me feel just a little bit more than “OK.”

Creative Siesta? Or Just an Excuse to Sleep on the Job?

I was intrigued by the title of a recent post on 99u.com: Do Power Naps Improve Creativity? Writer/Editor Sasha VanHoven shares how studies have shown that 20-minute naps may provide a boost in alertness, with 30- to 60-minute naps being good for cognitive memory and creativity, and 60 to 90 minutes enough for problem solving. I'll be interested to follow her #labrat experiment as she gives the 20-minute power nap a daily trial.

But let's be honest. Who in the real world (outside of certain European and Latin American countries where they enjoy the siesta) is able to slip away for a 20-minute doze in the middle of the work day? (Well maybe freelancers, if they're working from home. One of the perks.) I just don't see it sitting well with colleagues or bosses. "Excuse me, I'm putting myself down for a while." "If you need me, I'll be in the men's room napping." "Sorry, I can't make that meeting. It conflicts with my nap time."

I understand there are some services in metropolitan cities that offer napping "pods" for your office. I'd like to meet the company that is willing to pay for this type of employee perk in this day and age, with tightened budgets, cutbacks, etc. There are also facilities in some cities where you can go and take a nap during the day, which seems a little more reasonable, if you want to skip lunch and nap during lunch hour.

(Side note: I recently saw this scary monstrosity in the Hammacher catalog:
It's called a power nap head pillow, designed to shut out the world and enhance your napping time. Will it shut out the screams of little children and the faint-of-heart when they see what looks unnervingly like something from a bad sci-fi movie? Bonus points for those who recognize the sci-fi picture below and where it came from...)


I've read enough to know that some people swear by the power nap – and not just pre-schoolers. I've never been one to find a 20-minute nap all that effective in boosting alertness. If it boosts anything, it's my desire to sleep even more. I'm better off getting out and taking a 20-minute power walk for a quick reinvigoration. But kudos to those who do find a way to make shutting down and shutting eyes an effective work strategy.

I'm a little concerned for Wonder Woman

What's up with Wonder Woman?

Seriously. Why can't Hollywood figure out what to do with this iconic heroine? Hard to believe it's been over three decades since anyone did something viable with WW on screen, with the campy-but-fun Linda Carter TV series. Subsequent attempts to revive her have been stalled, aborted and abandoned, by some of the industry's biggest names (hi, Joss Whedon).

Among other issues or problems with re-booting (pun intended) WW, there are two that have struck me as particularly troublesome. One is the general larger-than-life nature of some of DC Comics' characters; i.e. Superman and Wonder Woman. As super-humans - Kryptonian or Amazonian - they are hard to relate to in the flesh and blood world of mere mortals. I always thought Marvel did it right when they created more "human"-type heroes. It's tough to relate to an invincible hero. How do you bring Wonder Woman down to earth?

Then there's the whole tricky balance between feminism and sexuality. Wonder Woman has always walked a fine line between being a true feminist hero and a hyper-sexualized fantasy. Do an online search for images of WW and you find a ton of overly sexual interpretations of the character. Really? Pole-dancing superhero?

  

It's a problem that plagues nearly all female super-heroes, but maybe none more than Wonder Woman. Through the years, her costume, as iconic as it is, has always been super-sexy - which many fan-boys may enjoy, but which damages her in the credibility department. Hard to take her seriously when she looks like a super-model or playmate in stars and stripes.

I'm still holding out hope that someone gets it right with Wonder Woman one of these days. Now there's talk that she may make an appearance in the upcoming "Superman-Batman" movie. Fingers crossed that Zach Snyder gets it right. In the meantime, I was kind of encouraged by this viral short film that someone made recently depicting a modern WW. Granted, the costume is still hyper-sexual and she looks like a double for Megan Fox. But there's an interesting tone to the film that feels dark, appropriately warrior-like, and compelling.

Of course, we still have to figure out what to do with the magic lasso and invisible plane.

Drops of Blood on My Forehead

God, I hate blogging.

Weird for one who writes professionally to admit such a feeling. But if you're going to look inside this copywriter's head, that's a truth you're going to discover.

One of my favorite quotes about writing is from American journalist, author and dramatist Gene Fowler, who reportedly said,

  Writing is easy: All you do is stare at a sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.

That's what it feels like for me when it comes to personal blogging. I write for a living, all week long, in a variety of channels including blogs. Every day, I speak as the "voice" of someone else – our agency, our clients, etc. So when it comes time to speak in my own voice, via this blog, why is it such a struggle? I suppose a therapist could have a field day with this – uncomfortable speaking in my own voice, perhaps? Afraid to open my head and heart publicly?

I prefer not to analyze it, but simply to acknowledge it. And as any writer knows, sometimes you just plough through and hope that in the course of writing a lot of drivel, occasionally something gold will show up. You just may not recognize it, covered in drops of blood as it may be.