for the next political cycle:

• i hope the newly-registered and energized electorate is not a passing phenomenon. the results of yesterday’s historic election are proof that the voice of the people is important – and can be heard if we speak loudly enough. i hope the next presidential candidates – regardless of color, gender or class – are capable of capturing the enthusiasm and excitement that were all but lost in american politics before this election.
• i hope president-elect, barack obama, is able to accomplish great things during the next four to eight years. it’s hard to see the light at the end of the messy tunnel created by the bush administration, but if anyone is capable, i think it’s him.
  
• i hope americans don’t blame obama for circumstances beyond his control. things are so bad for so many facets of our nation that a fairytale ending isn’t likely. as much as one might wish, barack won’t be able to fix everything.  no one could. i repeat, no one could.  we must not hold him accountable for conditions created by the shortsightedness and selfishness of the system he’s working to change. we all know the uphill climb is harder than the way down. it took the bush administration eight years to shatter a healthy economy, erode our civil liberties, destroy our place as a respected world power, delay our steps toward a country powered by clean energy and…okay, i think you get the point. they effed up. but if it takes eight years to fall so far, it’s only reasonable to assume the trip back up will be a long and trying journey.
  
• i hope barack’s message and approach are contagious.  the more we work together, the better it is for all of us. if we all care a little more about the world we have to live in each day – AND do our part to contribute – then it IS possible to make this a better place. yesterday’s results are proof that the individual does matter.
• finally, i hope the steps we took forward yesterday are not replaced with steps back. this is who the people have democratically chosen to run their country. we have come too far and have too much to work to do to rebuild this country. the federal abuse of the american people must stop, and we have only just begun to clear the path toward understanding and progress.

and to my fellow (u.s.)americans, thank you for restoring my hope. let us not ride these tides of change into the sunset. rather, let’s use them to make bigger waves.

i’ve seen this commercial twice during my lunch breaks this week, and i just couldn’t resist sharing it with you. this gem. this masterpiece.

the swooped bangs and blue eyeshadow, the cat (one letter away from “cath”) the woman plays with during the “uplifting” portion of the commercial (ah! the symbolism!), the heartfelt copywriting – all so wonderfully over the top.

but in all seriousness.  watch this, and have a laugh. not at the misfortune of anyone who has to reuse caths, mind you. but rather, laugh at this cheesy cliche someone was actually paid to create.

and to liberator medical supply – take a lesson from pepto bismol’s current campaign (featuring catchy rhythms and a slogan that begins “nausea, heartburn, indigestion…”  pepto b. illustrates that commercials for those things we’re all told “not to talk about” can make people laugh in a good way. (like laughing with the commercial instead of at the commercial.)

to my favorite seven-year old!  i hope your birthday is filled with even more magic than this treasure chest!

the madness continues!  i just watched a head & shoulders commercial that claims you can “get back hair…”

call me crazy, but i really don’t think that’s something people are looking for in a shampoo/conditioner.

the commercial is advertising a restorative shampoo/conditioner that will restore your hair to its natural beauty, however the narrator’s slight pause, combined with poor copy editing totally muddy the message (or should i say they make the message a bit hairy?).  i think it’s safe to assume head & shoulders doesn’t want the audience to think they can “get back hair,” and while it’s likely that most people won’t make that assumption, a more carefully crafted script wouldn’t have given me something to blog about.

this is a flier i recently designed/illustrated for friends in a local burlesque troupe. be sure to check it out if you’re in town!

have someone (not the client) who isn’t involved with the campaign give it a once over.

why? well aside from adding an extra layer of proofreading, it helps to prevent unintentional – and undesirable – double entendres from making the client look ridiculous. granted, not all double entendres are bad. i’ll even go as far as to say i’m usually quite fond of them. nonetheless, when used improperly, they can ruin a message. i’m no psychologist, but i would venture to say mistakes like this occur when a creative team is so entrenched in a project they forget to take a step back and consider what others might read into their verbiage or imagery. and then of course, the client usually eats, sleeps and breathes their product or service, so they’re not exactly the best candidate for this process.

to illustrate the need for suggestion #427, i wish i had a photo of a billboard i recently passed on hwy 70 heading west from st. louis. it’s advertising for centurytel, a regional cable tv and internet provider, and it reads:

GO FIBER-FAST

sure, it’s harmless (and probably unintentional), but i have to think i’m not the only person to make the connection. and generally speaking, equating loose bowels with a product or service(s) isn’t the best approach. i’ve had issues with this particular ad campaign for awhile, but mostly because it seems to lack originality. and while this particular slogan may be somewhat original, i don’t think this double entendre purposeful.

side note: if the campaign was actually to subliminally suggest stopping at the next convenience station, they just might be onto something.

…before the fcc decides to pull this ad – or forces the company to revise it:

i really hope this one doesn’t go under the knife like another one of my favorite commercials to cleverly play on words.  perhaps you remember the short-lived aspercreme slogan “you bet your sweet aspercreme!”  now, commercials proclaim “you bet if it’s aspercreme!” instead.  because the rest of the commercial remained exactly the same, i have to assume someone stepped in. whether it was the fcc, the ceo of aspercreme or many angry letter-writing customers isn’t really the issue.  i just wish they hadn’t.  and i hope they don’t, in the case of those extraordinary nuts.

and to the copywriter who came up with the original asperecreme slogan, should you ever read this, please know that there’s someone out there who gets it.

wish i had thought of it myself…

short, sweet and to the point. although, i think the font choice may be a little inappropriate – i probably would have used something more bold/less stylized. but all in all, i think the message is a good one.

the first round of updates are up on my website. i’ve added a few samples of what’s on display at tellers, and i’ll try to get the rest up here soon.  i also have a few major structural changes to work on in the coming months, so stay tuned.

regarding the show at tellers…

it has gone well so far – several pieces have sold, and the opening was well attended. thank you to all who made it out for my big entrée into the world of professional art. your support and enthusiasm have made this one experiment worth repeating.

i hope to see you there!