Disqus - Latest Comments for paul

Re: Handicraft

paul — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:27:54 -0000

I chopped down a tree this past summer. It was already dead. But still.
I know what you mean.

Re: Handicraft

paul — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 18:42:04 -0000

A relevant and timely post from Man oh Man.

Re: Don’t be afraid of negative space

paul — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:27:52 -0000

Great post.
Target is a great example of a brand that has successfully "taught" a higher form of visual language to a value-based customer. In fact, Target and brands like it have been so successful at this that their customers have come to expect (read: demand) it. The result has been felt all the way from point-of-sale graphics to product design. But Target and others like it can afford to make that kind of investment. The local tire shop doesn't feel the same way.

Re: LabFracas

paul — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:13:34 -0000

Hey, thanks for the good words. And thanks for putting the link up for LabFracas. Did you mention that the entire LabFracas game is under 20K?
There, I did ;)

Re: Creeeeeeeepy

paul — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:18:22 -0000

Kind of reminds me of those really strange 5-second promo clips that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel a few years ago. I remember one featured a baby. I think it burped up fire or something. Anyway I think the common creepy thread here is the baby. That's pretty universal along with clowns and mimes and anything resembling a lawn grub.

I tried to look up some of those Sci-Fi promos from their "what if" campaign. I didn't find them, but I did find this. Enjoy.

Re: Capturing the moment

paul — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 01:30:31 -0000

I have to agree. Sometimes during special events, I'm called upon to take photos or to run the camcorder as things unfold. It's never the same when you're stuck behind a viewfinder, and the resulting images can never hold up to the real experience. I always try to strike a balance, and tend to heavily favor snapshots to rolling video footage.

Think of all the dads who miss their kid's first school musical because they're too busy focusing, zooming and struggling for a better line of sight.

Re: Lay it out there

paul — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 09:14:29 -0000

It's a shame Coors Light ads aren't more like your wife.

Wait, that sounded really strange. What I mean is if you combine observation #2 with observation #1, things are better for all of us. And now that I read your post again, I see that that's your point. Never mind.

Re: Inspire ‘07

paul — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 10:29:31 -0000

Off-topic, I know. But I had to send respect and a holla for completing the NaBloPoMo challenge. Nicely done. Tell us, did you have a rough patch anytime during the month where it was a real hassle?

Re: NaBloPoMo Post-Game Analysis

paul — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:09:48 -0000

As someone who went through the same ordeal, I found that the daily deadlines actually sharpened my ham-fisted skills as a blog...ger (it's still hard for me to use that term regarding myself!). It's kind of like what happens when you know you can only print a piece of creative in 2-colors and on a low budget. The restrictions actually liberate you from over-thinking the extraneous decoration and focus on the core of the idea. I came out on the other end feeling more spontaneous and better conditioned to create timely posts on the fly without laboring over perfection. Looks like you feel the same way. Congrats.

Re: Rabbit

paul — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:34:19 -0000

That's incredible. Great find.

Re: Trees they can’t find!

paul — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:13:49 -0000

Steve Burns is a genius.

Re: We smoke while we shoot the bird

paul — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 09:49:56 -0000

I guess what seems lacking here is a true sense of corporate responsibility. Granted, the city may have overreacted. But you can't fault authorities for reacting to someone who has spotted a suspicious looking device mounted beneath a bridge. I've also heard that during the day the characters were not visible -- which probably made the wired boxes look even more suspicious.

It seems like someone from the group that created the campaign could have called Boston authorities right away when this thing started to hit the fan. I mean, it was on every news channel. You can't tell me they weren't seeing what was happening.

I also feel that at some level they should have looked into getting a permit to do this stunt. I'm all for guerrilla tactics, but this is Cartoon Network, for crying out loud. They should know better.

Re: Take care of yourself, capisce?

paul — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:46:56 -0000

Great to see you back on the blog. It'll be even better to see you back in person. Kansas City has been strangely cheerless without you out and about. Stay warm and get well.

Re: So much bigger than I thought!

paul — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:17:10 -0000

I found this VTB piece strangely entertaining. You have to give them credit for standing out and getting noticed. It seems as though they're trying to get Vermont Teddy Bears added to the pop culture lixicon.

Head on.

Re: The world of the waning jingle?

paul — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:04:38 -0000

I think it's telling if you listen to the three jingles that you've provided. They all sound like throw-backs to a bygone era. Jane mentions remembering one that was barbershop-tinged. Who listens to barbershop anymore? It's a caricature of a musical style that's long gone.

I collect vintage bottle caps. Most of the caps, or "crowns" as they are commonly called, have quirky names and naive taglines or sales messages on them. This is because back then the bottles were loaded into vending machines sideways with the tops of the bottles facing forward. The only visible part to the buyer was the cap, so soda companies did their best to make them colorful, well designed and capable of selling the product on their own. That's why they look so compelling now, compared to modern bottle caps which for the most part are just plain plastic twist lids. I guess my point is that sales mechanisms change with the times based on what works with consumers.

Jingles sound like what they are: shallow sales messages conjured up by advertisers. I love them just as much as you, but today's consumers just aren't into shallow sales messages.

I would argue that the modern form of the jingle IS the licensed music track.

Case in point: I can't listen to Dirty Vegas without thinking of Mitsubishi.

Re: The world of the waning jingle?

paul — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:06:49 -0000

Good point, Jeremy.

I would even venture to suggest Southwest Airlines' "DING ... You are now free to roam about the country." as a one-note jingle that is unmistakable to most of us now.

Okay, that may be stretching it.

I actually believe that someone will bring back the jingle in a BIG way very soon. The time seems right, maybe.

CP+B, are you listening?

Re: Art + Copy Clubbers… don’t forget to vote!

paul — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:28:54 -0000

Thanks. Now I can't get that song out of my head.
Best of luck, Jeremy.

Re: Recalling your user-generated content

paul — Thu, 31 May 2007 09:54:53 -0000

Great post, Jeremy. I think one of my first personal contributions to the Internet in the form of UGC was this, which I found on the Internet Archive. That was back in 2001.

Re: What the heck is electronic mail?

paul — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:01:29 -0000

Wow. I've never seen that print ad before. Thanks for sharing.

I still remember the first time someone said, "Just email me."

It was a cousin of mine. At the time, he was studying robotics at USC, and was more advanced than me in many, many ways.

I replied with, "Uhh, okay."

Re: Pownce on it

paul — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:06:47 -0000

I'd love to pounce.

Re: Yay! Homeonwership!

paul — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:31:58 -0000

Am I seeing a full-blown tiki bar in the basement?

Re: New Feature - Consistent Imagery

paul — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:49:30 -0000

Fittingly, you've kicked this new resolution off with an original photograph of an original illustration. Bravo.

Re: NaBloPoMo ‘07

paul — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:35:47 -0000

I'll probably decide sometime close to midnight on Halloween.

Re: NaBloPoMo 2007 Post-Game Analysis

paul — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 10:43:31 -0000

Looking forward to seeing your prolific experiments.

And don't worry about alienating your readers. With 190 subscribers, I think you have some buffer to work with.

Not like me.
I need every one of my 35 nuggets of RSS gold.

Re: I miss the monkeys.

paul — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:46:24 -0000

I still miss those really really old Budweiser commercials that had the team of horses and that cool song, "Here comes the king here comes the big number one."

Not quite the Career Builder monkeys. But still.

Re: What kind of client will buy great work?

paul — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:21:25 -0000

We won best of show at my old shop for a print piece that we did for a little place called Metalab. It was a guy and his office assistant who officed out of a strip mall. They had an electron microscope and they analyzed defective parts from assembly lines -- like bolts and springs and stuff. They were hesitant to go with our concept, but could not deny the power of a truly inspired idea.

Lesson learned: If the idea is right in the first place, it sells itself.

Our piece beat out a million-dollar TV campaign for a major petroleum company that included polar bear footage, a helicopter shot and licensed music.

Re: What kind of client will buy great work?

paul — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:22:55 -0000

That's right. Polar bear footage.

Re: All-nighters

paul — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:13:46 -0000

Need more people or less work or both.

Or maybe just a different kind of work. Or different kinds of projects.

I know that all sounds counter-intuitive, especially from a profit and loss perspective. But most mistakes are avoided when you have people who are fresh and able to focus on the important things without the constant noise of other impending deadlines and meetings along the way.

Less mistakes made early makes for less all-nighters late.

An observation.

Re: All-nighters

paul — Tue, 01 May 2007 10:08:10 -0000

Laura makes a good point. "Less work" doesn't have to mean less revenue. Less work can mean prioritizing -- and choosing to put the lion's share of our time toward more important projects.

Re: My 100 favorite movies

paul — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:23:50 -0000

Finally a top 100 list that includes two of my favorite (and mostly unsung) screen gems. Cop Land and Dog Day Afternoon. Add Glengarry Glen Ross and you've got the trifecta.

Re: Return To Sender

paul — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:29:09 -0000

Reminds me.

Re: The Hatch Awards

paul — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:26:39 -0000

It's a shame that so much interactive work out there suffers from the lack of those two little words:

Simple and surprising.

Re: There is a rocket on our building.

paul — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:33:58 -0000

I was able to get about 10 feet away from that sucker one day before the construction guys on the roof apprehended me and sent me back downstairs.

For one brief shining moment, I was close.

Re: What scares me.

paul — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:06:37 -0000

I'm scared of large, loud power equipment that has the potential of killing me if I'm not paying attention.

Re: We got a spread! We got a spread!

paul — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:57:34 -0000

Bravo!

Re: The traveling cake.

paul — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:38:42 -0000

My Uncle Paul was famous for asking for two slices of bread at every restaurant. At the end of his meal, he would take the two slices of bread and make a sandwich out of whatever was left on his plate. It didn't matter what it was, as long as it would fit between two slices. He would then slide the makeshift sammie into his coat pocket for later.

He told us kids that when he was growing up, they never knew for sure when their next meal would be coming.

Now, whenever I find crumbs in my pocket, I think of him.

Re: The traveling cake.

paul — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:02:47 -0000

I just know that sometimes I feel crumbs in my pockets.

Re: Is this the greatest ad ever written?

paul — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:27:29 -0000

And there's something about trees that always gets me in the pit of my throat.

Every time I try to read The Giving Tree to my kids, I get choked up.

We ask so much of trees, but return so very little. This is a great ad for a great cause. Proof that a picture says a thousand words -- like you said, Brian -- in any language.

Re: Comments from Cannes.

paul — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:31:02 -0000

More proof that we have one of the best jobs there is.

Re: I let my readers down.

paul — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:31:50 -0000

What are you sad sacks talking about?

I see comments on those posts.

Re: Agency cuts mean we are out of alignment.

paul — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:33:54 -0000

I for one don't believe in agency cuts. The spot is the spot.

Re: Are you a student of the world?

paul — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:50:37 -0000

Pacia reminded me of a great quote yesterday.

"Do interesting things, and interesting things will happen to you."

It speaks to the second half of being a student of the world -- which is all about being a participant and not just an observer.

Instead of just watching movies, try to make one of your own.
Learn how to play a musical instrument.
Draw a picture for your kids.
Volunteer.

I've never baked a strudel, but I have made homemade spaghetti noodles. That was interesting.

Re: 1977

paul — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:53:14 -0000

And all that type was set by a typesetter. Yes, that was a job someone could have back in 1977.

Re: Balance

paul — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:48:54 -0000

One thing I've learned about balance is that you can't just be with your family part-way, and you can't be with your work part-way. It starts with defining some simple boundaries, and then sticking to them.

Re: Best Ads In the Super Bowl.

paul — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:35:31 -0000

The Tide spot was one of my favorites as well.

I also really liked that Chester Pitts NFL commercial (the one where the oboe-playing kid was discovered and ended up getting drafted in the first round).

Bud, E-trade and Planters all felt like Superbowl ads. Not necessarily good ones either. Even FedEx felt like it was trying way too hard.

Same old Superbowl.

Re: Coors Light gets a bad rap.

paul — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:24:01 -0000

Don't drink it.

Re: I am a runner.

paul — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:56:06 -0000

Not one of my immediate goals. I would throw up on the starting line at the mere thought of it.

But these stories are inspiring â€“ even beyond the sport.

Re: Nice. Rice. Print.

paul — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:17:22 -0000

I first saw the Minute Rice ad in Parenting magazine while I was eating breakfast. It stands apart. It's great.

Re: Your dreams have something to say.

paul — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:27:03 -0000

Dreams are great for making abstract connections, if you apply yourself to thinking them through as soon as you wake up.

For me, I have also found that similar brain time happens in the shower and while I'm sitting on my lawn tractor.

I'm still looking for the trifecta: sleep wet while vibrating.

Re: Tastes like coffee.

paul — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:31:13 -0000

Did it come with the chubby mermaid on the cup?

Re: What a beautiful time of year.

paul — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:04:40 -0000

This weekend was picture-perfect. Morning, noon and night -- one for the record books.

Re: Music.

paul — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:43:21 -0000

What is it with all the ELO showing up in commercials these days?

Re: Music.

paul — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:52:25 -0000

I really liked hearing "Pressure Drop" from the Clash in the Nissan Rogue spot.

Of course, it's always kind of freaky to think of the original meaning of a song (political in this case) being completely thrown to the wind and used purely because the lyrics seem to suit a campaign idea. Something important is lost in the translation, and lost on a whole new generation of listeners.

Re: Music.

paul — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:56:25 -0000

Oops. Sorry, that link in my previous comment was for the NON-musical version of the spot. Here's the right one.

Re: Gone too soon. Sydney Pollack, the double threat.

paul — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:10:19 -0000

I loved his acting. He made it look so easy. So natural.
It was like you were watching Sydney, not Sydney playing a part.

Re: Fake ads.

paul — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:27:41 -0000

Seeing stuff like this, one would think that the joke is on big brands like JC Penney.
But as you so clearly point out, Brian -- the joke's on us.

Re: Which idea is better?

paul — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:25:11 -0000

Funny, on first glance I read the Cheer concept as, "The white of the eye is really white, while the iris retains its vibrant color. Cheer does the same for your clothes." I didn't even notice the size of the pupil until I read your post.

And for the record, what is the deal with posters, anyway? How many folks would actually see this Cheer execution? Are posters just done for award books?

Re: Creativity Magazine names Crispin Porter + Bogusky agency of the year.

paul — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:22:20 -0000

I love that word as a call to action.
Fearless.

The world needs more of that. Heck, I need more of that.

Re: Heinz put a tomato on the ketchup label. We can all sleep easy now.

paul — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:27:00 -0000

I'll miss the gherkin.

It was one of those hazy misunderstood packaging mysteries that has always fascinated me. Right up there with the hidden image in the Camel camel, the 33 on Rolling Rock beers, and the little label trick that an old navy sailor once showed me with Land-O-Lakes butter.

Re: I have a question for you.

paul — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:45:31 -0000

How has Saturday Night Live survived for 34 seasons?

Re: Austin Marathon, Part IV

paul — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:37:45 -0000

My ears are misshapen or something. I can never get those buds to stay in there anyway.

Big congrats on the marathon.

I have never hit the wall.

I fear that I shall this summer.