The Affari Edge Blog

Most of my blogs are about national campaigns, companies and media outlets. This week, I would like to focus on a local company that executed a successful ‘mini-campaign’ just this past week. Our client, JB Fine Jewelry, came to us with an idea. They wanted to give back to their customers in the form of a Customer Appreciation Weekend. With some brainstorming and planning, we mapped out a small event that was greatly rewarding.

For those who aren’t aware, JB Fine Jewelry and Gems is a local jewelry boutique that specializes in custom jewelry design. They literally sit customers down and design jewelry from scratch. It is this high level of customer service that really sets them apart from their local competitors.

The staff is also very humble. They realize that it is their customers who allow them to continue running the business and doing what they love. In fact, it was this very realization that led to the Customer Appreciation Weekend concept.

Apparently, JB and staff are doing something right. The Customer Appreciation Weekend was a hit! Past customers, as well as new customers, joined the JB staff in the celebration.

All in all, the event was very rewarding, for both the JB Fine Jewelry, and the Affari Edge teams. It was really great to hear the results on Monday and know that we did a great job developing the promotional elements of the event. Our goal at Affari is to help our clients grow and succeed in all possible ways - even if it means coordinating special events or other ‘outside-of-the-box’ ideas. Knowing that our contributions to the JB Fine Jewelry brand helped to make the event a success is music to our ears. I am excited for the future as we continue to work with the JB Fine Jewelry family.

Remember those mythical Skittles commercials that used to air years ago? You know, where kids would chase the rainbow and it would reward them by raining candy. What happened to those days? Sure, they may have been a little cheesy, but at least I can see how they appealed to kids.

The more recent Skittles ads are very hit-or-miss. The ads are geared toward teens, and they try to achieve a comical appeal. Until I began researching the new spots, I completely hated them. Each commercial that I had witnessed firsthand left me sitting on the couch, semi-disgusted and extremely confused. To understand where I’m coming from, below are several Skittles spots I’ve seen over the last few weeks:

I understand the whole “believe in the rainbow” concept - I just don’t see how the ads could possibly make you want some Skittles…at all. As I browsed the Skittles commercials online, I remembered just how strange they were. To give them some credit, this ad made me laugh without being disturbed. It also had some pretty cool art direction and impressive effects. I think I would like the campaign a bit more had it featured more spots similar to this:

To be honest, I really wanted to bury the entire Skittles campaign until I found this last ad. However, one ad isn’t enough for me to pull a ‘180′ on the brand. I will still grumble when I see one of these commercials on TV, and I will still bring up the campaign when discussing advertising that I dislike. I just hope that after writing about this campaign I don’t come down with the Skittles touch…my keyboard is still here so I think I’m going to be alright.

I am an American, therefore, I am not supposed to have any affection or affinity for soccer, right? The MLS and David Beckham are looking to change this old rule. For decades, Americans have refused to watch or support professional soccer. Even when Pele (arguably the best soccer player of all time) was playing here in New York, the league crumbled.

So why now do MLS officials and team owners believe Beckham is the answer? In a poll conducted on ESPN.com last week, when asked what respondents thought about Beckham’s new American presence, majority of the respondents replied with the “I don’t care” option. So how is MLS, the LA Galaxy, or David Beckham going to captivate an audience of loyal NFL fans? Marketing and media seem to be their first move.

On Saturday, Beckham will make his debut with the LA Galaxy in an exhibition match against the English club soccer team Chelsea. The game is already sold out and is set to air nationally on ESPN. Over the past few seasons, ESPN has taken a lot of interest in the MLS - and even more so now with the introduction of Beckham. The popularity of ESPN among this nation’s sports fans may give the MLS the push it needs to become a major sport here in America - especially when coupled with buzz from various entertainment programs. Even his wife, Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice), has been in the news and actually was featured on an hour-long program last night on NBC during primetime.

I saw the following commercial over the weekend, and like most ESPN commercials, I thought it was pretty creative. I have a lot of respect for TV spots when they don’t use copy and still make an impact. Other notable ads that have achieved this are the iPod ads. They only need audio to convey a positive and intriguing message. After seeing this spot once, I made a note to tune into the game this Saturday (at 5:30pm on ESPN).

Even though the game looks like it will be a blow-out, I really hope it sparks a soccer craze here in the states. I have yet to jump on the MLS bandwagon, however, hopefully with the new ESPN push and Beckham’s star power I will eventually be converted. I’m not sure whether more people are attending/tuning in to the exhibition match this weekend because of Chelsea’s prestige or Beckham’s arrival. I’m not sure if Beckham can save the MLS alone - even if he is adored and followed by the media. However, I am sure I’m going to try my best to follow Beckham and the MLS to (if nothing else) critique the methods used to promote this ’soon-to-be resurrected’ league.

As we take a break and enjoy a day of parades, BBQ, friends, fireworks and fun, how many of us will take a moment to think of the 4th of July as anything more than a nice day to soak up the sun?

When I was a child I remember lots of red, white and blue, patriotic songs and being so proud to be from the United States. I’m still proud, but after recently spending a few weeks out of America I see that we really need a serious public relations campaign to regain some of the respect we once commanded.

As advertising gurus, we have the power to change the landscape of an entire nation. Did you even realize that you have so much influence? Even if you are a smaller agency working with smaller clients, you can make a huge difference.

I met with an organization a couple of weeks ago that made me immediately think, “These people get it!” We have always been committed to making sure our agency doesn’t compromise ethics to get ahead. I would much rather be on a lower rung than have my foot prints on someone else’s toes as we climb the ladder of success. So, this amazing company that I hope to have a long, wonderful, mutually beneficial relationship with tells me that their CEO’s motto is, “Don’t do anything that would make a mother cry.” Don’t you love that!? It sums up so much with just a few words. It’s just another example of the power of words.

To me this is still the greatest nation on earth. I’m so thankful for the liberties we have, but remember with freedom comes responsibility. As you’re planning your client’s next campaign or your own organization’s marketing, keep in mind that just because you CAN say something, SHOULD you?

I’m not saying don’t have any fun today! After all, even George Washington gave his soldiers a double rationing of rum on the 4th of July! Just take a moment today to say thanks for all that we have. And because freedom isn’t free, please keep our troops stationed around the world and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

While running to nowhere on an elliptical machine yesterday morning, I was reading through my latest edition of TIME magazine and saw something that almost caused me to fall off the machine. Yes, it was the new logo for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Like a bloody car wreck, I had to stare at it. Was this something representative of 2012? While we don’t know what the future holds, I certainly hope it doesn’t involve shapes and colors straight out of 1989. I mean, really? Who designed this mess? I bet you if you watch the opening credits to Saved By the Bell frame by frame you’ll probably see this design slipped in somewhere. I’m wondering if the designer won an episode of Nickelodeon’s Guts in the early 90s, and was inspired by his or her glowing piece of the AggroCrag.

There’s no doubt that this well-researched, heavily-financed logo is the ugliest thing seen in the Olympic games since Atlanta’s memorable Izzy from 1996. There’s also no doubt the creators of this horrific art piece are also getting something any artist would LOVE to have: free publicity.

Irish author Brendan Behan once said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” That is certainly the case with the 2012 logo. Thanks in part to the fanatical British media, and art critics from all around the world on the internet, people are talking about the 2012 London Olympics. In case you forgot, the next Olympics are in China in 2008. That alone is a major victory for the London Olympics committee.

While the Olympics are still a major event, and still give a major ratings boost to NBC every summer, unless the games are in your backyard quite a few people don’t care. Actually, I should clarify that as not too many people watch it from start to finish. The buzz for most Olympic games, again when not in your nation, is typically minimal until just a few days before opening ceremonies. For the London group, they’re getting a five-year head start on the buzz. They’re also getting creative.

If you go to the 2012 Olympics website, you can design your own Olympic logo for the games. To date, there have been more than 400 entries posted (although probably thousands of more unacceptable ones are sitting in some 2012 staffer’s in-box). It’s a great and fun response from the 2012 group: Okay, you don’t like it? Design one yourself and do better! After perusing through most of the posted entries, I can say without hesitation that everyone else’s sucks just as much as the official logo. Granted there are a few excellent submissions, and a couple of humorous ones, but most of them are pure crap. I suppose it’s just further proof that anyone can be a critic.

But if the 2012 logo follows through on Behan’s idea of publicity, if it does indeed die in favor of a new logo, than a public search and competition for the next great idea in the 2012 Olympic logo creation will not only generate a nicer logo it will also provide another stream of buzz going in to that Olympic games.

If you know of the tale of the ugly duckling, you know that eventually it becomes a swan. I don’t know if the 2012 logo will actually change into a beautiful swan, as in a brand new and more easy-on-the-eyes logo. In fact, the logo doesn’t have to change period. The London Olympics committee already got its beautiful swan: free publicity. And that’s a creature so beautiful, money just can’t buy it.

Yahoo and Google are revolutionizing the advertising industry, and it won’t be all for the better.

Yahoo and Google have “context-based” advertising programs. Microsoft just purchased one. These are great for advertisers looking to reach a more targeted audience.

If there is a story about surfing on a website, ads for things surfers are likely to buy. Advertisers win because their actual customers are more likely to see their ads. Moreover, for less ‘popular’ terms, the cost is lower — which means the smaller the market or the narrower the niche, a company can get into advertising for relatively less money.

Sounds like a win-win, right?

Well, consider this as well. As Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft sign up partners for their ad programs, they will be looking to large, national advertisers because they can aggregate so many sites into one place. Yahoo, for example, has more than 400 daily newspapers as part of its network. For the Proctor & Gambles, Johnson & Johnsons, and Coca-Cola’s of this world, this is great. Their agencies can place ads on all of these sites by going to one source: Yahoo.

But the future is dimmer for local advertisers. As more and more ads are placed by the three giants, less and less inventory will be available to local businesses. Some sites could abandon their ad sales staff entirely, giving all of their inventory to the Yahooglesoft monster.

How does a local mom-and-pop restaurant advertise in this world? They have to be savvy enough to sign up on a Yahooglesoft program website, and hope they can limit their exposure to people in their immediate area? Would a Tampa restaurant really want to advertise on a California newspaper site that has a story mentioning “Tampa”? After all, they are not looking to reinforce their brand - they want butts in seats.

Advertising agencies will adapt and learn how to navigate the online world, much as they did with the offline world. Still other agencies will adapt to become “local ad sales agents,” serving as the local/public face of websites targeted to a specific geographic area.

Yes, the Yahooglesoft monster will change the industry… how it will all shakeout will be interesting to see.

Okay. I must admit that I am the PR guy here and not the advertising guru. We have some talented people on staff here that can make some great commercials.

But I wanted to give some kudos to this AT&T/Cingular commercial:

I laugh because the mom knows what her daughter is saying. I laugh at the expression on the girl’s face because it’s quite authentic. I laugh when the mom tries to say “SNF” at the end. Entertaining commercials that don’t fast forward on my DVR.

Now, let’s contrast that with another one. I really want to ask what the creative team at Saatchi and Saatchi were thinking with this Wendy’s Commercial:

It may be a twist of going against the crowd mentality… but man couldn’t they do it with a better spot? (Of course, they might also point out that I am talking about their spot and spreading the message).

Heck, just read the comments on the YouTube pages for the AT&T and Wendy’s spots.

During the past several years, the usage of digital video recorders (DVR) such as TiVo and those provided by cable and satellite providers has increased to a national average of 17% of households in America. With that number expected to jump into the upper 20s by the end of 2008, the “Big Four” networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX) and advertisers are jumping up and down worrying about whether or not viewers who watch a show are actually watching the ads. This week, and thanks to superb coverage of this issue by the New York Times, it has been revealed the networks and Nielsen Media Research have agreed to a unique way of accounting for audiences with live and recorded viewing. The system is called “live plus three”, a ratings report generated by Nielsen that will account for total viewers who watch a program live or via DVR within 72 hours of its original broadcast. While the new approach is intriguing, will it truly measure the total audience for a show? And will it appease both networks and advertisers who have been dragged kicking and screaming into the changing world of media?

The need for an accurate ratings system is imperative. As of just a few months ago, Nielsen’s prime source of information was the old-fashioned method of sending paper diaries to viewers in the hopes the viewer actually remembers what he or she was watching that day in case they didn’t write it down while watching TV. If you’ve ever taken part in one of those surveys, and I must admit I have before, it’s not as easy as it sounds. With the technology available today, Nielsen is FINALLY moving into the 21st century by collecting data through digital means, and through info collected by DVRs themselves. Accurate ratings are crucial to both the networks and advertisers. For networks, accounting for the “lost” viewers who record and later watch a program helps them raise ad rates since they have a clearer picture over who is watching their programs. For advertisers, an accurate number helps determine if a particular ad campaign on a particular network is paying off those big bucks spent on the spots. But I’m not so sure the “live plus three” is the best solution for this issue, although it is a start.

In Stuart Elliott’s article, the idea of “live plus seven” was apparently floated out to the networks and advertisers only to get shot down. This is curious to me because BOTH parties could use the “live plus seven” method to their advantages, and the capability of providing those numbers is available from Nielsen. I bring this up as an issue because some of us have hours and hours of prerecorded TV shows we haven’t watched yet, and they happen to be more than three days old. I actually have three or four episodes of House I have yet to watch, but I know when I get a free afternoon I will finally catch up on one of my favorite shows. I also haven’t watched last week’s edition of The Office yet, but I know I will watch it tonight before the season finale’. Both NBC and its advertisers have “lost” me, and since I love the show (and have since day one… I’m one of the few who can say that) they may want to count me in their final numbers.

Right there is the dilemma both parties are fighting. The networks would like to have the seven day report because those of us who take our sweet time watching a recorded show can be counted. That would mean bigger numbers, higher ad rates, and ultimately more revenue for the networks. Outside of revenue, a true accounting of viewers may also do the networks a great service since so many people think the Big Four are losing their relevance in today’s media-savvy society.

The advertisers, however, want instant gratification… and you can hardly blame them. Corporations spend billions and billions of dollars in national advertising in the hopes of generating and maintaining a consumer base. Even if viewers aren’t watching the commercials live or when the program is prerecorded on a DVR, the numbers generated will justify a corporation or ad agency to spend more or cut back on a particular show or network. With so much money at stake, and even a few corporations’ public image as well, the instant turnaround when it comes to results is a given. Viewers either really love a commercial, or they really hate it. Why spend more in seven days to air a spot that isn’t received well, and why hold back when consumers want more?

The division of interests has caused some tension between the parties. As it is stated in the aforementioned article, CBS president of sales Jo Ann Ross said, “This is still a gentleman’s business. You do business on gentleman’s agreements.” The article goes on to suggest CBS would really like the advertisers to try the seven-day method, and to let them “write the business” where recorded viewing is factored in to ad rates. I applaud CBS (and it appears other networks are leaning this way) for trying to get the best of both worlds with the seven-day plan. But in these days where the bottom line is everything with the Wall Street giants (the networks and advertisers) money talks and common sense walks. The advertisers want to make key financial decisions not just for a season or month of programming, but for individual episodes as well. The networks need every dollar that walks through the door, so the “gentleman’s agreement” gets done. That means both sides are still left a little short in my opinion.

For advertisers, I can’t see why a seven-day or even a 30-day plan can’t be effective. Sure, there are some products or services (such as movie releases, national car sales, etc.) that are time-sensitive. But even if a viewer sees a commercial for an “expired” product or service, didn’t the viewer still see the spot? It’s almost the “if a tree falls in the woods…” scenario. If I see an ad for a Ford F-150 that originally ran in April, wasn’t I exposed to the product? I may not be able to get that truck for the exact same monthly payment or interest rate advertised, but that won’t stop me from thinking it’s a pretty nice truck. The same goes for movies. I may be watching an ad for Spiderman 3 three weeks after the movie was first released, but does that mean I won’t go out and see it now? Does it also mean I won’t order it on Netflix or buy it when it comes out on DVD? NO! This short-sightedness is one reason why advertising in mainstream media is so fluky.

Another problem with the advertising world is why is advertising so crucial on the “Big Four”? Yes the message typically gets out to more people than the cable networks, but getting a message to your intended audience seems to make more sense to me (and also justifies your media spending a bit more). That F-150 ad would look better on CMT, GAC, or ESPN instead of in the middle of a “Heroes” episode. The Spiderman trailer might be more successful when used on the Sci-Fi channel, Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon instead of lost in a sea of ads during “Ugly Betty”. Creative ads playing on You Tube or downloaded via iTunes would also hit that target consumer better than the “mass media”. It’s just another sign that some advertisers clearly haven’t figured out how to reach the consumers they want through new media.

As for the broadcasters, I would think the accounting of a show beyond seven days would be helpful in determining the real success of a show (and of course the ad rates). If a network discovers an extra one million viewers watched an episode of a show 8-14 days after it originally aired, could that save a show from getting canceled? Could it help a network show advertisers fans of shows are loyal to programming for weeks and weeks and not just 30 minutes a week? Could it also help networks devise programming and advertising methods that help viewers become more interactive with the show? If I’m told I could win a million dollars by answering a trivia question about a show online, but only after I watch the show live in its original airing, you can bet I’ll find some way to shift my schedule around for that carrot on a stick.

For now, both sides will wade through the waters of this new agreement to see how it works. It is a start, but I think the data available now can be used for better purposes on both sides. But since the advertisers need to make shrewd decisions now, and the networks need every penny they can squeeze out of them, I won’t hold my breath for things to change.

SOME OTHER NOTES ON ADVERTISING:

* It’s a bit of a spoiler, but NBC’s three-minute preview of tonight’s “The Office” on YouTube is simply genius. I was going to watch the show already, but now I’m so amped up for it I will probably watch it live! Note to networks: this is the use of new media as the “carrot on the stick” I was referring to before.

* The Orbit chewing gum commercials have grown old with me, mostly because they’re just plain silly (or in some cases not). But this commercial had me howling when I first saw it last night:

* On the not-so-funny end, in 2003 NHL player Dany Heatley was speeding in his car in a residential neighborhood in Atlanta. He lost control of his car, causing a wreck that killed his Atlanta Thrashers’ teammate Dan Snyder. Snyder’s parents are traveling across the U.S. and Canada to spread the word about their son. While they have forgiven Heatley, they haven’t forgotten what has happened. The use of Heatley in the Versus network’s bumpers for the NHL playoffs, where Heatley (now playing for the Ottawa Senators) proudly proclaims the playoffs are “do or die” time, just doesn’t feel right to me.

* Finally, success finds the most unexpected people at the most unexpected time. Just ask the guy who plays the role of the Geico caveman.

NOTE: This cloumn was originally written and posted by Matt Sammon at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays fansite, draysbay.com on April 1, 2007. It has been republished with the permission of draysbay.com. Matt is a regular contributor to draysbay.com, and is a part-time employee of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His views and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ ownership, management, players, coaches, or other employees.

Believe it or not, all 30 teams in Major League Baseball already know how they are going to do this season. How do they know? It’s all in the marketing my friend. And now, if you don’t mind, let’s step away from the insanity of no lefties in the Rays’ bullpen and Jorge Cantu wants to be traded as we look at how the other teams are selling themselves.

This is has become an annual tradition of mine. Come opening day, I cruise around other MLB sites and see what the big sales pitch is. Some season slogans are creative, others are dull, while quite a few are just plain dumb. In a column I wrote on February 16th, I said I really liked the Rays slogan for 2007, “More than just a game.” I liked it most for its honesty– with a team relatively unchanged from last season a postseason berth probably isn’t in the cards this season. So, let’s pump up the fact that going to a Rays game is fun, even if the outcome of the game isn’t.

You’ll notice if you bounce around the other 29 MLB websites, the teams that aren’t guaranteed a playoff spot or long lines wrapping around the box office have to come up with a slogan. The world champion Cardinals, Yankees, and Red Sox don’t need an ad campaign with razzle and dazzle. As long as there is an open keg of Old Style in Wrigley Field, the Cubs don’t need a campaign. As long as Cubs fans live in Milwaukee, the Brewers won’t need a campaign. As long as Peter Angelos remains a cheap bastard, the Orioles won’t have a campaign.

So the other teams in MLB can’t just roll up the blinds at the ticket window and expect the gates to be stormed by people hungering for baseball, especially if the team may have to luck its way into the postseason. These teams then have to spend thousands of dollars on marketing groups headed up by people who never picked up a baseball bat, and thus the silly slogan is born.

Before we look at this season’s attempts to stuff a few more people in the stadium, a quick reminder of my picks for dumbest ad campaign in MLB the past two seasons:

2005– Pittsburgh’s “Come Hungry” campaign
2006– Detroit’s “Who’s Your Tiger?” campaign

* First the nominees for “winning = ticket sales” ad campaigns: The Padres, A’s, Yankees, and Cardinals have slapped some kind of postseason success logo up and that’s good enough for them. Must be nice.

* The “It worked well enough last year” group includes the Twins, Giants, Angels, Tigers and Pirates.

The Twins claim their “This is Twins Territory” campaign was so successful, they brought it back by popular demand. As long as notorious penny pincher Carl Pohlad owns this team though, I’ll always believe he just didn’t want to invest in something new.

The Giants again go with “Your SF Giants”, apparently still trying to alert people in the other city by the bay that the Giants are not moving to Tampa Bay.

The Tigers return with their silly “Who’s Your Tiger?” campaign from last season. I guess the eight-year-old who came up with that still works for little or no money.

Speaking of cheap, the Pirates again go with “We Will”. We will win? We will lose? We will, we will, rock you? Chances are “we will” precedes “miss the playoffs again for the 15th consecutive season.”

The Angels again roll with “The A-Team!” Knowing Mr. T’s financial situation, I’m sure there’s some kind of kickback here.

* Alright, let’s now go top to bottom, alphabetically, up to my selection for dumbest ad campaign of the season:

The Houston Astros proudly proclaim this season is “the return of the good guys”. I don’t know if this is saying the Astros will be good again like they were in 2005, or if Andy Pettitte and Aubrey Huff were assholes and the team is glad they’re gone.

The Blue Jays get aggressive this year with, “It’s always game time”. Great, just another reason why the Jays will be loaded with injuries again. Game time is all the time and these kids just can’t get any down time.

The Braves are suddenly coming up with slogans, and this year they try, “Welcome to the bigs”. One look at the Braves’ depth chart and those words have probably been uttered to most of the 25 active players recently. Less veterans, more kids still having to prove something, and probably a fourth-place finish in the NL East.

The Diamondbacks scream, “Are you ready?!?” For another ho-hum season in the desert? Not really, but at least the new unis look nice.

The Dodgers slogan isn’t flashy (It’s Time for Dodger Baseball!) but the way they write it is. Written in a 1954-esque style script, it appears somebody gave the marketing keys to Vin Scully. Either that, or the Dodgers are willing to bring Duke Snider back so he can earn an honest living and not evade the IRS again.

I like the Rays’ honesty in their ad campaign, but the Indians may have beaten the Rays in the honesty department this season. Ya ready for this? “Indians ‘07″ Yep… they’re the Indians and it’s 2007. Or is it 1907? The 1907 Indians also finished in fourth place, so there may not be much of a difference between now and then.

You have to look hard for the Mariners‘ campaign, but I found it and it sucks; “Mariners baseball… my oh my”. Well, I’ve heard different, more obscene descriptions of Mariners baseball recently, so I guess this is kid-tested and mother-approved.

The Marlins have the hysterical, “You Gotta Be Here!” campaign this season. Well I guess you gotta be there, because judging by the attendance figures you haven’t been there recently. It is a step up from, “Oh please, oh please just show up!”

The Mets have an equally goofy campaign, proclaiming, “Your Season Has Come”. Wow… after failing to do anything in two seasons of winter little league baseball, and playing nothing but beer-league softball (even that was six years ago), I’ve finally earned a season with the Mets! Baseball HAS been beddy beddy good to me!

The Nationals actually have a great and clever campaign. “Pledge Your Allegiance” is topical considering where the team plays, and is also a slight dig at the Orioles who continue to lose fans every day. Still, considering how painful of a rebuilding process the Beltway will see in the next few years, fans may be pledging their allegiance to masochism.

The Reds go with, “C You There!” Get it? There’s a “C” on their hats. Ummm… yeah.

In January the Rockies rolled out a “R You In?” slogan, but it hasn’t been back up as the team sticks with their previous “Gen-R-ation” campaign. Apparently their marketing genius really likes instant messaging, since he or she can’t spell a damn thing right.

Think your job sucks? Ever thought of selling tickets for the Royals? There, doesn’t that put everything in perspective? The Royals have to be the most creative, and this year they came up with “True Blue Tradition”. Sadly, that’s all the Royals have… true royal blue tradition from George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Dan Quisenberry, and the greatness that is Buddy Biancalana. KC is still looking back at 1985, and owner David Glass is still counting every dollar in his pocket.

The White Sox don’t have the advantage of selling world champion t-shirts this season, so the south siders had to create the odd campaign of, “Back to the Grind”. True, the Sox have to get back to the style of play that got them a championship in 2005, but that approach just seems so depressing. You almost want to bring a gun to U.S. Cellular Field to off yourself. If you talk yourself out of the suicide, you can then protect yourself from the late night hoodlums in that part of town.

* The runner-up for dumbest ad campaign in 2007 is… the Texas Rangers notable attempt at selling tickets; “You Could Use Some Baseball”. Let’s do the math kids– 35 seasons, three playoff appearances (none since 1999), and zero championships. Yes, the people of Arlington, Texas, sure could use some baseball, and not the crap the Rangers will serve up this season.

* Finally, the winner of the dumbest ad campaign in 2007 goes to our brothers in the city of brotherly love. The Phillies dare to ask, “Goosebumps– What Will They Do For You?” No really, that is their big-money ad campaign this season. Granted the Phils may finally put together a postseason run for the first time since 1993, but goosebumps? What about Ryan Howard, or Jimmy Rollins, or Chase Utley, or Pat Burrell, or the incredible changes Pat Gillick has brought to Philly during the past few months? GOOSEBUMPS?!? I haven’t gotten those from watching the Phillies since Tug McGraw threw his arms up in the air when he recorded the final out against the Royals in 1980. If the Phillies get that far this year, other side effects could include nausea, vomiting, and listening to Philly fans all offseason long bragging about their team. Please consult a doctor.

So there you have it, a look at how the other teams honestly think how they’ll fare this season. With 22 teams not making the playoffs this season, I can guarantee at least 22 more crazy, lame, or just plain dumb ad campaigns in 2008.

After going into review and breaking ties with long partner Wieden + Kennedy, Nike has found its new creative agency. Nike announced recently that Crispin, Porter + Bogusky will handle their Nike Plus, Nike ID, and running-shoe accounts. Read more about the huge win in this article published on AdAge.com earlier today:

http://adage.com/article?article_id=116309

Over the past few years, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky has unleashed a number of campaigns that have had major impacts on advertising nation-wide. Campaigns that feature spots such as VW’s unexpected/high-impact crashes, and Burger King’s new, somewhat morbid king have received a lot of buzz over the past year. CPB is also responsible for the Miller Lite ‘Man Law’ campaign and the notorious Sprite ‘Limon’ spots.

I personally believe that CPB’s most impressive work is their new media. They have utilized internet advertising in a way that every single agency wishes they could. The highly regarded Subservient Chicken site created a lot of buzz for the unique program. They also have a history of producing very creative banners and other interactive internet ads. If you aren’t aware of the Subservient Chicken site, you need to check it out:

http://www.subservientchicken.com>

The fact that CPB is now handling the creative for Nike - especially some of Nike’s online work - is very exciting. CPB has found ways to promote brands on the internet in a very effective way. As advertising professionals in the 21st century, we all need to understand what CPB understands, and improve upon it. There is so much potential for interactive advertising on the internet. It is up to all of us to grasp the concepts behind it and challenge ourselves to take it to the next level.

Congratulations to Crispin, Porter + Bogusky on landing an amazing account. Hopefully this is just more proof that state of the art creative can take your agency to the next level.