When I work towards generating possibility in others, what I get back is the satisfaction of seeing those around me shine. When they are lite up, I’m lite up. Only then can I produce my best work.

When creating a product or service, it is successfully achieved only if everyone feels they are contributing in a positive manner. It doesn’t matter if I’m creating a dinner with family or an international music service. I want to find how to get the best of each person involved. It takes compassion, insight and the ability to listen. This video reminds me of that way of engaging with others.

Benjamin Zander is a person whom I know of only through an audio podcast. I heard his words, his passion, his humor- and now I want to meet him! I was unable to ponder his words without considering my own contribution. Mr. Zander appears to know how to lead those around him to be active participants in their lives.

This talk was recorded live at the TED conference in Feb. of 2008.

Video not working? Here is the direct link.

In 1999, Budweiser had an instant hit that had been created by Charles Stone. The Budweiser campaign was based on a short film called “True,” which was created by Mr. Stone and depicted the filmmaker and several of his childhood friends sitting around talking on the phone and saying “Whassup!” to one another. His concept was then purchased by Omnicom Group’s DDB Chicago. I don’t know anything about how the deal was structured, but its irrelevant to this post. The point is that an idea gained traction, was modified and then distributed to either promote or make fun of another product or group. Each replication was a direct reference to the original.

The power of the concept allowed it to migrate and still remain compelling. So who “owns” the original idea and how should credit be given to that person or entity? In this case, the benefits could be greater awareness of the creator’s talent for the purposes of more work or even direct financial compensation if the idea were licensed.

I think that, short of paying the creator to use his/her idea, creation credit should be offered up. I think the notion that an agency should retain rights to profit monetarily may be a stretch- although I’m open to hearing your argument. However, the originator should be provided bragging rights. To be able to say- “I/we created the Taco Bell Chihuahua or the Budweiser Wassup spots” is worth, at the very least, an invitation to the table for the next creative gig.

The following is the “regenerated” ad intended to deliver a political message of hope for the purpose of electing Barak Obama to the presidency.

The “Wassup” or “Whassup” ads were parodied repeatedly, as seen above. They were compelling partly because of the humor and partly because they embraced street language in no uncertain terms. DDB Chicago captured the cultural transition of Black Americana into the mainstream. It had been evolving over the last decade and slowly making its way into marketing messages. These spots put African-American slang front and center.

As a refresher, here is the original spot which sparked the knock-offs:

The host of parodies used different ethnicities or age groups, like octogenarians, Jews, The Simpsons, Arab Jihadists and many others, as a humorous platform. Here is the Jewish version glibly promoting “white fish.” This is classic stuff and reflects how quickly an advertising creation can become a cultural reference point.

Carnivores eat fresh meat. They gorge on all the body parts at that moment. Rarely do they come back and eat meat that is decomposing as a corpse. There simply does not exist as much energy in meat as it degrades. If meat is eaten while its decomposing, then the consumer is usually a maggot. Are we maggots?

Herbivores, on the other hand, tend to be the strongest and have the greatest endurance. A horse, for instance, can exert energy over an extended period of time consistently. The energy produced from fresh food that is not processed (dead) or preserved (dead) is far greater and in line with natural laws. His talk strikes at the obvious, which in our culture, we have ignored over convenience.

I think I need to go plant some potatoes. Be back soon…

“The person who is not their own physician by the age of forty is a fool.” – Paraselsus

In the late ’90’s, digital technologies began to level the playing field. No longer were large budgets required to create compelling content that could stimulate action- either a vote or a consumer purchase. This accelerated when broadband network capabilities were established. We had the digital tools and the distribution… time to play!

All one needs now is an idea, a group of friends, a digital camera, a video editing system and YouTube. Oh, and the other thing is an astute eye for story telling in a motion environment… or not.

The result of this massive shift has been to accustom viewers to hand held footage… shaky, off center, low production value, shifting contrast, single angle, etc. This isn’t a bad thing, but it has lowered our expectations of how communications must be presented. This is the reason for the rise of commercials using unprofessional “effects.” It speaks to an authentic experience. We feel comfortable with amateur. Professional is often suspect as cynicism spreads to every aspect of our lives.

All of this is tied to the success of the “wo/man on the street” phenomena. Look to music, fashion, cinema, politics and marketing for confirmation of this statement. We could write this movement off as the “dumbing down” of American culture and lament the loss of high-brow or intellectual aspirations in our society. However, I put forth a ray of hope to those craft-oriented, commercial directors.

The grittiness and amateur quality of communications will eventually result in a greater demand for professionally produced content. As with every medium, fatigue will set in after experimentation with “how low can you go” fades. Most everything will “live” on one end of the spectrum (amateur) and suddenly a beautiful messaging campaign with lush film-like imagery will appear on the other end of the spectrum. A spark of new found excitement will inject the next aesthetic into messaging. Professionally produced content, with digital tools, will be “reintroduced” as a valued execution.

Of course, lessons will have been learned and the integration loop will continue through its next cycle. We get “change” whether its a campaign slogan or not.

Get out the vote! Then, once the elections are done, get back to- Get out your IDEAS! This is why we must celebrate the rise of low-brow culture. It allows for expression without intellectual censoring. It allows for fast manufacturing of ideas in the same vein as Andy Warhol’s work.

Lastly, I commend both Nicole Betancourt and Jose Conde for the creation of this upbeat salsa political video. Nicole’s talent was first noticed with her self-made documentary on the death of her father who had AIDS. HBO took notice and her career in that medium began.

Right arm, Nicole! Go people-powered messaging!!!!

When you view an impassioned speech that addresses color prejudice, you realize just how timid our culture can be. It’s easier to start a war in a foreign country than to change our own stagnant beliefs. We need to be jolted out of our stupor. We need to awaken to our common humanity.

AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka makes it clear that racism against Obama lies just below the surface of so many people’s minds. Mr. Trumka does not sit on the sidelines. In this speech, he confronts the issue directly. His words provide me with hope that white America may finally put to rest fear of skin color, even if the message is wrapped in the language of the labor movement of another generation.

Again, Lloyds of London, one of the worlds largest underwriters, has identified this issue as the next great liability action for personal injury damages. Follow the trail. The underwriters are already creating policies for the mobile phone manufacturers so they can buy insurance to protect against massive class action suits. This sounds disturbingly like a lesson from the tobacco industry- protect yourself now from future “blow-back,”while reaping massive profits until the whole thing falls apart. In this instance, I’m using a government policy term for the unintended future consequences of an intervening action.

This video attempts to illustrate the “strange” affects of cell phone signals on popcorn. I don’t get the feeling that this is video “magic,” but it could be… a hair dryer under the table?! Some post-video work? You be the judge.

11/3/08- turns out this could be a hoax after all. It seems to have been debunked by CNN in this article. Well… at the least the part about Lloyd’s of London’s insurance policy is not a hoax!

It’s not for me to say if these ads are true examples of greenwashing, but they get perilously close. I do feel that with increasing frequency our intent to “do good” with our purchases is being preyed upon. Now, being a marketer myself, I understand the opportunity that exists to manipulate consumers on this point. It’s the very reason behind my work on a “green” marketing program for Blue Tent Marketing.

We all want to “pitch in” and make a difference to good ol’ mother earth. However, we just don’t want it to inconvenience our lifestyle choices. I’m just as guilty. I tend to agonize over the issue a bit more than others I know. However, when I hear about another environmental insult, I am no longer able to pause, generate a concerned-sad facial expression and then return to my activities. I’m now feeling each report with greater anxiety, but like so many I know, the little changes of new bulbs and a hybrid automobile aren’t helping me feel better.

I want to know how to do more. I want to feel that American corporations will help me do better. General Motors is doing something to help me feel as if there is hope. They’ve introduced a new automobile and its going to make gas stations extinct!

At least, that’s what their very slick story in :60 told me. I was captivated by the fast paced, time lapse montage of a corner gas station. It starts with a green field at the base of a mountain range. The cross-roads appear, then the first gas station, followed by successive upgrades through the years. It ends with the same green field and no gas station. GM has helped us evolve beyond fossil fuels with the introduction of the General Motors Volt- a completely electric vehicle? Well, the message is a bit confusing on that point as it states it can go 40 miles before fueling… but then why make the gas station disappear? You’ll still need it!

Additionally, we learn nothing about the specifics of the vehicle as it is only a prototype. The car is targeted for a 2010 launch! Targeted… I enjoyed the story arch and then the resolve that helped me feel that we could return to nature. However, I quickly understood the aim of GM and any momentary hope was dashed.

Yes, its a hybrid that may be predominantly electric (not alternating), but the majority of our electricity is fossil fuel generated. That’s just one observation. I have many more. However, GM could really help me feel better if it ran one of the following three TV ads:

• A GM mag-lev and solar powered light-rail system that is so competitively priced that a municipality can’t say no to installing it.
• A GM lobbyist pushing law makers to craft and ratify new policies to subsidize alternative energy and end government subsidies for fossil fuel production.
• A GM executive canceling a golf tee time with a coal company executive and instead making an appointment with a hydrogen energy executive to go surfing.

The “feel good” ads aren’t helping me feel good anymore… but it’s still an entertaining spot.