Captains of Industry » Blog http://www.captainsofindustry.com Captains of Industry is a Strategic Marketing and Filmmaking Agency in Boston Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:31:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Let Us Do Our Thing, Tequila and Timberlake, and John and Marsha http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-let-us-do-our-thing-tequila-and-timberlake-and-john-and-marsha/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-let-us-do-our-thing-tequila-and-timberlake-and-john-and-marsha/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:29:23 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2201 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Thursday Deal:

1. Let us do our thing, chicken wing

I’m obsessed with The Oatmeal. Not the kind with flakes and a puritan man on the box, but the website with hilarious and sometimes crude comics about everyday life. This morning, I came across a comic called, “How a Web Design Goes Straight To Hell.” The comic basically describes the demise of what could have been a very beautiful and effective website due to a client and agency who just couldn’t communicate. And it got me thinking about how important the client/agency relationship actually is. The dance between the two can be a delicate one. We, the agency, want to make you, the client, as happy as humanly possible. Maybe even as happy as inhumanly possible. And not just because it’s our job to do so, but because we really want you to be successful. But what many companies don’t realize is that the road to the holy grail of kick ass work is paved in trust.

You are the expert in your field. You know how every gizmo and doodad of your phantibulator works and why it was created in the first place.

But here’s what we know.

We know how to dig around people’s heads to figure out who would spend their money on your product and why. We know how to translate how your doodads work to your audience. We know what design, language and publishing application will be best suited to relay your vision and your product’s benefits. We know. We really do. So next time you’re working with an agency, please remember that you’re working with experts who live to make your business successful. And we in turn, we will remember that the phantibulator is your baby. Your very reason for existing. And we will do everything in our power to make it look good.

Trust us.

2. Tequila doesn’t need Timberlake to be sexy

Supposedly Justin Timberlake, God bless his boy band heart, wants to make tequila sexy. Well, if you ask me, tequila hasn’t needed Timberlake the past 354 years, and it probably doesn’t need him now. But, I digress. Anyway, according to AdFreak, Timberlake directed the new 901 Silver Tequila commercial campaign spots for The Martin Agency in his effort to pump up the sex appeal for the beverage of champions. The ads are supposed to be all about the product’s ability to “liberate” one’s desires through its “uncommon” smoothness. The only thing smooth about these ads are JT’s remarkably delectable vocal chords at the end of each spot announcing the brand and tagline.  The copy is written in Shakespearian-like lingo that was lost on my ADD-like mind. I’m sure that if I watched the spot a few more times I might get the point of using such language. But, the consumer won’t watch it over and over before flipping back over to Bobby Flay’s Throwdown, so why should I? Maybe next time JT should stick with singing songs about being sexy. It works better for him.

3. Jooohhhhnnnnn. Maarrrrsshhhhhaaaaa.

There’s a lot of stuff white people like. Picking fruit. Conan O’Brien. Vespa Scooters. The list goes on and on. But one that takes the cake with both white people and marketers is finding mistakes on Mad Men.  Ad Lab found in the latest episode that the drop ceilings in Draper’s new office are looking a little too modern. According to the ceiling experts at Ad Lab, “drop ceilings were invented in 1958 and were originally glued or stapled, and the T-bar suspension system wasn’t invented until the late 1960s.” We can’t have that at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce now can we? Excuse me while I jet off now on my Vespa Scooter to go pick fruit with Conan O’Brien.

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-let-us-do-our-thing-tequila-and-timberlake-and-john-and-marsha/feed/ 0 The “Inception” of Ideas http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/the-%e2%80%9cinception%e2%80%9d-of-ideas/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/the-%e2%80%9cinception%e2%80%9d-of-ideas/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:01:20 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/the-%e2%80%9cinception%e2%80%9d-of-ideas/ By Ted Page, Captains of Industry

(Spoiler alert – you may not want to read this if you haven’t seen the movie yet)

Last weekend I saw Inception, and it’s certainly a mind blower ­– but I couldn’t help but thinking that there is a much easier way to plant a powerful idea in someone’s head than drugging them and pulling them into the fourth level of dream state. Just do a really nice marketing campaign. Sure, you can call me a kill-joy, and I know the 4th level of dreaming and all the gunfire and mayhem made for a great popcorn gorging Hollywood wow-fest, but the fact is that the reason billions are spent on marketing each year is that, quite simply, it works. We get powerful ideas planted in our heads every day. And if you think you’re immune to this, you’re dreaming. Do you have an iPhone or a Droid? What kind of car do you drive? Are you wearing Nikes or Pumas? Somewhere, some time, inception took place in your brain so you made a choice about which brand to buy, and today’s version of Don Draper put it there. Without you even knowing it.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the power of dreams. I just think there’s a faster, easier way to tap into them and make them real. In fact, it’s what I do every day.

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/the-%e2%80%9cinception%e2%80%9d-of-ideas/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: All The Cool Kids Are Doing It, Breaking Through and Raccoons Running Amok With Your Electronics http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it-breaking-through-and-raccoons-running-amok-with-your-electronics/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it-breaking-through-and-raccoons-running-amok-with-your-electronics/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:43:42 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2193 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Wednesday Deal:

1. But, all the cool kids are doing it!

In high school, the coolest kids always started the biggest trends. In my heyday, it was tight, bellbottom jeans, white eyeliner and unfortunately, velour tracksuits. I still shudder at the thought. But, even though I’m no longer rocking a J. Lo inspired ensemble with “Juicy” written across my behind, I still think that the coolest, most happening people are the ones that get the ball rolling when it comes to new ideas and major trends. Case in point, Renewable Power News just announced that Google recently decided to purchase wind power for the next two decades to provide clean energy to its data centers. If Google isn’t sitting at the cool kids table, I don’t know who is. Hopefully, Google’s example will inspire other companies and institutions across the nation to rethink where their power comes from. And if your CEO still isn’t convinced that renewable power is the way to go, just let him know that the cool kids are doing it.

2. You don’t have to break through a wall to breakthrough

The AdCouncil definitely had their heart in the right place with their most recent PSA, just not their concept. In their latest spot, they encourage people in menial labor-type jobs to go get their GED. The idea is that getting a GED can help break down barriers and will lead to better jobs. A few years ago, I would have said they were totally right. But with the unemployment market the way it is, I know friends with PhD’s that can’t catch a break. Rather than trying to entice people to go back to school so they can land their dream jobs, the AdCouncil should’ve encouraged blue collar workers to get their GED now, so when there are job openings, they’d be ready to compete. David Gianatasio of AdFreak also mentions that waitstaff, grocery store workers and parking lot attendants everywhere are probably more than a little offended that the Ad Council depicted their jobs as a sprit-sucking black holes. But, speaking as a former waitress, we are more than aware that our jobs are the epitome of terrible. So, no hard feelings Ad Council. It’s all in a day’s work.

3. Or B. Raccoons to run amok with your elec-tronics

I’m digging United Van Lines’ latest commercial. Rather than rattling off their benefits as to why they’re the best moving service, they give consumers a choice. For instance, “Do you want A) a seamless professional move? Or B) your possessions set on fire?” When you put it like that, how could someone with a move on their hands say no?

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

Want to create web videos for your business?

If you’re digging the web videos in the Deal, and you think they’d work for your company, check out the Captains’ Video Portfolio.

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it-breaking-through-and-raccoons-running-amok-with-your-electronics/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Twitter’s Not Useless, Something Worth Complaining About and Looking for a Job? http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-twitter%e2%80%99s-not-useless-something-worth-complaining-about-and-looking-for-a-job/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-twitter%e2%80%99s-not-useless-something-worth-complaining-about-and-looking-for-a-job/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:32:48 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2189 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Monday Deal:


1. It turns out Twitter isn’t useless after all

There are still a lot of people that have yet to jump on the Twitter train. I get it. I was a skeptic, too. I couldn’t understand why someone would want to publicly announce their every move, thought or quandary in 140 characters (or less) multiple times a day. Did I need to know that you ate a Big Mac for lunch and now you’re regretting it? No, no I didn’t.

But, now that I am a tweeter, I’m starting to see the enormous potential for marketers. According to Megan Leap of MarketingProfs, Twitter isn’t just good for announcing indigestion, it’s key these days in developing relationships and nurturing leads. However, some marketers are getting stuck on HOW that works exactly. Well, thankfully for you, Leap developed 6 ways Twitter is good for business. Here’s the one I like the best:

1. Interact with Your Peeps, I Mean Your Tweets
Rather than just announcing your own content and promotions, take the next step and start interacting with your fellow tweeters. Reply to their tweets. Ask them questions. Follow them. This is what we now call “creating relationships.”

To learn the other 5 ways Twitter can tweet you to the top, check out Leap’s post on MarketingProfs.

2. It’s worth complaining about

People are always complaining. It’s in our nature. When something bothers us, we feel the need to let others know about it. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m sad. The list goes on and on. But, unfortunately there’s one thing that people just won’t complain about. Abuse.

In a recent PSA for POWA (People Opposing Women Abuse), a man living in an apartment complex sets up an experiment. The first night, he plays his drums. Not only did he get multiple complaints, but his neighbors actually showed up at his door and asked him to stop. The next night, the same man in the same complex played a recording of a couple having an argument and of a woman getting beaten. No one made a peep.

Just goes to show that one complaint can go a long way. Me? I’d rather hear banging drums than banging fists.

3.  Looking for a job?

I hear Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is hiring. If you think you have what it takes, try taking the “Job Interview Quiz” on AMCTV.com. They offered me the Account Manager position. Maybe next time I’ll try hiking up my skirt and dazzling Draper with my womanly wiles.

Until Wednesday,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-twitter%e2%80%99s-not-useless-something-worth-complaining-about-and-looking-for-a-job/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Nike Loves Iron Women, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, 69 and Up For a Spin? http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-nike-loves-them-some-iron-women-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-69-and-up-for-a-spin/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-nike-loves-them-some-iron-women-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-69-and-up-for-a-spin/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:03:13 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2181 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Friday Deal:

1. Nike loves Iron Women

You know those people you see out running on Sunday morning when you’re en route to the nearest diner so you can attempt to soak up those Long Islands still in your system from last night? Yeah, well one of them is probably my sister. Not only does she power through marathons like they’re a lovely stroll through the Common, but she recently conquered a 1/2 Iron Man and fully intends on taking on the whole. For all those of you who don’t know, an Iron Man is a long distance triathlon that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and then a 26-mile run. In that order. Without a break. Rain or shine.

It makes me tired just writing about it.

So, after years of watching my sister power through finish line after finish line and earn medal after medal, I’d like to think that I know what kind of person it takes to battle through these types of races. Badass ones. Which is why I think Nike’s latest spot for women by Edouard Salier is freakin’ awesome. It reminded me of my sister right away, and I knew that the spot wouldn’t just make her feel proud of her mad triathloning skills, but it would empower her, which is what the Nike brand is all about. The spot features a lady triathloner battling through whatever mother nature throws her way, whether that’s Poseidon, the steepest incline known to mankind, or funnel clouds with fangs. And for me, the copy at the end just brings it all together, “Here I Am.” So badass. So Sara.

What do you think triathloners? Does this commercial get you?

2. It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Much like kids closing in on Christmas time, football fans are mentally preparing for the upcoming season. And rather than let this euphoric-like state of possibility end before the first game even kicks off, the Redskins want to bank on their fans’ excitement. Literally. Recently, the team created an integrated campaign that’s designed to get Redskins fans so pumped for the upcoming season that they finally breakdown and buy a club seat at FedEx Field. Check out the cameos from Donovan McNabb, Bruce Allen, and Mike Shanahan in their latest spot, “R U In?” If visions of tackles weren’t dancing in your head, they will be now.

3. 69

I’m digging the new print ad for Scotch’s double sided tape. And not just because I enjoy a good sexual pun.

4. Up for a spin?

Remember the days when you would dig your grubby little 5-year old hand into your McDonald’s Happy Meal and find a free toy? It was just about the most exciting thing in the whole wide world. Free. Toys. What a concept. And if those hidden gems really rocked your world back in the day, you’d better buckle your seat belts before I tell you what McDonald’s is serving up now. In an effort to promote their new “real fruit” smoothies, McDonald’s created Spin Art-like app for their website. Check mine out!

Even though I don’t see a direct correlation between smoothies made with real fruit and Spin Art, I’m digging the interactivity that McDonald’s is giving their consumers. But this time around, you get more than just a plastic toy that will either break or be forgotten about in 5 minutes. You get a piece of fine art that’s suitable for the fridge. Well, at least mine is.

Until Monday,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-nike-loves-them-some-iron-women-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-69-and-up-for-a-spin/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Premature Sweatalation, It’s the Target Market—In The Library—With the Candlestick and Are You Man Enough? http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-premature-sweatalation-it%e2%80%99s-the-target-market%e2%80%94in-the-library%e2%80%94with-the-candlestick-and-are-you-man-enough/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-premature-sweatalation-it%e2%80%99s-the-target-market%e2%80%94in-the-library%e2%80%94with-the-candlestick-and-are-you-man-enough/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:45:23 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2171 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Thursday Deal:

1. Premature Sweatalation

I love any commercial that brings a man to his knees. The latest spot for Axe Deodorant shows how guys can “lose it prematurely” when they see a pretty lady. Even in Spanish, this commercial rocks.

2. It’s the target market, in the library, with the candlestick

No matter how funny your ads are they still might not be able to get cash registers a’ ringin’. According to Mike Ryan of the Yahoo! TV Blog, the “Old Spice Guy” concept might have doled up 12.2 million hits online, but it certainly isn’t bringing home the bacon. Ryan reports that sales are down 7%. Why? Well, I’ve got a hunch that it has nothing to do with the concept, the brand, or even Isaiah Mustafa. I think they’ve just targeted the wrong market. Right now, Old Spice is targeting women who want their men to smell good. But what if the majority of women aren’t buying their men’s deodorant? In advertising, it’s a cardinal sin to skate by important things like target market and key selling point when conceptualizing a campaign. Because no matter how great your ads are, they mean squat without the right target market to listen and respond to them.

For your sake, Isaiah, I hope Old Spice starts raking’ in the dough. I would hate not to see your shining face on my computer screen again.

3. Are you man enough?

I know a lot of manly men. They chop wood. Drink beer. Have 5 o’clock shadows at 10:00 a.m. But, I don’t think even the manliest of men would buy a BrewDog. According to Tim Nudd at AdFreak, BrewDog recently released the most masculine product to ever grace the manliest of mankind: a beer that contains 55% alcohol and comes packaged inside a taxidermied rodent. Seriously. You can drink the beer straight out of a squirrel’s mouth. And even if you could find the gonads to anty up and take a swig of the strongest beer ever made by a human…or penguin, according to the History of BrewDog, you probably wouldn’t have the cash to spare. BrewDog costs about $760.00 per bottle. Even if no one buys this beer, I still love the story behind why it was created.

Now, let’s go drink some hardcore beer you furry sons of bitches.

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-premature-sweatalation-it%e2%80%99s-the-target-market%e2%80%94in-the-library%e2%80%94with-the-candlestick-and-are-you-man-enough/feed/ 0 Boston Marketing Agency Captains of Industry® Announces Corporate Video and Messaging Development Projects for Nautilus Solar http://www.captainsofindustry.com/latest/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar-2/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/latest/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar-2/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:10:59 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2133 Captains of Industry will take on two new projects for Nautilus Solar – creating a corporate video that showcases the Nautilus difference, and helping Nautilus redefine how they tell their story to the world.

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/latest/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar-2/feed/ 0 Boston Marketing Agency Captains of Industry® Announces Corporate Video and Messaging Development Projects for Nautilus Solar http://www.captainsofindustry.com/news/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/news/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:04:59 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2128 Captains of Industry will take on two new projects for Nautilus Solar – creating a corporate video that showcases the Nautilus difference, and helping Nautilus redefine how they tell their story to the world

Boston, MA: June 17, 2010: Boston marketing, web design and video production company Captains of Industry® today announced that they will be handling projects for new client Nautilus Solar, a leading electric power generating company that develops, constructs, finances, owns and operates solar electric systems. Captains will create a new corporate video for Nautilus, which will include video testimonials from customers, and will help to craft a new messaging platform to refine how Nautilus Solar tells their story to the world.

“Nautilus Solar is a leader in the solar industry, and our work will reflect that,” said Ted Page, co-founder and Creative Director at Captains of Industry. “We’ll leverage their unrivaled experience in large-scale solar energy projects in order to grow their business.”

Captains of Industry has a long track record working with leading energy companies in the United States, including First Wind, Deepwater Wind, and EnerNOC. By bringing together their in-depth knowledge of the clean energy industry with well-crafted video storytelling and web design, the agency helps companies achieve their business objectives.

“We selected Captains of Industry because of their experience in storytelling and creating high quality corporate videos,” said Laura Stern, President of Nautilus Solar. “They’re really helping us define who we are as an organization.”

About Captains of Industry
Captains of Industry is an independent marketing, web design and filmmaking company with expertise in energy, viral marketing and web content development. The agency has created memorable work for clients ranging from First Wind and Deepwater Wind to Dunkin’ Donuts, Bose Professional systems, Akamai and SolidWorks. In a BusinessWeek CEO Guide to Online Video, two of Captains’ campaigns were ranked among the top ten created nationally. Learn more at www.captainsofindustry.com or follow us on twitter @CaptainsBoston.

About Nautilus Solar
Nautilus Solar is one of the industry’s fastest-growing solar development companies. Founded in 2006 as a spin-off of Nautilus Energy, LLC, Nautilus Solar delivers clean renewable energy to commercial, industrial, non-profit and utility customers. Our mission is to work closely with our clients to reduce energy costs through the use of renewable power. The company has projects in operation, construction and development in the Northeast, Southwest and Western US. Nautilus Solar is based in Summit, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.nautilussolar.com.

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]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/news/boston-marketing-agency-captains-of-industry%c2%ae-announces-corporate-video-and-messaging-development-projects-for-nautilus-solar/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Dr. Pepper Pushes His Luck, Pam for PETA and Are We There Yet? http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-dr-pepper-pushes-his-luck-pam-for-peta-and-are-we-there-yet/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-dr-pepper-pushes-his-luck-pam-for-peta-and-are-we-there-yet/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:22:53 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2124 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Daily Deal:

1. You’re pushing your luck, Dr. Pepper

Like any good brand looking to cause a stir and get people talking, Dr. Pepper decided to create a social media campaign that required contestants to give The Doc full reign over their status updates. According to Bill Green of Make the Logo Bigger, updates ranged from minor embarrassment to major humiliation. Up until this point, I really liked what Doctor Pepper was cooking up. The rest is downhill from here. Prepare yourselves.

Green reported that some of the Dr. Pepper updates were so risqué that the mother of one 14-year old contestant, not only contacted Coca Cola to complain, but she also posted a tirade against the soft drink on Mumsnet, a community forum for mothers. What could she have possibly read to send her in such a Mama bear-like frenzy? Well, her daughter’s Facebook status read, “I saw 2 girls one cup and felt peckish after.” (In case you don’t know, “2 Girls 1 Cup” is a disgustingly sensational YouTube video. And let’s just leave it at that.)

Whoopsies.

Listen, I’m the last person to shy away from a dirty joke, but even I think Dr. Pepper should’ve thought more about their audience. If this campaign had been geared towards college guys, Dr. Pepper would have hit it out of the park. But, with young girls participating under the watchful eyes of their mothers, Dr. Pepper should have toned it down a tad. Like Green said, it’s difficult as an advertiser to predict what will make people upset without completely watering down your idea, but at the end of the day, you’re creating concepts that will appeal to your audience so they’ll inevitably buy your product. And I don’t know anyone who wants to crack open a Dr. Pepper after viewing “2 Girls 1 Cup.”

Tsk, tsk, Dr. Pepper. Tsk, tsk.

2. Pam for PETA

There’s no denying Pamela Anderson is a sexpot. Even her patented slow-mo beach jog has guys drooling in her sand-frolicking wake. But I’m not sure Pam was the best choice for a model in the latest ad for PETA. In the ad, Pam, in all her bleach-blonde, string bikini glory, sits pinup-style with a butcher’s diagram drawn on her uh, assets. Pam points out that humans and animals have a lot in common, including a brain, a nervous system, and most importantly, a heart. Yet, we don’t slice humans up, so why inflict such pain on a poor defenseless animal? Er, I think the only other human that’s been sliced and diced more than Pamela Anderson is Joan Rivers. And that’s saying something. Maybe next time, PETA should choose a model that hasn’t been under the knife more than any animal in butchering history.

No hard feelings, Pam. You’re still the Captains’ #1 beach babe.

3. Are we there yet?

Can I have a cookie? But, I don’t LIKE peanuts. I gotta pee. Now add a few kicks to the back of your seat and a newborn’s piercing screams as the air pressure changes, and you’ve got yourself a first class ticket to parenting hell.

Toting your little ones on an airplane is never fun. Which is why TDA in Boulder decided to create an ad to cut traveling parents some slack. What could possibly stop overly excited children in their tracks? A moving kiosk of course. The kiosk’s headline reads, “Tire your kids out so they sleep on the plane,” and the bottom is lined with kid-sized handprints that rowdy children are supposed to match their hands to and follow as the ad moves around in a circle. It’s a great idea in theory, but kids with ADD, ADHD, ADDHHHDDD, or whatever, will probably take one spin around the kiosk and be back tugging on your arm before you can even say, “Are we there yet?”

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-dr-pepper-pushes-his-luck-pam-for-peta-and-are-we-there-yet/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Give ‘Em Something To Talk About, Bing Rewrites History and You Lie! http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-give-em-something-to-talk-about-bing-rewrites-history-and-you-lie/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-give-em-something-to-talk-about-bing-rewrites-history-and-you-lie/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:08:09 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2089 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Thursday Deal:

1. Let’s give ‘em something to talk about

Your entire teenagehood is spent in a state of utter paranoia, basically praying to the Popularity Gods that no one thinks you’re like, the lamest kid ever. Does that person think I’m ugly? No. Do my parents sit around twirling their mustaches and plot how to make my life miserable? Maybe. Is everyone staring at my huge zit? Yes.

Emotional delusions just come with the territory of raging hormones. Thankfully, once your skin clears up, your brain does too, and you tend not to worry as much about what people think of you. But, there’s just one quality that even the most stable grownups have yet to master. The ability to not care if someone is, unfortunately, talking smack behind your back. I think marketers hate it the most. Why? Well, it’s our job to get people to like us, and the brands we represent. And just the mere thought of bad press circling the airwaves about something we represent is enough to make us revert back to our days of mean girls and Clearasil. But thankfully, Andy Sernovitz of MarketingProfs has something way better than a truckload of benzoyl peroxide: six tips to get people talking about you…in a good way.

1. Delightful surprises earn long-term customer love.
Some of the biggest triggers of word of mouth are surprise and delight.

2. Your best talkers aren’t always your target customers.
Find out WHO IS talking about your brand now and reach out to them rather than wasting your efforts on the people you want to talk about you.

3. Find your voice and use measurement to refine it.
Your voice is your critical first point of contact with your audience. So make it worth listening to.

4. Do special things for special audiences.
One of the biggest sparks of word of mouth is a feeling of having special, insider information.

5. It’s not about your product, it’s about what you do with your product.
Build your fan community. They can help your business more than you think.

6. Make love.
You want to spread your ideas to the ends of the earth–but, unfortunately, good ideas don’t always get the recognition they deserve. If you want people talking about you, you need to make them fall in love–with you and your idea. Love makes people talk.

If you want to learn more about Sernovitz’s tips, check him out on MarketingProfs.

2. Bing rewrites history

The concept of Bing mobile’s latest commercial campaign is based on how classic movies like Thelma and Louise and Easy Rider would have turned out if the characters had access to Bing.

How does Bing know where we are, man? It just does, man. It just does.

3. You Lie!

For our new business efforts, the Captains have been wondering what other industries we can sink our marketing teeth into. Recently, the thought of an online dating service seemed like it would be the perfect fit considering our video production capabilities and unstoppable desire to make any potentially awkward situation funny and outrageous. So, the Captains’ team went into research and brainstorming mode to find out more about what types of content a dating site, and their users, might need. One of the points we kept coming back to is how people tend to uh, LIE, when it comes to their profiles. Then, funny enough, I came across OkCupid insider Christian Rudder’s article on Gizmodo this morning about the biggest lies people tell on their online dating profiles. Coincidence? I think not. Rather than let this deception continue, Rudder decided to tell the world some of the biggest fibs daters tell, and the realities behind them. Here’s the top three:

1. “I’m 6 feet tall.”
REALITY: People are two inches shorter in real life.
Why the lie? According to OkCupid’s data, taller guys have more sex. Hey, if I were a dude, I’d lie too.

2. “I make $100,000 a year.”
REALITY: People are 20% poorer than they say they are.
After examining the research, Rudder has come to the conclusion, “If you’re a young guy and don’t make much money, cool. If you’re 23 or older and don’t make much money, go die in a fire.” Ouch. I’m thinking the pain of that harsh reality might just be worse than Rudder’s alternative.

3. “Here’s a recent pic.”
REALITY: The more attractive the picture, the more likely it is to be out-of-date.
I get this. Who wants to put a picture of themselves looking fat/old/schlepy on a dating site?

Rudder, If you think OkCupid could benefit from some kick ass content that will help your users fight their way through all the untruths that are out there in the dating world, please contact us. If there’s anything we love, it’s creating cool content that will have users flocking to your site.

FYI to Captains’ fans: Check out a segment on CNN this Friday @ 5:00 P.M. that features a video we made for a product called GlowCaps–they help people remember to take their medications. It was produced in 2008, but the client is still getting traction from it.  Just goes to show that good web content gets your product on the map – year after year.

Until Monday,

Captain Lindsey

]]> http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-give-em-something-to-talk-about-bing-rewrites-history-and-you-lie/feed/ 0 Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Be Citywise, A Bunch of Guys With A Crazy Idea and a Fully Grown Love Plant Waiting to Be Fertilized http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-be-citywise-a-bunch-of-guys-with-a-crazy-idea-and-a-fully-grown-love-plant-waiting-to-be-fertilized/ http://www.captainsofindustry.com/blog/lindsey%e2%80%99s-daily-deal-be-citywise-a-bunch-of-guys-with-a-crazy-idea-and-a-fully-grown-love-plant-waiting-to-be-fertilized/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:29:42 +0000 Lindsey http://www.captainsofindustry.com/?p=2070 By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Wednesday Deal:

1. Be Citywise

It all started when I was 16 years old. After years of only receiving lame credit card offers and belated birthday cards from distant relatives, I longed to open the mailbox and actually find a piece of mail addressed to me—and only me. To lift my spirits, my mom used to let me open the letters addressed “To The Campbell Family,” but alas, it just didn’t satiate the thrill of opening my own piece of correspondence. But then one glorious day, it all changed. I was bombarded—make that assaulted—with mail. I got postcards. I got packages. I got letters. It was like Christmas every day at 3:30. In fact, I’d say that I received the most mail out of anyone in my household. Why the sudden change? I certainly wasn’t paying the bills, and I didn’t pick up any pen pals. Nope, all I had to do was turn 16. This is the age when teenagers start thinking about which college they want to go to—and the signal for any college or university in the country to start peddling their brochure-ware.

After my initial postal buzz wore off (as most buzzes eventually do), I found myself chucking what was once my most precious commodity in the trash before I even read their glossy contents–mostly because they were all the same. Why am I telling you this? Because in a sea of similarity, you have to stand out if you want to get noticed. Which is what Seattle’s Creature did for the City University of Seattle. Rather than recruiting potential students with politically correct copy that straddles the line between something both a potential student and parent would love, they did something that turned heads and jumpstarted brains. How exactly? Well, Seattle’s Creature used the context of the medium, such as billboards, bus wraps, coffee sleeves, gas stations and radio ads, to deliver their message to prospective students. My favorite is the bus wrap that says, “Game theory: when you decide to walk to the next bus stop rather than wait.” Way to appeal to your audience in a way that doesn’t drive them to stuff you in the trash. Which is really the ultimate goal, isn’t it?

2. Once upon a time, a bunch of guys had a crazy idea…

Chevrolet knows how to speak to Americans. Even better, they did it without even the mention of baseball, hot dogs or apple pie. These days, commercials that try to stir our inner patriotism tend to fall back on played out clichés that don’t muster even a swell of pride inside our hearts anymore. But recently, Chevrolet blew my patriotic mind with their latest commercial for their Corvette. Rather than pledging themselves to the red, white and blue, they built their commercial around the one thing that made the United States possible—our pit bull-like stance on taking a dream and making it happen with nothing but our brains and unrelenting determination.

It’s nice to know America still builds rockets.

3. You’re a fully-grown love plant just waiting to be fertilized

Marriage proposals have turned into a big deal. You can’t just bring a gal to a restaurant anymore and stick a diamond in her soufflé. These days, you’ve got to think it through. Most guys, the ones that are probably worth the lifetime commitment, know this and are scrambling to figure out how they should ask their lady love to be their mate for life. Well, no matter what you think you’ve got up your sleeve, fellas, @Jsbeals has you beat. This tweeter asked Isaiah Mustafa, the “Old Spice Guy,” to ask his girlfriend, Angela Hutt-Chamberlin, to marry him on his behalf via Twitter. And guess what, less than three hours later, Mustafa was standing in a candlelit bathroom honorably honoring his honorable request.

Congratulations Mrs. Soon-To-Be-Angela-Hutt-Chamberlin-Beals. Whew. Maybe you should take his name, girl.

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

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Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. It’s not TV. It’s BigTV.

Lauren Lloyd is kind of a big deal. She’s produced over 60 movies in Hollywood, and also acted as a casting director and big shot studio executive—go on, brush ya shoulders off, girl. Lloyd proclaims that she was in the movie biz because she’s a sucker for good content, so when YouTube was born, she was pretty jazzed that content was back in the hands of the people, not just a small group of movie execs in The Wood. But, Lloyd was slightly horrified at some of the “content” people were creating. Apparently, watching someone’s cat take a dump on the toilet just wasn’t her cup of tea. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands and created BigTV. According to Lloyd, it’s “Oprah meets YouTube.” Meaning, it’s a place for people to discuss and share their mutual passions. But, don’t get it twisted. BigTV isn’t some boring, scripted, run of the mill-type web channel for content that makes you want to bang your head against the wall. No, no, no. Llyod wanted BigTV to be chock-full of content for real people, by real people. In fact, BigTV already has a variety of shows for you to indulge in. They range from “The Unemployment Chronicles,” the story of a man trying to find a job he actually likes, to a show called “The Downtown Pirate,” a story about an LA homeless man who dresses in complete pirate regalia—right down to the patch. So, if you’re in the mood for some good content, check out BigTV. In the words of Lauren Lloyd, it’s pretty freaking sweet.

2. That’s how you know it’s a Pacino script

After playing one of the most powerful crime lords in history, Al Pacino decided to pimp something a little more PG. In his latest product endorsement, a commercial for Vittoria Coffee, Pacino describes how important the ritual of drinking coffee is when he’s making a movie. Check out the spot set to air this month in Australia. The copy is mediocre at best, but Pacino still makes drinking coffee seem badass.

3. How to ruin your life

Well, professionally anyway. M.P. Freidman at MarketingProfs began writing an article a week or so ago about the top mistakes marketers tend to make when it comes to their brands, businesses and careers. Since then, the list has grown to an unlucky thirteen. Gulp. According to Freidman, the top three mistakes are:

1. Thinking that you’ll “make it up in volume.”
You can’t—learn to mind the numbers and master them. Grow margin. Face the brutal realities. And don’t believe everything a brand manager promises you.

2. Undermining the competition.
Don’t think the competition is something you shouldn’t sweat. It’s not fun to get taken by surprise. Doing your homework and understanding your competitors’ weaknesses is the only way to gain the advantage in this ever-changing market.

3. Neglecting to initiate in powerful-real-time conversations.
Other people need to know what you know. And you need to know what others know. Even internal conversations are important. You might think you have the best idea, but you’ll find that going over it with your team will almost always take it beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Check out the rest of Freidman’s marketing lessons, and pass them on to the rest of your team. Even if they seem like a slam-dunk to you, they might be news to someone else.

If you’re digging the videos in the Deal, and you think they’d work for your company, check out the Captains’ Video Content Portfolio.

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey

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