November 21, 2011
PETA: Mario vs. the Tanuki
By Jean Levasseur, Captains of Industry
On Wednesday, PETA announced that they thought the video game Mario was promoting fur garments, because of the Tanooki suit (the raccoon tail that allows Mario to fly). Their premise was that the tanuki is a real animal that is often treated brutally, and even skinned alive – something that I am all in favor of stopping. They even went so far as to make a lame but still amusing game in which the tanuki chases Mario to get his skin back. I was among the people thinking “Really PETA? You’re getting mad at Mario because he can use the raccoon tail?”
Turns out, PETA was joking about the Mario thing, in a PR stunt to get attention for the plight of the tanuki. And they were a bit surprised by the reaction.
“Mario fans: Relax! PETA’s game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to callattention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for theirfur,” a PETA spokesperson said in an email to PCMag. “We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur.”
I completely believe that PETA was joking around. Makes sense, now that I look back at it – the claim was so ridiculous it couldn’t be serious. But so many people took them seriously, myself included. Why? Because PETA’s brand is viewed as serious, radical, and maybe a bit crazy. This seems like exactly the sort of thing PETA would get in an uproar over. Now they’re trying to step away from that perception with a joke, and it didn’t work.
The lesson here for marketing departments is that when you step away from your established brand, people will be confused, and you may not get the response you expect.
If you want to chase Mario as a skinless tanuki, you can do so on the PETA website. Have fun!
November 18, 2011
Friday Candy: Crazy 9-1-1 calls
Check out this link to some really funny and not too bright 9-1-1 calls. Happy Friday!
November 17, 2011
Movie Teasers: the art of promoting film, part deux
By Mike Kennedy, Captains of Industry
A little while ago I blathered about how “The Hunger Games” first movie trailer left me wanting.
Well, their new trailer is out:
And I stand corrected.
The new trailer’s shot selection, voice over, and editing were dramatic, powerfully cinematic, and emotionally anchored. They threw in all the moments from some of the best bits of the Suzanne Collins book that I wanted to see visualized.
Bravo Lionsgate and Gary Ross!
Now go read the trilogy; You still have time before the first flick unspools.
November 16, 2011
How to Create the Winning Captains Job Application
By Claudia Cabrera—Human Resources, Captains of Industry
You’ve been keeping up with the Captains blog, littering your timeline with Captain retweets, and daydreaming about getting branded with one of our awesome tats (as seen on our Halloween Bash album on Facebook). After reviewing all the evidence, you’ve simply come to the conclusion that you must be a Captain. Excellent choice! To give you a one-up on all the other jobseekers out there, we want to give you a few pointers on putting together an application with will really knock our socks off. This applies to people looking to get hired, and to people out there looking for a great internship.
1. Read the application instructions. Resumes and cover letters are standard requirements, but sometimes we also ask for samples or portfolios. When you send in all the required items at the same time, we can make a decision more quickly on whether we’d like to have you come in to meet us.
2. Send us a cover letter. A real human being sifts through every application sent to our HR inbox, so it’s always more entertaining to read a letter that’s written to… another human being! Not only does a cover letter show us you’re a great communicator – we really want to know why you think you’d make a great Captain! So put the formalities aside, and show us who you really are, on paper anyway. Hint: You can address your cover letter to Claudia Cabrera, Business Manager at Captains.
3. Be creative! We’re a creative agency, and therefore, we’re looking for creative people. Your college’s career services department may have told you that resumes were Word documents written in Times New Roman, 12-point font. The Captainized resume, on the other hand, can include a video (this method worked for one of our current Captains) or an infographic detailing your work history and skills. The same applies with your cover letter – have fun with it!
Be sure to check our Jobs page for current openings. If you don’t find an opening that suits you or if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at ccabrera@captainsofindustry.com.
November 15, 2011
Ask yourself: What can cat videos do for your business?
By Sarah Lombari & The Captains’ team, Captains of Industry
I love cats. I love people that love cats. I’d even go so far as to say that I love companies that love cats. So when I saw this video parodying the popularity of cat-related videos on the web and their ties to advertising, I felt like I was watching kindred spirits at work.
We’ve got two responses to this “catvertising” video. First, the video below that we made:
And, second:
Even though this video is a parody and not a “real ad,” it has high replay value, making it great content. Possibly the best part is that it gives you an introduction to the actual employees at Toronto based agency John St., making them approachable and, yes, even human. An agency that can make fun of itself and have fun while doing it? Sounds like another company I know.
Videos like this beg the question: Why advertise when you can make great content that has customers looking for you, not the other way around? Entertainment and promotion are not mutually exclusive. There are fewer and fewer reasons to separate the two anymore. I guess if you want to talk science or medical stuff, those topics might be the exceptions to the rule, but even they don’t necessarily have to be.
Do a YouTube search for “cat.” How many hits do the top videos have? Millions? Bajillions? Numbers that are so large you don’t know how to say them aloud? Clearly, the catvertising industry has seen significant growth and shows no signs of slowing down.
November 14, 2011
Create compelling content for your website
This is an excerpt and link to an article recently published by our Creative Director Ted Page in the December issue of Sleep Savvy Magazine.
Mad Men-style advertising—based on interrupting the audience’s entertainment or news gathering experience—is still with us, but most marketers these days recognize that it’s increasingly unsteady on its feet (maybe because of all those martinis). The reality is that people are tired of being “targeted” with ads and are inclined to take evasive action.
Where do they go? The first place a mattress shopper goes is the web—especially the female shopper who’s usually the one driving the mattress shopping process. They log on to Google, enter their search term and click. If your shop appears on the first page of Google in your area, you’ve passed the first hurdle to success.
This article is all about how you can get your shop on that first page and—just as important—how you can create a web- site that really engages people and educates them about what you have to offer, so by the time they walk through the door they are already inclined to buy from you, not the other guy.
In the remainder of the article, you’ll find a series of proven tips— not necessarily in order of importance.
View Ted’s Article from the December issue of Sleep Savvy Magazine
November 10, 2011
Friday Candy (on thursday?): Chicken, Monkey, Duck
Our office is closed tomorrow in support of Veteran’s Day. So here’s your Friday Candy on Thursday!
CHICKEN MONKEY DUCK
November 9, 2011
Does George RR Martin eat dead puppies on a stick for breakfast?
By Anna Sternoff, Captains of Industry
Remember awhile back when we blogged about the Game of Thrones Food Truck promotion? Well, seems that GOT nerds cannot get enough of the combo of weird foodstuffs and fantasy novels. There’s a new blog out there called Inn at the Crossroads that provides the recipes for all of the delectables featured in George RR Martin’s Fire & Ice series. Delicacies range from Beef-and-Bacon Pie to Auroch with Roasted Leeks. The amazing part? This is a mash-up of Julia & Julia and Beowulf where the bloggers will be cooking and eating each and every (within reason, Dance with Dragons—book 5 for you pitiful non fans—features puppies on a stick) medieval dish. I foresee an HBO tie-in opportunity, a book deal and some serious gastroentorological difficulties in these bloggers’ future.
But this gets me thinking: how do we feel about organic, crowd-created phenomenons being picked up in a heartbeat by the culture machine? On the one hand, pretty rad that homespun ideas like Sh*t my Dad Says or I Can Haz Cheezburger can end up reaching masses. On the other, how often do the creators see the real glory (or cash)? Last time I checked HBO wasn’t able to bestow knighthood on LARPERS (not that I LARP or anything).
Source: Boing Boing
November 8, 2011
Tina Fey and Steven Hawking on my mind.
By Ted Page, Captains of Industry
I recently downloaded two audio books – my preferred reading method. One is A Brief History of Time, by Steven Hawking, the other is Bossypants, by Tina Fey. I switch back and forth from one to the other on my commute, hoping to create a hybrid of the two in mind, a sort of cosmic comedy. What is time? What is comedy? Does that lead to thoughts on the timing of good comedy? No, not really. But it’s interesting that of the two books, it was in Bossypants that I heard a big idea that I really love. Tina Fey talks about her working relationship with legendary SNL producer Lorne Michaels. To her, he’s Buddha on the mountaintop, dispensing wisdom from years of working with comedic luminaries. The top lesson? Dance like nobody is watching. Enough said.
November 7, 2011
Introducing the iPod of thermostats
By Sarah Lombardi, Captains of Industry
We all know that letting the thermostat heat our homes when we aren’t in them is a pointless waste of fossil fuels (depending on your energy source), not to mention money. But for whatever reason we keep letting it happen. We change the thermostat, but we don’t program the change. So instead of a temporary boost the heat increase becomes permanent until we remember to change it back.
Heat wasters, I’d like to introduce you to Nest Labs. Designed by two former Apple powerhouses, Nest boasts not only a strong technological lineage, but the design input of a man who started this venture after a fruitless search for an aesthetically pleasing and convenient thermostat.
You can control Nest from your smartphone. You can teach Nest when you want the temperature to be a little warmer (when you first wake up) or a little cooler (when you leave for work). Nest will remember your preferences. Of course, you can request a one-time, temporary temperature change. Only when you change the temperature repeatedly, several days in a row, will Nest commit the change to memory so you don’t have to. 
Nest is revolutionizing a product that, as creator Tony Fadell states, “[is] made by very large companies with no incentive to innovate. Their customers are contractors or HVAC wholesalers, not consumers.” However, for the moment, this is an industry that cannot boast Energy Star compliance. According to Wired, “In 2008, after a study that concluded that homes with programmable thermostats used more energy than similar ones without them, the Energy Star label was stripped from the entire category.”
Nest saves energy, thereby decreasing pollution, waste, and your energy bill. Plus, it just looks damn pretty.
November 3, 2011
The importance of authenticity in video
By Ted Dillon, Captains of Industry
You may have heard about the video Herman Cain’s campaign recently released of Cain’s Chief of Staff advocating for the presidential nominee and smoking a cigarette. While including smoking in your campaign ad is not the smartest move in the world, it’s interesting to hear their justification.
The videographer for the video, Chris Burgard, said the following, “[We] always try to portray who a person really is when they are on camera, and I think this video does that.”
No matter what kind of content you’re making, authenticity can be a very strong ally. Though I would consider this content a failure because of the bad exposure, it certainly does convey authentic support for Herman Cain, and the smoking helps develop Block’s character, just like smoking in Mad Men.
NOTE: Herman’s creepy grin at the end freaks me out. You too?
November 2, 2011
Sustainability + Sexy = Responsible Luxury
By Ted Page, Captains of Industry
When you think about environmentally friendly cars, chances are the Toyota Prius comes to mind: functional, but about as sexy as a block of warm tofu. That’s why we at Captains were thrilled to be tapped to create a series of videos to help launch the new Fisker Karma, a hybrid electric sports car that’s the automotive equivalent of [insert mental image here of the moment you lost your virginity, but without the awkwardness]. The Karma is even available in an EcoChic model, manufactured without leather or anything else made from animals. Don’t you just want it? Don’t you want it very, very badly?