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Eric Leventhal - 5:46 pm June 1, 2011

why american villages are safe from typhoons.

Today is June First. A date significant in 3 ways:

  1. The baseball season is statistically over
  2. Hurricane season begins
  3. It is OFFICIALLY way too late to play hockey even though the Bruins face off against the Canucks tonight for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

But back to #2.

Everywhere else in the tropic and subtropical world this time of year is called The Rainy Season. Hurricanes are not guaranteed, but you can be sure there will be a deluge with rolling thunder and eye-splitting shafts of lightening (as there is at this very moment) most afternoons.

So why Hurricane Season? I suspect because Rainy Season sounds too quaint and colonial. Rainy Season is what happens in other places, little places, places where they make Nikes rather than wear them. The USA is biggest, baddest, most exceptional country ever, therefore we do not have showers, rain storms, squalls or even monsoons (which are actually winds that bring or prevent rain on a semi-annual cycle). No, our summer weather is characterized by the mightiest of all meteorological phenomena, the hurricane. Hawaii and California also get hurricanes, although these Pacific-bred storms are properly typhoons. Typhoons can only happen in other places where something that sounds like a baby-talk could be menacing.

Our preference for hurricane over rain is an affect of that national pride that prevents the US from having villages. Everywhere else there are villages. The news media always refer to villages in Afghanistan, France, Japan, Mexico. Not here. Any wide place in the road with a population of 2.5 where a news van stops is still a town.

“Coastal village inundated by typhoon!” It can’t happen here.

 

Eric Leventhal - 8:45 pm May 16, 2011

how to sell designer ice cream

Rachel would rather enjoy a Magnum than canoodle with Baptiste

Here’s a marketing challenge: make ice cream on a stick a super premium luxury product that size double-zero fashionistas will crave as much as Birken bags.

The solution:

  1. Hire Rachel Bilson, the unspeakably pretty (and skinny) actor/ model to be your spokesperson
  2. Retain uber designer and Chinese fan waver Karl Lagerfeld to make short films (web commercials) starring Rachel.
  3. Premier the resulting masterpieces at the coolest of all film festivals, Tribeca.

Now stand back as your brand goes viral and market share skyrockets thanks to the amazing, super cool, hyper stylized images that are not quite art, but not really marketing either.

(more…)

Eric Leventhal - 7:39 pm May 11, 2011

Baa Baa Black (leather) Sheep

Zynga and Gaga present sheep on hog action starting May 17.

In a cross promotional concept so huge the human brain cannot begin to comprehend it, Lady Gaga has struck a deal with Zynga, maker of FarmVille and other social games popular on Facebook, to promote her upcoming album Born This Way.

Players of a new game called “Gagaville”  will be able to hear portions of the album prior to release and access exclusive, extra  material afterward.

What can one expect down on GagaVille Farm? ”think crystals, unicorns, sheep on motorcycles,” Zynga said in the press release. The madness begins May 17.

FYI: Lady Gaga is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, born 3/28/1986 in NY, NY.

Eric Leventhal - 9:23 pm May 9, 2011

Extreme niche marketing

The best advertising doesn’t just talk about a product; it demonstrates how the product makes the user’s life better. People connect with advertising and brands when they feel the emotional satisfaction of having a need fulfilled.

Honda and their brand marketing partner RPA know how to do affective marketing, but the current Civic work falls short. It’s not because the cars fail to satisfy, but because the people whose needs are being satisfied are hard to identify with.

(more…)

Eric Leventhal - 4:45 pm April 19, 2011

Am I a hip-hop hamster?

Since I have absolute faith in the abilities of media planners (especially Nordin) whenever an advertising message comes my way I believe I must be a customer.

I’ve seen the commercial for the Kia Soul several times now, it must be a vehicle I’d buy. But am I really a hip-hop hamster?

Enormous, anthropomorphic, urban, hamsters dressed in hoodies, caps and bling lavalieres are, according to the spot, the ideal drivers for this boxy, mini SUV. They rap the message “you can give her this, or you can give her that.” Meaning you can drive a toaster on wheels or be cool in the eyes of the ladies by driving Kia Soul (which looks like an undersized Scion— a car that does in fact resemble a toaster on wheels).

So why does Kia think I aspire to be a Hip Hop Hamster? I suspect this message is about authenticity. Stand out from the crowd and to thine self be true by driving this car. It’s a unique presentation. But that’s all that’s unique. The rest screams wannabe.

Hamsters are innocuous little rodents, way down on the pet totem pole. A disposable imitation of a real companion (i.e. dog) and not even as cool as a ferret, hamsters are best known for running and getting no where. Hip Hop was once an expression of a genuine cultural movement. Now its just another style so safe and sanitized you can buy it at Kohls in grade school sizes. A pre-packaged “look” the insecure can put on to blend into and pretend to be part of the crowd.

As for the vehicle, it doesn’t seem all that distinctive to me. In a video on the website the designer states he set out to design something cool and stylish (nice try). What is really interesting is his inspiration: a wild boar wearing a backpack. Now that’s standout.

Rodentine, disposable, second-best, uniform, going nowhere, imitative are not how I see myself. Until I learned about Kia Soul, the name I would’ve given to those attributes is “LAME.”

 

Eric Leventhal - 7:03 pm March 22, 2011

Imaginary Sanitary

First came auto flush toilets followed by auto faucets. Some public washrooms now have auto soap dispensers that ejaculate the right amount of liquid into your wet palm. These conveniences are not about hygiene, but about saving money. But that hasn’t stopped the good people at Lysol—probably the #1 germ fighting brand—from offering home auto dispensers as a must-have  to save your family from heaven-knows-what that is lurking on that liquid soap bottle.

There is just a teeny flaw in this pitch. What do you do immediately after touching the so-called germy soap pump? YOU WASH YOUR HANDS! That’s why you touched the bottle in the first place. Any agent of infection you might pick up touching that tiny plunger is eradicated within seconds by the soap emitted from said plunger. Hygiene problem solved.

Are dirty liquid soap dispensers really a problem? According to the Hand Washing Fact Sheet of the Wisconsin Department of Health, soap bottles only need to be cleaned when refilled. Or use bar soap that is a whole lot cheaper.

And don’t get me started on the True Clean Towel (watch their video at your own risk). It never occurred to me that the portion of bath towel that touched my face this morning may have dried a more discreet section of my epidermis yesterday. Ewww, gross! But wait a second—wasn’t that, um, foot scrubbed with body wash and rinsed in plenty of hot water? So it was clean, fresh, odor free and exfoliated when it got toweled wasn’t it? Oh well, nevermind.

 

Eric Leventhal - 3:02 pm March 4, 2011

She takes rebranding personally

Georgian-American Soprano

International Diva

Lina Tetruashvili is a glamorous, raven-haired soprano. So is Lina Tetriani.
Which would go to an opera house to hear sing Musetta or Violetta?
By shedding her Georgian handle and adopting a more operatic name lyric Lina graduated verismo roles in small houses to Grand Opera.

 

Here she is as Magda in act I of La Rondine.

Eric Leventhal - 3:28 pm February 18, 2011

secret society

QR codes are the new secret weapon for reaching cream-of-the-crop demographics. That square matrixy looking thing you see on ads and posters and shop windows is a QR code. QR stands for quick response. You point your smart phone at it and get connected to info on the web. Way cool. When I first started seeing these—and Microsoft’s colored triangle version— I felt like I was missing out so I had to upgrade to a smart phone (Android platform HTC Evo).

To view QR codes you need a code reader app. There are several of them, all free, for all the platforms. The app opens the phone’s camera, focuses and captures the matrix. It reads the URL embedded in the code and opens it in the browser.

We’re using them at Slee. We made a series of posters for AT&T with codes that lead to exclusive content. We’ll do the same with materials for ICAM. And we’re even putting them on our own collateral and ads to connect prospects to our fabulous new website.

Less than half of mobile users have smart phones, so a huge part of population can’t read QR codes, but they are still worth pursuing. They let you connect directly to professionals, decision makers, high wage earners, youth and early adapters—the customers who launch new brands.

Eric Leventhal - 7:51 pm February 11, 2011

Milton Glaser’s hidden talent

Not only is Milton Glaser one of the world’s great illustrators, an outstanding teacher and an iconic graphic designer—the man can also tell a joke. And, oy vey, can he curse!

Watch the 82 year old in action here. These come from Old Jews Telling Jokes, my very favorite iTunes podcast.

Milton Glaser, Two Garmentos

Eric Leventhal - 11:44 am January 24, 2011

Slee gets Pulitzer Prize-

Winner’s Praise.

When best-selling author and TV commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin saw the work Schifino Lee created to promote her upcoming appearance in Tampa she pronounced, “I love it!”

Her book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1994. Her 2005 book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln was a huge bestseller and is the basis of Steven Spielberg’s next film.

Art Director Eric Clark created the stylized double portrait of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt to illustrate Goodwin’s theme: the personal characteristics and values that make one a great leader.  She will give examples of how values such as perspective, magnanimity and humor helped past presidents excel and can help anyone succeed in a leadership role.

Ms. Goodwin will be keynote speaker at the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation Law & Liberty Dinner on March 24, at the Grand Hyatt. Admission is by reservation only. Call 813-221-7777 for information.

Eric Leventhal - 1:39 pm December 1, 2010

I’ll be hum for Christmas

I was in a certain discount department store before Thanksgiving and the place was done up in full Christmas drag with traditional holiday music blaring away. So I thought before overexposure to cheese wrecks them, let’s take a minute to appreciate the holiday songs we love. Here are the favorites of your friends at Schifino Lee:

Alison: “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

Eric C:  “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer” by Gene Autry

Ben Lee: “Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas‘ reminds me of growing up in New York City in the 30’s eventhough I didn’t.”

Amanda: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Paula: “Santa Baby” (here’s a sweet and sultry performance by Kylie Minogue)

Jill: “12 Days of Christmas” by Bob and Doug McKenzie. Anyone who knows Jill understands.

Roxie: “I’ll be home for Christmas”

Jeannette: “The Christmas Song” as sung by Nat King Cole

Nordin: “Any of the Christmas carols that the Chinese Restaurant sang to the family in A Christmas Story family.”

Eric L: “All I Want For Christmas is You” Mariah Carey

Bryan is half-Jewish/ Half Christian so he gets 2 picks: N Sync, “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” and Adam Sandler’s original “Chanukah (Hanukkah) Song”

Eric Leventhal - 5:36 pm November 15, 2010

cause & effect

Our friends (and clients) at PIERS posted this interesting bit of international trade information on their recent e-newsletter:

a TEU is the capacity of a 20-ft shipping container.

a TEU is the capacity of a 20-ft shipping container.

These are the top five categories of imports to the United States from countries using the Euro.

You can see that half the volume of trade is beer and wine. The next biggest import is car parts. It makes us wonder if there’s a relationship. Will drinking less Becks lead to fewer dinged Beemers?

PIERS is Ports Import Export Report Service. They are the world’s leading compiler, supplier and analyst of trade data. Manufacturers, retailers, shippers, investors, journalists and even government economists use their databases.

Eric Leventhal - 10:54 am October 19, 2010

What happened to portfolio reviews?

I asked the other creative team members yesterday and they concurred: no one has asked for a portfolio review. (more…)

Eric Leventhal - 12:12 pm September 24, 2010

Cisco lets you conference with people in the future

The commercials have been on for months, but Cisco Systems’ spots starring Ellen Page still annoy me.

The premise: Juno visits her hometown of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and sees the town transformed by Cisco video technology.

(more…)

Eric Leventhal - 2:40 pm August 17, 2010

On the other hand, everyone now has a gym membership

Naked Office, on UK cable channel Virgin1, is not a behind-the-scenes look at a certain popular comedy series. It’s a reality show about… you’ve no doubt figured it out.

Each week a disfunctional small business in Great Britain is visited by “Leading behaviour change specialist and leadership guru Seven Suphi.” She analyzes their problems and has the staff work through them on a very casual friday. (Come to think of it, it is a behind-the-scenes look). Ms. Suphi explains her method thus, “participating in The Naked Office social experiment will hopefully help employees with their confidence, trust and authenticity.”

Here’s a synopsis from one of Seven’s exposees that puts the graphic in graphic artists as she buffs the morale at a design firm. (That’s 4 puns in 1 sentence. My work here is done).

Tune in next week when Seven works her magic on a wedding planning business where its easy to see who the best man is.

Eric Leventhal - 4:34 pm July 26, 2010

A survivor of the good old days

When you read about the way he lived, it’s amazing that advertising legend Jerry Della Femina is still alive. In an interview on NPR Weekend All Things Considered, July 24, The multi-agency founder reminisced about the days of the Mad Men when you had a bouncy couch in your office and a bottle in your desk. Taking advantage of the AMC series about the life and hungover times of advertising executives in the 1960s, DellaFemina has released an update of his 1970 memoir From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor.

In those days when the ad revolution (i.e. the rise of the “creative agency”) met the sexual revolution the ads were outrageous and the Madison Avenue workstyle even more so. Nowadays the ads seem quaint and the antics unspeakable. The annual office contest, excerpted from the book on NRP.com, is gauche if not offensive to even the ambisexual AE in the next cubicle.

Some things about the good old days are better off gone.

Eric Leventhal - 10:23 am July 8, 2010

What I learned that summer

I got my internship the old fashioned way. My dad asked his friend Paul Berenson if I could work at his ad agency the summer between my junior and senior years at Newhouse. The other intern was the son of one of their big customers, a company that made agar.

I worked on a brochure for that company. I did redrafts on affinity marketing letters for group life insurance from (I think) Massachusetts Life to various alumni associations. I helped out in the studio with paste-ups and shooting stats (now you have clues as to when this was and how old fashioned it all was).

That summer Berenson & Isham moved to larger offices so the biggest chunk of my time was spent packing and then unpacking boxes. My internship also introduced me to types of marketing professionals I’ve been working with ever since: the misunderstood genius copywriter slumming it in ad land. The desperate, overworked and underpaid mechanical artist (now called jr ads, studio assistants or Mac monkeys.) The miracle working production manager. The rock solid office manager equally loved and feared who actually ran the place. The senior partner who’s more ego than action and the junior partner who’s more action than ego. And the account executive who is always out at a meeting.

What I learned as an intern has been useful to me throughout my career. Five of the agencies I’ve worked for have changed addresses while I worked there.

Eric Leventhal - 11:46 am June 9, 2010

The Naming Game

Coming up with a name for a company or product is the biggest creative dare Schifino Lee is challenged with. It’s hard work because in just one, two or three words you have to say a hundred things that will resonate for decades.

Before I show a client new brand name suggestions I ask them, “What are the most popular children’s names today?” Up comes a PowerPoint slide with two cute cartoon toddlers named Rival and Usurper. “These are most popular girls’ and boys’ names in the US,” I say. “You probably know them better as Emily and Jacob.”

The lesson is: a name is what you make it. A name has intrinsic meaning—Emily stands for rival and IBM stands for International Business Machines. (more…)

Eric Leventhal - 2:32 pm May 3, 2010

He served us well

The greatest graphic designer you never heard of has passed away. His name was Leslie Buck. He lived and worked in New York, and if sheer production volume is the measure, he is one of the greatest designers ever.

What you don’t know what he designed? But it’s an icon! It’s blue, white and gold and fits in your hands. It’s very New Yawk. Still don’t know? I’ll just cue up a re-run of Law and Order (doesn’t matter which one). Here are the detectives walking down a cold Manhattan street. One moodily sips some coffee. Okay, freeze-frame. What’s that in his hand? That’s right. Leslie Buck is the designer of the ubiquitous take-out coffee cup known as the Anphora.

As befits a gentleperson of great accomplishment, Mr. Buck, a Czech-born Holocaust Survivor, got a feature obit in the New York Times, which we are pleased to share with you.

Eric Leventhal - 12:59 pm April 23, 2010

4/23/85 A date that will live in branding infamy

Today is the 25th anniversary of the most spectacular failure in the history of brands. New Coke officially began its 77-day life span on April 23, 1985.

The truth is New Coke consistently beat old Coke and Pepsi in taste tests. It sold well and even recaptured brand share for the Atlanta-based beverage maker.

(more…)

Eric Leventhal - 4:48 pm March 31, 2010

What’s a Vology?

vology

Recently, Schifino Lee had the privilege of creating a new brand name for Network Liquidators, a multimillion-dollar technology equipment provider. Their new handle is Vology. When NL decided to expand from just buying and selling equipment into being a complete service provider, they realized their name would hold them back. That’s when they came to Slee for help.

Creating a new brand name is a very big challenge. The name is the label for the brand and needs to communicate in one highly concentrated package the entire brand experience.

The naming process began with building a brand profile. We looked at their customers, their competitors and the competitive space they were moving into. NL wanted to jump out the reseller pool and be considered on a par with tech OEMs, like Cisco Systems. That meant their new name had to have credibility, communicate assurance, quality and scope. To that we added the company’s values and attributes and its differentiators. The chief among these is speed. NL acts faster than anyone else at quoting prices and sending out product.

(more…)