When the creative juices start flowing…boy, do they flow! We’ve had an incredibly fun time working on a direct mail campaign for DE. We’ve pushed the envelope as far as we could on this one and produced some incredible stuff. We can’t wait to hear what you think, so keep a look out for Daytona Employments racy new campaign. You won’t want to miss it!
Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter
We are really excited to be working on a new logo for Raydon. From time to time, a company, just like people, likes to update their look to keep up with the times. Raydon has always been at the cutting edge of what is “the future”; so keep your eyes peeled for the new logo sometime in the near future.
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter
Yes, I know. It’s an obvious reference to Dr. Seuss.
But, it has its relevance, here. Last night, I attended our local Advertising Federation’s monthly meeting (which happened to be a dinner, instead of the usual lunch). The speaker at this meeting was a very interesting guy named Josh Hallett from Hyku Media, where he is the social media consultant.
Most of what he was talking about was the power that blogs and non-traditional media outlets have on advertising. It’s almost as good as word of mouth advertising and it’s getting to the point that it’s in direct competition with cable and network viewership, with things like youtube sometimes generating a viewership of about a million for one single video.
Companies are starting to catch on, hence changing the face of advertising (to include blogging and viral marketing). Companies, like Dove, are creating commercials that are only seen on the internet, never airing on television, but generating over 3 million views on “youtube” as of today. Think about this. Typically, on television today, people, who have TiVo or DVR, fast forward through commercials…even the good ones. But, over 3 million people are choosing to view this particular commercial on the internet.
This new face of advertising opens the gate to a whole new world where bloggers have the power. Traditional media reporters sometimes look for industry bloggers to provide information for their stories.
One example Mr. Hallett used last night was Chick-Fil-A. One weary worker came home after a long day of training for the unveiling of the new menu and proceeded to blog about every last detail regarding this secretive new menu debut. A fast-food blogger read this and wrote another blog about it, which was in turn picked up by a newspaper reporter, where it was then picked up by the national news, claiming that Chick-Fil-A is making big changes to their menu.
While, at first it seemed like a bad thing, having had their proprietary information leaked, it only helped them realize how many people are out there actually reading blogs for news information.
What does this mean for advertising? Well, if I haven’t made it clear, let me reiterate. This whole “underground” movement of bloggers and viral videos are what people want to see and read. They are the new face of advertising. Mind you, they aren’t the only face. Traditional Advertising and Marketing aren’t going anywhere, but the new kid on the block is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter
Recently I was one of the millions of people who lined up to see Spiderman 3, opening weekend. Having seen the previous two movies, I was compelled to go, even though the premise of this one never really pricked my senses.
First, let me start of by saying that not all sequels are as good as their predecessors. While, I thought Spiderman 3 was good, it wasn’t the best. It had good entertainment value as far as the fight scenes and action, but the plot felt a little thin and contrived.
Toby Maguire seemed shallow (but I think that was the point) and Mary Jane…well, she’s just a pain in the @%$. I was actually kind of hoping that she would die in this one. I’m sick to death of her always getting herself put in between Spiderman and the villain of the week. And to make matters worse she kissed Harry! I can’t really blame her, there…I might have kissed him, too!
Speaking of Harry…what was with that nerdy/drunk/Ferris Bueller-esque smile he kept flashing after he hit his head? When was Harry ever that happy? I guess I can’t go into too much detail for anyone who has yet to see it.
I do have to mention, though, that I loved, Loved, LOVED! Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy. Not only was she beautiful as a blonde, but also her character was just so…refreshing. I so wanted her to end up with Peter, rather than that drab, mediocre actress Mary Jane Watson(hmm, same could be said for her portrayer, Kirsten Dunst—don’t care much for her, either).
Let’s see, who am I leaving out? Ah, Eddie Brock (a.k.a.-Topher Grace) as the very nasty Venom. Now, I’ve heard that people weren’t happy with him playing the role of Brock/Venom because in the comic book, he was supposed to be a big guy. However, I think he did a good job. If smarmy as the approach he was going for, then he nailed it. From the get go, you could tell that he was a cocky, arrogant guy on the outside, but a weak, insecure boy on the inside who would do anything to get what he wants. To say the least, Venom was scary. That mouth was very creepy.
Thomas Hayden Church, as the sandman, did a good job at making you feel sorry for him. I wanted Spidey to leave him alone because he was just trying to help his sick daughter.
Back, to Spidey…while I was digging the new look, I thought it a bit cheesy when he started doing the Saturday Night Fever routine as he was walking down the street.
Overall, I’d give this movie three golden pens out of five. Like I said earlier, it was action packed, but the main characters were a little contrived this time around and the supporting characters had what seemed like more depth. I’m not an expert, but it should have been the other way around.
If you’re a comic book fan, I’d recommend seeing it, you might not be disappointed. Even if your not, it’s not a total waste. Me, personally, I can’t wait until Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!
That’s what I’m talking about!
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter
Another movie I recently viewed was Disturbia, starring Shai LaBeouf. I must say I was a little hesitant about seeing this movie because I don’t really like horror movies and I thought that’s what this movie was. However, after a friend saw and said it was good I decided to give it a shot. After seeing the movie, I’ve decided to reclassify it as a Psychological Thriller.
As my friend put it, the movie was disturbing. So, aptly named, the movie starts off slow, and then quickly grabs your attention early on, and then things start to simmer down through out the bulk of the movie. Near the end it picks back up and keeps your blood pumping for the remainder of the movie, only letting you back down at the very end.
So, what’s so great about this movie? First, it’s Shai. Most child actors don’t have what it takes to make that transition from a child star to an adult. Now, Shai having gotten his start at the tender age of 14 (I think) began on a show that I, personally, thought was quite funny, Even Stevens. He played Louis and he played it well. And if you saw him in Holes, you would have enjoyed that character, as well.
Now, his new character, Kale, is a bit different from both the previously mentioned characters, except for the fact that Kale and Stanley both got in trouble with the law (except again, that Stanley was wrongly accused). A year after his father’s death in a disturbing car accident, Kale is still hurting and starts having trouble in school. At the end of the year, he pulls a stunt that lands him on house arrest for the entire summer.
While finding things to pass the time, Kale takes up a voyeuristic hobby. Kale wonders from window to window throughout his house observing his neighbors in a wide range of activities such as having affairs, kids watching porn behind mom’s back, and the attractive new neighbor (played by Sara Roemer) as she lays out by the pool or undresses in her bedroom.
When Kale’s best friend, Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) returns from his vacation, he now has someone to keep him company and he quickly gets Ronnie hooked on his new hobby. Not long after, though, the new neighbor, Ashley, busts Kale and Ronnie. It becomes obvious that Ashley and Kale are on a crash course headed for each other as she spends more and more time at his house spying on a creepy new neighbor named Mr. Turner (David Morse), and avoiding her constantly bickering parents.
Ashley, however, has other things on her mind. After meeting one of the girls from school, she decides to throw a party at her house when her parents are out of town. Kale, not particularly fond of the girl she has befriended, he calls her Skinny Psycho instead of Minnie Tyco. During the party, Kale keeps an eye on things and gets so jealous at Ashley hanging on some guy and constantly looking up in his direction that he puts a loud speaker in the window and blasts “Loving You” over the entire party, instantly deflating it.
Things really start to heat up when the gang starts digging up dirt on the neighbor that leads them to believe that he is a serial killer and is responsible for the disappearances of some local women. Suspecting that they are on to him, he befriends Kale’s mother (Carrie-Ann Moss) and is menacingly nice to Kale.
This is where the movie picks back up and takes you on an intense ride throughout the remainder of the film. I’m not going to go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything; you’ll just have to see for yourself.
Some of my favorite things about this movie are Shai LaBeouf, the undeniable sexual tension between Kale and Ashley, the love song, and the non-traditional story line where you normally have the climax in the middle of the movie, but it’s not. Don’t know what I mean? Well, like I mentioned before. It’s like a roller coaster. They start you off slowly, pull you to the top and then just drop you 150 feet into the story. However, instead of all the twists and turns that lead to the climax, you’re lulled into a sense of false security. Then when you least expect it you’re thrown back into the twists and turns of a very intense roller coaster.
I give this movie 3½ golden pens out of 5.
Stay tuned for more reviews!
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter
Yesterday, not long after I came into the office, a coworker asked me if I had heard what had happened to another coworker, my friend, Sonja. I had not. So I immediately went to my office and called her to see what was going on. She was a mess. I could tell by the quiver in her voice that she was fighting back tears.
She was driving through New Smyrna Beach, on her way to work, when a man ran across the road in front of her. Seconds later, and seconds too late, she saw the dog, a large German Shepherd, was making a mad dash after the guy already running across the street. (The man was going to get the dog a donut. Apparently, the dog wanted to ensure he got the right flavor.) Sonja didn’t have much time to react; all she could do was slam on the brakes and swerve, to avoid hitting the pooch. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get out of its way and hearing a thump, she hit the curb and came to a stop.
The dog had collided with her headlight, and had luckily only dislocated his shoulder. There happened to be a vet in the vicinity so she and several other bystanders held the dog down to keep him from getting up and injuring himself even more. The owner who was across the street in his shop came over and was stunned because the dog had never done that before.
Sonja was a mess! And who wouldn’t be? I ran over a crab once, and felt horrible for the entire evening. A CRAB! I couldn’t imagine hitting a cat or a dog. The good news is Bandit (somewhat aptly named), is going to be okay. Like I mentioned before, he only had a dislocated shoulder. So, in a few days, Sonja is going to pay him a visit and bring some fried chicken.
That’s one lucky dog!
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter
In light of the recent fires all across the country, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about teamwork. How, you may wonder, does teamwork have anything to do with the uncontrollable raging wildfires?
Well, who fights those fires? Firefighters do. However, it’s not just the local firefighters from that district. When a wildfire gets as out of control, as the Flagler fire has, they bring in firefighters from all across the state to team up and work together to extinguish the fire.
While we don’t go around putting out fires (well, occasionally we do), we take a little bit of different approach on the concept of teamwork in an agency setting. There are times when we’re just like every other typical agency, which uses their creative team to come up with the creative ideas (hence the title-creative). However, unlike other agencies, we often branch out and use our entire staff to churn out concepts and ideas. We don’t stop there, though.
We also use our entire staff as a sounding board for when it is up to just creative to come up with the ideas. Day in and day out we’re asking our media people their advice on a particular idea, or if account service has any ideas for a creative concept for a particular client.
Every one on our staff is able to pitch in and share their ideas and comments about the work we do. We like it that way. Work isn’t the only thing we do as a team. We also play as a team. Our philosophy is the company that plays together, stays together. Every month we have a contest that the entire staff is encouraged to participate in, and boy does it get competitive around here! We also do a monthly agency dinner, where the restaurant is selected out of a bowl filled with each member of the staff’s favorite restaurants.
Now, while we aren’t out there fighting fires like many of our brave firefighters and can’t compare to their level of amazing teamwork, we are active members of our community. We like to give back as a team, too. We’ve adopted a 1-mile stretch of Daytona Beach that we clean up several times a year. Operation Caring for Sharing is another organization that we’ve had the pleasure of helping out over the past 3 years, and we are also developing a relationship with WORC/United Cerebral Palsy of East Central Florida.
Teamwork is important to us. It’s part of our synergy. It’s why we work so well together.
- Donna Cooper - Jr. Copywriter