Benedict Advertising - Business Building Solutions

Leave us a note telling us what you think about our new look!

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

The Writer’s Strike is over! Whooohoo! Now, on to more relevant topics.

I know it’s been a while since I posted something on the blog, but better later than never, right? Right. Well, things have been busy around here, as usual. But the first part of the year was something short of chaos as we finally got the ball rolling on a project we had been working on since the first part of LAST year.

We collaborated with both SUBWAY® restaurants and Tony Chachere’s, and many other talented people to produce TV and Radio spots that promote a staple item in the Louisiana market (Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning), in conjunction with the great taste of SUBWAY® sandwiches. There were a lot of different components that need to all come together, including flying Jared in to film at a local Daytona Beach SUBWAY® restaurant, in order for the project to come to life.

After months and months of careful planning, we were finally able to go into production, and we couldn’t be happier with the end-result. Take a peek at our TV spot and Radio spot by clicking here. Tell us what you think…and be sure to go to your local grocery store and pick up a can of Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning. It makes great fajitas!

We are pleased to announce that the latest and greatest edition of the Benedict Newsletter is now out and about, probably already making its way into your mailbox. This issue contains all kinds of new stuff, including our new feature article highlighting a day in the life of one of our employees. This section will appear quarterly and will hopefully enlighten our readers as to what goes on inside of an advertising agency.

Other new items include our Best of the Best section chocked full of new stuff we’ve created for our clients, updated pictures from our Halloween contest, and a section devoted to the rare occasion when we go just a little too far with a project and it ends up in the deep end. Visit our Too Wild blog and tell us if you think the ads were too much.

If you haven’t received your newsletter or don’t want to wait for snail mail, click here to download it for your reading enjoyment.

Award Season is right around the corner. And while Hollywood’s Awards, shows are in mortal peril, thanks to the writer’s strike. Rest assured that other awards shows, banquets and galas are still alive and well. Especially, local ones.

The Daytona Beach Advertising Federation’s Annual Addy Awards, will take place on March 1st, 2008 and we’ve been busy reviewing the of our best and brightest creative materials from 2007. It’s been an eventful year, and we have a long list to choose from. With so many great options for multiple categories, it’s going to be hard to whittle that list down.

For those of you who will be attending we look forward to seeing you there.

Stay tuned for the results blog.

Not to long ago, I mentioned in a blog that Benedict Advertising was having an internal script-writing contest. As promised, here are the winners and a brief description of what their plot consists of:

Chris LeBlanc – I.M. Ridiculous
Taking place in an office setting, to coworkers are perplexed by their overly exaggerated facial expressions. Unknown to them, another conversation is happening identical to the one they are having, via Instant Messenger. The coworker’s conversation gets more and more ridiculous as the IM chatters toss around IM lingo and use emoticons.

Erin Saffer – The Chi Iron: The Musical
This is Benedict’s spin on the classic musical, Hairspray. Meet Sonja Snorblad, and experience her charming wit, and acid tongue as she pines away at her desk over her office crush. Donna Dingleton, her best friend tries to reason with her and snaps her back to reality, while her arch nemesis Alicia VonArse is a constant thorn in her side. Join in on some memorable dance numbers including, “My Stuff is Made of Platinum and Diamonds,” Don’t Chase ‘Em, Just Replace ‘Em,” and every girls anthem, “My Head Was Made for a Tiara.”

Greg Otte – Spring Break Capital Music Video
Spring Break is Daytona Beach and thanks to the musical stylings of Case Closed we are the Spring Break Capital. This music video will showcase exactly why Daytona Beach is the Spring Break Capital. Case Closed.

Alicia – 32117: The Holly Hills
The Ghetto Version of “The Hills” and “90210.” Enjoying a night out in Daytona Beach and the drama that ensues.

Keep an eye open for updates on how the production part of the contest is developing and may the best script win!

A cemetery is a strange place. Not for the obvious reasons that you would think. Of course, they are filled with dead bodies, and are an overall gloomy place to visit, but that’s not what intrigues me about them.

I was sitting on the train, starring out the window, when we passed a cemetery. What was strange about this one was the fact that it had a solid 8-foot wall with barbed wired spiraled around the top. It got me to wondering: Who are they trying to keep out?

As curious as a cat, I couldn’t help but to check things out.

That evening, I walked the several blocks from my apartment to the cemetery with the concrete wall. At first there didn’t appear to be a gate, to get into the cemetery, which I found very peculiar, but nonetheless more intriguing. I continued to walk along the wall that never seemed to end.

I turned the corner and found myself staring down a dark street. The street lamps appeared to be out, and there wasn’t a person in sight. I hesitated for a moment, and then continued along the concrete wall. The further I walked, the darker it became. All the light seemed to extinguish as I walked on. I ran my fingers along the wall as I walked, the darkness was overwhelming and making it hard to see.

Finally, I felt the wall disappear beneath my fingers and I was startled by the sudden cold that seized my fingers. Realizing that I was now touching a cold, iron gate, I gave a little chuckle. Giving the door a little push, it creaked open.

I suddenly felt unsettled. It seemed strange that a cemetery with such measures to keep people out would overlook such a thing as an unlocked gate. Figuring it was luck I stepped inside the unnaturally dark cemetery.

As soon as I took two steps into the cemetery, what little light there was to begin with seemed to extinguish and the hair in my lungs was sucked right out. Panic crept up my spine as every hair on my body began to vibrate with apprehension.

Something wasn’t right.

I turned around to leave, only to realize that the gate I had come through had disappeared. Only darkness remained where the gate once stood. Turning around quickly, I felt the cold air surround me like a blanket. A suffocating blanket.

Fear paralyzed me, but only for a moment. The very next moment a sound, then a touch, made me scream out loud. Only, the scream didn’t carry like it normally would when a person is standing in the middle of a deserted cemetery where you could hear a spider spinning its web. Instead, it fell flat as if the cold night air absorbed it as soon as it left my lips.

I tried to run, but my legs were rooted in their spot. I couldn’t move. The ominous air was smothering me, stealing the air from my lungs, bit by bit.

Suddenly—long, icy fingers gripped my throat and all went black. I took in a mouthful of cold hair and heard myself gasp.

Finally, I felt myself picking up my legs to move. I began to run as fast as I could. Headstones and monuments jumped out at me as I ran with out knowledge of where I was going. Statues of angels and stone gargoyles seemed to be reaching out for me as I ran—pain searing in my chest, the cold air tearing at my lungs.

I heard the leaves shuffling behind me as I ran, but I was too scared to see if someone, or something, was following me. With a loud crack, and a cry of pain I hit what felt like a brick wall. In fact, it was an 8-foot high, concrete wall. I had found it.

A wave of hope overwhelmed me as I began to run along the wall, looking for a gate, like the one that let me in. I ran for what seemed like miles and nothing. No way, out. I jumped, trying to grab onto something, in order to climb the wall, but found nothing. I took a breath, and looked to each side, fear and panic threatening to overcome me. I could see something to my right.

Maybe, just maybe, if I could climb on top, I could climb over the wall. I ran to the stone mausoleum that stood next to the wall. As I was climbing to the top of the stone structure, I looked at my escape route and cried out in despair.

I had forgotten. Barbed wire glinted menacingly in the darkness. There was no way out.

And that’s when I realized. The cemetery wasn’t trying to keep people out.

It wanted to keep me in.