Door Number 3

The $70K Tweet

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:13:40 -0500

As we imagine it is at other agencies, our job application process here at Door Number 3 is pretty rigorous.

We don’t just hire anybody.

But Mike McKay, the executive creative director of Saatchi and Saatchi LA, had lost his patience with such methods. He offered a $70k copywriting position for the funniest tweet. “It’s much easier to write long form,” McKay said. “It’s much harder to get someone interested in something in 140 characters.”

Well congratulations, Jonathon Pelleg, our fellow Austinite. It takes most people a cover letter, resume, portfolio, airline tickets, a series of awkward interview questions and the latest technology in stalking equipment to even be considered for a job. You did it in 21 words, all of which were talking about male genitalia. It’s an impressive feat.

While most are touched, people in the industry are annoyed. But they don’t hate you because you don’t deserve it. They hate you because it was just too easy. Besides, there were some pretty worthy contenders – click here to check them out.

Here at Door Number 3, we salute you and hope you prove the critics wrong. But that doesn’t mean we’ll let our prospective employees forgo the hot-coal walking anytime soon.

This Is Just Uncanny

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:03:11 -0500

Advertising is truly an art and science rolled into one. It takes real genius to inject life and personality into a once inanimate brand, thus creating need and desire. That, paired with an inspiring product is the recipe for greatness.

With this in mind, we present a gift from the gods of advertising: The Candwich.

This “new and innovative product for grab-and-go convenience” practically markets itself. It is easy to pack on the go, can be sold in a vending machine and is good for up to a year without refrigeration.

Mark Kirkland has dedicated a decade of his life to the cause. “So think about it,” Kirkland explained. “You’re a mom running your kids between school, piano lessons, soccer. Stopping at a fast-food restaurant takes time. This is something that literally could roll around the car for a few months. … “

Here’s to those products that not only give us faith in advertising, but in mankind.

We’ll Give You Something to Dislike

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:00:02 -0500

Zuckerbug told Diane Sawyer that he he would consider making a dislike button. But before you start the listing the things you should immediately disassociate with, know that Zuckerberg was just trying to shut everybody up.

Even though there are 3.2 million people in a Facebook group advocating the dislike button, Facebook simply cannot afford to damage their relationship with companies. If people can see the thousands of users that adamantly dislike a brand, it quickly becomes a bad use of their ad dollars. Yeah, companies want to empower us as consumers. Sounded better theoretically, huh? That’s why Zuck just wants to hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

But not to worry you spiteful, self-loathing Facebookers who alleviate all that pent-up hate and agression via interweb. You wouldn’t have nearly as much fun or feel nearly as original if everybody’s busy disliking things.

Isn’t it more gratifying to like the status that says “I wrecked my car today!!” Or to join the group “I don’t care how comfortable Crocs are, you look like a dumbass”? Disliking the happy tidbits just seems so… passive. And boring. You’ll need to find another channel for contempt and hostility. Make Facebook wish they gave you the option of simply “disliking” something.

Until then, let’s focus on more productive matters. Like making “Bromance” a relationship status option.

Californiadvertising

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:38:00 -0500

You can turn off your car radio, you can refuse to read a billboard, but if you’re behind another car in California, you might not be able to avoid advertisements for much longer.

California is kicking around the idea of placing digital ads on license plates. The plates will look normal when the car is moving, but cars that stop for four seconds or longer will treat the motorists behind them to an ad. Invasive? Perhaps. Ingenious? Ohhh yeah. Here are a few brands that may want to get in on the action:

Smith & Wesson firearms.: Perfect solution to LA road rage.

Tom Tom: Maybe GPS can help find routes with the least amount of Activia ads.

JBL Audio: A pair of subwoofers would surely drown out the car next to you blasting Taylor Swift.

Match.com: If there’s nobody in the passenger seat…

Starbucks: Chances are, there’s at least one Starbucks at that very intersection.

Short on cash? Get short skirts.

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:37:57 -0500

Advertising at the World Cup ain’t exactly cheap. So, if your company doesn’t quite have the capital, just round up 36 of your hottest hotties, put them in short mini dresses and let the PR do the work for you.

Bavaria, a Dutch brewery, couldn’t afford to shell out millions of dollars for a World Cup sponsorship, so they sent a slew of women in revealing orange mini dresses to the game. Seemed like a good idea, and nobody seemed to care - except FIFA’s “anti-ambush marketing” experts, who exist solely to prevent free, guerilla tactics from taking place on the World Cup’s dime.

And to further prove their point, FIFA threw two of the conspiring women in the slammer. But does FIFA realize that arresting the girls and making a scene completely backfired? Bavaria has received more media attention than if the stunt had simply played itself out.

So what can we learn from this? Well, two things: #1 If you’re going to advertise at the World Cup, it’ll cost ya. And #2 If you can’t cough up the cash, at least make sure you have enough money for bail.

Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images

BIC’s Cheap Pens Make for a Cheap Laugh

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:42:00 -0500

It seems there’s something in the water in Germany. Actor Christoph Waltz proclaimed he was going to give back his Academy award and dedicate his life to Austrian folklore. Actress Helen Mirren declared herself Queen of England. Tom Cruise ordered a high chair just like Suri’s so that he can see over the table.

Okay, what’s going on here, Germany?

The explanation begins with BIC being the number-one selling pen everywhere in the world – except Germany. So BIC’s Berlin agency, Jung von Matt/Spree, declared “with a BIC, you sign everything.”

And so it began. With a camera crew in tow, BIC sent undercover actors armed with BIC pens to get autographs from celebrities. Knowing stars will thoughtlessly scribble their John Hancock on just about anything an adoring fan hands them, BIC fooled unsuspecting celebrities into signing ridiculous documents. Then, they posted short videos of the scams on YouTube starting with a man who tricked the beautiful actress, Eva Habermann, into signing a marriage certificate.

BIC is getting free publicity at the expense of the rich and famous. Is this the new face of celebrity endorsements? Instead of negotiating an enormous sum of money to have a star flaunt their flawless appearance (oh, and give your product the nod of approval), BIC puts their $0.21 pen into action. Besides, there is nothing the public loves more than to watch untouchable celebrities become victims of their own stardom.

So maybe it’s not the water after all; it’s just a cheap pen and an even cheaper celebrity endorsement.

More Money Means More Beer

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:54:00 -0500

James Ready beer isn’t curing any diseases, providing medical supplies for third-world countries, or doing anything particularly “green” to establish goodwill among consumers. Their contribution to society is simply making beer more affordable.

Bless you, James Ready. Bless you.

Leo Burnett Toronto, James Ready’s ad agency, created coupons on billboards for local businesses: dry cleaners, drugs stores, salons, gardening centers. The idea is that if consumers can save a little money on basic necessities, they’ll have more money for more beer. Specifically, James Ready beer. And considering that industry sales are down 4%, there’s never been a better time for a stunt like this.

Are the giant coupons hard to clip? Yes. Impossible, in fact. Luckily, consumers can redeem the coupons by taking a picture on their camera phone and bringing it into the corresponding business. What’s more, the beer company is helping promote local businesses during a recession. Nicely played, James Ready.

The billboards aren’t exactly saving the world, but they are creating goodwill by speaking to a very basic desire; they are enabling you, a possible victim of this economic downturn, to afford more beer and enjoy a better quality of life – and in some cases, a less hairy back.

D'oh!

Fri, 28 May 2010 15:13:24 -0500

Branded

Tue, 04 May 2010 14:20:49 -0500

Door Number 3 president, M.P. Mueller, is now a resident blogger for The New York Times. Her blog, Branded is part of their “You’re the Boss: The Art of Running a Small Business” series. To read her latest posts, visit: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/author/mp-mueller/

AHS animals won’t get fooled again.

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:32:00 -0500

Google has had its share of mischievous pranks and hoaxes (see: ~~Topeka~~) So when the Google Translate for Animals app was unveiled at the start of the month, many people naturally assumed it was an April Fools’ Day joke.

And they naturally assumed wrong.

Why do we say this? Well, after taking the app for a test run at the Austin Humane Society, the results we found were undeniable. We didn’t just discover cats and dogs talking; we found them quipping, philandering and, yes, even gangsta rapping.

Needless to say, we caught all of this on tape. The following videos, which are already going viral, are proof that there’s nothing foolish about listening to an animal.

Selling ads: brick by brick

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:31:46 -0500

Advertising giant OgilvyOne recently kicked off its contest to find the “World’s Greatest Salesman.” The New York agency is challenging people to sell a brick—a plain red brick—in one to two minutes, and then upload their pitch on OgilvyOne’s YouTube channel. The winner gets a three-month fellowship at the agency, and most likely, a whole bunch of hits on his/her video.

OgilvyOne has no shortage of job applicants; the contest is simply an attempt to “reinvigorate the noble art of salesmanship,” according to the call for entry site. The art mentioned is the craft and method of the agency’s founder, David Ogilvy. He built his legacy with the skills he acquired selling stoves door-to-door. In today’s agency though, creatives don’t go door-to-door. Instead, they face consumers with the copy and visuals of their ads.

So what does selling a brick have to do with creating ads?

Well, the brick, in this case, represents the “idea.” It’s essential for creatives to first create the idea of course, but then to sell the idea – all the way up the chain: writers and art directors have to sell each other on the idea first. Then, they sell their creative director on the idea. The creative director sells it to the account team, who sells it to the client (hopefully), who in turn, sells it to the consumer in the form of a finished ad.

So perhaps OgilvyOne should also keep an eye out for folks who can not only sell “bricks,” but also ones who can create them; and then hope those bricks are made of gold.

Man on a Mission

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Traditionally, SXSW is divided into three distinct categories: film, interactive and music. But once you’ve seen the epic documentary Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission, you quickly realize that all three genres can exist in one hour-and-a-half experience at the historic Paramount downtown.

Film: Ok, this one’s obvious. Man on a Mission is a film, yes. But what makes this documentary so special is its connection to Austin. The film documents local serial entrepreneur and game developer, Richard Garriott, as he prepares for a ten-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Furthermore, the film was shot by Austin director, Mike Woolf, of Beef & Pie Productions. And perhaps the pinnacle of this hometown hero is that it was completed just in time to premiere right here in Austin for the 2010 SXSW festival in front of the cast and crew’s family and friends.

Interactive: The technology behind the latest social media app at SXSW pales in comparison to the mind-blowing technology that launches Richard Garriott and his fellow cosmonauts into space. As Woolf and team document Garriott’s adventure over the course of his two-year training mission in Star City, Moscow, we get a behind-the-scenes perspective into centrifuge training, protein crystal growth experiments, emergency water rescue training, capsule re-entry and even Russian language classes. While the interactive portion of the festival was impressive, it certainly, as Garriott illustrates, isn’t rocket science.

Music: Close to 1,800 bands traveled from across the country and the world to showcase their musical prowess. However, one of the most magical selections of music was the original score of Man on a Mission. Composers Brian Satterwhite and John Constant musically capture the intensity of the training mission in Russia, while building up to the airy mystery of outer space with heroic proportions. Austin band, Candi and the Strangers, contribute with futuristic pieces that allude to the unknown, almost serving as the soundtrack to Garriott’s own fantastical, mysterious alter gaming-ego, Lord British.

So, while SXSW is officially over, the experience truly lives on in this incredibly well-documented and edited film with an equally as profound storyline and score – not bad for a bunch of dreamers from Austin.

The Dailies: March 20

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Daily Person

Davy is a member of Los Angeles band Everest. He shared his thoughts about branding at SXSW while smoking outside of Antone’s, where the band was about to play a day party.

What are you excited about seeing this year?
Broken Bells tonight.

What brand-sponsored parties are you looking forward to?
We’re playing the Readymade magazine party which is cool. We hung out at the Spin loft yesterday which was awesome: ping pong, food, giveaways. I like all the magazine parties.

If you go to a branded party, are you more likely to use their product?
Sometimes. Like, I love Readymade. I read it anyway and now we get a chance to play for them.

Do you think street marketing works?
Yeah. Everybody walks around so much. If I kept seeing the same sticker or flyer on the ground or the same bold “something”, I’d think “there’s that again, there’s that again, there’s that again” and it would catch my eye. But it’s gotta be everywhere. Then I’d be think, “there’s that band” or “there’s that deodorant.”

Daily T-shirt
How ironic would it be to find a t-shirt with a pair of sunglasses screenprinted onto it? Well, today we found that idea manifested on the corner of 6th and Congress. This shirt was made by the Mexican fashion label Diablo.

Daily Branding
This banner by Skullcandy was hanging outside the Belmont bar. The text is not eye-catching but the photo is what grabbed our attention. The gun barrel/boom-box art is pretty awesome, and seems to match the kind of over-the-top street design that Skullcandy is known for. Still, it seems that a company like Skullcandy could produce a more interesting SXSW banner. Maybe the font is what makes this one come off a little too “business” and not enough “street.”

Daily namedrop
Sponty compiles list of free parties and events in about 20 different American cities, large and small. Their Austin listings for SXSW are invaluable especially if you have their iphone application on hand. Users can contribute to the lists and they have Twitter and Facebook applications as well.

Levi's + Fader Fort

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:06:00 -0500

The Levi’s + Fader Fort (or, more commonly called “Fader Fort”) is a marketer’s playground. Fader Magazine, a music-centric culture magazine, has long had a presence at SXSW. Their partnership with Levi’s has perfected the art of organizing and presenting a branded event.

It strikes a delicate balance between exclusive and inclusive. Anyone can RSVP, wait in line to pick up their wristband, and then wait in line to gain entry. It’s a slightly laborious process, but that automatically weeds out people. There’s a certain sense of “We finally got in!” mentality that ultimately adds to the air of exclusivity. The free beer (Budweiser) and liquor (Southern Comfort) doesn’t hurt either.

Even though this multi-day event is still called the Fader Fort, once you’re inside the branding is all Levi’s. Levi’s has very skillfully executed a vibe of “rustic, American hipster” for lack of a better word, and this branding hits you right when you walk through the doors.

It literally feels like you walked into a Levi’s store at the mall via teleportation. Like we said, the aesthetic of American hipster is dialed-in, even having a rag tag group of 20-somethings playing old-timey tunes. Yes, that dude on the right is playing a washboard.

The environmental graphics throughout the store continue to further this message. There’s even a designated section to take your denim for custom stitching or other work done on them.

Once you walk outside (free beer in hand) it’s clear to see that the production values are top notch. What could be a weird Six Flags theme park actually feels somewhat authentic, down to the raw materials used throughout the Fort.

It’s a giant enclosed space, with different nooks to sit in and different “shops” set up to explore, including an area co-branded with Ray Ban sunglasses. Multiple screenprinters were set up to print custom shirts and a photobooth was close by as well.

One bizarre event that was happening while we were there featured Cherie Currie (lead singer of the 70’s rock band The Runaways and in town promoting a new biopic film with the same name) making a chain saw sculpture of a denim jacket. Sort of cool?

The main stage had some understated branding, and every performance was being streamed live on the Fader website. We caught the very excellent Austin band Harlem’s set.

The ultimate question is, “is this worth it?” Is all the obvious time, money and organizing of this event have any tangible benefit to Levi’s. From our time spent there we have to say “yes.” But it’s a yes mainly because it’s executed so perfectly. An event like this could be a disaster if not planned properly. In terms of pushing sales, there were definitely a noticeable amount of people there with Levi’s bags on their shoulders. People are buying jeans. The overall messaging is not really tapping into any kind of deeper meaning, it’s simply an aesthetic, albeit a very good one. The bands performing (thanks in no doubt to Fader’s connections) are buzz-worthy, diverse and all solid. Combined with the free beer, the Fader Fort is in essence a goodwill-generating factory for Levi’s. No one walking out of that place at the end of the day is going to hate Levi’s and, more than likely, will walk away with a more positive impression. That’s money in the bank and tons of smiles for the Levi’s marketing team.

The Dailies

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:15:05 -0500

Daily Person

Carly, from Nashville, is the manager for singer/songwriter Andrew Ripp. She had this to say about branding at this year’s SXSW:

What are you excited about seeing this year?
Just the craziness. It’s fun to watch people and bands you’ve never heard of. That’s what I think is so cool about SXSW. Lots of times you’re surprised by things you didn’t know you’d like, all of the sudden, you find out you like.

Have any promotional items or events stood out to you so far?
Yes. My glasses. At the Carrera party there was a bunch of free clothes and stuff and that was fun.

What brand-sponsored parties are you looking forward to?
I always thought the Paste parties were cool. We went to one there. Spin, I guess, and the Rachael Ray event.

If you go to a branded party, are you more likely to use their product?
Yeah, probably. Since I’m wearing two of the items that got yesterday. I do think sponsoring stuff is valuable if you have a great product. If it’s something that people don’t really want and is not cool or hip or edgy or whatever then I don’t think it would necessarily work.

Daily T-shirt

Someone was toting around this band shirt for Crystal Antlers last night at the Brixton bar. With so many free t-shirts up for grabs at SXSW, it’s reassuring to see people are still buying psychedelic wolf shirts.

Daily Branding

We saw a number of these flyers for Bad Rabbits fluttering around on the 6th street sidewalk. It’s a good example of the format lots of bands are using to promote themselves at the festival this year. On one side of a glossy postcard, a bold design features the band’s name and on the other side, a day-by-day schedule of shows. With such a huge amount of concerts happening at all hours of the day, it is useful for fans to narrow down their choices with a durable schedule that fits in their pockets. It’s useful for the band too; carry one of these and you’ll always know where you’re supposed to be. If the design pops enough, people should take notice of the band name and logo, even if the card is just lying on the sidewalk.

Daily Namedrop

Carly and her lunch date had plenty of good things to say about Grace Potter and the Nocturnals who have an album coming out in April. Frontwoman Grace plays the Flying V and Hammond organ and wears fabulous sequined dresses onstage. Apparently she also has a flawless singing voice to complement the show gimmicks.

Flatstock

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:59:08 -0500

One of the best things about SXSW is Flatstock, the annual rock poster show put on in part by The American Poster Institute. It’s a 43,300 square-foot candy store for music and art lovers. We just left the convention center floor with a slew of posters and nothing but lint in our wallets. The show features original graphic art by more than 100 artists from across North America and the globe. It’s free, open to the public and goes through Saturday. One of the screenprinting studios we purchased from was the very talented Vahalla Studios of Kansas City, MO.

Of course, nothing rivals the gig posters of our own Austin-based Bryan Keplesky whose posters can be perused and purchased here.

Check out the rest of the Flatstock exhibitors here.

Toaster Treats

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:51:00 -0500

For those of you who are hungry for a tool that can track social marketing, simply check the toaster.

Social Toaster, a powerful little platform that lets organizations implement a social media strategy and track the results. Even better is that it’s automated, reducing a majority of time spent managing social media content. The software posts content on sites like Facebook and Twitter, then tracks the click through rate – even boasting nine clicks per link.

At this year’s SXSW, ROI is the name of the social media game. And now that companies can track if and how their links and social marketing content is being shared, which ones are effective, and how many leads they’re generating, we can actually gage the effectiveness of social media campaigns. Companies are no longer in the dark, wondering if their content is spreading across social media platforms. The back-end analytics speak for themselves. Finally.

ESET's Interactive "Billboard"

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:22:00 -0500

Overall, we’ve been impressed with ESET’s (an anti-virus software) presence at SXSW this year, from a branded vehicle to street team marketing to, now, an interactive “billboard” on downtown Congress Avenue.

This campaign has been done in conjunction with Monster Media and BBDO West (and Door Number 3 buddy/photographer Bryan Davis). The official press release describes it as “the industry’s largest gestural interactive LCD footprint ever done through a storefront window.”

As people walk by the display, the (albeit gross) maggots slither away to reveal the tagline “Create a Safe Space for Yourself.”

Go here for more on this campaign on Monster Media’s website.

AOL Lifestream

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:14:42 -0500

We saw a branded bus promoting AOL’s new social networking platform Lifestream (previously blogged about here) driving around town today. Eventually, it parked in downtown Austin to set up a mobile display. A nice touch were the back windows, which featured screengrabs of the interface.

Clear + SXSW

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:09:03 -0500

Waterloo Records has been hosting free day shows in their parking lot during the Music fest, and Clear has been the major brand presence there. The folks from Clear we talked to described themselves as “the new game in town”, and their marketing efforts focused primarily on generating some name recognition and to drive sales towards broadband subscriptions. Clear has definitely nailed the modern, friendly aesthetic in a field normally crowded with dominant, old-style media conglomerates. There were some nods to SXSW, but Clear was there to show what they can do. Their branded vehicle was live streaming (in HD) a NCAA basketball tournament game.

This seems like a good move for Clear. Waterloo Records is an Austin institution and their shop is located far enough away from downtown to attract a more local-friendly (and more receptive) audience.