Branding Blog

Remarkable Direct Mail: Veer

This was the coolest thing I've received in the mail for ages. I'm not spilling the secrets here. You'll just have to go find out. Veer.

"The kerning pair went everywhere."

Advertising vs. Being Remarkable

"Advertising is a tax you pay for being unremarkable."
-Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens

There are STILL plenty of very smart people in the world who have not begun to realize the power of the web. For some, it's a fear of technology. Others have been too busy engaged in successful business. Still others just have their heads in the sand.

I was having a conversation with a group of very successful brick and mortar jewelers a couple of weeks ago. We were talking about my blogging class and they asked if I knew of any jewelers who have had any measure of success with blogging. I pointed them to Ice.com and their use of a blog strategy to tie their name to celebrities and provide lots of in-bound links to products.

Then, they asked me if I could name a business that has achieved any kind of success with YouTube?

How Diamond Advertising Brought me back to Music

After 20 years in the radio business, I was burned out on music. I haven’t listened to more than an hour of music radio in the past 8 years. Really. I’d heard it all. I was tired of listening just to see if there was “dead” air, the bane of all broadcasters.

I have a small list of  about 100 songs that I listen to when I sleep on airplanes.

About a week ago, as I flipped through channels looking for something to tide me over between Top Gear and the next Kitchen Nightmares show, I stopped on a repeat of a Leno broadcast from a few months ago. He was just introducing some guy named Landon Pigg. Not very deep, am I. I chuckled at the name and decided to give the guy about 10 seconds before I clicked on.

Airline Ad #7: Air India

This is the last ad, and my favorite.

Why?  In 3 words...Multiple Personas Addressed.

Airline Ad #6: Etihad

I'd never heard of Etihad until I saw the ad. Then again, they aren't looking for my type of business.

What do you think? In 3 words.

Airline Ad #5: Eos

Eos is the only airline to run a smaller than full-page ad in the magazine. I think it's still effective. I scanned the entire page just to put it in context.

So, what's your 3-word review?

Airline Ad #4: AirTran

Here's AirTran's ad. Post your three word reviews in the comments.

Here's another perspective....put yourself in the point of view of the travel agent booking trips for your clients vs a corporate travel planner who is under the gun to keep travel costs as low as possible. Would the ad get the same reaction from both? Who did AirTran choose to lose?

Airline Ad #3: Air France

Air France ad from Business Travel News.  What do you think?  3 words or less please.

Airline Ad #2: Southwest Airlines

Here's the second airline ad.  Remember, the rule is to review the ad in 3 words or less.

Review the Airline Ads in 3 Words or Less: Ad #1 JAL

It's so EASY to post a snarky critique of another advertising professional's efforts. I try not to do it much anymore. BUT, I thought it might be fun to let YOU have a stab.

I have a subscription to Business Travel News, and today's issue got me thinking about the airline ads. So, I've scanned ALL of the airline ads and I'll be posting them one per day for the next 7 days.

Here are the guidelines for reviewing the ads:  Use 3 words (or fewer) and post them in the comments.

Remember, the magazine is targeted at Travel Agents and Corporate Travel decision-makers.

Ad Number 1....page 9, full-page. Japan Airlines

Click on the ad for a bigger version.