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| cool news of the day |
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tuesday june 24 2008
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the daisy ad
It ran just once, is the most famous political commercial of all time, and was mentioned in the first line of Tony Schwartz's obituary by Margalit Fox in the New York Times (6/17/08). The commercial in question is, of course, the so-called "Daisy Ad" which aired on September 7, 1964 during NBC's "Monday Night at the Movies" and was immediately pulled because of the ensuing uproar among Republicans who saw it as an unfair indictment of their presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater, who actually wasn't mentioned. In the spot, a little girl counts as she pulls pedals from a daisy. While the little girl counts up, an announcer counts down, culminating in the sound and image of an atomic explosion.
This jarring scene is followed by Lyndon Johnson's voice: "These are the stakes. To make a world in which all of God's children can live, or go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die" (video here). Some say the ad began the era of negative political ads but Tony Schwartz did not see it that way: "There was nothing negative about it," he told MSNBC in 2000. "Frankly, I think it was the most positive commercial ever made." It also made use of some of the techniques Mr. Schwartz pioneered as an adman for products and services including Coca-Cola, American Express, Chrysler, Kodak and Paine Webber.
These included using the voices of real children in commercials, instead of "adult actresses trying to sound like children," as well as the use of sound for dramatic effect. Most of all it exemplified his philosophy of advertising. In his view, ads shouldn't "introduce viewers to new ideas, but rather ... bring out ones that were already lurking subconsciously in the mind." In his book, "The Responsive Chord," he wrote: "The best political ads are Rorschach patterns ... They do not tell the viewer anything. They surface his feelings and provide a context for him to express those feelings." Tony Schwartz also is known for having "built an important archive of folk music," producing "more than a dozen record albums for the Folkways label." He was 89.
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teaspoon brigade
"This is my religion now ... Picking up trash. You do a little bit wherever you are," says Pete Seeger in a New York Times piece by Dennis Gaffney (6/22/08). Where, exactly, is Pete Seeger now? Well, on any given Saturday, he's in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., standing on a grassy patch at the intersection of Route 9 and Route 9D, otherwise known as the "Hudson Valley P.O.W.-M.I.A. Memorial Highway. He slings "his banjo over his shoulder like an old musket," and sings to passers-by, plucking away at the same banjo he played back in the 1950s and picking away at the same antiwar themes.
When he's not picking up trash, that is. He's usually joined by about a dozen others, and opposed by a counter-protest group across the street. "They always have more flags," says Pete. "But our signs are more fun." And Pete says he did cross the great divide one time, about a year ago, to chat with one of the veterans who stood across the way. "I shook his hand and said, 'I'm glad we live in a country where we can disagree with each other without shooting each other.' He had to shake my hand. He didn't know what to say. I even picked up a little litter over there."
Pete is, after all, a World War II veteran himself. "Hitler had to be done away with," he says. As he wrote in "Bring 'Em Home," his famous 1966 antiwar anthem: "There's only one thing I must confess / I'm not really a pacifist / If an army invaded this land of mine / You'd find me out on the firing line" (Springsteen version here). But instead you'll find Pete Seeger, now 89, along Route 9D. It's strictly small-time but he says he likes it that way: "I don't think that big things are as effective as people think they are ... Some of us try to add more sand by teaspoons ... It's leaking out as fast as it goes in and they're all laughing at us. But we're still getting people with teaspoons."
Tim Manners
editor
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footer notes
Moving Targets.
Shoppers today are anything but "captive audiences." By Stuart Armstrong. (pdf or text)
The Total Package. Engage, delight and convert shoppers through insightful product packages. By Al Wittemen. (pdf or text)
Fun with Formats. A better shopping experience means daring to be different. By Michael Shinall.
(pdf or text)
The Pink-Collar Shopper. She spends more than you think she does -- and is more loyal too. By Lois Seidl and Jeff Friedlaender. (pdf or text)
Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty offers a new definition of corporate social responsibility. By Dori Molitor. (pdf or text)
Folk Den. "I learned this song at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the late 50s. It's a pretty love song for June, called "I Know Where I'm Going," says Roger McGuinn in The Folk Den. (listen here)
Solving for Shoppers. If your brand is not part of a shopper solution, you've got a problem. By Jon Kramer. (pdf or text)
Wherefore Art Thou? Survey says ... Trust me, you don't want to know! A commentary on a Reveries.com survey about brands and trust, by Rodney Mason. (pdf or text)
Sixth Sense. Getting at what really drives your brand's growth. A discussion featuring Eric Plaskonos of Philips N.A., Sheryl Adkins-Green of Alberto Culver, Grant Harrison of Humana Inc., Delaine Hampton of Procter & Gamble and Zain Raj of Euro RSCG. (pdf or text)
Team Unilever. The ultimate shopper insight is that sales and marketing need to think as one. An exclusive Q&A interview with Lisa Klauser of Unilever by Tim Manners. (pdf or text)
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events
Shopper Insights In Action, July 13th-16th, 2008, Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. The most notable global shopper event that unveils the latest research methods and showcases revolutionary activation strategies to create differentiation, loyalty and increase profits in the ever-changing retail environment. For more information, visit here. Mention code XM2015COOL and Save 15 percent off the standard and onsite rate.
Packaging That Connects, September 22-24, 2008, Chicago. Attracting the most experienced researchers, brand strategists, design experts and packaging leaders in the industry, and focusing on innovative design, consumer insight, and trends. For more information visit here. Mention code XM2029COOL and Save 15 percent off the standard and onsite rate.
Focalyst Executive Forum, October 2-3 at Pier 60 in NYC, featuring emerging trends and best practices for reaching Boomers. Confirmed speakers include futurist Andrew Zolli and top marketers from Ameriprise, Dannon, Dove, GE , GlaxoSmithKline, Google, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, LEGO, MetLife, Microsoft, P&G, Prudential, Walgreens and UnitedHealth Group. Learn more here.
The Market Research Event, October 13-16, 2008, Anaheim, CA. Prepare to be inspired by thought leaders and industry practitioners. With more 100 breakout sessions, your program can be customized to your needs -- attend sessions that are relevant to your business. For more information visit here. Mention code XM2028COOL and Save 15 percent off the standard and onsite rate.
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hub top 10
The Hub "Top 10 Report of Shopper Marketing Excellence," including how each of the top brands and agencies ranked in all ten areas critical to success (with verbatim comments) and a mini-primer on Shopper Marketing, is now available here.
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