Why the red 1's?

The red 1's is a name I developed to illustrate my passion for advertising. 

When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last? 

When I was five and first starting to be affected by the media entering my home my answer was yes, I do eat the red ones last. They're the best ones. I don't know why they're the best. But I'll buy in.

The smarties campaign is the first one I can remember, and I strive to be as creative as those mullet sporting, hypercolour wearing creative people were when they developed the classic campaign in the 80's.

Canada Goose Epitomizes Social Media

Canada Goose (you know, those mega warm, increasingly hip down-filled jackets) has been running the most successful social media campaign for the last 10 years. The best thing is, they've done it without even really trying, and they probably don't have a member on they're staff that knows what social media is. They don't advertise traditionally, and don't need to. Here's why:

They got lucky. A dangling tag on they're jackets and a stack of pamphlets is all that consists of their in store display. Somebody who probably never received credit for their genius, came up with the line on the tag and pamphlet. It's simply: Ask anyone who knows. 

That's just what social media experts want you to do when they develop a social media campaign.

Have an experience with the brand, talk to your friends about it, see if somebody knows more than you, then spread that knowledge to others.

These days, an experience means an online one. But the Canada Goose experience can never be anything better than putting one of their jackets on. It doesn't hurt to have a product that's the best in show. The goose and duck down is premium and WARM. Almost too hot to even wear through a sizing session in the store. Justifiably so, the jackets were originally developed for arctic explorers and researchers. Dennis Quaide has the noticeable Goose patch on his yellow expedition model in the movie The Day After Tomorrow. And the picture to illustrate their persuasion to ask someone who knows: a fierce looking arctic explorer's face, genuine coyote fur trimmed hood around his frost-stubbled face.

In fashion conscious Toronto, where the coats are made, models made less-intense and more everyday friendly are sported more and more by the every day consumer trying to beat the winter bite. The people they ask, the anyones who know: bouncers, of course. Who else fights the winter season as hard as these guys? Thus, and again without really trying, their jackets have a real life, informative, interactive display at the entrance to many of the hipest night spots.

If only all social media was as easy to develop.  

Social media really works hard to be the jump-off point of a larger conversation. Of course, an executer of strategy exists to mold an authentic conversation, and someone needs to be there influence the influencers, and it doesn't hurt if the product has a wow factor that can be easily demonstrated, but social media really is the new and most organic form of advertising. 

How bad I want an iphone.

How badly do I want an  iphone? Pretty bad. I've come to terms with the fact that, because of Apple, I'll never reach nirvana. I'm always going to want what they make. I don't blame myself. This is the world we live in. It's pretty cool, and Apple seems to be president (sorry, should stick to my Canadian roots) prime-minister of making it cooler. I want to be at the front of the pack. I feel a need to be an early adopter. Especially of technology. I want to have all the answers. I want wikipedia in my pocket. I want a phone that makes me smarter. I want to not have to carry a cell phone and an ipod. I want lighter pockets. Apple understands my need for lighter pockets. If Apple made money, there'd be no change. They're smarter than that. Just round up. I also want to know what's around me all the time. I never want to have to look. I don't want to discover anything on my own. Apple knows me, they can just tell me where to go and I'll go there. I don't want to ask strangers questions like how to get somewhere or anything else about the environment I'm in. No longer will I ever have to ask the cute waitress, coffee shop employee, or book store girl what song is playing in the background. Apple has given me Shazam. It listens for a few seconds, then takes me to itunes so I can buy the song or whole album. With technology like that, I'll never have to get excited to hear that song again. It's in my pocket, and I'm already sick of it.

How are you? Actually never mind.

How are you? Actually, never mind. I already know. You don't have to tell me you went to Ireland. I was on your facebook page not too long ago. I peeped the pictures from your summer  trip to visit your friend. I know you got a new puppy, you don't have to tell me about it. I know it's a pug, I saw the pictures and it's pretty cute and I know it's name is Edgar. I've also assumed you got it to feel better about your boyfriend dumping you and by the look on your face I've assumed correctly. Your relationship status didn't change to single, it just disappeared altogether, which is pretty much the same thing. I'm not a creep, really, the little tile of your face just popped up in that random group of six displayed friends and I thought: "haven't seen her in a while, wonder what she's up to". And after about ten minutes of finding out about your life, I finished my coffee and had to get back to my own. It's too bad we ran into each other now instead of three days ago. I probably would have waited for an answer. So what's up with me? I don't know, check my facebook page.