The importance of feeling like an alien

I just got back from Copper Mountain, Colorado, having spent most of last week there on business (hence the weeklong gap in blog entries). The location was wisely chosen by my client for a reason that’s relevant to his business but not necessary to explain here.

What is relevant is the fact that Copper is extremely far removed from my day to day life, different in many ways:

Ridiculously clean air. The kind you wouldn’t know existed unless you arrived straight from The City. The folks who live there may not know it, but I could feel it, and I was constantly trying to take giant breaths to stock up on what felt like invisible energy.

No cars. Some shuttle buses, no traffic. You can stand in the middle of a snow-packed street for 10 minutes with no danger of getting hit by anything other than an errant snowboarder.

Ridiculously nice people. Not even in Disney World did I meet such happy people. I spent some time in Telluride in the late ‘80’s, and nothing has changed in the 25 years since: people who inhabit these towns live to ski (or snowboard), so they serve pizza or fix roofs or drive shuttle buses so they can spend the rest of their time on the slopes. In the dog-eat-dog big-city world of big business, you have to claw your way to the top. In Copper, a ski lift takes you there.

Copper is hundreds of miles from Chicago, but it felt like I was on a different planet. It was inspiring to be in such an alien environment. It reminded me of the importance of getting away from places in which you usually find yourself. Down the road or across the ocean, find yourself somewhere new. Soon. The air may not be all that much cleaner, but the energy you get will be worth it.

Why a good answer is the best answer

When I was a cub, one of my first mentors asked me what an Idea was. I probably said something like, “something you think up,” which isn’t necessarily a wrong answer, it just isn’t a very good one.

I’ve had a pretty good response for a while now, something along the lines of “A creative solution to a challenge.” Or even pithier, “A good answer.”

Yes, if a word, image, sound or action does a good job of taking a question or challenge and making it irrelevant, then it’s an answer. And what’s more valuable than that?

Engineers, scientists, doctors, Supreme Court Justices, they’re in the answer business. So are marketers. People pay money to see other people come up with an answer. Fighters answer the bell, batters answer pitchers. Laws answer problems, food answers hunger.

Love them as we may, baristas don’t really answer anything, which is why they may not be as valuable as you think.

Sometimes answers are not just inventive, but cool (I love that kind!) Sometimes they’re not simple.

But always, an answer is an idea. And when it’s a good idea, nothing feels better than coming up a good one. How do you know it’s a good one? I’ll write on that soon. But if you get tingly when you come up with one, it’s a good sign.

PS, If you have a favorite idea you want to share, please post it.

Another reason to have an accident on the autobahn

This outdoor ad in Germany is the best use of three billboards in a row since I was 10 years old, when we drove through South Dakota in greater anticipation of a drug store than Anton Chigurh did in No Country for Old Men. When we finally got to Wall Drug, it was a bit of a letdown, but I did get a fake snakeskin wallet and a postcard of a jackalope.

This is a wonderful example of using media to it's fullest advantage. Makes a point, makes it in a fresh, extremely, highly memorable way. Did I mention that it's memorable?

The smartest book, per-page, in the history of the world, ever

You may know about it already, you may have read it in one of your marketing classes, but A Technique For Producing Ideas is a book that’s well worth the small amount of time you’d need to spend reading it.

It’s 48 (large print) pages. It’s so short, you can go here and read the whole thing. But it’s also super cheap, so please buy it and flip through it every once in a while.

Fact is, you may practice his technique already, but James Webb Young was the first guy to think of putting it down on paper.

If you’re ever pressed to come up with an idea—and if you’re not, then you’re probably not doing much more than flipping channels and inhaling cheese balls—then consider Mr. Young’s advice. He may have written it decades ago, but the fact that it’s still being reviewed (and praised) on amazon.com speaks volumes about this little volume’s ability to influence how you think up an idea.

It’s proof that the cleanest, simplest, most obvious ways of thinking about a challenge can sometimes be the best Twists of all.

Radio Gaga

This is one of the best intersections of social and mainstream media that I’ve ever seen.



Even if you’ve had enough of Miss Germanotta, you can’t help but be entertained, from the three dudes wearing sunglasses and playing the violin all the way through the swelling chorus of random voices singing the…well…chorus.

Nice Twist, to cut together all of the different versions posted by people just like you and me. Well, not me, really, because I don’t have Kanye glasses, play little guitar-looking things, or spin what used to be known as "LP's" on turntables. And while I don’t really love the Lady G, I certainly respect her talent and originality. Plus, I would sincerely like to know what “ rah, rah, ra ah ah, rama, ra ma ma, ga, ga, ooh la la“ means.

Cool is what cool says it is

Every year when I was Creative Directoring Gatorade, we had our big annual meeting to sell the new crop of commercials to our client. It was always a big show, with lots of amazing ideas presented amazingly well. People brought their A-game because there was a lot at stake; this was work that could spark or squash a career.

The room was always full of ideas that were smack dab on brief. We applied great strategic rigor to everything we presented.

Almost.

There was always one spot that was in the room mostly because we just loved it. It may not have nailed the strategy, or been squarely on one of the assigned briefs. And even with all of the great salespeople we had in that room, we were hard pressed to come up with a good reason for our client to buy it other than “It’s really cool and will make Gatorade that much cooler.” And to their credit, they did buy some of those spots, bless their hearts.

Which brings me to the only Top Ten list I’ll talk about from last year. Top 25, actually. It’s right here. A page full of nothing but Cool Stuff. Go take a look, and I dare you to not be engaged, or inspired, and come away with a smile on your face.

Should you spend $1000 on a pair of sneakers, just because they’re cool? Well,

To be honest, as much as I love Turtle, I’ve never completely understood sneaker collectors, or anyone who’ll drop a grand on a pair of gym shoes. But who says these shoes aren’t as much of a work of art as a painting or sculpture? Not me.

Cool is worth whatever someone says it is. Including you. So go think up something cool.

Use what you got

A great example of telling a great story even if you don’t have one: go to this site, then click on “About.”

I LOVE THIS.

And remember, I’m the guy who wrote the original Keith Jackson-narrated “Origins” commercial for Gatorade, which told the story of how Gatorade was created. Nothing like the power of a true story, right?

But what if you’re a younger brand with little (or no) heritage to talk about?

Go the opposite way. Use it to your advantage. Have fun with it. Let it be part of your attitude. Then your attitude becomes your story.

It’s feckin genius.

Thinking Waaaaaaaay outside the bun

Taco Bell has been successfully thinking outside the bun for a while, with some genuinely funny ads and some genuinely strong business results. Their latest effort is a departure from “If you like Pina Colada” parodies, and it has gone a bit awry.

I’m sure you’ve seen it on TV; they’re telling the true story of Christine Dougherty, who lost 54 pounds with the help of Taco Bell’s Fresco menu. I’m sure someone somewhere in the world in the past several decades quit smoking by jogging sideways and chewing an indigenous tree root. Doesn’t mean it’s a good way to quit smoking.

And apparently, most people think Taco Bell isn’t a real good way to lose weight. According to Zeta Buzz, which mines blogs, message boards and social media postings to measure buzz about a subject, not only has Taco Bell's buzz rating dropped six points after launching the diet, but three of the words most closely associated with Taco Bell and its campaign are now "fat," "stop," and "joke."

Oops.

I really admire Taco Bell for trying something different. The truth is a powerful tool, and Christine's story is compelling. Unfortunately, just because a story is true and powerful, it doesn’t mean that it must be told. Especially when it comes to selling a product.

I’m not napping right now, but I could be.

Thanks to crowdsourcing, I could get someone else to do my work for me today, and then just take a long, peaceful nap. Crowds can do just about anything these days, from Wikiing to Flickring. Crowdspring has brilliantly christened themselves “The world’s largest creative department.”

And now if there’s a question you need answered, you can Aardvark your way there. Not the newest idea in the world, but I like this site because it twists the model so that it seems like a friend to friend system, vs. asking Jeeves or using some impersonal, computerized search engine. You sign up, you ask a question, you quickly get a bunch of answers from real people. I got an answer from an 80-year old chap in London whose personality jumped off the page in all of his wonderfully wry and long-life-lived wisdom. You’re also asked to answer others' questions, too. Quid pro quo, Clarice. I told someone in Miami looking for a romantic restaurant in Chicago to check out Geja’s. Old school, baby! Don’t worry, I made sure he knows he’ll come out smelling like a french fry.

It’s nice to see crowdsourcing being used by people who come to life in the process. It’s not just fulfilling, it’s enjoyable. And I can Aardvark all day long, while others do my work for me via all of the other crowdsroucing sites. In fact, I’m napping right now, as I write this. Well, not really, but I might just take a nap when I‘m done writing this. Highly unlikely, given the fact that I’m a ridiculously unrelenting boss of myself. But I could if I wanted, thanks to crowdsourcing.

By the way, if I was in Asia and wanted to take a nap, I’d go here. Now that's a place to nap.

And if anyone out there needs to know a great place for sushi in Rome, go here…

One result of the economic crisis: Weed you can drink

Is the charge of Red Bull over? Are folks less interested in being a Rockstar and more inclined to hang out with Mary Jane?

Anti-energy drinks have, ironically enough, exploded onto the scene. Several beverage makers are seeing an America that’s tired of running and cramming and overextending, and in great need of slowing down and relaxing. According to the LA Times, advertising agency J. Walter Thompson says these relaxation drinks will be one of the top food trends of 2010.

It started last year with Drank, marketed as a way to “Slow Your Roll.” My favorite is Mary Jane’s Soda, laced with Kava. The reference to marijauna is intentional; there’s no dope in the bottle, but when you drink it you experience the calming effect that Kava produces, which some say is similar to the effects of smoking pot. No news yet on whether they’ll sell M&M’s and french fries and chocolate cake and Doritos to go with it.

I love the word “anti.” You can say it’s a downer, but it’s also a great way to go against trends to find an opportunity. Anything out there that’s rubbing you the wrong way? It could be the basis for a great new idea…

The single best piece of advice for college grads

Here’s a thought for everyone donning a cap and gown in 2010 and hoping to one day not just get married, but stay married:

Smile.

As a study shows, and The New York Times reported, the less people smiled in their yearbook pictures, the more likely they were to later get divorced.

Granted, it’s a “thin slice” study of only 600 people, but it’s one of many related studies, and added up, they create a slice as thick as greek toast.

Another good reminder, as 2010 quickly approaches, that the world belongs to the optimistic. Things may be bad or good, but they will always get better. So much of it depends on how you approach a situation. If you approach it like a yearbook photo, and make sure you’re smiling, when the shutter snaps, you’re on your way.