Using More Than You Need?

Here's a little something we produced last week. Our CEO, Marcus Brown, was asked by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) to moderate a panel titled "Overconsumption, Ethics and the Role of Advertising."

Marcus asked if we could come up with a design for a flyer that could be distributed throughout the convention center in Barcelona to drive people to the meeting.

My partner, Fred and I were swamped. We had two pitches to prepare for. But we thought Why not?

We sat for an hour or two, and came up with a few ideas. Fortunately, our creative director, Bob Heron, and Marcus gravitated to this one, which was our favorite. (Click to enlarge.) After all, why do flyers when you can do toilet paper?

The only kink came when panel members got a preview and began asking for confirmation that the paper was not only recycled, but FSC-certified. Took several more hours that we'd have otherwise spent on the project, but it paid off. They're all FSC-approved.

According to Marcus, the event and the flyers were a big success.

CLIENT: IUCN
CD: Bob Heron
AD: Frédéric Savioz
CW: Greg Christensen

How!

If there were a Bureau of Indian Affairs in Switzerland (or any Native Americans, for that matter), I'm sure the good people who make Winnetou popcicles would have their fair share of anti-defamatory-threats-of-legal-action headaches.

Bang! Bang!

Whether it's making friends in church or idle chat with a waiter, when I'm introduced to someone with rudimentary English skills, this is inevitably part of the conversation.

Swiss: Where are you from?

Greg: Chicago.

Swiss: Oh...Al Capone! Bang! Bang!

No one mentions Michael Jordan, the Cubbies or the Sears Tower. It's always Capone. The man's been dead for over 60 years. Talk about leaving a legacy.

No blue balls.

Here's a typical European "no-parking/no-stopping" sign...

The other day, my son asked me why blue balls aren't allowed by our apartment.

We've got an Apple Store!

A couple weeks ago Geneva and Zurich became two of only three European cities to boast an Apple Store (the first was in Rome). Apples says Switzerland has the highest rate of Apple user to PC users than any country; about 1 in 10 people in Switzerland use a Mac.

I took a walk to visit the new Geneva store during my lunch break last week. 

I was a little disappointed with the absence of the trademark glass staircase (it's only one floor), but the interior is pretty cool. The ceiling is an enormous skylight that floods the floor with natural light and offers an interesting view of the European apartments that surround it.

Macs are so awesome.

Soccer Chefs

A new lunch break photo from Alan in New York City. He broke the rules by not leaving the office, but the original instructions said to find something inspiring. I think watching chefs play soccer in a New York alley (click to enlarge) warrants breaking the rules.

Meatball Parm

Alan from New York, New York

Two More Airlines I Have Yet To Fly

Continued from a previous post.

Are You Talkin' To Me?

I recently learned that the United States is the only developed nation to tax its citizens who are working abroad. Right now, I will be taxed both by the Swiss and the U.S. governments. The American Fairness Tax Act of 2008 has been proposed to eliminate this redundancy. Fingers crossed, although I'm sure my representatives in Congress have enough to worry about right now.

But I'm only telling you this, so I can tell you this...

Curious to know if either Presidential candidate had anything to say on the matter, I emailed identical queries to both the Obama and McCain campaigns. Of course, I didn't expect to get an immediate or personal response. But I was curious to see what would happen. (Being from Illinois, I've emailed Obama's senate office several times and always received some sort of reply.)

Since emailing both candidates from the questions/comments section of their web pages, I've received at least ten emails from the Obama camp. Some from him. Some from his staff. A couple from Joe Biden. I just got one from Michelle. It may sound like overkill, but none of them feel intrusive. They've mostly encouraged me to watch the debates. Video clips of debate highlights. Reminders of when the next ones are televised. Only a couple have been outright requests for donations.

McCain has sent me exactly zero emails. No requests for donations. No information about the debates. Not even an acknowledgement that they can't possibly respond to each individual email. Maybe it's because I listed myself as a resident of Oregon (my mail's being forwarded to my in-laws there). Maybe McCain figures he's not going to win the Beaver State, so why return any Oregonian messages. Still, you'd expect something.

Politics aside, Obama has been a much better communicator from the start. As someone in advertising, I've got to admire what he's been doing: While every politician in the history of elections slaps their name on a blue background and throws in some red, wavy stripes, the Obama team created a logo (although McCain's is also much better than the generic ones); Obama's taking the online approach Howard Dean pioneered four years ago and improved upon it; and Barack, himself, gives speeches that are eloquent and stirring whether or not you agree with the policies. No doubt he's made some big blunders. But all things equal, he's been a much better communicator.

And whether it scares you or not (depends on who you're voting for), in politics and in marketing, the person who tells a more compelling story usually wins. Just ask Ronald Reagan, Nike or Johnnie Cochran.