Sharing My Crayons

These Shoes Are Made For Talkin'

Before you criticize someone you should walk a mile in their shoes.

That way when you criticize them you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

- Jack Handy

My love of classic Vans slip-ons has taught me one thing: pick a style you like and stick with it regardless of cultural trends. In 20 years when it comes back in style (and it will, my friend, it will) you will appear ahead of the curve.

But now these shoes – specifically these exact shoes in the image at top – have taught me something else: Promising a rose and delivering a bouquet creates a brand advocate.

I'll explain:

I ordered this sweet pair of Vans from the online shoe store Zappos.com just before 1:00 A.M. (Monday night/Tuesday morning). Yesterday I got an email from them telling me that they were upgrading my shipping to Priority at no cost to me just to say thanks for being their customer (and my standard shipping had already been free).

Sure enough, the UPS truck just pulled away about a half hour ago and I'm typing this in my brand spankin' new kicks! This is essentially the equivalent of free overnight shipping. So, aside from feeding my unhealthy addiction to instant gratification, what's the result of their kindness:

Well, I'm chattin' 'em up in my blog for starters. But beyond that, they have created a full-on brand advocate for Zappos. You can bet I'll be talking about this to anyone who makes a comment on my shoes – or anyone else who'll listen. Brand advocates volunteer unsolicited praise for a company – they can really extend your marketing into places you'd otherwise not reach.

Zappos has latched onto this truth, already going above and beyond in the customer service arena. They not only offer free standard shipping, they offer free shipping if you return your shoes too. They include simple return instructions with their packing list that arrives with your purchase – and they give you a whopping 365 days to return the shoes (in original condition). Pretty customer-focused thinking.

I recently re-worked my Client & Project Profile that I use with my clients. One of the new questions I ask is this: "Creating brand advocates is important. How do we think this will get people talking about the brand?"

It's a good question to ask periodically throughout your marketing efforts. Are you delivering the unexpected? What little extra thing could you be doing that would get people talking about your brand?

Promise a rose.

Deliver a bouquet.

And savor the sweet aroma of hyper-satisfied customers extending your reach into the hearts and minds of their family, friends and coworkers.

Ah, Who The (bleep) Are You?!

 

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I'm schizophrenic

And so am I

Or feel free to quote Roger Daltrey from The Who as we have. I'm willing to bet that thought has crossed the mind of many people who have seen the latest Geico commercial.

First they introduce us to the Geico Gecko. Then they shift gears so jarringly as to give the viewer whiplash and introduce the Caveman.

From day one I was never a fan of the Caveman. The connection that he was frustrated by his link to their tagline of "So Simple a Caveman Can Do It" always seemed tenuous at best. More often than not I was left scratching my head and uttering under my breath "ok-a-a-a-a-y . . whatever."

But now they've launched on all-out offensive on both marketing wisdom and common sense. If you've not been so enlightened, please see for yourself:

Now that is one confusing puppy – and this is one confused company. They seem to have a huge identity crisis going on. Are they the cute little Gecko, the frustrated Caveman, or the Money With The Plastic Eyeballs Stuck On Top.

And let's think about this from a core branding strategy perspective. The impression I'm left with in all this is that Geico is unsure of who they are. They change mascots faster than costume changes at a Celine Dion concert. And you can't say with certainly which mascot will be up next – or which one is waiting just out of sight, around the corner – because you can't rely on them to settle on a marketing direction.

Now, let's see . . . Unsure. Ever-changing. Confusing. Unpredictable. Unreliable.

Are these words YOU want associated with your insurance company?

It's an important reminder that HOW you communicate does itself communicate.

My hope is that this gives you pause to consider what words come across to your audience solely based on HOW you go about executing your own marketing and communications strategy. Are they words that reinforce a positive position with your audience?

Please share any insights.

Preposterous Polish Posters A-Plenty

Life is like a box of chocolates . . . you never know what you're gonna get.

– Forrest Gump

You never know what's comin' for you.

– Benjamin Button

Hey, hey & Happy New Year! After an extended break I'm finally back with our last installment in the movie poster category (although I have one more tucked away in my hip pocket for a later post).

The quotes above can both evoke the proper mood when looking at this very odd little niche of movie poster design. Pleasant surprises – and something a little more ominous. Some are simply a refreshing look at familiar materials. And then some are just quite a bit bizarre and a little bit creepy. Some leverage a knowledge of the story to visually tell part of the story – and others make no sense in any context whatsoever.

Sounds fun right?

(click the thumbnail to open a larger view)

Let's dive in . . .

In Poland No One Can Hear You Scream

Sorry, I couldn't resist hijacking the tagline from the first Alien film. I get the first poster for The Shining and think that, while a tad bizarre, it still works. Now, I have seen the movie The Legacy (the second poster), and I have no earthly idea what a screaming cat in a nun's habit has to do with anything . . . at all . . . EVER!. And the screaming woman in front of Crocodile Dundee just gives that one a creepy stalker vibe.   

Channeling Saul Bass

If you remember Saul Bass from our initial movie poster post, you'll immediately recognize his influence on these designs. Very graphic approach, large blocks of solid color and a simple and understated aesthetic. I really like these. They are (left to right) The Day of the Jackal, Porgy & Bess and The Tall Men (a 1955 western).

Coming Soon to Your Nursey Wall

I think these posters for classic Disney films are quite charming. More art poster than movie poster. And the one for Dumbo feels to me to have a ring of truth to it – it's one of the most depressing movies I've seen. At least this isn't the happy little elephant with the big ears – which is false advertising. This is emotionally true while still being adorably cute.

Masks Are All The Rage This Season

And they go with everything! What is up here? First, The Return of the Pink Panther . . . uhhh . . . yeah. Next! Eyes Wide Shut: Never seen this but I understand it's a strange piece of cinema so this poster may be very fitting (but it's still a little creepy). And finally Gremlins, to which one can only reply: What?!?!

Mask Motif Feeling a Bit Tired? How 'Bout Lips!

The first poster for Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe makes sense – half-way. I get the lips, iconic Marilyn and all, but the tin of sardines can opening thing they have going on . . . they lost me. Airplane: Funny film. Strange poster. They could have at least made the mouth smiling to convey a sense of fun. The last one for Poseidon Adventure (about a damaged cruise ship that flips upside down) at least makes some sense, and I like it as an example of dark twisted humor.

Yes Kids . . . These Are ALL Comedies

Although you'd never guess it from the posters! This falls into the category of just plain weird. Our first poster is for the 1942 comedy I Married a Witch with the beautiful Veronica Lake. Oddly enough, this poster communicates neither the humor nor the beauty – this borders on out-and-out false advertising. Perhaps they were trying to scare us into seeing it. The middle image is from The Revenge of the Pink Panther. Why Peter Sellers has exploding shoulders is beyond me. Looks like a torture film. And lastly, believe it or not, this is the poster for Tootsie. Yes, THAT Tootsie. The lighthearted comedy with Dustin Hoffman. The slimy, creepy factor here is completely off the charts!

Let's End on a Positive Note, Shall We?

After that Tootsie poster I feel we all need a palette cleanser. So I'll wrap things up with some posters that I think are just fantastic. This proves how truly "all over the road" Polish movie posters can be. I love these images. They are for Casablanca, The Piano and Roman Holiday. I'd hang these as art in my house. I may even try to track down a copy of that Casablanca poster for myself.

I had quite a few more that I wanted to share but didn't want to post something too overwhelming. If anyone's interested in seeing more please post a comment to that effect and I'll throw together a part 2 sometime down the road.