How Many Times Do I Have To Tell You That It’s Bad to Drink and Drive?

Written by Bryan Jones. Posted on May 19, 2009. Filed under well flaired. Tagged , , . 1 Comment.

I love It!

I love when clients understand that the heart is what matters in advertising. People do not connect over reason, they connect over feeling. Sure, stating a compelling argument (price, quality, service) has proven to be an effective tactic in mass communication, but in our era of consumer control, businesses need to focus on relating, not educating.

I first saw this ad a week ago, and I wanted to stand up and cheer. Rather than using overwhelming statistics or shameful intimations, Heineken allowed Wieden + Kennedy, Portland to go for a real connection to deliver the message that it is better to let someone else drive if you’ve had too much to drink. People know that it is wrong to drink and drive, but reminders are still necessary. This reminder connects on a personal emotional level, and as a result it will save a few lives from tragic destruction. I love it.

(alternate via YouTube)

Almost Everything I Know About Social, So Far….

Written by Bryan Jones. Posted on May 8, 2009. Filed under well flaired. Tagged , . Comments Off.

…Can be found in these amazing presentations that aren’t mine.

Sometimes Half is Enough

Written by Bryan Jones. Posted on May 7, 2009. Filed under well flaired. Tagged , , . Comments Off.

A big budget + a trusting client willing to take creative risks = the dream project. We live for it in advertising. They are rare, and they are precious.

Last week, I met a couple of guys who are living half of that dream, working on micro-budget projects that are seriously funky. Rhett&Link are the ones behind The Red House Furniture spot that is not quite as contagious as Swine Flu hysteria, but close. It is sensational, and it is real. Watch this “making-of” video to see what I mean:

Is it a publicity stunt, yes, but it is real and true to the client. It is entertaining as hell, and it sticks with you like Mr. Whipple squeezing the Charmin. This little furniture store in North Carolina is having their commercial played across the globe. I know that someone in Tokyo is not going to buy a sofa from The Red House (Can you say it without singing it?), so that obviously is not the target audience, but the local publicity that this store has received totally exceeds their wildest imaginations.

Well flaired. I’m seriously jealous.

As a bonus, you need to meet Rudy of TDM Auto Sales:

Update 05/08/2009 – My boss told me that none of the above videos come anywhere close to the one below.