My husband Paul is on a mission to teach the children at our son’s school that there are many different forms of music and musical interpretation. As often as possible, he cajoles local musicians into performing one of the patriotic songs that the kids listen to each morning. Today a woman named Miss Pala sang the national anthem with her ukelele. Click the link under mini-concert. You’ve never heard it sung like this.

I love poetry. Don’t read enough of it. Don’t always understand it when I do, but I love reading it anyway. I am currently introducing my 7 year old son to poetry through Shel Silverstein’s wonderful book Where the Sidewalk Ends.

But this morning I saw something that I never dreamed I’d see. Wordsworth’s poetry to rap. Wow. Of course, it was done to promote the Lake District, but I think there are other potential outcomes. Will this actually introduce a new generation to Wordsworth? I’m thinking yes. Those with enough intellectual curiosity will take it to the next level and investigate a bit.

Is this a good thing? Do the classics need to be made modern in order to stay alive?

I finally went to the Flex Your Power website. What did it take? I’ve seen the billboard in two different locations probably four or five times each. It caught my eye, but didn’t entice me to learn more. I didn’t actually click onto the URL until I saw an online advertisement embedded into a story on VoiceofSanDiego’s website.

It’s an intensely emotional plea for Californians to implement into their lives more efficient ways of using (or not using) power. These advertisements place you, the consumer, in direct control of what you leave behind for the youth in your life. You can choose to help alleviate Global Warning by utilizing one to all of the tips mentioned, or you can choose to do nothing and let your daughter, nephew, neighbor or even unborn child suffer the consequences.

I love that the Flex Your Power campaign shows viewers how something as simple as changing a few light bulbs can make a quantitative effect large enough to matter. In the context of global warning, making a difference can seem overwhelming to your average human being. Not anymore–just five degrees or a lit incense is the start to saving the world.

I commend the creators of this campaign for taking a striking message and boiling it down to easy steps an individual can enact.

I’m doing pr work for a client that specializes in divorce mediation (over litigation). Carrie came up with the idea to use the media frenzy surrounding Britney and Kevin’s highly publicized, bitter divorce to lead the pitch on the benefits of mediation and come full circle back to our client.

I don’t get why so many celebs want this negative attention. Do they know that they have another option – to keep their divorce and custody battles out of the public court system and away from their bank accounts?

They don’t care. Of course! Celebs are like bloggers – they want their name out, their business known – loudly responding to the adage that “all publicity is good publicity.”

I wonder, will I get my client on the Today show by capitalizing on (and furthering) the unnecessary media blitz that is Britney Spears? And if so, will I get to bill my time on People.com, Pink Is The New Blog and Bricks and Stones to my client?

I already bill the Times to general.

In a recent client presentation, we (successfully) convinced the client that video would be a worthwhile benefit on their site and that we could obtain it simply be suggesting the public upload it themselves. “Simply,” we emphasized, although none of us had ever done it. Personally, something in me just couldn’t comprehend why one would do such a thing. Who cares about my video? All through the hype of You Tube I’ve wondered, when will the day come that I will have a legit reason to post a video for strangers…creepers?? I don’t have time for that!

It happened.

While googling for examples of what we were looking to emmulate, I came accross MySwitzerland.com, a site in which visitors and locals can upload videos of themselves doing fun things in Switzerland. I immediately thought of my very own Switzerland video…still on my computer…only 14 seconds long…kind of fun to watch…hmm…I have a few minutes to spare…

Here it is, my debut to the online world of “user generated video.” Here I am, blindly promoting Switzerland and now, here I am, making it viral. I’ll admit, it was REALLY easy and….I kind of liked it. As did 251 (plus 4 more in the time it took me to write this) other people!

My Online Debut

Tonight I’m going to the beach to watch the sunset. Maybe I’ll record and post that..there’s got to be someone in the midwest who would like to see it….right??

In my good-will-for-all heart I knew the trustworthy voiceover was advocating conservation when he told his TV audience “we can’t take water for granted.”

But my fiancé saw right through the spin: “They just want us to build more dams,” he said.

Last night’s 30-second television commercial on California’s escalating water crisis had a clear goal to educate through fear. No doubt our state needs more education on the status of our water supply, but scaring residents into building more dams only fosters wasteful habits. We are people in a world of water problems, not just a state, county or city.

Like accusatory statements in political ads, the commercial conjures shock towards the situation, but looses steam once the true motivation behind the ad is revealed. Too bad the $7-$9 million ad spend wasn’t allocated to teaching Californians to incorporate water-saving habits into their daily routines.

A lesson that lasts a lifetime.

Okay, did anybody besides me watch the Emmy Awards the other night? (Judging from the news reports on poor ratings, I’m guessing not). So, just how gay is Ryan Seacrest anyway?! I mean, I have seen drag queens butcher than that guy. I thought I was the only one who could pick out a pair of Christian Laboutin shoes in a crowd….

But I digress. I really wanted to talk about those Macy’s spots that ran during the telecast. If you didn’t see them, they were 60-second spots focused on trying to raise the image of Macy’s by using some of the top designers they carry in the store — and we’re talking a calvacade of star designers. It was really an impressive group – Martha Stewart, Kenneth Cole, Sean Combs, Kimora Lee Simmons — jeez even Jessica Simpson got a cameo — there were probably 10 or 12 big names. My question is, how much do you think that spot cost to produce considering the star power involved? And more importantly, did the spot achieve the desired goal of giving street cred to a failing and increasingly obscure department store brand that cannot figure out what it wants to be in the new generation?
My answer is yes. I was impressed — it made me think differently about Macy’s. The ad worked for me.
How about you?
And what did Ryan Seacrest think?

Cravin’ Coffee in the p.m.

I wonder if there’s a scientific link between coffee needs and sitting at a computer all day? Do you think people on construction sites have the same drop in energy? I find more and more I need an afternoon pick-me-up to get me through the day.

Or, perhaps it’s all just a conspiracy by Starbucks!

It’s no secret that the internet is the fastest growing advertising medium, with the most popular advertising spot undoubtedly being the online banner. All of this made me realize how odd it is that there is an utter lack of smart, attention grabbing banners.

The atypical flashing lights and bold copy is so common place now that it fails to stand out. In fact, it actually works against the effectiveness of most ads, making them a nuisance on a page you actually do want to look at. With all the smart ads and promotions that are done in print and outdoor, it’s surprising that few people have found unique and interesting ways to reinvent this online medium—even with the advent of video banners. It is for this reason, when I do come upon a banner that actually does work, I am compelled to share it.

This web banner for a Spanish bloodbank is one of the first ones I’ve seen that uses the medium in a unique and appropriate way. Not only does it grab your attention on a web page, it’s a great viral and will be seen by an even larger number of audiences because of it’s uniqueness (like me who has watched this several times—and it’s not even in English!).

All this makes me realize that the first ad agency that learns how to master this medium and make unique, stand-out banners will not only become a strong power in the ad world, they will revolutionize the online world.

About two weeks ago, I remember reading an article by Gerry Braun in the SD U-T about a young woman who was asked to disembark a Southwest Airlines flight from San Diego due to the way she was dressed. I remember thinking how embarrassed that poor girl must have been, especially after seeing the outfit she had on. Yes, her skirt was short, but honestly I’ve seen worse just walking down the street in the middle of the day.
Soon after, I was surprised to see the story being picked up by national media and and even an interview on the Today Show with Matt Lauer. “Wow,” I thought, “this has the potential to really become a negative PR story for Southwest.”
After following the story for a number of days after, another woman came forward with a similar claim and Southwest gave some half-hearted apology reinstating their policy on acceptable attire.
When I read the news this morning, I laughed to myslelf to see that now Southwest is taking full advantage of all the hoopla, offering fliers a “Mini” or “Skimpy” fare sale. Is this a way for Southwest to offer a peace treaty to those they offended, or simply a way to market on some bad publicity they’ve received in the past few weeks?
In the “Land of PR” we know we must act fast when bad news attacks and combat it with a clear message. But what is Southwest saying, when it reprimands this woman for what she’s wearing, and then uses her outfit as a funny take on a pr initiative?

See story on Today Show here.