Exciting news! We’ve added five new people to agency, rounding out our creative team.

Ian Graham is executive creative director (most recently CD and senior partner at Ogilvy, Los Angeles). He’s worked on Cisco Systems, ARCO gasoline, am/pm stores, Nestle, e*trade, the California Lottery, Dewar’s Scotch, A&E, NBC, and MGM Mirage Casinos in Las Vegas. Ian’s been responsible for pretty amazing work here, heading the creative team, and our literal integration of offices and workstations, giving a much-needed (literal) volume pump-up.

Art Director Nik Helgaas and Copywriter Lindsay Cliett form the newest creative team. Both attended Miami Ad School and are from out of market. Not only are they concepting smart work for our clients - they’re funnier than heck.

Francis Floro has been hired as a designer. This guy has not only taught at the New York School of Visual Arts, he was also a dancer for Malashock, and a truck driver (who are you?!).

Callan Green is an advertising and public relations account coordinator. She’s rocking our social media efforts, especially for Vet-Stem.

You can officially consider Bailey Gardiner a creative agency.

It’s one of my favorite ways to pitch a client: as a trend in a national capacity.

With Vet-Stem, I took its news of launching its stem cell therapy to help dogs and asked myself, “What is the bigger picture here?” I realized that the fat-derived stem cells are one component of a larger consumer push for more “alternative” pet care.

That’s what I brought to the table with Time. And it worked. Very well.
Not only is Vet-Stem featured as one of the top five news stories of the day today,

but the writer wrote a lengthy and very thorough piece examining this trend, leading with and focusing on Vet-Stem.

In reality, what I offered to Time was a well-rounded story that didn’t scream self-promotion for my client. In taking my thinking to that level, I was able to help the writer with a fresh story angle that was relevant for her audience across the nation, and I help my client take the lead.

And, really, could Blue be any cuter?

While stretching at the gym yesterday following my bike commute to work, I had the pleasure of watching BMW’s new commercial. I couldn’t hear the announcer because the volume was turned off, but I could easily see what moronic message the company was sending.

Essentially, a BMW drives past business people commuting by bike, on bus and on a scooter, who all longingly watch the car drive by. And then it speeds past a gas station selling gas at astronomical prices. The info screen then says something about all the versions of BMWs that tout 28 MPG or more on the freeway.

28 MPG? Are you kidding me? My high school ride, a 1983 Chevy Nova, got better gas mileage than that.

BMW, please step into the real world.

Stop investing money in trying to make last decade’s product appear to fit the needs of today’s consumers and begin investing your money in a car that doesn’t need gas, or that has triple digit MPG or that actually does something to benefit our environment.

And do not think for one minute that the business man on that bike looks at your BMW and thinks, “If only I could…” Because in all actuality, he looks at cars on the road and thinks, “Man, if only that driver was as smart as me to be out in the fresh air, saving money, getting fit and using zero gas.”

And if 28 MPG were enough to convince consumers to buy your car, this wouldn’t be happening.

It’s getting more expensive to fill your gas tank. So Jack in the Box thought they’d give you a little help with filling your stomach. On Thursday, June 26th, they’re giving away TWO FREE TACOS… to everyone! All you have to do is bring in your gas receipt to any Jack in the Box restaurant. Nice tie-in with the state of the economy. And giving away something free is always a good way to reinforce your brand.

So, we’re heading up to Sambazon today and thought it would be fun to make something new out of their yummy acai products to share with them. Modified a recipe I found on The Bad Girl’s Kitchen blog, who found the recipe on Enlightened Cooking. You can watch the video or just follow the recipe below. Either way - happy eats!

No Bake Energy Bars with Acai

2 /12 c. oats

1/2 c. toasted wheat germ

1/2 c. dried non-fat milk powder

1/2 c. dried cherries or other dried fruit, chopped

1/2 c. lightly salted, roasted almonds, chopped

1 c. peanut butter or other nut butter

1/2 c. honey

1 Sambazon Amazon Cherry smoothie pack, defrosted

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

Line 9″x9″ pan with foil and spray with vegetable oil.

In large bowl mix together oats, wheat germ, milk powder, cherries and nuts. Over medium heat, blend peanut butter and honey. Once blended and smooth, take off heat and stir in cherry acai juice. Add vanilla, cinnamon and salt to peanut mixture. Add wet to dry ingredients. Blend well.

Pour into pan. Using wax paper, press mixture into pan well. Let cool. Cover and chill in fridge. Cut into bars as desired and wrap in plastic wrap or foil.

Today I saw a website that was so good, I have to share it with everyone I can. Have you seen The Girl Effect? Not only is the message important but it’s told so well.

“Because there’s poverty, and war, and hunger, and AIDS, and because when adolescent girls in the developing world have a chance, they can be the most powerful force of change for themselves, their families, communities, countries, and even the planet.”

This organization, which is funded by the Nike Foundation, has figured out how to tell a story effectively and simply. Quick videos, simple graphics, lots of links for bloggers and media, and a facebook page. It’s that simple. And powerful.

The Del Mar Racetrack is one of the top horse racing tracks in the country and a leader in the category when it comes to marketing. In no way do those impressive titles mean they are sitting back waiting for people to come through the gates. As their PR agency and one of their brand ambassadors we’re always pushing the envelope and looking for ways we can make the brand stronger and even more successful. In years past it’s been by gaining tons of national media attention in print and TV positioning Del Mar as a top summer destination and the biggest party on the west coast.

This year the team decided it was time Del Mar had a website that represented the vibe and scene that makes Del Mar so special and fun, in addition to starting a community with the fans using social media. Today Del Mar launched the entertainment-focused website DelMarScene.com. Reinforcing the Del Mar Racetrack’s “Cool As Ever” brand and lifestyle, the site’s highlights include blogs, vlogs, photo galleries, racing 411 and Summer Concert Series performer music pages.  Key components coming in the next few weeks include user-generated content and social networking sites, allowing fans to share their Del Mar experiences online.   

With Opening Day just 30 days away, Del Mar Scene is the one stop shop for insider tips, fashion advice and can’t miss event dates. 

I can’t declare enough how essential relationships are to the success of pr - and ultimately garnering for clients (positive) press. I can rattle off a baker’s dozen of examples - or just show you this one:

Freelancer Ericka Chickowski and I began working together in early 2007, as she was compliling lists of the best places to wine, dine, see, play, stay at in San Diego for the 2008 edition of Moon Handbooks travel guide.

After more than a year of dining, talking, offering (non-client) suggestions, and courting, a bright image of our very own Del Mar Racetrack was featured on page 16 of the lengthy guide, among other pages.

Talk about beach-front property!

Shameless plug: Del Mar Racetrack’s Opening Day is one month away - Wed., July 16. We’d better see you there - you know your boss’ll be there too.

Chances are you’re familiar with the Aflac ad campaign. You know the one, where the duck screams “AFLAC!!!” a few times in a funny guys’ voice. And you may be thinking that the company has been around for 10 or so years. Come to find out, as BG did yesterday when we had a rep visit us, the company has been around since the 1950s - who knew!? It wasn’t until they began the duck campaign in 2001 that they started to gain brand recognition and increase awareness. Goes to show you how powerful a good branding and ad campaign can be. We may not all be able to relay what it is Aflac does or provides, but we sure know the duck and their name.  And in case you’re dying to know, Aflac provides supplemental health and life insurance.  

We like to call it the snowball effect.

It’s the thing PR professionals love and hate about the media.

We love it because it’s what makes our job easy. You work on a strategic media placement and then another and another and suddenly everyone wants to talk about your client.

But when the media catch onto something that is bad news McGoo, they can scare our nation into hysteria. Are the gas prices so bad that people in mass are seeking alternative transportation and media were alerted to the trend? Or is it that the media have been hounding it into our brains for months on end and eventually we fall prey to brainwashing?

Norovirus on cruise ships? E. coli at Jack in the Box? Obama’s pastor? Anything bacteria related?

Sometimes inflating prices is just the impact of inflation. Adjust your life accordingly. And sometimes in mass food production, poor quality results. It can happen at your own home. And we ALL know we have a few nut cases in our lives. And bacteria? Really? We are covered by it.

My favorite part of media hysteria is when media cover the amount of media coverage.

But I guess it all goes back to the same line of reasoning: would the media continually cover it if we didn’t continually watch it?