Creative Skirts

New and shockingly interesting Weight Watchers work

Weight Watchers UK is doing something I find fascinating. Check out this headline:

What? Really? Even Weight Watchers is going the "gamification" route. To position a weight loss program as a game is absolutely intriguing to me--of course there are tons of apps and games out there that do this, but this is a huge brand with a long history, and I think it shows they have some guts. They even changed their URL to be "playweightwatchers.co.uk." I'm curious to see if women will respond to this, or if they'll think it's gimmick-y.

The second interesting thing about the new work for WW UK is the creative. They shot a music video of a song written specifically for the brand, featuring only women who have participated in Weight Watchers. It's pretty well shot and impressive that they got Regular Janes to do a decent job dancing and lip-synching. But even better, when you watch the video online, each woman in the video is clickable and you can watch an interview with her about her Weight Watchers experience.

Check out the video and interactivity at http://www.playweightwatchers.co.uk/.

'Tis the season for lame montages

Sigh. Come up with an idea, KMart! Or at least some decent music.

This plays every time I open Pandora these days, and it's killing me. Play if you would also like some Christmas torture.

Summer's Eve took our advice!

Less than a year since this Summer's Eve debacle, the brand has embarked on a serious creative overhaul in partnership with The Richards Group.

First, there's a new ad campaign and packaging. I don't really know what to say about the launch spot; to me it's a cool idea but the execution comes off spoof-y (and I don't think it was intended that way). But the tag line is a nice change and opens the doors for better work in the future.

Then there's a blog, ThatsVaginal.com, positioned as "a rogue agent acting loosely on behalf of Summer's Eve." The blog is written by a cat--yes, a cat named Carlton--in the voice of Austin Powers (seriously). It's wacky, but I do enjoy the tone of this video and admire that it got sold in.

Finally, there's an educational website, dedicated to teaching you about all things vagina. I'm a fan of the "vagina owner's manual." That makes so much sense. However, inexplicably, there are no posts in the vagina forum yet. Hm.

 

"Shrink it and Pink it" no more, says Under Armour.

 

Steve Battista, Under Armour VP for Brands: 

“[In 2003,] We developed a women-specific line with seven pieces, including a couple of tops and bottoms and a sports bra. We had followed the industry rule, ‘Shrink it and pink it,’ We all realized that they didn’t work [and] pulled all the pieces. It was a tough pill to swallow.”

Since then, they've learned a bit. 

“Guys buy clothes to look cool or feel cool, women buy for different reasons. Women demand that the brand does what it promises.”

This year's campaign, "Protect This House. I Will." was made internally, and goes directly at what Under Armour calls the "team girl" (a female who is competitive and confident and who plays on high school or college sports teams, or who, after college, continues to work out regularly).

Job well done, I'd say, especially for a brand that started out by just making everything pink (see this old gem).

Sidenote: Battista said they had decided to show both men AND women in the spot saying, “Women said they did not want to be treated separately. They said, ‘We want to see ourselves up against men.’ ” Such women, he said, “don’t look at themselves as a female athlete but as an athlete.” But it seems the final cut included just women (unless I missed something).

NYTimes

 

Meet Lisa Taylor: Copywriter/Mom x 2

'Round here we love to hear about successful women in advertising who are also succesfully raising families (to further prove it can indeed be done). Enter Lisa Taylor, freelance copywriter, Arnold alum (they hired her at 7 months pregnant, ahem) and mom of two youngsters. We asked her a few questions about work, life, and the clever self-promotion site she created, coverlettercustomizer.com. (Check it out if you haven't seen it yet.)

 

Tell us how you became a woman in advertising.

I started out as a receptionist of a small agency. I scraped together a portfolio that eventually landed me a writing gig in addition to a large bill at Kinkos. I didn’t go to ad school, but I have always loved to make things. And write. Plus, I happen to be a woman.

Why'd you go from full-time to freelance?

It may sound counterintuitive, especially during a terrible economy, but I quit my job because I love what I do. I simply didn’t want to burn out. During my maternity leave for my second child it became apparent that the full-time lifestyle wasn’t right for me anymore. I still miss the creative environment and the camaraderie.

How did your career change, if at all, when you got pregnant?

The morning I found out I was pregnant was the same day that Arnold lost VW. And I was freelancing there. One part of me was really excited to start my family. Another part was totally bummed. And the remaining part really, really wanted Fritoes. I freelanced elsewhere for months but ended up coming back to Arnold full-time when I was over six months pregnant.

In the long run, I can’t say whether I’d have this job or worked on that opportunity if I weren’t a mother. Who knows? I don’t think it’s all that productive to speculate. But I can say with certainty that being a parent inspires me creatively. Also, motherhood has taught me to be more open to different perspectives, manage my time better, figure things out on my own and not whine. (As any parent of a toddler will surely appreciate.)

Though, I definitely don’t socialize with coworkers nearly as much as I would if I didn’t have children. Which is sad. I really like beer.

How did you get the cover letter customizer up and running? Did you have to bribe a programmer?

I sketched out a wireframe with pencil and paper and wrote the modular bits of copy. Then I didn’t touch it for months. Eventually, and most importantly, I got off my bum and asked an ex-coworker named Derrick Williams if he would program it for me. Because he believed in the idea, he kindly agreed. Derrick brought my scrappy wireframe to life in HTML5, improving the experience with every step.

I also consulted my frequent designer collaborator, Suzanne McKenzie, on the front-end look/feel and a UX friend, Jennifer Dolan, to make sure we didn’t totally butcher the flow. They rock. Hire them.

What advice do you have for writers who want to make cool web stuff but aren't BFFs with some savvy programmers?

Isn’t that like saying, “How do you make a sweater if you don’t know anyone who knits?” Plan it out as much as you can by yourself and find someone with the skills to take it further. Also keep in mind that for every Wilderness Downtown-type project that requires a large programming investment, there are countless existing platforms that are free for the taking (or close to). Get creative with one. Like that copywriter did for his Google Job Experiment. He didn’t even have to pay to register a domain name like I did. Brilliant.

Why do you think there aren't more senior-level creative women at agencies? We get a ton of different answers--curious to hear yours.

While there are many factors, I think part of it has to do with self-fulfilling prophecy. If women as a whole are not supported and invested in because there is the underlying fear they’ll leave or be less dedicated when they have families, it’s not surprising that they aren’t staying. Prophecy fulfilled. That is, if women are even hired in the first place.

For instance, since the beginning of my career I’ve been fielding questions about my marriage and my future plans for my uterus (my words, not theirs) in interview-type situations from both males and females. Working in the subjective is hard enough without getting the spotlight treatment on an enormously personal and private decision like fertility but, sadly, it happens. I also had one company that was repeatedly calling me about freelancing stop the moment I told them I was pregnant. If only that technique worked for telemarketers.

I still give Arnold kudos for hiring a very pregnant copywriter. They believed in me. Trusted me. Promoted me. I stayed for four years and left for reasons beyond their control. I sincerely hope all creatives find similar opportunities in their careers, whether they're male or female, pregnant or not pregnant, Fritoes lovers or Fritoes haters.

Follow Lisa on twitter - @taylorwriting

HOTT new fashion sensation

I saw this commercial the other night and honestly thought it was a parody. When people write infomercials, do they do that on purpose? Seriously.

Well, enjoy the new must-have pant of the season.

A very curious creative project

Today via my Google alerts I stumbled on this most curious cragislist posting. [Click photo to enlarge.]

I had to read it twice to figure out that it was not a call to participate in a sketchy university health study or something--no, this is really legit. There is a movement going on. Or at least one that is attempting to be started. The craigslist post led me to girlapproved.us, which had the same underground-female-action-hero feel as the craigslist post, but proved to be a seriously polished site.

 

Girlapproved is a branding/communications shop that says what you know about marketing to females born after 1988 ("Post88s") is all wrong. They are "sophisticated and multi-dimensional" and marketers are not meeting their needs. Girlapproved claims it has the research and the talent pool--all Post88s--to "get the girl."

While this can only be proven by actually seeing their work and its results, I do agree wholeheartedly with where Girlapproved is coming from: "We recognized that when it comes to aesthetics, culture has historically operated under masculine standards and definitions: what is sexy, pretty, intelligent or fun has not been defined from a feminine perspective."

Amen. I would love to see a revolution in design for young women. I'm not sure what this will consist of, or how far the needle would actually move, but we'll see what Girlapproved does.

Girlapproved was founded by Heidi Dangelmaier, one of just 9% of computer technology patent owners who are female. She is considered a pioneer in the creation of girl video games, and according to her website is dedicated to answering the question: "What's she want that no one's making?"

Can't wait to see which brands jump on this and how they fare. Sadly, I was born pre-1988 so I guess I'll be watching from the sidelines.

 

Wal-Mart gets a sense of humor

New spot from Wal-Mart that branches out a little bit. Love the tone.

And bonus, the CD is a lady--Vanessa Fortier of The Martin Agency.

   

More fun with tampon ads

Making fun of traditional feminine hygiene ads totally works for this brand.

Their advertising has totally seriously on me, by the way. (TMI?) Now if we could just get a shake-up in the hair, makeup, feminine wash, etc. categories...

Janet Champ is back for women's sports

The PAC-10 has just done a few highly admirable things.

First, it decided to celebrate 25 years of women's sports.

Then, it decided to celebrate them publicly with televised PSAs.

And then, the conference hired copywriting heroine Janet Champ to do the job.

The result is three beautiful spots--"PSA" doesn't do them justice. The voice of Janet Champ is loud and clear, although the words are actually read by three successful PAC-10 alumni: Lisa Leslie, Jennie Finch and Natalie Coughlin.

Janet Champ produced these, by the way, with her company Switzerland.

“When the Pac-10 gauged my interest in bringing a voice to such a stellar group of athletes, interest was too mild a word,” says Champ in a PAC-10 press release. “These women paved the way for generations of athletes. They're true, unabashed role models for both genders. My art director partner, Rick McQuiston and I wanted to capture the true visceral connection between athlete, fan, competition, and school. Together with our new company Switzerland, we think we've created something powerful.”

See for yourself:

 

Bluefly.com Closet Confessions

I've been meaning to post about this campaign I find just so darn charming.

It's a simple concept. Bluefly filming people inside their closets, sharing the best and worst with the world.

The spots aren't talking about how great the e-commerce site is or what kind of deals you get. They're simply sharing sweet moments from inside somebody's closet in the hopes that you'll share yours with the brand as well.

They're nicely edited and all have a sense of humor. Here's a peek. You can watch more on their site, Bluefly Closet Confessions, including videos starring skater Johnny Weir, Nicky Hilton and Christian Siriano.

 

The mysteries of viral

I am consistently amazed by the subpar videos that often land on the Top 10 viral chart. I always hope they're getting so many views due to their sheer inanity, then again I don't have that much faith in Americans.

Here's one that most definitely should have not been on the Top 10 chart (it's now off, thankfully). I hope I don't have to explain why:

 

And one that should be viral. Immediately. Now.

Genius mobile internet campaign

Really, TAXI?

Your innovative idea for selling a new mobile internet product is a woman (a part-time call girl, she admits) in fishnets and a push-up bra uttering bad sexual innuendos. Oh yes of course, the 18-24 year-old demographic, we must sell our new product with cleavage.

I have no idea how this is a good web experience or sells your product. Actual information that I may find useful is buried beneath a super-slow interface. After 20 minutes on the site I'm still not really sure what you're selling, what "evology" is, or why I would want to learn anything more.

If you have 20 minutes to waste, visit evology.com.

The obvious spokesperson of choice for a new mobile internet product.

Good luck with your campaign.

Tipped by AgencySpy.

Summer's Eve, please fire your agency

Have you seen this yet?

The worst example of an "advertorial" I have ever seen.

Read step #1. Yes, Summer's Eve, thanks for the tip. You'll help me "feel my best" on the morning of my next interview. If I get the job, I'll owe it all to you. Barf.

I realize that promoting a product like Summer's Eve is a monstrous challenge. But I'd take it on to save the world from their current advertising. Clearly, you do not know women or how they really feel about your product if you're running this nonsense. Pay a visit to a branding agency and see how they do.

Via AdFreak and my beloved morning show, The Morning X.

Minivan hotness

I am so in love with this campaign for the Toyota Sienna. Mainly for the reasons I normally love campaigns, but this I find particularly splendid because it’s so unusual (yet long overdue) in the category.

Hooray for a minivan not taking itself so seriously. It’s about time, because America does not remotely take the minivan seriously. Of course safety is important and all, but consumers will check that out on their own.

I guess the VW van did the same thing with the Babymaker campaign, and I liked that too, but this one seems to have more legs. Props to Saatchi LA.

I will be curious to see, however, if this sells more Siennas. People seem to be loving the YouTube channel (although it isn’t getting crazy high numbers yet), but will that translate?

p.s. I admit I am easily won over by music video ads.

What will they think of next?

I can't decide if this product would have been a blast or a nightmare to work on. All I know is I'm still scratching my head over it.

Regardless, they could have done some outrageously fun stuff with the advertising. As it stands, I find it more Summer's Eve than crazy new experimental lady product. Although who wouldn't love the URL?

Check it out: loveyourvagina.com

Via Creativity

What I Learned at Geekfest 2010

I have returned from SXSW Interactive a new—and nerdier—copywriter. And I’m thrilled. I’ve come back with all kinds of cool new insights into the high-tech world we are attempting to influence each day. So, here are my main takeaways from the conference for you and your own geek to mull over.

-Content rules. Ah, music to my ears. This was a major recurring theme at the conference. It was fabulous to hear VIP experience designers and writers and content strategists say what I already knew but wasn’t sure I could say out loud: that content is the real hero of your Web site. I now feel free to be a stalwart content evangelist. I will take no prisoners.

-Your Web content requires strategic care and feeding. Whether your site is five pages or five million. I had the privilege of meeting content strategy queen Kristina Halvorson at SXSW and hear her break down the content strategy process in clear steps. It’s no longer an abstract concept for me, and I’m excited to start implementing it on all my Web projects. I hope resistance is low.

-Collaboration on Web projects! You know I mean business when I use an exclamation point. We creators of Web sites need to do more talking and sharing and loving. We should all be holding hands from kick-off through concept through QA testing. For some agencies this is a no-brainer, for others it’s really hard to break out of the silos. But I’m inspired to tear down the walls brick by brick.

-Data is a freakishly powerful thing. I just want everyone to think about this and let your minds be blown for a moment. Every minute you spend on a computer shopping online, taking quizzes, signing up for a new social network—you’re giving personal data that is accumulating in cyberspace. If all the sites you are cozy with got together and shared that data, they’d know a heck of a lot about you. And knowledge is power. This is why starting today, I will stop making fun of the kids at MIT.

Check out hunch.com for a site that is going to know everything about everyone someday.

-Mobile gives us the power to do more good than ever. Okay, so your iPhone can help you find the nearest bathroom or organic supermarket. That’s cool. But it can also help you save the world, a notion that makes me a little more okay with people spending so much time engrossed in their gadgets. For some awesome examples of how mobile technology has helped people in recent crises, check out Ushahidi and Mission4636.

-The future is gonna be insane. We’re all gonna be on live video feeds all the time and let robots speak for us at meetings and go to parties as 3-D avatars and order dessert according to our unique DNA profiles. Just so you know.

I also attended a cool discussion hosted by ad hero Luke Sullivan. If you’re a creative who wants to expand your digital savvy, visit http://tinyurl.com/sxswadpro and check out the resources they’re collecting for your edumacation.

"Should I go to portfolio school?"

I've been getting this question a lot lately from students up at my alma mater. Since there are likely a lot more stressed-out kids out there, I'm gonna spread the message Web-wide.

So you wanna know if you should go to portfolio school. You've just worked your tail off to put your book together, and you're thinking after all these classes and group projects and whatnot, it must be good. You can't see why you'd have to go to another school...can't you just start working already?

Not necessarily. Here it is: there is a distinct possibility you're not ready for an agency yet. It's not because you're not talented or because you didn't work hard enough--it's because portfolio schools exist, and there are a ton of other kids coming out of them with more polished books than yours.

You see, ad school is a whole other animal. Students there aren't balancing portfolio classes with Buddhism 101 and nightly keg parties (although there are some of those). They're working on their books 24/7, and then some. Ad schools throw you into advertising, hardcore. The Brandcenter in particular steeps you in strategy, teamwork, creativity, branding and churning out campaigns like mad. Their expectations are high and competition is higher, putting you and your work on a whole other level. A level that will make you look back at your undergrad book and laugh.

Don't get me wrong. There are some great undergrad programs out there that are competing with the ad schools. There are also students out there who get a job with their undergrad book. Just take my advice and keep your options open. Shop your book around to agencies and see what kind of response it gets. I sacrificed my final spring break to do that, and that's when I was hit with the cold hard truth that I had a lot more work to do to be competitive. And so I went to the VCU Brandcenter, and the whole story has a very happy ending.

Let me know if you find yours, too.

Take the P*nty Challenge

Hey ladies, check it--it's a campaign built entirely around your least favorite word.

Kotex wants you to "Take the 7-day Panty Challenge." The scary part is that I can't tell if they're asking us to wear the same pair 7 days in a row or not.

Don't take the panty personality quiz...it's depressing.

via BrandFreak.

Another great tag line, lost

Today, I mourn the loss of another great tag line replaced by some generic words no one will remember.

The trashed tag is Quaker Oats and Goodby's "Go humans go." I loved it because it was a CPG client being different and having a point of view. It wasn't your typical sign-off in the category. And it gave the ancient Quaker Man a little cool factor, if you ask me.

 

image credit: http://marvelmoore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/quaker.jpg

Look at him. He knows something you don't know.

Now, picture that same billboard with the new tag line, "Love life." I just don't get the same fuzzy feeling from the Quaker Man anymore. I don't need him to tell me to love life; I've got Oprah and self-help books and my mom to do that, not to mention 84,000 other brands shouting positivity at me right now. How is that line ownable?

I always wonder why clients do these random things that they do. We'll never know the whole story. But it does bring up a bigger question--can tag lines survive for more than a few months anymore? Or do clients know something I don't know?