I Trust They Killed Everyone Involved

First the writer. Then the art director, the producer, director, talent - and finally the client who signed off on this. I share this only because misery loves company.

Unemployment Will Make a Man Do Weird Things - Part 2

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a huge fan of Google Street Views. So I decided to tour the country and see every state capitol building. It was fun. Here is a record of my trip, with an original track by the insanely talented Fred Leo of Atlanta, on which I provided the whistle. I hope this little half-minute lark goes a long way toward healing the deep divisions that threaten to tear our country asunder, but I'm a realist, and some of these state capitols are hideous monstrosities of architectural incompetence, built by stupid people in stupid states where all the opinions are stupid. So there.



More Google Street Views nonsense.

You've Tried The Rest...

I knew a guy in a Midwest market who owned that region's jingle scene. He made big bucks. Then he'd take his jingle truck on the road and set up shop in a smaller market's radio station for a week and recycle his tunes to a new bunch of businesses who hadn't heard them. I hated his jingles. I hate most jingles. And maybe it's because songs get stuck in my head. I can recall the jingles to commercials from my childhood, and I haven't seen those spots in years. I despise the jingle as a sinister and highly effective tool for making people remember your product.

Remember it better

A Strong and Simple Beat (That You Can Dance To)

Apple is pretty savvy when it comes to selecting hook-laden tunes for their iPhone ads. Well, let's face it: Apple is pretty savvy when it comes to everything. I prefer this upbeat number on their spots to the more subdued, hippie work of Orba Squara.

The Submarines: You, Me & the Bourgeoisie.



Call it "selling out", but a band can be made by commercials. From Spoon for Jaguar to Of Montreal for Outback Steakhouse, it's a double-dipping good deal: licensing and royalties for your music, then people hearing your music and wondering who you are and seeking out more. You gotta wonder how many people after seeing this ancient Rice Krispies commercial wondered, "I wonder who's playing that song?" Is J. Walter Thompson the devil who bought Mick's soul? Perhaps.

Can't afford some about-to-blow-up band's cool music on your less-than-Apple budget? Short custom compositions that set the proper mood for your production are a great way to go.

Drinking The Kool-Aid

While I know Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre gave birth to the phrase "Drinking the Kool-Aid" to refer to people blindly following someone or something, this old spot I just happened upon while I was supposed to be working (how does that happen?) is pretty scary. The jingle is kept simple and repetitive, the better to brainwash these well-mannered youth of yesteryear.