So we're trying out a new segment on the Mortarblog. It's a little trendspotting, a little News-Of-The-Weird, a little VICE Do's-and-Don'ts. It's The All-Seeing Eye, and this week the Eye saw…

Upholstered Bike! With Upholstered Bike Lock! Wheeeeee!

Ok, so how is an upholstered bike (and bike lock) relevant to marketing? Here's how: Because it's Random Goodness. Why on earth would someone do this? Because they freakin' felt like it, that's why. And you know what? It got results. Not only did this random act of upholstery brighten our day, it got us to stop, snap a photo, upload said photo, and blog about the whole thing.
Something to consider the next time you're using accounting spreadsheets and a bloodless Checklist Of Important-Sounding Marketing Buzzwords to judge the efficacy of your creative.

People like Random Goodness. They respond to it. Why? Because they freakin' feel like it.

Look for more All-Seeing Eye in the future, and please feel free to send us your submissions.

Are you familiar with Peripheral Artery Disease? We hope not. PAD is the leading cause of amputation in patients over 50, and is responsible for approximately 160,000 amputations in the United States every year. Mortar client Avinger makes a game-changing device to treat it. And now they have a game-changing website to market it with. Thanks to everyone who worked on it.
The tooting of our own horn will commence now.

It’s not every day you get to reinvent the wheel. But here’s a shot. 

Readers of this blog should know we’re dedicated
to shaping conversations between people and brands—out on the big,
brave, slightly bewildering new frontier where social media, PR and
digital/traditional marketing converge. We’re definitely not afraid to
experiment (or to make mistakes along the way).

But that’s tempered by
a grown up, buttoned down (well, sorta) approach to running our
business.

The most important thing? Our business models begins and ends with communications planning (our own special blend of account planning).

So we’re looking for someone who’s part entrepreneur. Part
evangelist. A little quantitative. Supremely intuitive. And every inch a change agent.

You’ll be at the rich, gooey center of an integrated team that
includes account strategists, creatives, media consultants, and PR
specialists.

To qualify you’ll need at least 1-2+ years of relevant planning/market research experience, including
demonstrated expertise in strategic analysis, market segmentation and
consumer research.

Plus, you’ll need to be able to (behold the bulleted list):

• Provide leadership on brand initiatives
• Drive big ideas across multiple channels/platforms
• Experiment with/be inspired by social media
• Integrate new cultural trends and research tools
• Translate findings into clear, actionable strategies
• Write compelling positioning documents and briefs
• Envelop clients and consumers in your god/godess-like aura

Part-timers are strongly encouraged to apply–we’re particularly keen
to hear from experienced practitioners who are itching to get back in the
game (you know who you are).

Oh, and you’ll need a sense of humor. Or, at the very least, be able to laugh in the face of intense pressure.

And be able to laugh at yourself. And us. Definitely. Too much to ask?
You tell us.

Send a resume and brief email to: subject “Jnr. Planner”
at thatsme@mortaragency.com.

Old Spice is the brand you want your brand to smell like. Let’s jump in the Wayback Machine and see how they got there.

1957 – Elvis. Chevrolet Bel-Airs. And Old-Spice… “From the laboratories of Shulton.”

1967?– Not sure what year this is, but we’d guess ’66-’67. It’s wild! Swingin’! And makes us want to drink tequila even more than usual!

1971 – “If you’re a bespectacled dork, and you like to stalk sailors…Old Spice.”

1978 – Meanwhile across the pond, Old Spice becomes an iconic…surf brand?

1978 – And on this side of the pond, you can almost hear the drunken meeting between Research and Creative: “Girls like it. Order another round and bill the client.”

1983 – Old Spice Is Not For You. Yeesh.

1990 – We’re out of ideas! Dust off the Sailor!

2000-something – Bruce Campbell! Now we’re getting somewhere. Check out the ship in the background.

2010 – The one you’ve been waiting for. They even get the YouTube “More Info” copy right: “We’re not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it.” See? That’s called “understanding the conversation.” People are clicking through to see you – so be the brand you want your brand to smell like the entire time. Jet fighters and punching, gentle readers. Jet fighters and punching. Great, great stuff.