So, we're totally the first blog to mention this, right? No? Fine. Be that way. But we would be remiss if we didn't give a nod to smartwater's approach here. By handing out some entertainment while acknowledging that there really isn't that much to say about smartwater, they made an awkward "Hi, We're A Big Dumb Corporation, Would You Like To Buy Some Water In A Bottle That Will Probably End Up, Ironically, Polluting Other Water?"-moment into something relatable and fun.
In a world of "global leaders" running around "revolutionizing" things, self-deprecating humor stands out like Cary Grant in a room full of Carrot Tops.
Plus: Gratuitous Puppies. They're more impossible to resist than monkey bartenders. Well, almost.
So when Things Real People Don't Say About Advertising hit the Tumblrz last week, our in-box just about blowed up. At first, we weren't going to blog it, because we figured – you're hip, you're a connossieur, you'll find it on your own. But two things changed our mind: One, it's really funny, and we can't resist funny. Two, it's a living exhibition of something we tell our clients all the time – no one wakes up in the morning excited about ads. Not even yours.
So you're on the Chamber of Commerce of a town with a name that makes people think of a federal prison in another state. And you probably don't have dumptrucks full of money to drop on a tourism campaign. What do you do? What do you do!?
Well, if you're Leavenworth, Washington, you show a little spine. (Also: cleavage. But still.) Well done.
Next time we're up Seattle-way? It's on – Woody Goomsba style. Ein prosit!
In which we fool you into thinking this is a blog post about bacon when in fact it is actually a blog post about Bacon…pretending to be a guy who is obsessed with Bacon. (And possibly also bacon.) Whoa.
First, a post aboot Canada. Now a post aboot hockey? Is this some sort of polite, well-mannered Canadian coup of the Mortarblog? (Hey, as long as we get free healthcare and one of those burgers, we will happily welcome our new insect moose overlords.)
No. It is not a Canadian takeover. It is a post about “Conversation Marketing.”(Yeah, yeah – we hate that name too, but until we think of a better one, we’re stuck with it. Moving on…)
First, a little background: We are not particularly Boston Bruins fans, but man do we love their TV campaign. Excuse the pun, but…check it:
Holy-moly, that’s good. And we love this one, too:
But then, this happened:
Don’t worry, she got back up. She’s a hockey fan.
SIDE NOTE: As an observant Deadspin commenter points out…does that hole look exactly like Jay Leno? Could NBC be behind it? Or could it be Coco? Is that Terry O’Reilly on the grassy knoll? We’re behind the looking glass, people.
Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, Here’s the truly double-awesome part. Watch the Bruins’ marketing department get out in front of the ladykicking story with this:
Score! That is sweeter than a Don Cherry suit. On-brand and on-time, people. Bears may be godless killing machines, and the Bruins may be mortal enemies of certain hockey fans around the Mortar, but dammit…respect-where-respect is due. If marketing is a conversation, these guys are the type of people we’d want to be stuck next to at the bar.Extremely well-played, Bruins.
(We’re still keeping a close eye on those Canadians, though.)