I'll Have a Box of Water, Please.

The new 16.9 oz plastic Aquafina bottles suck.  They’re made with 50% less plastic and are extremely thin.  When you go to open the bottle, you can’t get a solid grip and end up squeezing the bottle forcing water out the top. 

This is just to say that I love the environment, but I’m sick of having water spilled on my desk.  Whatever happened to the idea of boxed water is better?  That was a sweet design, check it out here.

And if you’ve become a victim of these new water bottles stay strong.  Unlike the bottles (Awww BURN).

Topic of Being Cryogenically Frozen Heats Up.

Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."  

There's a myth out there saying that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen.   It's not true.  It's actually the opposite.  He was cremated in 1966.  He died of lung cancer.    

I listened to the latest This American Life podcast where they turned up the heat on cryonics.  It has inspired me.  Not because I want to be a popsicle when I die, but rather the possibility of achieving eternal life.   

As I got deeper into the podcast, the issues of being cryogenically frozen evolved into writing a "This is Just to Say" poem (kind of like a fake apology before we die).

If you haven't listened to the podcast, go ahead.  Do it now.  

I'll wait. (Click here to listen).  

Powerful stuff.  If you could come back in 50, 100 or 200 years after dying...what kind of world would you awaken to?  

Well.  Perhaps this is a bit heavy.  But it makes you think.  Going back to fake apologizes.  

If Walt Disney made a "This is Just to Say" poem for Mickey Mouse, it might have gone something like this:

While I created you,

I'm sorry I didn't make you anatomically correct.

What can I say.  

I was so young. Innocent.

You probably cursed my name after meeting Minnie.

But forgive me,

because your offspring would have been creepy.

Walt Disney left us with words of wisdom saying our dreams can come true if we work hard enough.  Maybe this phrase inspired the brains behind being cryogenically frozen.

A Copywriter’s Checklist: Seasoning Salt. Fire. Check.

“But this is only the first round, ok,” I said.   

“Jeeze, how much time do you need to drop it like it’s hot,” he said.  “And don’t forget your seasoning salt.”  

“Fine. You want salt,” I asked.  “I got so much salt it’ll give you a heart attack.”

No reaction.  I scuff.  We move on.

Shake the seasoning salt.  Shake it good.  Because when you add flavor, you add a little something extra.  And extra is better. 

Point and case.   

Picture being stranded on the freeway with a sharpie and a piece of cardboard.  What would your sign say?

Tasty:  Going to Kansas City.

Real Tasty:  Need a ride to Kansas City to surprise Mom for her birthday.

What a difference right?  The message isn’t lost – you still need a ride to Kansas City.  But you’ve added some seasoning salt.  And it’s better. 

We go to work.  We sit at a computer.  And we pound on a keyboard.  If you’re lucky, your boss will let you go on a creative excursion – like to the nearest vintage shop.  And if you’re real lucky, (in regards to your work) you’ll have a boss that says it’s your best piece of work yet.  Then demands a complete rewrite.  I’m lucky like that.

It’s so easy for me to call up a blank page, pound out the creative brief and start.  

Enter the world of copywriting.  We can’t just touch the flame - we must have a reason for burning ourselves.  Our reason can be found in The Copywriter’s Checklist.  

It’s the list I use after the prepping phase before concepting.  It’s like a prayer.  Only it’s to Ogilvy.

• Does the copy fulfill the promise of the headline?
• Is the copy interesting?
• Is it easy to read?
• Is it believable?
• Is it persuasive?
• Is it specific?
• Is it concise?
• Is it relevant?
• Does it flow smoothly?
• Does it call for action?

There you have it – Big 10 for copywriters brought to you via The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert W. Bly. 

In conclusion, copywriting is a technical art.  It’s about the seasoning salt.  The spice.  The something extra. 

But remember, you’re not changing the world.  You write ads.  Season salt it up.  Then set your work on fire. 

 

Super Fresh Business Cards

Check out my new business cards for Fresh Produce - an ad agency in Sioux Falls, SD.

The Restaurant Where You Pay What You Want (or Can)

I found this article about a couple that opened a non-profit restaurant in Denver, CO. The idea is that you can pay what you can or volunteer an hour to eat. A young couple opened the SAME (So All May Eat) cafe with $30,000 of their IRA money. The restaurant is doing well and operates upon the belief that everyone deserves to eat, no matter how much they can pay.

And get this - it's organic food.

Click here to read the entire article. Visit the Web site here.

Everyone Needs to Feel Invested in Something

The recent 6 months with the stock market have been like a soap opera. It's down, it's up, it's down - then it's WAY down....and I too got caught up in drama. Today I bought my first stocks (not linked to an IRA) and it feels pretty good.

At age 25, I am the proud owner of 150 Daktronics, Inc. stocks. I carefully monitored the stocks for about 6 months prior to purchase and feel confident. I still feel like I don't know squat - like that guy from the "Boom Goes The Dynamite" video when I try to tell anyone how the stock market actually works.

But the truth is, everyone has a need to feel invested in something. For some it's the stock market - for others Canadian pornography. It's a most righteous feeling - investing, no matter where you put your assets.

Fun To Learn Time!

The term is: "Paper Gangster." 

Fake, wanna-be who tries to be ghetto/thinks he/she is from the streets.  Should be listening to Rush and wearing Dockers while earning a living cleaning daddy's Lexus and painting his white-picket fence.

Compliments of Urban Dictionary.  You always have the right answer when I need it - big thumbs up!