A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
Game Piece Moves Web Site Traffic in the "Right Direction"
NCL Graphic Specialties produces more than 400 million labels/coupons a month for a variety of industries including food and bottling. The company's Web site gets a lot of traffic because it offers information about promotional options, marketing ideas and more. But NCL wanted to know more about those who make up its visitor base. So the company initiated "NCL - The Right Direction Contest."
To showcase its capabilities, NCL created a complex die-cut, miniature-folded, scratch-off game card that is overwrapped in clear material, (above). Visitors to NCL's Web site can fill out a form to obtain the special game pieces. Players have an opportunity to win Garmin® Navigation Systems, Tervis® Tumblers, coffee mugs or compass key chains. Every game piece is a winner.
According to NCL, many Web site visitors are taking the time to provide company information, product needs and email addresses. NCL is winning right along with its prospects.
To obtain a game piece go to http://www.nclgs.com/ Go ahead ... you gotta win something.
Preventing Generations for Generations
From AdAge: Trojan distributed its first newspaper freestanding-insert coupons recently with offers ranging from $1 off the Trojan2Go card to $2 off vibrating products. The company's foray into coupons was part of a major Valentine's Day retail promotion to boost lagging sales.
Though some other marketers claimed seeing a trend toward "recession sex" last year as people with more time on their hands got frisky, Trojan wasn't seeing things that way. Trojan's tracking research showed signs of an actual decrease in sexual activity.
Regardless, it's good to know that when it comes to "safe sex" there's now a coupon for that.
Palm Readers
Former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was the featured speaker at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville, TN. During a question and answer session she snuck a look at notes she had written in ink in the palm of her hand. Needless to say, the media jumped all over that.
So I did a little searching on the web and guess what? There's a product for people who write on their hands ... really. The To-Do Tatoo is a temporary tattoo with lines, and a skin-safe washable gel pen. You can have Amazon deliver one. (Maybe they should re-name it, "The Sarah Palin Memory Method.")
If you're going to write on your hand, at least you can be neat about it.
Marketing Hand Notes
Here's another positive spin on "hand notes." Those annoying stamps you get on your hands at clubs can actually be life savers. At some clubs outside the U.S. hand stamps contain "Do not drink and drive" messages and the phone numbers of local cab companies. This new form of advertising has received praise from both police and liquor establishments.
It's probably just a matter of time before hangover remedies start paying to be included on hand stamps as well.
H.O.G. Heaven
Being from Milwaukee, these caught my eye.
If a loved one was really into Harley's, you may want to look into The Harley Davidson hearse. It belongs to Kevin Brennan Familly Funeral Home, in Topeka, Kansas. For $795, a driver will take the dearly departed from the funeral home to the house of worship, then on to the cemetery ... compared to $475 to $575 for a lift in a traditional hearse.
If you're getting married and you're really into Harley's, The Bridal Carriage will cost you just $495 for the first 3 hours.
I wonder if Dale will let me convert his Harley Davidson Springer into something practical like a "Mannequin American Mobile Home"?
Harleys & Hollywood
Speaking of Harleys, the Harley Davidson Museum is currently running a special display, "HarleyWood - The Harleys & Hollywood Exhibit."
From the museum: "The Harley-Davidson Museum tells the story of how motorcycles impacted pop culture and "Harleys & Hollywood" shows examples of this ongoing fascination."
Visitors to the museum can see bikes from the movies G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Trek and Wild Hogs along with bikes owned by Clark Gable, Steve McQueen, Ludacris and Jesse James. The exhibit ends this month.
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
SEO Still Driving Force in Building Traffic
From CopyBlogger: Take a look at the image below, from SEOmoz:
In simple terms, the chart shows that when it comes to "search," what people say about you is more important than what you say about yourself.
Google wants to know that people are linking to you, and it wants to know the words they're using (link anchor text), because those give you credibility and are a trusted relevance indicator ... more so than what you say about yourself.
So although compelling content is always rule number one, if you don't rank well in the categories above, you will slide farther down the search engine listings. Brown & Martin, Inc. can help.
More Women on Social Networks, But Products Not Benefiting
A consumer survey found that about 54% of women visit social networking sites at least once daily, and 75% of those women admit they're more active on networks now than they were one year ago. Facebook dominates the segment with 66.4% saying they use Facebook, followed by MySpace at 16.3%, Twitter at 3.1%, and LinkedIn at 1.4%.
The study also revealed that seeing a brand on a social network makes 17% of women feel positive and 19% feel negative about that brand. The other 64% were neutral.
When asked whether social networking sites influence purchases, 75% of women who participated in the study said ads on social networks do not influence what they buy.
Some marketing experts believe brands need to "catch up" and create messages/packages that women will appreciate online, and can pass around. Time will tell.
Selling Trucks with Laughter
From our friend Mike McCann: It's always interesting to see how different countries take different approaches to selling the same product. Truck commercials in the U.S. tend to focus on "toughness" and include lots of shots of vehicles traversing water, mountains and rocks.
Australia takes a different approach. They use trucks to make us laugh. And laugh you will. Click here to see an entertaining Australian commercial for Toyota trucks. Bugger!
$2 Million for Passing "Go"
MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition reinvents the 75 year-old game with a new look, featuring a round game board, electronic banking, music and sound effects.
MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition features the traditional streets of Atlantic City, but with property values more reflective of today's prices. For example, players collect $2 Million when passing "GO" instead of $200. Keeping track of the millions changing hands during game play is an electronic unit that serves as banker, dice and music player.
The game also features clips of hit songs from five decades, including "Umbrella," "Bad Day" and "Drive My Car," and sound effects that bring a contemporary new spin on the classic family favorite.
In 1935, Parker Brothers began selling MONOPOLY, which would quickly become a cultural phenomenon. Seventy-five years later, more than 1 billion people in 108 countries have played the game designed by Charles Darrow and based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Of course, there are tons of Monopoly versions now on the market from specifically-branded ones like The Simpsons and Disney to Army, Navy, Star Wars and local city editions. But, if the idea of a modern version of the classic board game bothers you, there is an alternative. They have a beautiful wooden replica of their 1935 version.
Ta-Tas
Upset Colorado ... Again
Via AdFreak: For the
second time in
a week, Colorado has gotten all worked up over an ad featuring ta-tas.
Last
week, the town was Colorado Springs, and the ta-tas were non-human.
(Furry and
pink, they belonged to Lucy the Slut of Avenue Q,
whose bus-shelter poster was nixed.)
This
week, the town is Aurora, CO and the ta tas are human, belonging to a
model
advertising the Perky Cups coffee shop (I love that name!) ... where
waitresses
serve coffee while (gasp!) wearing bikinis.
The
city council deemed the ad legal after people complained, but the coffee shop's landlord took it down on Wednesday.
"I would love to leave it up forever, but I'm getting beat up," owner
Jason Bernal said Tuesday. Bernal said people had stopped in to
complain,
though one stayed to buy a burrito and coffee.
At
least we know that there are "boobs" in Colorado.
Ad Aimed at Very Targeted Audience
For the record, I'm not making this up. The ad above is recruiting players for a gay rugby league ... I think in the UK. (I'll let you come up with your own OMG mental picture.) But you have to admit, the creatives "behind" this ad know their audience.
Stuffed and Unstrung
WestBeth Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company's Henson Alternative announced the New York debut of "Stuffed and Unstrung", a live uncensored show that lets loose the perilous and provocative elements of comedic improvisation on stage with a bunch of puppets. This one-of-a-kind comedy performance is set for a special 10-week limited engagement kicking off Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at the Union Square Theatre in New York. The official opening will then take place on Thursday, April 1 at 9:00 PM.
Click here to see a clip of "Puppet Up!" which "Stuffed and Unstrung" evolved from.
The show is unpredictable, irreverent and it's never the same twice as puppeteers set off on trails of twisted sketches and songs at breakneck pace while interacting with the audience. In short ... it's often hilarious. Click here to go to the Facebook page.
On the Road
Dale with Bertha the Bag Lady at the annual NCRA employee recognition dinner. Bertha has over 110,000 views on YouTube.
Speaking of puppets, Dale and his suitcase posse (including me) were in McPherson, KS recently to perform for the National Cooperative Refinery Association. It was a great group. So here's a shout out to all of our new friends back in KS. Thanks for joining my blog!
Don't your employees or association members deserve some laughs? Contact us or click here for more info.
One Downside of Being a Puppeteer
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
Omitting "$" Can Mean Bigger Sales
This just in from the terrifying world of "neurobiological marketing". The human brain can be fooled into spending more money if restaurants omit any reference to "dollars" on their menus.
Neuromarketing, a blog "Where Brain Science and Marketing Meet," reports on a Cornell study that looked at three restaurant price display techniques:
- Numerical with Dollar Sign: $12.00
- Numerical without Dollar Sign or Decimals: 12
- Written: twelve dollars
The researchers expected that the written/scripted prices would perform best, but they found that "the guests with the simple numeral prices spent significantly more than the other two groups."
It's hard to believe that the omission of "$" makes people forget that they're spending actual money. But what do I know?
I Usually Like Puppets in Ads ... But ...
To promote bundled Internet, phone and TV services, FairPoint Bundle (link to FaceBook page) uses a fluffy little creature that seems to be part monkey, part Alf and part Tribble. Viewers are encouraged to "Love your Bundle," which is fast, reliable, fun to curl up with and works during a power outage.
I don't know if I trust this particular puppet. He seems to be snuggling way too close to the woman on the sofa, and it may just be a matter of time before he sets those flashlight eyeballs on "kill". Click here to see the commercial.
If You're Looking for a Reason to be Afraid of Me, I'll Give You One
Okay, I wish this was a joke, but it's not ... and as a Mannequin American I'm seriously thinking about a discrimination lawsuit. Here's an entire Web site devoted to "Immediate help for Ventriloquist Dummy Phobia." Are you kidding me?!
First, we're "Mannequin Americans," not "Dummies." Second, how would people like it if I had a Web site devoted to "Immediate help for Mexican Phobia"? Or, "... Jewish Phobia"? Or, "... Italian Phobia"? Oh, wait. I have that one.
Getting over "Ventriloquist Dummy Phobia" will only cost you $147 for "CDs and Workbook," or $2,497 for a "One-on-One VIP Program." (and they call ME a dummy?!) Give me $2,497 and I'll pay Mannequin Americans to stay away from you.
From their Web site: "Risk Factors and Causes: Ventriloquist Dummy Phobia is usually caused by an intense negative experience from your past." Really? If I ever meet the yahoos behind this Web site, I'll give them a negative experience from today.
Besides, everyone knows people are more afraid of clowns than puppets. Even the U.S. Postal Service uses that fact in this recent and rather amusing commercial.
Now excuse me while I go to the mall and scare the heck out of people with Mannequin American phobia.
More Proof ... Clowns are Scarier than Puppets
The cutline for this VW ad is "Volkswagen lane assist. Gives you an alert when ou're not." And what does the company use to promote its new system that helps drivers stay alert? Not a puppet; but a scary clown. That would not only keep me alert ... it would keep me awake for years.
"I'm No Dummy" Now on Sale
Speaking of "puppets" the documentary, I'm No Dummy" is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com. I think they are offering a discount before the official release date. My advice to all who would be interested in this documentary is to buy it now.
Despite its racist title, "I'm No Dummy" is a good documentary on Mannequin Americans, ventriloquists and ventriloquism ... and it features several of our friends including Jay Johnson, Lynn Trefzger, Jeff Dunham, Jimmy Nelson and others. And I love the subtitle ... "Sometimes You Just Need to Vent." Ain't that the truth.
Know Where Your Billboard Is
From FailBlog: When buying a billboard to help those with alcoholism, I'm guessing that it's best not to place the ad near a billboard that promotes alcoholic beverages. Just saying ...
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
How to Cut Through the B2B Clutter
Raise your hand if your company is attempting to differentiate itself and make gains in a crowded market. Lots of hands. Great. After all, what market isn't a crowded mass of hungry competitors these days?
An often neglected tool that many companies can use to break through all the clutter is "wit". But to serve the interests of your marketing program, the "wit", or "humor" must be relevant to your product, your service or your company. Relevant humor is an attention-getter that draws your prospects closer. It's an invitation to laugh, which in a business relationship is surprising in itself.
Six tips for using humor as a B2B communication tool.
- Don't over-analyze a humorous idea. It's funny, or it's not. As Mark Twain said, "Trying to figure out why something is funny is like dissecting a frog. You'll come up with answers, but the frog always dies."
- Don't use humor for its own sake. Make it relevant to your objective.
- Use humor to entertain. People love to be entertained. (What do you do in your free time?)
- When possible be thought-provoking. Let your reader/listener/viewer experience the joy of "getting it." You'll make a friend.
- Do your homework. Humor comes from knowing your audience inside-out.
- The best humor comes from the edge, where there are no rules. But be careful not to step over that "edge" that professional entertainers always talk about.
Finally, a word of caution. Humor can be addictive. Scientists tell us that humor blocks stress hormones, stimulates endorphins or other chemical reactions, and produces euphoric effects akin to mood-altering drugs. Use humor wisely. Do not try it at home. Call a professional. (That would be Brown & Martin, Inc.)
All Employees Are "Challenged" in Some Way
From AdFreak: For an example of "humor" that's used to gain attention and get an important point across, click here to see a surprisingly funny ad by Health & Disability Advocates which urges employers to "Think beyond the label" and hire people with disabilities. The HR manager is portrayed by Alana Wallace, who uses a wheelchair in real life as a result of polio. The rest of the employees are all "challenged" in their own ways: unable to dress properly, operate a copier or speak at a reasonable volume.
If humor can be used effectively and tastefully in an ad about hiring people with disabilities, don't you think it could be used to help gain attention for your company?
Sounds of Ferraris Stir the Soul
Here's something from our friend Mike McCann ... racecar driver and former marketing executive. This European commercial is ostensibly selling Shell gasoline. But the Ferraris used in the video steal the show.
Ferrari pulled several vintage racecars out of storage, flew them around the world, and filmed them running through the streets of Rome, Rio, New York, Hong Kong and Monaco.
The best part is the sound. Even if you're not a gear head, there's something about this video that should stir your soul.
Panasonic Camera Ad
This ad for the Panasonic Lumix camera with "face recognition" caught my eye ... which means it did its job. The copy says, "No use hiding. If it has a face we will find it. Lumix with Face Recognition. Finds and highlights your face in the pictures." Pretty simple. Pretty clever. Pretty effective.
How Much "Wood" Do You Need?
This ad for Viagra seems a little over the top for me. Plus, I think I see part of my family tree in the background!
Colorado Springs Protected from Puppet's Ta Tas
If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I'm a big fan of the Tony-winning musical, Avenue Q. ... the cast of which is primarily puppets. (I dated one of them.)
A billboard company in Colorado Springs has banned an ad for Avenue Q. because it shows puppet cleavage. Are you kidding me?! Other than the obvious idiocy of the decision, I should point out that this poster has been used all over the world to publicize Avenue Q.
But to be fair, the puppet's name is Lucy the Slut ... and she is one. She's a pink Sesame Street-like puppet in a show that addresses issues like sex, drinking, and surfing the Web for porn.
Referring to the poster, an executive for Lamar Advertising said, "If I have to explain it to my four year old or my grandmother, we don't put it up." (He's an idiot on so many levels that I won't even make any snide remarks about that quote.)
Lucy's image has been replaced by photos of other characters from the adult puppet musical, so the morality of the citizens of Colorado has been saved.
Broadway.com contacted Lucy T. Slut about the issue, and she quickly responded by saying: "When my public relations people told me that my cleavage was banned from the bus shelters of Colorado Springs, my first thought was: ‘They could fit my cleavage on a little bus shelter?!' However, given my notoriety, I suppose the men of Colorado Springs might succumb to my charms. My bazooms are widely acknowledged as a threat to the traditional family structure."
To see an interview with Lucy T. Slut, click here. To see one of the songs from the play, "It's Sucks to be Me," click here.
From Jay Johnson
Here's something about a puppet who, in his day, was considered by some to be a bit over the top and at times offensive. Today he resides in the Smithsonian Institute. (Don't tell the citizens of Colorado Springs.) Via Clinton Detweiler's blog, from Jay Johnson: The original Bob, I used for the first couple of years on SOAP, is in the Pop Culture and Television Section of The Smithsonian Institution. He currently resides next to an original Oscar the Grouch, Sid Caesar's hat and Seinfeld's Puffy shirt.
Bob had been on display at Valentine Vox's museum in Vegas for a while. When that closed I started trying to find another home for him. The Washington Museum was immediately interested but needed lots of details and provenance. I was told that I had one of the most complete histories on any item they had ever had submitted. I had actually done a lot of work in that direction for Valentine.
The process started back in 2006 and took about about 9 months. A committee had to agree that the donation met certain standards of what the collection stands for... very formal. I was informed that Bob received a unanimous vote. Finally in May of 2007 I turned him over to a representative during a ceremony at Sardi's in New York City.... in front of the caricature of me and Bob on the wall. (The day before that ceremony I was nominated for the Tony and it was my wedding anniversary... they say good things always come in threes.)
The museum was closed for almost a year while they renovated the building. I think the building reopened the first of 2008 and Bob went on display.
An Olympic Moment
In honor of the Olympics, I thought I'd offer up an example of the grace and artistry of figure skating. Admit it ... this photo provides the most enjoyment you've ever gotten from the sport.
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