Do You "Love" or "Hate" the Mac Guy?

A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Puppet

Ventriloquist of the Year?
Everyone around here enjoys poking fun at Dale, (who doesn't?) which means this is a pretty fun place to work, because we satisfy that little pleasure as much as possible. And this time we get a "two for one", because the photo below will undoubtedly be embarrassing to both Dale and our friend, Jeff Dunham.
    This photo is from the 1990 International Ventriloquists Convention. It was taken a moment after Jeff announced that Dale had been voted "Ventriloquist of the Year" by convention attendees.  You'll note that Jeff, wanting to follow in his mentor's footsteps, was already attempting to copy Dale's hairstyle and manner of dress.  Jeff even grew a moustache for awhile. Thankfully, he eventually sobered up and developed a style of his own ... being funny.  Dale should have thought of that.
    With two #1 selling DVD's, two record-setting Comedy Central Specials, a sold-out national tour and YouTube hits in the multimillions, Jeff has truly become a pop cultural phenomenon. It's fun to say that we "knew him when" ... because for career reasons he's not admitting to knowing us now.

Four Fun Web Sites
Some web sites just deserve to get noticed. So check these out.

Here's a link to a Dutch department store site. It takes a while to load ... but the flash is very clever. It's worth a look.  http://producten.hema.nl/  

I generally steer clear of "e-cards" because they're impersonal, they demonstrate that the sender is too lazy and cheap to go out and buy a card and lastly, they're usually not funny. But e-cards at Puppet Greetings are too funny to pass up. Check them out.
  
Sunny and Chair from PuppetGreetings.com

Unscrew America. How? It takes a bulb. That's the thinking behind an elaborate web site recently launched to promote the new environmental organization Unscrew America. The organization encourages consumers to switch out their standard light bulbs for energy efficient CFLs or LEDs. The web site is very creative with a whole lot going on.  But you be the judge about whether or not it works. http://unscrewamerica.org/

    Muppets.com, is the new online home of the Muppets, now that they are a Disney entity. (When you click on the link above you'll go to the Disney site first. Be patient. It takes about 20 seconds for the Muppet site to load and take over. You don't need to click on anything until you get to the Muppet site.) The site has some very funny videos and new videos are added each week. It also has games, clothing, Muppet news, etc. But the videos are the highlight. On the main stage you can see Gonzo's attempt to clean up the internet, view what happens when Miss Piggy is caught on hidden camera and enjoy the thrilling conversation that abounds when Animal, the Swedish Chef and Beaker share an elevator. My favorite is Pepe the Prawn with his puppet "stick". (You know Jeff Dunham is big when Disney decides to use his "stick" puppet idea.)

Love Him or Hate Him, the "Mac Guy" Sells Computers

Within our offices we use both PCs and Apple computers.  We tend to swear at the Apples a lot. But they do have their good points.  Plus, since the introduction of Microsoft Vista, some of us are swearing at our PCs just as much as the Apples.   

Apple's outstanding product development culture and consistent marketing efforts have made Apple the solid No. 3 seller of computers in the United States. Research shows that 79% of people who purchased an Apple computer are "very satisfied". That compares with 59% and 58% respectively of those who bought PCs from competitors Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

The "Mac vs. PC" series of ads began in 2006 and have nearly 40 creative iterations.  Even though each ad has a different message, the style remains consistent. (Keeping a consistent marketing style is something we continually preach to our clients ... and some of them actually listen to us.) Apple has made significant strides in market share since the commercials started running, moving from 2% market share to an 8% market share ... with forecasts for double-digit share by 2010.

Just about every time Apple introduces a new product, it's a major news story ... a positive one. And that fact is winning over many PC users. When is the last time you were blown away by a PC innovation?  Apple sets itself apart with groundbreaking product innovations that force competitors to constantly play "catch up".  It's fun to watch.