June 18, 2010: After months of intense speculation, adoring fans across America are queued-up (some since the night before) to be among the first to own the latest release from Apple. It’s a scenario not uncommon to my generation’s once-upon-a-time frenzy to procure tickets to a Beatles concert. And in many ways, Apple today has … Read More
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A Hard Day’s Night For Apple Loyalists.
Note: This column was originally posted on the B-Metro website July 15, a week after the column above, and a couple days after the iPhone 4 “dropped call” problem made headlines. Apparently, Apple Computer is bigger than Jesus. If that intro line made you mad, 1) It should, and 2) The line was a reference … Read More
What Were They Thinking? (Part Two)
Following-up on Monday’s entry (two posts down from this one), the topic is, once again, PR blunders. #2: THIS LITTLE PIGGIE WENT WEEWEEWEE ALL THE WAY TO COURT. The National Pork Board is threatening the makers of Canned Unicorn with a copyright infringement lawsuit. One would assume the Pork Board did not want this issue … Read More
Our First Ad For Baggett.
Baggett Transportation is a privately-owned trucking firm specializing in military equipment and munitions transport. For background, we interviewed several of their drivers. They consistently reported what a good company Baggett is to work with. And how proud they were to be serving the armed forces. Our ad is based entirely on our interview with the … Read More
What Were They Thinking? (Part One)
Our topic is PR blunders, and was inspired by two classic gaffes I discovered just today. NUMBER 1: THAT’S YOUR LAST SHRED OF CREDIBILITY SAILING AWAY. By now, you’ve surely heard that BP CEO Tony “I Want My Life Back” Hayward gloriously reclaimed some of his old life this past weekend by competing in a … Read More
Meet The Newest Harebrain
Erin and Seth recently got a bulldog puppy. Seth brought it to the office last week. While everyone was eww-ing ahh-ing and awwwww-ing, Kathy (our brilliant art director) grabbed her camera and hit the floor. One mark of a great photographer is timing. And luck. Based on the shot below, I think you can reasonably … Read More
First, Do No Harm.
(Theodorick Of York, Medieval Barber, bleeds a patient suffering from “an imbalance of bodily humors”.) A couple of weeks ago (after years of stubborn resistance) I replaced Outlook Express and Microsoft Schedule for Office 97 with the full version of Outlook. Much as I dreaded it, my initial reaction was unexpectedly optimistic. I was pleasantly … Read More
Fletcher Hare: YouTube Star
(He’s in the middle, wearing the Parliament T-Shirt) Fletcher signed-up for Rock Band as his elective this Spring—and the band had its public debut in Birmingham’s world-famous Spencer Center last night. Click here for a sonic blast of primal rock at its absolute rawest. (Warning: May be disturbing to pets and small children). http://bit.ly/rokkband
Wilco revisited. (I owe Jeff Tweedy an apology.)
(THIS WEEK’S SOUNDLINKS COLUMN) A NOTE OF INTRODUCTION: I recently discovered, much to my surprise, that not everyone on earth has heard of Wilco, so here’s my two cents’ worth: Not since the Beatles’ mid to late period—from Rubber Soul to The White Album—has any band in pop music successfully jumped across as many genres … Read More
That’s How We Do Things Here. (why there’s no sports brand like the masters)
Sunday, April 11 marked the final round of the only golf tournament I watch every year. Which got me thinking why I have to watch The Masters—but no other annual tournament. After all, several U.S. courses are ranked ahead of Augusta in both Golf.com and Golflink.com’s Top 100 lists. At least seven PGA tournaments match … Read More