The Drink Cart: March 22nd
I'm trying a new thing. Let me know what you think. I was thinking about some weekly musings about advertising, design and pop culture from an old creative director.
I’m in awe of my business partner Sandy Fleischer who has recently been cranking out weekly newsletters on here about his passion, records and music. I feel compelled to try some new things. God damn it Sandy.
So like a cliched drink cart coming by your desk at some pre-pandemic ad agency of yesteryear, here is a bunch of random stuff I’ve read, saved, bookmarked, slacked and shared this week. This is like me sharing TikTok videos with you in real life. Maybe we can see how this goes and maybe I’ll be back next week.
Things people like right now
Be honest, you are a brand that paid a lot of money just to see David Beckham’s hands in your Times Square billboards? Everyone seems to love that they cut his beautiful face from the OOH ads but then chose to just do regular TV ads using him.
Next up, this official trailer for the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou's clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from a few weeks back is the most over the top, fun fever dream you’ll watch coming out of the desert since the Trump Dune Sandworm. How much money did they spend on this? Good lord.
So much I’d imagine that I feel obliged to include this story of Chess Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk who came up in my feed this week and continues to refuse to play in Saudi Arabia. Speaking of sand, bonus vintage Star Wars toy ads are the best. They do not make ‘em like this anymore.
100th anniversary branding can be tricky to nail when it comes to logos. The Columbia Pictures 100th Anniversary logo has all the good stuff. 30 seconds of history and nostalgia - a greatest hits version of logos. I’m not sure why we care about studio logo animations, but we do.
Lotta Out of Home talk this year. Another campaign everyone is talking about is this You Can Do It campaign for B&Q. Pretty stunning and fun. It’s like an alternate universe of what Home Depot could be from a brand place with that orange.
It’s true what they say, you can make a banger out of any brief at any time. This ALT Text campaign for RNIB is one of those and is fantastic (via Richard Shotton). ALT Text is the eat your greens part of content and writing for sure.
I’m loving the graphics and design for Bravo’s spin off of a spin off The Valley. There’s something so vibrant and playful of this yellow and type. And how they seamlessly transitioned from the episode of Vanderpump Rules.
I have to say, given the synopsis and the idea of mid-40’s families, I expected not to be super into it. “Follows a group of close friends as they trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley all while they navigate bustling businesses, rocky relationships and feisty friendships.” But you can’t keep Jax Taylor down. Great TV Villian. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
Another round bartender
Here’s a few other things that are too good not to share and have occupied a disproportionate amount of space in my brain matter this week:
That there is ready to eat loaded baked potatoes now
The annual Masters Tournament Champion’s Dinner menu - side plug for an old bit of thinking with my 7 Lessons on Branding from the Masters
The poster for Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
That I’d forgotten the 1996 baby Bruce Willis cartoon
That I had no idea Bruce Willis was in a stage version of Misery
That there were these Wine & Dine dinner packs in the early 70’s and people got mad that the wine was for cooking
That I would watch the heck out of this new rom com right now
Including this here just to mock my creative partner Graham who loathes Star Wars, but seeing it on The Empire State Building is cool
Things people hate right now
First, let’s get into the most unhinged take on QR codes I’ve ever seen, and frankly it’s on point. Watch it repeatedly anytime you are working on QR codes.
Here’s a clear cut case of digital just pissing everyone off and then destroying the campaign brand that’s been going for decades. As Andrew King notes, “Clear and present eradication of tactile fun in society. ‘It’s now an app’ is killing all sense of fun.” Remember that.
Google spent weeks pumping up its new login screen nothing burger and people were raging on what Austin Byrd noted was “shipped by a 1.84 trillion dollar company.” To put it in more context this comment would end me if I was on the UX team, “How can you send millions of dollars on a UI change, send 1B people an email about it, and still - mess up the spacing around corners, use 5 different font sizes, keep a goofy ass horizontal padding around the buttons, leave ZERO distance between the buttons.”
Self indulgent, nearly Spring-ish baseball content
My newsletter, my content. Despite the return of Hoth in Toronto, we are now just one week from the regular season of baseball beginning, so you can suffer through a few curveballs of that. This 4D view from the games just played in South Korea this week is incredible for sports fans.
A few other baseball or sports related stuff:
I selected my 2024 Copa de la Diversión Team hat. Chose the Viñeros de Tri-City (Tri-City Dust Devils) for obvious reasons - namely I need a wine drinking hat. I mean look at it. Although, I’m not going to lie I am tempted on these Miller Lite and Lotto 6-49 vintage corduroy hats on eBay and the Wichita Chili Buns were my backup choice. I will not be taking questions at this time.
I want to live in a city with a mid baseball team, that can offer up $52 tickets with all you can eat food, like Miami.
There should 100% be more baseball hat vending machines like this one from the Portland Pickles.
Oh my lord the type on these baseball cards is atrocious
A little baseball break, but this ESPN promo with Tommy Devito and featuring the incredible "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" by the Four Seasons is just a feel good content - until Mark Messier shows up - how this guy is still relevant in ads in 2024 is beyond me. PS: Having a nickname like Tommy Cutlets would be amazing.
I really liked this summary or response to the Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter’s gambling scandal from JEFF, “Welcome back to SportsCenter Presented by ESPN Bet, for more on the Ohtani situation we go to our FanDuel MLB Insider Jeff Passan at our DraftKings Studio in Los Angeles brought to you by Caesar’s Sportsbook. Jeff, how could something like this happen?”
And just like that, the NBA is adding betting to its League pass for one click betting
For no reason whatever we end on: This baguette steak sandwich. It is everything
Woah! Next level. This is great. I can't wait for us to collab on a music in advertising post. I have some thoughts. Also, that baguette steak sandwich. mmmmm.