Big Baggy Shorts

Coming up on the mean streets of Bay Village and believing I would grow up to be 6'3," I always envisioned myself becoming a college basketball superstar at the University of Michigan.  My friends and I played basketball 24/7 whether it was in a gym or outside on the courts all over our town.  This love and admiration for the Wolverines started right around middle school at the brink of our teen angst.  The University of Michigan was the epitome of teen angst and my friends and I were all about them.  They were rough, raw and ready to take on any team.  Their attitude and appeal led a few friends and myself to even sign up for their basketball camp a few years after the Fab 5 left.  The experience is one I will never forget!  The image of Robert "Tractor" Traylor along with Maurice Taylor hopping out of their fully loaded Ford Explorer with as much gold around their necks as Mr. T is one that never seizes to amaze me.  Years later when 5'8" became my height for life, my dream of being a hoops star diminished but my love for the Fab Five stayed true. 
 
These feelings were re-ignited this past week when I found out ESPN's 30 for 30 will be doing a documentary on  the Fab Five.  I have been an avid fan of this series since its beginning and I cannot wait for each new one to come out.  For those of you who have not seen any of these or would like to be blown away for two hours, I highly recommend The Best That Never Was, The Pony Excess, Once Brothers or The Two Escobars.  In my opinion, this series has reached new demographics outside of the normal sports fan including film aficionados and random fans of folk lore.  Instead of having Steve Sabol or Mike Lupica and the sports reporters tell these stories, like they have done countless times in the past, they have allowed 30 contemporary and innovative filmmakers to create their own canvases and imprint their works upon the sports world.

This has been a brilliant move by ESPN to renovate their product and tap into new streams of viewers and potential sponsors.  Sports will always have their Black Sox scandals and Tim Donagy conspiracies but how many chances will Reggie Rock Bythewood or Barry Levinson have to show off their interpretations to the sports world?  Take for instance Steve Bartman, the exile of Chicago.  His documentary, "Catching Hell," was slated to have been shown at the beginning of this year's World Series but due to the Academy Award winning film director, Alex Gibney, sense to have it pushed back to 2011 (there are even rumors speculating that it may be turned into a two parter). 

By creating these series, ESPN has positioned their brand as no longer being just the jock on the block.  Now, they are the muscle headed jock on the block who just received a full-ride scholarship to Stanford and what they do at Stanford is up to them.  Do they party or do they get an education? 

I Love Pringles

Just when I thought I couldn't love Pringles any more than I already do . . . . they decide to use A/R to pull me and everyone in.  A/R stands for "augmented reality."  Defining it is a little complicated and better left to smarter minds so I recommend a simple Google/Bing search.  However, for those who want the cliffs notes, just think of the yellow first down line you see every Sunday watching an NFL game.  This is but one example of A/R using a digital overlay within real action.

A/R is a concept that has been toyed around with for awhile now.  I am only familiar with a couple uses such as with mobile, Layar's First Mobile Augmented Browser, XBox's Kinect Light Sabers Are Always Cool and with the USPS Yes, I said the United States Postal Service.  I leave out the Minority Report example because that one seems to be the most obvious.

I am sure there may be thousands of cooler representations of A/R out there however; these three are pretty innovative in their own fields.  To be able to use such technology in the field of marketing where clients could use, try out, or even put on the product before physically touching it is a tremendous tool.  To think, clothing stores could have men and women try on clothes from home without having to go inside a store.  That application alone would boost online sales tenfold, not to mention the impact it would have on mini malls.

I highly recommend looking into A/R for yourselves and looking into all of its potential applications.  There are loads of hilarious examples which will keep me amused along with many more tech fueled videos that will challenge the most verbose of intellects.  This is field of technology is still growing and is only at the adolescences of its development.  So kick back and remember the good ol' days with some Pringles because once you pop, you still can't stop!

A Better Cleveland

This next post is dedicated to Randy Newman.  Every time I hear Randy Newman's song or see Major League, I listen to "Burn On," and get mixed feelings. When I first hear the chorus it makes me think of my younger days when the Indians were as awful as an MLB team could be (hopefully we don't return there).  I add to that all of the public's nasty opinions of Cleveland. Of the burning river, the mistake on the lake, the multitudes of corrupt government officials, Art Modell, the drive, the shot, etc. (I gotta stop before I have to throw on my Bernie jersey to feel better). 

Yet, from those same feelings I remember my first game at Municipal Stadium, my first ballpark dog with stadium mustard, my first high five with a complete stranger, my first downtown for the lighting of the Christmas lights, and my first feeling of being a part of something bigger. Though I may have been the 768th person through the gates with only a hundred or so others at the ballpark,  whether I had to deal with my past girlfriends who are Steelers fans laughing in my face after another loss to them, I still get that sense of community, of kinsmanship, with my friends back home that though we're on the ropes, we are ready to bounce off of them at any moment. 

To this day I have the opinion, that what is being seen by the public, is not the the all of it.  Cleveland is my home no matter how far I go or how others may diss it.  While I was looking for upcoming events in Cleveland, I came upon a site with a catchy homepage and the potential to influence the masses.  At YourChangingCleveland.com the viewer is updated with projects within Cleveland and the opportunity to voice their own opinions.  Though the site seems to be in its initial phases I believe that it has great potential. 

This site allows the public to become integrated within its own efforts to promote a better Cleveland.  It informs the public of the projects trying to re-build Cleveland and welcomes those who wish to be a part of it.  Newspapers are becoming a thing of the past and vehicles of communication are becoming more and more a part of the digital age.  Sites like these are advantageous to the city such as Cleveland who is trying day in and day out to improve its credibility and growth.  So set aside your previous opinions and jokes of Cleveland because we are on the move and have been on the move.  It may not be quick and it may not be soon, but as long as people are still giving high fives to strangers at games and songs are being written about Cleveland, good or bad, this city will carry on.  So burn onnnnnnnnnnnnnn big river . . . burn on!

The Future of Magazines

Being an avid Sports Illustrated reader and long time subscriber, I was recently asked to subscribe to SI's iPad application. Though I don't have an iPad, yet, I still wanted to check it out. After reading the consumer reports and viewing countless tutorials such as the one above, I am quite impressed at its potential, reader interactions and user friendly simplicities.

Now to be honest, I have owned enough video games and seen enough movie previews to know that preview will never match up to the real thing (if only I would have had this knowledge before seeing Kazaam) however, this presentation of Sport Illustrated's application on YouTube has to be the exception.

This tutorial was easy to follow.  It showed different features associated with its application very well and after viewing this tutorial, I viewed a few issues via the iPad and am a firm believer that future magazine applications like this will be huge hits with subscribers. Not only is there limitless potentials in mixing videos with text and countless other mediums but advertisements within magazines are multi-dimensional as well. For instance, Milk had an add with a basketball player, whom shall remain nameless, and on the iPad application you can click on the ad and view the actual shoot behind the scenes and interviews with producers.

What used to be a simple magazine with text and pictures has now become an interactive medium loaded with a digital library of photos and videos. Subscribers are able to organize the contents and pages of the magazine accordingly and can basically personalize the entire format.

Newspapers and magazines have been trying to transition to the Internet for years now but after seeing the applications on the iPad and their potential, it looks like advertising needs to make a sharp turn in this direction. Applications are the new thing and if I were the head of a magazine, I would be talking with my creative department and starting up its iPad application ASAP!

Importance of an Education

My next post is one of the most powerful messages I have read, seen or heard no matter what the vehicle of communication.  The subject and practice of education is one that hits home for me.  I come from a family of teachers as well as graduating from Ohio University with a degree in Integrated Language Arts. 

It just so happens that this post uses innovation and creativity to turn a great lecturer into a phenomenal visual aide that should be heard, seen and appreciated by all.  Below is the video by RSAnimate.



For those of you unfamiliar with Sir Ken Robinson, like I was until viewing this, he speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing businesses and education in the new global economies. 

I could go on for quite a bit upon his credentials and background however, for the purpose of this blog I will inform you all that he is someone that I have come to highly regard and recommend everyone learn for themselves.  Again, my blogs are meant to be educational, not preachy.  Everyone must find their own education.  Teaching is the hardest profession and one that requires sincere dedication and patience.  Whenever I can help spread the importance of education I will be most welcome to do so and this example is no exception. 

I also want to thank RSAnimate for their continued creativity and ingenuity.  This is not their only post to say the least.  They have many, many more along with a wealth of knowledge to be learned.  RSA Home
Until next time . . . .

Bobcat on the Prowl



For my next post I would like to give major credit to a fellow OU Bobcat, Brian Gainor. I have recently been researching potential concepts and advertising campaigns and was recommend this site, Partnership Activation. Brian is the creator and innovator for this site. As the site's quote states at its top, "it connects brands with fans." In my recent past, I worked for the Cleveland Indians where I helped brainstorm ideas and initiatives for new and exciting ways to help out ticket sales and experiences. If I would have been privy to this site during that time . . . it would have been a major help to say the least.

This site has a wealth of knowledge and insight into what other teams and venues are thinking up. For example, you can see the newest post from Oct. 30th which gives a synopsis from Boston College's Ice Jam event. Though it's not a professional sports team's promotion it is still an extremely exciting and "outside the box" approach to spreading Eagle pride throughout the campus.

Brian's site has everything from Burger King's Lebron James Welcome to South Beach billboard, the Dodger's Journey singer, the Converse Ambush promotion, to his informative and exciting newsletters that are a wealth of knowledge. A special kudos on Brian's piece on the St. Louis Rams Online Community Relations effort. Community relations and outreach is close to my heart and such recognition is always appreciated and never given its full due.

I can't begin to explain or try to convey the depth of knowledge one can receive from viewing this site. This is why I highly recommend this site for all those who are reading my blog right now. Brian's site is a must read for anyone who is in advertising, marketing, or sports field. Heck, if you simply enjoy new and fun ways to engage fans with brands READ HIS SITE! Since he first began, each post gets more detailed and relevant to its purpose and I look forward to reading it in the future. So join me in my own education as I learn more and more from such informative and rewarding sites as this one.

Gotta Go with Your Gut

Last week, David Goetzel of MediaDailyNews wrote an article pertaining to Yahoo web series. In a "gutsy" move, Yahoo will bypass its usual time consuming efforts of analyzing audience feedback, demographical analysis, audience tendencies, etc. and launch "Ready, Set, Dance!"

It will be a reality-competition series, where contestants break out into dance spontaneously when a camera arrives, will have 12 weekly episodes. It is sponsored by State Farm, which will be integrated into the content.

The reality series is a part of a deal with Electus, an outfit run by Ben Silverman, who spearheaded NBC's "The Office" and "The Biggest Loser." Yahoo said that it does not want to move into larger productions of popular web series.  These forms of medium typically have loyal followers, however the popularity is nothing like that of a TV series.

If you ask me, I believe that this is a step in the right direction for Yahoo. It may be a first step in a walk that leads nowhere but it is one that needs to be taken. Popular videos off of YouTube reach million of viewers within weeks, sometimes days. After months of deliberation and research by execs many of these "sequels" get the kibosh thrown down upon them. These deliberations by execs seem irrelevant though because by that time the decision is made, the buzz of the video has already died down.

I love watching "The Office" and "How I Met Your Mother" because they both are 30 minutes in length. The shows fly by and after each episode I am left wanting more. I don't get up, walk into my dining room table, ponder the significance of the episode with associates and wonder if I'm going to watch the next one (. . . though I may go to the dining room for a snack and repeat the jokes with my friends).  Instead, I enjoy what I just saw, wait until next week and repeat the funny lines from the show repeatedly.   

The point I'm trying to make is that every advertiser takes advantage of "market hype." When something is hot, when something is popular, when something is "it," good advertisers use whatever creative vehicle necessary to popularize it. "The Office" and "How I Met Your Mother" are popular shows and they don't end after one episode or take months to create new ones (don't bring up season finales either you smart allecks out there).  This effort keeps advertisers in business and puts food on their tables. Therefore it is only natural for Yahoo to go with its gut because in the end, your gut makes the majority of your most important decisions. 

Come on . . . you can't tell me what you want for lunch and dinner aren't some of the most important decisions of your day!

Here is Goetzel's full article Here is the Goetzel Article

Let the Education Begin . . .

My first official post will begin with my favorite ad of all-time, "Terry Tate - Office Linebacker."  For this post I will include some research upon Reebok's Terry Tate campaign and I will add my comments here and there.  Overall though, this campaign was brilliant in that it took an abstract concept of an "office linebacker," focused consumers in another direction and created a viral sensation that took on a life of its own. 

Following Super Bowl XXXVII, then CEO of Reebok, Paul Fireman, said that 800,000 people had visited the Reebok site curiously looking for Terry Tate. Of those coming to the site, 750,000 downloaded the ad, which required registration. To date, Reebok has had 20 million downloads.  Most of the viewers were also men aged 18 to 34, the most important target for Reebok. Of those 750,000 who registered, 69 percent said they were likely to buy a Reebok product.

Reebok.com saw a 308 percent traffic increase from a week earlier, despite the fact that Reebok did not feature its product or brand prominently in the Terry Tate ad.  Many wondered if this fact hurt Reebok's brand.  However, according to Mickey Pant of Reebok the campaign was a success. 

"After the Super Bowl, 60 percent thought the advertiser was Reebok. For some reason, 30 percent thought it was McDonalds. But because you have to go to Reebok.com to see the films, there’s 100 percent brand recognition now. The Web site is the backbone of the campaign."

The success of the Terry Tate ad campaign is revolutionary.  What started as a figure head good for a few laughs has turned into one of the most memorable ads of all-time.  It has crossed mediums and demographics and though the campaign is about 7 years old, its lessons and strategies are relevant today.