Check out Episode # 9 and my interview with Howard Greenstein, co-founder of Social Media Club.

Hitting the big double-digit episode is just around the corner!

New feature to kick off the show: My favorite qutoes. Shorter version of In the News and Adjusting the Pitch. Interview with Howard Greenstein, Co-founder of Social Media Club.

CALL TO ACTION:
Call 1 206 666 2242 - Do you think e-mail marketing is dead or alive? Can it survive in an instant message culture? Will RSS and blogging rule the future? What questions would you like the “Optimizing E-mail for Better Results“ rountable to address at the upcoming CMA – Canadian Marketing Association breakfast event on March 7 which I will help moderate.

Call 1 206 666 2242 .

Show Notes

• 00:00 Intro Music.
• 01:08 New feature: My favorite qutoes - Mark Twain kicks it off on reading - Check out the book The Clue Train Manifesto read it here free.
• 04:30 Podcamp Toronto rocked! “Should your company be podcasting? with Donna Papacosta, Terry Fallis, Luke Armour with Mitch Joel moderated and has the session available via his Six Pixels of Separation podcast.
• 05:30 Call in if you were at PodCamp or Consumer 2.0 where I preseneted this week - 1 206 666 2242.
• 08:23 In the News - Bryan Person tells me to keep it short!: Telus pulls the plug on porn; Online Advertising forecast; Saputo and Vachon go bananas with the Igor the Gorilla campaign.
• 14:45 Interview with Howard Greenstein of Social Media Club.
• 25:12 Adjusting the Pitch: Digital and Social Media Syndrome: Is it killing you too?
• 29:30 Outro Music (Full Song), "Love Hate" by Scarlet Box.

  REMINDER - CALL TO ACTION:
  Call 1 206 666 2242 Let me know what questions you'd like the “Optimizing E-mail for Better Results“ rountable to address at the upcoming CMA – Canadian Marketing Association breakfast even on March 7 which I will help moderate.

  Podsafe Music:
  Intro Music – Remember by Black Lab
  Transition music - Forever by Derek Chafin

  Download Episode # 9 - The Client Side, Interview with Howard Greenstein of Social Media Club edition
  

Connections are important. They are perhaps one of the most important elements in life.

Connecting to knowledge, ideas, history and people is deeply set in our DNA. Great connections propel us forward both individually, culturally and globally. Anything that can help build deeper and more valuable connections is an improvement from where we are today.

So, when you get the deadly combination of technology as an enabler and a killer idea that brings together connections that are typically hard to fuse, my theory is that only good can happen.

I had the pleasure of meeting Julien Smith of In Over Your Head last evening at PodCamp Toronto "pre-party" gathering. I have to admit that I had been meaning with all the best of intentions to stop by and check out his podcast. For an excuse why it took me so long, see the post below this one.

I came across his outstanding concept called Listen to Your Kids (which I then saw Mitch Joel had linked to a few days prior to my discovering it). Listen To Your Kids is all about building deeper connections and a greater understanding. Lasting connections that could help. This is Kids Help Line for adults.

I will be watching this project very closely. I believe this is what connections are all about. Simple and powerful. Thanks Julien

This post was inspired by a conversation between Kate Trgovac and my wife a few weeks back.

Social Media is killing us. I love Social Media but there are limits on time and attention. For those of us involved in online communities, channels and conversations, we must be mindful. Mindful of those who we tend to leave behind as our face-to-screen and face-to-face-time with other digerati and socirati (new word!) seems to be growing exponentially.

We all have loved ones, partners or friends who know of the countless hours we spend face-to-screen. Be it blogging, podcasting, commenting and calling in. Those who witness the time slip by as we contribute to a wiki here or there, play with a widget, extend our tour of duty in Second Life or twitter around on Twitter. Sometimes it’s the tagging in Technorati, diligent Digging or diving head first into Delicious. Or perhaps it is Skype or iTunes or just general ego surfing that captures our attention? Whatever floats your digital boat I guess.

To make matters worse, as if we were not being social enough online, we have become quite a social bunch outside the glow of our laptop screens in a face-to-face environment. Be it a CaseCamp, BarCamp, DemoCamp, PodCamp, Third Tuesday, Throng, Meetup, Geek Dinner, conference or other gathering and/or event, the weeknight and sometimes weekend activities can take a toll. It can have an impact on those who don’t see the fun and valuable friendship forged through the social media space.

Bottom line is that I am not the only person to come to the realization that the social media calendar is killing us all slowly! My question is “how social is social media when we are less social with the people we live with?!?!”

So it is time for recognition for those who are in the shadows. Let’s give a huge cheer and acknowledgement to those who are left to look over our shoulders or stay at home with the kids or the dog as we socialize through social media. They are a huge part of the equasion that cannot be overlooked. I know I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wife who is always there to support the crazy calendar of events. So if I miss a few gatherings or seem off-line for a while here and there, it is because I am balancing that equasion out.

I love the scene, but I sometimes think we need a time-out. For the love of Pete, let’s have Moratorium March, ok?

Breaking news at AIMS. I was privy to this information and was itching to blog about it since we began planning it a few weeks ago. So here it is - The Marketers Roadmap to Second Life

Date: March 21, 2007, Time: 8:30 - 11:00am
Location: The Diesel Playhouse (large theatre)

Here is a description from the AIMS site:

Every week brings new reports of companies opening offices and stores in the virtual world of Second Life. Telus, American Apparel, and Dell are just a few of the well-known brands that have opened their virtual doors for business.

The initial hype is starting to subside as stories of empty stores and vandalized buildings make headlines. Yet over $500,000 US exchanges hands daily among the 3.7 million residents and businesses continue to explore the opportunities in this online digital world.

The best part is that C.C. Chapman will be back in Toronto to present at this event. If you don’t know who C.C. is, then you need to bone up. He is a podcaster extraordinaire and Second Life expert / pundit – which is all good because that is exactly what he will be speaking about! I am proud to call him a friend and it will be great to see him here in Toronto again.

Also, Jay Moonah from Uncle Seth will be there to chat about how he has managed his band's brand in the virutual world. Should be very infomative and interesting.

Check out the details over at AIMS, or the AIMS Blog and don’t miss out.

I think I sense another Geek Dinner Toronto in our midst - I know C.C. will be into it! Stay tuned.

Chairman of RIM, Jim Balsillie, has accused (and rightly so) the music industry of messing up the advancement of the wireless world. In a statement that smacked of the same tempered vitriol of Steve Jobs open letter on DRM, the RIM chief stated that the entertainment industry is holding wireless back and needs to get collective ass in gear. Oh yeah, and they should do it NOW!

Here is an excerpt from the Globe & Mail article by Simon Avery:

The digital rights management (DRM) software that controls how consumers access and use the tracks they buy online has become a messy process that essentially charges people twice for the same music if they use incompatible devices and discourages the wider adoption of portable digital music, he said.

"I think [DRM is] just going to break down with the normal proliferation of the Internet," Mr. Balsillie told analysts and investors at an RBC Dominion Securities Inc. conference in Toronto. "It's going to be tough. I think [content providers] are going to have to shift their business models. But they will go down swinging."

I like what Ric Aroit had to say:

"When you buy a piece of music you should be able to do what you want with it," said Ric Arboit, president of Nettwerk Music. "The big corporations have lived by an old model that works very well for them, and it's all been based on who controls distribution." DRM is not attached to music CDs, which still represent the bulk of the music industry's sales. "The logic to me is baffling," Mr. Arboit said.

In my book, it is high time for the entertainment industry to tear down the walls. Failing to catch-up with the realities of today’s world will be too little too late for the needs of the “net generation” that holds the keys to the future. The times they are a changing.

Podcamp Toronto is upon us. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and it is going to be a blast.

I'll be there on Sunday morning as part of a panel titled “Should your company be podcasting?

This will be one helluva panel with Donna Papacosta, Terry Fallis, Michael O’Conner Clarke, Luke Armour with Mitch Joel moderating. Sheesh. It does not get better than that - I am humbled to be a part of such a powerhouse panel. Later on Sunday morning I will present The Money Clip podcast stroy from Scotiabank.

I hope you can come out and join the fun. See you there

I just posted Episode # 8 of The Client Side podcast and invite you to take a listen. You can always find the TCS podcast via the tabs at the top of the blog.

I encourage you to subscribe via iTunes or RSS and would love for listeners to write a review and let others know what you think of the show.

As you'll see in the show notes for this episode, I want to know your thoughts on the state of email marketing. Help me help you by asking the most relevant and pressing questions to the fantastic roundtable of experts we have put together for the upcoming CMA – Canadian Marketing Association breakfast event on March 7: “Optimizing E-mail for Better Results“. I will moderate that session and want you to play a part in the event. So don't be shy, call up and add to the conversation

Call in at 1 206 666 2242, share your opinions and let everyone know what is on your mind. If you don't want to record a message for the podcast, please leave a comment or write to me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Interview with Christopher Barger, Blogger In Chief, IBM. I met and spoke with at Social Media 2007 in Atlanta.

CALL TO ACTION:
Call 1 206 666 2242 - Do you think e-mail marketing dead or alive? Can it survive in an instant message culture? Will RSS and blogging rule the future? What questions would you like the “Optimizing E-mail for Better Results“ rountable to address at the upcoming CMA – Canadian Marketing Association breakfast event on March 7 which I will help moderate.

Call 1 206 666 2242 and let me know.

Show Notes

• 00:00 Intro Music.
• 00:54 I am not playing the “name your city game”. David Jones & Terry Fallis, what do my fellow Torontonian podcasters have to say on this tourism related matter?
• 01:55 Podcamp Toronto this weekend on February 25 & 26. I am part of a panel discussing “Should your company be podcasting? I will join Donna Papacosta, Terry Fallis, Michael O’Conner Clarke, Luke Armour with Mitch Joel moderating. I will also present the story behind The Money Clip podcast from Scotiabank in a later session Sunday morning.
• 05:12 In the News: Digital Download theme: Wal-Mart launches digital movie store; NetFlix offers streaming movies and TV shows; Baidu.com and EMI launch music venture; TIVO and Amazon extend Unbox service.
• 09:33 TIVO enters the syndicated ratings with second-by-second stats for DVR viewers.
• 12:20 What’s in the Mail? Study on Direct Mail response and channel preference courtesy of Veritis.
• 15:21 Gmail is open to the public.
• 16:45 Interview with Christopher Barger of IBM.
• 30:25 Adjusting the Pitch: Don’t tell us that Telus is the bad guy for offering adult content
• 48:59 Outro Music (Full Song), "Perfect" by Miggs

  REMINDER - CALL TO ACTION:
  Call 1 206 666 2242 Let me know what questions you'd like the “Optimizing E-mail for Better Results“ rountable to address at the upcoming CMA – Canadian Marketing Association breakfast even on March 7 which I will help moderate.

  Podsafe Music:
  Intro Music – Remember by Black Lab
  Transition music - Forever by Derek Chafin

  Download Episode #8 - The Client Side, Interview with Christopher Barger of IBM edition

I'm not sure I agree with Steve Rubel on his post "Google Should Pay a Big Share of Wikipedia's Bills". It is an interesting question, and I'm not sure I have even fully formulated my own answer. Raises a question in my mind if we all at risk of being crushed under the weight of our own success one day? What do you think? What would Elvis think?

Check out the dialogue over at Micro Persuasion.

Mish just sent me this via email. It is a game of one-upmanship in the ultra-competitive "mine is bigger than yours" contest of car marketing. (BTW -is one-upmanship one word or two?) Either way, I thought it was cute.

Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is real or someone goofing off in Photoshop, nor do I know if it has made the rounds and everyone has already seen it and I'm the "late to the party" chump. With that mind, here is what the email said:

The best Ad war in recent memory! Would even put Coke & Pepsi to shame! Some information that you need to know before you see the Ads:

1. BMW started this Advertisement
2. Audi Answered
3. Subaru needs to say something
4. Bentley Chairman wanted the last word
Follow the sequence......

Back to the tactics of the "Acqua Teen Hunger Force" Lite-Brite debacle for a moment.

If you are an exec at Turner Broadcasting and their agency (Interference Inc), do you laugh at those fools who spent $2.5 million for a thirty-second Super Bowl spot when they only got a fraction of the audience and attention that was gained with the bomb scare tactic? I mean just look what was achieved. Adult Swim made headlines across North America with a mere $1-2 million in reparations to be paid. Pete Blackshaw of Nielsen BuzzMetrics said "I'm sure (Turner's) secretly happy, they have built the brand, but it definitely raises some tougher questions".

Jason Maltby of MindShare was quoted in Advertising Age on the impact of the stunt saying it was a "double-edged sword" for the client, Turner. "If it has any positive impact, it will probably be small, in terms of maybe getting people to tune in and find our what 'Acqua Teen' is all about".

It begs the question, 'what was the point'? At the end of the day, the net-new viewers brought in as a result of this ham-fisted guerilla campaign has to be a big disappointment. Only a 1% increase in viewership has been gained thus far.

So what do you think? One head has rolled and there are future court dates for others involved. Does this kill the momentum for really smart and strategic guerilla marketing campaigns? Is the potential share-of-budget from client around these types of initiatives now dead? In other words, was it all worth it?

Or, are these guys brilliant? My guess is that they are smart like the folks who took the "new" Coke lemon and made profitable lemon-aid out of Coke Classic? A Monday morning kind of smart. What I really think is that "stupid is as stupid does".

Another great post from Seth titled Sheepwalking
Seth, I don't think you are being harsh, I think you are bang on.

It got me thinking how the acceptance of new ideas is made so much better by homogenizing them. How the thought of big change becomes much more palatable when we cut out the threat of risk. When the ability to break through and be unique is passed over for the lofty status of being average. When potential is harnessed by making it utterly predictable.

Sir Ken Robinson has brilliantly spoken about how children have vast creative talent that we systematically squash from the earliest opportunity. He points out that creativity in education is as important as literacy and should be treated as such. However, kids in school are taught to be average, to regurgitate and not deviate.

He has said that "To take chances is to not be frightened of being wrong". Those who are not prepared to be wrong will never come up with anything original or creative. His point is that we don't grow into being creative, we grow out of it. Our creativity is stripped from us everyday and we are taught the fear of being wrong. He points out that this is the model of many organizations where the stigma of making a mistake is large.

Is it any wonder there is so much sheepwalking in our midst?

Check out Sir Ken Robinson at TED Talks and give Seth a read to find out more. And remember, most sheep don't read enough to know the difference. I suspect you are not one of them.

Tug and John will love this one.

I was checking out a YouTube like service called Live Leak and came across this fine piece of video.

Although this felon has better hair than The Donald, given his current situation, practicing his lines for the lead role in The Apprentice is not the wisest move. No buddy, you’re fired.

Can you see the influence that brain-rot reality TV is having on society? This guy used to be an upstanding member of society, a gifted Optician who began letting his customer service get out of control and now look at him.

Here in Toronto on local broadcaster CITY TV, there is a reporter named Peter Silverman. He runs a segment called “Silverman Helps” where he battles for the little-guy consumer who has been wronged. Silverman is a champion of taking bad customer service and making it good again - until yesterday at least.

The latest instalment of Silverman Helps – which is usually non-violent – ended up becoming part WWF smackdown, part snowball fight, part COPS and fully insane! This is the story of Adam Plimmer, of King Optical in Toronto going loco on camera. The situation escalated to the point of the Emergency Task Force arriving to deal with Adam after he locked himself in his store and would not come out! Clean-up, isle two!

Plimmer is an alleged crooked optician accused of defrauding his customers. As you can see, he went into a rage worthy of the lead role in the stage adaptation of The Shinning. HEEERES ADAM!

Two words sir: Serenity Now!

Watch for yourself and ask if Mr. Plimmer may be a future resident at the Queen Street Psychiatric Hospital, which is conveniently located just one block north of his current digs at King West Opticians. In another twist, Plimmer was caught on tape 24 hours before the incident changing the name of the store to "Adam Paul & Associates." You just know something is not kosher here.

As you watch the video, keep in mind that Adam Plimmer is a 33 year-old and Peter Silverman is 75. Can you imagine asking this person for a refund or exchange? Adam, in all seriousness, next time you may want to count to ten. And for goodness sake, respect your elders.

This story is now making the hourly news clips on CNN. Unless it was his master plan to become “that guy” who is the follow-up story to Anna-Nicloe Smith and the Astro-Nut, I'd say this is a lot of attention that likely suprised him. Either way, congratulations Adam Plimmer, your have just achieved your own type of Fifteen Megs of Fame.

Yet another episode from the Twilight Zone of retail customer service.

Let this be a lesson to all client side marketeers (yes, as in musketeer) who feel compelled to employ the dumb-ass tactics that brainless agencies present over bad coffee and stale muffins.

Jim Samples, Head of Cartoon Network, has resigned over the Adult Swim fiasco that has cost Turner Broadcasting Systems a mere $2 million to make good again.

Hey folks, here this loud and clear: If you have a sneaking suspicion your agency is smoking bad weed at their guerrilla marketing brainstorm session, run their "brilliant" concept by your legal group and see what they have to say. Call it an exercise in job security.

Hat tip to Steve Hall at Adrants.

Part 2 of episode of the conversation withKate Trgovac . Audio levels are much better this time out - thanks to Levelator by Gigavox - worked like a charm.

In the News segment and Adjust the Pitch segment are back.
Don't forget to call into +1-206-666-2242.

Show Notes

• 00:00 Intro Music.
• 00:54 iTunes ranking of The Client Side
• 02:18 Social Media 2007 in Atlanta
• 03:28 Super Bowl Shenanigans and the Consumer Generated Content letdown
• 07:37 Comment from Kathryn Lagden, GM of AIMS - Association of Internet Marketing and Sales.
• 14:00 Call in at +1 206 666 2242 and let me know your opinion on the appropriateness of content for unique channels.
• 14:07 Question for listeners on the importance of rankings on iTunes. Does it mean anything? Call in at +1 206 666 2242 and comment.
• 17:02 In the News: Yahoo! goes deeper into personal finance; My Space Amber Alerts; AOL & GM - a new ad model, or same old pre-roll?; Upstart Amp'd has nothing to lose.
• 24:01 Part 2- In Conversation with Kate Trgovac of My Name Is Kate - .
• 24:24 We discuss her engagement to Rose and the internet tools that will make wedding planning easier .
• 33:48 Adjusting the Pitch: Ad Age names Consumers "Agency of the Year" - what the...?
• 42:37 Kate's predictions for 2007
• 48:59 End of Part 2 of Conversation with Kate - Outro Music (Full Song), "A little bit more" by Uncle Seth - meet them at PodCamp Toronto

Podsafe Music:
Intro Music – Remember by Black Lab
Transition music - Forever by Derek Chafin

Download Episode #7 - The Client Side, In Conversation with Kate Trgovac edition - Part 2

I was just sent this open letter by Steve Jobs found on the Apple site (thanks Brad).

He writes about music and DRM. Check it out, it is quite an interesting read.

Ok, here are the rest of them.

My bottom line is that the Consumer Generated Content was rubbish. The biggest thing to happen was the notion that consumer generated content will win out over agency concepts and creative was crushed.

It all fell very flat, like an open can of warm beer on Monday morning. The ones that made the cut should have been cut. Yes, the contests were an interesting way to differentiate for a few brands in the mix, gain some website traffic for Doritos and Chevy, .and get some attention in the run –up, but ultimately failed to deliver.

Did the CGC angle come close to what it was reported to do in media/advertising circles? I can’t say that it did. I will bet that the average Super Bowl viewer did not even know what CGC was all about, nor did they care.

On a side note, Ed Lee asked me (via comment on last post) how much money was wasted. According to Anheuser Bush, it costs them approximately eight cents per beer drinker to advertise, and I have to think they know the numbers. For them, I am sure it still makes sense.

Now, I am not going to jump on the “super-waste of money” bandwagon. The hype and hyperbole goes both ways. I personally believe the Super Bowl represents a great opportunity for some brands that can manage to get it right. Do I think $80,000 per second is justified when you see some of the crap like we did last night for FloMax and Budweiser’s Jay Z and Don Shula snoozer-bowl? Nope, not even for $8 per second.

Anyhow, the whole bunch was a bit lacklustre. Nothing stood out this year, it was terribly mediocre at best. If there is one ad that was a clear winner it was Toyota Tundra. See my comments below. And again, you can view all the ads here.

Here is my run down of the remaining ads:

Garmin Navigation:
Leave the Godzilla stuff to Taco Bell. This must have looked great on story boards. Not so great on TV. They had a hard time navigating their way to a hit here. Rating 2/5

GM
We got love: Sweet little spot. Everybody can sing along with this one. Nice showcase of the GM brands. Rating: 4/5

GM
Robot: Another sweet little spot. Says volumes about working at GM. If they can fire a robot, you can be damn sure you are next my blue-collared friends. Rating: 3/5

Go Daddy.com:
They make fun of themselves a bit in this spot and apparantly boobs still sell domain names. “Everyone wants to work in marketing” (yeah, right!). Rating 3.5/5

Snapple:
Beautiful shots, decent gag & funny ending. Gets the point across about the Green Tea beverage and something called EGCG. I’m still going to drink water. Rating 3.5/5

Heart Association:
The Matrix meets Heart Disease prevention. Point taken, not too badly done. And, there was a URL in the spot – raises this a 2.5 to a 3. Left me thinking “what if all that money they spent on production and placement were put to better uses” ? Rating: 3/5

Honda:
Great gas mileage, nice looking cars and pretty damn reliable too. No wonder they are beating the pants off of the domestic producers. Key message of the spot is loud and clear and visuals help to reinforce everything. Money well spent (well sort of). Rating: 4/5

HP:
You can be “biker cool” with an HP computer. Orange County Chopper head honcho Paul Teutel Sr. explains how HP helps his business. Paul, Paul Jr. and Mikey are the winners of the Super Bowl, hands down. They appeared in this spot and in the Go Daddy.com spot. Goulet and K-Fed only had one apiece. What does that tell you? Rating: 3/5

Izod: I’ll bet they spent a whole lot for this. I don’t know about you, but this glossy fluff job would have looked a whole lot better in print. That said, I’ll bet it looked awesome in HDTV mode. Either way, I thought it was a waste of time. Rating: 1/5

Van Heusen:
Average. If you are going to be this average, do it on Oprah or the 11 o’clock news and save a few bucks. Rating: 2/5

Revlon:
Sheryl Crow, as the ad says, was “not convinced”. Yes, they actually say that within the first few seconds. “Even her stylist came around”. Boring, boring, boring… and still boring. This is the reason that celebrities should not do product endorsements. I just did not see the connection or reason for having someone like her in the spot. The funniest part is that she still looked unconvinced at the end. The unbelievable part is that it was mostly shot in black and white. Rating 1.5/5

Sales Genie:
Terrible, awful, low budget and it showed. “Work smart, not hard” and you’ll get a Ferrari and the hot chick too! You know something, as bad as it is at face value, this junky little spot works for all the wrong reasons. It is a hit in my book. Rating 3/5

Sierra Mist:
I viewed two spots (although apparently there were reported to be three) and they were decent. In terms of content, they did a good job of engaging the viewer to watch. After all, this is a soft drink pitch. All in all, Sierra Mist ranked as some of the more watchable and word-of-mouth repeatable content. The “bear comb-over” was a hoot. Rating 3.5/5

Snickers:
Very memorable. Gross, not because of any homophobia. It is because, even if I were a gay mechanic, I won’t be likely to share my Snickers bar in that manner. This spot is offensive at the end of the day, but it will be talked about. I know Bob Garfield hated it, but I did not think it was all bad. Rating: 2.5/5

Sprint Broadband:
I liked this. It seemed very cheesy with overly fake smiles and the like but it makes a real-life connection (pardon the pun) if you have ever suffered from “Connectile Dysfunction”. Made it’s point and was pretty clear in it’s message. Rating: 3.5/5

T Mobile:
Made me laugh. Must have spent a load on celebrity factor with Chuck and Dwayne. The spot speaks to a useless feature that could have easily been conveyed by nearly anyone. This product attribute is not only available on T Mobile. Or is it? The spot does not really let you know. No substance here. T-Mobile should have sat this one out. Rating: 1/5

Toyota Tundra:
As far as product demonstrations go, it can be a slippery slope to get to the brass tacks the features and benefits . Toyota manages to pull this one off very well. I enjoyed watching these. The voice over and lighting added intensity.

In my book, these two spots were great and extolled the virtues of the Toyota truck brand. I somehow think this spot is the reason Toyota decided to let Chevy and Doritos host the amateur hour. These two spots were the best of the Super Bowl bunch by far. Rating 4.5/5

Taco Bell:
Talking lions. Once again, monkeys are funnier. Rating 2.5/5

Foot Locker:
Funny. Wonder how much they paid Kevin Garnett. At the end of the day, this ad could have been for any product or brand. Rating: 2/5

NFL:
This was the best of the consumer content gang. Although, that is not saying very much. Kind bittersweet to be the best of the worst. Rating 3/5

NFL Players:
This was a great PSA for the NFL. Rating 3/5

Movie Trailers:
Standard stuff, nothing ventured nothing gained. I would have loved to see unique trailers just for the Super Bowl, but it is a huge audience and Rating: no rating on these – c’mon, they are movie trailers.

All the ads can be found on YouTube.

It started with a bang, the first kick off return for a TD in history. Things kind of went downhill for Chicago from there. Congrats to all the Colts fans.

The ads are up. Check them out here.

Bob Garfield of Ad Age weighed in and, for the most part, we agreed on what worked and what did not. Please note, I wrote my reviews before checking out what Bob had to say as I really respect his opinion and did not want to be swayed. Here is my run down:

Doritos:
Dude crashing car was cute. Nice graphics. Somewhat believable too (trust me on this, I have a friend who slammed into the back of a bus while driving his Dad’s Jaguar checking out some girls walking to the beach in Florida). True story, although no Doritos were involved.

Check-out girl: Made me smile, although I ended up feeling it was thoroughly average.

Was this really the best out of all the consumer generated content that was submitted?
Rating: 2.5/5

Frito-Lay
Touching. Rating: 3.5/5

Budweiser:
Rock Paper Scissors: Funny and to the point. No brain surgery here folks, just a funny beer ad. Doug Walker, were you watching? How did you influence that one? Rating: 3/5

Select: Whatever. Half a field goal for trying. Loose the CGI. Rating: 1.5/5

King Crab: I liked this one, although this is exactly the type of ad we have come to expect. Rating: 3/5

Spot Wink: Cute, but that is about all. I will say that people will probably love this ad. I say it is just ok. Rating: 2/5

Bud Light
Fist Bump: Good stuff here. I liked this one, some huge slaps in this ad. Rating: 3/5

Great Apes: Monkeys are funny. Way funny. Apes, not so much.
Rating: 2/5

Reception: This works for me. I liked it a lot. True insights into the male psyche in this spot. Any guy who has been in a wedding party, standing on the side bored out of their tree will adore this spot. Rating: 4/5

Movie: Nice bit. The gag works with the joke at the end. Rating: 3/5

Emerald Nuts
GOULET!!! K-Fed and Goulet should tour together. Damn this spot is funny. Emerald Nuts is the hero of the Super Bowl. This spot will be water cooler conversation on Monday for certain. Rating 4.5/5

Career Builder.com
Two commercials, same theme. Survive the work week, yeah yeah yeah. Wake me when they are done. Nothing special here. Nothing to see folks, move along. Rating: 2/5

Fed Ex
Same ol, same ol. Some one bought a dime store joke book and apparently read it cover to cover. Rating: 2/5

Chevrolet
Sorry, I don’t get it. I watched twice. Still don’t get it. I’d say shite, but I just don’t get it. If this is the best consumers can muster up on their own, I am buying a lot, I mean a lot of stock in BDA (big dumb agency) holding company stock. (Thanks to George Parker of Adscam for the BDA reference) Rating: 1/5

FloMax
I do not go often, nor do I have a weak stream. I do not stop and start. I do not strain nor have incomplete emptying. I do not wake up to go, I do not go urgently. I do not like green eggs and ham. Sam pees fine, I am. Rating: 2.5/5

E*Trade
Two spots, bang on their brand. Well done. Rating: 4/5

Schick Quattro
Two words, dumb-ass. Rating: 0.5/5

Nationwide
K-fed finally finds a role that suits him to a “T”. FRIES ARE UP. Loved this ad. Nationwide is on my side. Props to K-fed for knowing the joke is on him and embracing it.Rating: 4/5

Coke
Grand Theft Auto: This is a brilliant ad. I liked it better on YouTube when the segment that got what it was all about could seek it out. As part of a Super Bowl broadcast, I cant help but think it went over most viewers heads. Rating: 3.5/5

Happiness Factor: Another great ad. This one actually worked better on the Big Screen.
Appeals to everyone. Rating: 4/5

Black History Month. Nice spot. Well done. Rating: 3/5

Tired, need rest now. More to come in Part 2 tomorrow.

Viacom issues a "firm demand" to YouTube. They want thier content pulled. Remember when NBC did the same with Lazy Sundays?

Viacom rep said:

"Our hope is that YouTube and Google will support a fair and authorized distribution model that allows consumers to continue to enjoy our very popular content now and in the future."

In principle I almost agree, but c'mon Viacom, get in the game. We need new ways to solve old problems. Not old ways to solve new problems.

.. or at least that is what Prof. Michael Keren has said about me. And, he said it about you too. That is if you write a blog you are part of the ranks of the outcasts, the lonely, isolated and withdrawn. I'll bet he thinks those who read blogs are social rejects too.

Here are a couple of his choice quotes:

Bloggers are living in a world where emotions may be real but everything else is make-believe, says a University of Calgary professor in a new book.

Many of us end up like Father McKenzie in the 'Eleanor Rigby' Beatles song, who is writing a sermon that no one is going to hear," he suggests.

Here is the deal Professor, so listen up. Since I started blogging my social network has increased across the globe. I'm not tripping here, it is a fact. I just got back from Atlanta from a conference where I met many others who blog. These are people who I will no doubt stay in touch with for years to come. In fact, I was asked to come down to the conference and speak in the first place as a result of writing my blog and producing my podcast. Isn't it amazing how I managed to come out of my isolated little shell and find my way to hop on a plane to join a dozens and dozens of other withdrawn outcasts?

Obviously the power of the blogosphere escapes this guy. Sure, there are many cat bloggers and others out there who likely have a limited list of buddies on MSN or Skype. Are they under the illusion that they will find their Fifteen Megs of Fame with a simple little blog diary? Or is it self expression for self expression sake? An outlet to share and become part of a larger community? A way to be more social than keeping a diary in a drawer beside the bed? Who knows. What I do know is that I do not judge them.

It is just too easy to lump people together this way. Too easy to make a observation about what is going on in our society and so readily discount what is really going one here. Too narrow-minded to not see and report on the bigger picture. And, it is way too self-serving to make headlines with controversial and misleading quotes.

With that in mind Prof. Wanker, I'd like to invite you to our next Geek Dinner for you to see how pathetic a bunch we all really are in person.

Hat tip to Mitch Joel of Twist Image for pointing this out.

I just returned from a speaking engagement in Atlanta at Social Media 2007 where I presented "