DariusBashar.com: My thoughts on BIG ideas

What Defines a Thought Leader? For the last 2 weeks I have been...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:28:00 -0400

What Defines a Thought Leader?

For the last 2 weeks I have been borderline obsessed with reading and learning everything I can on Alex Bogusky. For 21+ years Alex has created many groundbreaking campaigns including the Subservient Chicken, the Hulu campaigns (with Alec Baldwin) and the tremendous work he has done in re-invigorating the brands (and bottom lines) of Burger King (see video above) and Domino’s Pizza.

As of July 1, 2010 Alex has officially stepped down as co-chair of Crispin Porter + Bogusky in order to pursue a life outside of advertising. Now there are a plethora of amazing blog post summarizing the times and (ad) life of Alex, but for a really thorough and heartfelt recap I would recommend reading Anthony Kalamut’s post entitled “Employee Number 16 Resigns. The Day Alex Bogusky Said Good-Bye To CP+B, MDC and Advertising”

There is so much that inspires me about Alex and I could easily write an entire blog post, or a series for that matter on his impact on my career and life, which is amplified when you consider I only started studying his work in the past month. Instead, I will leave that adventure for another time, perhaps when it isn’t 3:13am. :)

What I will say is this; for me the true sign of a thought leader is someone who can demonstrate an alternative way of doing something that eventually forces you to reevaluate the way you perceive the world. This is precisely what Alex has done for me. His bold work elicits great excitement from within me and almost re-calibrates my standards and forces me to aim higher. What else can you ask from a guy that you have never actually met before?

Alex, you will be missed my friend.

Facebook The Movie Set to Release Oct 01, 2010 I am certain the...

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:46:00 -0400

Facebook The Movie Set to Release Oct 01, 2010

I am certain the news of this movie (officially titled The Social Network) will receive plenty of negative feedback and snarly remarks because it is directly targeted at a web savvy audience that is naturally more inclined to be outspoken and to broadcast their thoughts via social media. Especially, considering the majority of social media broadcasters (twitterati and bloggers) seem to produce a disproportionate amount of negative content.

I know most people will be quick to downplay their excitment for this movie, but I got to be honest, I personally can’t wait to see this film. As a social media marketing advocate and loyalist the content of this movie hits close to home.

The cherry on the top is that one of my favourite directors on the planet is also involved in this film - the legendary David Fincher, who of course is the man behind films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ,The Game , Fight Club just to name a few.

I also found it interesting that Justin Timberlake stars in the movie as Sean Parker, who just so happens to be one of the tech innovators I admire most.

Personally, I can’t wait till October 1, 2010 when the film is schedule to debut.

We Will Pay You To Do Exactly What You Already Do The rapid...

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:24:00 -0400

We Will Pay You To Do Exactly What You Already Do

The rapid growth of location based social networks such as foursquare and Gowalla are creating many new and exciting opportunities for marketers and brands to engage consumers like never before.

These sites are pioneering a new frontier of brand champions. Similar to how sites like Twitter and Facebook helped ushered in the dawn of citizen journalism and almost overnight transformed the consumer into a media producer, sites like foursquare are empowering mobile users to easily broadcast where they are and how they are spending their money. This is fundamentally different than Twitter where the conversation and content users provide has a tendency to veer off into many different areas ie tweets about how I’m feeling, what I’m reading, what’s funny, what upsets me etc.

Things get even more interesting when sites like WeReward get involved. This innovative digital start up leverages the popularity of location based social networks and rewards users for their patronage. How does it work? Every time a user checks in to a specific location (Note: location venue most already be working with WeReward) they get points that can eventually (need 1000+ points first) be cashed out for real money. WeReward also rewards users for broadcasting their actions via Twitter, Facebook and foursquare. (smart move)

My concern is if location based social networks are transforming consumers into food and travel critics, wouldn’t it be a conflict of interest to pay them to review products and locations? It would be a different story if the point system that sites like WeReward used where a flat rate which stayed the same for all locations, but from the looks of the intro video above they have opted for a more free market driven model which somewhat resembles Google’s pay-per-click system.

Paying critics extra money to come and review your business seems like a very slippery slop, but maybe I am just being a social media communist. ;)

How Much Would You Pay For a Box of Hope? This campaign by the...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:04:00 -0400

How Much Would You Pay For a Box of Hope?

This campaign by the Red Cross reminds me that there are plenty of simple yet brilliant ideas out there that are just waiting for the right person or group to bring them to life. Truly remarkable ideas do not need to be overly complex. The key is to emotionally move your audience by doing something unexpected.

Meet The Anti-Facebook and Its Bold Leader Have you ever...

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:14:00 -0400

Meet The Anti-Facebook and Its Bold Leader

Have you ever fantasized about being invisible or being able to do or say whatever you wanted without having to deal with the repercussions of your actions? Think about how your interactions with other human beings would differ if you knew you had total anonymity? All your socially constructed filters would be questioned and perhaps abandoned.

Sound like fun, well then Christopher “moot” Poole has just the site for you. Moot is the founder of 4chan.org, a controversial, uncensored online imageboard, which is NOT a social network. Unlike other online communities such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace 4chan does not have a registration process, is totally anonymous and does not archive any of the user content. This bold online community model flies in the face of the existing social currency paradigm where every user is both a media producer and a brand.

With over 7 million users monthly, submitting over 700,000 posts daily it is clear that this no holds barred, wild wild west approach to online communities has its supporters. Personally, I think it would be liberating to type, tweet and speak my mind with absolutely no regards towards how my actions will be judges by others.

Think about it, how much of who you are, is truly YOU, as oppose to a who society has told you to be.

The Power of The Unexpected (3 Videos) Here are 3 examples of...

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:06:00 -0400

The Power of The Unexpected (3 Videos)

Here are 3 examples of relatively low budget commercials that utilize the fine art of unexpecting the audience (aka surprising them).

For a thorough review and tactical guide on leveraging The Unexpected in order to create sticker, more impactful ideas I would highly recommend reading the Heath Brothers groundbreaking book “Made To Stick”.

Dare you not to laugh!

Nike Soccer Commercial: Take It To The Next Level I love how...

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:50:00 -0400

Nike Soccer Commercial: Take It To The Next Level

I love how smart brands are evolving past the traditional 30 second spots and creating richer experiences for consumers to be engaged. This 3:00 min commercial was brought to life by famed movie director Guy Ritchie. It incorporates an assortment of the top soccer players in the world and provides a unique perspective on the rise of a soccer star to the “Next Level”.

zacharycharlesisadick: They write themselves...

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:45:12 -0400

zacharycharlesisadick:

They write themselves really.

Alternatively, it could have easily been ‘But a Gulf Ain’t One”

I Believe She’s Amazing!

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:07:00 -0400

I Believe She’s Amazing!:

I will buy lunch for anyone who can spot me in this video.

vinnyverma: heyamberrae: the cost of perfection

Thu, 20 May 2010 15:25:19 -0400

vinnyverma:

heyamberrae:

the cost of perfection

Have you met my friend Jet? He is the coolest dude I know and...

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:28:48 -0400

Have you met my friend Jet?

He is the coolest dude I know and I’m not just saying that because he is dating my mom. ;)

Are You Doing It Hardcore With Your Dog Watching? Another...

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:16:00 -0400

Are You Doing It Hardcore With Your Dog Watching?

Another example of the power of playing with people’s curiosity. Similar to my previous post on Gatorade’s “That’s G” campaign the bold thinkers at TBWA have come up with a creative and controversial campaign that you just can’t look away from. You got to love a commercial that doesn’t even show the product.

Personally, I had to watch this video 3 times and then watched 3 or 4 more from the same YouTube channel. (see below)

This type of controversial, slightly confusing and virtually none-branding campaign does not work for every company. The key again is knowing your audience.

G is for Genius: Gatorade “That’s G” Campaign...

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:44:00 -0400

G is for Genius: Gatorade “That’s G” Campaign Explained

Things are cool when they peak curiosity and create discussion. Also apparently very effective when they slightly frustrate the audience, but only if the frustration leads them to actively look for answers. Can’t have them watch it once and be done with it.

Genius how Jimmy Smith, Group Creative Director at TBWA/Chait/Day utilizes athletes from all walks of life and across pretty much ever sport known to (hu)man kind and manages to craft a message that resonates with young and old.

See the full commercial below.

gary: Spamming has always been a part of the web culture but...

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:39:20 -0400

gary:

Spamming has always been a part of the web culture but
what is going on right now on Facebook is pretty funny. Brands and companies are ruining their brand equity not only to the target but to everyone that visits it. It is time for peeps to stop before they hurt themselves even more.

Deepak Chopra Apologizes for Starting Earthquake on Twitter

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:28:17 -0400

Deepak Chopra Apologizes for Starting Earthquake on Twitter:

mashable:

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake was felt in California and parts of Mexico and the southwestern United States today, and alternative physician and transcendental meditation guru …

Sneaky King - You Got To Have Cojones To Be King This...

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:42:00 -0400

Sneaky King - You Got To Have Cojones To Be King

This advertisement demonstrates the importance of truly understanding your audience. Burger King’s typical customer is not looking for a gourmet dining experience when they are rushing out for a quick bite to eat in the morning. They are rather looking for a familiar and easy (i.e. low risk) option.

McDonald’s has already done all the legwork and spent millions (if not billions) of dollars building out the brand equity of the McMuffin breakfast sandwich. Burger King very wisely sneaks in and piggybacks off the existing brand equity of the McMuffin and differentiates itself as the lowest price option.

Now at face value this will cost Burger King a good chunk of revenue, but in the long run it will save them boat loads of money by branding themselves as just like the McMuffin, but cheaper in the minds of the consumers. I am sure eventually they will raise their prices, but not till they hit a critical mass of breakfast sandwich sold.

Not sure how they managed to squeeze this past legal, but good for them for having the cojones to pull it off.

(Special thanks to Paul Crowe at AdJoke for finding this YouTube video.)

Hands Down Cutest Kid I Have EVER Seen! Apparently this is a...

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:24:00 -0400

Hands Down Cutest Kid I Have EVER Seen!

Apparently this is a commercial for Petronas, one of the largest oil and gas companies on the planet. I have no clue what it has to do with the brand, but frankly can’t blame them for somehow trying to utilize this amazing footage. This kid makes my heart melt.

This commercial won a gold at Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2008 in the category of “Comprising Film”. I have watched it at least 10 times and each viewing makes me love it even more. So pure, so innocent. Takes me back to a simpler time.

(Special thanks to my friends at Creative Criminals for the video link.)

Who Said Advertising Can’t Be Artistic? How do you...

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:17:00 -0400

Who Said Advertising Can’t Be Artistic?

How do you promote a remarkable new product? Well Philips thought what better way than by creating a mind blowing short film that truly captivates the audience.

I think this video is incredible, but do believe it falls short on being able to clearly demonstrate value to the customer about the new product. Let me ask you this, did you even know the video was a promotional campaign for the new Philips UltraWidescreen 21:9?

The key question is how much more likely are the viewers to purchase a Philips UltraWidescreen 21:9? I think it is a move in the right direction and applaud Philips outside of the box creativity, but still feel an ad like this needs to be a part of a much bigger campaign that does indeed educate the consumer on the specifics of their new product.

NOTE: Pay special attention to the beginning and the end of the video. (Do you see it?)

UPDATE: I found the making of this commercial for anyone who is interested in the behind the scenes explanation. Trust me it is worth the 3:33mins of your time. Special thanks to Jeremy Abergel for the link to the second video.

Another shirt I would pay a pretty penny for “Some people...

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:36:00 -0400

Another shirt I would pay a pretty penny for

“Some people make plans.
Some people make excuses.
I make mistakes.
It’s f@#king awesome.”

(Courtesy of Christian Parsons of IdeaDrunk.com - Great blog!)

PlayStation Demonstrates That Not Listening To People Really...

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 10:16:00 -0400

PlayStation Demonstrates That Not Listening To People Really Pays Off