The "Make it Happen" Challenge.

Once more straight from the top. "Make it Happen", the crowd-sourcing challenge to see if my big ideas can come to fruition thanks to the rich community of creatives, writers, artists, designers, inventors, scientists, architects, pharmacologists, techies, provocateurs, ethicists, military contractors, etc.

MIH Brief 014

OBJECTIVE:

Chart a course of action for Jet Blue in the wake of the Stephen Slater affair. This can be a business proposal or a PR/marketing solution.

Check this out for more background, but to surmise Jet Blue flight attendant Stephen Slater has become the talk and toast of the town following his meltdown on a Jet Blue flight from Pittsburgh to New York.

We've certainly come along way since the dapper Captain Chesley Sullenberger. Back then our aviation heroes pulled out all the stops in the interests of the passenger. "Sully" cut the archetypal image of what a classic hero should be. Cool, calm and selfless. He was literally the last man off the plane.

Today's hero, not so much. It's a tubby gay guy who makes a profane laden premature exit with a can of beer. Classy! Yet Slater seems to have struck a cord with frustrated employees everywhere by jumping ship with a giant fuck you. Not so much a Howard Beale of the airwaves, rather a Howard Beale of the air.

But his popularity leaves Jet Blue with a dilemma. A company based on the service mantra that the customer is always right certainly can't allow one of its employee's, no matter how provoked, to lash out in such an unprofessional way, let alone slide out on the job.

On the other hand, part of Jet Blue's appeal is that it is the little upstart flying in the face of the cultural status quo. Slater is the embodiment of that, albeit a potty-mouthed, beer swilling version.

So what should Jet Blue do? How can it turn this bit of pr turbulence into a smooth landing?

THOUGHT STARTERS:
  -  What immediate lessons from the incident can be implemented on all Jet Blue flights? For example, in the safety talk before take-off Jet Blue flight attendants must point to the exits which they plan to escape from. Also, in the "unlikely event of a flight attendant escaping", passengers must be given instructions as to what to do, like which panic positions to assume.
  -  Let's be fearless. How about we make Steven Slater the face of a new Jet Blue campaign targeting terrorists? Try hijacking a Jet Blue plane and you'll have more than the Air Marshall's to worry about. Our bitchy flight attendants will meet jihad with a can of beer and a fuck you. Motherfuckers.

  -  Is there an opportunity for Jet Blue to turn this ugly incident into an act of good will? Perhaps every passenger on board Flight 1052 should be given a free can of beer, one minute to mouth off on the PA system and the chance to slide down an emergency shoot. Be "Steven Slater" for a day will not only allow everyone on board to have some fun at Jet Blue's expense, but it may also give them to welcome  a taste of what it feels like to have a "mad as hell and not going to take it moment". (There may be a lesson here for other companies!)
  -  Is there an opportunity for Jet Blue to make some structural changes to their planes to best deal with  these kinds of incidents in the future? For instance, how about separating the cabin sections into "Class" and "No Class". In "No Class" you can insult the flight attendants all you want. Of course, they also are allowed to insult you back.
  -  How can Jet Blue turn this into a financial boon? Perhaps it can create and offer "The Escape Clause". For an extra fee a passenger can jump off a Jet Blue flight. This is ONLY valid when the plane is on the ground, of course. As soon as the flight is airborne, the clause is rendered null and void.
  -  Is there an opportunity to incorporate this incident into Jet Blue's fabulous frequent flier miles programs? For instance, how about passengers who earn a certain number of miles, say one hundred thousand, get rewarded with a a free can of beer, one minute to mouth off on the PA system and the chance to slide down an emergency shoot.
  -  Should Jet Blue take a very hard line stand against such behavior in the interest of corporate responsibility and customer service? Perhaps they ought to issue a solemn promise that if any Jet Blue employee tries to walk or slide off the job in the future they will be shot by an Air Marshall. Much like an army in battle, desertion will not be tolerated.  
 

MANDATORIES:

  -  There are no mandatories for this challenge. Everything is up in the air.

Good luck and make it happen, people!

Make the call/Fuck it someone else can...

I never did give this Cannes Grand Prix winning interactive campaign for Britain's Metropolitan Police the full credit it deserved. Criminal really.

But like BP, I'm here to make things right. So here's the latest in the wonderful campaign. Given where interactivity is right now, the premise of the campaign seems awfully simple. But then that's what makes it great.



Kudos to AMV BBDO and the Met Police.

Starburst spot of the now.

I think I was on that bus last week. The zombie looks very familiar, anyway. Kudos to TBWA/Chiat/Day NY and director Tom Kuntz.

Ad critique of the now.

A lot of people have taken offense to this recent outdoor ad by the American Freedom Defense Initiative. And why not.

I mean it was created with a total disregard for the hallowed craft of art direction and copywriting. I've seen anal wart removal ads on the subway which exhibit more refinement and subtlety. All creatives should be horrified and demand a complete revision.

Here are a few of tips:

• Remove the crescent and star. Right now it looks like a building with a skewed one-eyed happy face. It had me smiling for a second until I realized the aim was to horrify/scare/anger.
• Lose the double arrow. Not sure what it means other than "neither here nor there". Rather have the arrow lead from left to right, which symbolizes "then and now".
• "Why There?" Really, is that the best way of capturing attention. How about something more New York, like "Are you fucking kidding me?"
• The color scheme is all over the place. If this message is to be direct and coherent, then so should the art direction. Also the colors need to be more threatening. I'm not getting Armageddon from this. Red could be particularly effective. Stay away from pink though.
• Make your logo bigger. Proudly own the ad.

(Sharing credit to adfreak)

Brain-teaser Monday.

In this commercial for American Airlines, a director asks, "why squirrel hate me?" Why does the squirrel hate him?

• The director ate the squirrel's nuts
• The director tickled the squirrel's nuts
• The squirrel is French and so hates everybody
• The director asked the squirrel to perform certain acts demeaning to a rodent of his stature
• The squirrel isn't used to working with c-list directors
• The squirrel left his happy pills at home
• The director is dating the squirrel's ex-fiancee
• The director doesn't understand that when squirrels love someone they act like assholes
• The director is a paranoid schizophrenic
• The director came all over his tail

Answer to last week's brain-teaser: BBDO 

And you thought 3D movies were cool.

I do love this story. While we're busy fighting two wars the Chinese have been figuring out a way to revolutionize travel through their traffic plagued cities.

I give you the 3D Express Coach, a bus that literally drives over cars. How cool is that. According to the folks behind the project it could ease congestion by up to 30%. Are you listening IBM, now here's the smarter planet in action.

Perhaps the second coolest thing will be working on the advertising campaign for the bus. Here are a few of thoughts.

• The "End of traffic as we know it" campaign. Imagine a sweet, little innocent girl turning to mom and asking, "Mommy, what's a traffic jam?"
• The big blockbuster movie analogy campaign - 'The Bus That Swallowed Cars", a 2011 release coming to a city near you.
• The "It renders red-neck monster truck drivers inadequate" campaign. I will never be in awe of monster trucks again.

My Shirley Sherrod moment.

It seems I may have gleefully rushed to judgement with my July 22nd post regarding the apparent failure of Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign to gin up sales. I guess right wing news cable channels aren't the only ones who jump the gun.

So I stand corrected and the facts are these. Since the campaign launched, Old Spice Bodywash sales are up 27 percent. And in the last month they are up a whopping 107 percent.

Sorry Old Spice and Wieden & Kennedy. To make it up to you I just bought some deodorant. Not the bodywash though. That's so gay.


(Sharing credit to adfreak)

Wise words from George Parker.

Here's a useful Tuesday afternoon read from George Parker on customer service in the age of Facebook and twitter. It's actually less rant and more reason. But don't worry he still manages to say "wanker" and "fuck off".

Non-Format.

I have to confess that I'm not one who gets a warm, tingly feeling when I see graphic design. I mean I'd like to, but I feel nothing. Maybe there's a pill I can take.

That said I can't get enough of  Non-Format. Not sure how exactly you'd label them, hence the name, but they basically bring uber cool art direction, design, illustration and custom typography to music, fashion, advertising and the arts.

Now if only I can sell something worthy of their talents and vision.

Brain-teaser Monday.

John Smith was hired by BBDO in the fall of 1986. He was let go two years later after "rehabilitation issues", but soon after got a job at MVBMS. After winning a few awards he left MVBMS for TBWA, before returning to MVBMS less than six months later. Following merger and restructuring complications John was let go from MVBMS in 1996, but soon found a home at DMB&B. In 1998 John "voluntarily" left DMB&B for GDS&M, following unproven allegations of sexual misconduct. John was let go from GDS&M in 2002. He was hired by MFP, but after a series of "expenses irregularities" was let go. He found it hard to get another job after that and temporarily had to take a job with the NYSDMV. He finally got back into advertising in 2005 with a string of freelance gigs at JWT, MMA and BBH. He took a full time job with DDB in 2007. It didn't last long, but now John finds himself back where he started. Where is John now?