This video really touched me, and reminded me how subtle changes to a message can affect our perception and reaction to a thing.

In advertising communication it's a perfect mix of words and images that draws the viewer in, and hopefully generate a positive response. It often seems very simple, but it's not. We sometimes think we're saying what we need to say, or showing what we need to show, but then the response we get is either non-existant, or the wrong one altogether.

We recently had this very experience with a small ad campaign, and have since changed our language and images to generate a more desirable result. The jury is still out.

This really cuts to the heart of something that drives the Parker Brand. It's the willingness to shift your thinking when you know something you've created isn't working.

When you devote weeks to concept, graphics, and copy there is a tendency to get invested in them. Who wouldn't? They are your ideas made tangible. Devotion to an idea or direction at all cost, simply because it was yours, is the wrong way to play. Blind faith has no case when standing next to tangible results.

Listen. Watch. Cultivate an awareness of the effect your communications are having. More than anything, be flexible. It's nice to find a direction, but there's no need to follow it blindly to the end.

-Oran

I've always considered myself to be a hard sell. I like to think that advertising doesn't work so well on me. In fact, I usually look at the campaigns I work on from this perspective, constantly asking, "why the hell should anyone care about this?" I find it helps me to step back and think just a bit harder about the concept we're proposing.

See, I think a lifetime is the most precious thing we've got... because it's 100% limited, and that's what advertising does. It asks for your attention, and your time... your finite resources. Once you've given those away, the sender hopes you'll retain the information, or act on it.

Don't get me wrong. I still strongly think that advertising can be a good thing. It can inform us about things that could better our lives. It can motivate us to change. It can entertain us. It can encourage us to act. Advertising drives the pulling and hauling of our society, and without it our economy would come to a screeching halt, becoming fully dependent on word-of-mouth marketing (I feel like I'm selling myself here).

Still, more often that not, advertising is an invasion of our privacy, a cluttering of the landscape, reminding us to dig deep into our pockets and spend our earnings on a service, or thing. That's the way things work, and I can live with it, for the most part. In fact, this is the same message I give my clients. It is what it is and if you can't generate a successful word-of-mouth business, then you need advertising to get your message out to the public.

Every now and then a new form of advertising comes along that just grates on me, reminding me of everything that I loathe about our industry, hence these new restroom mirror displays. As if advertising's worst wasn't invasive enough, we are now destined to be exposed to more of in the worst place imaginable.

Meet the restroom mirror digital display.

Look, mens' restrooms aren't places that I tend to linger, and I think most men feel the same way. Public restrooms are usually pretty filthy, disgusting places, with the fine odor of mint and human waste floating like a cloud. I get in, wash up, and try to get out using elbows and knees, taking as few breaths as humanly possible.

News flash! These displays won't work on me... at all.

I think that really good advertising plays on all of the human senses, leaving subtle triggers in the human mind. This is basic psychology. You see, smell, touch, or hear something enough times in relationship to a message then you will eventually begin to retain and recall that information.

Simple stuff. Branding 101.

I guess my question is do you want your brand associated with the your service and message, or restimulating the fine scent of fresh pee and urinal cakes?

Hey... I think I just found my next sales pitch. -Oran

I stumbled on this while reading one of my favorite blogs, "Skepchick." The post simply stated, "This has been stuck in my head." When you hear that how could you not press play?

So, I did.

Then, I did again.

Then I played it for my kids.

You know, sometimes as adults we tend to get moving in such a hurry that we don't really stop to contemplate who we are, where we're going, or more importantly who we want to be, and where we want to go.

See, just because you're going somewhere doesn't mean it's the right place, and who you are may not be the best you. Sometimes you have to stop, look deep inside yourself, find that center and say, "Hey! Wait a minute... this just isn't who I really am. I'm going to do something different and change things."

I believe it's noble path, the path of self discovery. When you figure out who you truly are then you can share that with your colleagues, partners, friends, and family. Change can be infectious and motivate others to do the same.

I wrote this down the other day, and it seems to apply here... "You are the coal. You are the shoveler. You are the engine. BE SELF PROPELLED."

You are the engine. You are the change. Figure out who you are, then do something different. -Oran

So, Starbucks has announced its new size, the Trenta (which sounds like a pharmaceutical company to me). The Trenta will be a 31 ounce mega-gulp of Starbucks goodness.

I drink a lot of coffee during the day, but I don't think I want to have it all in one sit down. Still, I'm sure the Trenta will be a hit.

What I really want to talk about is the info-graphic showing the various sizes of their drink as compared to a soda can,... and a human stomach???

Is it just me, or is this kind of gross? This doesn't make me want to try a Trenta sized Starbucks drink. It makes me think of the episode of Mythbusters where they test pop-rocks and soda in a pig stomach. It makes me feel kind of gross and I imagine that every time I see a Trenta sized drink I'll think of this graphic.

The thought of a bloated, sloshy stomach doesn't make me think "tasty treat."

What say you? -Oran

Sometimes creativity gets in the way of a good idea. I talk about this a lot, and I'm sure most everyone is pretty sick of hearing me say it. Still, I see creativity, the thing that 's supposed to be our greatest asset in the ad industry, step right up and get in the way of the message. Happens all the time.

Take this EDF ad, for instance. Does is make me stop? Yep. Does it make me curious? Yep. Do I get it at first glance? Nope. When I do get it do I take action? In my case, nope. I wouldn't.

The ad is meant to applaud the athletes of Team EDF for their 2010 performance. Basically, you are supposed to close and reopen, then do it again several times to simulate clapping hands.

I don't know about you, but I might feel a little weird using my own to hands to slap these two pages together as if they were clapping, especially when I have two perfectly good hands of my own.

Of course, what's weirder? Clapping two print ads together, or using your own hands to clap while looking at the ad.

I'd be really curious to hear your thoughts on this one. -Oran

I love social media, but not so much for the media part. I don't take part in every feature offered by every platform, especially geo-tagging.

I don't have any real problems with it, and I suppose I could put it to get use if I had an event to promote. Foursquare, and Facebook geo-tagging features really don't do anything for me on a day to day basis.

Foursquare seems more like a game, and it's really a game that I don't have any fun playing. And Facebook places opens up some weird doors because unless your on top of your privacy settings, just about anyone can tag you at a particular location without your authorization.

Then, I discovered Mappiness.

Now, Mappiness isn't really a social networking site, but what it does do it ask you personal questions at different points throughout the day in regards to how you're feeling. You can respond as often as you like, and the more you respond (and answer truthfully), the more you start to see which situations in life bring you the most peace, joy, and comfort. Basically, it gauges your happiness.

I'm always open to giving something a try, but most of these things don't last long with me. Still, I've really been enjoying Mappiness. While doesn't really allow me to connect with other folks, it does let me get a quick snapshot of how I'm feeling.

The app is nice and simple, with a really clean interface, and most of the questions they've provided cover just about any situation I might find myself in. Right now the app covers the UK as its research area, so the geo-tagging feature is moot. Still, the app does ask you where you're at and uses that date to create it's various charts and graphs.

What makes this app ultimately work for me is that it's not heavy. It's easy to set up, and easy to use. Also, it's being used for a positive purpose, and helps remind me to constantly ask, "Oran, are you happy?"

-Oran

GET "MAPPINESS" >> http://www.mappiness.org.uk/