Need Some Sin? Call The Vice Squad Agency

I've always believed that ad agencies are way too generalized: that they don't have a point of view or specialty, whether it's the type of work they do or clients they pursue.

My guess is that the new Dallas-based Vice Squad Agency won't have that problem.

Pegasus News has more:

Gambling, Alcohol and the Adult Industry comprise an enormous portion of our economy, yet there is not a single advertising agency catering to their needs - until now. We believe there are vast opportunities to both create solid creative work and help businesses in these sectors reach their full potential. Furthermore, many companies in “vice”-related industries haven’t had the benefit of professional marketing services and stand to see dramatic increases in sales and profits by utilizing marketing tactics utilized by mainstream companies.

I've worked on some of this stuff, so I'll be interested in how the Vice Squad Agency fares. I found that clients in these types of businesses, on a personal level, tend to be very, uh, ethically-challenged. Which can really try your patience. On the other hand, many of them have loads of cash and are all too happy to spend it on marketing, which is a very good thing in profit-starved agencies.

When You Work @Wieden, You Wear It Proud

photo of Renne Gleeson's shoes by Mark Coleman

Last week on the plane to Atanta, I noticed the account guy from Wieden sitting in front of me was wearing Nikes. Makes sense. Today, during the opening presentation at inVerge, there was no missing Renny Gleeson's red Nikes. During his talk, Renny also managed to mention W+K clients Nokia and Coca-Cola, albeit in a natural way. When you work on a brand day and night, it seeps in. No way around it.

Judging By The RNC Last Night, The Answer Is "No"

The posters designed by Rich Silverstein and supported by Arianna Huffington have finally made it to this week's Republican National Convention. Basically, it's just a long list of words describing the Bush administration with the tagline, "Haven't we had enough?" Click here to see Arianna and Rich roll out a big version of the poster.

Judging by the two-minute clip, which I think was shot across the river in Minneapolis, no one seemed to care. A badly designed poster of buzzwords isn't going to cut it. Rich Silverstein is a talented guy, he could do better than this. Certainly, the Democrats will have to do better than this in the next 60 days.

Cutting Off A Campaign's Legs

Are ad campaigns given enough time to work these days?

The things that over the years have come to symbolize brands like logos--and in particular, taglines—are being changed to quickly and so often that it’s hard to keep up. Consequently, no one does.

We all know how it works: Every time a new CMO comes along, he/she hires a new agency. And suddenly everyone at both the client and agency feel the need to piss on the marketing landscape and mark their turf. Which means a new campaign, a new tagline, a new logo, etc. It’s change for change’s sake.

It's the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo. Read the entire column after the jump:

On Tap @ Inverge 2008

Renny Gleeson, W+K's Global Digital Strategies Director, kicks things off at 8:40 am tomorrow morning at the Armory in NW Portland as part of Inverge 2008.

This is his topic:

CONNECTION: NEVER CLOSER TOGETHER, NEVER FARTHER APART?

Interactive communications and digital technologies have birthed the greatest idea propagation framework in history. But when will our ability to freight it with emotion catch up? With each leap of technology, it takes time for our emotive power to catchup - for us to imbue the technology with our humanity. When will we do so interactively? Will we ever? And how do brands and advertisers, whose greatest connections often come through empathetic/emotional connections make sense of this landscape?

Consultant, Janet Lee Johnson, is looking forward to hearing from several other speakers, as am I.

I'll be covering the two-day event here, on BFG's blog, and on Twitter.

I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo

It's been 13 years since I last lived in Portland. So, I have some catching up to do. Who works where? What accounts are most notable? Where is there an opportunity for a guy like me? These are the kinds of questions I seek answers to.

Which leads me to Portland Ad Fed's well put together site. I've been using it to get up to speed on things. Like this print ad from Livengood Nowack, for instance:

Thanks to California's cheese industry, we already know happy cows make better milk. But this is Oregon. Happy cows won't suffice here. No, we need the milk of militant cattle to soak up our granola.

Outstanding Mission Statements: 13th in a Series

Wieden + Kennedy/Tokyo has a new web site and a bright and shiny mission statement to go with it.

Sears Tries To Be All It Can Be

The military look is back in, if you shop at Sears, that is. From Ad Age:

Sears, Roebuck & Co. has signed a deal with the U.S. Army to launch the All American Army Brand's First Infantry Division clothing collection. It marks the first time the U.S. Army has officially licensed its marks and insignias; licensing fees will be used to support military programs for troops and their families.

The collection aims to simultaneously raise the profile of the U.S. Army and round out Sears' military program. The collection dovetails with Sears' "Heroes at Home" program, which provides home renovations to military families and has been promoted through twice-a-year marketing campaigns. Sears also has an extensive military-support program that includes community outreach and employee assistance, among other things.

Not a bad idea, as long as The Army doesn't get the same image as Toughskins jeans did.

Hiring The Best MBAs Is Kid's Stuff

Recruitment advertising isn't typically known for its humor or wit, but Born2Consult from Deloitte ups the ante a bit.

No Need

In 2005, the pharmaceutical industry spent more than $4 billion on direct-to-consumer advertising.

But according to a study out today from Harvard Medical School researchers, the ads have no impact on sales.

So, can we let the doctors prescribe the pills? And how about passing the money saved on advertising back to the consumer? I know it's a lot to ask.

[via Marketplace]

The Creative Way To Say, "Keep Your Kids Under Control"

This image reminds patrons at Northeast Portland coffee shop and bakery, Jim & Patty's, who's boss. But it does so in a playful, smart, memorable manner.

I love good copy, wherever it's found.

In A World...Without Don LaFontaine

Damn...

'King of Voiceovers' Don LaFontaine Dies at 68

If I smoked 2 packs a day I could sound like that, too...VO work is such a cushy gig.

Now, With New Services To Sell, The Google Wants Our Help

The Google is cozying up to ad agencies, according to The New York Times.

During the last year, Google has built a 40-person group that is charged with courting agencies, trying to persuade them that their clients should buy ads on Google sites and use the search engine’s tools.

Google could avoid ad agencies when it sold only search advertising, where it is dominant. But now that it has a wider set of products in more areas — including social media and virtual reality — it finds that it must work harder to drum up business, particularly because of the lingering hard feelings.

Google is “definitely a must-buy in search, but in other things it’s not a must-buy,” said Jeff Ratner, managing partner and digital director at MindShare North America. “As they start moving more into ad networks and other mediums, they need the agency to help make it a reality.”

Selling America To The Foreigners

The New York Sun takes a look at former DDB CEO Keith Reinhard's efforts to promote America overseas:

Though some of the worldwide antipathy toward America stems from unpopular policies, Mr. Reinhard says it is not a matter of simply a feel-good issue — Businesses are being hurt by our sagging reputation. In an increasingly competitive world, he says we need all the help we can get.

Having managed a company with offices in 96 countries, Mr. Reinhard says, "I knew something about the resentments people felt about Americans around the world. These had been building for some time — really since the fall of communism. Some of it is envy of our success, some is that the U.S. took on the fall guy role."

To prove the point, Mr. Reinhard produces surveys showing that in countries such as Germany, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, and even Great Britain, the majority of people think America has a mainly negative influence on the world.

So will our election have an effect on this? How's the Presidential race looking overseas? I'd love to hear from some of our international AdPulp readers.