Collaboration is the key that unlocks creative greatness. The best films, music, food, advertising, media, and so on, are all made by teams. Therefore, joining a highly functional team and learning to be a productive member of the team is the way forward for ambitious makers. Two professors at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas wanted to bring this message to their students and the world. Mike Wiggins …
Flashback Friday: Lone Star Beer
This vintage TV campaign from Lone Star Beer reminds me that computer generated images (CGI) have been in use by advertisers for years. It reminds me of popular TV shows from that time. The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched, in particular. It reminds me that making outrageous product claims has a long tradition. For example, "Something wonderful happens when you pour a cold Lone Star." It's just a beer, but a beer …
The Friendly Pepper Upper Makes A New Pink Ruckus
As if Dr Pepper didn't have enough flavor packed into each syrupy sip, now the Texas-based beverage brand is pouring on the pink with the introduction of Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream. The brand also claims it's the "new flavor you deserve." I'm unclear about how anyone deserves a flavor, but I am clear about liking the campy nature of these TV ads. Let's …
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Longhorn Athletes to Benefit from New NIL Deal with Wrangler
University of Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian received a six-year deal worth $34.2 million when he was hired on Jan. 2, 2021. The school's athletic department brings in over $200M per year. College sports is big business in Texas and across the nation, which is news to no one. What is noteworthy today is the inclusion of student-athletes in the lucrative paydays. According to Austin Business Journal, Wrangler …
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In New TV Ads, Beto O’Rourke Says Governor Abbott Is Too Extreme
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his radical conservative peers on the nation's top bench did not consult the public when they overturned Roe earlier this year. They did what they were put there to do, with no last-minute polling or significant weighing of consequences needed. Now, there are early signs that this Judicial power grab which denies basic human rights to women could prove to be the GOP's …
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Long Live the Indie Bookstore
As a former English major, professional writer, and fan of books, I was happy to read in The New York Times that "small booksellers not only survived the pandemic, but many are thriving." More than 300 new independent bookstores have sprouted across the United States in the past couple of years. Given how bookstore sales fell nearly 30 percent in 2020, things could have turned out differently. “It’s kind of …
In New Attack Ad, Governor Abbott Deals the Misogyny Card
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has promised to spend $100M to defeat Beto O'Rourke, his Democratic opponent this November. That's plenty of money to paint yourself and your record as governor in white light while diminishing your opponent at every turn. The Texas GOP has zero qualms about going negative. For the GOP, making attack ads is simply what you do, without hesitation. https://youtu.be/84Nu9QC2m8I In …
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Keep Bastrop Boring
Bastrop County is a fast-growing neighbor to Travis County—the home of Austin, the University of Texas, the state capitol, Austin FC, Austin City Limits, Oracle, Tesla, and so on. Bastrop is also directly downriver from Tesla's new world headquarters and car-making factory. When Elon Musk moved from California to Texas, his Boring Company quickly set up shop in rural Bastrop County, and currently has a permit to …
