I don't know about you, but there are few things I love more than a good old-fashioned clash of cultures. And the culture I find myself most fascinated with/confused by is Japanese pop culture. I don't really understand Hello Kitty or PokeMon, Anime cartoons confuse me and Japanese horror movies give me nightmares. (I'm not proud.) But what I love most is the appropriation of our western culture by the Japanese, often with hilarious results.

Take for example celebrity endorsements. In the age of instant access and unlimited information, most celebrities go to great lengths to protect their image. They hire consultants and spin-doctors. They train their bodies rigorously and diet religiously. But one image concession even the biggest stars in Hollywood are willing to make is the big money grab of overseas commercials. Stars who would never consider "selling out" by doing strange commercials where they look ridiculous, (at least by Western standards) have been throwing caution into the wind for years and selling everything from cosmetics and alcohol to fizzy drinks and yogurt. Most involve a celebrity standing around looking beautiful and holding/pointing to/eating/drinking the product. But my favorites are the ones that get lost in the translation. Like watching a pre-Food Network episode of Iron Chef (sub-titles, please, no voiceover) or a black and white Godzilla movie, I often don't know what is going on, but I don't really care. But with my all-time favorite Japanese celebrity shill, I think very little is lost in the translation, mostly because I can't really understand this guy when he is speaking English. That's just bad acting, in any language.

arigato

I decided a long time ago that if I were ever in charge of a group of people, I would not treat them the way that many of my bosses treated me. The early days of my career as a graphic artist were spent chained to an art table cranking out production work-as fast as my fingers could cut and paste it together. My bosses were notorious for over promising delivery dates so they could get the project. "Sure, we can have that four-color brochure for you by week's end" and it was Monday and it had to be designed, written, type spec'd and pasted together. Then proofed and corrections made before it could go to a printer. It made for some very long days and even longer nights. I would go home at 11pm and be back at 7am, pizza for lunch and dinner and no exercise or life outside of my job. I was lucky to have a 2-day weekend. And I was rarely thanked or told that I was doing a good job. The 2am press approvals didn't buy me any "trade" time either. I was expected to suck it up and come in no matter how long I had worked the day and night before. It resembled what it must have felt like to work in a sweat factory, without the heat.

Today, I get to care for the creative team here at Current and I know the time I make to say "thank you" and "great work" goes a long way. You see in the ad business, people tend to move from shop to shop. They often live in a combative environment and get fed up and move on. There's an enormous cost associated with turnover and as a business owner it is much easier to retain a great employee than train a new one. And each creative is assigned a book of business so they gather and retain quite a bit of knowledge for the clients and industries they work on. It takes a long time to get a newbie up to speed and producing work that's on target and consistent with the brand strategy.

And it's more than just expressing our appreciation. We have company lunches a few times per month, we play volleyball together, we have fun employee meetings where we play games and openly share our operating numbers so that everyone in our company knows how we are doing. We send people to seminars and classes, we pay for them to be members of clubs and networks. We participate in several Kentucky Derby Festival events like the Run for the Rosé and The Bed Races. We have "partner days" every summer where everyone is given every other Friday off so they can enjoy some 3-day weekends with their friends and families. We have fabulous prizes at our kickass Christmas party each year. We play hard-- when time allows -- because we work hard.

And how do we manage all of this and have fun too? We have a full-time traffic person and the best ad agency software system, CurrentTrack, that allows us to plan our work so people can go home at a decent hour every night and have a life balance that keeps them and their families very happy.

And when you have happy, healthy employees, the work they produce is better.

It's been a long road, but we're finally here. It's time to crown a champion for March Adness.

In our first Final Four match-up we have:

3) Wendys’ "Where's the Beef?"
vs.
1) Volkswagen "Think Small"
The blue-haired powerhouse had finally met her match. And since I've said pretty much everything there is to say about the VW campaign, I'll take this opportunity to plug one of my favorite shows on TV these days, AMC's Mad Men. The show chronicles life on Madison Avenue in the "Golden Age" of advertising, the 1960's.  In the 3rd episode of the first season (Marriage of Figaro,) the aforementioned VW campaign gets a little shout-out as Don is flipping through Life Magazine and happens across the famous "Lemon" ad from the campaign. If you haven't seen Mad Men yet, check it out. In the wasteland of Reality TV and bad prime-time game shows, it's a hidden gem.

Winner: Volkswagen

In our second semifinal, we have:

1) Apple's  "1984"
vs.
4) Absolut "Bottle"
As much as I love the Absolut campaign, it is tough to match up with the genius of the "1984" spot. While the Big Brother spot was one of the most memorable in history, many people don't remember that there were at least two other computer companies running spots in that Super Bowl broadcast: Atari, featuring Alan Alda and Radio Shack, with The Incredible Hulk himself, Bill Bixby.

Winner: Apple

So it comes down to this. Somebody wake up Bill Packer because it is time to crown a
champion.

1) Apple's  "1984"
vs.
1) Volkswagen "Think Small"
While I appreciate what VW did for the subtle sell, Apple's ominous vision of the future of home computing made an incredibly strong impact. Another interesting tidbit about the campaign: Apple bought all of the advertising space (39 pages!) in the November/December special election issue of Newsweek to promote the Macintosh.

It is that kind of bold risk-taking with their image that makes Apple our 2008 March Adness Champion. And before we wrap up, check out this reprint of the story of the 1984 ad, as told by Owen Linzmayer in his book "The Mac Bathroom Reader." It's interesting stuff.

Alright folks, it's time to crank up "One Shining Moment," because I've got some serious celebrating to do. Not only have we crowned an Ad Champion , but Memphis took one on the chin this year and there is nothing a University of Louisville fan loves more than the tears of a Tiger. Those old Metro Conference rivalries don't just go away, you know

It's time to narrow the field to a Final Four and we've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started in the Food & Drink Region.

1) McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today"
vs.
4) Coca-Cola "Have a Coke and a Smile"
This is a huge 2nd round match-up between two of the most recognizable advertisers in this field of 32. An interesting side note: 70s icon Barry Manilow didn't just write the songs that make the whole world sing. He also wrote the song that made the whole world buy cheeseburgers and won 2 Clio Awards in 1972 for his work with Tab and the famous "I am Stuck on Band-Aids" spots.

Winner: McDonald's

3) Wendys' "Where's the Beef?"
vs.
7) California Milk Processor Board "Got Milk?"
Both of these campaigns have gained a foothold in the public consciousness, but when your catch phrase plays a part in presidential politics, you have taken advertising to another level. During the 1984 Democratic primaries, Democratic candidate and former Vice President Walter Mondale ridiculed the candidacy of  Senator Gary Hart, by using the phrase during a March 11, 1984 televised debate. Hart focused his campaign around the phrase "new ideas." When Hart used the slogan in the debate, Mondale responded by saying, "When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, 'Where's the beef?".

Winner: Mondale won the nomination and Wendy's wins this round.

So in the Regional Finals we have are:

1) McDonalds
vs.
3) Wendy's
Clara Peller became a media sensation, making appearances on Saturday Night Live (4-14-84), and Wrestlemania 2. Becoming a cultural zeitgeist is more than any client could ask for and Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample delivered just that to Wendy's.

Regional Winner: Wendy's

Transportation Region:
1) Volkswagen "Think Small"
vs.
5) Avis "We Try Harder"
The classic Doyle Dane Bernbach campaign "Think Small" is still taught in advertising classrooms around the world. If you get a chance, check out Frank Rowsome's book about the campaign. It's out of print, but you might find it in a used bookstore or on ebay.

Winner: Volkswagen in a rout.

3) Isuzu "Joe Isuzu"
vs.
2) Chevrolet "See the USA in your Chevrolet"
As funny as Della Famina, Travisano & Partners' Joe Isuzu was, it just doesn't hold up to the Campbell-Ewald jingle from the 1950s. I you get a chance, check out Jerry Della Famina's book, "From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor." It's a collection of "war stories" from one of the most outspoken members of the advertising community. (The title came from a brainstorming session for the client Panasonic.)

Winner: Chevrolet

Regional Finals:
1) Volkswagen "Think Small"
vs.
2) Chevrolet "See the USA in your Chevrolet"
Dinah Shore will only take you so far. DDB made a small, noisy, uncomfortable car produced in a factory built by the Nazis appealing to the American consumer. I'm not sure there is a taller order in advertising history.

Regional Winner: Volkswagen

Let's head out to Vegas for the Sinful Products Region where we have:

1) The Marlboro Man
vs.
4) Absolut Bottle
The irony of multiple Marlboro Men dying of lung related diseases is not lost on me (thanks Rob), and while Absolut has recently changed their campaign, the "Bottle" ads succeeded in making a tasteless, odorless liquor a tasty option when pulling up a barstool.

Winner: Absolut

2) Winston Tastes Good Like a Cigarette Should
vs
3) Miller Lite Taste Great- Less Filling
It is hard to get past using the Flintstones as cigarette shills and the Miller Lite ads still make me laugh, even if I did have to explain to my wife who Boog Powell was.

Winner: Miller Lite gets a seat in the front Row.

Regional Finals:
3) Miller Lite Taste Great- Less Filling
vs.
4) Absolut Bottle
The vodka giant is just too strong for Ueke and the boys. As much as I enjoy those Miller spots, there isn't a coffee table books with Billy Martin and Bubba Smith on the cover. (But the minute there is one, I'm placing my order.)

Winner: Absolut takes a spot at the Final Four.

On a side note: Absolut recently ran into a bit of bad PR with their Latin "In an Absolute World" campaign. In fact, there was such an outcry from north of the border that Absolut actually had to run an explanation on their web site.   I'm guessing much of the outcry came from folks with a limited grasp of American history and an even more limited sense of humor.

And last, but not least, the Consumer Products Region:

1) Apple – "1984"
vs.
4) Timex "Takes a Licking"
While "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking" is a clever line, the Apple spot was cinematic in scale. And it should have been, as it was directed by Ridley Scott, who had just come off filming Blade Runner and Alien.

Winner: Apple by a mile.

2) Nike - Just Do It
vs.
6) Energizer – "The Energizer Bunny keeps going and going and …"
Even the Energizer Bunny finally runs out of steam and trying to stop the Nike juggernaut is just too tall an order.  Like Mars Blackmon said, "It's gotta be the shoes."

Winner: Nike just does it again.

Regional final:

1) Apple – "1984"
vs.
2) Nike - Just Do It
Maybe I'm just a computer geek, but I'd rather be like Woz than like Mike. What many people didn't know about the 1984 spot is that it was very nearly axed by Apple's board of Directors, who ordered the ad scrapped and the time slot in the Super Bowl sold.

Winner: Even 24 years later, Apple's spot is still amazing.

So there you have it… our Final Four.  Wendy's vs. Volkswagen and Absolut vs. Apple. Check back tomorrow and we'll crown a champion. And, as always, if you have thoughts, leave a comment or drop me a line at jimdoesntcarewhatyouthink@yahoo.com.

When it comes to athletic footwear, Nike is not the shoe company to which I pledge my allegiance.  However, it is the company whose TV spots I will praise over the next few paragraphs.

Nike's "Become Legendary" campaign launched several weeks ago.  The campaign promotes the ultimate hoops legend and the Air Jordan XX3.  One spot features "new school" legends, such as Carmelo Anthony, Derek Jeter and T. O., before they were household names.  The first line begins with, "it's not about the shoe", although when you see these extraordinary stars, before they were stars, you realize it is all about the shoe -- with the right footwear, determination and talent, you too can be a superstar.

The next recent campaign that Nike launched was for the Nike SPARQ Training shoes and was themed "My Better." In addition to catchy tags like, "You're speed moves like a gravy bowl" and "You're agility owes my agility twenty bucks," the 30-second spot features top athletes like Adrian Peterson and Kevin Durant.  I actually look forward to seeing this spot because it is so entertaining.

Finally, my absolute favorite Nike spot is the third in the series from the "Become Legendary" campaign.  The spot showcases clips of well-known milestones in sports history, including John Tompson's Hoyas, the Appalachian Mountaineers and Jimmy V.

Since I'm a huge sport fan (or freak) I enjoy the emotional impact of all of the legends.  The impact does not stop there, as Nike's revenue grew 16% over the same period last quarter.  And to borrow a phrase from Nike's Become Legendary campaign, "My better is better than your better."  And in Nike's case, they're better because they don't have to tell you they're better.

We're finally there… the last of our four regions. From Minneapolis, MN, home of
the largest Mall in the country, The Mall of the Americas, it's the Consumer
Products Region.

1) Apple – "1984"
vs.
8) Levis – "501 Blues"

Apparently the revolution was televised after all. To introduce the Macintosh, Apple ran what has become an icon in the advertising industry, the "1984" ad. It only ran once, during the Super Bowl, but it effectively positioned Apple as the alternative to the mainstream, a position it still claims, despite its growing marketing share. On the other side of the fence is an American classic, Levi's 501 jeans. From the era of wine coolers and a singing Bruce "Bruno" Willis, the campaign made Levis hip again, despite stiff competition from the "designer" brands of the day like Calvin Klein and Jordache.

Winner: Big Brother beats the Blues.

4) Timex "Takes a Licking"
vs.
5) Alka Seltzer – "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz"

A great tag versus a great jingle. The Timex campaign established their product as stylish, yet durable by placing the watch in fantastically perilous situations. To Alka Seltzer's credit, this is one of the best jingles of all time. Whether you have ever used the product or not, everyone can sing along. And while their mascot Speedy didn't stand the test of time, the catchy tune did.

Winner: Timex keeps ticking in the tournament.

3) DeBeers – "A diamond is forever."
vs.
6) Energizer – "The Energizer Bunny keeps going and going and …"

De Beers single-handedly created the diamond engagement ring tradition around the turn of the 20th century… no small feat. And by reinforcing the myth that diamonds don't break or depreciate in value (they do), they forever tied together love and diamonds. To Energizer's credit, the Bunny campaign has become a part of the lexicon in America. When someone says "he's like the Energizer Bunny," the reference is lost on no one. Eventually the spots
perfected the art of misdirection by interjecting the bunny in spots that seemed to be for other products, a clever creative device. The campaign has proved flexible over the years and is still effective today.

Winner: In an upset, Energizer keeps going into the next round.

2) Nike - Just Do It
vs
7) Calvin Klein - Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.

Nike is now an American advertising juggernaut. They are one of the very few products that can run a spot without identifying themselves with anything more that an icon… the swoosh. In the short span of 36 years, Nike has become as familiar as Coke and McDonalds, thanks in no small part to their Just Do It campaign, featuring a who's who of celebrity athletes, from Andre Aggasi, to Bo Jackson, to perhaps the biggest product spokesman of all time Michael Jordan. Nike's opponent in the first round is a Lolita in denim. While the spots featuring an underage Brooke Shields proved successful, they also sparked controversy. I guess the old adage is true; there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Winner: Nike runs away with this one.

Well, there you have it. The field has been narrowed down to 16. Check back Friday and we'll narrow down the field to a Final Four. And remember, if you disagree with my picks or think I've left a deserving campaign out, post a comment here and let me know.

While the wages of sin might be death, the wages of sin marketing are huge profit centers for agencies and media outlets. From cigarettes to chocolates, selling things to the public that are bad for them offers an interesting moral dilemma and a chance to do some powerful advertising. Let's take a look at the Sinful Products bracket, being played… where else… Sin City, Las Vegas, NV.

1) The Marlboro Man
vs.
8) Keep American Beautiful (pollution)

Cowboys and Indians in the first round… how great is that? The Marlboro Man has been around since the 50s, when the brand was re-launched as a filtered alternative for men. (It had previously been targeted to women.) Originally the campaign revolved around many different rugged individuals doing manly things, including car repair, hunting and fishing.
After a brief switch to a more gentile treatment in the early 60s, Marlboro settled on the Cowboy motif and garnered some credibility by using real cowboys in their advertising instead of models. The campaign is still going strong today. And who can forget the crying Indian of the Keep America Beautiful campaign to fight pollution? As the stoic face of the noble Native American turned to the camera and shed a single tear, the nation felt it's collective guilt swell. Ironically, K.A.B. didn't follow Marlboro's example of authenticity, as it was revealed in the mid-90s that the star of the spot, Iron Eyes Cody, was in fact Sicilian and not native American.

Winner: History repeats itself and the Indians lose again, this time without the smallpox-infected blankets.

4) Absolut Bottle

vs.
5) M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hands

Talk about a concept with legs. The Absolut "Bottle" campaign has been a successful and much-loved campaign since its inception in the early 80s. With over 1,500 ads in the series, it has been the subject of books and museum shows. With a series of "statehood" ads and the commission of famous artists and designers to offer their take on the iconic bottle, the breadth of this campaign is staggering. M&Ms have long based their various campaigns around a central theme: a chocolate candy you can eat without making a mess.
The line "melts in your mouth, not in your hands," set the perfect tone for parents everywhere who are tired of sticky messes.

Winner: Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. Absolut in a romp.

3) Miller Lite Taste Great- Less Filling
vs.
6) Budweiser "this Bud's for you"

A true clash of titans, the giants of America beer face off. For Miller Lite, you have the "Taste Great. Less Filling" spots of the 1980s. With sports and pop culture stars espousing the virtues of Miller's entry in the light beer category, it made the product look like the beer you wanted to be holding when you sports hero walked into the bar, whether it was Billy Martin or John Madden. Comic relief often came in the form of the loveable loser, former major league catcher and Brewers play-by-play man Bob Uecker. For Bud, the angle was simple…"You work hard and you deserve an ice cold beer. Let me get that for you." While Bud has changed its campaigns frequently, the tag still shows up, often paired with the famous Budweiser Clydesdale Team.

Winner: Miller Lite. But I'd rather drink a Guinness.

2) Winston Tastes Good Like a Cigarette Should or Version 2
vs.
7) Lucky Strike - Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet

It's time now for two of the most shameful ad campaigns of all time. I do love a catchy jingle and Winston has one of the best of all time. And ethics be damned, let's get these cigarettes plugged on the biggest show on TV, even if it is a cartoon aimed at children.
As for Lucky Strike, "Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet" was a hugely successful campaign in the 1920s, responsible for a 200% increase in market share. Playing on people's vanity is always a good angle, but "smoke so you don't get fat" just feels wrong.

Winner: It's like picking Duke in my NCAA pool. Winston is the winner, but I don't feel good about it.

Tomorrow: Our last region, Consumer Products.

Today's Ad Madness Transportation Region match-ups are coming to you from Motor City USA, beautiful downtown Detroit! Seriously, I hear parts of Detroit aren't so bad.

1) Volkswagen "Think Small" or This One
vs.
8) Greyhound "Leave the driving to us."

In the age of the tail fins and rampant consumerism, the iconic Doyle Dane Bernbach print campaign to introduce the VW Bug made it possible to buy a small car and be happy about it. It embraced what was seen as a negative and, with a clever, self-deprecating soft sell, spun it all into a big positive. In doing so, it not only created a counter-culture icon, but changed the face of advertising. On the other side of the fence, the folks at Greyhound managed to make an 18 hour bus ride from Cincinnati to Birmingham, surrounded by a who's who of mental illness seem like a good idea.

Winner: Volkswagon in a walk.

4) Fed Ex "Fast Talker"
vs.
5) Avis "We Try Harder"

These days we take overnight delivery for granted, but half of our staff at CurrentMarketing remembers when overnight delivery meant getting in your car and driving a package where it needed to go. (The other half of our staff doesn't remember life without Cable TV, but we tolerate them, even if they don't know the difference between Green Day and Morris Day.) In 1982, affordable overnight delivery was a fairly new concept and using motor mouth John Moschitta to communicate the speedy nature of the service was a stroke of genius. Avis faced a different challenge. For most people, being second isn't a selling point. It is something you don't even admit behind closed doors. For Avis, it was a legitimate reason for a consumer to give them a shot: "We're #2. We try harder." Brave…and successful.

Winner: Avis by a nose.

3) Isuzu "Joe Isuzu"
vs.
6) Saturn "A Different Kind of Company. A Different Kind of Car"

This is a battle of diametrically opposed forces. On one hand, you have Joe Isuzu, the stereotypical car salesman...making outlandish claims to sell a car. With counterpoint subtitles to tell the real story and reinforce the positive attributes of the automobiles, they made for funny, clever spots and made a second tier carmaker memorable. With Saturn, you had just the opposite. A car company that wasn't looking to "take you for a ride."
With no haggle dealerships and a warm and fuzzy connection with its customers that included annual owner reunions at their plant in Spring Hill TN, Saturn set themselves apart not with claims of a superior product, but with a superior relationship.

Winner: Isuzu. You have my word on it.

2) Chevrolet "See the USA in your Chevrolet"
vs.
7) American Tourister, "The Gorilla"

OK, so putting an ad for luggage in the transportations division is a bit of a stretch, but we couldn't have a list without a monkey ad, and this one is a classic. Watching a gorilla "go ape" on a suitcase was funny as a kid and it is funny now. On the other hand, you have Dinah Shore espousing all that is great with America. Less than a decade removed World War 2 and with the Interstate system just a few years away, America was ready to hit the road and Chevy gave them the push they needed. Car companies continue to go to the patriotic well, from "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" to "This is our country," but this campaign did it best.

Winner: Chevrolet. They just don't write jingles like that anymore.

Monday: smoke 'em if you got 'em. It's time for the Vice Region. Everything from cigarettes to chocolate. Stay tuned.

Hi. My name is Jim and I'm addicted to March Madness. There… I said it and I've taken the first step to recovery. For 3 weeks every spring, I have a lot of trouble thinking about anything else. I'm not proud of it and my wife's not happy about it.

So in keeping with the theme, I've put together an Ad Madness tournament, pitting 32 of the best ad campaigns of all time. Over the next 4 days, I'll break down each region's matchups and pick a winner. Next Friday, I'll narrow things down and pick a winner for the tournament.

Like Jimmy V used to say, "This tournament is about one thing: survive and advance." I've tried to limit entries to one campaign per product. (You could to a whole tournament with just Coca-Cola campaigns.) Just like in the tournament, with a limited number of spots, your favorite ad might not make the big dance. Feel like I've made an unforgivable omission? Did I give your favorite ad the shaft? Want to just lash out while hiding behind the anonymity of cyber space? Drop me a line and tell me all about it at jimdoesntcarewhatyouthink@yahoo.com.

So with that, let's take a look at the first round matchups in the Food & Drink Region, being played in Des Plaines, Illinois, home of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's Franchise:

1) McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today"
vs.
8) Burger King "Have it Your Way"

McDonald's is the 800lb gorilla in this tournament. Over the years, they have created an entire world of advertising characters led by the redheaded harbinger of high cholesterol himself, Ronald McDonald. They have one of the most recognizable icons in advertising, the golden arches. Their campaigns consistently have smart copy and catchy jingles. (I can still tell you how to make a Big Mac, and that jingle hasn't run in years.) On the other hand, Burger King comes into the tournament with a recent history of scattered campaigns, none of which seemed to gain any traction. (Hootie in a cowboy outfit anyone?) But in the 70's they had a rock-solid campaign with a solid point of differentiation, that they would make your burger the way you wanted it.

Winner: McDonalds in a rout.

4) Coca-Cola "Have a Coke and a Smile"
vs.
5) Maxwell House "Good to the Last Drop"

Mean Joe Greene faces off against The Wicked Witch of the West in this huge first round match up. The Joe Greene spot is a perennial favorite on top ad lists. It not only makes use of a huge sports icon of the time, but gets beyond the pigeonhole of sports marketing with a warm and fuzzy end that makes non-sports fans say "awwwww." On the other side, we have an ad that you just couldn't make today. Ten seconds in, the husband takes a cheap shot at his wife's coffee, in public no less. The pained look on the wife's face is so sad you have to laugh to keep from crying. (And you can almost here her thinking "You think it tastes bad now, wait until I add antifreeze to your mug tomorrow, you bastard!) Fortunately a 500-year-old Margaret Hamilton comes to the rescue with a cup of Maxwell House that makes everything better. And isn't that how every ad should work?

Winner: Coca-Cola in a nail-biter.

3) Wendys' "Where's the Beef?"
vs.
6) Life Cereal "Hey Mikey"

Wendy's had the catchphrase that was on everyone's lips and this ad made them a force in the burger wars. As much as I love a commercial featuring a pair of kids with speech impediments (something think you couldn't get past a focus group these days), not even Mikey liked his chances here.

Winner: Wendy's

2) Pepsi 'Pepsi Cola Hits the Spot"
vs
7) California Milk Processor Board "Got Milk?"

This is one of the best jingles in advertising history. (Pepsi-Cola hits the spot Twelve full ounces, that's a lot Twice as much for a nickle, too Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you.) Pepsi takes a 2 seed in the tournament, but they get matched up against the minimalist genius of the milk moustache and the and the 2 word poetry of "Got Milk." Bottom like: The ubiquitous milk campaign has perfected the celebrity endorsement and anyone who remembers the Pepsi jingle is in their late 60s and probably doesn't read many blogs, so…

Winner: Got Milk?

Tomorrow – The Transportation Region

Graphic designers and brand experts have long preached logo consistency. We do here, too. But when you can build brand awareness and equity, why not try something new?

Many brands today apply a temporary, sometimes seasonal, design element to add life and energy to their logos, and even create buzz about their brand. Google, for example, recognizes every holiday and season with logo garnish they call “doodles” on its homepage. Yahoo, The Gap, Wild Apricot and Target also seasonalize their logos all year long.

Recently, we gave Kentucky Derby Festival’s logo a seasonal look to incorporate the creative theme for this year’s Festival, A World of Fun.

When the international theme was developed for the 2008 Festival, it seemed natural to bring that feel to the corporate mark. The sphere that normally holds the Golden Pegasus became the perfect area to integrate the globe shape. The latitude and longitude lines helped add depth and define this shape. The color modification to blue and gold helped set the complete mark apart.

The industry buzz is that this technique can infuse new energy into a corporate logo, increase website traffic and build overall awareness of your brand.

I cannot wait to see what Google has to offer for Major League Baseball’s opening day what Derby Festival may have to offer in 2009.

Until then.