Monthly Archives: July 2010

A Simple Thought as We Head Into Another Delightful Summer Weekend…

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

This from the marvelous omgthatrocks.com.  Have a wonderfully non-boring weekend. d By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Element 79 d Bookmark It Hide Sites

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The Universal Power of Surprise, Exhibit B: Imaginative Baby Snapshots

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

It’s hard to take a good snapshot of an infant.  They can barely hold their heads up and have a continual tendency to nod off, which inevitably squishes up their faces and spoils the picture.  If you want a good … Continue reading →

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The Rise of this Misinformation Age

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

I blame Y2K. Or more specifically, the hysteria that built up over the moment the clocks would hit the first second of the year 2000.  At that point, every computer and microchip would…well, they would do something.  Something awful, something … Continue reading →

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Mass Participation and the Propagation of Memes

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

As recently as twenty years ago, pop culture ideas used to last a few years: parachute pants, pet potbellied pigs, the Super Bowl Shuffle…  Over time, as communication platforms began to supersede regionality and even nationality, those lifespans began to … Continue reading →

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The Final Nail in the Coffin of Digital Separatism

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

Maybe it’s the economy or the beleaguered nature of marketing in general, but the aggressive proclamations about a purely online future have died down over the past six months.  Perhaps there’s finally recognition that television is not dying as an … Continue reading →

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Were Your Parents Ever Awesome?

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

Of course they were.  Dad wasn’t always the guy who came home at six and plopped down on the La-Z-Boy, reading the paper until dinner was ready…  And your Mom didn’t grow up dreaming she’d be a scold, reminding you … Continue reading →

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Swing and a Miss: The Fascinating World of Failed Breakfast Cereals

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

Somewhere, sometime, some brand manager saw some idea–something that from our distant objective viewpoint stands as an obviously lousy concept–and thought: “this is gonna be big.” At least, you hope someone did.  Otherwise, there’s absolutely no explanation for General Mills’ … Continue reading →

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Creativity: It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

The only quote about advertising I’ve ever committed to memory that wasn’t uttered by Bill Bernbach is this wonderful thought from the late Jay Chiat: “Creative is not a department.” Creativity should never be the sole provence of one group. … Continue reading →

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In A World of Empowered Word of Mouth, Customer Service Is Crucial

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

It just makes sense.  As DDB CEO Chuck Brymer put it in his book “SWARM”: “These days, if you have a bad experience at a Burger King, 147 FaceBook friends know about it in five minutes.”  Our ubiquitous social networks … Continue reading →

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A Devastatingly Accurate Graphic Representation of Retweeting on Twitter

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

It takes a few months of playing around on Twitter to get a handle on all the hashtags, the follow Fridays and other arcania of the platform.  Candidly, I’m still largely ignorant of its master level details. But I stumbled … Continue reading →

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