Tag Archives: Surprise

Just When You’ve Written Off Balloon Sculpture…

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Dennis Ryan

No one really expects to be wowed by balloon sculpture, that hackneyed, low-brow artform of a thousand lousy birthday parties. After you pass the age of six, there’s not a lot of fascination left from watching some clown pull skinny … Continue reading →

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We Can Make Marketing Or We Can Create Delight

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Dennis Ryan

Man I love surprise in advertising. The voice of the Old Spice guy, the daily Google masthead cartoons, even National Donut Day (which is today, by the way–go get your free fried dough). But sadly, surprise is all too rare.  … Continue reading →

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Play It Forward, Chapter 3: The Key Reason the Old Spice Man Achieved Viral Dominance

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Dennis Ryan

By now, most everything that needs to be written has been written about Weiden + Kennedy’s groundbreaking viral video heavyweight “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” And unlike so many pop culture mayflies that swarm up and just as … Continue reading →

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Play It Forward, Chapter 1: Identifying Criteria for Success With Viral Video

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Dennis Ryan

What makes a video viral? What do the most viral clips have in common? And what lessons can we learn to insure our video work in this space is as forward-friendly as possible? I want to spend this week exploring … Continue reading →

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A Friday Example of Awesome

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

This video exploded across the web over the past few weeks.  TItled “Epic Skateboard Video!” it captures something incredibly rare in the world of video.  But don’t take my word for it; go ahead and give it thirteen seconds… (Whoops! … Continue reading →

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In A Culture Of Infinite Choice, Surprise Is A Distinct Asset

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

Walk through your grocery store and try to count the amount of cereals. Or soft drinks. Or soup flavors. Go to your shopping mall and you’ll find not just a Foot Locker, but a Lady Foot Locker as well. It’s … Continue reading →

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A Change In Perspective

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Dennis Ryan

So many remarkable ideas incorporate an element of surprise; they combine things in a fresh way, they invent a new use for something familiar, they make us rethink our most basic assumptions. All of which is very good because we … Continue reading →

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As General Web Sophistication Grows, The Effectiveness of Simplistic Tactics Withers

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Dennis Ryan

As Louis CK says rather brilliantly, “Everything is amazing and no one’s happy.” The ready availability of technology inevitably inures people to its intrinsic wonder and possibilities through nothing more than repeated use.  As we navigate through the wild, shapeless … Continue reading →

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Why Exactly Did Jingles Die?

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Dennis Ryan

There was a time in advertising when everything was sung.  When little ditties sold everything from Miller Time (“beer after beer”) to Marvel the Mustang (“he’s almost for real!”).  Today, aside from licensed tracks from known artists, no one sings … Continue reading →

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