Recently Dodge ran a commercial for their summer Tent Event in which a chimpanzee, dressed a la daredevil Evil Knievel, celebrates by detonating a miniature cannon loaded with confetti. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lodged a complaint against the auto manufacturer for using a chimp in the ad.
Rather than engage in a war of words, Dodge remained invisible on the issue. That is, they digitally removed any trace of Suzie the chimpanzee leaving only a walking daredevil outfit, now referring to the non-chimp as an invisible monkey.
This brilliant solution accomplished two things. It appeased PETA. And generated a great deal of free publicity for the carmaker. Among other respected sources of news, The London Daily Mail online and the Los Angeles Times—not to mention the Hodgson/Meyers blog—have reported on the event.
Kudos to the car company and its advertising agency, Wieden + Kennedy, for taking the complaint seriously and for using it to increase awareness for both PETA and the sale of Dodge cars and trucks.
Today, August 13th, is International Left-Handers Day. It’s estimated that between seven and ten percent of the world’s population is so inclined. At H/M, southpaws constitute a full 25% of our staff, proof positive that our Business-to-Business agency is at least 250% above average. This is the type of statistic that only a left-hander could conceive, and I should know because I am one.
One more thing: It’s been scientifically proven that creativity resides in the right side of the brain, which controls the left side of the body. This explains why so many creative people are left-handed. Skeptical? Famous left-handers of the world include Einstein, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Worcester, as in our own senior art director, Charlie.
Competing against more than 17,500 other runners, Gina clocked a rapid 1:32:32 over the 13.1-mile course, good enough for 44th place among all women finishers, and 192nd overall.
Gina first found her stride playing soccer at Lewis & Clark High School (Spokane, WA) as an outside midfielder. Seeing her speed down the sidelines, the school’s track coach recruited her for his girl’s team. Smart move. By the time Gina was a senior she regularly qualified for the state track meet in the 400 meters. And more than 10 years later, still holds a number of the school’s top marks in the 400 and 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relays.
“I just love to run,” says the trim 5’6” Auffant. “My competitive juices get going and I just can’t help trying to pass the runners ahead of me one by one.”
After passing thousands of runners in Seattle, Gina was so encouraged by the experience that she’s planning to run the Girlfriends’ Half in Vancouver WA later this year to support breast caner awareness. Seems not only is Ms. Auffant a quick study, she’s quick to support worthy causes, too.
In the world of business-to-business advertising, every so often client and creative planets align just right so as to produce a sterling piece of work—one that turns out exactly as it was drawn up. Such was the case when agency Hodgson/Meyers teamed up with client UC4 to produce a flash video as a showcase introduction to the latter’s website. Take a look for yourself: UC4 Rethinks Automation
With blue chip clients from Siemens, Shell and Suzuki to GE, Gucci and Goodrich, UC4 is a global leader in business automation software. For B2B Top 100 Agency Hodgson/Meyers the task was to develop a Web video that not only explained what UC4 did, but do so in an accessible and entertaining fashion.
As with similar success stories, this was most certainly a team effort. UC4 Chief Marketing Officer Fred Kahout and Director of eMarketing Paul Rosien provided company insight. H/M Director of Account Planning Jason Frummet and Project Manager Lea Loya gave strategic guidance, while partners Tim Hodgson and Gary Meyers offered brand direction. All that was left to do for graphic designer Charlie Worcester, Web master Craig Labenz and writer Gary Graf was translate those marketing thoughts into creative genius.
Key to the concept was the combination of rhythmic—dare we say, poetic—copy and imaginative—nay, truly inspired—design and flash animation that brought to life the difficult-to-convey concept of business automation.
(From top left, moving clockwise: The word “communicate” connects two animated servers; Servers rotate and mesh as if gears in operation; Camera pulls back from a line of servers to reveal a conductor’s baton as enterprises orchestrate; Black and white server squares make up a city skyline and cloud, showing that UC4 works on site, in the cloud and everywhere in between.)
Agency and client collaborated on the project through a sequence of storyboards, test footage and refinement. UC4’s graphic standards (developed by Charlie) provided the color palette for the animation. Mr. Rosien’s background as a drummer influenced the techno-percussive beat. And UC4 voice Kevin Crawford provided the narration.
The result? A lively, engaging animated story that visually reflects the power of UC4’s ability to integrate and orchestrate business processes, all to help automate and accelerate companies’ growth.
All in a day’s (well, several days’) work for the team at Hodgson/Meyers
When Tim Hodgson and Gary Meyers formed their eponymous business-to-business advertising agency more than 16 years ago, they sought a Chairman of the Board who could represent. Someone who could reflect their views on creative marketing: that it should be big, effective and visually striking.
Quite naturally, they chose a pileated woodpecker. Working as true partners, Meyers suggested the pileated woody and Hodgson chose the spokesbird’s name—Spike, for his striking red crest. Spike’s loud hammering and colorful appearance inspired H/M’s rallying cry for its clients: Make noise. Get noticed.
Now, after adorning business cards, letterhead, company walls and more, Spike finally has his name up in lights. Well, his image and the agency’s name anyway. Recently, H/M hoisted a large sign to note its Kirkland, Washington headquarters. Agency e-pro master (and noted birdwatcher) Willem Buys braved rain, wind and cold to photographically document the event.
The result? 900 images condensed into a 21-second video complete with music showing the installation in all its (abbreviated) glory. Typically, the pileated woodpecker can be found in forested areas with deciduous trees. However, for one rockin’ bird, a brick façade will do just fine.
A palpable sadness crept into my being last Wednesday evening. I lost a good friend—someone who I never actually met, but who I’ve known for a long time and who had brought me great joy over the years. You see, on June 2, 2010, Ken Griffey, Junior retired from baseball.
Like hundreds of thousands of fans in Seattle, I followed the exploits of The Kid from his early years roaming center field in that concrete mausoleum known as The Kingdome to his prime time in Safeco Field, arguably the House the Junior built. I thrilled to many of his 417 big flies he walloped as a Seattle Mariner and sat in slack-jawed amazement at his countless acrobatic, gravity defying catches in the outfield.
On October 8, 1995 I was fortunate enough to be in the Kingdome when Griffey scored from second base on Edgar Martinez’s single to score the deciding run in 11th inning in the Mariners’ improbable playoff series win against The Evil Empire, aka the New York Yankees. Euphoria erupted. Those of us on hand poured out of The Kingdome into Pioneer Square as if liquid energy. Seeing as though the national pastime lost its luster due to the strike of 1994, many have credited the Mariner/Yankee series with nothing less than saving baseball.
However, as much as I will miss Number 24’s sweet swing and graceful defense, Griffey’s retirement represents a much more poignant loss—that of a part of my youth. True, I’m old enough to be Junior’s senior. But when George Kenneth Griffey, Jr. stepped between the foul lines, it was as if time stood still. As long as he wore the uniform I felt as young as when he first broke into The Show 22 years ago. Even his nicknames—Junior, The Kid—reflected the youngster in us all. Simply put, his love of the game reminded me of the joy of youth.
Yet, at the same time he has hung up glove and cleats, Ken Griffey has given me one last gift—not just the recollection of a glorious career, but a reminder that life is about change. Chapters end, new stories begin. Though I may grow old, I can still feel young at heart. And, maybe most importantly, embrace and appreciate life today so it will indeed be able to become a fond memory tomorrow.
Recently, Forbes.com named Seattle America’s most miserable sports city. I, for many, take exception to the report. As a senior copywriter in the Seattle area—I have hometown honor to defend. As an author of three sports-related books, I have a love of the games our teams play.
Forbes based their misery rankings on comparisons between the number of postseason appearances by a city’s teams and titles won, the ratio of total seasons to championships, the number of years since the city won a title, and franchises leaving town. (What about venues of play? Fan loyalty? And the all-important quality of concession stands?) To qualify for consideration, cities had to have accumulated 75 MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL seasons combined.
Okay, I admit that having the Seattle Sonics leave town to become the Oklahoma City Thunder left a dark cloud over the city. But let’s be honest. With Seattle’s rainy season, we’re used to having dark clouds overhead. Not having a basketball franchise within our city limits doesn’t mean we don’t have a team to cheer for. Local boyz making good from the ’hood include Brandon Roy, Martell Webster, Marvin Williams, Aaron Brooks, Spencer Hawes and Jamal Crawford, to name a starting five and 6th man of the year. What’s more, our roundball fanatics cheered the University of Washington Husky hoopsters into the Sweet 16 of the most recent NCAA tournament.
Sure, the Mariners are have never played in the World Series, but their thrilling 1995 playoff series with the Yankees is generally credited with saving baseball. As Casey Stengel once said, “You can look it up.” Just because the Ms are offensively challenged this season doesn’t mean we’re miserable. Ask any baseball fan worth his weight in roasted peanuts and he or she will tell you that catching a game at Safeco Field is close to a heavenly experience. Thanks to the stadium’s retractable roof, there’s never a rain out. Plus, Mariner fans enjoy the “Best Ballpark Eats in America” as nominated by Food Network. Our team may lose a game or ten, but we leave The Safe fully satisfied.
Now it’s true our football Seahawks have fallen upon hard times recently. But if not for Seattle’s losing to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL the Pittsburgh franchise would never have won one for the thumb (aka their fifth NFL championship). While Seattle’s recent play may not be a thing of beauty, Qwest Field certainly is. New coach Pete Carroll and a promising draft have raised the hopes of ’Hawk nation. While on the collegiate side of the ball, the UW Huskies won five more games than the previous season. Did Texas or Florida win five more games last year? I think not.
What Forbes also fails to take into account is that Seattle is not just bound by the four traditional sports of baseball, football, basketball and hockey. The Husky women’s softball team took the 2009 NCAA title. Our Seattle Sounders joined Major League Soccer last year and made an immediate impact—making the playoffs and capturing the U.S. Open Cup. The Seattle Storm won the WNBA title in 2004 and is poised to do so again this season. And the Seattle Stealth completed the inaugural National Lacrosse League season as—wait for it—champions.
All of which gives Seattle sports fans plenty to cheer about.
