Weather is news when it is extreme. It generates a lot of word of mouth and sharing. And the last couple weeks have been host to some pretty crazy weather in Canada. Eastern provinces have been hammered by extreme cold. The west, Vancouver specifically where I live, has seen unseasonably warm with sunny conditions. Basically we have flowers and they have snow. This bizarre … [Read more...]
5 Super Bowl spots that deserve acolades for creative or strategy
Super Bowl Sunday came and went with great fanfare, even if it was just for the half time show. Seriously, didn't Katy Perry rock it? The game was filled with drama and tense moments, that can only be summed up as, "The Patriots won the game, but really Seattle lost it." What a nail biter ending. Here on the South Coast, which is darn close to Seattle's Pacific North West, it … [Read more...]
2014 Top 10 Marketing Wall of Fame & Wall of Shame
I was inspired to pull some thoughts together on this when I was approached by a producer at CBC TV to add a Vancouver spin to a national "Marketing Fails 2014" piece they were airing by Dianne Buckner. If you'd like to view that segment, which aired Dec 29, 2014 you can link to it here. CBC Vancouver Marketing Fails 2014: Rene Filiponne interviews marketing strategist, … [Read more...]
Christmas ads and the power of storytelling
I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for sentimental. With only a slight guilty conscience I will readily confess to harboring my kid’s kindergarten works of art, old letters from friends, and photo albums filled with childhood memories in treasured locations throughout my house. I’ll also readily admit to being a sucker for history. I was that weird kid in high school who actually … [Read more...]
Branding with emotion and giving presence this holiday season
Two much-loved global brands (with Canadian roots), Westjet and Lululemon, take the spirit of the season awards this week for marketing initiatives that stand out in a month traditionally fueled with excess and consumption madness. Hot on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes Lululemon’s holiday campaign “Give presence,” as well as the third in a trilogy from … [Read more...]
