The 11th Comandment - Thou shall Facebook

I had to do a double take when this image caught my eye on Ideate
The Bible is God's Facebook! Well holy cow, I didn't know he needed friends.

This got me thinking about religion and social media. Can you really find God online? Do more young people find a connection to religion online than in church? I have to ask myself, is social media the new bingo??
So, I started to do some searching. I guess I've been living under a rock (or maybe just not paying attention). I found xianz, mychurch and holypal (chuckle chuckle- that just makes me giggle when I read it for some reason). There is obviously a large religious youth demographic out there. So what better way to reach, reel in and develop life long followers. Put up a billboard that reminds them of Facebook?

I searched on Facebook for the Christian Lifestyle Camps Bay Group and found they had 102 members. I wonder if the billboard was a success for them?


Kristine
Lunch today - a slice of mushroom and pineapple pizza from Luigi's -

Feet on the Street

As "they say", you can learn a lot about youth by the shoes on their feet. Without meaning to be hyper judgmental (confession, I am a sneaker freaker), the footwear a person identifies with even more so than other fashion, typically is a direct reflection of their personality, the subcultures they belong too and manytimes a window into their level of influence among peers. When developing influencer marketing programs or research projects I can't help but scope out what young people choose to grip the ground and I believe if you know what your looking for it can help anyone better know their target audience.

Yep it's certainly a subjective way of seeing the youth demo, but ya gotta admit it's insightful and kinda fun!

So lets break down a few brands. I wear therefore I am...

TOM's Shoes - "I'm down with helping cloth the kids, artistic, fashion forward and probably not in dire need of arch support" If I am looking to connect with the socially conscious kid I've found em.

VAN's Half Cab - "I'm down with old school skate culture or relate to it cuz of my family or older friends, punk and rock music scenes are me, and I prefer a sturdy shoe for some reason or another" If I am looking to connect with the tougher, more hardcore male youth I've found em.

Nike Dunks - "I'm original just like everyone else :), depending on the series am a collector, appreciate high quality and comfort" If I am looking to connect with the style conscious mainstream here ya have it. Of course here you also need to know what's up since many of the sought after vintage and limited edition models are owned by the most influential people out there.

Sketchers - "I'm just flowing with the mainstream river, into quality and an affordable price, not overly fashion conscious" If I am looking to connect with broad mainstream youth, slightly more conservative types who want to fit in, I've spotted em dead on.




And by the way if you never thought (or wished) boat shoes would be adopted by youth-culture influentials, check out the new brand radiifootwear debuting at MAGIC . I personally think some of their cleaner looking models are pretty tight, but after 6th grade vowed to never wear a boat shoe again :)

Gregg - Partner
Lunch today: Fred's, quesadilla jam packed with rice and shrimp, mmmmmm

Mad For Mad Men

A couple of weeks ago, and in record time, my husband and I plowed through an entire season of another TV series. Mad Men.

Based in the fabulous era of the 60s, AMC brings us the story of Don Draper, Art Director of an ad agency on Madison Avenue (hence the term "Mad" Men), his associates and their family lives. For anyone that has ever worked in marketing, and in particular, at one of the large agencies, you'll find this show almost eerily spot on, and exactly how one would imagine during this time in American history.

The writing is brilliant and the often intense dialogue between characters will have you hooked after the first episode.

Another reason to tune in, the design aesthetics of the 1960s are wonderful. Pure mid-century modern, simple and elegant. I have my eye on a few ceramic lamps and would take nearly any of the furniture.

One thing I find quite interesting is that the characters are pretty much smoking the entire time. It's amazing to realize just how much people probably smoked then, how much it was a part of every day life, and how acceptable it once was. In the office, in bed, while pregnant, everywhere and at anytime. The way women and minorities were treated, no seat belts in cars, and children mixing drinks for their parents, are just some of the many other social differences to note.

Season Two of Mad Men recently started on AMC. It's not too late to find season one, all the way through last week's episodes On Demand. I highly recommend you catch up, and watch this Sunday at 10 PM PST!



- Trish, Account Executive
Lunch today: Pokez Tofu Nachos and a Diet Coke

"The Hills" are alive (with marketing opportunities)!

The popularity of reality television with the youth demographic is no secret. With hits like The Hills, The Real World, Rob & Big, Making the Band, and Run's House MTV has created a world of marketing opportunities for brands looking to catch the ever-wandering eye of tweens and teens.

For instance, the recently aired 4th season premiere of The Hills boasted a viewership of over 3.5 million, most of those eyes belonging to viewers between 12 and 34 years of age. With statistics like these, a marketer can't help but wonder how to leverage these reality tv giants for the benefit of the products and services we represent. (MTV reality programming holds 5 of the top 10 programs for product placement occurrences in the first quarter of 2008.)


The Hills has rocketed many brands into the spotlight over the last 3 seasons and is sure to only continue to do so on the fourth (and final?) installment. LA clubs Hyde and Foxtail, fixtures in the nightlife of the cast, have become must-see tourist spots for traveling 20-somethings.

The brilliant people at Mystic Tan took the opportunity to feature their tanning salons on The Real World: Key West. The cast members were required to learn exactly what it takes to open and manage their own Mystic Tan salon. As a result of this very rare (and enormous) product placement, Mystic Tan saw a 75% jump in their website hits during the airing of the episodes.


But, success with product placement in reality tv doesn't apply only to the hospitality and tourism industry as you may suspect.

Jeep converted one of their signature Wranglers into a bar for the Denver season of The Real World. This unique house feature was prominent in nearly every episode. Jeep also ran a contest for viewers to win their very own Jeep Wrangler as a supporting promotion.

And, Teen Vogue, where two cast members of The Hills work, has seen a 4.6% increase in circulation since becoming a part of the show.

So, while youth are conditioned to seeing brands in their tv programs, one has to wonder if "real" people using brands is more impactful to them?

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch today: grilled cheese, jalapeno macaroni, sweet potato fries (yeah, I'm stuffed)

Effective Use of Music in Advertisements

Is it just me, or have TV advertisers been using some really good music these days?

I mean, the other night I was about to fall asleep when I heard a catchy song coming through the television.  I opened my eyes and actually watched the commercial, all the while humming along to the tune.  I took note of who the advertisement was for (Acura, btw).

Harnessing the inner-nerd in me, I actually did a search for the commercial the next morning just to find out what the song was ("Let the Drummer Kick" by Citizen Cope).  This has started a recurring problem for me. I am constantly finding myself hearing a song on an advertisement and running to my laptop to Google it (yeah, so maybe I don't have anything better to do).

While this may not be the exact reaction that Acura was hoping for when creating their spot, I have to admit in a random way I am thinking about their cars when I hear that song now.  And it certainly can't hurt that I actually searched and viewed their commercial spot online.  

I have never been somebody to pay close attention to commercials, especially since I discovered the DVR.  The sheer fact that I can hear an unknown song and immediately associate a brand with it amazes me.

Here are some of the ads featuring music that have caught my attention in the last few weeks.

Dell 

Song - "Colors" by Kira Willey

Macbook Air

Song - "New Soul" by Yael Naim

And Lastly, the one that started it all for me...

Acura

Song - "Let the Drummer Kick" by Citizen Cope

Is this happening to anyone else?

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager

Lunch today: cheese ravioli and a nectarine

Operation Purple Summer Camp Programs are a Success!

Premise teamed up with the National Military and Family Association to provide no-cost, high-energy youth summer camps at isolated military locations, from Guantanamo Bay to Japan.

The experience allowed children of service members to participate in inspiring instructional skateboard camps focusing on skills, style, and discipline, which help create a positive attitude in and out of the skatepark environment. Premise sent professional skateboarders (and good friends) Chad Knight, Falco Baltys, Kenny Anderson, and Steve Nesser to lead the camps.

The project has come to an end and the outcome was impactful and memorable for both campers and instructors.

Check out this awesome video one of the campers made at the Yokosuka camp!



If you'd like to hear more about this amazing project, please feel free to contact us or leave a comment.

- Lindsay, Campaign Manager