Category: Advertising & Marketing

Google Chrome and Movember

Posted on by Emilie Buckman

In my opinion, Google Chrome has some of the best television commercials on TV right now.  For me, the commercials are always well planned and thoughtful. I am not embarrassed to say that the Dear Sophie commercial left me teary eyed!  The ads are fairly simple when you think about them but maybe that’s what is remarkable.  Some are just collection of images that we see every day:  searching Google, watching a video on YouTube, comment sections, social media, etc.

Considering I am predisposed to like Chrome ads, I was pretty excited when I saw their latest one, Movember. (Movember is an excuse to for dudes to grow a mustache for the month of November.) For those of you who don’t know me, I’m also predisposed to like facial hair! While it started out as something silly to do, it’s actually become a platform to raise awareness and money for men’s health issues, like prostate cancer. Now men all over the world now grow their mustaches for a purpose.

For me this whole concept is fantastic!  Sometimes it seems the push for cancer awareness and prevention tends to be dominated by women.  While men participate, it never seems to be the main target of most campaigns.  With the Movember campaign taking a more male-centered approach, it has a real chance of making a big impact. I mean seriously, men seem to really enjoy having any reason to grow a mustache!

I love Movember and I love Google Chrome for spreading the word for such a good cause.  And if I could grow a mustache (thank the lord, I can’t!), I would be sporting a handlebar one right now to support the cause!

Don’t mess with Wisconsinites and their cheese

Posted on by Brian Lee

I have to start this post with a disclaimer: I am seriously biased on the topic of cheese. I was born and raised in Green Bay, Wis., where cheese is a way of life!  Needless to say, I am pretty fond of cheese and don’t plan on giving it up any time soon.

The reason I bring this up is in response to a billboard the non-profit organization called Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recently sponsored near Lambeau Field.  With an ominous Grim Reaper on the side of the billboard warning “Cheese Can Sack Your Health,” PCRM took a strong anti-cheese stance in a notoriously pro-cheese state. It’s definitely a bold move.  In my opinion, it’s not a smart move but a bold one nonetheless.

Now, I am in no way disputing cheese can have negative effects on your health. But I can’t understand what goal PCRM intended for this billboard. Wisconsinites were not the right audience for such a misguided message. In Wisconsin, dairy is not only a prominent industry, but also a source of state pride.  People proudly don cheese-shaped hats and willingly call themselves Cheeseheads! Did PCRM really think people were going to look favorably on this billboard?

Maybe, PCRM thought the divisive billboard would increase its visibility and make people talk, which it did.  But do I think the billboard stopped anyone from putting cheddar on their burgers or ordering some deep-fried cheese curds, the answer is a resounding NO.  Don’t mess with Wisconsin and cheese, just don’t!

I can be the talent, too

Posted on by Brian Lee

A couple of months ago, the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau asked me to be a part of its fall marketing campaign, to which I quickly answered YES!

We did photo shoots at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, Capitol Chophouse (at 10 a.m. for a romantic dinner) and the downtown location of the Great Dane (at 11 a.m. for a post-football game celebration) in mid-August.

I’ve been on the other side of the shoots before, telling the talent how to pose and the photographer/videographer what I want shot/filmed. It was interesting being on the other side–I hope my perspective made me easier to work with!

It also was nice working with Kate Dale, the marketing manager that I knew through a mutual friend, and John Maniaci, the photographer with whom I used to work at the Wisconsin State Journal.

So, do you want to see the results? Click through all the links on the following landing page to see the photos: http://www.visitmadison.com/food/