Cadillac and Ford

Business Insider finds that Ford has destroyed the Cadillac commercial. The "arrogant" one that talks of American values and exceptionalism. Except that certain people think it's really about a rich guy spouting off about his own coolness.

So, Ford enters with a parody of the commercial that takes a swipe at self-absorbed rich men. It uses the founder of Detroit Dirt, Pasho Murry, and her plan to make the world a better place with Urban Gardens and locally grown food.

The problem is that back in August of 2013… well before Ford came up with this snarky little gem. GM had developed the Cadillac Urban Garden Program in Detroit. GM…who makes Cadillac... is a contributor to Detroit Dirt. You can see a photo of Pashon Murry in the below image from the GM Website. Detroit Dirt lists BOTH Ford and General Motors on their website as contributors:

ASTRO COFFEE
BODMAN PLC
CARHARTT
CASCADE ENGINEERING
CITY OF DETROIT
CONTINENTAL RAIL GATEWAY
DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

FORD MOTOR COMPANY
GENERAL MOTORS
THE HAJEK FIRM
MOTOR CITY BREWERY WORKS
SOUTHWEST SOLUTIONS
TEAM DETROIT

Here's the thing. In their ad, Cadillac didn't put down one person or lifestyle. No insult was delivered to anyone. Ford's ad, on the other hand, was specifically designed to mock the Cadillac ad. N'est–ce pas? Of course, Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio described the video as “lighthearted.”
“I don’t think we’re mocking a competitor. We’re trying to showcase positive work being done in our community,” she said. (Think again, Sara.)

Personally, I don't care for snarky swipes like this or the brand of thinking that grants itself permission to take those shots. The word "Lighthearted" is spin, not truth. The ad is clearly mimicking Cadillac's ad and the "lighthearted" intent isn't to applaud Cadillac or the people who purchase their product. The intent is ugly, not lighthearted. Mature, professional people simply do not put someone down to make themselves look better. (For the record...I didn't like it when Apple did it either.)

So, time to turn in that F150, Gentlemen and get yourself a RAM or a Chevy because I don't think Ford much appreciates your hard work or your exceptionalism. (Wait. Come to think of it, I know two women that own F150s. So PEOPLE…get yourselves a different brand.)

And Pashon?
I also don't much care for people who bite the hands that help to feed them. It's manure.

#Cadillac
#pashonmurry

Womanbrandity

First published September 2013. Updated March 2014

Oh for the days of Cadillac's Kate Walsh commercials.

Compared to:

This or the "sexy long version" commercial with a James Bondish looking fellow.

No Comparison! 

What do women really want?

Far beyond connection to the brand, validation is really (really) important to brand loyalty. 

March 10th 2014 Updates:

This new Cadillac commercial is driving some people nuts. There's even petition to have it removed! No Kidding.  

American Exceptionalism is BAD because some people might feel bad that they don't have the same opportunities. In a comment I read, a protester actually said "Some people might work 3 jobs at fast food places and can't afford a nice car like this." So, in conclusion, they realized this commercial should be taken off the air since it is offensive. 

By the way… there's a new Barbie. She is described as "average" because old Barbie might make some women insecure about their bodies. 

The underlying messaging is horrible. 

Reach for the Stars has been replaced by Reach for the... Meh.

All in the story.

A well done story to promote a british food mix.

Cranky Apples = Angry Orchard

I recently ordered my first Angry Orchard Hard Cider. I've always been fond of apple cider until I found out about the arsenic. Huff Post might think low levels are acceptable but since the stuff builds up over time, I'm going to hold back.

I WAS anyway.

Now this:

(An eyePhone snap)

 It's good and it tastes exactly like cranky apples from an angry orchard.

Then, I went to the website. It's brilliant and fun. Scrolling sideways from morning to night and down into the root system of the orchard to discover the origins.


The product is fine. The Marketing is wonderful. From the whimsical name to the Fun website...

Two thumbs up.

Masculine Virtues Rock

In defense of men... Camilla also rocks.

Quote from a recent interview in the Wall Street Journal.  

"Ms. Paglia argues that the softening of modern American society begins as early as kindergarten. "Primary-school education is a crock, basically. It's oppressive to anyone with physical energy, especially guys," she says, pointing to the most obvious example: the way many schools have cut recess. "They're making a toxic environment for boys. Primary education does everything in its power to turn boys into neuters."

Politically correct, inadequate education, along with the decline of America's brawny industrial base, leaves many men with "no models of manhood," she says. "Masculinity is just becoming something that is imitated from the movies. There's nothing left. There's no room for anything manly right now." The only place you can hear what men really feel these days, she claims, is on sports radio. No surprise, she is an avid listener. The energy and enthusiasm "inspires me as a writer," she says, adding: "If we had to go to war," the callers "are the men that would save the nation.""

A Man's Man teaching an older woman how to shoot. (skeet) She nailed it time and time again. 

Waxing Moon

In South Carolina, the state flag is a Palm Tree on an Indigo background with what appears to be a waxing moon in the corner. I thought it was the coolest flag. Alas, while researching the indigo article, I found that it wasn't a moon but was, instead, a gorget. (A plate of armor that was worn around the neck)

The waxing crescent moon, however, will always been my preferred fiction. It simply fits this amazing place. I took this in early October 2013 for my Halloween greeting card. I was standing on a bridge getting eaten alive by tiny winged vampires but what a beautiful night.

Mason Murer

The art work was hung in the gallery with care with hopes that Atlanta soon would be there.

These are a few of the images that were juried into this show. Mine are the Railroad Tracks because you know I have a love of the rails and the Foggy Dock next to the rails because fog is beautiful and hard to get right. Plus, I had a transportation theme.

Smarter Consultants

Here's some unconventional wisdom. Click to read the entire post. This lends itself to what I was saying in an earlier blog post. The measuring stick used to determine those tabulations that mark as a "good" commercial is stuck in old thinking. This post speaks to the idea of the inner voice and right brain thinking. 

"Smarter Consultants help organizations improve productivity and joy in work by enabling people to make decisions that better serve other people, stakeholders. Smarter Consultants are about helping organizations improve results by empowering behaviors that improve results. Empowering behaviors is an unconventional wisdom because it is more about managing the intangibles than measuring the tangible."

Majestic Landscapes

These landscapes appear to be somewhere out west. There are large boulders, a river bed that has almost dried up in the heat, and a cave carved by the river's snow melt in the spring. On a higher peak, the snow lingers and tumbled rocks rest in its icy grip. 

The place looks like it might be somewhere in the Colorado Plateau or so its prehistoric-appearing strata or layers in the rock would suggest. The area spans over 130,000 miles in 4 states and is knowns as "Red Rock Country." 

One image, however, appears to place the area closer to an ocean with a shoreline and crashing waves.

The imagination soars. Mine did, anyway, when I first saw this place. I couldn't wait to get my camera.

It is, however, a construction site in South Carolina. 

Palmetto Bluff is building a new pier and cove on their inland waterway. 

The moral of the story:

Always keep your eye out for amazing shots, even when you find yourself in uninspiring places. 

Make a cathedral out of whatever you photograph...

"It is the Eye that says Ohhh."

Location: The award-winning Place, known as Palmetto Bluff, which is a Green Vacation Spot, 5-Star Resort, and a Residential Paradise. 

10 ads per Adweek

People in advertising really don't get it. They Really don't. 

No offense ad people... you work so hard and it seems awfully cold to bluntly say you don't get it but hang on...put down the defense mechanism for a minute. 

Step out of your box... start considering what is good and the measurements by which they are tabulated. 

These are the top commercials this week. 

The T.O.P. picks. 

The problem is that this collection is slim pickin's if you're female or if you just use your right brain a lot. 

These aren't good and no matter what the tabulating folks tell us, they're just not correct. By whose standards? By the average joe watching? The amount of money spent? There are always official ways of tabulating. But if these are good, then the methodology needs to be scrutinized. 

The top 10 from Adweek for the week of August 16th-23. 

This one.. oh she's so cute... is one I want to like. I want to like that child and her "take no crap" first day instructions. The young actor is amazing and she did a fabulous job but the commercial isn't good. The concept and message aren't good. 

Did you know that women buy 58% of the books sold? 

But in sports...Women comprise about one-third (34%) of the adult audience for ESPN sport event programs.

What if that means that what this brilliant child is telling us isn't true. What if the First Day issues for the little girls that care about getting new clothes are not going to happen on the playground? Those issue are going to be in the library. 

What if... stretch the creative brain... 

Mebbe.

Try "Winning the Library" as a theme. 

Make it fun. Make it work... and reach out to the highest and best in our children. 

Set a tone that's positive and still fierce. 

WIF, ACP, Mason, and Jane

I'm a member of Women in Focus, in Atlanta. It's a non-profit, artist-initiated organization of women photographers who have joined together to support and promote the photographic arts. It was founded in 1993 by a group of women who recognized the need for a formal network of women photographers who could assist in each others' personal, professional, and artistic growth. Women In Focus is dedicated to facilitating a forum for open dialogue regarding photography in all of its forms. 

Again this autumn, WIF is taking part in Atlanta Celebrates Photography. ACP is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the cultivation of the photographic arts and the enrichment of the Atlanta art community. 2013 marks the 15th Anniversary of ACP.

ACP hosts an annual, citywide photography festival in October: The Atlanta Celebrates Photography Festival. This is a huge event and amazing photography will be displayed throughout the city from Fine Galleries to tiny corners of coffeeshops. Art and Culture are everywhere. 

The WIF artwork will be on display at Mason Murer Fine Art and 37 of our member Photographers were juried into the WIF Show by none other than Jane Jackson of Jackson Fine Art. 

I'm please to report that two of my images will be among the work being presented. 

It is quite an honor!