September 8, 2008

Genius or just bizarre?

The ad world is all a buzz about the new Microsoft Windows commercial featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. It’s a bit hokey, rather long, and, well, it just doesn’t make any sense. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Ad Age calls it “a classic Crispin Porter oddity” - Crispin Porter is the ad agency that created the commercial, and is known for its creativity and its ability to resurrect brands with such ads as the King character for Burger King, embracing the “tiny” for Mini Cooper, the “Truth” smoking campaign.

Microsoft had to bring out the big guns, as over the past two years it has been single-handedly rebranded by Apple in their “Mac vs. PC” ads. Says Rob Enderle, an advisory analyst for tech companies, in the profile on Fast Company, “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a major national campaign that disparages a competitor, and the competitor just sits back and takes it.”

Well Microsoft isn’t taking it any longer, and it has brought on ad icon, Alex Bogusky, the bigshot at Crispin Porter, to help fight back. But is it working? Well, you may not think so after watching the commercial. But if you didn’t understand, rest assured - nobody did. It’s a “teaser ad” - the first commercial in a larger campaign, often “designed mainly to attract attention, and [will be] followed by other ads that explain the true message of the marketing effort.”

I look forward for what’s to come. Especially if Jerry’s featured. Apparently Microsoft may reinvent cool. Says Andrew Keller, co-exec at CP, about the ads to come, “To try to be cool is to not be cool. To chase cool, you’re chasing something that already exists, which means you’re always going to be on the wrong side of it, you’ll always be following.”

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September 7, 2008
One quadrillion seventy two trillion four hundred and eighteen billion and three million dollars only
Zimbabwean dollars, that is. To help curb the country’s 11.2 million percent inflation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe cut ten 0’s off of the currency. This check was written just prior to that. (via investment postcards from cape town)

One quadrillion seventy two trillion four hundred and eighteen billion and three million dollars only

Zimbabwean dollars, that is. To help curb the country’s 11.2 million percent inflation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe cut ten 0’s off of the currency. This check was written just prior to that. (via investment postcards from cape town)

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September 6, 2008

QQs: The Republican National Convention

Why did Lieberman speak at the RNC? Isn’t he a Democrat?
Why no, he’s not. He’s been an “Independent Democrat” since 2006.  He spoke at the convention because “country matters more than party.”

Did Palin really sell the government plane on eBay?
No. She did put it on eBay but it was later sold by a plane broker for $2.1 million. Palin’s predecessor, Frank Murkowski, used state money to buy the plane for $2.7 million. (thanks Nick and Matt for the heads up.)

What was the Bridge to Nowhere?
A proposed bridge from Ketchikan, Alaska to Ketchikan International Airport on Gravina Island, Alaska. It would replace the ferry and was projected to cost about $400 million. It was proposed in 2005 and was cancelled by Palin in 2007, indicating the funds could be better used elsewhere.

What is the SPR?
It’s the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, America’s emergency supply of oil. We currently have 707.2 million barrels of oil as of August 29, the largest emergency supply in the world.

Drill Baby Drill?
Um, no. That’s not going to cure what ails us. The EIA estimates drilling in the ANWR would lower the price of oil by a mere $1.44 per barrel, at most.

Is it true Obama abstained from 130 Senate votes?
Yes, Obama voted “present” 129 times during his eight years in the Illinois Senate. But “not all ‘present’ votes are cowardly… I think he believed that he was doing the right thing, because something, in his mind, might have been unconstitutional,” says Rich Miller, who writes and publishes The Capitol Fax, a daily newsletter and blog on Illinois politics.

Giuliani really went full throttle didn’t he?
Yep.

How old is Mrs. McCain?
96.

How old is Mrs. McCain?
54.

Why can’t McCain raise his arms?
As a prisoner of war in Vietnam, he was tortured by having his head tied between his ankles with his arms behind him, where he was left for hours. It so badly hurt his shoulders that he cannot raise his arms above his head.

We all know the story about how McCain was released from Vietnamese prison early, but elected to stay. But why was he chosen to leave?
He states in his reflections that he was allowed to go home early because his father was a high ranking admiral. Did you know that McCain’s family has a tradition of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War?

How does McCain have a Bangladeshi daughter?
Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Theresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh in 1991 and met an infant with a cleft palate so severe the orphanage could not feed her properly. Fearing she could not be saved, Cindy took the child home wtih her to save her life. After the long flight with the child, she decided the baby would be joining her family.

Does McCain really vote against Vets?
He voted against various amendments that would provide money to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for healthcare.

Does anyone remember when McCain was almost left the Republican party?
You should, he did it twice. In 2001, he had discussions with Democrats about leaving the GOP. Then again in 2004, he apparently considered becoming Kerry’s running mate on a Democratic ticket.

And as for a stated plan?
He didn’t outline hard plans in his speech, but played more to his integrity, his service to our country, and his ability to cross party lines. Though I did get the following:
- keep taxes low; create more jobs
- cut government spending
- non government run healthcare system
- offshore drilling, as well as investment and research into nuclear, renewables, and clean coal
- equal access to education for all
- limiting power of teachers unions
- wage insurance for laid off factory workers

Is McCain the next Bush?
No. But that’s just my opinion. I thought this article about the “frenemies” was pretty interesting.

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September 5, 2008
McCain gets a Wordle too.

McCain gets a Wordle too.

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September 4, 2008

is your bank on the skids?

Check TheStreet.com’s new Bank & Thrift Index. There are 2518 ranked D or lower in the US.

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