AdMavericks Gets Face Lift

by Josh Fleming on September 2, 2010

Welcome to the new AdMavericks! If you’re a regular reader, you’ll notice a lot of new features and updates to our current site. If you’re new to AdMavericks, thanks for joining the party! I encourage all of you to read to the end of this post because we want your feeedback and there’s something it for you. Here’s what’s changed.

User Interface
Cleaner look with less clutter. Content should be easier to find. Engagement level with us should be enhanced.

Sharing Tools
An enhanced Twitter widget and a new Facebook widget. We want you to follow us on social platforms and we’re hoping we’ve made it easier to do so, no matter what mediums you use. Check out the social bookmarks at the bottom of our posts (Digg, Google Buzz, Stumble Upon, Twitter & Facebook)

Redesigned Authors Widget
We think knowing the authors will help you better explore the site. For example, you may hate what I write about (I’m a realist) but Jess Held’s take on branding, PR and event marketing is really why you’re here. Find Jess’s latest content on the home page and here.

More Lessing-Flynn Love
Links directly to our site to minimize any confusion as to who is behind the aviators and flight suits. We’ve even added a footer.

New Header (Coming soon!)
Almost everyone at Lessing-Flynn contributes to the AdMavericks blog. No sense in just putting the authors on there. This is a group effort and should be marketed as such. No worries though, we’ll still be keeping the flight suits and aviators.

Change in Platform
We’ve moved from a WordPress.com platform to a WordPress.org platform. This may seem like semantics to non-bloggers, but a lot of the changes outlined above were not doable on our old platform.

None of this would have been possible without the work of WordPress ninja Andy Brudtkuhl of 48 Web. Seriously, the guy is absolute stud when it comes to WordPress site development. I don’t have enough words to express the satisfaction the Lessing-Flynn team has for Andy’s work. If you’re in need of some blog love, trust me, give the guy a call.

So what’s in it for you?
We want your feedback. Please leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. What you like, what you hate, what would make this site better for you. Best recommendation that gets implemented will win two free tickets to the DSM: SUSHIBOMB on September 19 at Jasper Winery. We’ll let Andy Brudtkuhl assist with the judging. Fire away!!!


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Bills White Wall: They got tires and S#!t

by Josh Fleming on August 27, 2010

Have you ever heard of Bill’s White Wall? I went there for a tire about ten years ago when I had a flat downtown. Haven’t thought about them since. Until this morning as I am driving into work and hear a radio ad for them on Lazer 103.3.

Click this link to check out the most memorable radio spot I’ve heard in my life. Listen the whole way through. Brilliant, right? The thing I love about it is that I remembered the end jingle, the winning jingle, the one with the company name in it: “Bills White Wall, they got tires and s#!t.” – Simple. Easy to remember. Fun to sing.

So, too risky? I don’t think so. I mean, these guys sell tires and s#!t. See, it’s effective. What does a company that sells tires and s#!t really have to lose? We’re not talking about financial investments or renewable energy. We’re talking about tires and s#!t.

There was a movie in 1990 called “Crazy People” starring Dudley Moore as an ad executive. His approach was total honesty in advertising.

Buy Volvos: They’re boxy but they’re good, and Metamucil: It helps you go to the toilet. If you don’t use it, you’ll get cancer and die.

I’m not suggesting you drop profanity into your tagline, but some of you brands out there would benefit from taking a risk.

-Author: Josh Fleming
www.lessingflynn.com


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Meet my nine year old daughter, Grace. She is a dynamic, energetic, athletic and extremely sharp girl, who is also extremely passionate about NFL football, and particularly, the Pittsburg Steelers.  Her room is painted gold, her bed displays the full NFL limited bedding collection and multiple posters, trading cards, super bowl and playoff caps adorn the walls of her room along with a new collection of “terrible towels”. She knows the history of the team, all of the players, their stats and she is tuned in to ESPN everyday, both via satellite and internet. Every mothers dream!!! (Ahem, could we take an art class please?)

Recently, Grace and I had a discussion, which completely reaffirmed my thoughts and intuitions about image branding. Last year when I heard the rumblings of Ben Roethlisberger’s alleged lawsuits I knew I was going to have to have a talk with Grace. Eventually she asked me about what was going on and why people were accusing “Big Ben” of all these bad things. I basically gave her the “G-rated” version of the Ben allegations and tried to explain why he was in trouble.

Shortly after, I notice Grace’s room is missing a few posters (Roethlisberger), a few football cards no longer in the frame (Roethlisberger) and I found an NFL jersey in the garage sale bag in the closet (Roethlisberger).

I have spent a great deal of time thinking through Grace’s decision to eliminate Big Ben from her list of NFL superstars.  I assured myself that it all comes down to character, which is a key attribute and fundamental foundation of business we all tend to underestimate, everyday. No matter what product you are trying to sell, what message you are trying to market or what promises you are trying to advertise to your customer base…at the end of the day what truly means the most to your customer, is the character of your company and your people. The people you put out in the field are the very ones who interact day to day with your customer base and therefore truly embody who you are as a brand and what you stand for.

Why do we do business with who we do? Cost is important, quality is important, performance is important…but we all ultimately make business and purchasing decisions based on the relationships we make…with people we can trust and with the very people who live by the same character and moral standards that we value ourselves. Without real brand integrity, you are simply marketing false messages to your customers….messages so transparent, that even a nine year old can see through.

Author: Jess Held
www.lessingflynn.com

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Social Media Lip Synching

August 23, 2010

Remember Milli Vanilli? This video should bring you up to speed… During their time, Milli Vanilli rocked! They sold millions of albums. They could dance. We thought they could sing. Many will recall the news that Milli Vanilli was a sham. They were lip synching. We were all fooled. They became a punchline. They went [...]

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Congratulations Ellen Held

August 20, 2010

You’ve earned your Ad Mavericks flight suit. Today is our summer intern, Ellen Held’s last day at Lessing-Flynn. We wish her luck as she goes back to Lincoln, Nebraska with her eyes on graduating in December.

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Price Sells Downright Proud Anniversary Cars…

August 18, 2010

I’m going to have to pick on Stivers Ford during this post. I’ve been to their locations and have always been treated well and had a pleasant experience. Unfortunately for Stivers, that experience doesn’t translate in their marketing messaging. Worse yet, Stivers has so many messages in their marketing efforts it’s hard to know what the [...]

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To Flip Cam or not to Flip Cam…

August 13, 2010

…that is the question. We create video content and have talked about the power of online video. Some video we create for us (Lessing-Flynn), some for our clients. We use flip cams for almost everything that highlights Lessing-Flynn on this blog, or capturing guerrilla marketing tactics for an event like DSM: SUSHIBOMB. We realize there [...]

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Corn + Iowa = POET Energy

August 11, 2010

When you live in the state of Iowa, more often than not, corn is mentioned in a conversation. Whether it’s farmers talking about the corn market, women at the grocery store comparing corn casserole recipes, people listening to the Heywood Banks I-80 Corn Song or  tv commercials about cellulosic ethanol made from corn. POET Energy launched several [...]

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Confessions of an Ad Agency: Jordan Beynon Interview!

August 10, 2010

Confessions of an Ad Agency: Part Two! Jordan Beynon answers your questions about life in the advertising fast lane. Question Crew! blueduder Doug spenceranderson Peter Tubbs See what Lessing-Flynn candidate is up next!

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The Grateful Dead – Social Media Pioneers

August 9, 2010

Today marks the 15 year anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death. Garcia was the front man, among other things, for the Grateful Dead, who were social media pioneers. Regardless of what you think of the Grateful Dead or Garcia himself, have a look at one of my favorite posts: 3 Social Media Lessons from the Grateful [...]

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