Twomims

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.” — Jack London

One of my biggest inspirations is travel. I love seeing new things, different things, things that are ordinary, out of the ordinary, complex, or just simply beautiful. Here is a collection of photos I took at the Notting Hill market this summer in London.

Finally, an ad campaign we can relate to! We love the celebration of the late nights, the messes, the juggling and the imperfections of parenthood. Huggies really nailed it with their recent ad campaign from JWT. Not only is the content a breath of fresh air, but the execution is edgy and worlds apart from the warm fuzzies that baby advertising normally gives us.

When my personal vacation photo resembled their vacation ad, they got me. How well do you think they know their target?

Photos by Doulgas Adesko

Throughout my career I have encountered countless creatives, each with their own distinct collections. I have seen several art directors that collect robots (quite common), photographers that collect old cameras (even more common.) But what always stick out are the really unique collections, the ones no one else has. The largest collection of salt and pepper shakers, Pee Wee’s Playhouse memorabilia, vintage porn. I was once at a lecture given by Mervyn Kurlansky, one of the founding fathers of Pentagram, he collected hotel shampoo bottles. I now work with someone who collects old lunch boxes. That’s the good stuff.

I have always longed for my own eccentric collection of trinkets. I don’t collect buttons, old 8-tracks, posters or vintage toys. I have no eclectic, excentric collection to call my own, but I’ve always wanted one.

Recently as a brainstorm exercise I had to write about something I collected. Once again I was reminded that I was probably the only Creative Director in the world that did not have and exciting collection to talk about.

I dumped out my glass canister of matches, the one collection I do have, and photographed it for the exercise. This this is what I wrote…

I started collecting match books in high school, it was a great way to remember traveling and different meals and occassions that I had shared with others. A lot of people write the date and who they were with on each match book, but i don’t really need to. I can remeber almost every restuarant, where and when it was, whom I was with and sometimes even what I ordered. Each matchbook is a moment in time and a memory for me. Looking through these is like looking through a photo album.

The Red Eye in New York, my husband asked if it was ok to order an entree that cost more than a pair of shoes he bought earlier in the day (it was worth it.) Chilpancingo in Chicago, my account person asked, and received their recipe for Lava cake. My bachelorette party at the Luxor in Las Vegas (enough said.)  Random matchbook from a smokeshop in Zurich where my husband purchased Cuban cigars. Zoe in St. Louis, I was timing contractions on our way to dinner with friends, days before my first son was born.

And thus, I validate my matchbook collection. Alas it is not a collection of tiny tea sets from antique stores and flea markets. It may be standard and boring and definitley not one of a kind, but it is mine.

So I have to admit a little foul play. The other night I got a call from a research company. Usually the first question they ask is if you work in marketing or advertising. This time, I coyly answered, “No.”

One week later, I received a 30 minute pilot for a new sitcom in the mail to review. Before I watched the show, I was asked to fill out a booklet that had me essentially choose my top brands within different product categories. The compensation for taking part in the survey was coupons for free products; diapers, wipes, groceries, etc.

During the sitcom, which was awful, there were commercials. Some of them were very old, and some of them were what appeared to be animatics for new commercials. After the sitcom was over, I was asked to break the seal on the second booklet, and once again was prompted to select my top brand picks from the same product categories to receive MORE free products.

At this point, I was thoroughly confused. Was this research company really testing a pilot for a new sitcom, or a vehicle for brand testing within my demographic?  Was I expected to pick the same brands in each category twice to show brand loyalty? Or could the opportunity to try new brands for free convert me from the brands I am loyal to?

Here’s what I did as a mom, not a marketer. The brands that I am, and have been eternally loyal to (Huggies, Crest, Tide, Scotch Brite) I stayed loyal to, and opted to get 2 free packages each of these products. Not even a free trial could get me to switch from my staples. Brands and products that I am not particularly loyal to, I opted to try something new (candles, dry pasta, spices.)

What did I learn from myself? Brand loyalty is a hell of a thing. If not even a completely free, full size product can get trial or conversion, what can? Can any amount of couponing or promotions get a loyal brand buyer to switch? Maybe some, but not this MIM.

As for the pilot I tested, it was so bad that I can only hope it was a joke.
As for the brand testing, I was impressed, and would love to see how it turns out.