Results tagged “Advertising” from Blogway Baby

You've got to be carefully taught...

If you need a good laugh, check this out.

Happy long weekend!

ROBERT MCKEE Story Seminar in New York City!

Aka “Shut up and listen!”

When I realized I hadn’t been back east for almost two years since I moved to Seattle, I decided a trip to New York was in order. And what better reason to fly 5 hours than to attend Robert Mckee’s famous “Story” seminar. Yes, I had read his book, aptly named “STORY”, but I wanted to experience it first hand since I had heard so many great things about his seminars. So my husband and I signed up,  and started packing!

From the website:

Over three intense days, McKee's Story Seminar effectively demonstrates the relationship between story design and character. Quality story structure demands creativity; It cannot be reduced to simple formulas that impose a rigid number of mandatory story elements. Robert McKee's course teaches you the principles involved in the art and craft of screenwriting and story design, and proves the essence of good story is unchanging and universal. Whether on the big screen, on television, in novels, on stage and in ALL creative work, everything works in the shadow of classic story design.

The seminar ran Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9am -8:30pm. Yikes! I haven’t sat for that long in a long time. And it didn’t leave much time to see any shows! I did manage to squeeze in a matinee of EXIT THE KING (Geoffrey Rush is amazing!) and the last 30 minutes of TOXIC AVENGER!

I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar, and having Robert Mckee basically talk us through the book really helped solidify the concepts and ideas in my mind. And he runs these workshops with a iron (and grumpy) fist. No questions allowed except at break time (by then, you’re too scared to ask!) and no cell phones at all. If your cell phone rings by mistake, you have to pay him ten dollars. If it happens again, he kicks you out. And he loves to go off on tangents (aka rants) on the current sad state of movies, and various political topics. Perhaps his grumpiness had something to do with the fact that he had just badly hurt his back playing golf and had to sit the entire time.

One of my favorite parts of the seminar was the screening and anaylsis of CASABLANCA (the seminar really is geared towards the cinema, but the fundamentals of story apply to other mediums as well, such as musical theatre). Plots, subplots, text, subtext all unfolded before us. Interestingly, I don’t remember CASABLANCA being so funny! I chuckled constantly throughout the film. That is until the iconic farewell scene as the last plane out is about to take off. It was then that I realized, to my  horror, that I had left my cell phone on from the last break! Oh no! What to do, what to do? And my cell phone sounds like a jet engine when you turn it on or off!

I thought about making a run for the door, but then in a moment of pure genius, I waited until the screen was full of loud, rotating airplane propellers and I pressed the off button. The jet engine sound of my phone was muffled by the movie! Robert Mckee remained blissfully unawared of my cell phone situation, and I watched the last few minutes of the film peacefully (ignoring the disgusted glare from my husband who couldn’t believe what had just happened!).

Mckee does this story seminar around the world, as well as single days devoted to genres (love, comedy etc.) .I would highly recommend his seminar to anyone who is in the business of telling stories.

The end.

Wow, this is an interesting idea. Product placement in live theatrical productions. It's been happening on movies and TV for a while (with American Dreams Kraft and Campbell's product placement the most egregious examples), but now it's coming to the world of live theater.

I LOVE IT!

Hmm. Let me think: "United Airlines Crazy"? "When You Chase A Dream You'd Walk A Mile For A Camel"? "That Was Then, This Is Now The Time For Johnny Walker Red"? "Hey Baby, You've Come A Long Way"? "Dancing On Air Nikes"? "I Wanna Get Married With A Tiffany Diamond"? "What Do Women Want: Whiter Whites With Clorox"? "I'll Teach You How To Fly The Friendly Skies"?

HELP! Someone stop me before I completely sell out my whole show...

Here's the full article from AdAge.com:

TEQUILA BRAND PLACED IN BROADWAY'S 'SWEET CHARITY'
Neil Simon OKs Script Change to Hype Product
May 23, 2005
By Lisa Sanders

NEW YORK (Adage.com) -- As part of a product placement campaign in Broadway's Sweet Charity, playwright Neil Simon approved a script change to promote Gran Centenario tequila, according to the deal makers.

Jose Cuervo's tequila has been woven into the script, the stage sets and the advertising and promotion for 'Sweet Charity.'

The arrangement was the latest brand integration success by Amy Willstatter, president of New York-based Bridge to Hollywood/Broadway, who specializes in inserting product promotions in and around live theater productions.

Last fall, spirits marketer Jose Cuervo was looking for a unique way to generate buzz in the U.S. for its little-known premium tequila Gran Centenario, but the company only had a modest budget to work with.

Executives at Jose Cuervo's advertising agency, Omnicom Group's Arnell Group of New York, introduced Carlos Arana, Jose Cuervo's managing director, and Onute Miller, Gran Centenario's brand director, to Ms. Willstatter. She brokers agreements between various marketers and Broadway productions and works on retainer with Spotco, a New York agency focused on theatre advertising (clients include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Avenue Q and Sweet Charity). After hearing about Gran Centenario's goals, she reviewed Spotco clients and came up with Sweet Charity, the Neil Simon revival about a hard-luck dancehall hostess searching for a good man, as the show that best met the tequila's brand attributes. The show opened in April.

"The play is a fun environment," Ms. Willstatter said. What's more, with a new-to-Broadway leading lady, Christina Applegate, best-known for her long-running role on TV's Married with Children, Sweet Charity potentially brings to Broadway a new generation of theatergoers -- just the sort of upscale, experience-oriented consumers Gran Centenario was looking for.

Ms. Willstatter previously signed Pfizer Women's Health, Procter & Gamble Co.'s Olay Regenerist and Anheuser-Busch's Michelob Ultra to sponsor the Broadway and national tour productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie. She also made British Airways the official airline of the National Theater in New York and arranged for Hennessy to be the opening night sponsor of Raisin in the Sun at the Royale Theater.

Marketing competition in the tequila category is increasing as its reputation has evolved from a drink often associated with frat-house bashes to one that's increasingly common at more sophisticated affairs. U.S. sales of high-end and super-premium cases rose 29% to 1.2 million cases in 2004 over the prior year, said David Ozgo, chief economist of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

With Ms. Willstatter as the go-between, Sweet Charity's producers Barry and Fran Weissler and the Gran Centenario team hammered out a deal. Talks began with the suggestion of putting the tequila logo on Sweet Charity ads. For the marketer, "that wasn't enough," Ms. Miller said. "Ours is a unique brand." She and Mr. Arano concluded they wanted a deal with three components: a product mention in the show, incorporated in a natural, unobtrusive manner; an uncontrived product placement; and promotional and public relations programs to build brand awareness among the marketer's target audience.

To Mr. Weissler, having products placed or mentioned in his shows is not a new concept. "There's nothing different here than in sports or movies where marketers co-promote a film," he said. But he sets limits on what he'll do to marry art and commerce. "We never, ever distress a script." With this Gran Centenario example, the producers and playwright replaced a line, "I'll have a double scotch on the rocks" with a mention of the premium tequila. "We didn't bastardize the script, and [playwright Neil Simon] OKed the change," Mr. Weissler said. "We always pass sponsors by authors."

In addition to having the Gran Centenario mention written into the script, the tequila's logos are integrated into the show's set in one scene, and the product has been the drink of choice at Gran Centenario-sponsored parties thrown during the pre-Broadway shows as well as its New York opening, all attended by the cast, their friends and a select group of invitees. Specialty cocktails featuring Gran Centenario created by well-known bartender Dale deGroff are featured at those fests as well as in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre where Sweet Charity plays and at nearby bars.

A print ad, adapted from the tequila's current print campaign, runs in Sweet Charity Playbills (where, on one of the credits pages, Gran Centenario is thanked for its "generous support"). Gran Centenario promotes the show through ads and events, and the show's ads mention the tequila.

Neither the marketer, Mr. Weissler nor Ms. Willstatter would comment on the financial specifics, other than to describe the arrangement as a flat-rate package structured as a "step deal," in which payments were made in increments. Ms. Willstatter, a proponent of cash deals rather than barter agreements for branded entertainment on Broadway, explains that she's trying to "make Broadway competitive with other forms of media, such as TV and radio."

One major difference, of course, between Broadway and TV or radio, is that measuring the effectiveness of a product mention or a sponsorship is art rather than science. While Mr. Weissler and Ms. Willstatter deliver their marketing partners demographic data like income of their audiences, the definite impact on audiences is not tracked. "We don't poll theatergoers," Mr. Weissler said.

But Gran Centenario's Ms. Miller does monitor Gran Centenario consumption in the theatre as well as in nearby bars. She watches the tequila's distribution in stores and bars where theatergoers shop or frequent for indications that Gran Centenario is gaining popularity.

Asked whether she's concerned about the outcry from some over the inclusion of the tequila in the play's dialogue (one paper wrote, "Sponsorship should not mean authorship, or the license to tweak creative work to make it sell when it should simply sing."), Ms. Miller said no. "We believed it was the correct fit. The press has built brand awareness."

In all the hubbub of launching the Plane Crazy Web site, I've forgotten that Plane Crazy isn't my first stage show!

About a million years ago, when I worked at Procter & Gamble, a group of us long-haired creative types decided to "Old Spice up" the fall dinner dance with an employee stage show.

What started out as a small talent show quickly blossomed into a full-fledged musical revue called Fiscal Follies (insert groan here). I was one of the writers who took well-known songs and wrote new, P&G relevant lyrics.

I also performed in the show, singing and dancing in the final number (dressed in black tights and a tuxedo jacket -- how incredibly professional!) which was the Michael Jackson song "Man in the Mirror", but rewritten to inspire organizational change.

We even had the president of P&G at the time, Doug Grindstaff, come up on stage to join with me to say "Make That Change!" (insert groan here).

But my two favorite numbers, which I wrote, were "Summer Intern" about summer business school interns sung to the tune of "Summer Lovin'" from Grease, and "Olestra Lightning", about P&G's new fat substitute, sung to the tune of "Greased Lightning", also from Grease (duh).

What made the former special was that I sang it, but what made the latter even more special was that two senior managers, Tim Penner and Mike Kehoe, sang it -- dressed as '50s greasers. Tim Penner has gone on to become the President of P&G Canada (27 years with the company -- Wow!). Mike Kehoe has also gone on to fame and fortune as the leader of the Crest White Strips introduction.

Actually what brought this all back to me was when I saw a big pic of Tim in the business section of the The Globe and Mail last week, costumed up for P&G's Cultural Diversity Day. Yikes...I was soooooooo not right for P&G: I can't believe I lasted four years. And I've been a full-time songwriter ever since I left.

To top it off we videotaped the entire Fiscal Follies and I still have the videotape. I'm prepared to sell the last remaining copy of this incriminating tape to the highest bidder...eBay here I come!

Back in my impressionable youth I watched a lot of TV. A lot. I used to fake illness and spend the day at home watching TV. That's where I developed my passion for old movies, and movie musicals (Fred and Ginger to be specific). I did all my homework in front of the television (math was particularly easy to do with the boob tube on). I would memorize the TV Guide listings so my sisters only had to ask what was on and I would give them the complete line up for the evening. In addition to my love of old movies I developed of love of advertising. And back in the good old days of the late sixties and seventies they had lots of great jingles that I still carry around in my brain. Who can sing the jingle from Mystery Date board game -- "Open the door to your mystery date!" Love the internal rhyme, man!

Yeah, yeah, I've read the Ogilvy bible and I did hard time in Procter & Gamble's marketing division for advertisng deliquents. Even ran an advertising agency (ConnAd of course!) with my hubbie. Of course, it's no coincidence that my husband loves advertising and has devoted his career to it in some form or another. But it was watching every episode of Bewitched that really helped develop my truly deep understanding of the craft of advertising, and the hard, hard work involved.

About that the old joke -- for some reason advertising is generally viewed as morally despicable and dare I say, evil. Don't get me wrong: It drives me nuts with its pandering, inane, irrevelant and irritating messages. But on the othe hand I love advertising when it is great. And I love watching advertising executives and creatives portrayed on the screen and stage, as the industry is ususally given a sexy (and lovably silly) sheen in those movies and TV shows. (World Wide Widget anyone?)

So the Golden Age of Advertising (all those wonderfully goofy sexist campaigns!) was something I just had to include in Plane Crazy, especially since advertising has a spotty history in its portrayal of women. And it was an "ad woman", Mary Wells, who was the brains behind the Braniff Airlinessexy and Pucci-esque repositioning. But when I poke fun at the industry and the advertising execs it is done with love, comes from my experience, and hopefully rings true.

OK, OK, everyone keeps requesting them, so here they are:

The Lyrics to Sarah Jessica Parker's "Pretty Khaki" Ad for The Gap:

WHEN I HAVE A BRAND NEW HAIR-DO
WITH MY EYELASHES ALL IN CURLS
WELL I FLIRT AS THE CLOUDS OF AIR DO
I ENJOY BEING A GIRL

MEN SAY I'M CUTE AND FUNNY
AND MY TEETH AREN'T TEETH BUT PEARLS

"THANK YOU"

I JUST LAP IT UP LIKE HONEY
I ENJOY BEING A GIRL

Of course, these are original lyrics (not all, obviously) from the song "I Enjoy Being A Girl" from Flower Drum Song (Music by Richard Rogers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, Book by Oscar Hammerstein and Joseph Fields, Choreography by Carol Haney, Directed by Gene Kelly).

It opened on Broadway on December 1, 1958 at the St. James Theater, and closed May 7, 1960 after 600 performances.

Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, it tells the story of a young Americanized Chinese man, torn between his own leanings and his desire to comply with his father's rigorous, traditional teachings. Hammerstein described it as "...a sort of Chinese Life with Father."

I just re-listened to the original cast album and it's a wonderful musical, and I especially enjoyed "Don't Marry Me", which I hadn't heard in a long time.

The version for the Gap ad featuring Sarah Jessica Parker was arranged by Marc Shaiman, who did a great job of making the original lyrics "pop" for the 30 second format of a TV ad.

And thanks to Brighterbuc, here are all the lyrics to the original song:

I'm a girl and by me that's only great
I am proud that my silhouette is curvy
that I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
With my hips kind of swivelly and swervey

I adore being dressed in something frilly
When my date comes to get me at my place
Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy
Like a filly who is ready for the race

When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curls
I float as the clouds on air do
I enjoy being a girl

When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth but pearls
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl

I flip when a fellow sends me flowers
I drool over dresses made of lace
I talk on the telephone for hours
with a pound and a half of cream upon my face

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
who'll enjoy being a guy, having a girl like me

When men say I'm sweet as candy
As around in a dance we whirl
It goes to my head like brandy
I enjoy being a girl

With someone with eyes that smolder
Says he loves every silken curl
That falls on my ivory shoulder
I enjoy being a girl

When I hear a complementary whistle
That greets my bikini by the sea
I turn and I glower and I gristle
But I'm happy to know the whistles meant for me

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
who'll enjoy being a guy, having a girl like me

OK, hang on a second here. So, I'm watching my usual Thursday night potpourri of Joey/Will & Grace/The Apprentice and I'm watching a series of Gapand Old Navy ads.

Gap and Old Navy are both owned by the same company, Gap Inc.

Both these ads feature musical theater songs! Has there been a corporate dictate to feature Broadway in Gap Inc. ads? I don't know, but I LIKE IT...

The Gap ad features Sarah Jessica Parker (who got her start as Annie on Broadway) singing "I Enjoy Being A Girl" from Flower Drum Song.

The Old Navy ad features the title song from Fame, re-written as "Shorts"...in particular "Bermuda Shorts"...