We’re keeping it short, sweet and simple this week.

Our version of a freebie today is to direct you to someone else’s glorious freebie.

Download some FREE awesome photoshop brushes from misprinted type.

Have fun mucking things up!

Sarah Rosenthal
Orange Element

[image from misprintedtype.com]

As marketers it’s always our goal to connect a brand with a qualified, highly targeted audience. We do this by focusing our creative concepts in a way that will resonate with the target, as well as defining a media mix that ensures the message is heard by the right demo/psychographic. Technology companies are aiming to take that targeting to the next level.

Enter NEC. They have developed and are close to releasing a technology that is essentially a physical display that can instantly identify a viewer’s sex and age range as they walk by and serve them with ads that are relevant to them. Think of the implications of this! No more ads for a Toyota Camry being served to 17 year old males…no more 75 year old women seeing ads for Under Armour training apparel. Speaking of that, I wonder if they will be developing modules that identify body type as well…

To take it even further, the technology includes a system in which the viewer can hold their cell phone over a special device which feeds them a URL link, coupons and other information on the products they’ve just seen on the advertisement.

Technology is changing the way marketers work at a dizzying pace. I love it. Via The Times of India. Thanks Zdnet for the image. What a classic poster.

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

Hi all -

I might have mentioned it a while ago but Orange Element recently won a Gold Addy award in the American Advertising Federation’s District 2 regional Addy Competition. District 2 is comprised of ad clubs from DC, Maryland (Balt/Frederick), PA and parts of New York. The competition is fierce, so we’re excited to have been able to compete and win amongst all of the entries that were submitted.

The trophy has arrived, and we captured a quick shot of it standing proud next to the work that garnered the award (Matt Mendelsohn Photography promotional kit). Like proud parents, we wanted to share the photograph with you as we again bask in the glory:

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

I just read a great post from a blog I often read called Thought Gadgets and the author, Ben Kunz, was talking about a concept called “sunk costs.” He goes on to explain that this is an economic term that refers to past expenses or decisions that can never be recovered. The common logic of a sunk cost is that once the money’s gone, it’s gone - but folks often continue to perpetuate the same behavior (spend) because they don’t want to admit failure. Ben relates several well-known historical instances of people chasing sunk costs:

The Vietnam War - Many thought we had spent too much, and lost too many lives, to “stop the war now.”

The Concorde Jet - Throwing money into the program even though it was clear it was going to fail.

I’d say in many regards another glaring example of chasing sunk costs today would be energy companies that are continuing to chase oil as their primary source, rather than investing in developing alternative sources and technologies. The bottom line is that it’s regret and bureaucracy which often keeps these things happening.

Ben mentions toward the end of his blog post that marketers often fall victim to chasing sunk costs as well. This really hit home for me, because it touched on something that I often observe first-hand in my position as marketing director. I can’t tell you how many times I come across companies that are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to communicate a brand that is ineffective and off-target. But they continue to do it because it would take too much effort and investment (and admitting they were wrong) to ‘right the ship,’ so to speak.

But how can these companies compete when the foundation of their being - their brand - is a lame-duck? The reality is, they can’t, and they’re just chasing sunk costs. It’s a sobering realization, but the only way to get them back on course for marketing success is to get the brand back in focus. Only then, should any money and effort be put into trying to communicate that brand.

I’ll bet you can think of a number of companies right now that are chasing sunk costs by spending money on an ineffective brand they’ve settled on. I can think of several brands right here in Baltimore that could use some help…

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

Thanks to Agency Spy for pointing me to this ad done by DraftFCB for Oreo.

It just goes to show you that sometimes design doesn’t even involve fancy graphics or effects. Sometimes it’s all about finding a creative way to use something existing (exposed elevator) to create drama around a product or service.

How sweet would it be, though, if there was a kiosk just around the corner that sold Oreos? Instant gratification…

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

Hi all -

I’m just getting back from a meeting with a local non-profit that I really hope we’re able to bring on as a new Orange Element client (hopefully more on this later) and I wanted to post about a really cool link that Sarah just shared with me.

www.webcreme.com

I like this site because it’s a great inspiration site. Part of our process as we create new brands, redevelop old ones and create materials such as Web sites is to encourage our clients to find inspiration - things they like and can identify with. This helps us to better understand their vision for the work we’re about to do, and understanding their vision is of the utmost importance. It is, after all, the client who is often the most plugged in because they are living and breathing the brand every day!

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com