Thursday, 25 March 2010

How do you farewell a legend?

When it comes to a finished art and retouching legend like Johnnie D, you say goodbye with dumplings. Lots of them.

After 18 months with THE DM GROUP, Johnnie’s riding off into the sunset, Sydney-bound. With a brand new GPS navigation system from all of us, so he’ll actually get there.

Johnnie, your calming influence on Lil, sick retouching skills and signature foosball moves will be sorely missed.

Good luck and thank you… thank you very much.

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Do one thing and people are going to notice

Recently we created the Super Pledge for our client HOSTPLUS.

The Pledge is designed to help members start taking control of their finances by doing just one thing by June 30.

Whether it’s finding lost super, consolidating super accounts, adding to super or setting up an online account, one action now can make a big difference in the future.

Well, it turns out that The Pledge hasn’t only captured the attention of HOSTPLUS members.

This week it’s featured in the Financial Standard.

Just goes to show the power of one super idea.

Monday, 22 March 2010

Surprise!

Today is trademarkDM copywriter Prue Oxford’s birthday.

But who’d know – she certainly didn’t want us to.

Her family did though.

So thanks to the Oxfords of Tamworth for the heads up.

And the fine selection delivered fresh from Monarch Cakes.

We really appreciated the public surprise.

Even if Prue was a little more reserved.

Friday, 12 March 2010

Ian Ross caught with hookah

Speaking of political incorrectness and Ian Ross.

Did we happen to mention last Friday night’s AIMIA Awards?

Well…

While it was an enjoyable night, no advertising event would be complete without a little vice.

So after the show the clickDM team indulged in some hookahs.

In this case, exotic Turkish ones.

And while they had a strangely minty fragrance about them, they were needless to say smoking hot.

CLICK FOR EVIDENCE.

Thursday, 11 March 2010

You’re a real doll, Babs

Lucky for us – especially Ian Ross – advertising has mostly avoided the scourge of political correctness.

Which is just as well because often the best advertising is about finding, then celebrating or confronting the truth in all its messy human inconsistency and frailty.

It ain’t always pretty.

Or PC.

Which is probably why Mad Men is so loved.

Not only because it celebrates the golden age of advertising. But because it captures an era when men were men and women were – how did they put it back then? – dolls.

Which makes it very fitting that Mattel has announced the addition of Mad Men characters to its equally un-PC Barbie range.

As the New York Times reports:

The pairing of Barbie and “Mad Men” is more interesting than the typical licensing agreement because of their shared history. Barbie was introduced in March 1959, and the first episode of “Mad Men” is set in March 1960.

“‘Mad Men’ represents so beautifully the universe that created Barbie,” said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, because the series is about the selling of the American consumer society.

To be included are Don Draper, wife Betty and colleague Roger Sterling. Oh yeah, and Joan Holloway, the agency’s office manager and Roger’s one-time mistress.

And who could blame him?

She really is a doll.