It was not but a few weeks ago that I found myself without power due to a heavy snow/ice storm that swept through the area. The backyard looked like it got hit by a tornado as well with all of the downed branches. At least the gas heater and water heater worked.

The whole city looked quite devastated when I was finally able to get about on the roads. Several hundred thousand people without power and emergencies declared across several states was a staggering thought to grasp. I am now trying not to take electricity for granted.

The point of mentioning such woes on this blog? A few days after the worst was over, I got an e-mail from my car insurance company, Progressive. Surely, it was e-mailed to all Progressive customers in the afflicted areas, but I still found it impressive.

It simply asked if I had been affected by the recent storms. It also let me know that arrangements could be made if undue hardship was going to make it difficult to make my payment on time. I was fine, but I have to admit that this simple act of good customer service left me with a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Of course companies should behave like this as a matter of service and to maintain a good brand image. However, I have seen many companies falter in this regard, and I am sure you have as well. The rules trumping decent treatment of the most important people to your brand, your loyal base. My hat is off to Progressive for doing what was right; not only for the sake of image, but for the sake of their customers.

So-so Ad Blitz

The Super Bowl has come and gone. I have to confess that I am not a big football fan, so the game, while interesting, was not a priority for me. The commercials were a different story.

Overall, I was a bit letdown. There were several commercials that were reasonably enjoyable, but really did not stand out. Sure, it was funny to Richard Simmons almost get run down like a deer in the headlights. It just was not all that spectacular.

And do not get me started on that awful Pepsuber spot. Either the joke was so far above my head or else it was way, way below any good standard of humor. Really, if you are going to hire Richard Dean Anderson to spoof MacGyver with some SNL cast members, utilize the moment. I would have gotten a good laugh out of MacGyver in a series of spots showcasing his character solving huge problems with Pepsi.

"MacGyver, the nuclear reactor is about to meltdown!"

"No worries, with some chewing gum, baking soda, and Pepsi we can..."

You get the idea. I would have enjoyed that far more. As it was, the commercial struck me as a waste. The PepsiMax commercial with the "Guys can take anything" tag was much better. Good slapstick comedy. Sometimes, the basics are best.

The Careerbuilder.com ad was great though! Good blend of real job frustrations mixed with the absurd to get their point across. Just nicely done all around.

I am just old enough to have vague memories of Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show. Seeing Ed resorting to plugging a gold buying site was depressing. MC Hammer's appearance in the spot? Not so much.

Clearly, a campaign requires a lot of talent to come together in order to take shape. If some of the bad efforts were just attempts to generate buzz of any kind, I think that misses the point of advertising. Its cheap and does nothing to elevate the standard or, in my opinion, the brand. More than just the writers behind the copy at fault though.

To the entertaining ads, bravo! To the duds, better luck next year, if you happen to make it.

Sub Wars

As I do not watch a lot of TV, I am never quite sure how long a commercial has been around by the time I see it. Still, I am awfully fond of the "new" Domino's commercial. They have been airing a series of commercials touting how their oven baked sandwiches beat out Subway in a national taste test, 2-1. It is the latest commercial I have seen that really takes this to another level.

Dave Brandon, CEO of Domino's, holds out a cease-and-desist letter from Subway's lawyers before tossing it in an pizza oven to bake. Brilliant! Really, how much more in your face can you get than that without getting crass. I seem to remember a time when companies were more willing to challenge each other in creative ways.

Honestly, this is the first time I have seen a company do this to this degree in some time. I think it is both funny and refreshing to see a pizza company take on a sub company. It hearkens back to the days of "Where the beef!?" Very interested to see where Domino's goes with this. Just hoping they do not plan on resurrecting the Noid.

Message Mix-Up

On a recent trip back from Atlanta, I noticed a billboard trying to coax drivers into visiting a nearby Civil War battlefield. The main message read something like, "See where soldiers fought and died." Completely appropriate for a Civil War site, right? There was just one thing that bothered me and caused a double-take.

Next to this rather somber message was the large image of a young boy smiling brightly as he sat between two Civil War reenactors. I could easily see two different ways to market a historic site based on the messages presented. Placed together, I found the message muddled at best.

If you are going to market a historic Civil War site as a place to take the family, the image is fine. Say, "Bring your family face-to-face with history." Generic? Yes, but you get the idea. In my mind, seeing what was done, you could have placed the image of a smiling family next to a message advertising a trip to the nearest cemetery to the same effect. Creepy. On the other hand, the message presented would seem to have accompanied a line of grim-faced reenactors marching across the battlefield to their fate much more effectively.

Whatever the thought was behind the billboard, I think that there must have been a breakdown in communication somewhere. When departments collaborate together; images, words, and whatever other tools employed work to compliment each other. Otherwise, you get kids smiling over the thought of viewing the ground where men fought and died. Again, just a little creepy.