Our First Week is Wrap. Thank You for Reading and Come Back Next Week!

You may have been directed here from Facebook, LinkedIn, an email, gchat, or WOM and we're glad you decided to check us out. We're a collective group of advertising professionals working at Casanova and we all have ideas to share with you. We launched our blog just four days ago. Hopefully, we caught your attention and you will come back for more next week. Soon we'll have a new blogger on our team and he's really excited to meet you. We're sure he's going to bring a lot of fun to The Boarder so stay tuned for his grand appearance.

Have you ever wondered what Facebook would look like in real life? We hope you get some laughs out of this video.



Have a great weekend! See you next week.

The Boarder Blog Team

ADVERTISING AND MY NEW BEST FRIEND

I have a new best friend.

I would probably not recognize her if I saw her in the street tomorrow (sorry Kaitlin) but hey, when a second grader writes you a note saying  you are her BF she means it... at least in that moment. 

My friendship with Kaitlin and her group started a couple of months ago when I was part of career day at my daughter's elementary school.

I had spent quite a few hours deciding how to best explain advertising to a bunch of first, second and fifth graders, in a fun way (you don't want to be a bore in front of your kid and her friends)  and do it in a G rated presentation. I decided I'd start from the beginning and I would use lots of cute cartoons and examples of commercials they could relate to.

"Let's suppose I'm a caveman--I said-- and I just discovered fire and want to sell it to other cavemen..." Then I explained how when we were very few, the  person to person approach worked fine but as the  number of people in the world grew and grew we needed other ways of communicating the information; ways like newspapers, radio, tv and of course--they added before I could mention it-- the internet. Any questions? No?

Good! they grasped the idea. I had them.  I could continue. 

Not so fast! One little guy is raising his hand. 

Me: "Yes?"

Him: "I... I.... I... forgot"

Big laugh from the rest of the class. 

I explain to them,  in a very simple and fun way what I do in the agency, what my job is.

"You know what we do to come up with an idea for a commercial? Let me tell you. Me and my friends that work sit down and think... and think and think and think. And when we're done thinking you know what we do?"   (Big eyes, wondering, expecting) "we think some more, and think and think and think".  They smile, they laugh. 

Then I show them a spot for Build-a-Bear Workshop. It shows two cute little girls talking to camera. They're adorable and funny. The class thinks so too. So, now they know a bit more about the process, they're engaged and I'm ready to move on to the next example.

 I see another little hand raised. 

"yes?"

"My cousin went once to Build- a-Bear..."

And then it happens: A real life testimonial  barrage, ranging from "I went to Build-a-Bear once and bought a kitty cat because I don't like bears..." to "I've never been to Build-a-Bear", which started another series of unrequested and very informative descriptions of the store. 

Once the comments about Build-a-Bear were finished, I showed them a spot from Mexico. It is for a brand of peanuts and shows a little cute girl in the zoo eating some generic peanuts. An elephant gets her attention. He wants peanuts but she cannot give him the peanuts because there's a sign that asks not to feed the animals. Eventually she gives up and gives the bag of peanuts to the elephant, who throws them back in her face because they are bad, generic peanuts.

Big hit! Everybody laughs. Applause. 

I'm waiting for the little hands raised to hear dozens of stories about the zoo and elephants.

One hand. I'm trying to decide, will it be zoo or elephants?... 

 "My brother can't eat peanuts... he's allerkick"

Before this turns into another discussion, I immediately move to the next example and topic; how advertising can help people in need. I show them the spot we did for Unicef, where a mom is looking for water for her baby and, not finding any alternative, gives him dirty water from a puddle in the street. 

Their faces while they're watching are priceless. This is not cute, not funny.

When it's over they look at me like I did something wrong. What's going on?

"Did you do this one?"

"yes, we came up with the idea, found the actors, shot the commercial with a camera, added music..."

"Is that a real baby"

"yes"

Silence. 

Suddenly I realize what's going on.

"Hey guys, don't look at me that way. What the baby is drinking is not really dirty water, it's apple juice".

"it doesn't look like apple juice"

"Really, it is, it's just it's not as clear as the one you guys usually drink. I swear"

Smiles. We are friends again.

Now it's time to put them to work. Give them a real brief on a project we are doing for the Ad Council. 

"So, this is about telling kids your age to eat right and exercise, OK?  You can use any Looney Tunes characters you want. Let's do a TV commercial"

I divide them into groups and give them 5 minutes to work on it.

They are working, they're brainstorming. Most importantly, they're enjoying it.  A lot.

They present their ideas to the rest of the class. We all applaud every idea (that's the rule).

And then the bell rings and we're out of time. "Two minutes", says the teacher.

"Any questions before we let Mr. Weinstock go?", she asks.

Little hand up. I start sweating.

"Which one of our ideas did you like the best?"

My daughter looks at me. I start sweating more.

I babble something about all of them being so good I can't decide at that moment, every idea has some merit.  They're used to that kind of answer from their parents, I guess. They buy it, kind of.

"Ok, final question, comment".

Hand raised.

"I like your job. How can I do that job? I like doing commercials..." They all agree.

"We like your job the best" (they had heard from a mechanical engineer before me).

I leave the classroom.

I like my job too. 

I like doing commercials. 

Thanks for the reminder, little friends.

The 10 things to do as you plan for a summer vacation….with small children!

I have been waking up in the middle of the night for the past week due to the anticipated stress of traveling with my two lovely girls- my passionate observer and my energetic ninja. I’ll be air traveling from South Orange County to Chicago by myself with my two toddlers for a family event and the anticipation and stress for not having started to prepare is rising. I’m already imagining the angry passenger sitting next to me scolding me for letting my 16^th month old kick and push his seat; or even my 3 year old screaming at the top of her lungs because her younger sister took off her crown. Promising… so, in order to ease some of my anxiety, I’ve decided to blog about it and write a top 10 list on traveling preparedness and even perhaps helping someone else in cyberspace who is also traveling under similar circumstances:

1. Plan your trip around nap time or in the evenings. Yes, the probability of meltdowns increases when you’re closer to naptime but chances are that you’ll be already strapped to your seat when that time arrives. You might enjoy the first two hours of the trip with some peace and quiet; giving you plenty of opportunities to smile at your neighbors whom by the time your sleeping beauty wakes up, would be more willing to embrace the presence of your child in the plane.
2. Target and 99 cent stores, here I come! Target has a dollar section right by the entrance of their stores and the 99c stores offer a good variety of trinkets or small toys that you can bring along and unveil along the trip to keep your kids entertained (best advice I’ve ever gotten and has worked wonder every time!)
3. Pack for the plane according to your child’s interests. I know, sometimes you just grab whatever is at arms reach, who cares if they’re Legos, Play Doh or headless dolls. But what if you just happen to grab the items your kids are less interested in? Then you won’t be able to keep their attention away from tugging the t-shirt of the passenger seating next to your child, or from kicking the seat or playing with the food tray.
4. Ask to be placed in a row where there are no other passengers. Airlines are usually accommodating to parents traveling with kid and will do everything in their means to keep your crazy toddler’s far way from single travelers. So do ask, chances are you’ll get lucky.
5. Be prepared for the unexpected; yea, meltdowns can possibly occur at security check point. Has that ever happen to anyone? You’re about to cross security and your child starts kicking screaming that she/he does not want to get off the stroller nor separate her/himself from their favorite toy much less remove his or her shoes? Well if you can relate, the best way to get around this is to play a time game, use travelers on other lines as the target, tell your kids they’re racing against the specific traveler and whoever passes security faster gets a “reward”. It worked for me last time! Kids don’t really care what the reward is as long as it’s reward. Last time I had a Trader Joe’s sticker and a box of Juicy Juice handy and my daughter was super happy.
6. Pack on light for your carry on. Yea, you do need toys, DVD player, special blanket, special stuffed animal… etc. etc. but did I say pack light for the plane ride? Try to fit as much as you can in your check-in back and keep only what you’re realistically going to use during the trip. Remove excess pens, unpaid bills, 3 month old uneaten animal crackers and all the stuff that really ads bulk and weight.
7. Pack on snacks, preferably salty snacks like crackers, cheese, ham, water, milk… avoid sugar bombs or a combination of, for instance candy, chocolate, sodas. Too many sweets at the same time are just too much for your little ones to handle; remember you’re trying to keep them calm.
8. Carry a light stroller. Your jogging stroller is probably your fave, but lets be realistic, pushing it in the middle of a crowded airport is no ones dream. Get a foldable easy to maneuver stroller; one that you can still carry or handle while you have your kids at large. They’re also great for carrying your carry-on should your child not want to sit on it
9. Take a vacation before and after your vacation. How many times have we heard that people need a vacation after the vacation? It’s tiring traveling with kids! So I’ve decided that I’m treating myself to a massage before my trip and one after, I sure will deserve it! So find your perfect treat and go for it!
10. Relax. Yep, I guess I should listen to my own advice but the more one stresses about it, the more difficult planning for the trip will be.

Now, there…. Here is my list and I already feel better about the whole trip. Now I’m just hoping I can take this list and have a tremendous success to report once I’m back.

Useful sites and or blogs to find out more on traveling with kids, tips, brands that are must when you travel etc.

Blogher

Todobebe.com (viva la famila)

Parenting.com

Ad Land

My first blog....how....exciting!!! When Monica invited me to be a blogger for "The Boarder", my first thought was, yikes! What do I blog about? Her advice: "Share relevant information, ask for ideas and make it fun!"

OK....I can do that!

I'm a big history lover....World history, European history, American history...maybe because of my family. My great, great grand father (so the story goes) was a preacher that traveled throughout the mid-west on horseback spreading the Methodist doctrine. One of my distant relatives was said to have signed the Declaration of Independence. My father was good friends with one of the Marines who during World War II raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.

Those stories made an impression and I've always found myself interested in the events that shaped our past...and what role those events play in the current day. Do we learn from the past? Are we destined to repeat it? Questions I certainly cannot answer and won't pretend to, but they always provoke good conversation.

I've also been fortunate to work in the advertising industry for more than 25 years. My father was in the industry (on the sales side) and my brother is also a Media Director. The history of advertising is riddled with fasinating characters and themes.

My curiousity about the history of the ad biz lead me to a great read. "Adland" by Mark Tungate gives a complete chonological rendering of how it all started, who the key players were and how advertising has contributed to the popular culture.

It's safe to say that advertising has been around as long as there have been products to sell and a medium to promote them....from the crier in the street to the handbill tacked to a tree. The invention of the printing press (generally credited to Johannes Gutenberg) in 1447 substancially moved advertising foward.

In 1631 , the first French newspaper was created. "La Gazette" disseminated information for those seeking and offering work, buying and selling goods and making public announcements of all kinds. The journalist who created La Gazette in effect became the inventor of the personal ad.

Most everyone agrees that advertising really found it's stride during the Industrial Revolution....at that time, newspapers were considered the mass medium. Products were produced and packaged on a scale never before dreamed of. Manufacturers needed consumers to remember their products, so they branded their goods...and began to advertise them.

Much has changed in the advertising world since the mid-19th century.....more to come next week.

I welcome your comments and stories.

Border Angels

When I was told about the opportunity of writing in a Blog for Casanova I immediately thought, "Wow this is my chance to really share my ideas and show not only my coworkers but the world how I feel about the influence Hispanics have, not only in the United States but the World".

As I shuffled today to catch up after a very long time out on jury duty, I began brainstorming "What should I write about"??? I want my big debut to be a good one, and not sell myself short. So I reached out to Monica Camacho, our Blog Coordinator and colleague whom I have never met but have been in contact via email and Face book. I asked her, "Monica, I need some inspiration and unfortunately all I have to go by is the New York Latin Film Festival".

She then sends me an email that our President/CEO, Ingrid Otero-Smart sent to our counterparts in California on 'Border Angels' (http://www.borderangels.org/). Border Angels is a non-profit organization supporting humanity. The organization consists of extraordinary volunteers who want to stop unnecessary deaths of individuals traveling through the Imperial Valley desert areas and the mountain areas surrounding San Diego County, as well as the areas located around the United States and Mexican border. The high percentage of unnecessary deaths have resulted due to extreme heat and cold weather conditions, in addition some have sadly been the results of racial-discrimination crimes.

Border Angels receive donations of food, water and items needed for survival. After reading the email from Ingrid and how she wants to involve all of us in donating to this great cause on a strictly voluntary basis, this really hit home. See I am an immigrant, if you see me on the street you might wonder, what is her background?? But my father from Bogota, Colombia my mother from Medellin, Colombia and some German in the mix has made me a green eyed, blond Latina. You might not think by looking at me that I can relate to this subject matter but looks can be deceiving.

As I mentioned my father from Bogota, Colombia actually sacrificed his life for my family and I to come to this great country. He had the opportunity to be passed through "The Frontera" (The Boarder) in disguise as a Mexican and once he crossed the river or "El Rio" he would be put in a truck with illegal papers and crossed to California. Besides risking the possibility of losing us he risked his life! As many immigrants do on a regular basis for what they believe to be "A better life" here in the United States.

Knowing that an organization such as Borders Angels exists doesn't make me feel more at ease of the fact the many people die coming to the United States but shows me that we are united in so many ways and we can make a difference to help humanity as a whole. I have included a few images that were attached to the email from Ingrid. I hope they touch you as they have touched me. Also, to inspire you to support Borders Angels and ultimately to inspire you as it has inspired me to share this with all of you.

It Pays to Use Social Media

In today's economy consumers are looking for quick, easy, and affordable shopping options. The notion of quality and value is gratifying. We enjoy feeling like we scored on a deal and we especially like finding deals in places we least expect. Social media and bargain savvy shoppers are finding discounts and quick and easy ways to shop and save online. Online "bargain and convenient" shopping is quick, simple, convenient, and affordable just like shopping at a retail store but it can be done anywhere and anytime the consumer wants. Shoppers are discovering new ways to seek deals. Brands on Twitter and Facebook make their audiences in this case "shoppers" feel appreciated by offering exclusive offers to members only.

Would you like to fly from JFK to Nantucket or how about SFO to LGB for just $9? If your answer is yes I recommend you start following JetBlue on Twitter. JetBlue gives first dibs on discounted fares to their Twitter followers. If you think about it they're offering a pretty sweet deal for a quick weekend getaway and it only costs you nine bucks each way. A grand total of $18 in airfare, that's cheaper than most cab rides in NYC.



"Like the e-mails that many airlines began to send out in the 1990s, tweets are presenting a new, faster way to promote sales. And in fitting with this latest mode of instant communication, travelers have to decide quickly whether to fly" Charlsse Jones, USA Today. Tweeters embrace instant communication and now they are embracing instant purchase decisions driven by value and exclusiveness. The tweets help fill empty seats in a plane and increase awareness for first time flyers.

Have you ever forgotten a friend's birthday? Don't you love how Facebook reminds you of birthdays? Now you can send your almost forgotten friend flowers on their birthday without leaving the site. All you have to do is go to 1-800-Flowers.com's Facebook page and you can shop for flowers, order them, and have them delivered the same day plus you'll find special offers available exclusively to Facebook fans.



Brands are noticing that people want to feel like they're "part of the club." Shoppers will continue to discover deals online. They want to be recognized for supporting the brand whether it's an exclusive discount, offer, contest, giveaway, or announcement.

Monica Camacho, Junior Strategic Planner

Revolutionary Times

I was totally engaged by a speech given recently by author and social media analyst Clay Shirky on technology and culture at the U.S. State Department sponsored seminars TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design).

He went on to explain that the communication/media landscape has only been transformed in revolutionary ways 4 times in the last 500 years before the Internet.

1. Printing Press
2. Telephone
3. Recorded Sound and Film

4. Radio and Television

By design they fostered one to one communication (telephone) or one-way communication to groups (Movies & TV). What the Internet has created is an environment for convening groups to communicate with each other, directly to brands, and the ability to get your message quickly to anywhere in the world . Consumers have gone from passive to active audiences and content producers. Shirky says the rules are completely changed and what we (as marketers) are struggling with the most are “How Can We Best Use the Medium” now that consumers have become full participants.

There is so much good stuff in the video and Shirky delivers his whole presentation in a little over 17 minutes, including interesting thought provoking case studies from the recent Earthquake in China to the Obama Campaign that won the Titanium Lion at this years Cannes.