Here you will find my thoughts, feeling, frustrations, challenges, and triumphs. It may not always be pretty. It may not always be funny. But it will be honest.
The time has come to say good-bye to my go-to favourite pair of flats. They have served me so well over the past five (maybe six?) years. But alas, they must go on to a better place. RIP Black flats that have been worn in perfectly. Thank you for the many, many miles I've put on you in so many different countries. You were well loved.
Oh look! It's that day again when I spend a good hour watching Super Bowl ads. It's like Christmas! I read this article a few weeks ago about how brands were going to get more involved in social issues (article here: §
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jan/02/2015-social-justice-race-equality-rights-climate-business-marketing). Now, I don't know about social issues (if you didn't read the article, they're talking about about lobbying, standing up against race/injustice etc.) but holy socially conscious ads! And wow am I sure happy to see you!
I have two hats that I watch commercials with. One is my consumer hat where I simply like/dislike an ad based on face value. Was it funny? Did I cry? Very superficial things which is how the majority of people consume ads. Then I, quite obviously have my marketing hat, where I critically evaluate ads and their effectiveness. This usually only comes out to play during Super Bowl season. Although every once in a while when there's an ad that makes me cringe, I go back and watch again to see what it was that made me cringe.
I can't tell you what you like/dislike so I'm not wearing that hat her. I'm going with my marketing hat. Keep in mind - these are still my opinions only and I'm sure there are other marketing professionals out there who would agree/disagree with my assessments but ahh ... such is life ;)
FYI - this gets long. Oops?
If you haven't seen the ads you can find them here http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/sports/bmw-newfangled-idea/2015/01/26/19628f14-a596-11e4-a162-121d06ca77f1_video.html. Fair warning, I talk about most of these like you have seen them so if you haven't, it might be a bit confusing for you.
Let's start with #LikeaGirl. This is not a new ad or a new campaign by Always but I will fiercely love it until my dying day. You tell me to throw like a girl? You bet your ass I'm throwing that softball like Jennie Finch. Fight like a girl? Sara Lance is where it's at (she's fictional I know but doesn't make her any less badass). Shoot like a girl? You bet your ass I'm shooting like my sister or Megan Agosta.
The most powerful part of these ads are watching the little boys face when she the narrator says "you just insulted your sister" and he's like well other girls but not my sister. No. All girls. And then watching that little girl in the pink dress say running like a girl means running as fast and as hard as she can. Where do we go wrong in society, in our culture, that the adult women in the video stereotypically "run like girls". When have you actually seen a girl run like that? And that episode with Phoebe running from Friends is funny but it also perpetuates the "run like a girl" stereotype. Men who use that insult - think about your daughters or wives when you say that. You've just insinuated because they are women, they are less than you. They aren't as good as you. Is that actually what you think? If so, you need to re-evaluate a lot more than that one sentence.
#LikeaGirl isn't an insult. Strip it from your vocabulary. Girls when someone tries to use that as an insult wear it like a badge of honour. Yeah, you are gonna play #LikeaGirl.
(The rest are less rant-like I swear.)
Dove for Men. Dove has revolutionized beauty advertisements for women. I'm positive I don't need to go into detail about their Campaign for Real Beauty. They've taken a huge leap by moving onto men's beauty ideals. For as much as women are bombarded with unattainable beauty images, men are too. (I mean, not everyone can look like Stephen Amell.) And whoa have they dived headfirst into the pool. They could've dipped a toe in and tested the waters. I haven't been watching North American commercials so I'm not sure if this was a campaign launch, if they've been testing on other markets. But they've gone straight for the jugular. Challenging that what makes a man strong is by showing he cares not by being tough and physical strong and airing it during the Super Bowl no less. And I know the number of men that scoffed at it was more than those that didn't but I don't care. They've put it out there and judging by Dove's history, I don't think they're getting out of the pool. Major kudos to Dove. They've got a major uphill battle on this one but damn am I glad they are going there. It's about time.
Beer commercials. Let's just lump these all together. I'm bored of beer ads. I am bored by your scantily glad women carrying a beer tray. I am bored by "this is the greatest party ever". (Bud Light, I'm looking at you. For a little background on the "up for whatever" story - check out this article if provides a little insight. I'm not sure if this is the town where this particular commercial was filmed or not but it's still gives you a different perspective when you watch the commercial: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/sep/10/marketing-beer-whatever-bud-light-crested-butte-colorado-badvertising).
Budweiser changed it up a little bit with their straight up we're not craft beer nor are we claiming to be. I see craft brewers are not happy about this. And I mean, I get that. What I was going to type here was that Budweiser was picking on the "little guy" but damn ... a quick Google search shows me that craft beer has actually pushed even with Budweiser for total number of barrels shipped. So ... go craft beer producers! Someone in Big Bad Anheuser Busch-land has identified you as a serious competitor. I'd take it as a twisted form of a compliment. Unfortunately, Budweiser also called you out on the biggest marketing stage of the year during an event which people drink a lot of beer so ... carry on being upset about it. Budweiser, excellent strategic move, however, I am of the marketing school of thought that any sort of attack ad shows a weakness and gives your competitor air time they didn't pay for so. You might have just lost customers who said "mmm ... peach pale ale? That sounds delicious! Where can I get me some of that?"
Doesn't change the fact that I AM BORED BY BEER ADS. Let's have some creativity.
The Budweiser Clydesdale and puppy ads are great. With my non-marketing hat, I LOVE THEM. Both this year's and last year's made me cry. I'm not ashamed to admit it. With my marketing hat, other than using your Clydesdales I'm not sure how this is enticing me to actually by your beer. Is it for anyone else? I mean, I don't actually drink beer but that's not the point. Cute ad? Abso-fricking-lutely. Re-inforcing brand? Sure. Effective? Eh.
And what was the Newcastle Ale ad all about? Is that what it was actually for or was it for one of the 1,256 other products they mentioned? Creative? Sure. Effective? Not at all. Bring back Anna Kendrick.
Beer ads. Step up your game.
(Sidebar: remember when Budweiser supposedly announced that they were getting rid of the Clydesdales? And people were in an uproar about that commercial with the annoying mermaid on the beach or something equally silly? Here's the thing about marketing - brands will run simultaneous ads. See how there was the craft ad but also the Clydesdale/puppy ad? Appealing to two different target markets. And that's why not everyone is a marketer ;).)
Celebrity cameos. Ahhh ... this is always fun as brands like to bring out the big guns. Jerry Rice, Pete Rose, Bryan Cranston. The not so (in my opinion) big guns. Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Pierce Brosnan. (I've spent the last how ever many years refusing to accept that Kim Kardashian is even relevant but she is obviously more relevant than Catherine Zeta-Jones, the former T-Mobile celeb spokesperson.) Anyway. Best celeb spot was by far and away Bryan Cranston for Esurance. I have a major love affair with Breaking Bad and Walter White as a "sorta Greg" trying to give that woman her prescription made me snort with laughter. I know that pharmacists won't exactly like being equated with Walter White (he cooks meth and is a drug dealer, for those of you who are unfamiliar) but holy dyna did I laugh. They hit the mark with that one - not so much with the Lindsay Lohan spot. Using (what I think is) a recognizable character from pop culture to show and using Walter White as "sorta Greg" instead of real pharmacist Greg to show that your insurance should be just for you was exceedingly clever. The Lindsay Lohan one wasn't as effective though. I'm having trouble trying to formulate the proper words for why - I think because the contrast between "sorta mom Lindsay Lohan" and "real mom" wasn't enough. I mean a few years ago when Lindsay Lohan was in the height of her spiral, this might have hit the mark. But I don't like the way they used a real person, with real serious issues as the contrast. Maybe that's it. Anyway.
Car ads. Alright. Car ads. This is a huge monstrous thing that I don't always understand. For starters, this was Nissan's first ad at the Super Bowl in a number of years. And my first question is ... how did they afford a Super Bowl ad when they've been absolutely bombarding those of us who watch the CFL on TSN with their awful Punch Pathfinder ads (I know they're not the same Nissan Canada vs. Nissan USA etc. it's a turn of phrase). But also ... the absentee racecar dad who shows up at the end in a Nissan and suddenly that makes it all better? I don't get it. You want to be associated with absentee dads, I guess? No? The racecar thing? No? Anyone have any insight for me ... I'd LOVE to hear it.
The Toyota Camry spots I also didn't get at first. I saw the dad/daughter going to the airport spot first and then the paralympian snowboarder/Dancing with the Stars Alum Amy Purdy spot second. The second made WAY more sense. It was the "Bold" New Camry. And commercial with Purdy was her being a badass bitch. Snowboarding. Falling down, getting back up. On Dancing with the Stars. Doing a photoshoot. Being BOLD. When it got to the end it was pretty obvious what they were getting at. (And hey, she was doing all those things #LikeaGirl.) I'm not saying the first spot with the daughter joining the military isn't bold, because holy, is it ever. But it doesn't lay the groundwork for the tag at the end like the Purdy spot does.
And Carl's Jr. Oh boy Carl's Jr did you EVER miss the freaking mark on this one. A couple things to consider here beyond the obvious. Who is the biggest viewing audience of the Super Bowl? Hint: it's not people who care about an all natural burger. (Yes, this is contradictory of what I said above about #LikeaGirl. Aware of that.) Another, the voice over is about how you like things "au natural" and your clever (can you hear the sarcasm?) way of masking your "au natural" woman's body parts with strategically placed fruit that makes her look naked. Oooo. And then you pull away whatever and oh, she's not naked and her boobs are so fake it's unbelievable. But guess what? You've created doubt. You've lied through the entire commercial. Your "au natural" woman actually isn't (fake boobs) and she's not actually naked or "au natural" (bikini/skirt or shorts). So are you lying to me about the burger to? It doesn't have hormones or steroids (which - I live in a rural area that's a terrible marketing tactic in our areas) but what does it actually have that you're hiding? FAIL.
Feel good, tear jerkers. Okay. The surprise tear jerker this year was McDonald's and 'Pay with Lovin''. Wow. I was shocked by my response to this actually. Maybe it's being away from home but watching those people phone their mom's to tell them they loved them. Tears. And then the mom telling her son what her favourite thing about him was? More tears. Oh ... more tears now. That's nice. Anyway. The 'Pay with Lovin'' fits in well with their 'I'm Lovin' It' tagline/slogan. They've given people a reason to come to McDonald's on Valentine's Day which, let's be real, not many people will likely do. But there's your call to action and hey! You might get a free meal, if not, you're still there eating when you might not otherwise have been.
Coca-Cola was another surprise for me. On the heels of the Share a Coke campaign we've got #makeithappy which targets online bullying. And we're back into socially conscious marketing. I just read a review that said the coke spilling into the server "fell flat" and at first I was like that's dumb but as I watched the coke spread through out the world I changed my mind. I quite loved that actually (after my second reaction that Felicity Smoak would be horrified that someone had a beverage in a server room). Coke has placed itself at the centre of an initiative to make the internet a more positive place. The amount of traction they've gotten out of the Share a Coke campaign is pretty incredible and I think this new one they've taken on will be tougher but I think they can make a difference with. They've got enough resources to make it work. It's equated Coke with happiness while promoting it's #makeithappy initiative.
Whoa ... that got a little bit longer than I intended but there you go. That's how I watch ads. Isn't my brain a fun place?
About two years ago, I tried opening up to someone about my depression and that was her response. So this quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows seems more than appropriate to share today.
As I’ve stumbled through this journey with depression, I haven’t had...
I wanted to write something for my blog for the #BellLetsTalk Day. But I am lucky enough to have never suffered from a mental illness. Many of my friends have not been so lucky. My friend Kristi (that is her blog post above) has only recently begun speaking openly about her battle with depression. Two of my best friends suffered in silence while I carried in none the wiser to their battle. Kristi is right. Someone who has never battled with this will never understand what you're going through. I won't ever understand what you're going through but that doesn't mean I won't stand beside you and hold your hand. (And I'm pretty good at providing a pun at just the right time to let you know I'm thinking of you, right bodytalkwithkw?) If you are struggling, you do not need to do it on your own. I know it's probably (more than likely) scary to admit to someone that you're not okay but having a mental illness doesn't mean you are weak - #sicknotweak is a hashtag Michael Landsberg started. You are not weak. You are so, so strong. And it most certainly is real. Do not ever let anyone tell you any different.
I read this today when I stumbled across an article about why Hitler didn't invade Switzerland. (He had it all planned out - Operation Tannenbaum - but never pulled the trigger on the attack.) And okay - I can't actually explain how happy this made me when it read this: In early 2007, 170 Swiss troops accidentally went non-neutral for a bit — they took a wrong turn and unintentionally "invaded" Liechtenstein. Switzerland alerted Liechtenstein of the error — the small principality did not notice the error — and apologized. The apology was accepted. See?! So. Happy.
I am about to (voluntarily) read just about the nerdiest book I've ever purchased. Essentially looks at how data is gathered in African countries. The data gathered is used to calculate important numbers, such as GDP, and is the basis for different major (and minor) policy decisions. The book looks critically at how the data is gathered and compiled and the resulting numbers which may or may not provide accurate assessments of the economic status of a country. ISN'T THAT SO FUN?!
I had this whole (not really whole - it was like a quarter finished) about brand and explaining what it is, why it's important, why all everyone should pay attention to it (including, and maybe most importantly, your personal brand). BUT THEN. This amazing article/post came across my Twitter feed today and it is explained an important piece of brand using my current favourite thing ... SUPERHEROES!
It's quick and to the point, even if you don't like superheroes I think Superman is universal enough that it still illustrates the point really effectively. Enjoy!
Does everyone understand what I mean about the bugs now? (See previous post.) This little guy was crawling around on my nightstand last night and tonight he was on my bed. No thanks.
have met some of the loveliest people here. At our conference in October, I met a woman named Farai, who is such a wonderful and hardworking lady. My boss was in Zimbabwe this week and Farai sent this awesome ceramic mug for me! (Among other gifts for our staff).
don’t get it twisted like i respect bugs for being the best they can be in spite of their specific assigned flesh prisons and their ecological significance but they need to stay the fuck away from me
Okay this is me right now. At home me and bugs are totally good. But here there are so many unknown things about bugs. Today I learned the giant bee that hangs out outside my window is just a nice big carpenter bee and the males don't have stingers and the females only sting when provoked. Which is nice but that doesn't mean I want you in my room.
This is absolutely nothing to do with work but I wanted to do it anyway. I’ve been reading quite a bit since I’ve arrived (eBooks are a wonderful thing)! So I thought I’d share with everyone. I am attempting to actually finish 50 books in one year. I can’t remember the exact date but I estimated I started about September 10, 2014.
Overwatch by Marc Guggenheim (09/24/14)
A CIA/spy thriller. I don’t know if I’d call it a real thriller but if you like books about spies, conspiracy theories about the CIA this is your book.
Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (09/27/14)
About up an coming musicians during WWII. Great, great book. Really beautifully crafted and delves a bit into what it was like to be a musician and black in Paris in 1940.
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follet (10/09/14)
Historical fiction. Third and final book in Follet’s trilogy series. I was really disappointed in this one. Follet writes excellent historical fiction. The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, The Eye of the Needle are all books I would highly recommend. This one I would not. It got a lot soap opera-y and everyone was sleeping with everyone (I know it was the 60s for part of it but it got to be a little much).
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (12/29/14)**
Fantasy. Do I even need to explain? I’ve watched the movies at least 100 times and I thought it was about time for a re-read. I was surprised by how much I actually remembered of the books.
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (11/23/14)**
Fantasy. I am not ashamed to say I’ve read this book a number of times. It’s an old favourite and I go back to it at least once a year.
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Adventure by Neil Patrick Harris (12/30/14)
Autobiography. NPH is hilarious. I’ll just start off by saying that and this is an interesting way to get someone’s life story. There’s a chapter about he and his partner meeting Elton John and his partner that I laughed SO hard at. I also am not entirely sure if I read of all this but I kept ending up at NPH hosting the Tony’s so I was pretty sure I’d read it all.
Currently reading: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Since arriving in Nairobi I've eaten a lot of different kinds of food. My mom always says I'm a picky eater (just because I refuse to eat disgusting mushrooms does not mean I'm a picky eater) but I can now say I have had real (not butter chicken from Earl's that doesn't count) Indian, Lebanese, and Ethiopian food. It has all been exceptionally delicious. And I don't even know what I'm eating.
Received a lovely little care package for Christmas from @b_mak123!!! If you're wondering why it's a bag of Cheezies short. It's because I crushed one at work already.
The best Christmas Eves growing up were when we’d come out of our Christmas Eve service at Woodley Church and it would be snowing. I love snow. I’ve always thought snow at Christmas was a necessity. I had my first Christmas without snow and I would like to say that I was totally right.
There were Christmas decorations up. I saw the line-up for Santa at the shopping centre almost every Saturday in December. I haven’t seen many Christmas lights (but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any). But it never truly felt like Christmas.
I know there are tons of places that celebrate Christmas without snow. Kenya, obviously, being one of them. (And yes, for the record, Africans DO know it's Christmas and the ones that don't follow a religion that does not celebrate Christmas so it makes no difference to them whatsoever.) At our Maili Saba Camp on Christmas Day, we had turkey for supper, someone playing Christmas carols on a piano and another one singing. There was a Christmas tree and lovely decorations. I had white wine with my supper. Instead of White Christmas, they sang a (hilarious) made-up version of 'Dusty Christmas'. And despite all those things, it did not feel like Christmas.
Maybe some other factors contribute to the non-Christmas feeling. I mean, I didn’t buy any Christmas presents this year (sorry, fam, I know you understand). I don’t have a tree up (sparkly purple or otherwise). I don’t have Christmas Day quoting Christmas Vacation and playing the Gift Game with my family to look forward to. Home Alone isn’t playing back-to-back on almost every channel. It was a weird Christmas here. And to be totally honest, if robinshoodd hadn't been here, it probably would've just passed like another day.
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