Advertising

Google: A Brief History

March 7, 2011 By jfisher Leave a Comment

Alan Steele, VP, Head of Art, Managed Markets

Larry Page and Sergey Brin met as PhD candidates at Stanford in 1996. They founded Google in 1998. Google is a play on the word googol, a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. The word googol was invented by Milton Sirotta, the nephew of a well-known American mathematician Edward Kasner.

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Google Search is the dominant Web search engine. The numbers are staggering: Google runs over one million servers around the world, and processes over one billion search requests and about twenty-four petabytes of user-generated data every day. One petabyte is equal to 20 million four-drawer filing cabinets filled with text.

How search works: You aren’t actually searching the Web, you are searching Google’s index of the Web. Think of an index at the back of a book: the index is Google Search, the book is the Internet. Software programs called spiders (crawlers, googlebots) fetch a few Web pages, then they follow the links those pages point to, and so on, until hundreds of thousands of Web pages are selected across thousands of machines. Google decides which pages to prioritize by asking questions – more than 200 of them. How many times do the key words appear in the document? Is the document from a quality Web site or spam? How many outside links point to it, and how important are those links? Page are scored, or ranked, using these questions, and then prioritized in your search results. Each search result includes a link, the URL, and a “snippet” (short text summary). As you know, if you have entered a few keywords and hit return, all of this happens in 1/2 second!

Advertising. Google receives 90% of its revenue from advertising – over $10 billion. Ads appear to the right and above search results. Google Adwords is software that allows businesses to enter words and phrases relevant to their business, so when people are searching on Google and one of those keywords is picked up, the ad appears on the search page. A sister service, Google AdSense, allows Website owners to display these advertisements on their Website, and earn money every time ads are clicked.

Diversification. Google has grown from two computer scientists developing a Web search engine to 24,000 employees involved in innovative products such as Google Analytics, Google Earth, Google Maps, SketchUp (3D rendering), Picasa (photo sharing), GMail (email), Chrome (Web browser), YouTube, Talk (instant messaging), Buzz (social networking), Android (mobile phone app) and most recently, the Art Project (http://www.googleartproject.com/).

While researching Google, I came across one of their core beliefs: it is best to do one thing really, really well. Google does search really, really well. What is it that you, your organization, or your client do really, really well?

Extracts from Wikipedia, Google, and Gizmodo.

Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.

Filed Under: Creative Tagged With: Advertising, Google, search

The Internet is Not a Farmhouse in Vermont

February 28, 2011 By jfisher Leave a Comment

Mike Radigan, Copywriter, Palio

Whilst scouring the vast expanses of the information superhighway, I recently came across a very interesting article on a 19th-century advertising war that played out in the countryside of northern Vermont. As a person who’s interested in history, art, entertainment, and advertising, the story was intriguing to me on many levels.

We all know that everyone loves the circus. Children and adults alike have long enjoyed the spectacle of these traveling extravaganzas.

While this type of entertainment continues to draw crowds today, it was during the Victorian Era that the art form basked in its golden age.

Traveling circuses originated in a time before electricity, when society was largely agrarian and rural isolation was widespread. The arrival of a circus was a highly anticipated event – one that country folk would jump at in the hopes of staving off the monotony of life on the farm. They were places to see and be seen.

Victorian circus promoters like the legendary P.T. Barnum had to be savvy marketers if they wanted to fill seats. They had to let potential ticket-buyers know that something amazing was on its way, and that these customers should be first to see it for themselves. The answer was simple, and made sense given the absence of modern forms of communication such as television, radio, or the Web.

During the golden age of the American traveling circus, posters were the main form of advertising and promotion. These beautifully illustrated works of art were large and vibrant, capturing the imagination of anyone who happened upon them – the glitzy Adobe Flash of their day.

Circus owners typically employed roving bands of advertising shock troops who would travel ahead of the wagon train searching for the best places to display the posters. Oftentimes, these advertising agents resorted to purchasing space on the sides of barns and houses from farmers in exchange for tickets.

When competing circuses had overlapping territory, advertising space was in demand. This is where the story gets really interesting – and it’s where the article featured on The Art Newspaper’s Web site picks up.

In 1991, homeowners renovating an old house in northern Vermont were surprised to find layers of circus posters that had been long covered over by exterior siding. Realizing the age and value of the find, the original boards to which the posters were affixed were donated to the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.

There, researchers found layer after layer of posters that multiple waves of competing guerilla marketers had pasted over those of competitors. When one poster went up, another circus’ men would soon come along and put up a new one right over it. And so went the back-and-forth dance of the circus advertising battle.

Now you may be asking yourself, “What does this story mean for today’s marketers?”

If anything, it teaches us a lesson on the power of technology and what is now possible in the information age. The Internet is a game changer. No longer are marketers limited by the physical restrictions of advertising space. No longer is it as easy as it once was to drown out or cover up messages that compete with yours.

Competition will always exist. But nowadays, the playing field is fairer. Everyone has the same chance to let their voice be heard, whether it be a teenage blogger or a Fortune 500 company.

On the Internet, everyone has the same opportunity to share, the same space to disseminate information, and, if done correctly, the same chance to have share of voice. The reality is no different for pharmaceutical companies. They have the same access to what one could consider to be an infinite number of farmhouse walls – all of which can be covered in material of any type designed to reach any number of audiences.

Of course, the Internet is not a farmhouse in Vermont. And we’re not selling glimpses at elephants and bearded ladies. But the lessons of advertising still apply in the same ways they did over a century ago. It’s about knowing your audience and sharing information. It’s about featuring a product and shaping impressions. Only the mediums have changed. And with that change comes the potential for unbridled opportunity.

So take a look at this thought-provoking article and see for yourself where advertising once was. And while you’re at it, take a moment to consider the medium you’re using to view the article and the power it holds for advertising today.

Filed Under: Creative Tagged With: Advertising, circus, guerilla marketers, marketing, P.T. Barnum, posters

Portmanteaus: Packed With Punch

February 21, 2011 By jfisher 1 Comment

From Janetta Roach, Senior Editor, Palio

In advertising, it can be challenging to come up with fresh ideas – whether through imagery or words. As an editor, my job is to tackle the latter, ensuring that copy is not only grammatically and stylistically correct, but also improving the choice of words, if possible.

The other day I was researching a brand and came across the term portmanteau and was struck by how applicable it is to advertising.

Its original meaning derives from the French words porter (to carry) and manteau (coat) to describe a clothing bag or suitcase popular in 19th century Europe. However, it was Lewis Carroll who introduced a secondary meaning for the term in his 1871 classic Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There. Humpty Dumpty explains, “Well, ‘slithy’ means ‘lithe and slimy.’… You see it’s like a portmanteau – there are two meanings packed up into one word.” Hence, Merriam Webster’s secondary definition for the term: “a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog).”

It’s no surprise that the world of advertising is rife with examples. Brands are prolific in their use of portmanteau words. Take Amgen, for example. It’s a portmanteau of applied molecular genetics. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and track. FedEx is a portmanteau of federal and express. Intel is a portmanteau of integrated and electronics. Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software. Even our very own inVentiv Health is a portmanteau of inChord and Ventiv Health.

Some others:

Advertorial – advertisement + tutorial
AmEx – American + Express
Blog – web + log
Bollywood – Bombay + Hollywood
Brunch – breakfast + lunch
Camcorder – camera + recorder
Infomercial – information + commercial
Jazzercise – jazz + exercise
Nabisco – national + biscuit + company
Rolodex – rolling + index
Sitcom – situation + comedy
Verizon – veritas + horizon

So next time you’re struggling to come up with some original copy, try blending some words together and see if you find a winning combination. Who knows, you might create the next brand name or catchphrase that will Never be forgotton!

Filed Under: Advertising, Editorial Tagged With: Advertising, Editorial, ideas, Portmanteau, words

Angry Birds Attack Super Bowl

February 8, 2011 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Michael Villanella, Copywriting Intern, Palio

If you’re like me, you have no shiny iPad, no sleek new smart phone and, as a result, you’ve probably been deemed uncool by all of your friends. While I’ve been stuck in the technological stone age, the rest of the world has been bragging about BBMs, facetime, and downloadable apps. But it’s nothing to get bitter about. After all I still have SMS messaging. Show me an iPhone user who can send out grainy, pixelated photos!

Whether your device has limited capabilities or not, there’s no way you’ve missed the cultural phenomenon “Angry Birds.” If you haven’t gotten your hands on it, there’s a good chance your friends, kids, or parents have. You know, it’s that game where you slingshot screaming birds across the screen to make wooden structures crumble. Still lost?

Angry Birds’ appeal is much like that of a Super Mario Brothers game. It’s simple enough for the casual gamer to pick up and play yet it has enough depth to pull in the committed high score achiever. This universal attraction is responsible for over 50 million downloads from the Apple App Store.

Due to its massive success, Angry Birds has penetrated deep into pop culture and has been showing up everywhere. After being ported to almost every mobile device, the game has earned a segment on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0, had a line of stuffed animals, and will soon be a Mattel card game. The Angry Birds’ latest victim? Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Rovio, the creators of Angry Birds have partnered with 20^th Century Fox and placed a secret code in the commercial for “Rio” – 20^th Century Fox’s new family film. When entered into Angry Birds, the code unlocks a new level in the game. However finding the code is somewhat of a game in itself.

Viewers are invited to watch the 30-second commercial frame by frame in order find the code. After unlocking and completing the new level, each player will be entered into a Rio contest. The grand prize winner will be flown to the Rio premier in Brazil on March 22 – which so happens to be the release date of “Angry Birds Rio.”

I didn’t catch the code in the live airing, but I didn’t get hung up over it. I had a feeling that Fox wasn’t expecting people to pause the most popular sporting event of the year. After the game ended, I jumped online and did some googling. As suspected, I wasn’t alone in missing the code. In fact, there was quite a buzz on forums about what the code was and how to enter it into the game.

Reluctant to take the easy way out, I found the commercial on YouTube and dug in. It must have taken me 2 or 3 views before finding the code. As a result the movie had been embedded into my brain. I can confidently say I’m a “Rio expert.” I can tell you a detailed description of the plot, which actors will be lending their voice to the roles, the release date, and just about anything else you need to know. It was a clever little trick that Rovio and 20^th Century played on me. I’m not even an Angry Birds player and yet I found myself caught up in the allure of this secret code.

To take the synergy even further, 20^th Century Fox has put Rio locations and characters in the new game. Imagine those 50 million+ owners of the original Angry Birds identifying with an entirely new cast of characters. Come March 22, it’s a safe bet that 20^th Century Fox will be winning over some new Rio fans.

I didn’t mind taking part in their scavenger hunt and I’m not ashamed to say that I fell for it. At the end of the day it was fun. It’s refreshing to see new marketing approaches and exciting to see how they play out. This particular campaign blurred the lines between marketing and entertainment, and it was this straddling of the line that made me fall victim. I doubt I’m going to the theatres on opening night, but I am now part of the hype. Now if I can just get my hands on an iPhone…

Filed Under: Creative Tagged With: 20th Century Fox, Advertising, Angry Birds, app, Apple, Rio, Super Bowl

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

February 2, 2011 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Todd LaRoche, EVP, Managing Director of Creative, Palio

I enjoyed reading Mike Wolfsohn’s article in Advertising Age so much that I had to re-issue it here. It’s all about the fact that ad agencies “distinguish themselves by their work, not what they call themselves….

It’s often been said that agencies are their own worst clients, but perhaps it’s more accurate to say that they do their worst work for themselves.

This is typically for good reason: Most shops, mine included, are so busy tending to their clients’ marketing needs that they neglect their own. It certainly explains why the self-promotional efforts of many agencies fail to meet the expectations set by the body of work they produce for their clients.

What it doesn’t explain? Why so many agencies have chosen to invent unfamiliar, incomprehensible new ways to describe what they do.

These days, it seems the fastest way to insult someone in the marketing communications business is to call his or her company an advertising agency. Apparently that moniker is reserved for ‘old-school,’ ‘traditional’ and ‘dinosaur’ shops that set type by hand and make TV commercials that end with a toll-free number. (Full-disclosure: we call our company a ‘marketing agency’ but don’t go ballistic if we’re called an ad agency.)

Desperate to avoid being saddled with such a debilitating label, agencies have spent the last decade fabricating a new set of business categories that are intended to reflect their modern service offerings. Chances are you’ve come across a few former ad agencies that now bill themselves as ‘Brand Innovation Companies,’ ‘Consumer Engagement Agencies’ or ‘Idea Manufacturers.’

Agencies’ desire to convey that they’ve evolved beyond the 30-second spot is, of course, understandable. But here’s the thing: If agencies are supposed to be experts at conveying what a product or service delivers, their work on behalf of themselves is hardly a strong case study. I, for one, have no idea what a ‘Next-Generation Ideation Agency’ does or how it differs from a ‘Cross-Channel Consumer Connections Company.’

Simply put, you shouldn’t need a PowerPoint presentation, a video or even a paragraph to explain what business you’re in. Car dealerships wouldn’t rebrand as ‘Modern Conveyance Distributors’ in an attempt to distance themselves from the antiquated perceptions of the car-buying experience, and neither should agencies redub themselves as a ‘Concept Cultivation Company’ or something equally unclear. Sure, it’s a remedy for guilt by association, but only because the words conjure no associations at all.

The hardest part of a chief marketing officer’s job today is justifying return on investment for marketing spend, and to do so they aren’t actively searching for a ‘Multi-Screen Experience Creators.’ The vast majority of brands are simply looking for an agency that, when appropriate, has the experience and resources to reach consumers beyond print, TV and out of home.

Virgin and JetBlue have changed our opinions of air travel by changing the way they think about the industry, not renaming it. Similarly, the most celebrated and successful agencies in recent years have earned their reputations by changing the way they work, not their business category. If the industry simply continues to redefine what it means to be an agency, the associations will soon cease to be a source of embarrassment.

Until then, I hope this publication (Advertising Age) will hold off on changing its name to Polymedia Consumer Experience Innovation Age.”

Filed Under: Advertising, Career, Creative, Industry Trends Tagged With: Advertising, Advertising Age, branding, Mike Wolfsohn, positioning

What are QR Codes?

February 1, 2011 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Catlin Renaud, Research Analyst, Palio

QR codes, also known as quick response, are a new way to interact with consumers. The QR code, which can be scanned by most smart phones instantly connects users to media via their phone. These two-dimensional codes turn print media into interactive media. The attached presentation aims to give readers an understanding of what QR codes are, how they can be used, and some possible problems associated with this type of media. We hope you find this presentation helpful… please let us know! And you can also see a little more about QR codes by reading our own Chau Ho’s previous post as well.

Download QR Codes Presentation

Filed Under: Media, Technology Tagged With: Advertising, apps, digital contexts, iPhone, marketing, QR codes

Art is (Ongoing) Work: Track 1

January 10, 2011 By jfisher 2 Comments

Michael John Osterhout, Senior Art Director, Palio

Whether in advertising, in film or, in the case of this blog post, in music, there is one common realization amongst all creatives –– art is work. But each individual work of art that someone creates is just one expression of many that constitute a continuum of creation throughout that artist’s career. Art can inspire us, alter our mood, or maybe bring us back to a particular time in our life, but almost always we experience the final product on its own — never fully understanding or appreciating what the artist went through when creating the work and how it relates to his greater opus.

These days, most of the time, it’s just one or two tracks that we download from iTunes (or wherever), but an artist’s intent is often to have the work appreciated within the context of an entire album or supporting tracks. For this reason, I want to present a three-part series of reviews of albums that I consider to be masterpieces of modern music. Masterpieces that, to be fully appreciated, need to be experienced in their entirety and appreciated in the context of the complete volume of the artist’s work. I will be drawing on video references that help to offer a peak into the creative process and the thinking of each artist/band. Track 1 in this series will focus on the alternative rock band from Oxfordshire, Radiohead.

In 1997, Radiohead released their album, OK Computer, an album that some, myself included, speak of in the same breath as Sgt Pepper for its groundbreaking sound and composition. Off of the success of this highly influential masterpiece, Radiohead decided to document their 1998 world tour with Meeting People is Easy, a film produced by Grant Gee. The film gained critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy.

Without any narration supporting the movie, it focused mainly on how the band coped with their difficult experiences while touring; the fame, accolades, criticisms, endless promotion, etc. that come along with such a revolutionary album; and how they dealt with and, eventually, learned from their experiences. However, mixed into that beautiful collage of concert footage, music, personal conversations, and interviews, was an exhausted and burnt out band, that, while on tour, let off some creative steam by working on a few songs.

One of those songs would become Nude, a song that appeared 10 years later on their In Rainbows album. The process was broken down from how they started to how they eventually finished in this excerpt from Meeting People is Easy.

In this second excerpt, we see Thom Yorke (lead singer, writer of Radiohead) finishing off the mixing for a track that wasn’t a part of OK Computer, but instead became a B-Side called Palo Alto.

By watching these video clips, you’ll get a little more insight into what drove the creation and meaning of these two important Radiohead songs. And you will begin to see what the greater “brand,” called Radiohead, stands for. Kind of like the way an advertisement or piece of marketing communications that I create on any given day here at Palio, is just one element to a greater whole of brand development and positoning.

Filed Under: Creative Tagged With: Advertising, art, creativity, Radiohead

Are You a Marketer at Heart?

December 30, 2010 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Todd LaRoche, EVP, Managing Director of Creative, Palio

If I asked you, “Why do you work in advertising?” what would your response be?

Would it be for the creativity? For the fact that every day brings new and different challenges along with our fast-evolving communications technology? Would it be because you’re passionate about brand building and helping to create a product’s success in the marketplace? Is it because you’re a marketer at heart?

My guess, based on what I see around me, is that not enough of us are in advertising because we are marketers at heart… but more often because it’s a job… “it pays the rent.”

What is it to be a marketer at heart? Think about it. It’s not about wanting to service a client’s needs (although that’s an important business objective). It’s not about doing something as fast as possible for as cheap as possible (another business objective). It’s not about working to ensure the bottom line of your marketing organization is as healthy as it can be (very necessary). It’s not about managing your agency’s resources/talent to work as efficiently as possible, it’s not about meeting project deadlines, etc…. although all of these things are basic business requirements.

Being a marketer at heart is something that comes from within… a genuine commitment to the idea of changing behavior and to the smarts, the skill, the artistry that’s required to do it. So while you’re running around in the name of service and money management and creation, take a minute every so often and ask yourself the question, “Why am I in advertising?” If your answer keeps coming back to something about servicing your client or driving the profitability of your organization, I suggest you dig down a little deeper and look for something more sustainable to fuel your marketing career.

Filed Under: Advertising, Career, Creative Tagged With: Advertising, business, career, marketing

The Twelve Days of Christmas – With a Twist

December 22, 2010 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Rebecca Fretto, Project Director, Palio

I’m sure there are times our clients wonder what a typical day is like at Palio. Sometimes I too, wonder, because as most of us know who work in advertising, there’s no such thing as “a typical day.” We all walk in in the morning knowing that at some point in the day an end-all, be-all project will land at our desk and need to be done immediately, or the world as we know it will come to an end.

To deal with pressure like this every day, you need a serious sense of humor. As the holidays are approaching, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s coming to a close and the new beginnings for next. So to give you an idea of what a day at Palio is like, from a Project Manager’s point of view, I thought I’d write out a familiar song. Remember that laughter is the best approach to a day in advertising.

So sing along in your head, even out loud, to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Joe Baumann, begin singing – NOW!

On the first day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the second day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the third day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the eight day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 8 blog posts to write, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 9 new account peeps, 8 blog posts to write, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 10 e-mails about missing tuna melts, 9 new account peeps, 8 blog posts to write, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 11 new business pitches, 10 e-mails about missing tuna melts, 9 new account peeps, 8 blog posts to write, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Palio gave to me, 12 summer Fridays, 11 new business pitches, 10 e-mails about missing tuna melts, 9 new account peeps, 8 blog posts to write, 7 stressed-out vendors, 6 more ASAP deadlines, 5 hours of open bar, 4 layouts to route, 3 mandatory training sessions, 2 job open meetings, and a free bagel on Wednesday.

I wish all our clients and everyone at Palio, a happy and wonderful holiday and the hope that next year everyone can help refrain from taking food from the downstairs fridge – I am sure that Tim Roberts would truly appreciate it.

Happy Holidays!
Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Advertising, holiday, project manager, sense of humor, The Twelve Days of Christmas

Rock Star

November 10, 2010 By jfisher Leave a Comment

From Joe Acee, Associate Creative Director, Palio

I have a simple story to tell. It’s about being a rock star. But before I tell my story, I want to discuss the term rock star. Within the last two years those two words have taken on a definition much different than what most of us normally associate it with. Images of Mick Jagger and David Lee Roth may come to mind, but in the context of my workplace it’s taken on something different. A rock star is often seen as someone who is doing great work and going above and beyond what’s expected of them. Often, people here at Palio receive gracious compliments from their peers, and with those accolades inevitably comes the term rock star. If you’ve been on the receiving end of such an honor, be grateful that someone appreciates your efforts enough to say so.

In the summer of 1982, long before commercial art was a twinkle in my teenage eye, I became a rock star of a different kind. I was working for my cousin, Abe Acee. At that time, Abe was a hay and feed merchant catering to the local harness racing clientele of Vernon Downs, a racetrack located in the very small town of Vernon, New York. My job was to assist Abe with early morning deliveries of hay bales, horse feed, and the occasional dirty joke. Actually, I just listened to Abe deliver the obscenities — I did the other stuff. We also baled hay in the late mornings, throughout the day, and into the early evening. It was tough work and a reminder to me, as Abe would often tell me, of “what you don’t want to do with your life.”

On one rather humid morning after the round of deliveries, my best friend, Butch, and I were asked to meet Abe at his truck to discuss alternative plans for the day’s work ahead. A couple of his other hired hands had to make deliveries to other horse farms, but we were slotted for something else. We hopped into his finely aged red F-150 pickup truck and headed out. The ride to our destination was relatively uneventful with casual conversation. At one point, Abe decided to light up a Camel and drop the question every high school junior hears during the course of his or her summer break. “So… boys … what do you want to do for a living once you finish school? It sure as hell can’t be what you’re doing right now!”

I thought for a second and blurted out, “I’d really like to try to make a living playing baseball. Yeah, pro baseball would be great!” At the time, that’s what I really wanted to do. It was an obsession for me, and I did not give my proclamation a second thought.

Abe took a drag from his Camel, inhaled, hesitated, and then exhaled without blinking an eye. “Huh… baseball. You really think you’re that good? F@cking Joe … baseball?”

Abe paused a moment then looked over at Butch and posed the same question. “How ’bout you dingle-fritz? What the hell do you want to do with yourself?”

Butch smartly replied, “Rock star. I want to be a rock star.”

There was an awkward silence, which Abe used to his advantage. He took another drag and slung his hand over the steering wheel and projected a Wile E. Coyote–like grin. This type of grin had many meanings to those who knew Abe. It usually meant he was up to something or thinking about something that he would eventually be up to. He was not impressed by the answers delivered by his summer help and did not hide his expression of humorous disappointment.

He looked at Butch, exhaled out the window and said, “Rock star… eh? Rock star. Well isn’t that somethin’? We’ll see about that.”

The timing could not have been more appropriate. We had reached our destination and loaded out of the truck. In front of us was a freshly plowed field, all 30-something acres of it. Right in the middle of the field was a tractor with a front loader attached to it. Abe looked at both of us and said, “You want to be a rock star, Butch? Well today I’m makin’ you and Joe rock stars. See all those large rocks popping up out of the dirt? You have to pick ’em up and drop ’em in the front loader. I’ll be in the tractor movin’ as you go. Before the day’s over you’ll be real-life rock stars alright.” This statement was followed by the classic smokin’ Abe laugh. It was a cruel or amusing roar depending on which side of the situation you happened to be on. Needless to say, Butch and I did not laugh. Nor did we laugh for the remainder of the day.

That was one of the longest days of that summer and, coincidentally, one of the hottest. I think I remember cursing many times about Butch’s self-proclaimed career ambitions, as I dropped 30- to 50-pound rocks into the front loader. By the end of the day Butch and I had cleared the field of every possible obstruction weighing more than 3 pounds and managed to drop 10 pounds of water weight in the process. There were no post-concert parties, no groupies to praise our heroic efforts, and certainly no encores. Abe just handed us a wad of cash for an honest day’s work and smiled that Wile E. Coyote smile. “See that, boys? I told ya I’d make you little f@ckers rock stars –– REAL rock stars.”

I always reflect upon that day whenever I hear the term rock star here at Palio. It’s a fond memory of a simpler time. A reminder of what is truly hard work and what is not. I’ve recently witnessed something worthy of rock star status here at Palio. Amazing teams of individuals who have spent the better part of two years helping a major pharmaceutical company launch a global brand. A specific example that comes to mind is two young creatives who, in less than four weeks, assembled a client-wowing interactive iPad demo. It was an inspiration watching them create something magical in such a short period of time and handle it with professionalism beyond their years.

I also witnessed rock-solid leadership guide our team through the minefield of drug launch chaos; dedicated account execs managing countless mounds of client requests and revisions; studio designers who gracefully orchestrated those changes with can-do brilliance; project and production managers keeping their eyes on the ball and on the schedule; editorial and medical services making sure nothing was left unchecked; art buyers and digital media gurus who kept our resources fresh and capable. To see such outstanding performance from a group of people is humbling and an honor.

Palio is an agency of rock stars and that’s something even my cousin Abe would agree with.

Filed Under: Creative Tagged With: Advertising, David Lee Roth, global brand, launch, Mick Jagger, Palio, rock star