A Day In The Sun® newsletter S2 V1
5 minute read (or 0.1 seconds if you’re an AI)
Spring has sprung, and so has a new platform for this newsletter. Hello, Substack. Some of my favorite writers publish here, and if it’s good enough for them…
Based on reader input (thank you), I’m going to make a concerted effort to (1) publish more frequently, and (2) keep it short(er).
Flora is in bloom. What’s opening for you?
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE BRANDSCAPE X POPULAR CULTURE
Once again, the Expo West extravaganza in Anaheim— where hundreds of thousands of conventioneers milled about amongst thousands of brand booths, over three days— was a set of jumper cables for the senses (see note on GOODLES below). Standing out amidst all the chaos, here are two of my fave new brand discoveries from the show. BRIXY is pure id; there’s an unusual energy there. And I love the sophisticated, arresting design aesthetic of BEST BEHAVIOR, as well as the name itself (and the food rocks too). Compliments to the brand chefs.
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Shakespeare was one heck of a writer, but he really blew this one: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Really, Bill? How would a rose named “Sewer Gas” play? How about one named “Hockey Equipment?” Names matter. And the big rose growers are really good at it. Here are two newly planted, David Austin bare roots in our garden. Make sure you’re on your (name) game.
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I love a rich, juicy brand/marketing insight. Strikes a nerve, captures the vox populi. Unexpected yet obvious in hindsight. Makes me all googily moogily inside. Thank you, new PNC Bank campaign. Might your answer be hiding in plain sight?
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I’ve been thinking a lot about badges, trophies, and other physical forms of recognition and membership. Why? Because totems can engage with people, bigtime. A great example is the “Five Time Host Club” at Saturday Night Live; gotta love that gaudy velvet purple jacket, which is ridiculous and awesome all at once (and welcome to the club, Kristen Wiig). I also have a soft spot for those wings that the airlines still give to kids. This thing was inexpensive to make, but it can be worth the world to someone. What are your wings?
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Speaking of SNL, I’m loving the documentary that just dropped on Apple TV+ about the inimitable Steve Martin. Early in his career, he became the first comedian to generate mass appeal sufficient to pack large arenas. How? It’s not simply that he was really funny. It’s that his act was loaded with tons of juicy verbal assets (“I am a wild and crazy guy!” “Excuuuuuuuse me!” etc) and equally juicy visual catnip (the arrow; the rabbit ears; the balloon animals, etc), plus a smattering of weird (what’s with the banjo?). Fans adopted these elements as their own, driving passionate engagement, and evangelism to others. Super high-growth brands do the exact same thing.
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In the wake of the passing of OJ Simpson, there have been many analyses—of all shapes, sizes, and flavors— assessing the massive and indelible impact that his trial levied on popular culture. One element from that circus that merits reflection is Jonnie Cochran’s line: “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” As a lover of language and believer in its impact, I gotta say: Wow, what a hook! Masterful; a perfect 10. It helped a guy get away with murder, literally. (this is despicable, but I’m merely commenting on the craft, not the morality). Pro copywriters tend to thumb their noses at tricks of the trade like rhymes, dismissing them as lowbrow; barely elevated from fart jokes, in terms of serious writer cred. But hey, rhymes pack a punch. What would Cochran do in your space? (Note: in this edition’s Rabbit Hole at the very bottom, I will share a great yarn about a rhyming triumph earlier in my own career.)
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So, I’m an extremist window seat hardliner. I’d rather sit in 47A than 7C. Knowing this, my wife got me this doohickey here: the “BevLedge.” Positioned as an “in-flight organization station,” it slides into the small crease that the shade would normally occupy. Easy. I put it into service last month, and the thing sparked irrational love… not just from me but from others. There is an “omg, look at that!” factor when people see it for the first time. Why? Because it’s a hack that solves a problem (not enough space for all your stuff) and simultaneously creates an opportunity (effectively more legroom). And it does so with ingenious simplicity. What might be the BevLedge of your category?
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Beatlemania continues to blossom, defying all normal rules that apply everyone and everything else. But rather than discuss McCartney x Beyoncé, or Sam Mendes announcing that he’s working on four (!) brand new Beatles movies for future release, I’d like to turn your attention to Pattie Boyd, an unsung hero(ine) from the Beatleverse. She is “having a moment,” having recently released a beautiful coffee table book, in addition to generating headlines by sharing a startling cache of personal letters. Pattie was George Harrison’s muse and wife… and later, Eric Clapton’s. An incandescent icon of the 1960s London fashion scene, she directly inspired two of the greatest love songs of all time: “Something” by George, and “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric. When George addresses “Little Darling” in his “Here Comes The Sun” lyrics? Pattie. She is also the basis for the character Layla in, well, that one by Eric. What an impact! There she is below.
What or who is your muse? Where do you find inspiration? Give this some thought. Identify what those people or things are, and move even closer to them.
Nature is a biggie for me. So are art forms of many kinds (including music, duh).
Note: an extremely cool yet (relatively) little-known fact about Pattie X Beatles appears as item #2 in the Rabbit Hole below. “They say it’s your birthday…”
INSIDE THE ROPES: SOME DESIGN THINKING DOING LATELY
GOODLES both enjoyed and provided a fantastic experience at Expo. Below is a great shot of our growing band of merry pranksters at and around our booth, as well as a shot from a bash we threw at House of Blues for 2,000 people on the last night of the show. Jen’s bedazzled platform boots caused some buzz on their own, and weren’t an accident; they are an extension of our brand world, as we have a huge disco ball hanging from the ceiling in the office, and have used glammy 70s pop in many creative executions. This is an extraordinary team producing extraordinary energy and also extraordinary business results. Tons of news (noooos?) will be dropping from noodleville over the coming months. Stay tuned.
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Big Nose Kate western whiskey continues to roll. Kate was the belle of the ball at the prestigious Arizona Cocktail Weekend festival, and also recently launched a big chain-wide partnership with Black Angus, a great new relationship ushered in at the Burbank property by our partner Melissa McCarthy. Speaking of Melissas, Mel Heim was recently named our CEO, an important move for us, and also the spirits industry at large, earning coverage in Forbes and beyond. The company is currently raising a bridge round ahead of a mongo Series A planned for next year. Cheers!
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I’m very optimistic about Small Wonder. The product works (like, actually) and works well, and so does our new patent-pending “Wonder Bottle” dispenser. The brand is fun to use, and in general, people love it so far. And that’s even before considering the sustainability benefits of removing single-use plastic and pre-packed goopy water from the equation. I like this chart here way more than any normal person should. Beautiful.
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BUFFY. Last year, I was the faculty advisor to a pair of Kellogg MBA candidates who were fed up with fake meat products and prototyped a delicious line of protein-dense dips made with real meat. I am continuing to serve in something of a mentor role, happily, now that they have graduated and a real company emerged. Did you know that dips like hummus deliver hardly any good stuff? Check the label sometime. I think we’ll see BUFFY out there by the end of this year (knock wood). I love the brand world.
Action on campus. Speaking of Kellogg, I am taking on an exciting new challenge. I have been asked to set up a brand new program exploring the topic of creativity. In late May, our first expression goes live: a half-day conference featuring a range of creative Illuminati, and some delightful surprises. It’s entitled “By Design: Unlocking the Creative Advantage” and was made possible by a gift from a towering figure in the worlds of design and retail. It’s a heavy lift but I’m up for it, and quite psyched.
Client advisory. From time to time, I continue to selectively take on a few creative assignments from other companies, and also serve as a sounding board providing “outside in” perspectives on their own internal innovation and venturing endeavors. But I can’t talk about that, so I’ll stop there. Anyway, the Bat Phone works if you need to use it.
PICS BY PAUL
1. That’s not a tire tread; that’s the aftermath of a “duck-footed” person, doubling back.
2. This cactus is only in bloom for about 36 hours per year. Lucky me.
3. Either I’m in an alternate universe with five suns, or that’s a cool optical illusion.
4. So if I read this right, biking and rollerblades are okay? Get an art director, please.
5. Not intentionally blurry, but GOODLES magic does feel that way sometimes.
6. That red line is just Olive’s leash. Movin’ on up!
Thanks for reading this far. Best to all of you for health, happiness, and enjoyment of this time of year. And ping me at paul@ADayInTheSun.com (or use the bat phone), any time. Onward!
Rabbit hole, 1: Rhymin’ ‘n stealin’. Here is my favorite rhyming tale. Early in my career, at Saatchi & Saatchi, I was part of the team tasked with launching the PEPCID A.C. heartburn reliever, which was migrating from a prescription-only drug to Over-the-Counter. Our client, J&J, had earmarked approximately five hundred gazillion dollars for sales and marketing support. The stakes: high. And… we failed about 25 times to create a hook that resonated with people. Nothing landed. I sensed our creative director had something up his sleeve, but was reluctant to share it (remember, many if not most writers think that silly rhymes are uncouth, and beneath them). After our 26th, 27th, and 28th ideas failed to take, the exasperated creative director—clearly having great reservations about what he was about to do, visibly uncomfortable—said in a meeting: “Okay. F—k it. You want the line? Here’s the line. ‘You can be heartburn-free with Pepcid A.C.’” We all knew instantly: bam, that’s the one. And was it ever! Our campaign—centered around that hook, and repeating it often—was a smash hit. As was the product launch itself. A rhyme in time can shine.
Rabbit hole, 2: Pattie Postscript. If you think that no female voice ever appears in a Beatles song, think again. In the band’s rowdy rocker “Birthday,” listen closely to the vocals during the call-and-response part in the middle (“I would like you to dance” to “Birthday!” to “Take a cha cha cha chance” to “Birthday!”). The “Birthday!” response is not one of the guys singing falsetto; that’s– you guessed it– Pattie Boyd! With Linda Eastman (who later would become Linda McCartney). Pattie and Linda happened to be hanging around the Abbey Road studio as the Beatles were working out that tune. On a lark and a whim, feeling adventurous, McCartney asked Pattie and Linda to come on down and grab a mic. It worked! Pattie and Linda’s voices add some rich texture to the joyous party that is that song. Moral of the story: Not everything must proceed exactly to plan. Surprise twists and turns can really rock.