Humor
The Google Job Experiment
Alec Brownstein (copywriter/director) got a job at Y&R New York by playing to the egos of Gerry Graf, David Droga, Tony Granger, Ian Reichenthal and Scott Vitrone. And then he won two pencils and a Clio for doing it.
Brownstein bought Google ad words for the creative directors’ names, which cost him $6. “No one else was bidding on (the names),” he tells us, “so I got the top spot for like 10 cents a click.” This got him interviews with everyone except Granger. Reichenthal and Vitrone are both at Y&R NY and the rest is history.
When you think “Don,” think “Public Toilets”
On a recent trip to Arthur’s Steaks in Hoboken, I noticed something funny in their restroom. The soap, paper towel and toilet paper dispensers all had my name on them.
It’s like twitter. Except we charge people for it.
In light of Jacob Cass’s wonderful article on “Why logo design does not cost $5.00” and the viral video on “The Vendor-Client Relationship – in Real-world Situations”, Fischstix forwarded me this lovely exchange between Australian author and freelance designer and a former Ogilvy business developer turned entrepreneur. The only reason I laugh is because I’ve been in this situation all too often and laughing hides the anger.
sommelier, sommelier, sommelier…
I’m a big fan of daily snippets of wisdom such as Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day and Wikipedia’s Daily Random Article. However the former, today, threw me for a loop. The word, pronunciation, examples and etymology are all correct, but take a look at the definition they included for “sommelier”:
Word of the Day for Tuesday, November 3, 2009
sommelier \suhm-uhl-YEY; Fr. saw-muh-LYEY\, noun:
To involuntarily repeat a particular response, such as a word, phrase, or gesture, despite the absence or cessation of a stimulus, usually caused by brain injury or other organic disorder.
If the wine list is not online, drop by the restaurant in advance, look over the list and talk with the sommelier. It’s a small investment in time that will pay big dividends.
— Ernest Hemmingway, The Sun Also Rises
In the restaurant we ordered hors d’oeuvres and beer. The sommelier brought the beer, tall, beaded on the outside of the steins, and cold. There were a dozen different dishes of hors d’oeuvres.
— Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, “Ordering for a Business Meal”, Wall Street Journal, October 17, 2009
Sommelier derives from French, from Old French, “officer in charge of provisions, pack-animal driver,” alteration of sommerier, from sommier,” beast of burden,” from Vulgar Latin saum?rius.
How To Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients
Thanks to SwissMiss for pointing this story to my attention. From Smashing Magazine, learn tips and tricks for working with: The Passive-Aggressive, The Family Friend, The Under-Valuer, The Nit-Picker, The Scornful Saver, The ‘I-Could-Do-This-Myself’-er, The Control Freak and The Dream Client.
Of course, all MY clients are “Dream Clients”, however some of you may have to deal with these other types.