Painfully Accurate Unaired SNL Sketch is a Fitting Tribute to Jobs
October 27th 2011
Have you seen SNL’s unaired skit celebrating Apple’s visionary which skewers a few of his fellow of tech and media titans? It made me smile, have a look.
This can’t be serious
Did Herman Cain Make the Worst (and Funniest) Ad in Political History?
October 26th 2011
Herman Cain’s smoking gums political ad is all the things political ads hope to avoid. Come take a look, see how this is a perfect application of Poe’s law, and join our somewhat informed discussion. ;>
Bad Advertising at Sea: Join the Navy and Endure Sorrow
October 4th 2011
Would you start a military recruiting discussion with a picture of a chaplain giving last rites to a child? The Navy’s reported $800 million multi-year contract does just that. It introduces a new brand tag line which I’d love your comment on. Not only does this represent those of us in the US, we’re paying for it. So, let me know what you think.
Are You a Twitter “Sales Insurrectionist”? Here Are Three Who Remade Sales in 140 Characters
April 15th 2011
Here are three super short stories of self-empowered sales pioneers. They brought somewhat unsuspecting brands in to their own real-time sales channel. “Surprise, we’re getting sales through Twitter!”
Do You Like Who Twitter Says You’re Like?
December 17th 2010
Twitter’s started telling me who I’m like. Its like a weegie board. As someone once said on Seinfeld: “Oh my God! My TiVo thinks I’m gay!” Not that there’s anything wrong with that. So, do you like who Twitter says you’re like? And can you beat Twitter at its own game?
Twilight T-shirt Contest Requires Your Entry To Have Nothing to Do With Twilight
June 29th 2010
We’ve learned that vampires are apparently obsessed with copyright. Now consider the official Twilight t-shirt contest. Fans are invited to make a shirt to promote the new film. Of course, entries must comply with a few rules. (In case you haven’t noticed, vampires are also rather controlling.) Here are some select rules to keep mortals [...]
Unicorn Meat Distributor Threatened by the Pork Board
June 25th 2010
How to Throw and Catch the Knife of Wit “Unicorns, as we all know, frolic all over the world, pooping rainbows and marshmallows wherever they go.” So begins a send-up product pitch for Unicorn – the new white meat. The illustration on the right shows the parts of the unicorn can rendered into rainbows (or [...]
Vampires Have Always Been a Bit Copyright Obsessed
June 24th 2010
What do the undead think about inside their coffins (or at Starbucks) during daylight hours? Intellectual property, apparently, as evidenced by an unlikely copyright lawsuit. The bloodsuckers at Summit Entertainment, makers of the Twilight vampire movies, have filed a lawsuit against the makers of a jacket worn by a character in their film. The clothing [...]
Watch The Academy Award Winning Animated Short ‘Logorama’ Online
April 24th 2010
Got 16 minutes to watch an fun Academy Awarding winning animation short for free? Better still, for us IP law geeks, its all trademarks! Come take a look…
Google and Topeka Swap Names for a Day: Trademark Hilarity Ensues
April 1st 2010
Last month, the mayor of Topeka, Kansas, stunned the world by announcing that his city was changing its name to Google. Now Google has honored that gesture by changing its name name to Topeka for April Fools’ Day. This makes Bill Bunten the Mayor of Google and Eric Schmidt the CEO of Topeka, Inc. Of course, [...]
About Dave Wieneke, Digital Strategist
The future of digital marketing will be built by strategists who grasp the full array of emerging business, social, and technical models. Specialities in user experience, branding, application design, and data are laying the foundation for richer user experiences and business models breakthrough products and revenue based marketing.
UsefulArts is a soapbox to discuss the frontline of digital marketing, and the agencies and platforms that enable it. Marketing today needs a cadre of leaders who can connect c-level enterprise strategy with these new capabilities.