Adcetera Digital

1. Unless you’re still pounding the keys on a manual typewriter, stop using two spaces between sentences. Just one space is fine. Really. Personal computers, word processors, and proportional fonts make double-spaces unnecessary and obsolete.
2. The correct figure of speech for adding content to an outline is “fleshed out,” not “flushed out.” If the outline is a skeleton, then details are the flesh. Or “meat,” if you prefer. Gruesome, isn’t it?
3. Periods and commas should be placed before (inside) a quotation mark. For example: “If at first you don’t succeed,” the saying goes, “try and try again.”
4. Apostrophes have three jobs: possession (Mason’s desk), contraction (won’t be clean), or omission (‘til doomsday). NEVER use an apostrophe to create a plural. For example: I have too many DVDs and CDs (not DVD’s and CD’s).
5. It’s (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” Its (without apostrophe) is always possessive — like his, hers, theirs, and yours. No apostrophe needed. For example: It’s [it is] not clear how the iPod got its name, but it’s [it has] certainly made its mark.
6. You’re (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of “you are.” Your (without apostrophe) is always possessive — like his, her, their, or my. For example: When you’re not your own worst enemy, you’re your own best friend.
7. An ellipsis (…) should have spaces before and after it. And just three points, not four. Even when an ellipsis follows a period, it should have spaces around it. For example: A is for apple. … Z is for zebra.
8. Nobody gets this one right: the word comprise means “include” or “embrace.” It replaces (and can be replaced by) the phrase “is/are composed of.” One large thing comprises many small things, while many small things compose one large thing. Nothing is “comprised of” anything. Ever.
9. A semicolon (;) marks a significant break in a sentence — stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. It can separate items in a series that are especially complex or have their own punctuation, and it can join sentences without a conjunction.
10. Avoid using the word impact as a verb if you can possibly help it — use affect or influence instead. And remember that an impact is a forceful, destructive blow — impacts are not good things.
11. Most of the time, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. For example: Rain and weather affect traffic; the effect is frustrating, but predictable.
12. Your palate is the roof of your mouth, or your sense of taste. A palette is the flat tray on which an artist mixes paints, or a menu of artistic choices. And a pallet is a platform on which things are stacked. For example: I burned my palate drinking hot coffee while stacking art supplies (palettes and paint) on a shipping pallet.
13. “They’re” is always a contraction of “they are.” “Their” is always possessive — like his, her, your, or my. “There” is multitalented — adverb, adjective, pronoun, noun … whatever you need it to be. For example: They’re different over there, with their strange foreign ways.
14. There’s (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of “there is” or “there has.” Theirs (without apostrophe) is always possessive — like his, hers, yours, or mine. For example: There’s [there is] no other music like theirs today, and there’s [there has] never been any like it before.
15. For a strong break in a sentence, use a full dash (—), not a small dash (–) or hyphen (-). A full dash is usually called an “em-dash” because it’s approximately the width of a capital letter M in most fonts.
16. Hyphens (-) can break up numbers like your phone number or social security number. But when you want to show a range of values between two points, you should use a small “en-dash” (–) instead of a hyphen. For example: 10–15 minutes, pages 155–192, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, May 1 – June 31
17. Be careful not to use the word irony when you really mean coincidence or tragedy. It’s only ironic if you think the universe might be laughing at you. Lots of people have a hard time with this. I blame Alanis Morissette.

The results are in! Adcetera was successful at the Addy’s with 8 of our 10 submissions placing in a category. Here is the complete list of Adcetera’s 2010 ADDY wins! We want to thank the American Advertising Federation for a wonderful evening and presentation this past Saturday. We look forward to submitting entries again next year.

HP Envy Beats – Gold Addy; Watch this Demo

Hess Digital Signage – Gold Addy

Monsters vs. Aliens Campaign – Gold Addy

Batcetera.com Halloween Campaign – Gold Addy,
Batcetera.com Halloween Website – Silver Addy, Visit www.batcetera.com

HP Engine Room – Citation of Excellence

Tattu: Denim by Design – Citation of Excellence; Visit at www.tattujeans.com

HP Vivienne Tam Runway Demo – Citation of Excellence; Watch this Demo

Inspiration, according to Kristy Sexton, is an “elusive little imp.” An apt observation, but from my point of view here on Copywriter’s Row, it’s not only elusive, but flighty, shadowy, and haunting—sort of like a water nymph, if you will. It’s something rarely seen but often felt—an ethereal experience that emerges from the periphery, coy and shy—often when you need it most.

Not everyone may believe in water nymphs here at Adcetera, but we all seek the inspiration pool often enough. Sometimes it’s for just a quick dip of the toes, while other times, it’s a full-on-running-start-cowabunga-cannon-ball plunge into the deep end.

One of the ways in which our creative juices get a-flowing is Questions from the Gilded Frame. We have these enormous blackboards around the building that feature thought-provoking, philosophical queries designed to coax the deepest, innermost workings of our psyches out into fluorescent office lighting.

This week’s topic is, “What classic movie would you like to see remade today, and who would star in it?”

Some sample responses:

• The Bandits, with Gerard Butler
• The Birds, with Renee Zellwegger
• A Star is Born
• Star Wars, as directed by James Cameron
• The Highlander, as directed by Peter Jackson
• Gone with the Wind, starring Macauley Culkin
• Home Alone, starring Samuel L. Jackson as Macauley Culkin
• Reservoir Dogs, starring Natalie Portman as Harvey Keitel
• Labyrinth, starring Lady Gaga as David Bowie
• Gremlins, as directed by Tim Burton
• Apocalypse Now Redux Redux, as directed by Nora Ephron
• Any film ruined by Michael Bay
• The Outsiders, starring the Jonas Brothers
• Dances with Wolves, starring blue, computer-generated actors
• The Matrix, starring blue, computer-generated actors
• Titanic, starring blue, computer-generated actors

Ah, irony, ridicule, and blue, computer-generated actors—they are, as we all know, tried-and-true stepping stones to any great idea. So swim on, fellow Adceterans, wherever the current may take you; you never know when you may encounter inspiration, in any of its elusive forms.

At Adcetera, we like to test the limits of technology and creativity when we develop strategic marketing campaigns for our clients. Partly because we enjoy a good challenge. But also because we like to stay a little bit ahead of the curve. Augmented reality is a powerful new tool we’ve been experimenting with that could give your next marketing campaign that wow factor to help you stand out from the rest of the pack.

Though the technology is quite complicated, the premise is simple. A person holds a graphic image in front of their webcam. Customized software reacts with this image, projecting 3D animation, sound, and other graphical elements on their screen. So a square might morph into a three dimensional box, out of which “Pop Goes the Weasel” plays while a clown jumps out of the box—all because you held a square in front of your webcam. Don’t believe this is possible? Watch these videos to see how augmented reality can be used for a viral campaign.

Please note that we did not create these videos or augmented reality examples, nor do we represent these clients in any way.

Pick a symbol to represent your company. Maybe it’s your logo. Maybe it’s an image of your star product. Maybe it’s just one word that means a lot to your customers. Now imagine how that symbol can come to life and become so much more through interactive animation, sound, and more. Place the symbol in a magazine ad, on the pocket of a t-shirt, your annual report, a corporate brochure, a simple coupon, or any piece of collateral you typically create. Whenever your audience holds it to a webcam, their interest is sparked. Your message expands. It’s something they’ve never seen before, and something that will do more than pique their curiosity.

This is just one way Adcetera can help you enhance your marketing and communications. Whether you’re ready to take a dive into augmented reality or you’re more comfortable with print collateral, e-mail blasts, and a strong Web presence, we’ll work with you to find the right tools to best reach your market—and your goals. Contact us and let us help shape the way you are perceived within your market.