Adcetera Digital

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.

Your English teacher lied when she laid down the law. I’m sure you remember her time-honored rules of the written word: Never begin a sentence with a conjunction. Never end a sentence with a preposition. Never split an infinitive. Turns out, she was exaggerating for effect. To borrow a line from Pirates of the Caribbean, “the code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” Although these celebrated taboos are often sound advice, they deserve a little qualification.

• Don’t start sentences with a conjunction
  (unless it’s important to the rhythm and flow of the text).
• Don’t end sentences with a preposition
  (unless it’s necessary to avoid awkward language).
• Don’t split infinitives
  (unless it’s really the best place for the adverb).
• Don’t use passive voice
  (unless it’s important to obscure the actor).
• Don’t use nonstandard words like “irregardless” or “ain’t”
  (unless you’re writing informally or with a specific voice).

Read your work out loud when you’re finished—or better yet, ask someone else to read it back to you. If it looks right to your eyes AND sounds natural to your ears, it’s probably correct on the page.

Join Adcetera and other local, tech-savvy Houstonites at NetSquared to hear from Community Cloth.

Community Cloth is a group dedicated to helping refugee women support their families as they start a new life in the United States.

They target economic, educational and social goals through the provision of seed grants, training, and peer support, and by expanding market opportunities for refugee women artisans.

As a collaborative of several refugee-led and refugee-serving organizations, and their supporters, Community Cloth supports women who want to create and sell handmade, indigenous arts and crafts such as woven bags, knitted scarves, embroidered linens, baskets, rugs and more. Through producing and selling their wares, the women have an opportunity to express their culture and heritage, learn new skills that will assist them in transitioning to life in the US, and obtain much needed supplemental income. All profits from sales go directly to the artisans.

Community Cloth is about a new start. Purchases of Cloth products help refugee women provide for the basic needs of their families as they work to establish new lives in Houston.

What
Community Cloth

When
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 7:00 PM

Where
Stag’s Head Pub
2128 Portsmouth St.
Houston TX 77098
(713) 533-1199

Learn more and RSVP