Quote of The Week, Costner - 4/19/09

Don't fuck with a winning streak.

-Kevin Costner, Bull Durham

This is the second Kevin Costner Bull Durham quote I've put up in the last several months. Probably 2 more than I should have for a site devoted mainly to advertising. But the dude knew what he was talking about in that movie. He had a lot of wisdom to share.

Costner's Crash Davis is part of a small list of what I consider to be "the almost perfect male character" club.

No one is perfect in real life. No one has the looks, the brains, the balls, the ethics, the mad skills we all want to have, where everything they do, no matter how outrageous or controversial, is the cool/right thing to do.

But a handful come close in movies:

Mel Gibson, Braveheart
Sean Connery/Pierce Brosman, the James Bond series
Vince Vaughn, Swingers
Robert Redford, The Natural
Tim Robbins, The Shawshank Redemption
Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Harrison Ford, Clear & Present Danger
Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke
Marlon Brando/Robert DeNiro, The Godfather I & II

dubs. out.

Some Cold-Blooded Gangsta Shit

When we were in LA last month, we drove past the billboard on the left. Everyone in the car remarked about how they thought BMW would respond.


It's like Coz used to say: "If you're gonna do competitive advertising, you don't nick a testicle. You cut their fucking balls off."

dubs. out.

This May or May Not Be True

But it's funny regardless.

dubs. out.

The Last Lap

As Winter turns to Spring and the rains come and, depending on the day, I have the back-and-forth struggle between using my car's air-conditioner and the heater, I find myself in the final death throes of my education.

When all is said and done, at least I have this to take pride in: Public school, born and raised, the whole way through, baby.

This makes me happy.

It's been an arduous, often frustrating, 24-year trip. But it's also been a safe trip, always having had the arms of school around me, cushioning me from the harsh reality of a life without Spring or Summer or Winter or Thanksgiving breaks.

I've always been a fan of those.

It's a scary and humbling thing to realize that in 1 month, whether I'm prepared for it or not, real life will officially start.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Warsop - 4/12/09

It comes as no surprise when prospective clients reveal their favorite ads are amongst the most creative and distinctive in a category. It’s quite helpful to remind them of this just before presenting the creative.

-Graham Warsop, Chairman, The Jupiter Drawing Room, South Africa

I see a lot of crap on TV. And in magazines. And online. And on the side of highways, blown up to gigantic proportions.

I can't help but wonder sometimes about what Warsop says. If regular people connect to work that is smart and interesting and different-- and clients are regular people, too-- then why is 95% of what most clients inject into the world dumb and boring and like everything else?

dubs. out

Words Escape Me

Childish? Maybe.

But you can't tell me that cat at the beginning isn't hilarious.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Boyko - 4/6/09

Words are a powerful way to convey an image. The auditory quality of the spoken word adds the dimension of sound, evoking an even higher level of engagement, especially when it's delivered in the right environment. In radio, what is said, how it's said and where it's said are equally important.

-Rick Boyko, VCU Brandcenter

Tony Granger recently judged the ANDY's and had this to say: "This year's ANDY submissions are inspirational stuff. With one exception. Radio. Not one winner. Not even a finalist. That's really sad actually. Where are the beautifully written spots that use theater of the mind to make you laugh or cry? Anyone wanting to go for easy pickings next year. Radio."

I've heard through the grapevine that the Brandcenter is going to be offering a course in radio writing taught by Fenske. This both excites and annoys me.

It excites me because I think radio would be a cool class to take.

It annoys me because I can't take it.

dubs. out.