Oh, advertisers. It didn’t have to be this way. Once upon a time, consumers might have liked to hear from you. They might have eagerly awaited your TV commercials to
Continue readingCategory: Rants
For live TV streaming, don’t go Vidgo
Consumer alert: Are you a cable TV cord-cutter looking for a reliable and affordable live TV streaming service? After getting scammed out of $75 and a free 30-day trial, I
Continue readingNo, consumers don’t care about your brand’s stand on social issues
We hear it all the time: “Brands need to take a stand on social issues.” “The public demands to know where your brand stands on social issues.” But is it
Continue readingSad news as The Cranky Creative blog turns four
I’m sorry, Cranky reader. I’m not in the best mood today. My step-father-in-law passed away last week. He’d been diagnosed with lung cancer. Except he didn’t die of lung cancer.
Continue readingConfessions of a cranky creative
In this post, I share a collection of confessions, opinions, and unvarnished random thoughts that may or may not get me in trouble. Enjoy. 1. I was born to do
Continue readingLet’s talk about forced diversity in TV commercials
If you only watched TV, you might think that white people (including fumbling, bumbling white males) are a minority in the United States. Depending on the commercial break, you might
Continue readingWhy the hell is everything so broken?
Is anyone else experiencing a complete and total breakdown of everything that used to “just work”? I’m talking about placing an online order, or getting a car repair, or speaking
Continue readingBrands have no business pushing COVID vaccines
Whether you are looking to inform a loved one about the dangers of COVID-19 “vaccines” or you have just started to ask questions yourself, welcome. This page will be an
Continue readingNo one wants Liberty Mutual’s wet teddy bears
Liberty Mutual’s new wet teddy bear commercial has convinced me of two things: 1) The once proud profession of advertising is dead; and 2) We really do live in a
Continue readingEar-ritating: How TV commercials misuse sound to get our attention
Sound is a powerful tool in advertising. Its ability to draw attention and evoke emotion is proven to affect sales. So why, then, do so many advertising soundtracks seem designed
Continue readingMarketers, stop letting compliance departments write your sales copy
Compliance departments have an important job to do—but rewriting the company’s marketing copy is not it. Marketing departments dogged by overzealous compliance feedback need to stand their ground—not only for
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