The Ad Men

» Listen to the podcastWe are talking big. How big? TEXAS sized big! The great state of Texas is a brand all unto themselves. We talk about Matt’s trip to the lone star state and what they’ve done to separate themselves from the other 49. Speaking of separating, KFC takes the chicken off the bone in their newest campaign “I ate the bones!” Special call in guest Jason Marker the CMO of KFC talks about the new campaign and how KFC wants to be your preferred lunch choice.

» Listen to the podcastWhy you shouldn’t ask for "speculative" work. We discuss why occasionally, professional designers are asked to provide speculative design solutions on project tenders. Speculative work is design work done for free or for a nominal fee (usually unrelated to the value of the work). We also cover “Retailtainment & Prankvertising”, Kiehl’s makes a deal with Marvel to have Captain America comic book specifically for their clients. The British company THINK! uses prankvertising to shock people in an anti-drunk driving campaign. We discuss why these public relations changes are sometimes winning campaigns and why others are not so successful. Martin talks about the tip of the week of not going “Top Down” for how companies look at marketing & PR.

» Listen to the podcastJCP billboard called the teatime for Hitler, which spells more trouble for JCP when people see a billboard ad that appears to look like Hitler (or Charlie Chaplin). Are people just kicking them while they are down or are this legitimate beef? We cover gender roles in advertising continued from last week’s show. Cheerios has bi-racial family in most recent ad, which stirs up issues in the consumers, while the company Frito-Lay does the opposite by taking a few of their major brands: Ruffles and Lays and decided to put ladies in charge of the men’s rebranding. The ladies used “bro-search”, talking to men in bars about junk food habits. No small business shout out this week, instead we talk about the Best of the Region’s from the Times. $1 Shave Club has a father’s day special and fun cheeky ad by the CEO, which is reminiscent of the Old Spice ads of non- sequitur style and hitting the “gentlemen” style.

» Listen to the podcastWe start with the Kmart's follow up ad "Big Gas Savings" and the 24/7 Wall Street's "Deadpool" list about the brands that may perish in 2013. There is also a discussion about casual attire and what it means in today's business situation. You are a brand ambassador for your company at all times. Dr. Linda Zayer talks to us about the role of gender in advertising through Huggies, Dr. Pepper and if men are shown to be lovable, helpless goofs for the sake of selling ads.

» Listen to the podcastThis week on the Ad Men we talk about Brand Anatomy, the Latest Body of Work. Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation (ANAR) in Spain use new technology called “lenticular” to show children different message to call for help in a domestic abuse situation. Coca-Cola is also taking a look at stopping advertising to children under 12 New York City also takes a step in this direction by attempting to ban large soft drinks from being sold. Talking about obesity controversial statements made by the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch make headlines, as he flat out doesn’t want “uncool” people to wear his brand. Destination XL has a different take, specializing in full figured men’s apparel and takes a crack at getting you in the store with a hilarious new ad making fun of companies that only offer minimal choices for the larger gentlemen.

» Listen to the podcastWe are talking about changing marketing strategy, JC Penny, undergoing another shift in their strategy apologizes to consumers. Will it work? Is Mountain Dew’s newest campaign commercial in the “Goat Series” pushing the limit of good taste? Natalie Zmuda, Reporter and Editor at Advertising Age, weighs in. In studio guest Dr. Bob Kaufmann of the egionally based Kaufmann Chiropractic talks to us about their marketing strategy, successes and roadblocks they have had. Dr. Kaufmann also covers where he advertises, why he is popular on Twitter and how Eastern medicine has gained popularity in the last decade.

» Listen to the podcastThis week we talk about “what in the wide, wide world of sports is going on!?” Tom Maloney talks Lakeshore Sports, David De Espinosa talks to us about sports branding and intern Dutch is on board to dish on your favorite sports teams logo changes. We talk about the White Sox vs. Cubs branding and how everyone knows WGN for sports whether you are from the region or not.

» Listen to the podcastWe talk about the CNN's branding of the Boston bombings in their newscasts. Victor Garcia, Division Director of the Northwest Indiana March of Dimes joins us in studio to talk about the organization and the upcoming March For Babies. We also talk with Kmart's CMO Andrew Stein about the funny, new, I Shipped My Pants campaign that's sweeping the web. He explains why its cheeky play on words is shaping the direction of the new campaign.

» Listen to the podcastWe celebrate the premiere of the 6th season of Mad Men with a recap of the episode. We also have a great conversation with Jane Maas, author of Mad Women and the inspiration for Peggy Olson. Jane shares her experiences of living Mad Men first hand, shares her thoughts on the show and tells us about working with the legendary David Ogilvy. We also talk with Bert Stern, who last photographer to work with Marilyn Monroe. He shares his thoughts on America's Hometown Beauty and tells us what it was like working on the timeless Smirnoff "Driest of the dry" campaign and his new movie "Bert Stern: Original Mad Man".

» Listen to the podcast Rob Ernshaw, Times Correspondent, talks to us about how to get yourself a little press in the papers and we chat about our love of craft beers. We also give a little preview of our Mad Men themed episode next week and Matt talks about why he's not a Don Draper fan. Martin is shocked.

» Listen to the podcast Guest Allyn Hane talks about all things social media, answers questions about how to address your audience and shares his love of the Region. We also mention nwicreative.org, the Porter County Museum of History and the growing Cedar Lake phenomenon.

» Listen to the podcast On this week's show, we discuss most American's biggest fear. Not spiders or clowns or sharks, but public speaking. Kealah Parkinson of Kiki Productions is our in studio guest. We also discuss why it's better to be human than a werewolf with AT&T and discuss the presidential candidates of Ronald McDonald and the Burger King.

» Listen to the podcast Today's guests Dale Holsti and Ryan Cusack join us from Crown Point Fire & Rescue to talk about charities dear to their hearts and give us their opinions on the new Chevy Blackhawks ads. We introduce you to our "Brand Muffin" Wende Burbridge and talk a little about Dove's new viral campaign.

» Listen to the podcast In the week's episode, we ask our listeners to identify the celebrity voices on our favorite commercials. We talk about looking at an ad while traveling 60 miles per hour down the expressway. We highlight Schepel Buick in our Local Business Spotlight and we get our Boston accent on while talking about the "Hoppa".

» Listen to the podcast On today's show we cover a plethora of topics. We're going to discuss the difference between branding, advertising and marketing. Do you know the difference? You will at the end of the hour. We also talk about our favorite iconic logos and what they really symbolize. Is the web the world's largest singles club? We'll show you the love on the inter webs with a discussion about the brand of internet dating. We'll drink to Maker's Mark and their decision to not continuing watering down our favorite bourbon due to overwhelming customer feedback.