Blog posts by Chris Muldoon.
Tuning out.
Do you have a pair of friends who are dating each other? It’s usually pretty cool. Until they get into a fight. Then it’s terrible, especially when they drag you into their little squabble. They make you listen to their … Continue reading
Tagged with cable, MSG Network, Sabres, Time Warner
Selling the land of the free.
Being that it’s Veterans Day and all, here’s something that never really occurred to me – our country is a brand. I don’t know why this came as such a surprise. After all, everything else is a brand these days. Colleges. … Continue reading
Tagged with DiscoverUSA
A fresh start for New Directions.
Dedicated. Compassionate. Inspiring. Those are just a few words to describe our client New Directions Youth and Family Services. The agency helps children all over Western New York (and beyond) overcome emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges. And now they have … Continue reading
Tagged with fostering good, New Directions
Hey there, sponsorship deals.
Pop culture quiz. Remember the song “Hey there, Delilah” by the Plain White Ts, circa 2007? Well, did you know that it was inspired by a real-life Delilah? Maybe you did, smarty-pants. But I bet you didn’t know that she’s … Continue reading
Tagged with Delilah DiCrescanzo, Puma, running, sponsorship
Dot-anything.
It’s “the most significant change to the Internet, really, since it was created,” says Peter Dengate Thrush, the person behind said change. Do we have you hooked yet? Good. The organization that oversees Web addresses, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names … Continue reading
Tagged with domain name, internet, suffix, web
This is why we can’t have nice things, internet.
Halfway through writing this article, I started feeling slightly gluttonous since it’s my second consecutive entry that defends a fast food chain. But here we go. One of my guilty pleasures is reading the featured stories on Yahoo.com. Don’t judge me. By … Continue reading
Tagged with internet, McDonald's, rumor, Yahoo!
USPS has it their way.
Here’s my question – do lawyers at major brands get a bonus if they exceed a litigation quota? A sue-mission, if you will? Because that’s my only explanation for this. The United States Postal Service has sued Burger King for negatively portraying mail … Continue reading
Tagged with Burger King, commercials, USPS
PSAs have come a long way, baby.
It’s Wednesday night. You’re watching reruns of The Office. Life is good. Then it happens – the public service announcement. Sure, they’re usually promoting a good organization or cause. But Michael Scott’s ineptitude isn’t as hilarious when you feel guilty … Continue reading
Tagged with commercials, PSAs
Advertising causes a ruckus. Again.
It’s a tale as old as time. Company comes out with an “edgy” advertisement. Someone gets offended and complains. Company discontinues ad and apologizes. Company gains 100 times more attention from the ordeal than they would have received from the … Continue reading
Tagged with billboard, commercials, Jonestown, politically correct
This is too easy.
The story of an arson case in Iowa City has been spreading around the internet like, well, wild fire. It started when police released a sketch of a potential witness to the crime. And it just so happens to slightly … Continue reading
Tagged with arson, caveman, Geico
Weathermen = great marketers.
Let me start by saying, yes, I know weather prognosticators get a lot of flak. The accuracy of their work is always in question. They’re the butt of countless jokes. All in all, it’s not the most glamorous profession (though … Continue reading
Tagged with Buffalo, snow, weather
This just in: Fast food is bad for you.
You might want to sit down for this one – your Taco Bell taco may not be authentic Mexican food after all. Actually, it’s debatable whether it’s considered “food” period. From the useless information section of the news comes the … Continue reading
Tagged with fast food, lawsuit, meat
And that’s why Nike is Nike.
They say it’s not whether you win or lose – it’s how you play the game. Well, in that case, Nike came out of the college football national championship game brilliantly triumphant. No, their swoosh-clad Oregon Ducks didn’t raise the … Continue reading
Take it down a notch, Activision.
I’m in a quandary, blog readers. I can’t decide how I feel about this commercial for Call of Duty: Black Ops. On one hand, it’s one of the most creative spots I’ve seen for a videogame (usually they show a few … Continue reading
Tagged with Activision, Black Ops, Call of Duty, video game
When theater of the mind goes horribly wrong.
I’ll admit it – it would be awesome to have OnStar in my car. And I’ve always thought their radio commercials were pretty good. You know the ones – where they use “real life” subscribers calling in to the service for … Continue reading
Tagged with OnStar
This commercial hits a little too close to home.
While The Home Depot is unsuccessfully instructing me to turn up something called a “Doing dial” (sorry, HD, I have that baby set to the low setting), Lowe’s really hit the nail on the head with their latest TV spot. … Continue reading
Tagged with Home Depot, Lowe's
The show that crashed into the mysterious island that is my heart.
Flashback: It’s 2004, and I’m at my parents’ house in Pennsylvania. My mom switched on some TV show I’ve never heard of. Sure, I’ll give it a shot. That lasted about 15 minutes, when a smoke monster chased the characters … Continue reading
Tagged with advertising, Blog, Crowley Webb, Lost TV Show
The greatest thing since sliced bread: unbread.
Throughout history, human evolution has been fueled by innovation and progress. Someone invents something. Then someone else takes it and makes it better. The Model T was great, but can you imagine driving one around today? Or how about using … Continue reading
Tagged with double down, KFC, sandwich