by David Burn | Jul 13, 2004 | Advertising, Media
Sun Times advertising columnist, Lewis Lazare, has a dry wit and a sharp bite. He doesn’t mind ripping up ad campaigns, often from the best agencies in the business, into little tiny bits. He grades the work. C. D. B-.
He pontificates on the dangers of advertainment’s emergence in a recent piece: “Madison & Vine (McGraw-Hill, 202 pgs., $21.95) is a disturbing little book about a trend that should infuriate anyone who still cares about the future of both entertainment (and by extension, the arts) and advertising.”
I can’t say I share his assessment here, but I do like Lazare’s voice and the topics he covers. One thing I do agree with from his piece: “The fact of the matter is that in recent years the public has become increasingly fed up with traditional advertising because it has grown excessively intrusive. What’s more, the vast majority of the work simply isn’t sufficiently creative to command the public’s attention.”
by David Burn | Jul 12, 2004 | Advertising, Digital culture
Ad persons with blogs more popular than my own are using their media properties to find work, among other things. I like the idea, although I do not know how many potential buyers of creative services exist among my readership here.
Perhaps, a broadening of my job description is in order. In my last two agency jobs I began to shift my focus away from winning a Lion or Pencil (not that I was in position to be so honored) and toward the development of new areas I believe have the potential to remake the agency services game. Specifically, I’m talking about the potential in Internet radio, Wikis, and blogs as tools that can help marketers define and develop a truer branded voice.
It’s been said for every Gold Pencil earned, you can add 20 grand to your salary. Thus, the lingering allure.
by David Burn | Jul 12, 2004 | Chicago, Music
Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, sponsored by Old Town School of Folk Music—one of Lincoln Square’s anchoring institutions—made for a wonderful weekend. Under sunny skies, north centralites gathered to eat, drink and hear live music from bands representing a variety of global genres. These neighborhood festivals happen almost every weekend in Chicago during the summer. Given that this one was a three block walk from our home, took place in Welles Park on a huge grassy field and cost but $5 (suggested) to get in, it’s easy to see how Folk & Roots is our clear favorite.
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Holmes Brothers in Welles Park
Sunday’s lineup:
Devil in a Woodpile
Sunnyside Up
Savoy Doucet Cajun Band
Redd Volkaert
Holmes Brothers
Subdudes
Acts we saw on Saturday:
Chicago Afrobeat Project
Les Yeux Noirs
Bembeya Jazz
Los Amigos Invisibles
by David Burn | Jul 11, 2004 | Music
subdudes and many others
Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, sponsored by Old Town School of Folk Music–one of Lincoln Square’s anchoring institutions–made for a wonderful weekend. Under sunny skies, North Centralites gathered to eat, drink and hear live music from bands representing a variety of global genres. These neighborhood festivals happen almost every weekend in Chicago during the summer. Given that this one was a three block walk from our home, took place in Welles Park on a huge grassy field and cost but $5 (suggested) to get in, it’s easy to see how Folk & Roots is our clear favorite.
by David Burn | Jul 5, 2004 | Architecture
Wright In Wisconsin presents a lot of great information on Badger state native, Frank Lloyd Wright. Taliesin and The Johnson Wax Building deserve the ton of attention they receive. Yet, two of his lesser known properties in the state are periodically made available for rent—The Seth Peterson cottage in Lake Delton and his Usonian masterpiece, the Jacobs House in Madison—both affording the Wright fan a more intimate experience with the master’s work.
Designed in 1958, Wright’s Seth Peterson Cottage was one of his last commissions.
by David Burn | Jul 3, 2004 | Chicago
When looking to get your Italian Beef on, head out Milwaukee to just past Foster and find Paterno’s on the right. It’s a working class sports bar with pizza, Philly cheese steaks, and incredible Italian beef sandwiches, a traditional Chicago favorite.
Thanks to Amy for her native guidance in all things beefee.
by David Burn | Jun 29, 2004 | Advertising
“I am one who believes that one of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that of boring them to death.” -Leo Burnett
The nearest I’ve come to pursuing real creative glory is the time Linda Harless said I was one campaign away from a job at Goodby. That felt good. I could finally taste it, the elusive fruit of respectability. This was in November of 2000, right after Tom Evans fired me for being “contentious.” I’ve been let go two other times, including this morning from Slack Barshinger for lack of enthusiasm (for their work). So, I’m three out of seven. What is one to do? I’m not being rhetorical here. What I MUST DO is hold out for a mentor. I need to work for someone I respect, on a personal and professional level. Because I tend to respect ability over authority, that someone will naturally need to be a great creative leader. In this city today, that might mean Steffan Postaer. It might mean Jim Schmidt, Matt Brennock, Dennis Ryan, Cheryl Berman, Mark Tutssel, Bob Scarpelli, or Mark Figliulo.
by David Burn | Jun 27, 2004 | The Environment
Lasater Grassland Beef located in eastern Colorado raises cattle the old-fashioned way. Their sustainable ranching practices produce healthier and better-tasting beef. Equally important is the fact that grazing animals are vital to the environmental health of the Great Plains. Lasater cattle–like the roaming herds of bison once did–harvest grasses, till the soil with their hooves, fertilize the ground and then are moved to fresh pastures, leaving the grazed plants to fully recover. When the pastures are rested (typically 70 to 80 days), the grasses develop to their full potential–growing extensive root systems that help them survive drought.
by David Burn | Jun 25, 2004 | Music
Leftover Salmon + Cracker
Lincoln Park Zoo hosts live music once a month during the summer. Opening the 2004 series, our friends from the Colorado High Country, Leftover Salmon. For reasons unknown, new banjo player Noam was absent on this night. In his stead, the full-bearded Matt Flinner, a talented player and one that would look at home on a country porch somewhere. As the evening progressed and more and more beer was sold, it became apparent that many in the audience did not know LOS. One guy asked me, “Are these guys from Chicago?” Cracker was the big draw and Cracker did do a commendable job with the Friday night outdoor picnic crowd. Later, we followed friend of the band, Dimond Dave to a bar, where Drew Emmitt and Bill McKay were dining. We joined them and had a nice time.
by David Burn | Jun 20, 2004 | Music
Mofro + Galactic
Chicago hosts neighborhood festivals every weekend during the summer months, sometimes several in one weekend. This weekend brought Taste of Randolph to the West Loop Gate. Apparently there were Vince Vaughn sitings, but I wasn’t there to mingle with the gliterati. I was there to catch my first-ever Mofro show topped off by good old Galactic. JJ Grey, the leader of Mofro, is basically a north Florida cracker. But damn can this cracker sing and play. I’m purchasing their debut CD, Blackwater, straight away and I look forward to my next foray into Grey’s piney swamp of funk, soul, folk and blues. Galactic was good too, but for me, Mofro stole the show.
