The Florida Keys & Key West remains “Unaffected”

by Uly Busch

The Florida Keys and Key West has launched a new TV spot aimed at allaying visitors concerns about the oil spill in the Gulf. The spot was created by Tinsley Advertising in Miami and shows the clear, pristine waters and laid-back atmosphere the Keys are famous for. The copy shows us the two definitions of the word “Unaffected”; 1. Not changed or modified and 2. Genuine or unpretentious. Both definitions are perfect descriptions of the Keys. Then the voice over tells us “No matter what goes on in the rest of the world the Keys will always be unaffected”. The message is clear; nothing can change the sincere, unpretentious nature of The Florida Keys and Key West. That’s the biggest reason this quirky destination has been attracting vacationers for years and will continue to do so forever.

Ads on iPad Perform Six Times Better Than on Desktop

by Gio Gutierrez

A recent study of rich media ads from textPlus, pointRoll and AdMarvel found, in the first four weeks of the iPad’s release, ad interaction times were 30 seconds, ad interaction rates range from .9 to 1/5% (6X higher than desktop ads) and 67% of users who viewed the ads’ video component watch all the way though as compared to 53% for the desktop.

Granted, some of this is likely due to novelty but if these numbers hold, there will be some willing iPad advertisers out there.

Miami Children’s Hospital “Perfect Fit” Campaign wins Best of Show.

By Rick Balter

In today’s announcement of winners by the Healthcare Marketing Report of their prestigious 27th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, Tinsley Advertising’s “Perfect Fit” campaign for Miami Children’s Hospital captured Best of Show. With over 4,000 entries received in this year’s competition, and as the largest healthcare advertising awards competition, we take great pride in being only 1 of 16 recognized entries. The campaign also garnered a Gold in the category of Total Campaign with Television.

The 27th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards are awarded by a national panel of judges who were engaged in reviewing all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact. The judges recognized sixteen entrants with the Best of Show designation, for their overall excellence and breakthrough advertising production.

The Healthcare Advertising Awards is the oldest, largest and most widely respected healthcare advertising awards competition. The awards are sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report, the leading publication covering all aspects of healthcare marketing, advertising and strategic business development.

Since its inception, the “Perfect Fit” Campaign has been recognized by others as well, including:

  • The 2009 Aster Awards for its Newspaper Advertising series
  • The Florida Hospital Association 2009 Mark of Excellence Award for its TV Campaign
  • The 2009 Addys for the TV Campaign and Annual Report

We’re especially proud of the work we’ve accomplished with our partners at MCH. In addition to the many accolades received from the Advertising and Healthcare communities, this campaign has been acknowledged as being instrumental in increasing the Hospital’s Market Share to the highest level in its 60 year history.

Confrontainment, Conflict and Anti-Social Media.

By Dorn Martell

It’s an epidemic.

From the howling of radio hosts and talking heads to the heckling of the President, our entertainment and dialogue has somehow degenerated into an ugly, counterproductive, screaming match. Reality TV like Big Brother, America’s Next Top Model, The Surreal Life, The Apprentice and others have become more of a showcase for the ugliness of personal conflict than they are about the original premise. I was so disappointed by the History Channel’s “Expedition Africa”, a reality show tracing Stanley’s route across the Congo. Instead of a show about history, African culture and the legacy of Stanley and Livingstone, it became a show that should have been re-named “Everyone hates Pasquale” (the bush guide) because all it showed was people arguing about nothing. This mentality has transformed our political system into a self-destructive hate-fest. It has mutated personal communications into a “cage grudge match” and has transformed a great deal of social media into a school yard argument.

Follow threads on YouTube, FaceBook and even LinkedIn and you will find that some of the most popular threads are nothing more than an on-line argument. As companies look for the holy grail of ad platforms and get heavier into social media, they will find there is a huge risk when you ask “What do you guys think of our new pizza?” Inevitably someone will post “I think your pizza sucks, loser.” Try to comment about a band, a sports team, a work of art or anything on healthcare, guns, the environment, religion or gay rights and see what kind of immature and inappropriate responses you will get.

As we strive to create a dialogue with our customers we must be aware that the internet is a lot like a bar. Some people can handle the freedom and conduct themselves properly while others are there to pick fights, hit on girls and make asses of themselves. That’s why bars have bouncers. Is this the answer in social media? Will every discussion require a moderator who is filtering content in real time? And at that point, what will be the value of an “open forum”? Do we need bouncers on the floor of the Senate to keep elected officials from throwing chairs and chanting “Jerry, Jerry”? Polls show that Americans are getting quite fed up with this tone. Many people have opted-out of social media because it was getting “creepy”. And talk about creepy I have one word ChatRoulette.

Will social media be the greatest source of dialogue in history or will it be the ultimate forum for bullies and perverts? I guess it is what we allow it to be and our programming, politics and personal interactions will be governed by what we opt-in to or out of.

Apple’s iAd Mobile Advertising

by Gio Gutierrez

Apple is set to deliver a mobile ad platform by the name if iAd to one billion devices (iPhones, iPads and iPod touches). This ad platform isn’t just banners and text links. It is robust brand advertising that is as fully functional as a website or an app itself. Yes, ads that are apps within an app. iAds will be defining mobile advertising and will definitely shake up the mobile market. People aren’t searching on mobile devices, they are using apps so it only makes sense to enhance this experience. No one is happy clicking a banner and leaving their current site/app. This alone is brilliant. The ads have been hinted to be “premium” which sounds expensive. Sure they’ll make money from all this but I think it’s more for Apple to be the leader in this market. They want to to be the innovator in mobile advertising, reshape the industry and stick it to Google. Another tidbit is they’ll offer 60% of the revenue back to developers (ala Google Adsense) to help the creation of great apps on the App Store. And then HTML5! Every Flash shop in the country better be sharpening their HTML5 skillz. Anyway you see it, Apple’s new iAd is an exciting move.

Only problem is Apple will now massively once again control something else. Will they approve our anti/parody Apple ad?