All of the news about the greed that has run rampant in the banking industry has led me to one inescapable conclusion: the bankers never read “Uncle Scrooge” comic books when they were young.
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If they had, we might not be in this mess!

“Uncle Scrooge” was Donald Duck’s rich uncle. He was the richest man (duck) in the world and had 3 cubic acres of money. Scrooge’s name was taken, of course, from the protagonist of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

The stories were written and drawn by a man named Carl Barks (ironic name for a man who made his living drawing ducks). Like Dickens, Barks had some very definite views about money and what it does to you. Every issue of “Uncle Scrooge” gave its young readers the same moral lesson. Scrooge’s money never made him happy!

Each issue dealt with either:
A). Scrooge trying to keep the notorious “Beagle Boys” from stealing his money, or
B.) Scrooge embarking on some dangerous quest to increase his fortune (when he already had more money than he could possibly spend).

My favorite story involved Scrooge’s attempt to the own world’s rarest (and most valuable coin.)

The adventure led Scrooge and Donald to discover the undersea kingdom of Atlantis and find that it was still inhabited! After finding the coin and escaping from the Atlanteans, Scrooge takes his prize to a coin dealer only to be told that HE’S THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD WITH ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY IT!

So the message delivered to baby boomer kids, issue after issue, was: SCROOGE IS WASTING HIS TIME! He’s already got plenty of money!

To go back to a “Christmas Carol,” one of the spirits asks the same question of the original Scrooge: “How much is enough?”

How much is enough? Uncle Scrooge was never satisfied. And apparently our bankers weren’t either. I’m sure Carl Barks and Charles Dickens are shaking their heads!

• Funny News: The Muppets Animal Caught Speeding, Driving Police Crazy http://tinyurl.com/6dukw8 #

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According to Minnesota Public Radio, Over 31 million dollars have been spent on advertising in the senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken, making it the most expensive race in the nation. 31 million dollars (just watch the back-and-forth banter in the TV ads). And that’s just for Franken and Coleman. We’ve also been inundated with direct mail phone calls and TV ads for all the other candidates.

I have two problems with this. One: Think of all the other ways that money could be spent:
Loans to small businesses to create new jobs; medical research grants; college scholarships.
Wouldn’t that be a better use of all that money?

Problem number two (and this is my big one): all of the political TV ads are LOUSY!
They all follow the same tired formula: “We can’t afford…your opponent’s name here.” “Call………..and tell him to…….”

These ads are as cookie cutter as movie trailers: “In a world where……. one man will……..blah, blah, blah.” Also, I’m willing to bet that none of these ads really change anyone’s mind! They may solidify a voter’s choice, but I’m not sure they are impactful enough to turn a voter 180 degrees away from the candidate he or she was leaning toward. So they’re a colossal waste of money. (I would also say they’re a waste of talent, but no talent has gone into creating them.)

Am I wrong? Have you been swayed by an effective political TV ad?

If so, let me know.

Len

• WSJ: Twitter goes mainstream http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122461906719455335.html (via @jowyang) #

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Laura Wight passes along an excellent sugggestion in her daily PR update.  Take a peek at today’s Star Tribune (yes, I know — I’m asking you to read the newspaper) and check out Stephen Wilber’s Effective Writing column — http://www.wilbers.com/subjectverbagreement.htm

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A while back I posted a blog that spoke about the Guns & Roses album that had been in the making for the past 17 years.  Story behind it goes that Guns & Roses has been working on this album for nearly 17 years and it just never gets released. So finally, Dr. Pepper publicly announced that they would give every single person in America a free can of Dr. Pepper if indeed G N R released the album.

The time has come, and the album is set to drop in November.  Dr. Pepper is sticking to their word and are going to give everyone a free can of Dr. Pepper! It’s awesome, I know. Apparently word on the streets is that it was all one big marketing/pr ploy, talk about experimental marketing. I dig it.

Check out Free Dr Pepper for All as Guns N’ Roses Album Release is Set for more info.

The sky is falling! Or so the Chicken Littles of CNN, Fox and other “news” sources would have us believe. Actually, the sky isn’t falling, it just seems to hang a little bit lower and heavier over our heads with all the doom and gloom we encounter on a daily basis. As a result with every BREAKING NEWS flash, we get a little more de-sensitized – not just to the news, but to the entire world around us.

This applies not just to those of us in advertising, but to everyone – from CEOs, to salespeople to customer service pros – in every line of business. Under a constant barrage of manufactured sensationalism, our senses can become less acute, our minds dull and our ability to think creatively falters. And surely, if there were ever a time when sharp minds were required, it must be now.

To get ahead in any economy, you have to think differently – more creatively – than everyone else. And creativity is always in the details.

So how does one re-engage the right side of their brain to see the little things others miss? In my case, to refocus on the creative details that add life to my writing, I step back and look at the big picture through the lens of a camera.

By actively seeking out and filling my senses with the beauty of what’s “real”, I can put things in perspective and free my mind of the clutter that clouds creative thinking. The best part is that beauty surrounds us wherever we look. One doesn’t have to go to the ocean or somewhere equally spectacular to find it. The key is simply learning to see.

Sharpen your senses. Take time to look around and see the big picture and all the details will fall naturally into place.

• Retweeting @sbspalding: Make your product worth talking about. http://tinyurl.com/6ewffr Read This! #

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