What's New Portfolio

NK LAWN GARDENAGENCY: Schmidt Dalton, MinneapolisCLIENT: NK Lawn & Garden, MinneapolisMEDIUM: gardening magazinesCREATIVE DIRECTOR/COPYWRITER: Lee SchmidtCREATIVE/ART DIRECTOR: Rob DaltonPHOTOGRAPHER: Tony KubatILLUSTRATOR: Corbert GauthierFew Americans actually want to live on a farm anymore, but the ideal of agrarian simplicity continues to exert a strong appeal. For parents who see their kids glued to the TV set, the Waltonsesque image of farm kids growing up strong and wholesome must be particularly attractive. This ad adroitly taps into such sentiment. 'One of the best ways to keep your kids from turning into couch potatoes is to introduce them to Meanie Zucchini. Or Rufus Radish. . . . Our easy-to-grow Kidseeds not only give children a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, but they're also just plain fun to grow.' And, if the plants come up, you've got free salad. What more could you ask?BLUMENHAUS FLORISTAGENCY: Joey Reiman Agency, AtlantaCLIENT: Blumenhaus Florist, AtlantaMEDIUM: postersCREATIVE DIRECTOR: Joey ReimanART DIRECTOR: Cathy CarlisiCOPYWRITER: Jenny NoblePHOTOGRAPHER: Chris DavisCan a well-timed bouquet really transform you from a 'worthless slob' into a prince among men? Or (as in a companion ad) from a 'fetch-my-coffee psycho' into a paragon of fairness? The basic idea here is well-worn (not to say retrograde), but the floral-interruption ploy freshens it up. If the ad seriously told you that flowers could help you manipulate people, you'd find the pitch too brazen. But the exaggerated humor enables you to form your own suspicion that people might truly be susceptible to such blandishments. Visually, the colorful flowers show to good advantage here on the otherwise black-and-mostly-white poster.HAGGAR NECKWEARAGENCY: Kupper Parker Communications, St. LouisCLIENT: MMG Corp./Haggar Neckwear, St. LouisMEDIUM: trade publicationsCREATIVE DIRECTOR/COPYWRITER: Pete CharltonART DIRECTOR: Michael SmithPHOTOGRAPHER: David CornwellThe Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't track the matter, but here's a safe guess: Companies where people wear ties are shedding jobs, while job creation is largely in small businesses where tielessness is quite acceptable. More than ever, then, a tie is worn (if at all) as a form of self-expression and not as a badge of corporate servitude. This offbeat ad does an effective job of aligning Haggar with that attitude and giving the brand a cutting-edge aura, albeit at the risk of scaring off stodgier buyers. Meanwhile, there's little danger here that the tie will clash with the rest of this fellow's wardrobe - except, possibly, for that hat.WIGWAM RESORTAGENCY: Austin Kelly Advertising, AtlantaCLIENT: The Wigwam Resort, PhoenixMEDIUM: golf and leisure magazinesCREATIVE DIRECTORS: Ralph McGill Jr., Jim SpruellART DIRECTOR: Keith BennettCOPYWRITER: Elizabeth HendersonILLUSTRATOR: Billy O'DonnellAfter the pounding 'Western civilization' has been taking from multiculturalism's enthusiasts, it's almost a novelty to see the term used in a non-pejorative sense. This ad employs the phrase as a gently humorous way of signaling to readers that the Phoenix resort is thoroughly luxurious, despite a name that may evoke images of sleeping on the ground and subsisting on buffalo jerky. While copy boasts of The Wigwam's 'ample diversions' - golf, horseback riding, the 'civilized pleasures' of three restaurants, etc. - the illustration is pleasant in a bland sort of way. Is that a shortcoming? Not necessarily. After all, plenty of people - including, one suspects, a fair proportion of this resort's target audience - prefer a vacation that's pleasant but thoroughly unadventurous, spent in the company of fellow-vacationers of similar tastes.Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)

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Mark Dolliver