Ad Agencies: Google Wave Will Be Another Communications Tidal Wave

Ad Agencies: Google Wave Will Be Another Communications Tidal Wave

The Do It Yourself Lobotomy: Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking

I was fortunate in my past to attend one of Tom Monahan’s creative workshop weekends in Providence, Rhode Island years ago. Tom is a talented and famous copywriter and creative director and was a partner of Leonard/Monahan in Providence. He has gone on to teach his craft to some of the biggest brands in America.

The seminar offered a great opportunity to 'think' different and get a fresh perspective when approaching creative thinking and strategy. The goal was to develop your brain and utilize thinking as chaotic, random, unpredictable, and ‘open to anything”. He summed it up as an organized thought process. “Change your thinking about change” becomes a creative tool and mantra to get to the next level of creative thinking and risk taking.

Tom also reviews the logic of asking the right questions, and doing it early enough in the process to assist a targeted solution. Logical, but do we all practice that simple rule? Other tools of expanding the creative thought process was “100 MPH Thinking”, “180° Thinking”, “Intergalactic Thinking”, “Conceptual Solitaire” and more. All of these aid in thinking outside the box and in new directions. Plus he strengthened the realization that in any creative thought process “there are no bad ideas”...really.

But you also have to learn how to channel all these new insights and integrate them into the best atmosphere possible to have them take root and show results. In Monahan’s book, The Do It Yourself Lobotomy: Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking, “The Five Greatest Barriers to Creativity” chapter outlines the minefields we can all get caught in and how to avoid them.

I went out and bought the book after the seminar weekend. I find myself going back to it often to refresh myself and to make sure I haven't strayed too far from the roadmap. Before you read the book, take the 2-Minute Creative IQ Test In the appendix, which can be a reality wake-up call.

For any marketing or creative person trying to improve upon and recharge their creative thinking and solutions, it's a book you'll find yourself wondering how you ever lived without. Check out Amazon...operators are standing by for your order. The Do It Yourself Lobotomy: Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking, by Tom Monahan.

Mark Minter
Creative Director

twtpoll :: Should Ad Agency Pitches and RFPs Be a Thing of the Past? (via )

twtpoll :: Should Ad Agency Pitches and RFPs Be a Thing of the Past? (via )

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The Sunnier Side of Sunrise Ford

The Boner Group has been the agency of record at Sunrise Ford for over 15 years. Sunrise Ford is one of the oldest car dealerships in Florida. They have been in existence since 1932 – the same year Henry Ford introduced the first one-piece V-8 engine in the Ford V-8 Cabriolet at a price of just $610. Over the years we have experienced three major hurricanes with two direct hits on the east coast of Florida. But Sunrise Ford has embraced the challenges left behind from these storms.

When hurricanes Frances and Jeanne took their toll on the east coast of Florida and caused over $1 million dollars in damage to the dealership, Sunrise Ford accepted this as an opportunity to rebuild in a way few car dealerships have – “Green”. Sunrise Ford remodeled utilizing the latest in “green” technologies.

This technology included installing 168 solar panels on their roof to convert sunlight into energy to help power the needs of the dealership. And not only do they utilize “green” in their building design, but they also embrace “green” as a way of life for the dealership. Biodegradable soaps are used on all of their car washes. And they recycle of all of the paper used at Sunrise Ford.

As Ford rolls out more and more of their alternative fueled vehicles, Sunrise Ford will be one step ahead of their competition. They are not only talking the talk, but they are also walking the walk.

Drawing Life Into Palm Beach Opera’s 2009-2010 Season

The Boner Group and artist Mark Stutzman have teamed up to produce Palm Beach Opera’s promotional illustrations for the 2009-2010 season. This is the fourth season The Boner Group has commissioned Stutzman to create the opera’s acclaimed promotional designs. The illustrations will capture the essence and emotion for the upcoming season featuring Beethovan’s Symphony No. 9 Choral (Ode to Joy), Otello, Don Giovanni, and Carmen.

Stutzman may best be known for his illustration of young Elvis, featured on the U.S. Postage stamp issued January 8, 1993. His illustrations are also featured in such national publications as MAD Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Esquire.

Much of his catalog of work encompasses promotional artwork for products, corporations and shows including the Broadway musicals Annie Get Your Gun and Young Frankenstein, The Musical, as well as promotional posters for illusionist David Blaine. Stutzman works out of his studio, Eloqui, located in the rural Appalachian mountains of Maryland.

Stutzman’s illustrations for this year’s Palm Beach Opera season will be unveiled in late July or early August. Below are some of the previous seasons works by Mark Stutzman. You can also see more of his work at http://eloqui.com.