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Farewell traditional can opener. Long live the Quirky Apri
Months ago I submitted a general can operner idea to Quirky, a clever NYC company that creates crowd-sourced products from its online community. Didn’t expect too much from the concept, since there were a lot of issues behind the general idea (for starters, it defied the laws of physics).
I’ve been struggling with this particular idea for a couple years, so I had little reason to think it would be the one to send my to NYC to join the industrial design team in their upcoming reality show on the Sundance Channel.
I take all this as proof that Andy Warhol was right: everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. Less of a blessing and more of a threat, really… but if my time has come, I feel fortunate that my pasty mug is used to develop a new kitchen innovation instead of blowing Brett Michaels in the back of a bus.
Did I mention the can opener? It’s called the Apri:
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My initial concept was a lid that allowed you to “twist off” the can’s top using the same motion you would for a jar. It’s a nice theory, but a difficult reality with so many different sizes of cans, and the lack of leverage that would give the Hulk arthritis. Like I said, I knew these problems going in, but I have a sense that the show will pitch this process as “Jon, the hopeful guy who knows nothing about design.” I know they’re using the head designer – the main naysayer of the concept – as my “foe.” Of course when the cameras were off and no lines were being fed to me, I found the entire staff at Quirky to be nice, energentic and welcoming. Couldn’t ask for a better evolution of the idea.
Did I mention the Apri is now available for presale on the Quirky website? I didn’t? Here’s a little more information on this side-opening bad boy:
- Lever uses body weight to clamp onto cans, no need to squeeze handles together
- Ratcheting knob relieves wrist strain
- Side cutting design prevents sharp metal edges
- Talon-hook lid lifter with magnetic catch-and-release system
- Sleek design looks great displayed on your counter
Where’s the beef?
While it didn’t quite make it to the producer market, I love how this concept uses the negative space to bring the copy home. Few people really understand the science behind growth implants, and it’s hard for them to visualize the bottom-line impact of “more beef options.” To that end, I really like how this concept delivers that message.
BODY COPY:
You could feed an entire school with the gains produced by one wheel of Ralgro implants. More importantly, you can do it with the same amount of time, feed and land.
With Ralgro, you get a sustainable solution that’s heavy on increased revenue and light on the environment. Think about that the next time you settle for a non-implant “premium.”
Pocket Sitcom Knows Ya Boo
I wouldn’t say I get starstruck easily. I met Justin Timberlake at a urinal once and was fairly unimpressed. I was also fairly drunk. This was also when he was still in his N’ Sync days and had not yet went on to sleep with every sexual fantasy I’ve had in the past 10 years, but whatever. I met George Clinton at a bar in Detroit during college and greeted him as if he had just come to a house party of mine – no biggie. Of course, I was still fairly drunk.
Point is, I don’t think much of a celebrity level, but I certainly felt a level of awe when I found out one of my all-time comic heroes Aziz Asnari had stumbled upon my dear brainchild Pocket Sitcom and liked it so much he put it into an episode of Parks and Recreation.
The iPhone app plays a small but crucial role as Aziz’s sound effects for his show, Know Ya Boo. Go to 4:46 in the timeline of the actual episode to see for yourself. Otherwise, check out my guerilla-style preview:
It’s a pretty solid achievement that wouldn’t have been possible without the skills of Cello and his crew at Propaganda 3, Noel Selders, Jeff Bieth and the team at Bazillion Pictures. You guys rock. Now let’s get version two knocked out.
So you want a job (part 1)
So the Missouri University College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources needed a video for graduating students that featured the DOs and DON’Ts of starting a career. Here’s the first video. Pay close attention to the dude with the rocking abs.
This is the first of a three-part series meant to play in the classroom and online. Here’s a comment from one of the nicest clients I’ve ever had:
“I love the radical, political guy. We have so many students who are politically active and almost unaware that there are people who don’t share their views. This is great advice—keep your political comments appropriate! Being disrespectful of others’ opinions can certainly keep you from getting the job.”
Stay tuned for #2.
A ‘cide to every to every story
Especially proud of this little piece of direct mail. Requiem Insecticide is a low-chem product used by organic growers and the like. Their big point of this piece was to highlight that it left good bugs A-OK, but killed bad ones three ways to Sunday.
Little did I know the Misfits would beat me to the punch, but even they didn’t go die-cut. Here’s the front:
And here’s the back:
Here’s a cool little side-by-side to get the full effect:
Plus, don’t hesitate to check our their matching site at requieminsecticide.com:
Dairymen HOMOGENIZE!
A brief but fun piece of direct mail we did that folded out into a poster:
It’s a fine job by our own Jason Silvers, and the topic actually seems pretty interesting. Wish I had a chance to check it out.
What Bruce Lee can teach us about social media
A little while ago, I wrote a guest post on our agency blog. Enough time has gone by that I thought I could share some of it here on my personal site.
Of course, if you’re interested in reading more, please feel free to check out the full post at the Osborn & Barr blog.
Be water, my friend: What Bruce Lee can teach us about social media
FACT: Bruce Lee is awesome.
Yes, I know that comes off like the opinion of a teenager who just watched Enter the Dragon, but that still doesn’t change what is irrefutable. Bruce Lee didn’t follow his pursuits – he invented them. From acting to philosophy to combat, Lee was a master of weaving his key passions together into a unique signature that is both visual and memorable.
All without a twitter account no less.
These days, the advent of social media has individuals and corporations alike looking for a unique signature of their own. As we see branding move away from the traditional “push” strategy into something far more communal and organic, marketers are left with one of two options: adapt or fall behind. Even in the rural reaches of agriculture, it’s important that we adapt to new technology quickly. In the world of social media, we need to be focused; to move without over thinking; to move like Bruce Lee.
“The possession of anything begins in the mind”
Every product and service has the ability to build a unique and consistent voice. Ask yourself:
· “What quality of life does this product provide?”
· “What is its purpose at the end of the day?”
· “How can this purpose resonate to your customer?”
By focusing on the deeper philosophy behind his actions first, Lee was able to react with clear and efficient movement. In terms of social media, we must ask ourselves questions that go much deeper than “TV, radio or Facebook.” We make more use of our resources by finding our voice first, thenfinding what to say.
“If you make an ass out of yourself, there will always be someone to ride you”
Every online presence faces the threat of trolls – people who instigate for the sake of attention. When you acknowledge them, you are only fueling their fire and adding to their “Google juice.”
No matter what your voice, promote yourself as a positive force for satisfied and dissatisfied customers alike. Help people with problems, address concerns, but never humor those who are only using your platform as a way to build theirs. Social media gives everyone a chance to speak, but only you can give them a soapbox.
You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
Marketing must take the form of its needs. A strong voice will find legs in almost any media, but don’t force it. Today’s approach must be liquid, flowing around obstacles and striking at opportunities as they come.
See the places your message can flow and don’t exhaust yourself with dead ends. A good way to measure this is to see if you’re having any fun. Social media is a great way to build a community on a transparent and personal level, so if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, neither will your audience. Build upon what you already have and see what gaps you can fill.
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The CanDO (can it?)
Some exciting things happening on the Jon front. For starters, I finally can wear the title of “inventor”.
Presenting my upcoming brainchild: The CanDO (name pending).
Pretty simple concept, but a pretty daunting feet nonetheless. Anyhoo, looks like I’ve made my bucket list a tad lighter thanks to the folks at Quirky Inc.
For those that are not familiar, here’s how it works:
- Sign up as a member of the Quirky community (free)
- Submit your ideas/innovations for the rest of the community to review
- No idea yet? No prob, because everyone can review and comment on ideas – ideally to make them better
- The top ideas are reviewed for viability, market appeal and all the other stuff that can cost you a lot of money to do yourself.
- One idea per challenge is selected to be developed, produced and sold by Quirky through vehicles like HSN, Bed Bath & Beyond and more.
This week’s review went a little something like this:
As you can see from the video, I have my work cut out for me. Not sure if I can divulge all the upcoming details yet, but let’s just say there are very exciting additions to the story for your humble Jonboy.
Stay tuned!
Happy clients make the world go… well, at exactly the same speed.
This particular post is in reference to a recent print ad we made. Personally, this is not an ad that jumps off the page for me. In fact, it was our “safe” idea that we were hoping wouldn’t be picked.
They love it:
“I think this is the best ad I’ve ever seen done by our company!” – Client’s name withheld
According to our AE’s email, the client knew this was the winning ad as soon as he saw the concept, “but it’s great to have the field sales team confirm that the ad is spot on.”
- He says it’s the best ad ever.
- He’s willing to use it in a distributor publication.
- He’s going to pay out of his own budget for the placement.
I really wish I could post our other concepts for comparison, but I’m not into that whole “getting fired” thing. Basically, I think it’s a sign of how on-target we were to the key message, which is a head-on attack at the general assumptions people are making toward modern ag practices.
Here’s the ad for reference. I’ll leave it for your own judgment.
Two Nu Samples
Just because my posts have been lagging doesn’t mean business has. For purposes of efficiency, here are four samples of work (two print, two radio) mashed into a pair of YouTube videos. Both are recent projects for my beloved product NutriSphere-N Nitrogen Fertilizer Manager. Kudos to Liquid 9 for being the brains behind the sound.
