Legends

My father’s side of the the family is form Terry, a town located in the eastern part of Montana. My grandparents owned an ran a bar and cafe up until I was around nine years old.  As a child the bar was the best place to go and visit, my cousins and I turned the restaurant into our playground.  After my grandmother retired and sold the restaurant my memories changed from the playing in the cafe to watching movies in my grandmothers living room.  My grandmother had  one  VHS film that was worth watching and it was ‘Legends of the Fall.’ My mother would watch the American classic every time we visited.  At first I hated the film.  I was too young to understand it.  However, As my younger brother and I began to revisit the film when we got to an age where we could appreciate it, became one of our favorites. 

Terry became our thanksgiving destination as it allowed us to hunt while enjoying the common thanksgiving traditions.   From these visits and our previous in the past my brother and I birthed a Thanksgiving ritual.  Every year him and I sneak away from all of our family members within a few days of thanksgiving to watch Legends by ourselves.  

I don’t fully understand what it is exactly about the film that we relate to thanksgiving, or what urges us to watch it every year.  I'm sure that we connected the film to terry and then terry to Thanksgiving, and thus the connection.  However, I know there is much more too it.  The nature of the film is about a family growing up in the state of Montana in the 1800s.  Its story contains love, war, hunting, brotherhood, and more.   The characters in the film live a self sustaining life in the mountains, which is something I only dream of doing.  My brother Chase and I have a connection with this film through our personal relationship.  We correlate with the season of giving thanks and remembering the pioneers that once founded our country. And we pay our respects every year in our ritualistic viewing of the film.  

If you want to be a successful marketer in the near and upcoming future,  don't look to books or so called experts for advise, because they don't have it.  According to an article in Forbes, people are becoming immune to traditional techniques, and no one really knows what to do about it.  The successful campaigns these days create an experience for the customers of the brand, and successful marketers are those that are curious, love change, and generate ideas that drive change. The article uses campaigns like Nike's "Write the Future", as an example of this.  It seems that creativity is key successful marketing these days, and the beauty of creativity is that it is undefined.  To accomplish it you have to create it....

Nike's "Write the Future" campaign :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBZtHAVvslQ

Forbes' Article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2012/11/11/the-end-of-the-expert-why-no-one-in-marketing-knows-what-theyre-doing/

In Case of Zombie Attack

What if it happens? What if our worst fears are realized? If the Dead walk, the continuation of the human race will become a daily struggle. Are you prepared to protect and defend your family and friends? Your best chance lies in the Gerber Apocalypse Survival Kit. Enclosed in a super durable canvas carrying case with reinforced stitching, the kit is compact and packable. To beat the uprising we must work together. We must arm ourselves and organize.  (Actual product description taken from gerbergear.com)

If zombies attack gerber gear has got your back.  Yes they are actually selling a kit that will provide you with every knife variation necessary to keep you alive when dead walking humans plague the earth.  They call it the Apocalypse Kit, and it costs $350.  The kit has been a highlight in many of Gerber's recent marketing strategies.   They recently used product placement on the hit television show The Walking Dead, when a character found the kit in an empty car. Apparently they are using the popularity of the television show along with the recent increased popularity of zombies, vampires, and other mystical creatures, to sell knives.  They also did a promotional giveaway on Facebook, where they gave away a kit on Halloween.  Lastly they sponsored a series of How to commercials.  The commercials gave step by step instructions showing viewers how to sever zombie heads, remove zombie limbs, plan escape routes from large groups of zombies, and survive when the world ends.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6zO7GBCNEo&feature=relmfu

Is this a smart move?  Who is to say how many people actually buy the Apocalypse Kit.  However, if they are trying to sell a knife or two to fans of The Walking Dead, this campaign was the way to do it. Im sure it will also sell to people preparing for the end of the world.  I believe they are using it as a creative way to bring about more brand awareness.  Thoughts?