Plaid-On-Plaid and Other Daily Atrocities I Commit Working From Home

I’ve been Working From Home since before it became a thing. I kinda consider myself an expert.

Not gonna lie. Us WFH experts don’t always dress like normal people. But because most days come with on-camera meetings, I do what I can. To reach expert status, I’ve mastered the art of deception, especially from the waist down.

No one on Zoom suspects that, while my top half looks boardroom-ready, my bottom half is sporting the world’s most comfortable sweat pants. Not every day, mind you. Some days it’s my go-to cargo shorts. Maybe gym shorts on casual Fridays.

Have I ever worn boxers to a meeting? I’ll never tell. Loafers, flip-flops or even bare feet complete the look du jour, unless of course I’ve been walking the dogs, in which case I’ll probably be rocking crocs.

Oh yes, the dogs. They mostly sleep. I’ve had to apologize during meetings for my pug, snoring at my feet and emitting sounds consistent with a 300-pound man. But that’s for another blog.

As every veteran Work-From-Homer will tell you, there’s a fine art to deciding between a shower and shave, or a new-ish, color-coordinated baseball hat.

Working From Home takes a certain discipline. I try to maintain a businesslike acumen and arrive at my desk bright and early each day. I know the value of a freshly shaven face and a collared shirt. Most days, I’m proud to say I haven’t lost my professional edge. At least, not from the waist up.

Seeking Common Ground

In my last blog, I wrote about how much I dislike negative advertising. Which is why I’m so proud to have played a role in Metroparks Toledo’s quintessentially positive “Common Ground” campaign from my friends at Everwild.

Metroparks is one of America’s best park systems, and has consistently demonstrated an acute awareness of public sentiment. The timely messaging they develop in conjunction with Everwild is always on point and the Common Ground campaign is no exception.

In the case of Metroparks, “Common Ground” is at once literal, symbolic, and a call to action. This timely campaign represents an implicit commitment to conservation and inclusion, but also serves as an invitation to visit, enjoy and protect special places that belong to everyone. Social media executions feature “uncommon” people enjoying Metroparks. Unplugged. Unbothered. And immersed in sanctuary and adventure in various parks.

The implication is clear: no matter how different we are, all of us share much in common; a love of Metroparks in particular.

In this business, we occasionally have the power to shape narratives and foster conversations that uplift. This isn’t just an ideal; it’s a powerful marketing tool as well. People want to feel connected, seen, and understood. And when brands tap into that sense of common ground, they create loyalty, belief, and buy-in.

Common Ground is sharing places and activities that bring us together. The young, and the young at heart. Different backgrounds. Different pursuits.

The creative team includes Creative Director David Woodward and designers Vanesa Nelson and Cessna Manilli of Everwild, and photographer Grant Beachy.

What if Advertising Were A Zero-Sum Game?

An election year is upon us, a particularly contentious one, and I’m reminded of  how far removed we are from “Morning in America.”

I would be bracing myself for all the negative messaging if I weren’t already so numb to it. Some attack ads come from candidates themselves, but many more seem to emanate from less-than-accountable PACs and special interests. The negativity reaches a whole new level of slime from anonymous social media accounts and influencers who make their bones peddling the sensational without regard for facts or truth.

No one I talk to actually likes attack ads (so they say). Critics—and there are plenty of them—will tell you they’re in poor taste, dishonest, even bad for democracy. Yet the attacks persist. Why?

“The sad truth of American politics is this: negative ads work. They stick. And truth matters, less and less,” says Chip Felkel, Founder of the Felkel Group which focuses on strategic communications and public affairs.

“If it's salacious or accusatory or infers malfeasance, it's remembered. People have short attention spans and attack ads resonate with voters in part, because it has always been easier to get folks to vote, against, rather than for.  If you ask, ‘do you like or approve of negative ads?’ you will likely hear, ’No, I wish they would stop that.’ But their actions, and reactions, speak louder than their words.”

I recently spoke with a gentleman who owned an agency specializing in political advertising. I asked how he was able to cope with all the negative messaging.

“Listen,” he said, “Politics is a zero-sum game. There is one winner and everyone else is a loser who goes home. Imagine if every business, every industry operated in that same environment: Imagine Ford wins and all the other car manufacturers go out of business. What tone do you think their advertising would take? Do you think it would be uplifting and light?”

I was at a loss for words at the time. But here’s my answer now that I’ve thought about it: Yes

I’ll always cling to the adage from Howard Luck Gossage that people don’t read advertising, they read what interests them and sometimes it’s an ad. My own, perhaps naive view is that negative advertising isn’t at all more interesting. It’s just easier.

As Felkel says, it’s “easier” to get someone to vote against something than for. Negative advertising doesn’t require a high concept. There is no need to inspire, compel or persuade. Those things take effort, craft and creativity. Who has time for creativity or new ideas in a political campaign that lasts a few months or even a few weeks?

You want a positive reaction from me? Don’t tell me Tesla sucks, tell me love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru.

In 2024, there is more vitriol than ever. Attack and blame are the modus operandi for both the right and the left, so routine that it’s become an expectation—where hardliners tell you that anything less is “weakness.”

But I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I long for more civil discourse. More inspiration. More persuasion. More appeal to our better angels.

It would be so different, it’s bound to work. Right?