Fire Safety for the Deaf

If you haven't seen the publc service announcement that is running fairly regularly on the Shaw Listings (channel 2) then you can find the link here. WIDHH Public Service Announcement. (top right)

I was able to get this PSA running on Global, CTV and CBC as well, at no charge.

It has a pretty powerful message, I think, or at least one you wouldn't think about every day.

When the other ads are up on the WIDHH site, I'll let you know. Until then, you can keep an eye out for them on Channel 2.

Opposites Attract – Breaking Through the Clutter with Low Production Value

There is something to be said for super low budget production quality. Look no further than The Strokes or The White Stripes in the music world, or South Park on TV to see what I mean. Over-produced, overly-slick work just blends right in with all of the other colourful and frantic work in our 4-second-attention-span-MTV-world. It just doesn’t break through any more. It could be that people are seeking a new integrity in a world where everything is polished and airbrushed to an artificial reality, or it could be that it is just different. But simplistic sometimes is best.

Here is an ad I absolutely love. Lo Def Productions present Cal vs Stanford

Wasteful Advertising

The election is over, but I am still seeing the advertising aftermath everywhere. Flyers, door hangers, crumpled signs and paper are littered all over the city. Every time I see an MP’s face staring up at me from the gutter, I cringe. Their face, their party and their brand have now become associated with garbage, waste and eyesoreness. Not to mention the environmental reprocussions that spring to mind.

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks this way.

If we are looking at election advertising after the fact with such distain, imagine how we see your brand after a sale is through. When people see your logo heaped up in their waste, as extra garbage they have to take care of, they are going to think of it just as that.

Some solutions? Make ads that are keepsakes. Make them interesting and artful and collectable. Or don't do flyers at all, and stick with radio and television. Sound pollution is another story for another time, but it is along the same principle - if it isn't funny, interesting, entertaining or informative - people don't want it to interrupt their lives.

I do love the Science World ad about the chickens though. It's brilliant.

Some Unusual Charity - Holey Soles Help Katrina Victims Get Back on Their Feet

It’s not quite walking on water, but floating colourful shoes can do their part in throwing a lifeline to the victims of Katrina.

It has been months since Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans and the Southern Gulf States, but the massive rebuilding process has only just begun.

The most unusual, yet startlingly useful, of these contributions would have to be strange colourful floating foam shoes from Vancouver, Canada.

Holey Soles Holding Ltd. donated over $200,000 worth of their funky footwear to those ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. The Victory Christian Centre in Tulsa, in conjunction with Helping Hurting Children, and over 200 local church organizations helped in the distribution.

“I would never believed that such funny looking colourful clogs with holes in them would be so helpful,” says Nancy Sykes of Christian Victory Center. “People say they are so comfortable.”

Although it seems an unlikely donation for those violently ravaged and struggling to get by in the waterlogged city, Holey Soles make a great deal of sense.

If ever there were a shoe built for a flooded environment it would be Holey Soles. Weighing in at less than 150 grams, the shoes miraculously float. They are also brightly coloured and easy to spot. They have a non-slip grip that is perfect for slippery environments, are resistant to industrial chemicals and have an open-toe and ‘holey’ design to allow for quick drying. To top it all off, Holey Soles are famous for being incredibly comfortable and versatile.

Pastor Rod Baker of Victory Christian Center in Tusla said, “We are truly thankful to Holey Soles for the donation of their shoes to the lives that have been devastated by the hurricanes of the Gulf Coast. The shoes will add value to their lives and will truly be a treasured gift. This is such a showing of compassion to them in this time of desperation.”

Who would have thought that funny-looking clogs from Canada could make such a difference to those in need of some comfortable, waterproof footwear?

To find out more about Holey Soles contact Joyce Groote, President and CEO at (604) 263-5527

Today's A Day To Make Your Mark

Yay! It's my birthday. It is also voting day. So be sure to make use of the right that millions of others would die for.

In case you were wondering - Vegas was a ball, the poker tables and the number 13 were very kind to me. It was sunny and vivid the whole time. Now, back to the rain.

Online Public Relations

With my online column syndicated through the American Chronicle, we now have the capacity to bring current and relavent sustainability issues to the forefront of the online news media. Holey Soles has an article on there now about how they have helped out in the Katrina relief effort by donating $200,000 worth of shoes. I'll post this next.

Below is a breakdown below of what you get.

By running a PR piece in the column you will appear on 21 sites, giving you local, national, and international exposure. These sites include World Sentinel, American Chronicle, California Chronicle, LA Chronicle, Catalina Chronicle, Florida Chronicle, Fresno Chronicle, Illinois Chronicle, Irvine Chronicle,  Los Angeles Chronicle, Long Beach Chronicle, Maryland Chronicle, Palm Springs Chronicle, Pennsylvania Chronicle, Riverside Chronicle, Sacramento Chronicle, San Diego Chronicle, San Jose Chronicle, Santa Barbara Chronicle, Santa Monica Chronicle, and World News.

It can include a photograph or logo.

Links to your favorite websites or refer readers to specified websites for further information.

The issue will be internationally sydnicated and appear in all major Internet search engines as well as in major news aggregators, such as Google News, Topix, Lycos, Web Crawler, Dogpile, Excite, and many other news aggregators.

Keywords and categories to your articles to facilitate searching on these sites.