"Breaking the Rules: True Tales of Brazen Ingenuity" by Alexandra Watkins, Eat My Words for the 2014 imarketingSF Conference

Hinweis der Redaktion

1. How many of you have ever broken the rules? Not in a SCANDALOUS way where you need to hire a spin doctor..
2. I'm talking about breaking the rules in a CREATIVE WAY >>>
3. To GET NOTICED. Get AROUND A ROADBLOCK. Or just get your foot in the door. TODAY, YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR SOME TRULY FUN, truly TRUE, and sometimes, truly EMBARASSING stories from my LIFETIME of breaking the rules. BY THE END, I HOPE YOU’LL WANT TO TURN EVERY CHALLENGE into CREATIVE OP. FOR THOSE OF YOU UNDER 30, YOU’LL GET A GLIMPSE INTO THE HARDSHIPS many of us faced before the creation of Google, LinkedIn and Tinder.
4. THE RULE BREAKING STARTED in back in the 80s. At Mission Bay High in San Diego. My school was right out of movie.
5. My senior year, I had it going on. I had an awesome set of wheels …
6. And I was excelling in 3 subjects…
7. Creative writing .. I also had a flair for interior decorating. This was the interior of my locker…
8. I’ve never been a minimalist. The other subject I was excelling in was horticulture.
9. I wasn’t a hardcore juvenile delinquent, but it was in high school had my first brush with the law. >>NEXT>>>
10. Senior year, my favorite class was called, “You and the Law.” … >>NEXT>>> 
11. I LOVED THIS CLASS. I learned about my Miranda rights, contracts, torts, and misdemeanors – like smoking pot on school property. For our final project, we had an entire month to write a paper on the criminal justice system. My classmates went to the library to copy out of a book. Every report would be the same. How could I make mine stand out? I turned to our local diatribe: The San Diego Reader. T To the personal ads!
12. Incarcerated was a word I had recently added to my vocabulary. My mother made me look it up in the dictionary when I asked her what it meant. Despite being fully aware of the definition, she encouraged me to write to prisoners. She even let me use her computer.
13. I sent letters to 6 inmates. I couldn’t tell them I was a teenager. I said I was in college and I was writing a book about the Criminal Justice System. I wanted to know what they thought of the CJS. How was it treating them? I knew I would get a better response if I sent a photo. No one wanted a photo of me. I was a dork. Luckily, my older sister… I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I sent photos of MY SISTER to viscous killers. It’s better than that. My sister was the school photographer. Her darkroom was a goldmine. I did not want to tarnish the image of the prom queen. But I had absolutely no shame sending this photo of my sexy, unsuspecting best friend, Lidia Golabek.
14. There she is her vamping next to my Mom’s 66 Jag. I did NOT want my pen pals showing up at my house for dinner when they got paroled. Instead of using my home address, Mom suggested we use my Dad’s Post Office box >>NEXT>>>
15. At first, the letter just trickled in. But within 2 weeks, every guy wrote back. Some even sent photos.
16. That’s Raul… we lost touch. My 23-page report on the CJS consisted of 1 intro page typed by me on my mom’s computer, and 22 pages of hand written letters from my new friends on the inside. My teacher said that in all of his years of teaching, it was the most creative report he had ever seen. I got an A+. And I learned a valuable lesson. Breaking the rules PAYS OFF BIG TIME. (Well, not for Raul though.)
17. From the time I was in 8th grade, I wanted to work in advertising. Like Darrin Stevens on Bewitched.
18. When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t imagine sitting in a classroom for 4 more years. I wished I could just wiggle my nose and get a job. My mom suggested I sign up for an advertising class at the local community college. My teacher hadn’t sent foot in an ad agency since Darrin worked at McMann & Tate. I had to find a faster way to break into the business. Meanwhile, at home in La Jolla, I was driving my mother insane. In my teenage eyes, she was turning into a total witch. My parents made me move out of the nest. For the first time in my life, I had to earn a paycheck. >>NEXT>>>
19. My parents were actually really cool. The wanted me to enjoy my childhood and wouldn’t let me work until I was 18. But because of that, my resume was pretty skimpy. I had to do something CREATIVE to make it stand out. So, under “interests,” I listed "roller-skating, interior decorating, horticulture, and..
20. I know, it looks like a dirty word. That was the idea. Penology is a fancy way of saying “the study of prisons and prisoners.” That one word attracted the attention of the hiring manager at a major corporation, where I landed my first job.
21. Minimum wage was $3.35 an hour. But as a cashier at 7/11, I learned more about consumer buying habits and brand loyalty that I ever could have from a textbook. But I couldn’t make cheery Slurpees forever. And I hated when people from my high school recognized me.
22. >>>
23. Working the graveyard shift at 7/11, I had plenty of free time to peruse the prisoner personals. (I had stopped answering ads, but I still liked to look.) One night, I spotted an ad for a new school. The La Jolla Academy of Advertising Art. The ad said that all of the instructors currently worked in the field. Being a natural born networker, I knew I could make job connections. And it was only a one-year program. I could handle that. I enrolled the next week. After one semester, I had moved way beyond Darrin Stephens.
24. David Ogilvy was my new higher power. And this was my new Bible. (Ogilvy book) The Book of Dave. Dave said that wannabe copywriters like myself spend their first two years in direct marketing learning how to write long copy (envelope) >>NEXT>>>
25. I WAS A NATURAL FOR THIS. AFTERALL, I got a 100% response rate on my prison mail fraud project! >>  (envelope teeters) When I graduated, I talked my way into an internship with my direct marketing instructor. Then, I landed my first big agency job at a direct response agency in Seattle, HERING NEWMAN I was 20 years old. I was a JUNIOR Copywriter. I was going places….
26. I was fired???!!! Yep, after 90 days, the owner, Phil Herring, said he needed a more senior writer. I wasn’t good enough. Obviously that’s not him… this is. NEXT >>> 
27. NEXT >>> 
28. After Seattle, I moved to the roller-skating capital of the world, Venice Beach. NEXT >>> 
29. If you’ve been there, you know it’s also a hotbed of horticulture. For the next 2 years, I was a flower child.
30. I got a great job as a copywriter at Teleflora… Then I worked at some forgettable agencies. Seriously, I forgot the name. Remember, this is before LinkedIn NEXT >>>
31. During that time I was an active member of the Direct Marketing Creative Guild. By volunteering to help RUN THE EVENTS, I RACKED UP MAJOR BROWNIE POINTS. CALCULATED NETWORKING and SUCKING UP TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE I TALKED my way into my dream job.
32. At Ogilvy, I created campaigns for accounts like Microsoft and Mighty Dog. You haven’t lived until you’ve been on a photoshoot with live animals. Every year, the agency would enter our best work in the Creative Guild’s award show. At the annual dinner, I would purposely run into my old boss, Phil “You’re Not Good Enough” Herring. Always when I was carrying one of these…
33. It was the polite way of giving him the finger. NEXT >>>
34. Everyone at Ogilvy religiously read Adweek magazine. Browsing through the back pages one day, I had a major high school flashback. NEXT >>>
35. Paper Moon Graphics, the greeting card company I had worshipped since I was a teenager, was looking for freelance writers to create new card lines! Back in high school, Paper Moon’s cards were tame. Now you practically needed a photo ID to buy them.
36. I knew would have to create something provocative. Luckily, I already had…
37. Ever since I was in advertising school, I had been buying vintage 1950s magazines at flea markets. One Sunday morning, another magazine caught my eye. CLICK (Penthouse Letters). That’s when the lightbulb went off…Armed with scissors and a glue stick, I cut out retro images from the 50s magazines and juxtaposed them with RACY text from Penthouse Letters. The results were pretty hysterical.
38. I had made books full of these of these! I photocopied 40 and popped them in the mail and waited by the phone.
39. Worst. Response rate. Ever. I had practically forgotten about Paper Moon, I came home late to a blinking light on my answering... Beeep… "Hi Alexandra. This is Fred from Paper Moon Graphics. I love wen you sent over. You have a dirtier mind than me!” He told me to give him a call…. It was after 10pm. But I couldn't wait. I dialed… Fred answered! “Why are you working so late?” I’m always late. I’m the janitor.
40. Fred Had Found My Work In The TrashMy dreams were crushed. But he said he knew the creative director…. The following Thursday afternoon, I nervously sat across the desk from Robert. THIS WAS THE MAN WHO HAD THROWN MY WORK IN THE TRASH. Why are you here? (sheepishly) “Fred thought I should meet you.” (Incredulously) “Fred?! You do know who Fred is, right?" “Yes, he’s the janitor.” Robert HOWLED! “Fred owns the company!”  Paper Moon LOVED MY CONCEPTS AND AFTER MAKING LITTLE LESS X-RATED, THEY LAUNCHED THE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL RETRO CARD LINE.
41. There were hundreds of cards in the RETRO line. EVERY CARD COMPANY COPIED THEM. I WORKED FOR THEM, TOO. Does this look familiar?
42. Does this look familiar?
43. When Ogilvy offered me the chance to transfer to the Seattle office, I couldn’t wait to go back. It had been nearly 10 years since I lived there.
44. By day, I wrote Geek Speak for Microsoft. By night, I wrote personal ads for my friends and myself. My artsy friend Kelly wanted to meet a guy who was less “GRUNGE and GRANOLA” and more " BRAINS and BUSINESS.” But how could I tactfully say that in a headline?
45. This ad generated a flood of letters. A few weeks later, Kelly met me at diner on Capitol Hill. She the dumped them on table. And there was, my old boss, PHIL "You're not good enough" HERRING! The opening line of his letter? "Dear Ms. Boycotter, you got me after the headline. I didn't even have to read the rest of the ad.” EVEN THOUGH SHE WASN’T ATTRACTED TO HIM, I made Kelly go on a Starbucks date with Phil.
46. Over lattes, he boasted to her that he owned a successful agency called Herring/Newman. Right on queue, Kelly said, "That sounds familiar. I think I may know some who worked for you." Really, said Phil, puffing up... who? "Alexandra Watkins." Phil mumbled, "Oh I remember her." Then Kelly delivered the deathblow. She wrote my ad.
47. Talk about You and The Law… this was poetic justice.
48. I actually dated a few hunky Microsoft guys. (geek) Unfortunately, the one I wanted to marry got engaged to another woman.
49. >>>>
50. After 5 awesome years at Ogilvy, a juicy job offer took me to SF. It was 1995. I bought a loft South of Market and released my inner interior decorator.
51. My agency years in SF were pretty colorful, too. I'm not showing you photos! In my free time, I got my passport stamped as often as possible. With only 3 weeks vacation a year, I knew I'd never have time to see the whole world. I quit my job and became a freelancer. My timing was perfect… the dot com gravy train was just taking off and I rode it until it crashed in my backyard.
52. SF was a ghost town. I rented out my loft and went traveling for a year…
53. TAKING TIME OFF PUT EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE. I NEVER WANTED TO WRITE ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE AGAIN. When I came back, I had a tan and I had a plan.
54. Over the years as a copywriter, once in awhile I'd get thrown a bone and get to name something.
55. I loved it. And I knew I had a talent for it. But I had no idea that naming was actually a profession. When I finally discovered this, I knew that was what I was suppose to be doing. I heard that the place to make a name for myself was the LEGENDARY branding firm…Landor & Associates. SURELY I COULD GET A JOB THERE!
56. It would have been easier to get into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. PAUSE. I knew I had the talent to work at Landor. What I didn't have was the pedigree. No degree in Latin. No degree in linguistics. No degree in anything. For 2 years I tried to get their attention. I even sent photos of my dog and all of the names I'd come up with for her.
57. Landor didn't bite. I finally did get into Landor. On a Match.com date.
58. It was Saturday night..
59. When we got to the party, there was no way Samir…
60. Landor gave me my first project naming potato chips for Frito Lay. I was hooked. And Landor was hooked on me. I became their go-to freelancer in San Francisco and New York. I FREELANCED for lots of big naming and branding firms. Great way to LEARN THE BIZ and WORK ON on JUICY PROJECTS, LIKE A BACON CHEESEBURGER for WENDY’s
61. Have you ever eaten a Baconator? Then you have literally eaten my words. I CANT PUT IN IN MY PORTFOLIO because i named it for another firm STRTEGIC NAME DEVELOPMENT It was killing me to let other firms put their good names on my great names. SO, I OPENED MY OWN NAMING FIRM.
62. I named it Eat My Words because I I started out naming things that make people fat and drunk.
63. Fast forward 10 years…
64. We specialize in 2 things – names and taglines
65. OUR OFFICE IS IN SOMA
66. I DON’T LIVE HERE ANY MORE – IT MAKES A MUCH BETTER OFFICE I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY PEOPLE BRAINSTORM IN WHITE ROOMS STARING AT WHITE BOARDS.
67. Pink Fridge inspired our business card. It’s where I keep my COOLEST books.
68. The Marlin Perkins 2000
69. Our MASCOT, Gnomenclature. MY NAMING PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE…
70. I’ve created a Name Evaluation filter based on this philosophy…
71. It’s called the S&S Test It’s been featured in … it’s also the basis of my new book, which is doing really well…
72. Out only 7 weeks HELD A STEADY TRIFECTA. All 52 customer reviews on Amazon are 5-STARS 37 of them are WRITTEN BY people I don’t personally know. Back to the S&S Test…
73. Here are some favorite names…
74. WHAT’S ON OUR PLATE NOW?
75. We’re been hired to name a new cannabis brand. All those hours studying horticulture finally paid off!
76. In closing, what’d I’d like you to take away is this… WHEN YOU’RE FACED WITH A CHALLENGE EMBRACE IT AS A CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY. But remember, creativity only happens when you give yourself permission to break the rules. Consider this your permission slip. Signed by me, and my Mom.