D

D Magazine Logo Bedazzles Downtown Dallas

The “print product” and deadlines associated therewith kept me from attending a test this morning downtown of our logo hanging on our new building, St. Paul Place. But an alert FBvian sends in this picture, taken moments ago. I think the test logo is made of canvas. The real thing will be Naugahyde.

How Real Is AMC’s Mad Men?

Very real, according to this interview with Dallas ad genius Ray Trapp, who was at Madison Avenue’s Olgivy & Mather in the day.

Yellow Pages Sues DA Craig Watkins for Unpaid Bills

You can read the filing for yourself, but Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages is suing District Attorney Craig Watkins because it claims his Fair Park Bail Bonds is in arrears to the company to the tune of about $16,000. Zac got the DA on the phone, and Watkins told him that he was unaware of the suit, that he would look it up, and that he hadn’t dealt with Southwestern Bell since about 2002. The suit alleges that the original promissory note was signed by Watkins in 2005.

The Get Real Agency Needs Your Help

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the Get Real Agency, a casting agency for “real people” started by Dallas entrepreneur Brynn Isom. Well, of course I signed up. I mean, maybe someone is looking for a mid-30s Greek girl for an ad or something (ha!). Anyway, now that I’m a member, I’ve started receiving updates from the agency. There’s a job opening for three seniors–your mom or dad perhaps? Here are the details:

We are looking for 1 male and 3 females (all Caucasian) to be cast in an ad for a retirement village. They should look at least 75 years old and be grey-haired. The client prefers good smiles, bright eyes, healthy, etc. (If you saw the ad, you would want to have lunch with them.)

Shoot info:
Monday 8/10/2009
2 hours 9:30-11:30am
Rate: Each talent will be paid $250

If you know someone who meets these criteria, please have them sign up today! We need to get this casting filled.

R.I.P., George Toomer, Ctd.

Joe Simnacher did a masterful job in his obituary of the Great George yesterday in the News. And, as with ours on Wednesday, the comments are well worth reading (and how often do I say that).

Dennis McClain Is Back In The Saddle At TM Advertising

TM’s original name, for those of you not intimately aware of the Dallas advertising scene, was Temerlin McClain. TM President Tom Hansen just took over the top spot at Heelys, so founder McClain has jumped back in to run the agency.

I love it when old guys (like me) come back to the companies they started. I also love it when a Dallas CEO like Hansen moves to another Dallas company (it keeps the talent in town), although Hansen may find that by moving from advertising to skate shoes, he has moved from the frying pan into the fire.

7-Eleven Celebrates 7-Eleven Day With Free Slurpees®

I believe the title is fairly self-explanatory, though to the calendar-impaired I will point out that 7-Eleven Day is on Saturday, July 11, aka 7/11. And there is tons more than you probably want or need after the jump, including news about some sort of live music giveaway.

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Who Is The Brooke Hammerling of Dallas PR?

I was fascinated by this NYT story that ran in Sunday’s paper. (Yes, I’m now linking to NYT stories to talk about Dallas. Consider me the heir to Tall Paul.) It’s ostensibly about how public relations pros, especially in the tech fields, are using social media instead of traditional media. But it’s really about the kinda hot-ish San Fran PR maven Brooke Hammerling, and how she is the conduit to everyone who is anyone in both old-school and new-school tech media. Which got me to wondering: Is there a Dallas equivalent? Is there someone who can get anyone on the phone — everyone from A (Hugh Aynesworth) to Z (Bill Zeeble) on the old-school list, as well as our social media “influencers.” Taking email (pouring a 40 for comments) suggestions now.

New Cowboys Stadium Logo Unveiled, Ctd.

Zac, a co-working, design-minded FBvian points out that a local firm, Rovillo + Reitmayer, designed the logo.

New Cowboys Stadium Logo Unveiled

The Dallas Cowboys debuted the new stadium logo that I guess you’ll pretty much only see if you get press releases from the team, or are a regular on this site. You want a lot of bland quotes about it and another tiny version? Go here. Me? I prefer another logo I found. Might be a little busy though.

Leppert’s “Vote No” Radio Ad Wants You to “Fight the Powers That Be”

We’ve all seen Mayor Tom Leppert’s “Vote No” commercial—stark white backdrop, piano softly playing in the background (you know, this video), but I hadn’t paid much attention to the Leppert ads airing on local radio stations. This morning on my way to work, I was listening to KRNB, and immediately following Brian McKnight’s “Anytime” (you know you like it—and he’s playing at the Meyerson July 8) came an ad from Leppert. A kind of ’70s funk/groove played in the background as he urged folks to vote no and, at the end of the ad, the lyrics to the background music were: “Fight the powers that be.”  Really, Tom Leppert? Really? Since when is the mayor of Dallas not synonymous with “the powers that be”?

An Open Letter to Matt Moss at N3L Optics

Dear Mr. Matt Moss: Today I received not one, but two FedEx packages from you. Both were sent standard overnight from your Lake Forest, California, location. Each package contained the same promotional materials, informing me of the new N3L Optics store soon to open in NorthPark. Each package contained the same press release, wherein N3L Optics senior VP Kendra Reichenau was quoted as saying, “N3L is committed to educating each customer on the benefits of performance optics.” Each package extolled the greatness of N3L’s “smart mirror” and its “Newton immersive display” and its “custom fit station.”

Here’s the thing, Mr. Moss. And I’m betting you can see where I’m headed with this. I don’t care.

In the future, try the good folks at ShopTalk. Pick one person. Say, Sarah Eveans. Or Stephanie Quadri. But pick just one. And then send the FedEx to her, maybe with a personal note. Just a quick one. “Hey, Steph, I saw that post you put up about Jellies. I used to wear those, too! Check out our sunglasses!” Something like that.

Helpfully, Tim

Leppert Strikes Back In Pro-Hotel TV Ad

While the folks opposing a convention-center hotel have been burning up the local TV airwaves with spots for awhile, the other side’s been strangely silent. No longer. Here’s a sneak peak at a pro-hotel TV ad that’s scheduled to start running tomorrow. Its star is Mayor Tom.

Local Golfers React to Tiger’s Return

Tiger’s back, and a couple of local golfers (Justin Leonard and Anthony Kim) make this Nike commercial relevant to post. You know what the ending is before it gets there, but it’s still entertaining. Check it out.

Are The Dallas Cowboys Still America’s Team?

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. That aside, I was watching the NFL Network this morning and saw a segment where Steelers fans questioned the Cowboys’ claim to being “America’s Team.” After all, they argued, the Steelers now have the most Super Bowl rings (six). And what could be more American than a hard-working, get-’er-done defense and offense representing a hard-working, blue-collar town in the Midwest? What say you, Cowboys fans? What have the Cowboys done this decade to warrant the title “America’s Team”?

What Next For RadioShack?

Some wonder how the Fort Worth company has survived as long as it has by merely selling batteries and asking for zip codes*. But the retailer keeps retailing. As it shops for a new ad agency, one gets an idea of its particular struggles, which include the word “commoditized.”

*(I keed, I keed. I love RadioShack. I’ve been there three times in the past year. I forget what I went for, but I know I found what I needed.)

All This, Just To Sell Sugar Water…

Last we left, I puzzled over how the makers of Dr Pepper thought they could sell Dr Pepper to both the “Frazier” “Frasier” crowd and the “90210″ posse. Now, in the February issue of D CEO, comes Spencer Michlin with his behind-the-scenes story of how Dr Pepper reunited Kelsey Grammer, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) and “Frazier” “Frasier” writer Christopher Lloyd for the TV spot. What “doctor” will be featured next by the Pepper People? I’m hoping for this one, who would certainly use the Plano-based soft drink to wash down a handful of prescription whatevers.

Another Welcome Message for George W. Bush

Several news stories have mentioned the yard signs that have popped up in Preston Hollow welcoming George W. Bush back to Dallas. Here’s another such welcome message that I thought I’d pass along:

Munsch Hardt Sent You A Friend Request

I’m actually surprised that it’s taken this long for a major Dallas law firm to do this: Set up a Facebook page. It’s supposed to help recruit lawyers, they tell me. I think it’s just a cheap ploy to rack up points for Mob Wars and Hobo Wars, which Munsch Hardt plays at work when no one’s looking (wait, no, that’s me).

Dr Pepper + Teen Sex = OMG!

I was suffering through last night’s episode of “90120” when I saw this odd, glowing Dr Pepper logo prominently placed in a dramatic scene. (Since all scenes in “90210″ are dramatic, forgive me for being unspecific.) My question: if the folks at Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group are going after the “Frazier” crowd, can they really also go after the lusty types (myself excluded) who watch “90120″? For the record, I was watching “90120″ because my wife watches the show. That’s a whole ‘nother blog entry in itself.

When I Want to See the Future Cowboys Stadium…

I look toward Indianapolis. Why? Because Dallas-based HKS, the firm that designed Indy’s stadium, designed the Cowboys’ stadium. Now comes an article in the New York Times that shows Indy’s Lucas Oil Stadium being used as a showroom for washers and dryers; outside of the stadium is a service station to promote Lucas Oil. Which begs raises the question: What types of retail merchandise will the Cowboys be hawking in Arlington (besides those awesome cheese steak sandwiches and Jason Witten jerseys)? One guess is they’ll be hawking flat-screen TVs. They’ve got an enormous showroom right there on the field, after all.

FrontBurner For Your Ears Launches in 20 Minutes

The show starts at 3 p.m. Won’t you join us? Today’s hosts for the 15-minute recess session will be Tim and Adam. Chat or call in to the show. It’s fun for the whole office!

Richards Group Scores At Home Depot

Speaking of ad campaigns, a knowledgeable FrontBurnervian points out Home Depot renewed its contract with the Richards Group. It’s a $580 million ad account. Nice.

JC Penney Ad Gets AdCritic Nod

A friend passes along an extended JC Penney Christmas-themed commercial (or, put another way, a short online video) called “Beware of the Doghouse” that has apparently gone viral. AdCritic puts it at the top of their 20 best campaigns. Not bad, though it peaks when the dude gets the nickname “Dual Bag.”

DIRECTV Blimp Over Fair Park?

Anyone know why the DIRECTV blimp would be flying around Fair Park? I can see it from my office window, and Adam called in from the road to express his confusion, too.