Advertising balances between the fresh hipness of youth and the wizened perspective of age. Those who can manage to sit at the fulcrum the most comfortably are the shizzle.

I just heard it on the radio. SAAB: Move your mind. Really? After being marginalized by GM and disappearing from the auto world, Saab re-emerges with this lame positioning statement? I know ooh-gobs of research, collective expertise, money and mishaps went into coming up w/this but my mind is only moved to wonder just what IS a SAAB these days: the innovative turbocharged vehicle of yore or some pale comparison? Hopefully now that ownership is back in its general region of origin w/Dutch co. Spyker Cars (yes, I had to look that up), SAAB can again become a well-made ride. Maybe then I'll be moved.

Somewhere very near the bottom of the creative spectrum dwells the HACK. The way I see it, the Hack may not write the most egregious, cringe-inducing stuff. Garbage is at least memorable for its stench. Worse than that, the Hack writes the drivel that you just plain tune out bc it's so unoriginal. Don't kid yourself, we've all fallen back on the quick-n-easy, tried-n-true ad concept,  perhaps bc the job was a RUSH or we just didn't realize how lame we were being at the time.  God forbid the banal piece of advertising come back and smack you in the face like a 2 wk. old herring. "Who wrote this drivel???" Ummmmm, you did. That's my professional fear, people -- right here in black and white. And that's why I often throw out my first idea or two. After all, nothing seems worse than being bland and/or overlooked to a girl who used to do cartwheels across the living room floor for company. No, not recently...but I'm considering it.

OMAHA, Neb. -- ConAgra Foods Inc. has removed high fructose corn syrup from its Hunt's brand ketchup. This wonderful news came in May from another wonderful Omaha company and got me thinking. Hummm. If Heinz Ketchup were to remove corn syrup, would it be Heinz 56 sauce?

Clever ad concept. Check it out: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=137941

1. You are your own billboard. Doesn't matter what your style, it speaks volumes about you before you even open your mouth. Is this fair? Not really, but it's a fact. 2. Stay current and fresh. After all, no one turns to his or her dowdiest friend for fashion advice. 3. Being original is really difficult but not impossible. Much of what we see, hear and wear is derivative of an era or trend gone by (i.e., retro '70s anything...and are those shoulder pads I've been seeing lately?). Yet when it comes back in vogue, there needs to be an unexpected twist or else it's just tired. Yawn. 4. Be succinct & telegraphic. 13 years in retail advertising really drove home the idea that you have a nanosecond to grab someone's attention. The hardest part is folding in some clever originality to that recipe. 5. Keep your name in front of the public. Competition is fierce! You must be visible. 6. You can advertise all you want but if you don't have the right merchandise, you'll still suck.

Sadly I'm at the age where attending funerals is becoming a more frequent activity.   And I've been noticing some trends of which funeral directors might want to take heed. For instance, have you recently been to a cocktail party in honor of one of your dearly departed? Well, I have -- and while it wasn't at a traditional mortuary, I started wondering why it couldn't be. Or at least why they couldn't begin offering a wider array of nontraditional options for memorial services. Think wedding planners, only for another milestone altogether. They'd arrange for the catering of food and drink; offer display areas, a big screen and a nice sound system; create tasteful and appropriate spaces where people can mill about and collectively celebrate the life of someone they loved. I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this. I just hope it catches on by the time I'm ready to go!

Stop yelling at me! I've found something to say: THE FUTURE IS ALIVE AND WELL I know this because I had the pleasure of judging the student ADDYs last Saturday, where I saw some truly good work from some truly gifted up-and-comers in the creative field -- all located right here in NE. Since most of the work was design-oriented print or collateral, it was especially refreshing to see the pieces that were driven by a really sound concept incorporating copy. Gasp! (Not that there was an overwhelming number but there were some fine examples.) I can't talk about the experience w/out giving kudos to the organizers at AAF-O and the Creative Center, as well as fellow judges Dave Distephano (AK Marketing Inc.) and Adam Torpin (Oxide Design Co.). We had a groove goin' on. All in all, it's good to know that young blood flows strong here in the Midwest.

Pickles, pickle juice, Danish foods, humor, Christmas, New Year

Yes, I'm tardy. Not just for work nearly every day (got that, Bill? I used "every day" correctly) but also for taking my turn at posting on PHS.  So here I sit, under the gun again for a topic, when I see this email from AdWeek blogging about a posting on AdFreak. Hey, if it's good enough for AdWeek to blog about, it's good enough for me. Check out AdFreak's 30 freakiest ads of 2010 @  http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/30-freakiest-ads-of-2010.html WARNING: These commercials are from all around the world, so remember! Those crazy Europeans also use sex to sell -- they just do it more blatantly than we Americans. If you are opposed to images like the one below from Freakiest Ad #30, avoid viewing the European commercials -- or read the review of a spot before choosing to watch. I'm guessing some of you might take my warning as an enticement, though it's not meant as such. Personally, I am just curious about advertising of all kinds from all places. Enjoy!

This is a reverse view of the cover of my longtime friend's newly published book. Why is it backwards? I don't know (took the shot on PhotoBooth), but perhaps it's appropriate b/c my girlfriend's view of the world is a bit twisted, which is what makes this book of short stories from her life's experiences so amusing. Recently Kristi had a book reading and signing @ the Blue Pomegranate Studio in Benson. If you haven't yet been there, I suggest a trip. The shop is filled w/creations by local artists. I love the colorful art of Linda Hatfield, who illustrated the front of Kristi's book; multimedia works by Anne Nye (Long Road Home shown below consists of wood, paint and glass fusion); and welded sculptures by Diane Mattern, a former Gordman's colleague. I snapped up some small pieces by owner Sondra Gerber, whose multi-media metal work is shown below. I also own some of Kristi's glass fusion plates and coasters. Art makes great gifts -- and what better time of year to show our appreciation for local artists than the holidays? Visit Blue Pomegranate at www.bluepom.com. For more information on Kristi Pederson's work, visit www.adventureinart.net.

Technology and the proliferation of media have resulted in all sorts of curiosities that could never have been fathomed even 10 years ago. Here are some questions that came to my mind when thinking about the year 2010 in review. When did everyone decide they had to post their own (woeful) version of a Glee episode on YouTube? I understand the primal preening and parading of twenty-something single females, but must it be done Snooky-style? Why should I care that you just used your phone app to check in at 24-hour Fitness unless I'm planning on robbing your home while you're out? When will heterosexual guys realize that the only person who's gonna want a sext of their junk is a guy who's not heterosexual? How long until everybody's identity has been stolen? If we're so smart to create all of this social media stuff, how come we're so stupid in using it? And one final curiosity: I heard today that Mel Gibson is doing a movie where he plays a guy who is so disturbed that he expresses himself through a beaver hand puppet...so pleeeeze will Mel get punched in the face by a beaver in 2011?  That would make my new year. Cheers, everyone!

I love it when packages arrive. This week a box of was delivered that held two Davey Award trophies, shown here by Krystal and Andrea who are the winning art directors. The Davey Awards promote themselves as "honoring the creative excellence of smaller agencies and companies worldwide." I think that's pretty cool -- and I'm proud of the work that went into winning these beauties. This direct mail piece was created as a fundraising piece for the Nebraska Humanities Council. It won a Silver Davey Award. The Salvation Army Annual Report for 2008 was good as  gold in the Daveys. It also received a silver Addy Award. Thanks to everyone involved in bringing these pieces to fruition -- especially the cool clients with whom we worked.

That's what Putney Swope renames the ad agency he finds himself in charge of in the 1969 cult film by Robert Downey Sr. (titled Putney Swope). To watch it, you've gotta be in the mood & have your remote in hand to fast-forward at will, but you'll pick up a few gems like this: You can't change nothin' with rhetoric and slogans because if a man's really carrying the truth in his pocket, he hangs it out on a shingle where everybody can see it. When I see things that ain't fresh I get butterflies in my ulcers, so from now on ya gotta come up with completely original fantasies. So carry the truth in your pocket, people -- and check out the freshly re-released movie on DVD with special commentary by writer/director Downey. P.S. Don't watch it with the kids.

I love words. That's no surprise coming from a copywriter. For years I've received wordsmith.org's A-Word-A-Day e-mail and have saved a file of my favorites. Halcyon is literally at the top of the list. It's an adjective that means, 1. Peaceful; tranquil. 2. Carefree; joyful. 3. Golden; prosperous. Apparently there's a mythological bird known as a halcyon that had the power to charm the wind and calm the sea. Here's what the rest of the title means: • inveterate (in-VET-ehr-it) adjective Firmly established; habitual. [From Middle English, from Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare (to grow old), in-, + vetus, stem of veter- (old). Ultimately from Indo-European root wet- (year) that is also the source of such words as veteran, veal (in the sense of yearling), and veterinary (relating to the beasts of burden, perhaps alluding to old cattle).] • oniomania (O-nee-uh-MAY-nee-uh, -MAYN-yuh) noun Compulsive shopping; excessive, uncontrollable desire to buy things. [From Latin, from Greek xnios (for sale), from onos (price) + -mania.] • archipelago (ahr-kuh-PEL-uh-go) noun A large group of islands. [From Italian arcipelago (the Aegean Sea), from Latin Egeopelagus, from arkhi- (chief) + pelagos (sea). Ultimately from the Indo-European root plak- (to be flat) which is also the source of words such as flake, flaw, placate, plead, please, and plank. Originally the term referred to the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Turkey) that has numerous islands.] Yes, this seasoned shopaholic would love to find herself on a tranquil chain of tropical islands in the middle of nowhere...I just hope there's a gift shop nearby!

That's what happened a few days ago in Egypt, causing total chaos and a huge wave of uncertainty around the world. Reverberations are especially strong in the U.S. due to our ties with reviled Egyptian president Mubarak (his image defiled in poster shown above) and our dependence on Middle Eastern crude. You can read about this anywhere and probably didn't come to Purple Hot Sauce for a dose of world politics. I bring it up because in the past I've railed a bit on the downsides of "the proliferation of media." Social media is the Wild West of our time and with that comes an open range of possibilities -- even spontaneous anarchy. Wow. That's POWERFUL. And that's empowering, which makes all of these possibilities before us truly amazing, mind-blowing, incredibly inspiring, occasionally tragic and sometimes really stupid. Ain't it grand?

It's Fashion Week in NYC, the kick-off a worldwide runway tour. While I'm not obsessed, I love catching glimpses of what's on the style scene for the coming seasons. For me, advertising and fashion have always been closely aligned. Both are about presentation. A person's style is his or her branding statement. And both have helped define our nation's pop culture. So it's no surprise that I had a double major in college of Adv & Fashion Merch or that my advertising career began in retail. This combination allows a form of creative expression that is just natural to me. I was born this way. Yep -- genetic studies are constantly proving that nearly every trait we exhibit goes directly past tastes, talents and influences to our DNA. I invite you to dip your toe into the Ruser gene pool and gander at a few family fashion heirlooms. Krystal looks fetching in this hat Dad bought for Mom in 1942 for $25 (a fortune for him at the time). Welcome to the Age of Plastics! Grandma's circa '63 purse - embellished satin covered entirely in plastic. Purse detail: bejeweled hard plastic top with yellow reflections bouncing off the clear plastic covering. This gold & Austrian crystal set looked stunning on mama Maxine. A personal fav is my Grandma's crystal bracelet.

Thanks to a family connection, I had the amazing opportunity to tour Clint Eastwood's development, Tehama, while on vacation in California. This wasn't just any tour -- it was with the architect and developer of the 2,000-acre property in the hills above Carmel. He and Clint have worked together for more than 25 years, but this is their premier project. (http://www.tehama-carmel.com/) Tenets of the development are to promote architecture and craftsmanship and to balance the natural environment with the man-made environment. For instance, the Tehama Golf Clubhouse is constructed of stone excavated from the ground on which it's built. Parking is subterrain. Every detail is carefully and environmentally planned, right down to the fire hydrants. When I asked my genius tour guide where he gets his ideas and inspiration, his reply was, "You just have to listen to the land."

Words are powerful -- especially when used to abuse  others. That was one of the messages delivered by the pertinacious (purposeful, unyielding) chanteuse (songstress) Lady GaGa during her 2+ hour Monster Ball show that hit Omaha last week. Asking the crowd, "Were you ever bullied?," the Lady assailed (condemned) the perpetrators of such invidious (unjust, offensive or hateful) deportment (behavior),and told how her mother coerced her into going to school by saying she'd rise to the top one day and prove them all wrong. Guess MaMa GaGa was veracious (accurate).

Inspiration comes from all over. In this case it's my boss, Greg Ahrens, and the things he chooses to display in his office. Here's a glimpse inside Greg's world --and mind. It starts before you even open the door Invite poster for The Last Stupor, his final billiard tournament It's in the genes. My very fav thing in Greg's office is the life-like chimp head, mostly b/c it's a gift from his mother. It is motorized w/life-like chimp sounds, too -- but I couldn't get the video to upload. You'll have to take my word for it. Chilean miner's rig: part of winning SKAR-o-ween costume Simpson's Pezes - one among many Simpson's collections Sushi stapler hanging on drum stick inside trophy with candy cane next to oversized Honeyland license plate Battery powered Stooges hit each other w/clubs. Altoid tin collection More cowbell

From the annals of Quirky Corporate Icons comes a specimen located deep in the heart of East Texas: the extremely large bust of Bo Pilgrim, founder of Pilgrim's Pride chicken in Pittsburg. As if that's not enough, this replica of Mr. Pilgrim is elevated over what appears to be a little break area for employees, complete with picnic tables. Upon closer inspection, you see it holds yet another tribute. There on one of the benches is a bronze statue of Mr. Pilgrim sitting, buckled hat on one side, chicken on the other. It is a sight to behold and I'm pleased to say I have. On a sad note, the fate of the giant head is up in the air as the company has recently been sold. ***Late breaking news: the Ex Dir. at the Pittsburg/Camp County Chamber of Commerce says there are no plans to move the head!