Anvil Comes to Town

Get ready cuz Steve "Lips" Kudlow and company are going to be here in St. Louis for the next two days. Today they'll be at Vintage Vinyl signing autographs and tomorrow is a special performance at the Pageant where they take the stage after a showing of the "rockumentary" Anvil!


Badass poster design by Boxing Clever's Brian Yap

Anvil is finally seeing some deserved credit after wallowing in a haze of forgotten dreams for decades. While Anvil experienced the limelight in the 80's along with many other heavy metal bands, they never quite "broke through" and somehow got left behind. (A true to life Spinal Tap scenario, if you will). Their story is poignantly documented in the critically acclaimed film which helped revitalize Anvil's career and put them back on the road - touring with AC/DC and Saxon.

So come on out to Vintage Vinyl today. Be there by 6.

Luxury through architecture

Incredible design and craftmanship by British architects Jesitco + Whiles. This hotel, the Andel's Hotel of Łódź, is a refurbished textile mill in the second largest city of Poland. While the outside retains it's original industrial look, the lobby and foyer create an extraordinary, otherworldly vibe that is pretty breathtaking.





More from their website:
Modern architecture. In may a further andel’s Hotel has been opened in Łódź – Poland’s second largest city. The 4-star design hotel is built in the northern part of the city centre behind the red-brick façade of the Manufaktura, a former weaving mill of 19th-century textile magnate Izrael Poznański. In addition to the façade, the original cast iron gate with clock, originally the main entrance to the factory and today one of the city’s most important landmarks, is being preserved as well.

A meeting place for art & culture. The Manufaktura is one of Poland’s biggest shopping, art and cultural centres. Thanks to the excellent location on the grounds of the Manufaktura, near the city’s historic centre and the Piotrkowska shopping street, andel’s Hotel is the perfect place to stay for guest in town for culture, recreation or business.

Exclusive ambiance. With its red-brick façade and its innovative and creative architecture, the 4-star design hotel promises to be an interesting blend of styles. As with the andel’s Hotels in Prague and Cracow, the modern elements are the work of British architects Jesitco + Whiles. The refined, top-quality features, reduced colours and forms, extensive glass surfaces and exclusive materials create an atmosphere aimed at the demanding, design-oriented guest.

Boxing Clever Named Agency For Tuaca Liqueur

Tuaca is a delicious Italian liqueur that tastes great as both a shot or mixed in a cocktail (may I recommend the Lemon Drop?) and Boxing Clever is most proud in announcing our relationship as agency and client! Tuaca is one of those brands that you can't help but get excited about, as it represents a spirit of fun and adventure and unabashed expression. If you don't believe me, look no further than their biggest marketing exposé the Body Art Ball which is put on annually as a one-night performance in select cities across the U.S.



Boxing Clever has big plans for the brand both on and off premise, plus some really exciting online executions that will be rolled out in 2010. So raise a glass with us for a mutual toast "To you, to me, Tuaca!"

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE BELOW:

St. Louis, MO – November 16, 2009 - Tuaca Liqueur today announced that it has named Boxing Clever its promotional and interactive agency of record for North America. As agency of record for Tuaca, Boxing Clever will provide creative for promotions, events, and mobile and digital marketing.

“Boxing Clever combines excellent creative work with strong digital marketing know-how. We are very excited about the opportunity to work with a cutting-edge agency that produces beautiful work that is engaging, and in tune with our target legal drinking age consumer,” Says Monica Garaitonandia, TUACA® Global Brand Director.

“TUACA is an exciting emerging brand with tremendous versatility,” said Dave Scott, Partner, Boxing Clever. “This new relationship has energized our agency as they are really receptive to new ideas, emerging technology, and breaking the mold on spirits marketing.”

TUACA is a unique Italian spirit made from a combination of premium Italian brandy along with natural citrus and vanilla flavors. It was introduced in the 1950s into the United States and is imported by Brown-Forman Beverages of Louisville, Kentucky.

About Boxing Clever
Boxing Clever specializes in developing innovative communication strategies that are married with the enduring strength of great design. Every brand is unique, requiring specific channels to reach its target. Boxing Clever utilizes the elements that work for each – from traditional means to digital and street-level tactics – to provide people with a visceral, emotive connection that deepens their affinity and doesn’t patronize. The creative team at Boxing Clever understands that efficiency makes all the difference. For more information, go to www.boxing-clever.com.

About Brown-Forman
Brown-Forman is a producer and marketer of fine quality alcohol brands including Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Canadian Mist, Woodford Reserve, Chambord Liqueur, Fetzer, Bonterra and Sonoma-Cuter Wines, and Herradura and el Jimador Tequilas.

Please enjoy Tuaca responsibly.

Photo: Michael Persico

Photo: LaKaye Mbah

Advent Conspiracy and Albert Pujols

Boxing Clever client Advent Conspiracy hosted "Entering the Story" today – an event to help promote the mission of [AC] to St. Louis area pastors, business executives and community leaders. Boxing Clever helped rebrand Advent Conspiracy a year ago and the movement has seen significant growth from 2008 and leading into this holiday season. [AC] seeks to restore what Christmas really means, through relational giving. Whether it's locally or international, becoming part of the movement means thinking twice about thoughtless consumerism and striving more towards thoughtful interaction.

Albert Pujols was on hand to discuss his charity, the Albert Pujols Family Foundation which provides support for children with Down syndrome.

Greg Holder, lead pastor of The Crossing, talked about how [AC] was able to be a major contributor to Living Water International – an organization committed to drilling water wells in countries around the world without clean drinking water.

The event was held in Chesterfield, Missouri and covered by major local and national media including CNN. PR was handled by Boxing Clever's media partner, Mercury Labs.

The Joys and Frustrations of e-Couponing

e-Coupons are a great idea, especially if you want to reach a wide audience without the costs associated with FSI's and mailers. But as T.G.I. Friday's recently found out, no matter how hard you try to pull off a nice, care-free e-couponing campaign, there are going to be some wrinkles and headaches.

Woody, the T.G.I. Friday's "spokesperson" has been encouraging people to become a fan on the TGIF Facebook page. And those that help them reach their goal of half a million, get a FREE Jack Daniel's burger.


I thought it was a nice offer, so I signed up! I registered. I was directed to a page online to print a coupon. I hit "print" and watched a neat little animation that said my coupon was printing.

But it didn't print. And it refused to let me try again.

This scenario is more common than most retailers would like to hear. A Java-based in-browser coupon print utility does indeed help track coupon dispensing AND prevent fraud but when your coupon doesn't print, you're asking for a customer service nightmare.

A lot of people complained and T.G.I. Friday's made good on those complaints. Instead of going high-tech, they went lo-fi by setting up a new campaign using HTML emails with unique codes embedded in the coupon. Much easier for everyone involved. But in the long run, it may have cost a few extra dollars to implement "Plan B".


BELOW: T.G.I. Friday's tries it again. This time, through HTML email:


Which begs the question: are we too worried about preventing coupon fraud? How do you weigh the concerns of coupon fraud vs. customer frustration?

T.G.I. Friday's wrestled with those obstacles using style, wit and humor. My opinion of this franchise is higher than ever before and I applaud the way they treat their customers. Both in or out of the restaurant.

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Give us your poor, your skinny, malnourished models so that we may give them sandwiches

Much hubbub has been made regarding the 'over-thinification' of fashion models lately and Ralph Lauren ratchets it up one more notch. And then, to add fuel to an already stoked fire, Ralph Lauren threatens to sue those that are critical of its photoshop practices.

Here's what happened:

Ralph Lauren runs an ad featuring Filippa Hamilton (who actually has curves in real life). The photo is so grotesquely photoshopped, she looks well beyond heroin chic. Her face looks wider than her hips. A blog called Photoshop Disasters showcases it. Boing Boing covers it. Ralph Lauren slaps both with a DMCA complaint claiming copyright infringement. Photoshop Disasters removes the image but Boing Boing not amused (and certainly not intimidated) responds with guns blazing:

"Copyright law doesn't give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings. You should know better. And every time you threaten to sue us over stuff like this, we will:

a) Reproduce the original criticism, making damned sure that all our readers get a good, long look at it, and;

b) Publish your spurious legal threat along with copious mockery, so that it becomes highly ranked in search engines where other people you threaten can find it and take heart; and

c) Offer nourishing soup and sandwiches to your models."

Could be one of the best "take this threat and shove it" responses I've ever read.

Read more here.

Chambord - Taking decadence to the max

Chambord is a rich, all-natural black raspberry liqueur crafted in Loire Valley Chateau south of Paris, France. In this promotional event, Chambord got just a little bit richer – to help celebrate the opening night of Breakfast At Tiffany's in London, Chambord unveiled a bottle valued at more than $2 million designed by jeweler Donald Edge.

The bottle is adorned with over 1100 round brilliant cut diamonds, dozens of pearls and set in hand wrought eighteen carat yellow gold.

The event was produced by Strider Productions and held at Somerset House during London Fashion Week.

This bottle is currently being evaluated by the Guinness World Records for most expensive bottle.

Decadent? Indeed.