The Billboard Family

Now here is a modern version of a family working together. The Human Billboard Family is a cute family of four with a baby on the way. They offer a unique and simple business proposition: for the whole family to wear matching custom printed t-shirts, a different sponsored t-shirt each day of the week. They will then create a blog post for their advertising customer and spread the message across the usual social media platforms Facebook, Youtube, Flikr and Twitter.

The Billboard family's website is located here and their Facebook page is here.

Time Magazine even covered them here. However, in the usual Time Magazine fashion, the article author sounds snooty, arrogant and maybe even a little jealous of their potential. It always amazes me (and chaps me a bit) when an intelligent educated individual like a magazine writer condescends enterprising people especially in the era of 9.8% unemployment (more like 17% if you look at the BLS U-6 and the more credible ShadowStats would place it even higher).

Although, I don't know many who would be willing to do this for a living, I'm inspired by the entrepreneurial outside-the-box thinking of this family, and the way they are using social media to offer a package deal for their customers. Good on them.

For a great deal on a fantastic looking shirt, try American Promotions District Threads Pigment Dyed T-shirt. I like the soft feel of these shirts and the pigment dyed colors.

Ogilvy On Advertising

David Ogilvy begins his book Ogilvy On Advertising:

I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form but as a medium of information. When I write and advertisement, I don't want you to tell me that you find it 'creative.' I want you to go out and buy the product. When Aeschines spoke, they said, 'How well he speaks.' But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, 'Let us march against Philip.'

The purpose of advertising is to sell. It can amuse, delight, alert, wow or otherwise entertain a person, but if it isn't designed to sell and if it is not successful at doing so, it is not doing it's job.

I just discovered this book by David Ogilvy, and I'm definitely going to read it. I will publish a more extensive post on it (or more) on the website when I do.

American Promotions has done multiple jobs for Ogilvy and I'm enthusiastic to learn more about this fascinating and legendary adman.