There’s Always Money In The Good Marketing Plan

This week, after a 7 year hiatus, the Bluth family will return. “Arrested Development” will debut 15 new episodes on Netflix on May 26th. For fans of the short-lived, under-appreciated show, this is a very welcome return. To help generate buzz around the new episodes, Netflix, The Hurwitz Company, and Imagine Entertainment could have done nothing but a few good press releases. The show has gathered such a cult following in the age of DVDs and online binge watching. The fan base was already excited. But they wanted to have a grand kick-off. Celebrate the show, welcome back it’s fans, and bring in a new audience at the same time.

April Playlist: Coachella

Here is the April edition of my monthly playlist. The theme for this month is COACHELLA (naturally). Each track on this playlist represents an artist I saw at Coachella. So without further ado….

1. None Shall Pass – Aesop Rock
2. Old Man – James McCartney
3. The House That Heaven Built – Japandroids
4. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
5. Take A Walk – Passion Pit
6. Wide Eyes – Local Natives
7. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. The Funeral – Band of Horses
9. What’s Golden – Jurassic 5
10. Song 2 – Blur
11. Sleep – Allen Stone
12. Blister In The Sun – Violent Femmes
13. So American – Portugal. The Man
14. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
15. Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
16. Natural Blues – Moby
17. No You Girls – Franz Ferdinand
18. Intro – The xx
19. Entertainment – Phoenix
20. Wildest Moments – Jessie Ware
21. Too Close – Alex Clare
22. Retrograde – James Blake
23. Holiday – Vampire Weekend
24. Time (Pink Floyd Remix) – Pretty Lights
25. Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit – Wu Tang Clan
26. Snow (Hey Oh) – Red Hot Chili Peppers

BONUS TRACK : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxRk8qRyt2g

See you next year, Indio!

March Playlist: No Common Time

I’ve decided to create a themed playlist once a month. Just a fun side project. Here is your playlist for March.

March’s theme: Songs that do not have a 4:4 time signature.

1. Money – Pink Floyd
2. Four Sticks – Led Zeppelin
3. Lights – Journey
4. Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
5. Animals – Muse
6. Spaceship – Kanye West
7. Take Me With You When You Go – Jack White
8. Norwegian Wood – The Beatles
9. House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
10. Piano Man – Billy Joel
11. Satellite – Dave Matthews Band
12. Iris – The Goo Goo Dolls
13. Bastard – Ben Folds (This song’s time signature is all over the place, 4:4 included. I’ll let it slide. Love it!)

 

Have ideas for monthly themes? Leave your suggestions below!

Michael Jordan

*I apologize in advance for being yet another Michael Jordan 50th Birthday post.*

I remember exactly where I was when Michael Jordan made his “Last Shot” versus the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals to clinch the championship for the Chicago Bulls. I know exact spot  I was standing in and exactly how I was standing. I remember what I was wearing. I then remember the day he retired (after the 1998 season, his second retirement). I remember seeing the newspaper and being upset. I still have the LA Times from that day saved.

I still have the Sports Illustrated for Kids poster on the back of my door.

Why the hell would an 8 year old Laker/Clipper fan from Los Angeles care about this? Why would he remember all of these exact details 15 years later? Michael. MJ. Air Jordan. 23. That’s why. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, there was no one cooler than Michael in all of sports. It didn’t matter if he was on your favorite team or not. He was your favorite player. We all remember that video games didn’t have “Michael Jordan” on the Bulls roster. We all remember the shoes and commercials. For thousands of kids my age across the country (if not world), one of the first posters they remember hanging on their wall was Michael.

This exact poster was pinned to the wall next to my bed from 1996 until (about) 2003.

I remember when I got my first jersey. The same night I got the poster seen above. It was at the Mulholland Grill in 1996. My parents, sister, and I were meeting my grandfather and his wife for dinner. They had just returned from a trip to Chicago. They said they had a gift for me. I first unrolled the poster. I was ecstatic. MJ leaping. Tongue out. Flames at his feet. It was so cool. Then they handed me a bag. I opened it up to find a red Bulls jersey. #23. Jordan. To be completely honest, I was a bit disappointed at the time that it wasn’t the black jersey with red pinstripes, but who cared?! I had a Michael Jordan jersey and was literally jumping up and down I was so happy. In retrospect, the red jersey was perfect.

I remember the first time I saw Space Jam. My sister and I had just spent the night at my grandparents house in Brentwood, CA. I usually loved staying with my grandparents house, but that day was different. I eagerly waited, looking out the window for my Dad’s car. I knew that when my parents came to pick us up, we would be going to see the new Looney Tunes movie with Michael Jordan in it! They finally arrived, and we drove to the brand new AMC movie theater in Woodland Hills. I guess I was pretty hungry, because instead of the usually popcorn and soda, I opted for a movie theater hot dog (a decision I would regret later that night). But we sat as a family in the theater watching MJ, Bugs, Daffy, and the rest of the gang fight for their freedom versus the MonStars from Moron Mountain. I thought it was the best movie I had ever seen. I don’t know how my sister felt at the time. I had the action figures, the games, the height chart, the bed sheets, the soundtrack, and the poster on my door. (I still love the movie, and got the DVD for my 21st birthday).

Been tracking my height since October 1996. (And we all agree Bugs. We all agree.)

I had a North Carolina #23 jersey. I had a Wizards #23 jersey. I had the shoes. I had the book. I had a rookie card…a BASEBALL rookie card. I still have a pennant hanging in my room at home commemorating the Bulls as 6-time NBA Champions.

I originally thought it was amusing that ESPN and Sports Illustrated were making such a big deal about an athlete’s birthday. But then I really started to think about it. Every generation has that defining athlete that everyone wants to emulate. To think that that player for my generation is the greatest player to ever play professional basketball…that’s something. And for majority of us (myself included) we never saw him play in person. He was a living legend on the court. A mythic figure we all watched whenever we could. Whether you are a basketball fan or not, you all know Michael Jordan. Enough has been said about his impact on the game and his impact on marketing/branding/merchandising. But for the sports fan children of the 90s, his impact is one that helped shape our childhood perception of what athletes should strive to be like. He made a number sacred and made it that only the best could wear it. He took the bar and not only raised it, but placed it out of reach of anyone and everyone. The best athletes are (and always will be) compared to him. It doesn’t matter the sport. The question will always be, “Is he/she the Michael Jordan of ____?”

Happy Birthday MJ. And thank you.

#SBXLVII

First and foremost, congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their victory in Super Bowl XLVII (47). The game proved to be just as exciting as everyone had hoped.

But now let’s get to the real reason we’re here. Over the past few years, the Super Bowl has gotten more and more social media friendly. The addition of hashtags and making ads compatible with apps like Shazam are just two examples of how companies have found ways to continue their advertisement past the 30-60 second mark (and also saving a few million dollars). However, I feel that something happened this year. Social media was much more prevalent, ran successful campaigns, and companies were ready to go at a moments notice.

Here are some examples (my opinion) of the top social media moments of Super Bowl XLVII…

Manti Te’o

This was one of the most inspirational stories of the college football season in 2012. Hell. It was THE most inspirational story. Manti Te’o, playing for a sudden resurgent Notre Dame football team and with the pain of the death of his grandmother and girlfriend within hours of each other. What strong character. How brave.

Uh huh. Yep. Sure. I wrote a post several months ago where I channeled my best Seth Meyers impression. “Really!?” This goes beyond “Really?!” This is “….how….why….what…..REALLY!?”

You say you were on the phone with her every night. Who were you talking to Manti? I (kind of, not really) understand wanting to play the game instead of going to your girlfriends funeral. But even if you don’t go to the actual burial, you’re not going to want to show up at the home of her family shortly there after to be able to grieve appropriately? This woman who you said was your everything and the love of your life, and you never met her in person. Your brother told a reporter in South Bend that he met your girlfriend in person. So….what about that?

I’m sorry. There’s no way that I can believe anything you say right now. Not a chance. Hell. I don’t even know if I should believe that your grandmother is really dead.

I’ve watched your October 2nd ESPN interview multiple times now, and it makes me sick. You are lying through your teeth. You show no emotion. You’re either a robot, never really cared, or she wasn’t real and you knew about it.

Personally, I always thought you were a bit overrated. Michael Clay was putting up similar numbers and wasn’t getting the national attention. But I understood why it was happening. Your team had a great story. You had a great story. The media loves that stuff. The public loves that stuff. Well, the public also loved the story of a man who won 7 Tour de France championships after beating extremely aggressive cancer.

When it comes to athletes and lying, you can take the high road or the road that ends at the edge of a cliff. Andy Pettitte, Mark McGwire, and Alex Rodriguez admitted to their steroid use and were able to move on. Never asked about it again. Story over (until they are up for Hall of Fame consideration). Even Kobe Bryant admitted to his extra-marital affair and went through a very public trial. People have moved on.

Then there are athletes like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. People who continue to lie, although the court of public opinion has spoken loud and clear.

Then there is the final category. The liars. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. Deny deny deny deny deny….admit. The more they denied, the closer to the edge they were pushed. The deeper the hole got. When the truth finally came out, they became branded as a liar, and that never goes away. Tiger is still trying to repair his image. Lance begins his journey tomorrow night the second the interview with Oprah is over.

So, Manti. You are standing at a fork in the road. This news has only been public for a few hours now, but everyone has already done research and determined that you are sitting on a throne of lies. You can continue this charade that you knew nothing (which just logistically doesn’t make any sense), or you can tell the truth and move on to your hopeful career in the NFL. And if/when you do finally admit the truth, I hope that you are stripped of the various awards that you won this year.

The choices are yours and yours alone. But just know that we all think you’re 100% full of shit.

End Of The World Playlist

According to some, scientifically proven by none, the end is here. 12/21/12. The “end” of the Mayan calendar. The end of days. Armageddon. And I can’t think of a better way to spend the apocalypse than by listening to some great music. So here you go. Your “End Of The World Playlist” by Alex.

1. “Save The World” by Swedish House Mafia
2. “Time Is Running Out” by Muse
3. “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones
4. “Straight To Hell” by The Clash
5. “99 Luftballons” by Nena
6. “Waiting On The World To Change” by John Mayer
7. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John
8. “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
9. “Highway To Hell” by AC/DC
10. “The Funeral” by Band of Horses
11. “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden
12. “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning” by Smashing Pumpkins
13. “Goodbye Blue Sky” by Pink Floyd
14. “Death And All Of His Friends” by Coldplay
15. “When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around” by The Police
16. “1999″ by Prince
17. “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
18. “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M.
19. “I Will Survive” by Cake

Enjoy your end of days everyone! Lenny Bruce is not afraid! Save us Bruce Willis!