It’s been a strange election year, to say the least.  The conventions are looming, and between July and November I expect that we’ll consume more political advertising, punditry and news than is healthy for any person.  

But for two weeks in August, we can turn down the noise of the election and immerse ourselves in the Olympics. Continue Reading

While watching Super Bowl 2015, we saw the first-ever ad for fresh produce. Avocados from Mexico ran a 60-second spot to tout their year-round availability, and encourage the purchase of more avocados.

My family is a fan of avocados, and my young daughters are already skilled at making guacamole. However, in all my times purchasing them, I have never noticed what brand I was buying. I think fruit and vegetable brands go largely unnoticed at the grocery store. We grab apples, potatoes and peppers from a bin, and bag them ourselves.
(more…)

Music. It plays an important role in almost all our lives. The opening chords of a song can hurl us back in time and just as easily propel forward entire generations.

Music is able to do this because it connects directly to the emotional part of your brain. When you listen to a song, it evokes an emotion and becomes encoded in your memory. So whether you’re running at the gym or hanging out with your best friends, music connects you to those experiences and people. Some of these can be extremely profound and others are just feel-good. This is the reason why artists like Beyonce, Michael Jackson, and Taylor Swift have been able to sway the hearts, minds (and dollars) of countless fans.  (more…)

A local healthcare system recently revamped its brand. My commute takes me by one of its billboards every day, and I honestly can’t stop thinking about its new tagline. Why can’t I stop thinking about it?

Because without any context clues, it doesn’t make sense, at least grammatically. (more…)