This is a case study on single men in the Southpoint Barnes & Noble on Tuesday nights.
 
I'm about to go on a vacation, and last night, I visited my local B&N to purchase some books for the trip.  As I'm walking up & down the fiction aisles, I passed a few people here and there.  But then I started to realize that I'm passing a lot of men.   And they're single or at least appear to be.  And well, they're cute.  I chuckle to myself because I find it funny that on a Tuesday night, Barnes & Noble is apparently a hot spot.  Who knew?
 
But, because I'm in advertising and because I'm human, it also made me wonder: are people here on a stormy Tuesday night to look for books or to see if they can meet someone?  Does that man really like Pablo Neruda and Nietzsche or is he hoping to look impressive to a potential new mate?  Is the woman sitting in the tiny, impersonal café really there to read or is she checking out who walks in the door?

I'm sure it's all of the above in varying degrees, but I did come to two conclusions:
1.      If you're single and want to meet someone who likes books, visit Barnes & Noble on a Tuesday night (preferably when it's raining)

2.      If you're trying to reach late 20/early 30-somethings, advertise in Barnes & Noble on Tuesday nights

*Special thanks to CPA, JP, & CB for their input & discussion about this lovely topic.  Photo credit to JP.

Before I became a copywriter, I worked as a social worker, less than a mile from where the agency is now. Part of my job involved walking two blocks over to the Urban Ministries of Durham and talking with people hanging around outside, getting to know them and trying to convince them to come in for mental-health evaluations.

Sometimes they would agree to come in. More often they wouldn't. Sometimes it took people a while to open up, but once they realized I really wanted to know, the stories would come pouring out. I talked to a family of five who were all living in a tiny car. I talked to guys who had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, then dropped off in front of the shelter as soon as they were stabilized. I talked to women went without eating so their children would have clothes that didn't mark them as poor. I talked to people who had tried crack once and discovered that once was all it took.

More than anything else, the people I spoke to told me about feeling invisible, about feeling like the world didn't have space for them anymore. So, when we had the chance to develop a campaign for the Urban Ministries of Durham, that's where we started.

Substitute "poetry" with "advertising", and "words" with "ideas" in the poem below by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Poetry as Insurgent Art

I am signaling you through the flames.

The North Pole is not where it used to be.

Manifest Destiny is no longer manifest.

Civilization self-destructs.

Nemesis is knocking at the door.

What are poets for, in such an age?
What is the use of poetry?

The state of the world calls out for poetry to save it.

If you would be a poet, create works capable of answering the challenge of apocalyptic times, even if this meaning sounds apocalyptic.

You are Whitman, you are Poe, you are Mark Twain, you are Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay, you are Neruda and Mayakovsky and Pasolini, you are an American or a non-American, you can conquer the conquerors with words....

Let's talk about it here. Facebook has opened a can of worms. Remember when they tried to slip us a Mickey and use all of our content however they want even if we close our accounts? Yea, they took it back. I forgot that for a bit so that I wouldn't stay angry at them.

But then, Trevor sent this out. He explained "In summary brand pages will no longer be treated as static destinations as they are now.  Instead a brand page will be very similar to standard Facebook profile- giving brands the ability to become ‘publishers’ of information and messages in the same way that other users do today." So, Facebook will be giving brands more power, but how will they wield it? We're in the business of advertising and Facebook has given us an opportunity. But I also can't help but think, is this a sign of the apocalypse? My opinion is that most brands will not use this new power smartly, but will alienate the users and cause mass hysteria. And then a new social network will take its place. On the other hand, we could start collecting free things by annoying our friends. Get a free Stuffed Crust Pizza by tagging 50 of your friends in an Ad Note. 

I mean, we already have "facebook gifts" where you purchase an IMAGE for a dollar and give the IMAGE to a friend as if it is the real thing. I thought that was plenty. 

But for reals, it's time to really look at how to use this new "power" in a smart, non-annoying way that can really open new doors. Will brands be further personified? I mean, if you can carry on a conversation with Wendy from the actual Wendy's, could you learn that the most popular dishes are fries dipped in chocolate frosty? 

So, what do you think?