Last week the New York Times ran an article entitled "The Body As a Billboard - Your Ad Here."  In short it talked about Air New Zealand's use of "cranial billboards" -- 30 expats or previous New Zealand visitors displaying henna applied ad copy on their shaved sculls for two weeks in exchange for tickets to New Zealand. 

Having spent several years of my life as a media planner trying to dream up the "next never been done idea," and conversely having said on multiple occasions "just because you can, doesn't mean you should," I had to stop and wonder, outrageous PR stunt or brilliant connection idea activated?

At McKinney, we define connection planning as identifying both the brand's best prospects and the most arresting avenues and occasions to engage in mutually beneficial conversation.

How could this work for Air New Zealand?

Well, I bet their best prospects are people who are willing and wanting to go further.  People who want to go beyond their own borders, comfort zone and expectations.  After all, they are going to fly half way around the world.  These are the kind of people who would either henna their head or strike up a conversation with someone who had.   

And from the article it is clear that Air New Zealand figured out that someone willing to henna their head is going to be a darn good advocate.  The kind of person they are going to need to help sell someone on a $1000+ ticket in today's economy.  And I bet they know that if they can engage this target in a one on one conversation about New Zealand the result is likely to be a ticket. 

So, if they do have a connection idea I bet it would read something like "Create Conversations".  And I think that is pretty smart.  And tattoos on heads certainly pay that off.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed when I clicked on their site to see a pretty standard airline experience.  And then found a print ad that could have been for a myriad of places that less than boundary pushing people go.

So maybe it was just a happy PR stunt, as a connection idea would inform the entire experience, but there certainly is a ton of possibility.

Last week I had the pleasure of dining with a couple of our clients that I had not yet met because I was on maternity leave, hanging with Miss Vivi, when we pitched and won their business last year.  It was really nice meal after a long agenda day.   At one point in the evening, four of us, down at one end of the table, found ourselves swaping "I almost wasn't here because..." stories.

The kind of stories that you only share with people who you call friends.  Then, one of the clients shared a quote that she had heard and taken to heart... "Some people value things and use people, others value people and use things."  I've had that in my mind for the past few days as I have watched the markets go down and down. 

It is a great reminder for me that we are lucky to be in a business that values people. 

I planned to write my first entry on the McKinney blog a few weeks back.  But as is so often the case in this business, current clients and new business became front and center and the blog needed to take a trip to the back seat.

A principle at an agency I once worked for used to say: "Advertising is like a grindstone, whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you are made of."  I'd like to think it has been a few weeks of polishing.

But, finally, today I found some time to take a quick breath.  I headed out for a couple hours to pick up my three year old, Charlie from preschool, do a little grocery shopping and have a little lunch.

As Charlie and I filled the cart, I found myself thinking about brands, and the way consumers experience them.  Specifically today, I was reminded by a three year old of some pretty fundamentals:

1) Innovations drive traffic.  And the innovation isn't always digital.  The Kroger has balloons.  The Harris Teeter on 15-501 has "car designed carts" but new Harris Teeter on Guess road has mini carts.  So mini, in fact, that three year olds can push them around, just like mommy.  It isn't any closer, it probably costs a little more, but it is currently our grocery store of choice.  And more in demand than the Starbucks or Target - previous lunch errand hotspots. 

2) Organic can be a pretty short lived goal when you are competing with Superman, especially when you are talking about mac 'n cheese placed at 3 year old eye level.  Annie's organic doesn't stand a chance next to Kraft.  There has to be a huge market for superhero products with healthy cheese sauce.

3) The Green Giant could be the Incredible Hulk. And that resulted in me paying $2.35 vs. $1.87 for yellow corn nibblers.  I wonder if corn sales went up with the release of the movie? 

4) O'Doul's = Tiger woods.  To quote Charlie, "Mommy do we need any of Tiger Woods' beer?".  That is because the PGA logo is on a bottle of O'Doul's and Charlie associates all things golf with Tiger Woods.  Don't worry, he also associates the swoosh with Tiger...

Right now Charlie has no disposable income, but one day he will.  Think he will be a Kraft, O'Doul's, Harris Teeter, Green Giant loyalist?