I confess: I have better taste than you

No, not YOU! You have great taste! You're reading my blog! Don't be silly.

I'm speaking to those other people, the ones who smell like Old Spice. The ones who can't discriminate between a great story and its shallow, more expensive sequel. Yeah you guys. (No, not YOU dear blog reader. You know who I mean by now, right?).

Yes, I have better taste than you. I like independent, cerebrally thrilling and ironically funny movies. The movies you like will never become cult classics and you don't even know why that sucks. I like design where form follows function and melts your soul with beauty. You think the name of your company is a headline and and that nothing stands out if it's not bolded, in quotes or in a starburst. You don't even know that quotation marks aren't "attention-getters."

It's not just me that has better taste than you, the reader of this blog has better taste than you, too. Lots of people do! Alas, there are more of you than us, which is why mainstream stuff, by definition, isn't very deep. It has to please the masses and go with the flow. For the most part. Thank God, once in a while someone breaks out of that mainstream mold.

For example and more evidence of my fabulous taste, I love the Old Spice campaign starring Isaiah Mustafa. He is stunning to behold and plays the role perfectly. Hilarious concept, great filming, groundbreakingly communicative and social, that campaign actually got me to almost buy some Old Spice for my son. Almost. Until I smelled it. Oh well. Still, I'm a huge fan of the ads now and their sales have gone way up because of people like you, which is cool for them. 

Maybe it had run its course already. Maybe Weiden + Kennedy hadn't thought past the year's brilliant campaign. Maybe people like you were disappointed that they didn't get chicks any easier while wearing Old Spice. 

I don't know the reasoning, but Fabio happened.

I finally clicked the "New Old Spice Guy Fabio" ad tonight because it's stalking me. They've spared no expense with the Facebook ads, apparently. I was hesitant because I'm neutral at best in my opinion of Fabio. He doesn't do it for me but I thought maybe they could really dig into the cheese factor. So I watched some of the commercials. They're like a bad mix of Sprockets and Hans and Fronz skits on Saturday Night Live. Are you kidding me? *Sigh. They sort of, brought the concept of Isaiah's ads along but Fabio can't carry it. He's dropping it left and right. Choppy. Confusing. Cheap. What is happening in this one??:

I wish everyone out there had great taste like me and you (yes, YOU this time!!) – then we wouldn't have to waste our time on sub-par stuff unless being sub-par made it cool.

I confess: If I see one more social media expert advice headline I'm going to ...

A. Unsubscribe from whomever sent it to me.

B. Throw up a little bit in my mouth.

C. Re-tweet it because it seems like good information even though I only skimmed it.

D. Click the link only to realize that I've been "Rick Rolled."

E. Read it despite myself and get distracted from what I was doing, get most of the way through it and feel empty inside because it wasn't worth my time.

F.  Read it and actually learn something, click a link about the writer, like their Facebook page, and never notice their posts in my over-crowded stream ever again.

G. Click the link and WISH I'd been "Rick Rolled" once I see the boring page, get distracted by thinking about how "Rick Rolling" is actually one of the more brilliant viral-marketing-social-media-campaigns out there because it isn't marketing at all.

It's annoying to see so many experts dishing out fast-food advice as if you can follow a formula and *poof* your business will explode like a viral disease with no vaccine. The truth about it all is much more simple than all of the mountains of advice out there make it seem. 

Social media isn't really new. Yes, there's new equipment, new delivery methods, new technology and yes, it offers the potential of getting up close and personal with a few billion people. But the concept is as old as we are. Humans have been practicing social media since before the written word. We've always had a voice (just maybe not as strong as Rick Astley's).

Whether or not your message goes "viral" hinges on good old fashioned principals like communication skills, creativity and hard work. I would go into more details on that, but then this would be a social media advice blog post and I really don't want to read or write another one of those for at least a day or two. 

Another Unexplained Facebook Mystery • 23/365 •

I excitedly went to Stella Artois' Facebook page to watch a behind-the-scenes teaser for the "Crying Jean" commercial that will air during the Super Bowl. It stars Adrien Brody, who I love, and is all smoky-beatnik-jazzy-moody, so I just had to see.

While on the topic of Stella Artois, I wondered about the making of the brew itself, so I went to the "info" tab. Info tabs are much easier to find on business pages than on personal profiles lately. Facebook keeps moving stuff, coming up with new stuff, giving away our personal stuff, and stuff. Sometimes it's a great improvement - other times I just get confused. For some reason, on the info tab, Facebook has created a section to list the url of your ... Facebook page? Yep. WTH? 

Why on earth would anyone need that right there, when they are already on the page itself? I think I just have to get used to not having every mystery solved when it comes to Facebook. Live comfortably in uncertainty, very Zen. Facebook is teaching Zen lessons. Nice.

Internet didn't kill the video star, it made video a star • 17/365 •

Evolution is here. Advertising as we once knew it is dead and we are now at the point where even the old school mad men are hip to the new ways. Two-way conversations are in, one-way ads are out. While print is suffering in this time of change, video is blossoming! Traditional broadcast might be in trouble, but video is king of the world on the internet! 

No longer do you have to try to explain something on a page. You're not limited to type and photographs, illustrations and paper. Print's boundaries are gone, and so are even the boundaries of one-way TV commercials. Need to say more than a brochure or business card can? Website. Need to say even more without having people read for an hour? Video on your website. Need to draw people in? INTERACTIVE video on your website. Fantastic!


Enjoy one of my favorite examples of interactive video advertising:

When did kids start buying auto insurance? • 16/365 •

Did I miss where kids started buying auto insurance plans? Are they whining and asking their parents to go with the "cool" insurance agency? Just how much say do children have in the insurance buying process? None that I know of. Auto insurance is a serious business, pretty boring and mandated by law. I asked my kids which company they preferred once, and I actually got an answer. They had definite opinions. Isn't it remarkable that they even know the names of insurance companies? It's the advertising. It seems to target children and teenagers more than adults. It entertains more than it informs. Personally, I find it impossible to make a buying decision based on the advertising, fun as it is.

Have fun with these commercials from three of the top auto insurance companies. I'm waiting for them to come out with the "auto insurance happy meal deal" where they give a free toy with every purchase, and maybe a lollypop or a sticker just for getting a quote. Just don't make the free toy something distracting to Mom or Dad while they're driving, okay insurance peeps?

Pro white space and proud • 12/365 •

The lighter side of marketing • 4/365 •

After yesterday's emergency blog, I thought I would lighten things up a bit. It was fun coming up with these ... please share yours if you have some good ones!

How many graphic designers does it take to change a lightbulb?

White space signifies a working lightbulb best, so how about just the word "change" in 14 pt Helvetica Light Compressed, just right of center? 

How many social media experts does it take to change a lightbulb?

You can't expect the lightbulb to change just because you're there, you've got to have a conversation with it and develop a relationship. Then change can be allowed to happen organically.

How many Facebook users does it take to change a lightbulb?

That depends if you're talking about a lightbulb on the wall of a "fan" page, a "profile" page, or a "business" page, and you may or may not know it even needs changing, depending on your notification settings and number of friends.

How many creatives does it take to change a lightbulb?

Why does it have to be a lightbulb?

How many artists does it take to change a lightbulb?

Ooh, it's all smokey! Wait, don't change it, that's really cool. Let me photograph/paint/draw it first! 

How many art historians does it take to change a lightbulb?

Eleven: One to change the lightbulb,

five to show earlier versions that influenced it, 

and five to say the changing was actually done by the changers' apprentice.

How many SEO experts does it take to change a lightbulb?

First you have to fix the directions. They aren't labeled, tagged, coded and prioritized properly. A burned-out lightbulb in the dark will never be found otherwise.

How many PR reps does it take to change a lightbulb?

The "Sparkle in the Dark" event will be sponsored by a dozen businesses who donate their time and tools to the effort, and part of the proceeds from recycling the old bulb go to charity.

Mission statements: not just for business any more • 2/365 •

I'm on a mission. I'm saving the world. What's your mission? You don't have to be a corporation to have a mission statement, you have a brand of your very own and it deserves direction. In fact, you ARE your brand. 

We generally associate mission statements with business plans, they act as corporate compasses. My Mac dictionary defines a "mission statement" like this:

mis•sion state•ment  - noun

a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.

Wikipedia says that a mission statement usually contains the following:

• Purpose and aim of the organization
• The organization's primary stakeholders: clients, stockholders, congregation, etc.
• Responsibilities of the organization toward these stakeholders
• Products and services offered

For example, Wal-Mart's mission statement is:  "Our mission is to enhance and integrate our supplier diversity programs into all of our procurement practices and to be an advocate for minority- and women-owned businesses."

Practical, but dry. I say we need to get more personal. I say that everyone should have their own personal mission statement to help guide them through their endeavors. Purpose in life. That might sound spiritual or lofty, but the origin of the term "mission statement" comes from Christian religious groups. Yes, missionaries. I offer this: we are all missionaries. Some of us haven't been given clear direction or we doubt our personal power, but we are each on a mission. If you look deep inside, it's there, you know what it is because it's been nagging at you for your entire life. So own it. Be it. Give yourself a mission statement and let it guide everything you do. It will help in business, too. Consider these successful corporations' mission statements:

Starbucks: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Nike: "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world
* If you have a body, you are an athlete."

Google: Don't be evil.  To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Amazon:  Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

Coca Cola:  To refresh the world... To inspire moments of optimism and happiness... To create value and make a difference.

eBay:  "eBay's mission is to provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade practically anything."

Disney: "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere."

What these have in common is a "higher purpose" that precedes the means of accomplishing it. So for a few moments, don't think about work. Don't think about what you do for a living or what you would like to do for a living. Just think about what your purpose in life is, even if you don't know how to accomplish it yet. Write yourself a mission statement. Then, you can apply it to whatever you do professionally.

My personal mission statement: "Saving the world, one _________ at a time."

My company, Little Black Mask Marketing's mission statement: To save the world by promoting entities and individuals who make a positive impact.

Write it. Live it. Don't judge yourself if you aren't living it 100%, just let it guide your choices. Live with passion. Or, as Joseph Campbell said:

Follow your bliss and doors will open for you where there were no doors before.

WTFacebook Ads [part 2 of the continuing saga]

Okay, it's not really a saga, but it is an advertising travesty.

In [part 1: This blog could lower your interest], I broached this topic and thought in my idealistic way that the random, meaningless, attention-getting gimmicks would phase out in favor of clear and relevant content. I was wrong (big surprise!).

They're not getting much better, in fact they might be getting worse? Not sure if they can. Here are more from my growing collection of Facebook ads that either make no sense, are stealing from a celebrity, or are misleading along the lines of snake oil salespeople of old and modern day tabloids.

Yeah, I repeated the "Scholarships For Moms" because that guy is so NOT A MOM! Does anyone know what all this means? What does it say about society? What does it say about carrot feathers?

('’)

Brilliant Undiscovered Idea (in no particular order) #1

Hold on to your hats, I have decided to go public with many of my brilliant ideas that could someone rich. We all have them, but keep them to ourselves as if one day when we get the time (yeah right) and the money (yeah righter) then we will invent that hydro-car, open that chartreuse organic vodka bar, or solve world hunger with the cunning use of hologram bees, and strike fame and fortune doing it.          

You know how it goes, "Someone should invent such and such, then we would never have to trip over our shoe laces again!" You might have even gone so far as to research your brilliant idea online, thinking up lots of catchy url's that are already taken by some obscure literary group or web squatters, before letting it settle into a folder on your hard drive, waiting patiently for resurrection when the "right time" comes.

Being honest with myself, I'm probably not going to execute most of my brilliant ideas. Many of them, in fact, I don't even want to, I just want someone else to do it so I can take advantage of whatever it is. Oh yeah, and I'd like to brand it, please! So please, Mr. or Ms. Investor/Entrepreneur, I'll be your Creative Director if you get the idea going into a business. The idea is free! Just hire Little Black Mask Marketing to bring out your inner super-hero image!

Without further rambling, here is brilliant, undiscovered idea (in no particular order) #1:

"It's Nacho Restaurant"

I believe the nacho is highly underutilized. We are totally missing the breadth of the nacho's potential by limiting them to the Americanized-Mexican toppings. I propose a restaurant with an international menu comprised entirely of nachos. 

Think of just the nacho chip itself. It can be made from corn, flour, wheat, it could be herbed, cheesed, spiced. Now combine those with an endless selection of toppings. Filet mignon tidbits, julienne roasted veggies, salad, crumbled meatloaf, shredded buffalo chicken or shrimp, spinach and ricotta, roasted garlic and brie, the options are infinite. Breakfast? Eggs Benedict Nacho. Dessert? It's Nacho Tiramisu, Cinnamon nachos drizzled with I don't know what because I'm not a Chef, but I imagine this could go on and on given that the nacho is a sturdy and versatile vehicle you can enjoy with our without flatware.  

It's Nacho Restaurant offers sampling orders (three nachos) up to heaping party plates, and boasts a drink menu with equally endless choices to match with your nacho selections.

Viva la nacho! 

('’)

Seeing the world through advertising-colored glasses

There are some of us on whom the innocent perspective of the mainstream consumer is long lost. When a Chef is out to eat, he won't see or taste food in the same way the average diner does. We in advertising don't see anything commercial through mainstream eyes either. We analyze what goes into things; the design, who paid for it, who might have created it, what font they used, how much money the photography cost, whether the production was in or out of town, and on and on. It might not all be conscious, but that's what we're thinking.

This makes life a little less magical, if a little more interesting, depending on one's point of view. What at first seems like a simple, scenic drive on the Florida Turnpike can turn into a veritable ad buffet. Billboards, trucking companies, vehicle wraps, license plates, toll metrics, road signs, it goes on and on. Opportunities are everywhere for the innovative advertiser to get in front of the unassuming consumer. 

Take the "your logo here" on the Adopt-a-Highway sign. Put your logo on a sign and agree to keep a 2-mile stretch of highway clean. Pick your stretch of Turnpike, even. "I'll take the really busy one by Orlando, please!" Passers-by will associate your company with being environmentally responsible, and more importantly, they will see, read, think your name every time they drive by it. 

It gets better. State Farm Insurance, in partnership with the FL Turnpike (and several U.S. highway authorities) operates a service providing free roadside assistance. Signs are everywhere letting you know. "Wow," a driver might think, "State Farm gives free roadside assistance! They are a caring and responsible company who is involved with our government. How trustworthy and official they must be." It might not be conscious, but that's what they're thinking.

What this really is, is smart advertising. It's sponsorship. According to Wikipedia, the free roadside assistance only covers stranded motorists on participating highways, if they call the designated telephone number (umm, that's not on the sign) and they respond to the following services: fuel refills, radiator refills, engine oil refills. What about flat tires? Engine trouble? Accidents? It probably doesn't matter because no one knows the number to call. State Farm gets a good deal out of this. They get a gagillion impressions per day and their expense is minimal, comparatively.

So next time you're driving or walking around, keep your eye out for the opportunity that isn't already taken. Where can you do some good publicly to raise your visibility, your reputation and your humanity-brownie-points? 

('’)

Your Mom's not judging the 2010 ADDYS

How many of you still have a ribbon you received for a painting, a clay pot or maybe the long jump in elementary school? Or a medal for gymnastics or ballet? How about those bowling and wrestling trophies? Special awards for achievement in college? Plaques and certificates from professional organizations? 

We are an award-crazed culture, and while some of them seem bought or gratuitous, the good ones help keep us in line, help good creative thrive, inspire innovation and yes, make us feel all warm and fuzzy if we win.

We have loved reward, recognition and attention since we were infants, when just a smile from our mother meant ultimate success. It's part of our basic human need for significance, and sometimes I think creatives in the advertising/marketing field (along with those in entertainment) got more than our share of that craving. 

We're all grown up and in the cold, hard, competitive world now and our successes don't happen by virtue of existence and a smile alone. Our mothers were much more liberal with the "good boy/girl" praise than the ADDY judges are, which contributes to the coveted National ADDY ranking within a few steps of the holy grail. Professionally speaking, of course. 

What's so great about the ADDYS?  

First of all, it's hard. If you win a National ADDY Award, that means your work has made it through three rigorous competitions, three different sets of qualified judges from all over the country, with three different sets of competitors at each stage. Local. District. National. Over 60,000 ADDY entries are judged each year for their creative excellence – first in an entrant's local area, then at a larger regional level (in my case it's the 4th District which includes all of Florida and the Caribbean), and finally at the national level where the big dogs run. Win at national, and your compadres are the biggest agencies in the world. "Hello BBDO, DDB and Satchi & Satchi, nice to stand on the same stage with you today!"

Second of all, it's hard. Every year I marvel at the magnitude of it. Imagine if you will, the people-power it takes to run 200 competitions locally before moving up to the larger districts then national. Imagine how many judges are traveling during ADDY season, how many entries are being shipped, opened, displayed, put away, shipped, opened, displayed and put away again. Imagine how many showbooks are being produced, how many winner reels for galas are being made, how many party themes are being dreamed up, and just how grueling it all can be. Now imagine that it is all done by volunteers. Maintaining the highest standard of integrity, fairness and quality takes a lot of knowledge and experience... and passion. Thousands of people enthusiastically spend time away from their families and jobs, pouring their energy into running top-notch competitions across the country.

Third of all, respect. I just took Sally Hogshead's fascination test and "prestige" came up as my top fascination trigger. That means I really value awards (at least those that are really worth having, only the prestigious ones)! If your first thought is that it's about vanity, think again. In life we all are salespeople, we've got to wave our own flag high or no one will see it. Professionally we spend most of our time showing or telling people how great we are so they will give us their trust and money. I can run around all day and night saying that I'm good, but an ADDY says it for me. Let's face it, even a great portfolio isn't always proof enough to a client who doesn't understand the power and reason behind visual communication. An ADDY says "award-winning," and that means respect. 

I stand on both sides of the ADDY competition process. I judged two different competitions in Florida this year, have judged others in the past, have been local ADDY Chair and and district  ADDY Judging Chair, and I enter my work. No matter how much I am involved behind the scenes, I still never know how my work will be judged. The Ocala ADDY Gala is February 18th, wish me luck, I won't know until then how I fared this year!

Good luck to all of you entrants out there, of ADDY and other competitions. Keep reaching high and stepping up your creative, and keep supporting other winners around you. They deserve a smile, some applause, an "atta boy," an award... some validation and respect for their good and hard work.

2010: the year of reinventing. What really matters?

I've watched it warming up for a few years and now it's really starting to bubble. We are in the midst of a profound shift - Corporate America and all of the stress it has caused us is crumbling, or at least evolving. The ceaseless, mindless race for productivity is giving way to make room for a higher mission to come into our work. The state of the economy and all of the lost jobs have been like rocket fuel for this professional reinvention.

People have been hitting bottom financially and professionally, then unbelievably, often finding another even lower bottom, only to realize that broke or not, they are actually happier somewhere inside where the true self lies.

The creative/advertising/marketing industries have changed radically over the past few years and there's more to come. Those who aren't embracing new technologies and philosophies are falling behind. The "market of one" doesn't trust advertising any more. Logos and designs are being sold by stock companies and crowdsourcing grows in popularity. Interactive is now the hub of a media plan, and it's changing daily. Analytics improve but it's harder to track financial results of marketing efforts. There's no formula today that will work tomorrow. We are in the great unknown, unexplored space.

At a time like this, faced again with infinite possibilities we haven't seen since childhood, instead of the predictable rut we've been held to by golden handcuffs, we are searching our souls to find our passion again.

Erik Proulx not only is an example of this himself, but he has illustrated it beautifully in his documentary, "Lemonade" (tagline, "It's not a pink slip. It's a blank page."). He tells the story of people in advertising who after being laid off have made creatively explosive changes, finally doing something that matters to them. Definitely watch this trailer!

Jacki Semerau writes of finding your "why," saying, "Simply making a living isn't what truly makes us live." She has reconnected with her "why" and founded the Strong Single Mom Network, which is poised to shine nationally. Watch for it.

Many people I know are turning to their passion and inner-calling which comes from a higher source. It might be an Account Executive turned inspirational novelist, or a shift in focus in an existing business to bring some "cause" into it. Look around, you'll see examples of it everywhere. What about you? Are you finding new meaning in what you do or are you starting to do something completely new? How are you reinventing yourself in 2010?

Friends don't let friends friend randomly

Imagine this: You walk into a mall. People are everywhere, going about their business alone or in groups, in a hurry or strolling at their own pace. You are wandering along, browsing music and books, lost in your thoughts.

Out of nowhere, you feel a poke in your side. You turn around and some guy is standing there, hand extended in anticipation of a firm shake. "My name is Bob Smith, can we be friends?" he asks matter-of-factly. You stand there, looking at him in silent pause, waiting for him to say something more about himself and why he suddenly wants to be friends with you. You ask yourself, "Have I met this man before? Do we have mutual friends, and if so, what is the nature of those relationships? What made him come up to me and ask such a forward question?"

The silence is awkward. Not seeming to notice your confused trepidation, the man goes on. "Let's be friends! Then I can look at all of your photographs, listen in on your conversations, see how much time you spend online, I'll tell you what I am doing and thinking, we can play games, you can recommend me professionally, you'll trust me with your valuable reputation, and then all my friends can see you and maybe be your friends and poke you all the time, too!"

You don't know what to do. You don't want to be rude, you might know this guy from somewhere. You don't want to admit you have no earthly idea who he is, but you don't want to acquiesce and trust this person with your personal information and connections. Besides, you don't even know if you like this person or if he is of any value to you in any way. What to do, what to do?

It's an uncomfortable yet all-too familiar scenario.

As I write this right now, a friend of mine popped up on IM to ask me if some guy has friended me.  "Cos he seems to be friending almost everyone on my page! I have no idea who he is. It's creepy cos he's just randomly friending my personal connections."

I've got three friend requests sitting in my Facebook notifications right now that I have no idea what to do with, so they just sit there. Who are these people? One is a complete stranger - profile pic is of a baby, not in my network, no friends in common. One is a Realtor office in Ocala, we have 16 friends in common. The other one, well, I really don't know what it is to be honest. It might be a fan page for motorcycle riding in the area, or a magazine maybe, but it has a realtor logo on it and it's a personal page... so I'm confused despite the 14 friends in common.

I don't know who is behind any of these pages and so I will not give them my endorsement, much less my friendship. I could send a note to them asking who they are and how they know me, but then that's putting me out of my way and making me ask the awkward question.

Social networking is SOCIAL. It's not just about clicking around randomly and seeing how high you can get the numbers. It's making and strengthening relationships, being genuine like you would in the "real world" because it IS the real world. It's got to make sense for someone to be your friend, and the more sense it makes, the better (or more useful) of a friend (or potential customer) they will be to you. Have a reason for adding someone to your network and if you're not sure they will know you by your name and face, for the love of Google, please add a quick personal note.

I'm still trying to decide what to do with those requests... should I send a note back asking who they are, or just ignore or decline them like I usually do? Maybe I should have a stock note ready to send, something like... "Hi there, where do I know you from or why would I be interested in connecting with you?" ... but ironically, that might be too impersonal.

Trust me, I'm in advertising

I'm in advertising. I'm a Photoshop whiz. I'm a blogger. I email and I share information. I'm good at social networking. How much do you trust me?

Since consumers have a general malaise (if not downright anger) for big corporations and big government lately - and they are fed up with being fed dodgy-at-best information in ads for years, they no longer take traditional advertisements at face value. We are in the midst of a social and technological renaissance which has shifted the balance of power squarely into your hands. Yes yours. You.

There is no one group of people called "consumers" that the rest of the people are trying to market to or get a vote out of. Everyone is a consumer, everyone is a voter and everyone has the power. Everyone is an individual, it's a market of one. There is no other cell phone exactly like yours - the model, the color, the screen, the ringtones, the apps, the music - it's all your own unique recipe for what you think a phone should be. You can't be classified into some group called "consumers," you are a person and people listen to you. So am I (you're reading my blog right now). So are they. Who are they though?

Who are these people that are blogging and tweeting and talking everywhere, and how much can you trust them? The answer is as simple as walking down the street, going into a grocery or a restaurant or any other public place in your town. You know some people, but you don't know the rest so you make judgments based on what they do, what they wear, their smile, what they are buying, what they are driving and so on. You make judgments based on your experience in life. Your own common-sense. All of this word-of-mouth, viral, conversational, social marketing is no different. It's being put out there by the same people, the same communities, it's a mirror, a window to society.

Don't believe everything you read just because it's in writing. Most emails, websites and blogs are not any more official than some guy standing on the corner with a sign announcing end days. Don't believe everything you see just because you see it. The grass is not that green, the sky isn't that blue, his skin isn't that clear and she isn't that thin.

So how do you know what you can trust? We got a little help this month from the Federal Trade Commission, who brought down some new regulations having to do with testimonial ads, blogging and celebrity endorsements. If someone is being paid to blog about something, they've got to disclose that information. Both advertisers and endorsers (celebs, too!) may be liable for false or unsubstantiated claims. This should help give you, me and everyone else a little more clarity to help make decisions.

Watch out though, you may or not still be being brainwashed... "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, disregard that last thing you just heard, it might not be true." Too late.