1. We sell hams. Obsessed with driving sales of Sugarberry Hams, copywriter Peggy tosses aside conventional agency thinking and proposes a risky PR stunt that generates little revenue for the agency, but a lot for the client. In this and many other episodes, the people of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce never seem to forget that they are in the business of making their clients’ cash register ring.

We now ply our craft in an age of shiny new technologies, where it’s easy to lose sight of that purpose. And like many agencies, we too have become obsessed with “engagement” in social media. But is that engagement ultimately selling hams? To paraphrase a former colleague, if it’s not, we’re just telling jokes – at the expense of the client.

2. Flip-flops are for the beach. Style has been one of the most tantalizing aspects of Mad Men. The way in which Don and Roger curate their look to sell themselves, establishes them as authorities on what…sells.

We mourn the loss of that attention to appearance. Informality in agencies is becoming a point of pride. At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, we believe if you can wear it to the beach, it has no place in the agency. Attention to style shows respect for your client and for yourself. Don Draper reminds us there’s always something to be said for the man, or woman, with an identifiable style.

3. Saying “no” is (sometimes) better than saying “yes.” Don is never afraid to tell clients exactly what he thinks. Sometimes the clients appreciate his candour. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they get thrown out of his office (as the Jantzen swimsuit people did, to the horror of the account people). For Don, the work comes before the money.

While we certainly don’t advocate Don’s occasionally disrespectful approach, it reminds us that agencies driven by the bottom line become warehouses of sycophants and yes-men, people who sacrifice what they believe in to get paid. Fortunately, there are lots of clients out there who respect an agency that shows conviction in its beliefs.

That said, only agencies who listen to their clients earn the right the to say “no”.

4. We work in theatre. In defense of persuasive and entertaining ads, David Ogilvy said that you can’t bore your customer into buying from you. Draper innately understands this – in some of the best scenes in Mad Men, he holds a room full of clients spellbound with a pitch. And no scene better illustrates Don’s flair for the dramatic than his “Nostalgia” pitch to Kodak, in which he left the client speechless…and some of his own staff in tears.

So why is it that when presenting our own ideas to clients, we forget that we too must entertain in order to make the sale?

5. No man is an agency. As good as you – or your Don Draper – may be, an agency built on the talent of one person is like a stool with a single leg. After all, what if that person turns out to be a shady impostor with a sinister past? Sterling Cooper Draper Price is a case study on how an agency can be eternally fragile when it depends on just one person; cultivating talent across all levels – not just the top – is critical for an agency’s survival as the years turn into decades, and the decades into an exquisitely realized television series.

Photo via AMC.

Our latest spot for Cineplex (directed by Shelley Lewis and produced by Clare Cashman) is the first salvo in a brand campaign to communicate Cineplex’s passion for movies. It shows how movies bring us together through beloved moments. The spot features average people in everyday situations retelling their favourite scenes from memorable movies. Each vignette comes with a subtle visual nod to the actual movie — can you name the movies?

Additional executions of the campaign, including print, digital and social, are coming soon.

Our solution was a movie trivia game application. SCENE Trivia Stars invites fans to compete with friends live to see who’s boss when it comes to movie knowledge. Results can be shared across the user’s social graph to increase awareness and excitement about the game. Players can track their progress and see how they stack up with weekly leader boards, encouraging a fun and competitive atmosphere.  The game has already garnered over 1,200 “likes” and thousands of game plays.

For marketers, social games like SCENE Trivia Stars reward potential customers, with entertaining social experiences. These experiences build community, and as that community becomes stronger, so does the bond with the marketer’s brand.

Imagine if Facebook or Twitter were around in the 1930s. Could a video like this and the ensuing outrage have stopped Hitler?

That may be seem outrageous, but it’s clear to us that social media has great potential for good.

Kony is a madman no doubt, but think about the possibilities when this kind of agit-prop viral lobbying is directed at guys swindling, deceiving or simply pissing off the inhabitants of social networks. Guys who can actually be arrested or, at least, exposed. We’ve seen what happened in Middle East, starting with the Green Revolution in Iran. Technology and social media empowered individuals to spur revolution and terrified governments to incite horrific crackdowns. People began to realize that with social media they have a loud and far-reaching voice.  (It remains to be seen if that voice can actually result in lasting change, but we remain hopeful.)

It’s not just criminals and despots who should be concerned. Corporate ambitions have fallen victim to social media blow back time and time again. Just recently, a McDonald’s radio ad claimed that sampling a new Chicken McSomething was “less risky” than petting a pit bull. Cue the Facebook indignation and YouTube postings enshrining the spot’s failure faster than McDonald’s could get it off the air.

True, social media will also be used to fool, or at least manipulate, the gullible. Anyone hoping to accomplish either would do well to note how Kony 2012 was meticulously crafted to go viral.

As regular people become architects of social media campaigns the likes of which most marketers can only dream, we’re all going to have to get a whole lot more honest, because it will no longer be possible for anyone to hide.

December 2011 marked the beginning of expansion plans for eight Cineplex VIP cinemas between Vancouver and Edmonton. The challenge for Cloud AdAgents was to create excitement and increase brand awareness in the 40+ target by communicating the value and key benefits of Cineplex VIP.

VIP means exclusive. Theatres are 19+ and only open to other VIPs, so children’s knees will never jab the back of your plush, oversized seat. VIP also means service. No more standing in line at the concession counter – VIP brings snacks and, where available, licensed bar service right to the comfort of your seat. (Did we say it’s plush and oversized?)

Cloud AdAgent’s solution compared the VIP experience to other premium events like the symphony, opera and ballet with cheeky copy. Copy like “you can’t get extra butter at the symphony” subtly speaks to Cineplex VIP’s unique balance between refined and accessible entertainment.  A high-end look and feel in the art direction reinforces the message.

The overarching message: Cineplex VIP cinemas deliver an exceptional entertainment experience that’s great value, and great fun.

If you’re like us and live in the big city, it’s not something you enjoy. There’s just not much to say in favour of dirty, slushy streets. And then there’s the never-ending greyness…

So what are Torontonians in search of some authentic winter fun to do?  Escape to cottage country!

Explorers’ Edge (officially known as RTO12 by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport) is the region north of Toronto that includes Algonguin Park, the Almaguin Highlands, Muskoka and Parry Sound.   In just a couple of hours, salt-stained urbanites can be in the middle of a true Canadian winter.  And there’s a lot of winter to be enjoyed in Explorers’ Edge – ice-fishing, dog-sledding, skiing, pond hockey, shoeshoeing, or just curling up in front of a fire in a fancy resort – it’s all there waiting for you.

We were fortunate to be tasked with the job of developing an integrated winter ad campaign for Explorers’ Edge.  Our campaign literally transforms the perception that cottage country is just for summer vacations. With a reverential nod to the iconic mid-20th century advertising and travelogues of the1950s, the campaign includes radio, outdoor (pictured above), newspaper, online and Facebook.

In Explorers’ Edge, winter turns up the fun!

It was a job tailor-made for Worldstorm™. We invited recent grads of animation programs to put on their thinking toques and pitch us ideas that went beyond the usual holiday cliches. We received a stocking-full of great ideas, and the winner was one produced by Joseph McCauley, a recent Sheridan College graduate.

We teamed up with our producer-extraordinaire Clare Cashman and the animation wizards at Axyz to produce this magical and festive animated short.

Happy holidays!

But at Cloud AdAgents, we cast a wide net in the search for breakthrough ideas. We invite up to 10 creative teams or free agents to participate in a single creative brief. We call the process Worldstorm®, as we engage creatives from around the world, with a range of styles and cultural backgrounds.

For some, Worldstorm may be reminiscent (shudder) of “crowd-sourcing.” But there are important differences. First, free agent participation in the process is by invitation only and strictly confidential. From our global database of free agents, we carefully curate who is invited to participate. Selection is based on category experience and a portfolio review, as well as the strength of their prior contributions. Second, everyone who participates in the process is compensated. Third, unless we agree upon a fee to execute an idea, its ownership stays with the free agent.

The Worldstorm process is rigorously managed by the Cloud AdAgents team. Deadlines and rewards are clearly established up front, and creatives are asked to present at least three ideas in a prescribed thumbnail format.  Each idea is presented on a single page, with a simple visual reference (photo, illustration, etc.) and a short written description. And our team vets every idea against the client’s brand and project objectives before it’s presented.

For our clients, Worldstorm means more great ideas, in less time.

Are you a free agent creative, and would like to be part of our Worldstorm process? Join us here.

Are you a client, looking to crack a vexing marketing or advertising problem? Contact us.

That being said, the one item I have been giving a lot of thought to is what your Circles tells Google about you. It’s a key feature of the platform and one that the majority of individuals I’ve talked to rave about. When you add people on G+ you place them into groups that you self-identify. Being able to segment your connections into groups that you name based on your own needs is a great, well, plus of the social network; it helps you t manage who you share with and for what purpose. It also gives Google deep information about you and your social graph.

Which of my connections do I consider “real” friends? Who do I consider influential about business? Which of my connections are also knitting fans? Which ones also like Glee? Who considers me their friend? Is it mutual? Which Circles do I share specific types of content with?

With Google’s algorithms, being able to see not only what I search for, what videos I watch, who I email, what content I post, what content I consume, but also who I connect with, and in what context, gives them powerful insight into who I really am as a person. That kind of information will allow them to target me as a consumer in a much deeper way across all of their properties. I can only imagine how this data will be used in years to come as Google continues to roll-out products and refine their core products.

These are just a few of the fun facts contained in our brief survey social networks in Latin America. Read it here.