Obsessed with Conformity

The Right Words

The next time someone says 'we need to take this offline because it needs more than 140' - remember that nothing is too complex to communicate if you use the right word(s). 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Health Insurance Executives Deserve Their American Dream

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

A Great Day...to Stand.

This was a :30 spot we created for the Obama campaign in the summer of 2008. In light of our historic accomplishment, I thought it might be nice to re-post it. Graphic Animation by the hugely talented Jake Matthew.

Know Thy Enemy: A Lesson in Mass Mobilization

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." - from The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, 6th century BC.

Lately there's been a lot of chatter about PE Obama's choice of conservative evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the religious invocation at his January 20 presidential inauguration ceremony. The controversy surrounds each man's stance on gay rights - particularly marriage. Only, this post is neither about gay marriage nor obese people paying more for airfare - even though I'm pro both. Rather, this is a post about political warfare.

A few years ago when Obama was cutting his teeth in Chicago, you didn't know about him. Yet on January 20, he'll become our 44th President. How? Simply stated, he's smart. A lot smarter than you might think he is. Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a Harvard law professor and a mentor of Mr. Obama, said, “He can enter your space and organize your thoughts without necessarily revealing his own concerns and conflicts.” The last part of that statement is particularly important since Obama has clearly understands that when you're trying to get people to agree with you about something, it's important to keep the focus on them. In selecting Warren to deliver the invocation, not only did Obama 'reach across' lines to appeal to those who didn't vote for him - he is reaching out to a person (Warren) who maintains an impressive constituency. A person with big influence - over people who don't necessarily like Obama and his policies. But, Obama knows that in order for him to help lift this country out of the rut we're in - it will take more than words or money. It will take mass mobilization. Imagine if a year or two from now, Warren's sermons shift slightly - toward the center. Not because he had an epiphany, but because of the relationship he has with the president. No, Warren is not Obama's enemy, but the core concept in Tzu's work is exactly the kind of thing a smart person takes to heart. All it takes is a slight shift to get people to come together on issues. The closer people from both sides are to the center - the better chance to advance change that positively affects the whole.

So you can scream all you want about Warren, but before you say your guy is doing you wrong - stop for a second and consider that he's a lot smarter than you. Trust. Believe. And watch as both sides begin inching closer to the center over the next four years.

Know thy enemy. Then make them your ally.

Jim Mitchem is a copywriter, father, husband, American and founder of smashcommunications, llc.

VP Debate - What if Joe Biden could have said what he was thinking?

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

NYT: Bring on the Puppy and the Rookie

A Great Read.

Congratulations President Obama

Congratulations America - we got it right. Thank you.

Go Rocco Bama!

Tomorrow we will vote for a lot of things. Chief among them, the direction of this country for (at least) the near future. While many of us are busy with matters of consequence that consume our thoughts - like paying bills, buying groceries, keeping a job, raising children, managing health care and planning for retirement (or perhaps just planning on how to pay next month's mortgage) - please take a moment to think about what you're about to do. Say a prayer. Close your eyes for a  second. Take a deep breath - do something to clear your mind. And then let the truth seep up from within and guide you to making the most important decision of your lifetime. 

Whomever you vote for - just remember that more than you and your matters of consequence, that the ones who will be most influenced by your decision are the beautiful young Americans with all the potential in the world. It's their future - we're just using what's left of ours. 

Jim Mitchem is a copywriter, father, husband, American, founder of smashcommunications, llc.

Right to Bear Arms - Not Guns

People use guns to kill animals and other people. That's it. When our forefathers said we (Americans) have the 'right to bear arms,' do you think they meant we should be able to go into a pawn shop in any city and buy an automatic weapon? No. Think about 'bear arms' for a second - don't you think that really means 'we have the right to defend ourselves?' Of course it does - that's absolutely American. We don't take shit from anyone. We don't turn the other cheek. We fight. And that's cool. But somehow we've twisted our right to defend ourselves to now mean that all of us should have guns in our homes and if anyone says we can't - they're un-American.

The late Ronnie Van Zant, a country-boy from North Florida, was right when he said we should dump all of our guns "to the bottom of the sea'' (Saturday Night Special.) We'd still have the 'right' to bear arms - but instead of pulling a trigger, we'd actually have to bear our arms and fight when necessary. Imagine how many less bank robberies there would be. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications  You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

I Got Mine.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  - The American Declaration of Independence

This spring we took a family vacation to Disney World. We spent a day at Typhoon Lagoon. At this amazing water park, there's a 3' deep lazy river that winds around the perimeter of the heart of the park. Most people use the river to casually float along on big yellow inner tubes to enjoy the landscape, music, water and people. There are several entry-points into the river where people wait patiently for other floaters to hand off their inner tubes as they get out of the river. This particular day, there was this guy – a hulking 20-something man - who spotted an empty inner tube floating by. He then decided to push people out of the way, jump into the river, grab the tube and hold it up above his head while yelling back to his constituency “I Got Mine!”  Indeed he did. Of course he got his at the expense of everyone else standing there waiting patiently for a tube. But this one man decided it was better for him to enforce his will upon the rest of us and push people out of the way to ensure that ‘He Got His.’ The 30-second wait for a tube was out of the question to him. He wanted His. And he wanted it now. And he got it. He was quite proud. Meanwhile, one of the older ladies who he nearly pushed down the steps while he got his, was attempting to find her sea legs while a few others helped her into a tube.

This one statement – I Got Mine – resonated with me for months. And the more the US presidential election heated up over the summer, the more I realized that this self-serving ideology is exactly what I’m voting against in this election. Over the past 8 years, we’ve been conditioned to accept people like the guy at Typhoon Lagoon who ‘Got His.’ The Bush administration, and indeed the Republican Party in general with what appears to be a steadfast belief that somehow the Bush/McCain direction for America is the right one, outwardly promotes "I Got Mine.’ As they see it, yes, this is a free country. You're free to pursue your dreams and must be willing to sacrifice yourself to being assertive at any cost. The bigger your muscles, the louder your voice, the more willing you are to step on people to get what you want – that’s their American way. I Got Mine. How else do you explain the greed and corruption of big businesses in every corner of this country the past 8 years?

And this self-serving ideology is exactly what motivates me to vote for a change in America. Not just to help the poor and under-served, but because in MY America, we care about each other. We look out for those who are weaker. We don’t step on the backs of others to promote our self interests. This United compassion is what used to make America a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the globe. We fought tyranny and dictatorships as a way to promote freedom and prosperity for all. We recognized that all people are created equal – old, young, black, white, rich, poor – it didn’t matter.  What mattered was that we all have a birthright as humans to freely pursue happiness in life.

Over the past 8 years, much of this universal compassion has been buried by an administration that promotes the pursuit of happiness IF you enforce your will upon others who may be in your way. I Got Mine.

While checking out at the vet yesterday, I overheard a counter clerk say to another counter clerk that – “If you’re going to vote for Obama, and he wins, don’t complain when you’re taxes go up.”  Sure, if Obama wins, about 5% of the population in America (those who make more than a quarter million dollars a year) will see their taxes increase by about 3% as a way to help other Americans who are less fortunate and who don’t have health insurance, or a house to live in, or a shot at college, or a job, or even food to eat. Is that spreading wealth? Yes. Is it necessary? Yes. If we don’t help people who have fallen too far to pursue happiness, we fail as a nation. And while even though these clerks more than likely don’t qualify for a tax increase, at least one of them truly believed in her heart that its American to grab everything you can and protect what you have at any cost. It's scary to know so many people really feel this way. What happened to America? What happened to compassion? Where’s the Unity?

Unfortunately, it’s floating along in a yellow inner tube at Typhoon Lagoon. I Got Mine.

It’s time for change. For the better. If we vote Republican next week, I hope these same people who vote for McCain don’t bitch about the forthcoming revolution.

We are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. If you don't like that we care about each other - move to The Congo where selfishness is the rule of law. God bless America. God bless the humble. God bless people who care about other people.

Jim Mitchem is a copywriter, father, husband, American and founder of smashcommunications, llc.

All that Money.

My wife, a staunch Democrat, mentioned tonight how much Obama is spending in his campaign. "Do you know how much he spends every day?" she asked.

"I don't know, 10 million?" I said.

"4 million dollars." she answered.

"Advertising's expensive."

"But think of all those people who could use the money." she added. "It's a little hypocritical to be 'for the middle class' when you're spending millions of dollars every day on advertising."

"But that's the Bush model. Obama just outspent what Bush spent" I said, referring to the record Obama just broke in media spending. "How else do you explain how he got elected, and then re-elected? He owned the media. But instead of getting money from big companies, Obama is getting his from -"

"From us," she interjected. "And do you know how much he earned last month?" She didn't wait for a reply, "150 million. One-Hun-dred-and-fif-ty-million Jim!"

"But it's from us. We're the special interest this time around. Not big oil, or the NRA or whoever else backed Bush." I said. "Do you want him to suspend his campaign today and say he's giving all of his money to the poor and middle class? It won't help much at all in the scope of things. And - he'll likely not get elected, if Bush's media policy has any truth to it."

"Yeah, well it's still a lot of money that could be used in other ways." She was frustrated. She wants to like Obama, and even shook his hand a few weeks ago at a rally in Charlotte. But she's surrounded by the Right all day at work - and I think they're getting to her.Her armor is cracking a little. She says she agrees with a lot of what McCain supports. And it's not like he's a really bad guy, I mean, he's a hero and a great American. But I can't bring myself to vote for another Republican - and I sincerely believe Obama has the wisdom and decision making skills necessary to run the country, and the communication skills to help change how we interact with one another both here at home, and with people and nations all over the globe.

But 4 bills a day is a lot. "What about the leftover?" I asked my wife who had now worked herself into some stress thinking about the whole thing.

"What leftover?" she said.

"Ok, let's say he has 200 million banked. Do you think he's going to try to spend all of it? Even if he has a huge lead? Even if it's just wasted media buying? If so, that would not be good. Not good for people like you who see tons of money being thrown away on advertising, to normal people everywhere who donated to his campaign. What about if they tried to salvage some of it? What if they said, We will end our successful campaign with a healthy surplus. But instead of trying to return a portion of it to the millions who invested in their country by donating to our campaign, we're setting up 100 4-year scholarships per year for 10 years so these students get a full-ride.'"

"Now that would be something," she replied - a little less stressed about it. "It would prove Obama can walk the talk."

Now let's ask the Obama camp about how they intend to manage any surplus? 

Jim Mitchem is a copywriter, father, husband, American and founder of smashcommunications, llc.

Come on...Maverick?

After about the fifth time Governor Palin used the term Maverick to describe her running mate during the VP debate last night, I was pulling my hair out. The McCain-Palin folks have obviously decided to brand their campaign with one word - Maverick. Now, I know McCain has done some really good things in his career both in service to our country, and in the Senate, but a word like Maverick is usually reserved for younger men. Not guys in their 70's. But their research has determined that the word Maverick is the best term to spearhead their campaign. Only a Maverick would have a millionaire wife and several houses. Only a Maverick would shock the world by naming a running mate as beautiful as Palin. Only a Maverick would actually call himself a Maverick (which he does, quite often). But suppose their research indicated that, I don't know...disgruntled Hillary supporters would vote for him based on how well-endowed he is.  Do you think his people would say that branding him a Maverick was still applicable? 

When Palin says "McCain is a Maverick." Or when McCain himself says, "I'm a Maverick" (which he does, quite often) - they're using the noun version of the word. According to Merriam Webster the noun version of the word is defined as, "an unbranded, range animal." Which is fine for a 20-year old man running free in the world - but McCain?

Unfortunately, every time anyone uses Maverick to describe McCain, I have this terribly disturbing image of him standing in my bedroom wearing a thick, white terry-cloth robe and black socks with garters (which he does, quite often).

Jim Mitchem is a copywriter, father, husband, American and founder of smashcommunications, llc.