Cole & Weber

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  • Op-Ed: ‘Super Bowl Sunday’ – Our Invented Ancient Tradition

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    February 03, 2012

    Op-Ed: ‘Super Bowl Sunday’ – Our Invented Ancient Tradition

    As we get ready to watch the Super Bowl and, of course, dissect the ads that go along with it, I’d like to call attention to a subtle form of marketing that is (almost) as old as the big game itself. Because when we gather together on Sunday, beers in hands, remotes at the ready, we will be sitting down to watch...


    Agency Spy
    February 03, 2012
    superbowl max-1.pdf
  • A Seattle State of Mind: Eighty Years of Cole & Weber

    A Seattle State of Mind: Eighty Years of Cole & Weber

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    January 10, 2012
    A Seattle State of Mind: Eighty Years of Cole & Weber

    A Seattle State of Mind: Eighty Years of Cole & Weber

    http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/2012/01/09/a-seattle-state-of-mind-eighty-years-of-cole-weber/

    A Seattle State of Mind: Eighty Years of Cole & Weber

    Brett McKenzie
    Chief Writer, SBN2

    2011 seemed to have been a year of milestones in the advertising industry, at in our neck of the woods. Back in September we at IHAVEANIDEA celebrated our own tenth anniversary, and throughout the year a number of our agency friends also hit the big one-oh: La Comunidad in Miami and Buenos Aires just turned ten, and both John St. in Toronto and MMB in Boston turned ten earlier in the year.

    So when I got a call from Mike Doherty, President of Seattle’s Cole & Weber United — and one of our favourite west coast shops — and he said that they were also celebrating an anniversary of their own, I thought “Cool! Just like us!”

    It turns out it would only be “just like us” if this was the year 2081.

    Yes, Cole & Weber had achieved a milestone that few other agencies had reached: an astounding 80 years in business. DDB? Ogilvy & Mather? Leo Burnett? None of these legends have been around the block as long as that little Pacific Northwest shop, founded as Wilkins & Cole Advertising in 1931 by Mac Wilkins, Arlyn Cole and George Weber.


    I Have an Idea
    January 10, 2012
    I Have an Idea-3.pdf

  • Gamification: A Fad Or The Future

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    December 30, 2011

    Gamification: A Fad Or The Future

    There is lots of evidence that brands see loyalty increases when they invite consumers to participate in an experience. Even Facebook “likes” increase with the smallest gesture of asking people for their opinion in a survey.  People collect experiences and they value the involvement that an experience offers. For that reason “gamification” or the application of game mechanics to other types of experiences is interesting because it increases involvement and it’s been shown to create consumer loyalty. And as we all know, loyalty has real business value. 

    While we’ve seen success applying gaming principles to experiences we’ve built for Millennials, there seems to be an emerging debate as to whether or not gamification is here to stay or if it’s currently at the tail end of what Gartner Research deems a hype cycle.


    Media Post
    December 30, 2011
    Gen Y-1.pdf

  • Then Vs. Now: What Has--And Hasn't--Changed For Marketers

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    December 28, 2011

    Then Vs. Now: What Has--And Hasn't--Changed For Marketers

    CMOs are constantly looking for ways to keep their brands relevant and competitive. New ways of marketing are being invented every day in a variety of spaces, from mobile to social and beyond. What’s more, marketers’ goals have expanded from simply raising brand awareness to facilitating consumer engagement. So what does it take these days for a brand to have longevity? Instead of looking forward, let’s for a change look back and compare a successful campaign from the past with one from the present.

    One of our marquee clients in the ’70s was Boeing. We worked with it for more than 25 years until after the merger with McDonnell Douglas. Contrasting that work with...


    Read more: http://www.cmo.com/branding/then-vs-now-what-has-hasnt-changed-marketers#ixzz1ldJwzrbQ


    CMO.com
    December 28, 2011
    CMO.com-1.pdf
  • With Emerald Theorem, Cole & Weber finds your happy hour

    With Emerald Theorem, Cole & Weber finds your happy hour

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    December 21, 2011
    With Emerald Theorem, Cole & Weber finds your happy hour

    With Emerald Theorem, Cole & Weber finds your happy hour

    Seattle ad agency Cole & Weber has launched Emerald Theorem, a local site that aggregates content from Flickr, Twitter and YouTube to help find concerts, eats and happy hours.

    Emerald Theorem “captures the social media pulse of Seattle,” according to Cole & Weber. The site includes YouTube videos, tweets and other local content about what is going on in the Seattle area. On Wednesday, the site included...

    Read more: http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/12/cole-weber-finds-your-happy-hour.html


    Tech Flash
    December 21, 2011
    Tech Flash-1.pdf

  • Which Form of Ad Speak Would You Kill in 2012?

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    December 14, 2011

    Which Form of Ad Speak Would You Kill in 2012?

    Mike Doherty, president of Cole & Weber United, says he’d like to eliminate all phrases with the word “framework” in them as in “messaging framework and strategic framework. It’s a way of sounding organized and like you know what you are going to deliver when you don’t really know where you are going. My other biggie is that I would like to eliminate acronyms from my life, such as GTM, MLT and CMG.” Using acronyms is lazy, he says, adding, “If people don’t want to take time to say the whole name then they shouldn’t have a long name in the first place. It’s like talking in ‘txt.’”

    Read more: http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/which-form-of-ad-speak-would-you-kill-in-2012_b26975#more-26975


    Agency Spy
    December 14, 2011
    Agency Spy-1.pdf

  • Cole & Weber United, Seattle's First Ad Agency, Celebrates 80 Years

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    November 10, 2011

    Cole & Weber United, Seattle's First Ad Agency, Celebrates 80 Years

    Cole & Weber United, Seattle's First Ad Agency, Celebrates 80 Years
    By: Cole & Weber United via Marketwire News Releases
    Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:50 AM EST
    Northwest Brands Reaped Benefit of Madison Avenue Move Westward

    SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/10/11 -- Cole & Weber United, Seattle's first ad agency, celebrates its 80th Anniversary this month. The agency has played a key role in the growth of the Northwest's most well-known brands both past and present including: Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Weyerhauser, Microsoft, Tree Top, Darigold, Washington's Lottery, Nike, and Westin.

    Originally founded in 1931 by Arlyn Cole, Mac Wilkins, and George Weber as Wilkins & Cole Advertising, the founders had the goal of bringing Madison Avenue to the West Coast. A few years later the name was changed to Cole & Weber as the agency grew and spurred its clients' growth. The agency's reputation and work has caught the eye of the industry both nationally and internationally. Its iconic Goose campaign for Wein Air Alaska (Alaska Airlines) has a place at the National Air and Space Museum, a TV commercial they created for Seattle Art Museum is installed at the MOMA Museum, and the International Olympic Committee has enlisted them to create its global youth campaign, which utilizes social media and specifically, facebook, to engage the next generation of Olympic viewers.

    Mike Doherty, CEO of Cole & Weber said, "We're proud and excited to celebrate our founders, our heritage and the clients that made it all possible on this momentous occasion. While our founders pioneered marketing in the great Northwest, we aim to honor them by pioneering marketing in the ever-changing ad landscape."

    Cole & Weber has evolved beyond traditional advertising to become a full-service creativity company helping clients all over the world build experiences that involve people with their brands.

    "I had the pleasure of working with Cole & Weber for nearly a decade," said Saga Shoffner, an executive at Nike, a former client of Cole & Weber. "In that time, we didn't just create ads together -- we created experiences like Nike Goddess that brought new audiences into the brand and programs like the United Countries of Baseball that ignited a conversation among fans -- igniting a movement around Nike baseball fans that hadn't existed for a while."

    To commemorate the anniversary, Cole & Weber "celebrated creativity" with several events. The agency staged panels featuring well-known industry creative directors who built their careers at Cole & Weber. Panel participants included Jim Elliot, Chief Creative Officer of Y&R, Tedd Baseler, CEO of St. Michelle Wine Estates, Scott Bedbury, CEO of Brandstream Inc, among many others. The agency also hosted a "Brew ha ha" for employees and industry colleagues at Elysian Fields in Pioneer Square.

    Cole & Weber United is a creativity company known for creating innovative campaigns that go beyond traditional advertising to solve business problems. Founded in 1931, the Seattle-based agency has established a reputation for producing insightful, creatively disruptive, award-winning work. Cole & Weber United is a member of WPP's Voluntarily United Group of Creative Agencies, a global network of communications entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit www.cwunited.com.


    PRESS RELEASE
    November 10, 2011
  • Cole & Weber United Wins National Addy Award

    Cole & Weber United Wins National Addy Award

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    June 09, 2011
    Cole & Weber United Wins National Addy Award

    Cole & Weber United Wins National Addy Award

    SEATTLE, WA – Cole & Weber United (CWU) has been informed by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) that they have won Silver at the National ADDY Awards for their Washington’s Lottery TV spot “Now Here.”

    The spot was created by the CWU team of Scott Fero and Jake Baas to launch Powerball in Washington State. “Now Here” was directed and animated by PES (www.eatpes.com) whose other credits include work for Nike, Bacardi and Sprint.

    The ADDY Awards is the world's largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually. The ADDY Awards is unique among other advertising creative competitions in that it is the only competition that includes three levels of judging: local, regional, and national. Winning an ADDY at each level qualifies the work to progress to the next higher level.

    The official announcement will be made by the AAF later this week.

    You can see CWU’s Washington’s Lottery winning spot here.


    June 09, 2011
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  • The Washington Lottery launched "Find Your Way To Play

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    April 20, 2011

    The Washington Lottery launched "Find Your Way To Play

    They do say that a bird pooping on you is good luck...Washington's Lottery launched "Find Your Way To Play," consisting of two TV spots demonstrating unique ways to pick lotto numbers.  Some people choose the birthdays of loved ones, while others park their car in a popular pigeon area, tarp their car with a numbered sheet and select numbers that are pooped on.  That's "Tarp" in a nutshell.


    OUT TO LUNCH
    April 20, 2011
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  • CWU wins "Qually Award" for excellence in qualitative research

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    April 13, 2011

    CWU wins "Qually Award" for excellence in qualitative research

    Ad agency goes “behind the counter” to earn first QRCA Qually Award for excellence in qualitative research
    The Qualitative Research Consultants Association (www.qrca.org) announces the winner of the inaugural QRCA Qually award: “Project See-Store: Getting Behind the Counter.”

    When Seattle-based advertising agency Cole & Weber United wanted to become the go-to marketing partner for companies that sell through convenience stores, it engaged qualitative research consultant and QRCA member Daniel Berkal, Director: Knowledge & Insight at The Palmerston Group, to thoroughly research the convenience store environment.

    Berkal led Cole & Weber through a four-stage research project that included 130 observational store visits, on-the-street consumer interviews, convenience store employee and manager interviews and, arguably the most unique approach, getting behind the counter.

    During the final phase of the research project, Berkal put on a uniform and fulfilled all functions of a convenience store employee. He was able to observe customers shopping, along with gaining a firsthand perspective of customer-clerk interactions.

    The research project provided insights that changed the way Cole & Weber segmented and marketed to target audiences in the convenience store arena. Previously, audiences were divided by demographic; following the research, audiences are segmented based on needs or how they use/shop in convenience stores. This unparalleled approach allowed Cole & Weber to pitch new large accounts and gain credibility as experts in the convenience store marketplace.

    The QRCA Qually Award is a new, annual award that recognizes and promotes excellence in qualitative research. Entries were judged on project design, scope and execution, along with the impact on the client’s business objectives. Submissions were accepted for qualitative research projects with a local, national or multinational scope in any field and judged by a panel of respected research industry veterans.


    April 13, 2011

  • Visualized: jousting on a Segway

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    April 07, 2011

    Visualized: jousting on a Segway

    Remember the olden days? When honor and valor were the only things that mattered, and heavy, metallic armor suits were less of a laughing matter and more of a practical necessity?  Neither do we, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying a good video gaming romp through such settings when we have the time for it.  We don't know that we'd necessarily care to re-enact medieval battle scenes physically, but that's exactly what a witty new marketing campaign for Washington's Lottery has done.


    Engadget
    April 07, 2011
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  • Segways at dawn

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    April 06, 2011

    Segways at dawn

    Two knights solemnly strap on their armor in preparation for a joust in this spot for Washington's Lottery.  As the contest begins, it's revealed they're in a muddy field on Segways with a group of friends watching.


    Creativity
    April 06, 2011
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  • Millennials Share Some Of Parents' Purchasing Behaviors

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    January 07, 2011

    Millennials Share Some Of Parents' Purchasing Behaviors

    As marketers look for new opportunities to grow their businesses among the 70 million or so Millennials, they might want to start by looking at their boomer parents' behaviors.  As we know, Millennials are a group that doesn't reject their parents or their tastes, and they seem to trade purchasing cues back and forth.


    Media Post
    January 07, 2011
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  • The Election Is Challenging Gen Y Values: Impatience Versus Optimism

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    November 05, 2010

    The Election Is Challenging Gen Y Values: Impatience Versus Optimism

    Beginning with the primaries, youth turnout in the 2008 elections was double and even triple what it had been in the past. And yet this year, only 27% of 18-29-year-olds surveyed by Harvard University's Institute of Politics say they will definitely vote in the upcoming midterm elections.  While some pundits have concluded that this group is once again uninterested, I don't agree.


    Media Post
    November 05, 2010
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  • Catching Up with the Shortlists // The Best of us Challenge

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    September 14, 2010

    Catching Up with the Shortlists // The Best of us Challenge

    Seattle-based Cole & Weber United created The Best of Us Challenge to carry on the spirit of the Olympic Games no matter which year it is.  We had an opportunity to chat with John Maxham, Executive Creative Director of Cole & Weber, about this Tomorrow Award-shortlisted entry for the International Olympic Committee.


    Tomorrow
    September 14, 2010
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  • Designing A Millennial-Run Business

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    September 03, 2010

    Designing A Millennial-Run Business

    As the president of a company that is nearly 80 years old and full of young people, I feel the need to continually evolve and change.  So what will lead companies to success in the future?  If you are a Millennial, it's new ideas, integrated organizations, collaboration, innovation and an increased passion for change.


    Media Post
    September 03, 2010
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  • Gen Y Traits Come Honestly

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    August 07, 2010

    Gen Y Traits Come Honestly

    A lot that's written about the psychology of Gen Y members has a negative connotation. Most centers on seeing them as "entitled" employees and consumers–a generation that believes it's entitled to involvement in a brand, entitled to a great job, entitled to be impatient, entitled to tell their parents what to buy and so on.  I was recently speaking at the Shopper Insights conference in Chicago, and I saw an interesting presentation from Kit Yarrow that shed some positive light on the subject.


    Media Post
    August 07, 2010
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  • Nostalgia And Gen Y–Forget About It (They Already Have)

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    July 03, 2010

    Nostalgia And Gen Y–Forget About It (They Already Have)

    It seems to this boomer that you can't turn around without seeing something from your youth being reintroduced into popular culture.  The Old Spice campaign won big at Cannes this year, Google has a Pac-Man game, and the Karate Kid is back, along with Smurfs.

    While my agency has done its share of brand reinventions, it does make me wonder if marketers are just trying to uncover brand equity that's still alive in these old brands–or do they think Gen Yers are more affected by nostalgia than other demographics?


    Media Post
    July 03, 2010
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  • Do You Feel Indie?

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    June 16, 2010

    Do You Feel Indie?

    In a TV commercial that began airing last summer, a grinning old man is seen tinkering with a contraption in his garage, accompanied by comforting guitar strums, raspy vocals, and the pitter-patter of a snare drum and tambourine.  He loads the machine–it's almost looking like a robot as this point–and his dog into his vintage Chevy and drives out to the beach, where we see he's created a device that will throw an infinite number of Frisbees.  The machine never gets tired.  "I dream of being my dog's best friend," goes the voice-over.  "What's your dream?"


    Seattle Weekly
    June 16, 2010
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  • Sit Under the Apple Tree With Me, Juice Brand Asks

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    June 07, 2010

    Sit Under the Apple Tree With Me, Juice Brand Asks

    Want to know a juicy marketing secret? As soft drinks contend with challenges like health concerns and the economy, juices are stepping up their advertising efforts.

    Mott's returned to television last year, for the first time in a decade, and is bringing out this month a new variety, Mott's Medleys.  Welch's has a new campaign, as does Juicy Juice.


    The New York Times
    June 07, 2010
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  • Boomer Brands Take Notice

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    June 04, 2010

    Boomer Brands Take Notice

    Steve Cannon from Mercedes-Benz gave a great presentation at the recent Association of National Advertisers' Brand Innovation conference.  Steve talked about how Mercedes realized it was a boomer brand and all it would take is a cold shoulder from Gen Y to really hurt its business.  It got proactive, and through a market research online community (MROC) created an engaged "Gen-Benz" community to build customer intimacy with Gen Y.


    Media Post
    June 04, 2010
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  • Five trends to help retailers compete on convenience

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    May 20, 2010

    Five trends to help retailers compete on convenience

    Everybody wants convenience. We’re a culture that’s time starved. We demand immediate gratification (thanks, Google). And we'd rather not compromise selection.

    Because of that cultural tidal wave, convenience stores are the most likely format of the future.  Yes–some doth protest because sales slowed due to gas prices.  But look at the facts:


    Retial Customer Experience
    May 20, 2010
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  • Cole & Weber United makes the 2010 GennY Award Finalists!

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    May 13, 2010

    Cole & Weber United makes the 2010 GennY Award Finalists!

    Today we're very excited to announce the four finalists in the running to win the first annual GennY Award!  With the help of our very own Youth Advisory Board members, the Ypulse team read over an amazing selection of youth marketing case studies submitted by organizations, agencies and brands on the innovative techniques they applied to connect and communicate with youth.


    Ypulse
    May 13, 2010
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  • Generation Prototype

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    May 07, 2010

    Generation Prototype

    If you are in the "consumer durables" market, you already know that it's a label that doesn't make much sense to Gen Y. For Gen Yers, the consumer durables equation seems to look like this:

    Product Lifespan = Adopted + Adapted + Left Behind for the Next Version


    Media Post
    May 07, 2010
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  • Washington's Lottery in Music Mix

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    April 27, 2010

    Washington's Lottery in Music Mix

    Washington State residents have a new enticement to buy a Lotto ticket, especially if they're indie rock fans: Starting today, Washington's Lottery will air an ad featuring a brand-new tune from Grizzly Bear.  We here at the Music Mix love the Grizzly Bear almost as much as Jay-Z does, so we're pleased to premiere the spot right here after the jump.


    Entertainment Weekly
    April 27, 2010
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  • Millennials Could be Your Next Growth Opportunity

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    April 03, 2010

    Millennials Could be Your Next Growth Opportunity

    As brands evolve and consumers change, most marketers realize that their most loyal consumers today may not provide the growth they need for tomorrow, and that it's important to continually bring new customers into the fold.  Could Millennials be your next growth opportunity?


    Media Post
    April 03, 2010
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  • Creative Agency Office Interior by Gensler–Cole & Weber Workspace

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    March 29, 2010

    Creative Agency Office Interior by Gensler–Cole & Weber Workspace

    Creative agency Cole & Weber create a unique and earthy working interior space for their new location in Seattle's South Lake Union. Even more than color, the design of this workspace is about texture and materials: concrete, cedar, natural materials, and even delicate and gossamer-white fabrics, each selected and carefully placed to draw out their tactile qualities. The earthy sensibility of these materials evokes a feel of the Northwest that Cole & Wber wanted their new space to convey, but in a subtle, non-literal away.


    Indo arch
    March 29, 2010
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  • John Maxham, new ECD, speaks

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    February 08, 2010

    John Maxham, new ECD, speaks

    OpEd: CBS Made a Bad Decision Running the Focus on the Family Ad

    We asked a number of people a bunch of questions about the Super Bowl.  Here's John Maxham, ECD, Cole & Weber United.


    Agency Spy
    February 08, 2010
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  • ECD Joins Cole & Weber

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    January 11, 2010

    ECD Joins Cole & Weber

    John Maxham, former group cd at DDB, comes aboard

    John Maxham, former group creative director at DDB, has joined Cole & Weber as executive creative director.

    Maxham, 38, begins his new job at the Seattle-based WPP Group agency today and assumes a position that has been vacant since Todd Grant left the agency last July.


    Adweek
    January 11, 2010
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  • Reviving the cult of a once-iconic brand

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    December 21, 2009

    Reviving the cult of a once-iconic brand

    In the 1980s, Colt 45 was legendary. However, over time, Colt 45 was trumped by the proliferation of new brands, beers, liquors and new-age beverages that flooded the market.  Cole & Weber United's opportunity was reinterpreting Colt's rich heritage for a new, multicultural audience - making it a "cool to drink" alternative for younger, influential multicultural males. But, they had to do it on a budget of less than 1 percent of other alcoholic beverage spenders.


    Retial Customer Experience
    December 21, 2009
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  • Nike branding, store positioning drives increased sales

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    December 21, 2009

    Nike branding, store positioning drives increased sales

    Cole & Weber United worked with a host of retailers to uniquely support products across the Nike portfolio. For basketball, they supported the Nike brand value of authenticity in a way that increased sales during the critical basketball season.


    Retial Customer Experience
    December 21, 2009
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  • Cole & Weber Wins Shoot Spot of the Year

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    December 18, 2009

    Cole & Weber Wins Shoot Spot of the Year

    The editors of SHOOT magazine have honored "All Together Now" as the "Top Spot of the Year" for 2009.  There's a dash of sentimentality in SHOOT's choice for the Top Spot of 2009, culled from a field of "Top Spots of the Week" it covered throughout the year.  As it turns out, SHOOT's sentiment coincides with many of its readers who in an online poll voted decisively in favor of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) animated :60 spot, directed by the duo Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions, London, for Cole & Weber United, Seattle.


    Shoot
    December 18, 2009
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  • Engaging Youth is About Creating a Movement

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    December 15, 2009

    Engaging Youth is About Creating a Movement

    Holding the attention of global youth today is more difficult than ever.  A recent study found that 62% of teens are apathetic about marketing and advertising, meaning they aren't anti-brand but you have to work very hard to get them with experiences like Xbox LIVE, Facebook and Guitar Hero, where youth connect and challenge friends and strangers around the world.

    Today there are 1.6 billion people online, 4 billion mobile phones, 250 million Facebook users; and YouTube has over 5 billion video streams each month.  In every case, the key audience participating with these vehicles is youth.  They are a valuable and massive demographic, currently impacting over $600 billion in consumer spending.  At its peak, this generation will exceed the number of baby boomers in the U.S. and globally.


    Talent Zoo
    December 15, 2009
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  • Consumers Have Strong "Connection" to Their C-store

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    November 02, 2009

    Consumers Have Strong "Connection" to Their C-store

    A new qualitative research study identifies four key types of convenience store shoppers based on their need states and purchase triggers, and found consumers have a strong relationship with their convenience store–and that the store plays distinct a role in their lives.

    The new study, released to the industry for the first time by CSNews Online, was conducted by Seattle-based ad agency Cole & Weber United, part of WPP's United Network.  The study takes a deep dive inot the convenience store environment using four distinct information-gathering approaches: ethnographic audits (videography), consumer interviews, employee/manager interviews and researchers working behind the stores' counter.  The study was conducted August 2009 over nine days in three geographically diverse cities: Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa; Henderson, Nev.; and Seattle, Wash.


    Convenience Store News
    November 02, 2009
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  • Olympics, VW and Weezer Snuggie Top Viral Video Chart

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    November 02, 2009

    Olympics, VW and Weezer Snuggie Top Viral Video Chart

    The International Olympic Committee nudged out Volkswagen to capture the top spot this week.  The spots, created by Cole & Weber United, star Olympic athletes throwing down challenges to viewers in decidedly non-Olympic challenges such as hula hoops, speed putting and consecutive cartwheel spinning. Viewers are challenged to submit videos of themselves besting the competition.


    Advertising Age
    November 02, 2009
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  • International Olympic Committee: The Best of Us Challenge

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    October 21, 2009

    International Olympic Committee: The Best of Us Challenge

    Seattle-based agency Cole & Weber United has created a digital campaign for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called "The Best of Us Challenge." Aimed at young people, the global effort is a digital social experience that invites people around the world to challenge top Olympic athletes and their peers using sport and non-sport talents via an online competition.


    Best Ads
    October 21, 2009
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  • Olympic Challenge: Engaging Youth

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    October 15, 2009

    Olympic Challenge: Engaging Youth

    The International Olympic Committee is trying to keep you people around the world from uttering a dismissive "I.O.C.UL8R" with an online campaign that encourages them to interact with champion athletes.

    Youth today have far more interests, and distractions, than in the days when the Summer and Winter Games every four years was eagerly anticipated.  That threatens to damp their desire to participate in future Olympics–not to mention their ardor to watch the Games on television or buy the products sold by Olympic sponsors.


    The New York Times
    October 15, 2009
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  • Olympic Athletes Unite the World

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    September 21, 2009

    Olympic Athletes Unite the World

    Olympic athletes are portrayed as larger-than-life heroes in a brilliant new animated spot for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    Created by Seattle's Cole & Weber United and directed by Fx & Mat, who are represemted by London-base studio Nexus Productions, the :60 spot titled "All Together Now" finds six giant-sized athletes engaged in an epic tug of war, which ends with them pulling the continents together.


    Shoot
    September 21, 2009
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  • Best ads on TV

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    September 21, 2009

    Best ads on TV

    The IOC just launched the second phase of its "The Best of Us" campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship to life and engage youth around the world.


    Best Ads On TV
    September 21, 2009
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  • Creative teams show their Olympic spirit

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    September 20, 2009

    Creative teams show their Olympic spirit

    Here's the first in what will be a two-part campaign communicating the togetherness of the Olympic Games by Nexus dirctors Fx and Mat for the IOC, and agency Cole & Weber United.


    Stash
    September 20, 2009
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  • The Cole & Weber Garden

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    August 27, 2009

    The Cole & Weber Garden

    Seattle agency finds a way to give while growing as a team.

    One agency decided it wanted to do something to build internal relationships while helping others.  With the project under way, Britt Peterson of Cole & Weber United tells us how the agency's core values have taken root.


    Advertising Age
    August 27, 2009
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  • Fx - Mat - Cole & Weber United

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    August 22, 2009

    Fx - Mat - Cole & Weber United

    Nexus Productions' directing duo Fx and Mat put their powers to use for the International Olympic Committee and agency Cole & Weber United in "All Together Now," a beautifully rendered tale of giant Olympians literally pulling the earth's continents together into a neo-Pangea.


    Motionographer
    August 22, 2009
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  • Released August 2009

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    August 21, 2009

    Released August 2009

    The advert titled "All Together Now" was done by the Cole & Weber United advertising agency for Internatiional Olympic Committee in the United States. It was released in August 2009.

    Credits:

    The IOC just launched the second phase "The Best of US" campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship to life and engage youth around the world.


    Advertolog
    August 21, 2009
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  • Nexus get into the Olympic spirit

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    August 20, 2009

    Nexus get into the Olympic spirit

    Working alongside Cole & Weber United, All Together Now, will be the first of the two films directed by Fx & Mat, the socond of which will follow later this year.


    August 20, 2009
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  • Olympic values

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    August 20, 2009

    Olympic values

    "All Together Now" was created to communicate the basic Olympic values of Respect, Excellence and Friendship.  This proved challenging at times because some of these values tend to work against each other, like competition and friendship.  That's where the idea of a gigantic tug of war came about.  It appears these characters are fighting against each other; only later the viewer realizes they are coming together in a unified effort.


    Creative Review
    August 20, 2009
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  • Ads of the World

    read article
    August 20, 2009

    Ads of the World

    The IOC just launched the second phase of its "The Best of US" campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship to life and engage youth around the world.

    For this latest effort, Cole & Weber created an animated TV spot titled "All Together Now."  The spot was directed by the brilliant young French directing duo, Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions. In the spot, six larger-than-life Olympic athletes are depicted literally pulling countries together with rope, symbolizing the world coming together in the spirit of Olympism through the superhuman effort of athletes and fans.


    Ads of the World
    August 20, 2009
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  • Cole & Weber pull together some Olympic spirit

    read article
    August 20, 2009

    Cole & Weber pull together some Olympic spirit

    When most people think of the Olympics, they think of a global athletic event that takes place once every four years (or every two years if you're from a country that follows winter sports).  The Games bring about a positive feeling of unity through sport, and the International Olympic Committtee would like that spirit to thrive every day of every year, not just around the Games themselves.


    I Have An Idea
    August 20, 2009
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  • Cole & Weber United creates global campaign

    read article
    August 20, 2009

    Cole & Weber United creates global campaign

    The IOC just launched the second phase of its "The Best of US" campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship to life and engage youth around the world. For this latest effort, Cole & Weber created an animated TV spot titled "All Together Now."  The spot was directed by the brilliant young French directing duo, Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions. In the spot, six larger-than-life Olympic athletes are depicted literally pulling countries together with rope, symbolizing the world coming together in the spirit of Olympism through the superhuman effort of athletes and fans.


    Screen
    August 20, 2009
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  • IOC pulls it together

    read article
    August 19, 2009

    IOC pulls it together

    Have you noticed how the use of animation is on the rise? Maybe we need escapist dream worlds to soothe us today. Or maybe the technology is just too sweet to turn away from.


    AdPulp
    August 19, 2009
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  • IOC push stresses friendship, unity

    read article
    August 18, 2009

    IOC push stresses friendship, unity

    The International Olympic Committee began running a new youth-targeted campaign from Cole & Weber United in Seattle this week featuring an animated commercial touting themes of friendship and unity.

    The 30-second spot, directed by Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions, shows six larger-than-life athletes in a global tug of war that pulls their countries together at the end to form an image of the globe.  Continuing the messaging that began in a 2007 campaign from sister agency Sra Rushmore/United, Madrid, Spain, the spot, which has no dialogue, ends with "The Best of Us" tagline.


    Adweek
    August 18, 2009
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  • IOC Campaign Unites Athletes

    read article
    August 17, 2009

    IOC Campaign Unites Athletes

    With about six months to go until the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and just under three years to go until the 2012 Summer Games in London, the International Olympic Committee has unveiled an animated TV spot showing athletes from around the world working together to unite the Olympic spirit.


    NY Sports Journalism
    August 17, 2009
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  • No Time for Cutbacks

    read article
    August 17, 2009

    No Time for Cutbacks

    In the winter of 2008, Starbucks saw the early deays of the recession as an opportunity for innovation.  Several weeks previously, the company announced that it would close stores for the first time in its history, and its stock price began to fall.  While in these conditions most brands sink into retrnchment, Starbucks implemented a plan to reinforce its brand identity and take advantage of the looming recession.


    Seattle Business
    August 17, 2009
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  • Initiate the conversation

    read article
    July 21, 2009

    Initiate the conversation

    Every day across the U.S., more than 3.5 billion brand-related word-of-mouth conversations take place, according to the Keller Fay Group, a marketing research consultancy in New Brunswick, NJ.  And 90 percent of them happen offline.  But with the growth of social networks, blogs, consumer review sites, and the like, the number of consumers spreading the word about their experiences with products and services is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years.  If your business fails to come up in convesation, there are a number of effective, low-cost ways to get the chatter started as part of a guerilla marketing strategy.


    Business Management Daily
    July 21, 2009
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  • Scary Ideas

    read article
    July 19, 2009

    Scary Ideas

    The IOC just launched the second phase of its "The Best of US" campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship to life and engage youth around the world. For this latest effort, Cole & Weber created an animated TV spot titled "All Together Now."  The spot was directed by the brilliant young French directing duo, Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions. In the spot, six larger-than-life Olympic athletes are depicted literally pulling countries together with rope, symbolizing the world coming together in the spirit of Olympism through the superhuman effort of athletes and fans.


    Scary Ideas
    July 19, 2009
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  • Cole & Weber's Gardenburger Meals

    read article
    May 15, 2009

    Cole & Weber's Gardenburger Meals

    Seattle ad agency Cole & Weber United's campaign to boost sales for Kellogg's Gardenburger involves one of those reality TV celebs that I have to confess I had never heard of before.

    That would be Alex Eusebio, who was a contestant on the reality show Top Chep last fall.  Eusebio will be joining other chefs in a Gardenburger road show coming to Seattle, Portland and other cities.


    Puget Sound Business Journal
    May 15, 2009
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  • Kellogg's Gardenburger Takes Act on Road

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    May 13, 2009

    Kellogg's Gardenburger Takes Act on Road

    In an effort to win fans over to the veggie burger, Kellogg's Gardenburger has launched "a moblie culinary experience," which it says will turn consumers on to the joys of garden-grown foods.

    The company will take its GardenFresh Cafe to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, and Denver, offering a place for urbanites to sample Gardenburger products and garden-grown produce, using locol chefs and live cooking demos.


    Media Post
    May 13, 2009
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  • Grunge and Games: Pearl Jam's Puzzling Play

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    May 01, 2009

    Grunge and Games: Pearl Jam's Puzzling Play

    Online gaming and grunge. Who would have linked them back in the early 1990s? But they have come together, via pearljamtengame.com. Created by New York's Freedom + Partners for client Sony Music, and designed to promote the reissue of Pearl Jam's 1991 debut Ten, the site challenges visitors to complete a puzzle to unlock and listen to new mixes of tracks off the album. Visitors who unlock all of the songs are rewarded with access to a video telling the story behind the making of Ten.


    OMMA Magazine
    May 01, 2009
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  • IPod Didn't Kill The Radio Star

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    April 21, 2009

    IPod Didn't Kill The Radio Star

    "Nobody listens to radio anymore."

    In the last two months, I've heard this phrase upon recommending radio as part of our client's marketing campaign. Since I hold the belief that there are no bad media, just bad media planning, I think it is worth exploring how radio can play a vital role in today's brand marketing programs.

    Radio's viability as an advertising medium might logically be in question because of the many music channels now available: MP3s, smartphones, satellite, cable music channels, podcasts and Internet radio.

    With all these new channels, it is reasonable to assume that nobody out there is tuning in.

    Yes, Virginia, People Do Listen To Radio

    Let's look at stats as reported by www.RAB.com from Arbitron RADAR 100, March 2009: 93% of all people 12+ tune into radio each week and

    72% listen daily

    95% of adults with $50,000-plus incomes can be reached each week as is also true of college graduates

    Average time spent listening each week is 19 hours

    81% of Americans can be reached in their vehicles every week

    This research demonstrates consumers are still tuning in to hear what's new, spend a few minutes with a favorite personality, find out about their commute, and ... . You fill in the rest because, if you think about it, there are lots of reasons to tune in.

    But for media planners who believe solid media work must go beyond simple delivery numbers and low CPMs, there are even more reasons for keeping radio in integrated plans.


    Media Post
    April 21, 2009
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  • How 5 Brands Scored Free Marketing

    read article
    April 07, 2009

    How 5 Brands Scored Free Marketing

    Looking to focus on a young, hip demographic, Colt 45 (perhaps best known as Billy Dee Williams' preferred malt liquor) used a microsite http://www.workseverytime.com, an underground comic book aesthetic, a painfully honest tagline ("Works every time"), and a partnership with Vice magazine to share stories that revolve around the beverage.


    iMedia Connection
    April 07, 2009
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  • Wanna Be a Winner for Life?

    read article
    April 02, 2009

    Wanna Be a Winner for Life?

    Washington's Lottery recently announced the launch of the Life Series, a collection of four Scratch games featuring prizes awarded over a winner's lifetime.  Comprised of a group of Scratch tickets themed around lifetime prizes, the tickets are called Set For Life, Rich For Life, Lucky For Life and Cash For Life.


    CWU Press
    April 02, 2009
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  • Recession Roundup

    read article
    February 02, 2009

    Recession Roundup

    Sure, times are tough, but history has shown that recessions can lead to innovation and enlightened ways of thinking.  Here, creatives reflect on opportunites to be mined on the tough road ahead, we present some of the most brilliant breakthroughs to come out during financial slumps, and Argentine execs share lessons learned from surviving one of the world's most famous economic meltdowns.


    Creativity
    February 02, 2009
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  • CWU Triumphs At Beverage Dynamic Awards

    read article
    January 26, 2009

    CWU Triumphs At Beverage Dynamic Awards

    SEATTLE — Cole & Weber United emerged a big winner at the Beverage Dynamic Awards 2008. These awards recognize the best advertising, promotion, package and merchandishing materials in the beverage alcohol industy.  Cole & Weber United stands out with wins across multiple categories of Colt 45 and Livingston Cellars campaigns.


    CWU Press
    January 26, 2009
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  • IOC Chooses Cole & Weber to Head Creative and Media Planning

    read article
    December 02, 2008

    IOC Chooses Cole & Weber to Head Creative and Media Planning

    The International Olympic Committee has tapped Seattle-based Cole & Weber United as its global creative and media planning agency–and is first assignment will be a campaign to get young people fired up about the Games.


    Advertising Age
    December 02, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber Featured in Sign Cafe magazine

    read article
    November 01, 2008

    Cole & Weber Featured in Sign Cafe magazine

    Todd Grant was a featured speaker at Admall in Sofia, Bulgaria. This event was Sign Café’s (leading Bulgarian advertising/creative trade magazine) first-ever industry event – bringing together advertising and marketing professionals, from Bulgaria and around the world, to participate in a weeklong conference. Focusing on some of the most pressing issues impacting the industry, executives shared their experiences through workshops, seminars and presentations.


    Sign Cafe Magazine
    November 01, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber Agency Newsletter, October 2008

    read article
    October 30, 2008

    Cole & Weber Agency Newsletter, October 2008

    Hey, all. Happy fall. What a crazy past few weeks, eh? Makes us think creativity is more important than ever–time to do more with less.  Innovate and find new solutions.  Great opportunities ahead, even amid the chaos.

    Regardless, it's been a busy few months here in Seattle.  We wanted to share a quick glance at the latest from our team.  Cheers!


    CWU Press
    October 30, 2008
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  • Todd Grant is a guest critic for Best Ads on TV

    read article
    October 28, 2008

    Todd Grant is a guest critic for Best Ads on TV

    As Executive Creative Director at WPP's Seattle-based Cole & Weber United, Todd is charged with driving the agency's creative turnaround and breathing new life into sleepy brands that need a shot of life.  Todd joined Cole & Weber United in 2006 from Publicis West, where he served as Creative Director.  In his role, Todd worked for an impressive roster of brands including T-Moblie, Washington's Lottery and the Surfrider Foundation.  Todd's Surfrider campaign was recognized at the One Show, Archive and the International Advertising Festival in Cannes.


    Best Ads On TV
    October 28, 2008
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  • Real Ad Men Talk About Mad Men

    read article
    October 17, 2008

    Real Ad Men Talk About Mad Men

    Every week on AMC TV's Mad Men, the men and women at Sterling Cooper create and design retro 1960s ad campaigns, all while obsessively chain smoking, drinking and womanizing.

    Looking for a little fact in the fiction of Mad Men, Wired.com is asking some real-world ad men and women to talk about the show's realism and relevance to the advertising industry today.  This week, we spoke with Mike Doherty, president of Cole & Weber United.


    Wired
    October 17, 2008
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  • CWU named AOR for Washington’s Lottery

    read article
    October 10, 2008

    CWU named AOR for Washington’s Lottery

    OLYMPIA— Seattle-based Cole & Weber United has been named the "successful bidder" for the new advertising and public relations (PR) contract for Washington’s Lottery. Long known for its funny and creative advertising campaigns, the Lottery contract is highly sought among advertising agencies. Cole & Weber United was among more than a dozen advertising agencies which bid on the account. The advertising agency will partner with Edelman to provide public relations duties for the contract. The total Lottery contract is valued at $12 million annually over three years with the possibility of two (2) one-year extensions. The contract covers agency fees and costs such as production, creative development, media planning and buying, etc.


    CWU Press
    October 10, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber Wins Washington's Lottery

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    August 28, 2008

    Cole & Weber Wins Washington's Lottery

    WPP Group's Cole & Weber United has prevailed in the $12 million Washington's Lottery review.

    A client representative confirmed that Cole & Weber was "the apparent successful bidder," and would be awarded the business pending the outcome of the states's final approval process.


    Adweek
    August 28, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber: Create deep dive industry experiences

    read article
    August 05, 2008

    Cole & Weber: Create deep dive industry experiences

    Industry relevance was once a column of client logos. Today, it's a sense of the experience.  Of speaking the language, having apropos theories, demonstraing a targeted approch.

    Cole & Weber brings a great example to life on this microsite showcasing their experience in the wine category. It's peppered with thought leadership.  Has a taste of quality, a note of investment and a nose of confidence.  (Metaphor–and–officially exhausted).


    AdverGirl
    August 05, 2008
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  • Washington Post: Beer Marketers Still Slow to Pour Dollars Online

    read article
    July 16, 2008

    Washington Post: Beer Marketers Still Slow to Pour Dollars Online

    While the story of marketers shifting their ad spend from traditional media to digital media has been fairly constant, not all ad categories have been aggressive in making the switch.  Beyond the hoopla over online marketing by Anheuser-Busch, other beer companies, despite having a younger, male demographic than, say, comsumer packaged goods marketers, have been pretty reluctant to change their methods.


    Washington Post
    July 16, 2008
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  • Beer Marketers Still Slow to Pour Dollars Online

    read article
    July 15, 2008

    Beer Marketers Still Slow to Pour Dollars Online

    While the story of marketers shifting their ad spend from traditional media to digital media has been fairly constant, not all ad categories have been aggressive in making the switch.  Beyond the hoopla over online marketing by Anheuser-Busch, other beer companies, despite having a younger, male demographic than, say, comsumer packaged goods marketers, have been pretty reluctant to change their methods.


    paidContent
    July 15, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber United Wins Gold Effie

    read article
    June 05, 2008

    Cole & Weber United Wins Gold Effie

    The Seattle-based creativity company Cole & Weber United (http://www.cwunited.com), part of WPP’s United Group of Creative Agencies, was awarded a Gold Effie in the Beverages/Alcohol category for their "Jug Simple" campaign for Carlo Rossi Vineyards. The “Jug Simple” executions worked to reimagine the Carlo Rossi brand in the public eye with a fully integrated, consumer-facing advertising, PR, and word-of-mouth campaign that played out on the local and national level. Cole & Weber’s campaign celebrated the iconic Carlo Rossi jug by using it as a building block to create and design a custom furniture line. “We are honored that the Jug Simple campaign was recognized for the results it delivered,” said Mike Doherty, President, Cole & Weber United. “We applaud the Cole & Weber team on this accomplishment and for re-energizing a fantastic brand.” The Carlo Rossi campaign spurred an increase in sales among a younger audience of 21-29-year old wine drinkers, rejuvenated a tired sales force allowing them to maintain shelf space in a crowded category and created well over 12MM unpaid media impressions due to the uniqueness of the campaign. Effie award winners are determined by a pool of judges who score Effie entries based on the following criteria: 70 percent accounting for the Strategic Challenge, Idea and Bringing the Idea to Life and 30 percent accounting for the campaign’s results. The judges’ scores determine which marketing efforts will be awarded a gold, silver or bronze Effie trophy.


    CWU Press
    June 05, 2008
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  • How to Stay Above the Fray During the Down Times

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    June 01, 2008

    How to Stay Above the Fray During the Down Times

    It is quite apparent that many local businesses whose owners do not greet their customers/clients when they first inquire about their services and products may not have more than a notion of who their consumers really are and their shopping patterns, current needs and wants. Today, with myriad choices, consuming has become like a treasure hunt–a constant search through the world’s incredibly vast and ever-changing store of goods and services, with the goal of finding the perfect value and best product offering every time. There are so many products within each merchandise class, and in so many different configurations, and at so many different price points, the consumer looks at the market as a huge flea market filled with amazing gems and surprises. The marketplace is a place where consumers can roam without restraint and always find something of interest, whether it is an unexpected item tucked onto a shelf at the Dress Barn, or a 40 percent mark-down at Williams-Sonoma. Yet, when we have asked clients at media companies to give us a typical snapshot of their customer/client, they rub their chin and, and mostly can only provide an age range, but not their household income, overall profile, simple lifestyle, or in many cases, a selling or closing rate.

    So a short synopsis of what media clients need to know and how media is so much a part of ev- eryone’s life is what this article will entail.


    Retail Insights
    June 01, 2008
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  • Tylenol Should "Feel Better" About New Ad Campaign

    read article
    March 03, 2008

    Tylenol Should "Feel Better" About New Ad Campaign

    Mike Doherty is president of Cole & Weber, a shop he dubbed "a creativity company which designs experiences that have a strong business impact." Recently, his Seattle-based agency helped reinvigorate a number of iconic brands, including Colt 45, Rainier Beer and Carlo Rossi.  Other clients include Nike and Jones Soda.  Under the leadership of this 20-year veteran, Cole & Weber has twice been recognized as a Brandweek Guerrilla Marketer of the Year.  Doeherty oversees client strategy, agency operations and explores new ways to expand the boundaries of traditional advertising.  All of which can give a man a headache every now and again.  Here are his thoughts about pain relief and Tylenol's new camaign for Deutsch, New York.


    Peer Review
    March 03, 2008
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  • Super AdFreak to host live Super Bowl Chat

    read article
    February 01, 2008

    Super AdFreak to host live Super Bowl Chat

    After unleashing a 22-headed blog monster during last year's Super Bowl, this year we'll be trying something a little different on the big day: a live chat.  Beginning around kickoff time, a handful of industry creatives, as well as Barbara Lippert and Eleftheria Parpis of Adweek, will be discussing the Super Bowl advertising as it happens over on our pigskin blog, SuperAdFreak.  Those scheduled to participate include Steve Bassett of the Martine Agency, William Gelner of 180, Todd Grant of Cole & Weber, Eric Hirshberg of Deutsch/LA, Jason Karley of DDB Chicago, Bob Moore of Publicis, Ted Royer of Droga 5, and Rob Schwartz of TBWA\Chiat\Day.  So, please join us on Sunday afternoon at SuperAdFreak.com as our crack team discusses, in real time, the best and worst of the day's commercials.


    Ad Freak
    February 01, 2008
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  • No More Billy Dee & Pool Halls: Cole & Weber Hips Up Colt 45

    read article
    January 31, 2008

    No More Billy Dee & Pool Halls: Cole & Weber Hips Up Colt 45

    Pabst Brewing Co., with a campaign from Seattle boutique Cole & Weber is rebranding the old malt liquor with a hip, urban style campaign. Outdoor, digital and print ads espouse what it calls "The Tales of Colt 45," with graphic-novel-type strips that show young drinkers enjoying alcohol-fueled adventures. And in a bold and brilliant (but controversial move), some of the creative appears to be drawn on brown paper bags, featuring the artwork of Jim Mahfood.


    if it's hip, it's here.
    January 31, 2008
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  • Cartoon-Like Colt 45 Ads Reposition Brand Toward 20-Somethings

    read article
    January 28, 2008

    Cartoon-Like Colt 45 Ads Reposition Brand Toward 20-Somethings

    Colt 45 malt liquor, once seen as an exploitive product that preyed on the urban poor, is now being repositioned as an edgy choice for young hipsters.  A new Pabst Brewing Co. ad campaign uses comic-book-like drawings and video animations to show 20-somethings flaunting their oversized Colt 45 cans in social settings such as rooftop parties and dance clubs.


    Advertising Age
    January 28, 2008
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  • Challenge: Make Malt Liquor Look Good on Paper

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    January 28, 2008

    Challenge: Make Malt Liquor Look Good on Paper

    Talk about a marketing conundrum: Revive Colt 45 malt liquor–once seen as an exploitative product preyed on the urban poor–as an edgy choice for young hipsters.

    But Pabst Brewing Co. is trying to do just that, with a campaign from Seattle boutique Cole & Weber.  The push uses outdoor, digital and print ads to spread what it calls "The Tales of Colt 45," graphic-novel-type strips that show young drinkers enjoying alcohol-fueled adventures. 


    Advertising Age
    January 28, 2008

  • Brand Channel.com Profile: Colt 45 Takes Aim

    read article
    January 28, 2008

    Brand Channel.com Profile: Colt 45 Takes Aim

    It's Super Bowl time, which for many people means one thing: beer.  Though the beer industry is the US has seen a seismic shift in competition and consumer tastes in the last twenty years, Colt 45 has remained a steadfast brand of malt liguor as microbrews and foreign imports have crowded the marketplace with all types of specialty brews.  As beer became more sophisticated and snootier, Colt 45 became increasingly viewed as a throwback beer and a symbol of simpler times and unrefined tastes.


    BrandChannel.com
    January 28, 2008
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  • "Tales of Colt 45" Featured on beer.com

    read article
    January 25, 2008

    "Tales of Colt 45" Featured on beer.com

    There’s nothing wrong with cheap beer because it means that you can afford to buy more of it. While some may argue that they'd take quality over quantity, most of the wallet friendly beers out there don't sacrifice much in the way of quality.  Different occasions call for different beers anyways, and when you're ready to party hard there's nothing wrong with grabbing something like Colt 45.  Its' one of those beers that you can pound and it's those beers that usually help nights reach legendary status.


    Beer.com
    January 25, 2008
    Colt45_beer.com_news_cwu.com_012408-1.pdf

  • Anderson at Cole & Weber

    read article
    January 09, 2008

    Anderson at Cole & Weber

    WPP Group's Cole & Weber United has appointed Pete Anderson director of integrated production. Anderson will oversee print, broadcast, nontraditional and digital media efforts. He came to the Seattle shop from Publicis in the West, where he was vp, director of production services, during its transition from a traditional print to integrated studio. Before that, he was at Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson, also in Seattle.


    Adweek
    January 09, 2008
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  • A Humorous Toast to Superfluous Integration

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    January 01, 2008

    A Humorous Toast to Superfluous Integration

    I am lucky enough to still be on the holiday mailing list for my long lost friends on the left coast–Cole and Weber United.  This year, their greeting was so good that I feel moved to share.  Instead of sending a boring paper card, they sent an intrgrated media map for spreading CWU holiday cheer through every buzzy vehicle of the year–including YouTube, flash mobs, gaming product placement, street teams and a Times Square execution.  My favorite inclusion here is the new mandatory marketing element–the Facebook strategy.  That will make this piece carbon datable to 2007 in years to come.


    Marketing Environmentalism
    January 01, 2008
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  • Cole & Weber United Named Capella U's Agency of Record

    read article
    June 24, 2007

    Cole & Weber United Named Capella U's Agency of Record

    Online institution Capella University recently named Cole & Weber United their agency of record.

    The Seattle–base agency will manage all Capella's advertising and direct marketing work that was previously handled by multiple agencies.  The university, which offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in 89 areas of study, has already veen a client of Cole & Weber's Performance Marketing Group.  It will also use the agence's SMARTLead, which allows client-agency teams to monitor and analyze campaign effectiveness and optimize programs through real-time, online reporting.


    Advertising Age
    June 24, 2007
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  • Nike Fans Flames of Team Loyalties

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    April 12, 2007

    Nike Fans Flames of Team Loyalties

    A Major League Baseball-themed in-store, print and poster push by Nike from Cole & Weber imagines the United States as a country demarcated by rabid fan loyalties.

    While the reimagined U.S. retains familiar state lines, certain liberties are taken.  For example, Florida is home to a surplus of Marlins fans, while the Devil Rays–which also play in Florida but are far less popular–occupy a small patch of land.


    Adweek
    April 12, 2007
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  • Cole & Weber United tapped to handle marketing for Pabst brands

    read article
    August 16, 2006

    Cole & Weber United tapped to handle marketing for Pabst brands

    Cole & Weber United announced today that it has been chosen as agency of record for Pabst Brewing Company’s multicultural brands, beginning with Colt 45. The Seattle agency was awarded the work after creating a successful integrated campaign entitled “Remember Rainier” for the company’s Rainier brand that included a 1⁄2-hour television program and a short film.


    CWU Press
    August 16, 2006
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  • Capella University hires Cole & Weber United as Integrated AOR

    read article
    June 12, 2006

    Capella University hires Cole & Weber United as Integrated AOR

    Seattle, Wash. – Cole & Weber United announced it has been named agency of record for Capella University after a four-month review process. Capella, an accredited online university, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in 89 areas of study.

    Cole & Weber United will be responsible for all Capella’s advertising and direct marketing work that was previously handled by multiple agencies.

    “This win furthers our case for integration,” said Mike Doherty, president of Cole & Weber United. “We are very good at developing strategic ideas that can be leveraged across media to achieve a client’s business goals. In this case, we will be further building a differentiated Capella brand while addressing the university’s lead generation, enrollment, and retention goals.”


    CWU Press
    June 12, 2006
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  • Cole & Weber United hires Todd Grant as new ECD

    read article
    May 16, 2006

    Cole & Weber United hires Todd Grant as new ECD

    Cole & Weber United announced today that Todd Grant has been named executive creative director and partner. Grant, who was former creative director at Publicis of the West, will fill the position left vacant by Guy Seese in March. “This is an important hire for us as our agency continues to evolve to meet the needs of our clients and an ever–changing media landscape,” Cole & Weber United co-president Brad Harrington said. “Todd has an amazing body of work and a great creative reputation but more importantly, he is interested in taking his creative acumen into new and more unconventional mediums which is something this agency has been focused on for quite some time.” After attending Art Center College of Design, Todd spent 2 years at the NY office of ChiatDay where he worked on Reebok and New York Life. He then headed to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, where he was awarded the Marget Larsen award for Art Direction in 1997. At Goodby Silverstein & Partners he began working on Anheuser-Busch where he and his partner created Louie & Frank, The Budweiser Lizards. Over the next couple of years, six of the Lizard spots placed in the USAToday’s Superbowl Top Ten Poll. The campaign was also named USAToday’s most popular television campaign for over two years. The New York Times and ESPN polls also weighed in and pegged the commercials as the most popular Super Bowl spots ever. Todd has also produced notable work for HP and was responsible for the campaign that launched the “invent” tagline worldwide. At ChiatDay/ SF Todd primarily worked on the Adidas account and most recently, at Publicis of the West, he was responsible for T-Mobile, HP and the Washington State Lottery. Todd has received recognition from every major award show, both nationally and internationally.


    CWU Press
    May 16, 2006
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  • Cole & Weber United promotes Elliott to Creative Director, Partner

    read article
    March 31, 2006

    Cole & Weber United promotes Elliott to Creative Director, Partner

    Cole & Weber United announced today that Jim Elliott has been named creative director and partner. Elliott, who was formerly associate creative director, got his start at Cole & Weber as a copywriter in 1998. “This promotion recognizes Jim as a driving force behind Cole & Weber’s world-class creative reputation,” Cole & Weber United co-president Mike Doherty said. “He’s been involved with most of our highly effective, award-winning work over the past eight years, and we know his leadership will help carry on that tradition of producing innovative, creative work.” In addition to producing internationally recognized print and television campaigns for brands such as Nike, ACLU, Venge Wines, the Science Fiction Museum and Woodland Park Zoo, Elliott’s work on the fully integrated, “brand environment” marketing initiative for Rainier Beer earned the agency a Gold Clio in the first-ever “hybrid” category, as well as Best-in-Show Gold at the National Andy Awards, a Gold at the Art Director’s Club of New York, the Grand Prize at AICP’s Battle of the Brands, Brandweek Magazine’s “Guerrilla Marketer of the Year” and two Yahoo! Big Idea Chair Awards.


    CWU Press
    March 31, 2006
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  • Cole & Weber Red Cell Becomes Cole & Weber United

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    October 12, 2005

    Cole & Weber Red Cell Becomes Cole & Weber United

    Our new name is Cole & Weber United... and no, we aren’t starting a professional soccer team or an airline takeover attempt... at least not yet! Our name is changing because our network is changing. There are nine of us Red Cell offices that are breaking off to create a new WPP global network that is a better expression of what Red Cell originally envisioned. Andy Berlin, the new Chairman of the United network, has hand-picked nine of the top agencies in the Red Cell Network that share common goals: an unrelenting drive toward excellence in creativity and strategy, and a maniacal focus on innovation in marketing.


    CWU Press
    October 12, 2005
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  • Performance Marketing Group Forges New Territory

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    September 10, 2005

    Performance Marketing Group Forges New Territory

    Cole & Weber United has many fields of expertise, one of which is direct response online advertising–or as we like to call it, performance marketing. Our new Performance Marketing Group (PMG) finds customers through innovative creative work, tactical account planning, strategic media placement, data analysis and proprietary in-house technology. Being that we’re in a creative industry, we’ve even invented a new way of billing. The PMG is the purest form of agency accountability. We operate strictly through cost-per-lead or cost-per-acquisition models; therefore, our compensation is directly tied to our clients’ success—we get paid only if you get results. Luckily for us we specialize in lead generation through online advertising, utilizing media such as Web banners, search engines, rich media, email, affiliate marketing, incentive placements, sweepstakes and content sponsorships.


    CWU Press
    September 10, 2005
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  • Planner Adam Smith Wins National Award

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    September 01, 2005

    Planner Adam Smith Wins National Award

    “Not only is he a handsome young lad and the proud father of an 8-month-old boy, but according to this year’s national U.S. Account Planning Group competition for “outstanding planners with less than three years' experience,” Adam Smith is officially the “Pick of the Litter,” an honor bestowed upon him at the AAAA’s annual Account Planning Conference in Chicago this August for his strategic marketing insights and direction that helped make the grand opening of Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame a cosmic success. In the summer of 2004, the first-ever museum dedicated to the science fiction genre opened its doors to an enthusiastic Seattle public, eager to explore the mysteries of the unknown within its walls. A few months prior, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) approached Cole & Weber United to help launch the museum.


    CWU Press
    September 01, 2005
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  • Cole & Weber United Asks Seattle To Remember

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    June 10, 2005

    Cole & Weber United Asks Seattle To Remember

    It seems like just yesterday, but it was more than three years ago when we hired a bright young executive creative director named Guy Seese. A devout lover of beer, one of Guy’s first objectives was to land a beer account. Just a short time later it was so, and Rainier Beer flowed plentifully through the halls of Cole & Weber United. Next we were tasked with doing something that had never been done–a campaign that would be considered anything but typical. Today, as the award season is coming to a close, we are proud to say Cole & Weber United is being recognized for doing just that. Our campaign for nearly forgotten Northwest icon Rainier Beer didn’t just reinvigorate the brand; it started a movement. It all began with the invention of two local Rainier aficionados, Tim and Chuck, who discover a box of classic Rainier commercials.


    CWU Press
    June 10, 2005
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