If you attended the 2009 Hatling & Flint Circus party, you may have heard the horrible news that Barbie was launched from the cannon and got trapped in a tree.

Original footage has been lost. This is not the actual Barbie.

Despite our efforts, she could not be rescued. We tried and tried with no avail — we had to count our losses. We watched autumn turn into winter, winter to spring, and now, spring to summer.

She has been through turbulent wind, pelting rain, bitter cold temps, freezing blizzards, blinding snow and scorching heat. She survived plagues of bugs, threats from squirrels and cuttings from territorial birds.

We’re still not sure how she got out of the tree. With thoughts of another winter on the horizon, she may have been a jumper. The birds may have grown tired of her purple tutu and big smile. Maybe the tree grew tired of her constantly perfect posture. Either way, she was back on solid ground. Once on the ground, she had the ants and a riding lawn mower to contend with. Luckily, Bill saw a purple ballet costume and stopped the mower just in the nick of time. We don’t know the events of that Thursday in July, but we do know that she landed on the padded lawn with that expression and pose that only Barbie could hold.

An excited Barbie. Once on the ground, she had a hard time leaving her tree.

Through all of this, she hasn’t lost that sparkle in her eyes or that big, genuine smile. Her clothes may be a little tattered and sun bleached, but by golly, her hair is still perfectly coiffed.

When work excites and inspires you, it’s play. SimmonsFlint shared some playfulness on May 20 at our annual client party. Our theme this year: baseball. We became The Sparks, the newest baseball team in Grand Forks.

Nice lineup, eh? (Notice our catcher?)

The evening included a batting cage, live music, a client Hall of Fame and traditional baseball fare – chili dogs, popcorn, nachos with cheese and beer (but, unlike a baseball game, it wasn’t flat). Best of all – we got to play outside of work and share a great evening in celebration of our clients.

Manager Susan Mickelson keeps her eye on the ball (as usual).

Clearly, we work passionately and play seriously. We play with messaging and strategy, traditional and social media, words and design.
Play is proven to work.
Some insights from Leo Babauta at ZenHabits.com:
When work feels like play, we can accomplish so much more:
+ Unleash creativity for higher productivity levels
Creativity is essential. And not just in the world of marketing, but in any career. The ability to think differently can solve myriad issues in the workplace. Play encourages us to open our minds to new ideas.
+ Revitalize the mind and spirit to regain focus
Does sitting at a desk all day long ever get to you? Running away for two minutes to get an icy cold beverage can do wonders for our mental clarity. So can play. Shutting off the computer (and your mobile) and playing at night gets us recharged and revved for a brand new day. Tomorrow, bring it.
+ Eliminate stress and worry for a fresh outlook
Of course there’s stress in any job. Finding a playful way to relieve built-up stress is not only healthy; it’s fun. Doing something that takes little thought can help you recharge and solve problems.
+ Attract and keep talented employees
Talented employees are not only drawn to fun companies; they stick around longer. Companies who not only work together, but play together, make cohesive teams.
Long ago, Plato said: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” He had a point.
+ Sweep out mental cobwebs and sharpen our thinking
Suffering from jumbled thoughts, hazy memories and anything-but-eloquent speech? Feel like you’ve drunk more than your share of work? Take time to relax and rejuvenate. Your brain will thank you by working smoother and clearer.
+ Discover what brings the most joy
In other words, play helps you find your passion.

The main reason we do the work we do is because we’re passionate about it.
We realize how important all of these things – peak creativity, focus, problem solving, mental clarity and passion – add up.

You’re always welcome to play in our world. It’s bound to be a good time.

That was a point in a discussion that I had yesterday with Roger Reierson, Flint Group CEO and fearless leader. He had handed me an article printed in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that he had kept entitled “In praise of older relationships” by business columnist Simon Houpt. Houpt’s article was in reaction to the news that Chevrolet had dropped Detroit-based Campbell-Ewald as its ad agency after a 90-year relationship. Frankly, long term relationships of that magnitude are rare in our industry, but at the Flint Group we feel blessed that we have bucked those industry averages. Many clients have been with us for more than a decade and several go back to our beginnings in the 1940s.

Houpt interviewed multiple clients and agencies for his article. Like several agency heads he talked to, we’ve lost clients that focused on the next hot agency (he called them the shiny new object) or because we didn’t give them “what they want” without questioning the positioning, the strategy or the impact on the brand. But inevitably their new relationships seem to fail as well.

The article and our discussions internally focus on the same truth, that the best creative work – and the best results – come out of deep, earned trust between an agency and the client. That kind of partnership is about working together, day in and day out. Much like a marriage. Don’t you agree?

Understanding why you do what you do is essential food for great ideas. I thought I’d share it once again, just in case you missed it the link in the last post. Watch the video, and share whatever thoughts you have in the comments.

Have you ever wondered what “thinking outside of the box” means and comes from? You have?! Wonderful. Well, it means to think differently about something, an unconventional way of thinking both smart and creative. We imagine boundaries around everything and that causes us to stay within the parameters. What if there were no limits? For us, that is how we look at each client. No boundaries and no limits. Thinking outside of the box actually started as a puzzle in Sam Loyd’s Cyclopedia of Puzzles in 1914. The phrase was coined much later with much debate as to who started it.

Why does it have to be a box? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a box, but Loyd designed it that way originally. You could make the box anything. It could be your coffee mug, your cubical, your hat. Of course, you wouldn’t put dots all over your mug and try to connect them and the puzzle would not really work, but the main thing to remember is to push your limits and go beyond the parameters. Here is the puzzle from the Cyclopedia of Puzzles, well, not the actual puzzle, but a replica designed by yours truly.

The box.

Try to connect all of the dots with 4 or less straight, connecting lines.

Did you figure it out? If so, we may just need you on our team. If you couldn’t figure it out, that’s ok, just push yourself to the limits…or unlimits.

It stings a little to hear that, but the sooner we embrace it, the quicker we can relate to people.

Don’t get me wrong. Your features and benefits are awesome. I know they are. But your audience is really smart, a little self-centered, and ignores much of what marketers say.

Steven and the bullet points

There’s a big difference in how we get to know people and how we get to know our brands. To communicate effectively, you have to close the gap a little through storytelling. Let’s explore this difference with a guy I know, Steven. Below are some of the mundane details of his life. Notice how quickly a personality starts to unfold:

• He is 32 and single
• He is looking for a promotion
• He was crushed by the Vikings’ NFC championship loss
• This weekend, he will crack his friends up at a karaoke bar by singing Billy Squier

After learning a few things about Steven, you can start to make a judgment about him, and discern whether he’s your kind of person or not. Now let’s take a look at some typical bullet points for a product:

• It’s easy to use
• It uses the latest technology
• It costs less than the competition

photo by Mykl Roventine: Out & About on Flickr

You get the idea. Based on those bullet points, which of the preceding stories do you want to follow? Steven or the product? If you asked me, I’d go with Steven.

People have an infinite number of things going on that make them different, interesting and likable. Products, however, usually look and sound much like the closest competitor—with one or two points of distinction. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Maybe Steven doesn’t know that your product would make one hell of a prop in his story. We can do that by taking what we’ve learned about him, the culture, the world and your brand, and relating to him.

Maybe if we gave Steven some interesting details of our own, we’d draw him in long enough to realize that your product will save him time and money. Maybe then, he could work up the nerve to ask for that promotion, which would help him afford season tickets for the Vikes next year, or a couple of nights out with friends and Billy Squier.

A great creative team uses creative ideas (sometimes far-out ideas) to tell those stories about your brand—because people like Steven are busy, unconsciously thinking where am I in all of this? Their attention is shifting to their own little story: lunch, the dog, and fantasy football.

Good creative isn’t “fluff” or a devious agency scheme to win awards. A strong concept allows your audience to dream. It helps them relate to your brand and fit it into their life’s narrative. It primes their brain for rewards they seek.

Creativity, and a good story, can tell Steven that you’re his kind of people. It’s powerful stuff if you care to use it.

Phil Hunt is a Flint Group copywriter, and thinks that Steven and the Bullet Points would make a good band name.

The short story about Kevin’s dog is this: Ham, the bulldog, took off on Christmas Eve and was lost for 11 days in Duluth. It was an 11-day stretch that was one of the coldest on record. He miraculously showed up on a good Samaritan’s porch, who had heard all about Ham on the news, and returned him to his owner.

In my role as the sales and promotions coordinator for UMD Athletics, I am always looking for ways to promote the athletic department and help the community. Well folks, this was one of those opportunities. There was intense media buzz, locally, nationally and worldwide, about this dog that had survived. Since Ham happened to be a bulldog, I knew this was an opportunity to do a promotion with the UMD Bulldogs.

I called Kevin, who lives in the Twin Cities (he was visiting family in Duluth for Christmas), and asked if he’d be interested in Ham being the honorary mascot for an upcoming men’s hockey game. He immediately said “Yes.” Kevin appreciated all the support and attention the Duluth area had given his dog and thought this would be a great way to say “thanks.” Wanting him to be properly outfitted, I called Duluth-based dogbooties.com and asked if they’d be willing to make Ham a jersey. Again, a resounding “Yes.”

The stage was set and Ham and his owner made their way to Duluth despite some snowy weather on Saturday, January 23. After both hockey teams were introduced, it was time for Ham to shine. He was introduced to the crowd and as he walked out to drop the ceremonial puck the crowd went wild! From the frozen ditches of Duluth to center ice at a men’s hockey game, Ham had truly been on an incredible journey.

Ham’s honorary Bulldog status garnered more attention for the team, got the fans engaged, and gave Kevin a chance to thank the community.

I encourage you to look for ways that your business can capitalize on public relations opportunities. If you already have, we’d love to hear your story.

2010 Gold Awards and Judges Choice Award

HatlingFlint recently won eight ADDY® Awards at the American Advertising Federation of Central Minnesota awards ceremony held on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010. The ADDY Awards recognize creativity in numerous forms.

Pediatric Home Service’s Thrive Campaign received a gold award and also won the Judge’s Choice Award. The Thrive Campaign consisted of videos, a direct mail piece, ads and a microsite. The agency also received a gold award for Illustrations from the HatlingFlint Circus posters.

PHS Thrive Campaign and HatlingFlint Circus Illustrations

Silver award recipients were the Blattner Energy website, Glenn Metalcraft photos, the HatlingFlint Circus posters, a video of Tyler’s Success Story for Pediatric Home Service, and St. Cloud State University’s MBA Engaged Marketing campaign.

The award-winning pieces will advance to the district competition in Minneapolis on March 19-20.