Walt Jaschek. Big Idea Guy.

Let’s channel Winona Ryder, because, let’s face it, she still has it. Read my guest post for the American Marketing Association on empathy for the prospect in marketing. Especially prospects like Winona.

…for Parkside Financial Bank & Trust, Clayton, Missouri. To its credit, this industry-leading bank now uses the “path” metaphor in all its messaging, and its URL is even http://ParksidePath.com. Here are a few images from the website, demonstrating how a rich, expressive tagline can be carried out. And on.

Need a tagline with this kind of messaging power? Call me. 314-479-1966. Need a great bank? Take the Parkside Path.

 Two outdoor boards for the SSM Joint Replacement Center. Agency: Dovetail. Designer: Paul Maring. Writers: Paul and me. Everything I believe about advertising is communicated in these boards: (1.) People connect with brands via their hearts, not their heads. (2.) There’s nothing that can’t be made interesting. (3.) For a medium processed at 60 miles an hour, you gotta keep it simple.

 Artist Bill Lux listened as I described my idea for a new superhero who was “ridiculously upbeat about everything,” to counter the barrage of dour, downbeat superheroes battling out there. After a few sketches, he came up with this great, introductory shot, which says it all. We opened a store at UpbeatMan.com, put Upbeat Man on Funny or Die for your comedic judgement, and we’re plotting more upbeat content to come. Meanwhile, Upbeat Man has this advice for you: “YOU’RE too big to fail!”

“Let loose the large” was the theme of my presentation on thinking big in copywriting, unleashed to UMSL media and advertising students 4/13/12. Meaning: make a large list of large ideas; pick the largest one; use your large powers to make it a large reality; and be the largest version of yourself you can imagine.

The students seemed to enjoy this combination of tips and pieces from my portfolio. The questions, smart; the connections, invigorating. After, I got this nice certificate from UMSL’s Dr. Kristy Tucciarone, central energy of the school’s advertising program. (Was the “awesome advertising” certificate for me, or my Beatles t-shirt? Either way, thanks, Dr. T!) 

P.S. Reporter Myra Lopez from UMSL’s marketing department was there, and posted a fun article/photo in UMSL Daily. Read the article and comments: “Award-winning copywriter lets loose the large.”

….for Nurse Response, the national, 24-hour nurse hotline provider, a division of Centene Corporation. The line has been embraced by the company as the central theme of its marketing communication, including the brand-new Nurse Response website.

As many of you know, I typically advocate against the three-adjective tagline, ala “Integrity. Dedication. Experience.” But this is actually one phrase, made dramatic with punctuation to communicate each of the three beats. See it in use.

“All over Miami, they’re shaving their heads! Like Jon-Luc Picard, the bold, bald head of Star Trek: the Next Generation!” This is one spot in a multi-media “Shaving My Head” campaign I wrote for WCIX-TV, Miami. It ran all over South Florida in the 1990s; those of you there might remember it.  This spot has quite a few views on YouTube, and is generating some funny comments there. Producer: Paul Fey. Agency: Paul & Walt Worldwide.

“Best TV Campaign” in the 2011 Awards from the Missouri Association for Healthcare Marketing went to Dovetail’s series for SSM. I wrote two of the three spots in the campaign, including this one, “See the Future,” about advancements in breast cancer detection.

Creative Director: Paul Maring. Producer: Tom Barry, SSM. Director: Mike Sneeden. Production: Arbor Group.

I also wrote another spot in the award-winning campaign, “Nine New Knees.”

A funny radio commercial promoting the syndicated run of “Matlock” starring Andy Griffith. It won a Clio Award for “Best Radio Copywriting.”

Radio Commercial Script: “Missings Persons” for Matlock

SFX: Telephone ring, followed by phone pick-up

TOUGH-TALKING COP: Missing Persons.

GOOFY GUY (phone filtered:) Missing Persons?

COP: Missing Persons.

GOOFY GUY: My wife is missing.

COP: Your wife is missing?

GOOFY GUY: My wife is missing.

COP: When did you last see her, sir?

GOOFY GUY: Four o’clock.

COP: Four o’clock?

GOOFY GUY: Four o’clock.

COP: Uh, where’s your TV, sir?

GOOFY GUY: The bedroom.

COP: Have you checked IN the bedroom, sir?

GOOFY GUY: No.

COP: She’s probably watching “Matlock!”

GOOFY GUY: “Matlock” is on at four o’clock?

STERN COP: Every weekday at four on Channel Two. Go check your bedroom, sir. I’ll wait.

GOOFY GUY: Okay.

[LONG SOUND FX STRETCH: Goofy guys puts down the phone. He walks down a hallway. He opens the bedroom door. We hear a few seconds of Matlock (“Your honor, I…”) The goofy guy closes the bedroom door. He walks back down the hallway. He picks up the phone.]

GOOFY GUY: Hello?

COP: I’m here.

GOOFY GUY: She’s watching “Matlock!”

COP: I thought so.

GOOFY GUY: I didn’t know “Matlock” was on at four o’clock.

COP: Every weekday at four on Channel Two.

GOOFY GUY: She really likes Andy Griffith!

COP: Of course she does.

GOOFY GUY: She was so busy watching “Matlock” that she forgot to tell me where she was!

COP: Tell her I understand.

GOOFY GUY: Okay.

SFX: The goofy guy puts down phone, walks down hallway again.

COP: Wait! I didn’t mean now! Sir? Sir?

SFX: Goofy guy opens bedroom door. Matlock is still playing.

GOOFY GUY: Hey! My favorite episode!

ANNOUNCER: “Matlock.” Weekdays at four on Channel Two. Because there’s nothing like a good mystery!

COP: I’m hanging up now sir. Sir?

Writer: Walt Jaschek | Producer: Paul Fey | © Paul & Walt Worldwide

“Have a Grain Day!” That’s the new tagline I wrote for Hodgson Mill, makers of delicious, whole grain cereals, baking mixes and pastas, available in a grocery store near you and in the Hodgson Mill store.

The line serves as the name of the new Hodgson Mill blog, where you can get tasty recipes, and read what “Have a Grain Day” means.

It also unites a new marketing campaign, including banner ads on prominent food and baking sites, and special promotions for the holidays. (Speaking of that: Want a chance to win a gift basket of Hodgson Mill products? Go for it!)

Kudos to Perry Probst, Ray Martin and Bob Goldstein at Hodgson Mill; PR specialist Julie Gustafson; media pro Judith Kaplan; and ace marketing consulting Tom Tipton, who brought us — and the campaign — together.

Now get out there and get some scrumptious, Hodgson Mill whole grain products for the holidays. And have a grain day!

For Maring Weissman and its client Central Baptist Hospital, I wrote the tagline “This is Care” and the campaign that resulted, including this series of newspaper ads, named “Best of Show” winner in the National Healthcare Marketing awards. Creative director: Paul Maring. Designers: Chuck Hart, Paul Maring.

The “This is Care” campaign didn’t just have heart. It had legs. The same characters, tone and brand story fused an integrated campaign, including TV commercials, radio commercials, outdoor boards, web landing pages, animated banner ads, and even — here comes one now — bus wraps.

That Donna gets around.