February 2012
1 post
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"Care. Right. Now." That's the tagline I wrote...
….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...
January 2012
1 post
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"Take the Parkside Path." That's the tagline I...
…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....
December 2011
3 posts
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"See the Future": award-winning TV spot about...
“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...
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"We wrote the book on ultra-orphan drugs," said...
But, ah! It’s not really a book. It’s a 3-D mailer. And instead of book, it’s a container for an mp3 player with a book’s worth of information pre-loaded on a podcast. Imagine this in your inbox. Would your mind… be… blown?
Client: Centric Health Resources, Chesterfield, MO. Agency: Maring Weissman. Concept/copy: Me. Creative director/designer: Paul Maring....
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Funny Facebook thread: job interview in Bread...
Writing in social media requires spontaneity, commitment to the thread, and the ability to invoke group improv. It helps to have really funny friends, which I do. Here’s a funny Facebook thread about something that really happened to me at St. Louis Bread Company. Was amazed by what people will discuss loudly in earshot, and just had to share. It starts like this:
November 2011
14 posts
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"Missing Persons." Clio-winning radio commercial...
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:...
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"Have a Grain Day!" says Hodgson Mill. (And I...
“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...
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Walt and Chuck think big.
Wide-open eyeballs are often the result. Here’s proof.
This is a shot of me and my frequent collaborator, art director and designer Chuck Hart. Location: Laumeier Sculpture Park. Photographer: David Preston. We used this on a self-promotion direct mail piece and brochure. Hey, when you’ve got a real prop like this, use it.
Recently Chuck and I created cool marketing for Central...
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"New hip! Hooray!" "Knee and Improved." SSM...
Two new outdoor boards for the SSM Joint Replacement Center. Agency: Dovetail. Designer: Paul Maring. Writers: Paul and me.
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"This is Care" print campaign for Central Baptist...
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...
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"The Art of Making an Impact." A beautiful...
For Ad Art Printing in L.A., creators and printers of dramatic, oversize graphics for retail, I wrote a capabilities brochure called “The Art of Making an Impact.” Then designer Chuck Hart and photographer David Stradal brought it to life.
Sample spread above. The brochure pdf is embedded below.
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"Teddy's Ready." Print ad and poster for The Omni...
For The Omni Clubs of Georgia, I wrote the tagline “The Omni Difference,” and brought that line to life in a series of print ads and in-club posters promoting the personal trainers. Like this one:
“The Omni Difference” campaign also included an Omni Club website and Omni Club direct mail campaign, which I also wrote.
Designer: Chuck Hart. Photographer: David Stradal....
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"The Omni Difference." Direct Mail for Omni Clubs.
For The Omni Health Clubs of Georgia, I wrote a series of direct mailers, bringing to life my tagline, “The Omni Difference,” and starring personal trainers from clubs in different cities. Here’s one example. The cover looks like this:
And opens to this answer:
And did this coupon, baby. Who says I’m above writing coupon copy? I’m not. And by the way, this one...
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"The Omni Difference." Microsite for The Omni...
For Omni Health Clubs, I wrote the tagline “The Omni Difference,” then brought that line to life in copy for a web microsite starring personal trainers. Here are sample screencaps.
“The Omni Difference” campaign also included a direct mail campaign, ads and posters.
Designer: Chuck Hart. Photographer: David Stradal. Agency: Spoke.
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"The Omni Difference." Tagline for The Omni Clubs.
When I wrote the tagline “The Omni Difference” for Omni Health Clubs and its agency Spoke Marketing, I knew the line could launch an entire marketing campaign, which it did — including a new Omni Club website, Omni Club print ads, an Omni Club direct mail campaign, and even customized Omni Club bookmarks, like these:
Designer: Chuck Hart. Photographer: David Stradal. Agency:...
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"Wedding Vows." TV commercial for CEFCU Credit...
I wrote “Wedding Vows” for agency Maring Weissman and its client, CEFCU Credit Union. In it, a young couple gets suitably emotional about car loans, while an incredulous uncle can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. Director: Mike Sneeden. Production: Arbor Group.
TV Script: CEFCU “Wedding Vows” A 20something bride and groom at altar exchanging vows in front of a crowd of guests. BRIDE...
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"Alan's Heart." TV commercial.
This commercial is the companion to this print ad, and is part of the award-winning “This is Care” campaign I wrote for Maring Weissman and its client, Central Baptist Hospital. Produced by the Arbor Group, this spot features heart patient “Alan” and his true heart: the wife he adores. Played by unmarried actors who didn’t know each other until the day of the shoot!...
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"Get your head in the cloud." Print ad for...
I wrote this Contegix cloud hosting poster, print ad and t-shirt. Agency and creative direction: Spoke Marketing. Design and illustration: Drew Mangels. It’s not often that the brilliant marketing strategists at Spoke need my help, but when they do, I strap on the jet-pack.
The copy reads: Get your head in the cloud. We’re already there. Contegix is your full-service partner for...
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"Worry Less," says St. Andrew's. And so do I.
There’s enough worry in the world. You need less of it. “Worry Less” is the tagline I wrote for St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors, a St. Louis-based leader in elder care. The line goes to core, human benefit of the excellent service St. Andrew’s provides.
St. Andrew’s embraced the “Worry Less” brand story and brought it to life in an ongoing,...
October 2011
4 posts
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My little webcomic: Dang Gnats!
Season 4 of my webcomic Dang Gnats is now on Facebook! It’s the comic that takes longer to read than to draw!
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10 tips for terrific taglines.
Call them taglines, call them themelines, call them slogans: I love writing them. And love talking about them. These 10 tips are a short article I wrote about taglines for the Whitney Design Works online newsletter. (Click the below graphic for the full-size, readable pdf.) Thanks to logo master Mike Whitney for letting me tag along.
[Click to enlarge.]
P.S. I don’t just write about taglines....
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Domains for sale. For real.
I will sell any of these domain names for the low price of $499. No kidding. Most of them are on GoDaddy, so if you’re there, too, transfer will be seamless, but I’ll transfer anywhere. PayPal accepted.
SeethingEnvy.com. Actually I might use this to build a vast hub of envy. Let me know if you think that’s more your thing.
AnybodyButNewt.com. Come on, this is a URL that could...
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Love blooms. So do your invitations.
That’s the headline I wrote for this new, national print and direct mail campaign for Cast Paper Art, St. Louis-based artisans of seed paper invitations, which, when planted, really bloom! Like love. [Cue violins.]
But also artisans are art director Chuck Hart and photographer David Preston, who spent a week roaming the Midwest for just the right wildflowers to incude in the image, so...
September 2011
3 posts
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15-second SSM TV commercials.
It’s a challenge writing 15-second TV spots, in this case for agency Dovetail and its client, the SSM Medical Group. Our new three-spot campaign of :15s is currently running on St. Louis TV. Mission: introduce a new medical group, its benefits, and its URL. That’s simple enough. Did we do it? You can see all three spots on the SSM Medical Group page or by clicking this keyframe:
...
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Happy CBS Fall Premiere Week! Hear Ted Danson...
That’s Ted Danson, right: the new lead in CSI on CBS-TV. Today running nationally there’s a radio promo starring Ted that I co-wrote with Paul Fey and World Wide Wadio. What great fun to write funny words for this great TV actor. In fact, Paul & I conceived and co-wrote all the spots for Premiere Week on CBS this year; it was a blast; and you’ll be hearing them on the air...
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"The flu sucks. The shot doesn't." Campaign for...
That’s the tagline I wrote for a flu-prevention campaign sponsored by the Health Institute of St. Louis and its marketing agency, GoBrandGo. You’ll be seeing the “Sucks” campaign all around the city this Fall, at bus shelters, on outdoor boards, etc., and there’s a list of places to get the shot at FluShot-STL.com. By the way, I really believe in the flu shot....
July 2011
1 post
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"Smart Move!" New tagline for the very smart...
Top St. Louis real estate agent Cynthia Behr asked designer Chuck Hart and me to rev up her branding and marketing. We brought in photographer David Preston to capture Cynthia’s spirit, then cooked up new positioning summarized by the tagline “Smart Move!” Chuck outdid himself on a new logo, quickly followed by a brochure, postcard, identity materials, etc. It takes a...
June 2011
3 posts
2 tags
9 campaign-launching taglines.
Good taglines don’t tag. They lead. They’re the engines of brand stories, not the cabooses. Here are 9 recent company taglines written by me, and brought to life by some great agencies and designers. Cool campaigns ensued.
“Take the Parkside Path.” That’s the tagline I wrote for Parkside Financial Bank and Trust of Clayton, Missouri. Agency: Studio X.
“Not...
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Call Walt Jaschek at 314-479-1966. Email...
Use me. It’s okay. I’m used to it. In fact, I like it. At least, when you use me to create big ideas, brilliant strategies, and amazing marketing in all media. The four main ways to use me are:
1. As leader of brainstorms or creative workshops. This is what I love to do, and it’s the highest and best use of Walt. From a whiteboard, using magic Magic Markers™, I lead sessions...
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Scent of markers lures Walt to the whiteboard at...
Great fun speaking to Webster University’s Entrepreneurship class on the importance of “Knowing and Living Your Brand Story.” I conduct workshops in this topic for individuals and teams at start-ups, agencies and corporate communications departments, and it was satisfying to get the message on messaging to entrepreneurs as their dreams are a’borning.
That’s class...
May 2011
1 post
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Watch out, Bruce! I have moves.
Bill Lux added Bruce Lee to the “Dancing Walt” photo of me taken by Tony Schanuel. Finally! What this page needed was a fight scene!
December 2010
2 posts
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November 2010
3 posts
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Funny Radio Commercial: Congrats to the great...
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"See the Future," TV commercial I wrote for breast... →
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October 2010
4 posts
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D.C. Trip 10/10: Descent Into Dulles
This is a mountain in Virginia as we begin a non-dull descent into Dulles Airport. Guess they have fall foliage here, too! I’ll be in Washington, D.C., the next four days, a mix of business, sightseeing and — on Saturday — the “Rally to Restore Sanity” in the National Mall. I’m psyched. On the Southwest flight this afternoon, the flight attendant got on the...
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September 2010
1 post
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"Star Trek: TNG" TV commercial.
“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” campaignI 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...
August 2010
6 posts
The Dang Gnats find hope for the future in our... →
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Scott Pilgrim Versus the Walt
A review by Walt Jaschek
Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. © 2010 Universal Studios.
FOR THE first five minutes of Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, I thought: “I am waaaay too old for this movie.” (That’s “waaaay” with 4 “a”s.) My suspicion increased when an older couple walked out of the theatre, seemingly...
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July 2010
5 posts
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