| Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper? | | | | camera stores in need of a jingle to brand their |
| Wondering where in the world to start? I have a | | | | company name and a positioning statement |
| suggestion. Turn the page upside down. Or better | | | | (slogan) to bring people in. We did a market |
| yet flip it over onto it's backside. Let it know | | | | analysis and concluded that they were trying to |
| who's boss. If your first idea is terrible, write it | | | | reach two buyers: |
| down anyway. If the next one is silly, redundant | | | | #1)Professional photographers who were |
| or stupid, write it down. Who knows, it may end | | | | developing their film. #2)New camera buyers who |
| up being a comedy direction and that first terrible | | | | were serious about learning the craft. |
| line may end up being the punch line. You never | | | | We came up with a simple line that appealed and |
| know. You are jumping off a precipice into the | | | | spoke to both: WE DEVELOP |
| unknown world of creativity and you need to be | | | | PHOTOGRAPHERSCreativity is not something I |
| a leaf at the mercy of the wind or you will come | | | | pull out of thin air. There is a process that I trust |
| crashing down with your fears in a ball flames | | | | will lead me to something spectacular. I throw |
| every time.Throw as much as you can against | | | | everything possible up against that wall without |
| the wall and see what sticks. I own a jingle and | | | | judgement or self criticism. If doubt creeps in, I |
| music production company and I had an | | | | throw doubt up against the wall. If I'm getting |
| assignment to create a jingle, positioning | | | | bored, I throw boredom against the wall and |
| statement (slogan), campaign for Petaluma Auto | | | | suddenly there is a humorous side that begins to |
| Plaza in Northern California. They have a huge | | | | appear. If I don't need humor, I throw it up |
| electronic sign on Hwy 101 and we decided that | | | | against the wall and a new perspective opens |
| this landmark was our key. So, what do you do | | | | up.It's all good in the creative process and those |
| with a big sign? It's huge and you can see it from | | | | of us who live it should honor it. It keeps us |
| everywhere. It's so big, it's like a monument. And | | | | young because it's all about letting go, letting |
| what do you do with a monument? We decided | | | | things flow and crawling outside of the box for a |
| to worship it. So I brought into the studio Jeannie | | | | few moments.Barry Volk - Expert AuthorBarry |
| Tracy (from Whitney Houston's band), a gospel | | | | Volk is a former producer/staff songwriter for |
| singing Diva, to sing the following full-on hand | | | | ABC, MCA & Screen Gems-EMI Music Publishing, a |
| clapping gospel jingle I SAW THE SIGN: "I was lost | | | | 20th Century Fox solo recording artist, Musical |
| in the gloom of auto dealers and sales pitches, | | | | Director for the West Coast Theater Company |
| then I saw a light shining bright standing tall | | | | and National Director of Marketing for Metro |
| (Where to turn?)... I saw the sign (chorus answers | | | | Networks/Westwood One. His music production |
| 'I saw the sign') in Petaluma ('Petaluma Auto | | | | company, Barry Volk's Sound Advantage creates |
| Plaza')" and on and on... If you'd like to hear it go | | | | and produces musical identities and jingles for |
| to: and click on Pet Auto Plaza. It's a smashingly | | | | radio and TV advertisers worldwide from small |
| successful campaign.Sometimes "getting outside | | | | market to national campaigns. |
| of the box" is about simplicity. I had a chain of | | | | |