PAUL MITCHELL'S BOOK

BANG BANG, YOU'RE ALIVE.

The bad news is that you're being shot at. The good news is that you're driving a bulletproof Lincoln BPS Town Car. TRAVEL WELL.

Published in Security Digest, and trades around the globe, this B2B print campaign was aimed at big-time security providers. The other teams passed on it because it didn't have a shoot attached to it. We had to use existing photography.

THE RIGHT CAR FOR THE WRONG PLACE.

Introducing the Lincoln BPS Town Car, the only vehicle in North America to attain the highest level of ballistic protection available. TRAVEL WELL.

My partner, Carlos, had witnessed two drive-by shootings growing up in São Paulo, Brazil. The bullet in the headline was his idea, as soon as I saw it I knew it was perfect, and the client, a combat veteran, agreed. He loved it.

And then he told us a war story.

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR LEAD.

If it looks like heavy weather, then we recommend the bulletproof BPS Town Car, a luxury sedan that performs under the gun. TRAVEL WELL.

This is the first, and for sure the only print ad that Ford has ever produced that didn’t feature a photo of a car. And I think that is awesome.

We had the best client for this campaign. This assignment, that no other team wanted, turned out to be my favorite B2B work ever.

THIS SUNDAY WE START A WHOLE NEW FANTASY LEAGUE.

Tune in during the first half of Sunday’s big game and catch a glimpse of the all-new Lincoln Mark LT, a luxury vehicle that makes austerity seem like a sin. TRAVEL WELL.

This one, and the two that follow represent the national print campaign to go along with the Super Bowl spot. This is the first, a full-page ad set to run in dailies the week before the big game. The use of the world “sin” is a teaser for the spot.

CONSIDER THE SCOREBOARD LIT UP. 

Behind the shiny chrome is a powerful V-8. Inside the cab, ebony trim and a THX sound system that scores at will. It’s the all-new Lincoln Mark LT. TRAVEL WELL.

This is the second ad that ran on Super Bowl Sunday.

IT TURNS A GARAGE INTO A TROPHY CASE. 

Yesterday, two teams fought it out over some very precious metal. Today, a new game of possession begins. Introducing the all-new Lincoln Mark LT. TRAVEL WELL.

This is ad number 3, and it ran the day after the Super Bowl.

The President drives a Sable.

That’s right, Ken McDaniel, the President of the American Station Wagon Owners Association drives a Sable. And guess what else, the Sable has won our government’s highest safety rating for the last five years, and was named “Best Pick In Its Class” by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. Not surprisingly, J.D. Power has written that the sable is the “Highest ranked, premium midsize car in initial quality.”

Way to go, Mr. President.

Look at this wagon, an '04, I was kinda stumped on how to sell this car at first. During my research I discovered that Ken, the President of the American Station Wagon Owners Association drove a Sable.

After that, this pre-election, full-page newspaper ad pretty much wrote itself. It was insanely timely and a great way to introduce the car's governmental accolades.

YES. WE TEST ON ANIMALS.

This series is a POS winter campaign. The ask was for "inspirational" signage. They loved this line so much that it was featured on their homepage for well over a year.

ON POWDER DAYS I HAVE NO FRIENDS.

I stole this line while on a lift and overhearing two kids talking about ditching their friend. I had done the same thing to my dad. Now this phrase is everywhere. But back then, this line was fresh. The client loved it.

ZIP UP, ZAG DOWN.

A lot of stores just carried Columbia's jackets and nothing else, so we were asked to come up with something that could live with only jackets. 

PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS.

Columbia wanted to sell more of their fishing gear at the flagship store and wanted to do a give-away, something simple for buys over 50 bucks. They suggested t-shirts or mugs, but my partner and I suggested a "groovy poster" that could very well get put on a wall in a cabin where it might stay for 20 or 30 years.

This promo was insanely successful and the print later became a T-shirt and is, to this day, by far, not even close, the number one selling t-shirt they sell. You can buy one right now, online. Twenty years later.

THIS IS WHERE "REMEMBER WHEN" HAPPENS.

Creating memories that last a lifetime since 1965.

I can write to this audience, too. In fact, this national print ad, and the one it ran with, won gold in its category. I’m the first to admit that my competition wasn't that great. But my client, and my client's client loved it and that’s what counts.

THESE ARE THE LESSONS THEY'LL NEVER FORGET.

Teaching new dogs new tricks since 1965.

the idea here is that kids are a lot like dogs.

Do it for a for a day, talk about it forever.

Unforgettably amazing. That’s New Zealand, a recreational paradise with everything from magical, alpine trekking to pristine, white-sand beaches. This is a land where you can pack a lifetime of amazing into every day.

New Zealand is an amazing place. A place so awesome that if you're lucky enough to go there, then you'll gushing about it every time the talk turns to traveling. Word of mouth. That was the idea I wanted to get across, that and the FOMO, something that almost all travel ads evoke.

THIS RED BADGE WILL KEEP YOUR BUILD IN THE BLACK.

VR EVO: ALL NEW, BEST IN CLASS.

WARN VR EVO winches are the hardest-working, standard-duty winches on the market. Period. These ultra-reliable winches are available in 8, 10, and 12-thousand pound capacities and with your choice of steel or synthetic rope. VR EVO, the new gold standard of reliability and affordability.

While WARN can’t claim that ALL of their winches are made in the US, they want to let everyone know that the few that are made in China are up to WARN standards and competitively priced, something they have never been able to claim. They are now in a new market, now they make a winch that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF RADICAL SELF RELIANCE.

The key to going outback is getting yourself back out. From the top of Alaska’s remote Dalton Pass to the end of the of Tierra del Fuego, adventure-seeking overlanders demand and depend on the durable reliability that comes with the ZEON Platinum, our top-of-the-line winch.

This is an example of the landing pages I wrote for their B2B catalog that is printed every two years.

WHEN YOU GO PREPARED, YOU GET TO KEEP GOING.

With the lowest amp draw and fastest line speed under load, the new VR EVO series of winches are the hardest-working, standard-duty winches we’ve ever made. All three feature IP68-rated waterproof construction, our industry-leading, limited lifetime warranty and our legendary performance and reliability. Go Prepared, and then keep going.

HOPEFULLY YOU WON’T NEED ONE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL.

With the lowest amp draw and fastest line speed under load, the new VR EVO series of winches are the hardest-working, standard-duty winches we’ve ever made. All three feature IP68-rated waterproof construction, our industry-leading, limited lifetime warranty and our legendary performance and reliability. Get back out when you go outback.

ALIS VOLAT PROPRIIS — THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE HERE IN OREGON.

It means “she flies with her own wings,” and it is our state’s motto. Out here, out west, it’s all about radical self-reliance, and we wouldn't have it any other way. It’s the Warn way.

While WARN can no longer claim “made in the U.S.” it does want to remind everyone that they are indeed an American company. This one is aimed at the wealthy, well-educated overlanders who can relate to an obscure, inspiring and relevant Latin headline.

WHERE THE OREGON TRAIL ENDS, WE BEGIN.

The pioneer spirit is alive and well here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s in our DNA, and it’s in everything we make. No matter where we go, we go prepared.

While WARN can no longer claim “made in the US,” it does want to remind everyone that they are indeed an American company. This one is aimed at the weekend warriors.

YOU GOT TO BE TOUGH TO LIVE OUT WEST.

When you live out west it’s all about radical self-reliance, about getting ‘er done. And for over 70 years we’ve been helping our friends and families do exactly that. It’s the WARN way.

While WARN can no longer claim “made in the US,” it does want to remind everyone that they are indeed an American company. This one is aimed at farmers and ranchers.

THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN OUR PRODUCT IS OUR PRODUCT SUPPORT.

At Boise Cascade, the only thing more dependable than our engineered wood products is our dedication to customer service. That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s the way it’s always going to be. The experienced professionals at Boise Cascade's distribution centers know the industry inside and out and take great pride in providing the materials your contractors need, when and where it’s needed. Boise Cascade—building materials, building relationships. 

The client loved how the line and the simple graphic worked together, it was the first print ad where they didn't change a single word. It was the first ad I wrote for them, and my first B2B work. 

A MILLION YEARS AGO TODAY

Working with the unique fossils of beasts that roamed the earth millions of years ago ensures that every piece is unmatched, original and timeless, just like the you.

I worked a new-business pitch with BP&N for William Henry with Ryan and Rob, their in-house AD and ECD. I also wrote the following, an anthem of sorts.

“For thousands of years such things as crowns, shields, spears and suits of armor were a direct reflection of those who owned them, they had true meaning in a world where survival was the only thing that ever mattered.

Now days it’s the common, mass produced logos, labels and all things ephemeral that are passing as badges of credibility, status and success.

Every day another something is climbing the pop charts while the struggle for true meaning grows increasingly difficult. It’s a battle between our primal and modern selves.

It’s also the inspiration behind everything William Henry makes.

Their artists work in ancient traditions, using rare-earth elements that fell from space, erupted from the peaks, and at one perfectly pure time, ruled the earth.

The result are one-of-a-kind pieces that connect us to our common past, yet separate us from our common man.”

Anyway, that is the story this campaign was created to tell.

FROM EXTINCTION, TO DISTINCTION. 

When your raw materials include fossilized mammoth tooth, every finished piece is one of kind, just like the men who choose to wear them. 

FROM THE EARTH'S CORE, TO YOUR CORE.

No two volcanoes are the same, like some men, they are rugged, timeless and impossible to stop, each bringing relentless energy and fire into existence. 

TIME TO GO CAMPING?

I was freelancing at Siedell O'Neil in SF and my partner, their in-house CD, Diane insisted I write to THIS stock photo to leverage their client’s tagline, “You don’t have to be a good sport at Lombardi Sports.”  It’s still hard to believe they sold this, it’s was going to be all over the city busses and was set to be painted on a wall, that is until Mr. Lombardi himself saw it when it ran as a spread in the Guardian. That was the end of that, my work banned!