The provocative headline sits atop a piece by M.P. Mueller, who spins an interesting Election Day tale about how her Austin-based boutique ad agency created a promotion for Cow Wow, a liquid compost
product made from dairy cow waste, that has garnered a lot of attention for a relatively modest cost. Not that there wasn't a lot of angst along the way -- at the marketer, the agency and also at
other entities drawn into the execution of the idea.
The concept was to create two six-foot clay heads with the likenesses of Texas gubernatorial candidates, Rick Perry, the hirsute
Republican incumbent, and Bill White, the balding Democratic challenger. Both feature heads of ivy nourished by the "power of poo." Voters are asked which candidate has the better hair?
The promotion was almost scuttled twice but finally saw daylight in a scaled-back version that has achieved the goal of creating awareness for Cow Wow. "The takeaway here, I guess, is that taking
calculated risks can pay off," Mueller writes. "It's getting harder and harder to differentiate your brand, and the essence lies in being different."
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