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The WSJ has a great interview (sub req) with Bartle Bogle Hegarty’s executive creative director Kevin Roddy, talking about the company’s creation of the “Tea Partay” video for client Smirnoff. Nice work, folks. Amusing creative, if somewhat derivative of other YouTube hits like “Lazy Sunday” and its spin-offs. Great subtle integration of the product throughout, and excellent addition of the URL to the end of the piece.

But then, if you actually go to teapartay.com, what happens? Not a lot. The URL re-directs to the main Smirnoff site, where you have to put in your birth date. That’s fine. But even if you navigate in via teapartay.com, there’s only a small banner at the bottom of the page promising that the opportunity to “Join the Tea Partay” is “coming soon.” Subtle integration of the product into the original video is great, but once someone expresses real interest in the brew, go ahead and put it front and center. Don’t subtly tease it and urge people to come back later. What are the chances of that happening?

This may just be a sign of the continuing disconnect between the traditional agency creating the video (even if it’s distributed on the Web, it’s still pretty darned traditional) and whoever is handling the Web site. It’s also a reminder of the importance of bridging that gap. If you don’t, your results will fall way short of what they could be.

Great post from our ad sales honcho Chas Edwards in response to a New Yorker piece on bloggers, pamphleteers and reporters. My mentors, Jason Chervokas and Tom Watson, have made this case many a time, and now the new dean of my J-school makes it, too.

WSJ (and maybe others) are reporting (sub req) on Google’s “breakthrough” relationship with MTV. Yeah, it’s interesting, especially because Google, and its existing distribution network, is involved, but is it so original? Not really. Brightcove is doing something similar (with partners like NYTimes Co., Sony and TiVo) and the phenomenon has been around long enough for ClickZ to write a feature about it. (If you’re trying to get a handle on this space, I encourage you to check out that feature.)

So some of it is the usual “gaga for Google” hype, but there’s obviously something real going on in the ad/video syndication space, and the big G becoming a player is significant. I look forward to seeing what comes of it all.

I am out today at the ISIPP conference. No reliable wi fi but will post later if interesting stuff is discussed. Happy weekend everyone!

Been kind of quiet as we’ve been visiting relatives in Texas for the holidays — got the week between Xmas and New Year’s off and have been relaxing, big time. Spent the first few days at my Dad’s ranch in E. Texas. Some of the highlights:

Barely missing the first white Christmas in years. My brother’s family in Sugar Land got dusted by about 2 inches on Christmas Eve — quite a rarity in this part of the country.

Experiencing first hand that old Charlie Brown saying “Happiness is a warm puppy.” My dad’s dog had 8 pups, and some of the most pleasurable moments were spent with 3+ puppies in my lap, piled on top of each other, snoring away in sweet puppy style. (Hopefully we’ll have puppy pictures to come.)

Bacon and eggs for breakfast every day. Must go on health kick upon my return.

That’s all for now. Hope everyone out there is getting some time to relax. Happy New Year to all!

Just got a vacation reply message (though I don’t even recall sending an e-mail to this person):

“I will be out of the office starting 01/22/2004 and will not return until 01/03/2005.

I will be out of the office starting 1/22/04 and will return 1/3/05. I will
be checking e-mail periodically throughout the winter holiday.”

That’s something like an 11 month vacation! Nice gig if you can get it 😉