The Lighter Side of Banking?

Is there a lighter side to banking these days? In this cartoon, I was trying to find it, but if I were a bank, I wouldn’t be using humor in my advertising just now.

Actually I’ve never been a fan of humor in financial institution advertising. Remember those WaMu TV spots with the fuddy duddy band of bankers? Or the Capital One “What’s in Your Wallet?” campaign? Trivializing personal finance, portraying a loan as a lark or a walk in the park … that’s the wrong message.

Where do you see humor used inappropriately in advertisements and marketing?

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Eco-Friendly Christmas Cartoon

Here’s our Christmas cartoon that appears in the December issue of Packaging World magazine. I create these Eco Ed cartoons with client Dennis Salazar, who conceived the character, and they are drawn by uber illustrator Mark Hill. Eco Ed is the most fun I’ve had all year … you never know what kind of environmental issue he’ll be tackling (or fumbling with) next.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Cartoons

Happy Thanksgiving from Word Sell!

Cartoons and Word of Mouth Marketing

Happy Earth Day!

Salazar Packaging, a client heavily focused on sustainable packaging, is always looking for ways to get their Earth-friendly message out and stimulate conversation about packaging and the environment. Easier said than done! Although packaging is a mature industry, sustainable packaging is a hot topic generating buzz in a hundred directions on any given day.

Cartoon - Hands On Managers

Which do you prefer? A hands on manager, or a hands off manager?

Cartoon - Funny or Stupid, You Decide

When I first came up with the idea for this cartoon (for a financial Web site), I thought it couldn’t miss. But after Mark drew it up, all I could think is, this doesn’t make sense. How would he get money in the water bed without noticing the water?

Funny? Stupid? Salvageable?

Cartoon - Foozle and Fribble

When Joanna Young used “foozle and fribble” in a guest post here, I couldn’t resist creating this cartoon.

Foozle and Fribble will be recurring characters who act out your favorite Words for Nerds. Any suggestions for the next cartoon? For the latest Words for Nerds list, click here.

Are you a word lover? If you want to use this cartoon on your blog, feel free!

From the “Cartoons that Didn’t Work” File

Sometimes an idea that looks great in your head doesn’t look so hot on paper. The idea of an alien making a crop circle with his tractor still seems funny to me, but somehow it just doesn’t work as a cartoon.

Crop circles - funny.
Aliens on tractors - funny.

But … maybe the concept is too complicated, or perhaps the alien isn’t exaggerated enough. Oh well. You can’t hit a home run every time you’re up at the plate. Some days you just have to be satisfied with a fielder’s choice and a couple of strike outs.

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Cartoon - Are You Punctual?

If you have a meeting with a client at 10:00 AM, what do you normally do?

A. Arrive at 10:00 on the dot and take pride in announcing yourself just as the second hand is sweeping past the “12″.

B. Give yourself enough time to provide for any delay, and arrive between 9:15 and 9:45.

C. Breeze in at 10:10 or 10:15 - not a big deal.

How you answer will reveal your attitude about time. I myself am an obsessive “B” person. The mere idea of being late makes me physically ill. Actually being late … well, I can remember those few dismal episodes…

Cartoon - Following Instructions

Following instructions seems so simple. And yet, time and time again, inhabitants of the business world become frustrated because instructions are not properly carried out. What causes these breakdowns in communication?

Carelessness. Most lapses result from faulty follow through. That’s why it’s extremely important to be ready to take notes at all times.

Fear of asking for clarification. Most of us dislike being regarded as witless, thick headed boobs. Therefore, we avoid asking questions such as “What do you mean?” We must remember that the smartest among us are the ones who ask the most questions.

Inability to communicate clear instructions. Issuing instructions requires just…

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