SHOOT FROM THE HIP

For the first time in the history of the New York Stock Exchange, traders were wearing jeans today. Not just any jeans. Gap 1969 Premium Jeans. Over 1200 traders dressed down for the first “casual Friday” ever on the floor of the NYSE. And A Squared Group was there to ensure that every pair of jeans was a perfect fit.

The NYSE is known as a high-pressured environment where a traditional, conservative uniform is maintained. Traders at one time even wore bowler hats on the floor. The 40th Anniversary of Gap, Inc., however, is a significant achievement and needs to be celebrated in a big way. It is an iconic brand. While simultaneously holding celebratory events at select stores throughout the country, A Squared Group has been in New York for more than a week to ensure that every single trader can honor the company’s success and relevance in the marketplace by wearing the new Gap 1969 Premium Jeans collection.

The traders couldn’t be happier to oblige.

In addition to turning the floor of the NYSE into a sea of denim, Gap’s North American President, Marka Hansen, along with select members of the founding Fisher family, will remotely ring the Closing Bell for the company headquarters in San Francisco. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Eating an ear of steaming hot, freshly-roasted sweet corn is one of the many joys of summer. So is spending a sunny summer day, or 10, mingling with friends – old and new – in a festival environment. Who can forget either? We certainly won’t. A team from A Squared Group is in the midst of the inaugural Progressive Insurance “Corn for Kids” Tour, a months’ long road trip to festivals around the country, on behalf of our client.

We are visiting places as diverse as West Virginia, South Dakota, Colorado, and California, to name a few. We are making and serving delicious roasted corn to those we meet at each stop, fundraising for hungry children and presenting festival-goers with a unique, memorable experience associated with our client, Progressive Insurance.

Our client has been to these festivals before. After all, the attendees are their target consumers. But they’ve never done it like this. So far, it’s been a bushel of fun – for everyone from brand loyalists to those unfamiliar with the company. Even corn-loving kids not yet ready for their first Harley are taking notes.

The A Squared Group team couldn’t be happier. We love creating memorable experiences for consumers. We love helping them develop fantastic associations with our clients’ brands. We love seeing relationships strengthen between brand and consumer. And we love all the smiling faces that let us know we’ve just been part of a memory in the making.

So, who’s up for some corn?

Les Paul passed away this week. Now, I didn’t know Les Paul. I’ve never played any of his guitars. I don’t even know how to play the guitar. But I’ve always much admired his creativity, perseverance and passion. He wanted to make more noise, so he designed a guitar that would let him do that. He loved playing and performing in front of an audience, so he showed up to his favorite jazz haunt every Monday night until shortly before he died.

He wasn’t afraid to show his excitement about what he did for a living.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to express their creativity and passion in their work. How luck are we, at A Squared Group, to be part of that small contingent of folks who are able to do just that?

We are inspired by people who think outside the box, who make what they need when it doesn’t exist, who share their vision with those who are interested… We have much in common with them. We have much in common with Les Paul. Just not the guitar skills. R.I.P.

A Squared Group has just been named to Inc. Magazine’s 2009 Inc. 500|5000 List. This is the first year that A Squared Group is eligible for consideration; we will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary in February. It’s a great honor to be included in this prestigious list of the fastest-growing, dynamic, independent companies in the United States.

The Inc. 500|5000 List is selected based on established revenue growth, innovation and demonstrated ingenuity. The top 50 companies on the list will be highlighted in the September Issue of Inc. Magazine. All honorees will be feted at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference in Washington, D.C., on September 23-25, 2009.

It seems we’ve never met a list we didn’t like.

Earlier this year, A Squared Group was named to Promo Magazine’s Promo 100 List. The Promo 100 List is comprised of the top 100 promotional and integrated marketing agencies in the country. And Promo Magazine named us one of the 10 Best Overall Creative Agencies, for the second year in a row.

In addition, A Squared Group was once again included on Event Marketer Magazine’s “It” List. This select list highlight the Top 100 American Event Marketing Agencies. A full profile is in the June Issue of Event Marketer Magazine, identifying us as “smart, creative, and hotter than ever.”

Thank you to Inc. Magazine, Promo Magazine and Event Marketer Magazine. Congratulations to all the other honorees!

Never judge a book by its cover. I was taught that once. But honestly, who doesn’t do that? And not just with books. Any marketer, as well as most consumers, can provide example after example of the importance of packaging, whether it be for a product, a brand, or a first date. Of course, if a product has great packaging but no substance, raised expectations are dashed. Not a good thing. However, if an amazing product is presented with all the panache of a dead rat, it is ignored. Definitely not a good thing.

So, I admit, I do judge books by their covers. Which is why I love the Book Cover Archive, which presents a constantly updated collection of the best book covers ever designed. Check it out.

Peruse its blogroll, which highlights The Pelican Project (another favorite cyber-stop for folks here at A Squared Group) as well as other great websites. And submit a favorite cover of your own choosing.

The cover for Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, which is currently on the site’s homepage, is calling to me. But don’t worry. I’ll skim the first few pages prior to purchase, just to make sure the product is as good as the packaging.