Ads as filler?
Last night I was paging through a couple of my favorite mags devoted to things I rocket for: Raw Vision (outsider art) and Fly Fisherman (fly fishing, of course). I recalled how, prior to getting into the creative side of the ad biz, I was in public relations. Big time. I once co-owned a small PR firm and I once managed a PR department at a sizeable agency. I remember how one of my PR mentors used to love to hold up a magazine and suggest to clients that people bought and read them for their content, the editorial, and not the ads. It was a PR guy’s not-so-subtle suggestion that the advertising was simply filler. His point of view made sense to me at the time, but not any longer. As much as I enjoy the articles in my favorite mags, I love looking at the ads, too. They speak to things I have or hope to have, alert me to new products and upcoming events and give me something to look forward to. In short, they help remind me why it is that I like what I like. While certainly not all or even most, many of the ads in such specialty publications are particularly well done because they speak at a very emotional level to me and others who rocket for the things and experiences in those mags. In my mind, a smart ad can be every bit as rewarding (and insightful) as a well-written article. And the ads are a lot easier to digest too.
February 15th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Steve,
I happened to read your blog mentioning fly fishing and outsider art. Two recommendations: the Pere Marquette river in April. Stay at the Red Moose lodge.
As for a guide, which I recommend for at least a first trip, contact Ed McCoy. He’s a great guy. Excellent guide. Will put you on fish if they’re there, and when they are, it’s a blast. The Pere Marquette is a nationally protected river. It has spring and fall steelhead runs. Salmon too, if you like that sort of thing. Quite a few browns and rainbows year-round.
The Pere Marquette lodge is also a solid option. The Red Moose is a better deal.
Ed: Ed@Hawkinsflyfishing.com
Outsider ARt: you might look into Clyde Jones in Bynum, North Carolina. Clyde is fairly old now. Slightly retarded. He lives in a home that’s about 20 feet by 20 feet. A nice guy. Has made animals out of sticks/logs for decades. Tools: hammer, nails, chainsaw, spray paint. He once had a show at the High Museum in Atlanta I understand.
He won’t sell his work to just anyone. He has to meet you and like you, which isn’t really much of a hurdle. I own a Clyde Jones dog. It was a going away present from friends when I was departing McKinney back in the 80s. I think it cost all of $35. What he charges these days, I have no idea, but it can’t be a lot.
Write well. And as Ed McCoy always says signing off, “Tight lines.”