So back to the BW piece, which focuses on a Florida based Subway franchisee named Stuart Frankel. In order to lift sagging sales he tweaked his pricing to 5 bucks for a footlong. In the article he quips, “I like round numbers.” So do real people Stuart. You knew that though because you spend lots of time with them. Enough with the decimal points already…

As the national coverage of this story would indicate, Stuarts tweak trickled up to the brass in corporate and it is now a system wide promotion at Subway with national TV spots and mountains of collateral behind it. It’s literally become a 3.8 billion dollar idea. Pardon the decimal point.

The reason this bus board ruffles my ventricles is the crass collision it creates in my mind regarding a very real public health crisis. Namely, that the leading cause of death in Texas is heart disease. So when I see this board I think, ‘you nailed it Mickey D’s, pump MORE beef in our hearts!’

Now, we are all free to eat whatever we want. We can dispassionately read the statistics about what kills the most Texans. We can browse the statistics about which cities eat the most fast food. We can ignore the correlations if we choose. We can throw hundreds of billions at health care without ever looking in the mirror. But when a brand practically taunts us with entendre and we don’t notice…that starts to feel a little too much like “Idiocracy“. What are you noticing?

If you are interested in keeping up with the Tribune as launch approaches become a fan on Facebook. They are also keen to tweet as you would expect. You can also register on the splash page for the site to be at texastribune.org. You did it Thornton, congrats!

We are gathering a group of Austinites that can help him see this vision to fruition. As a bike friendly office with two full time bike commuters rolling in and out each day we’d love to see it go. If you want Austin on the B-Cycle map get off your Facebook and get over here. If you have any great ideas for how to drive grassroots awareness of this mission drop us a comment, tweet it, or just launch it into the universe in your own special way.

Instead of indulging in our own company holiday bash, The Butler Bros. along with Beef and Pie Productions, Mac & Cheez, Brainfield Productions, Stuck On On, Shiny Object, Tequila Mockingbird, Stiles Design, JDunten.com, Team Bonzai, were inspired to organize a benefit concert with 100% of proceeds directly benefitting the Austin Children’s Shelter.

With such unique company names, Steve Fishman of Mac&Cheez recommended I start my own company and name it Side Salad. Oh Steve.

Appropriately enough, the music for the evening was generously donated by The Gourds, whose music is as eclectic and creative as the company names. I found myself bopping around the venue during the rehersal set and made an early new years resolution to expand my musical tastes.

You know it’s a great party when people act like this:

FTW!

Another raffle item was the Paul Frank Edition Nirve Cruiser bike that was generously RE-DONATED by the raffle winner.
It is currently FOR SALE ($345) with the $$ going directly to the Austin Children’s Shelter! Click for Details!

Photos were generously provided by Perry Hall.

All in all, it was a rockin’ good night had by all. Until next year!

Using the “Got caught by the train” excuse for tardiness.

Trying to get a coffee at Hot Mama’s without hearing a ten-minute “high-atribe” from one hot mama or another.

The smell of the hand soap.

Free Sweet Leaf Tea.

AB in spandex.

D always tricking B. Every time.

Makeshift ping-pong and how it changed us all.

Getting to see my cheesy words: “Liber-tea and Homemade Taste For All” plastered all over the Sweet Leaf Office. Wrote home about it.

Hidden marshmallows.

Thinking up interactive treasure hunts for every campaign since I read an article in WIRED, passed to me by a giddy Marty, about NIN’s take on the Alternative Reality Game. An i-port ARG? Anyone?

T-shirts. (ie: more time between laundry dates)

Mr. Natural’s right down the street.

So is The Peacock.

“It’s four-o-clock, Friday. Beer. Sunshine. Done.”

Black. Eyed. Pea. And a trip with the one and only: Roly.

Working for family-oriented folks on campaigns they believe in, on projects fueled by risk-taking creativity.

Being able to say I started my advertising career with an orange plant …

Jack Butler. Father to all Butlers here and the world’s most consistent blog commenter.

So much Awesome.

Thus. My time as a blogger/writer/tagliner for the Butlers is done. Tides. Ebbs. Flows. Thank you for everything, Butlers. You guys rock.

Here’s one from Penguin Books (UK) that features six different stories from six different famous authors, in which, week after week, story after story, the consumers/readers will be invited to collect the hints (thus, the game!) and discover where the seventh story is hidden. The first week’s story “The 21 Steps” by Charles Cumming uses a Google Earth interpretation of John Buchan’s novel, “The 39 Steps” to give true digital interactivity to the storytelling process. Pretty complex. And kinda ironic, considering it’s a new-fangled techy way to promote … books.

This article, sent around the office with a wily smile of an excited Marty Butler, gave goosebumps, and a glance at where we (as advertisers) can take the level of interactivity; planting clues, and creating a treasure map of secret mazes, websites, and codes for the consumer to follow, excitedly! They become an integrated player, hungry for clues,

Trent Reznor? Nice work. It’s brilliant. And. It’s the future.