Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director, based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I chose to do Mini Cooper. I wanted it to look like a Mini Cooper ad, so I chose a layout from them. My goal in this ad is to talk to couples entering retirement, ages from 40-65. Specifically, these people have more disposable income and do not have children living in their houses anymore, needing a great way to start the next chapter in their lives. A lot of couples renew their vows to celebrate. But, with a Mini Cooper, there is no need for that.

Here is ad 29 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

You can’t escape being naïve no matter how mature you think you are; there is always something you don’t know or understand. Adult World is an honest clash between what being youthful, naïve, and optimistic versus being aged, cynical, and pessimistic.

The logline states:

“While working at a sex shop to make ends meet, recent college grad Am pursues her dream of becoming a famous poet – and stalks her punk poet idol.”

This film is yet another satire that I am suggesting. This is a story about sheltered kids who have been smothered with praise their whole lives to only step out into the real adult world to realize that their pre-conceived notion about life that they had doesn’t really match up to actual reality.

Emma Roberts, who plays a persistent, annoying, and naïve girl, is at her best in this film. Her biggest dream is to be a famous poet. Yet, that is all she wants to be is famous. Her character doesn’t understand what fame is and the disease that it truly is. She becomes a protégé to John Cusack’s character, Rat Billings, her poet-hero. His role represents the black plague that fame brings to you in your youth. He has become reclusive, cynical, pessimistic, and old despite being a famous poet yet, Amy wants to be exactly like him.

The casting in this film brings a great dynamic to the story. Although Amy is annoying and she isn’t irritating for us to be sympathetic, but to only be portrayed that way for the viewer’s amusement. If people understood this, then I think more people would enjoy the film because that issue is the reason why people either love or hate this film.

If you like Evan Peters and “quiet guy” love stories, where the good nice guy wins in the end then this film is for you. Seriously, the kiss between Evan Peters and Emma Roberts in this film may be one of the best kisses you will see in an indie film.

The most important thing you can learn from this film is that if a person goes through life doing everything for themselves, they will be unhappy. You have to have a more significant cause other than yourself. Amy only writes poetry to show off to other people so she can be famous. Once she learns that she needs to give to a more significant cause other than herself, then she begins to find her enlightenment. You shouldn’t ever do things just for yourself because you will be left broken inside. But, if we find a greater cause to continually give to then we as human beings can see a definite sense of direction in life.

This is a good film for all kinds of people. It is an excellent coming of age satire that keeps you very intrigued during the whole movie. Adult World is fresh and contrasting, and that is why I think you will enjoy it.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Have you ever wanted to run away from home? Hick is a runaway film starring, Chloe Grace Moretz as the lead, Luli who flees Nebraska to go to Las Vegas. We get a short glimpse of what her family is like on her 13th birthday seeing that she has an alcoholic father and an absent-minded mother both who give her a pistol for her birthday present. Next, she sees a commercial on television, inspiring her to find happiness in Las Vegas. This ensures Luli’s thrilling odyssey, hitchhiking across the country encountering fascinating characters and experiencing life first hand itself.

The logline states:

“When she runs away to Las Vegas, a Nebraskan teenager needs every ounce of her resilience and humor to overcome the obstacles she encounters.”

Hick is thrilling, humorous, and extremely entertaining. It could be one of the best movies that I have seen in the last nine months. Although it is not clear what Luli learned at the end, I believe that she is not supposed to learn anything because who cares? What is a teenager supposed to learn from her major life experience? This is a significant issue that most viewers have with this film but, it is okay for Luli not to know what she learned or gained. Not every movie needs to have a lesson or show a character change. That is a formula and expectation that has always existed in all forms of storytelling. Don’t you just want to watch someone go through a thrilling adventure?

Chloe Grace Moretz was phenomenal in this film. I believe in due time that she will be our generation’s Audrey Hepburn and a multi-Oscar winner. In fact, she will be more iconic than Miss Holly Golightly. The film is beautifully shot and wonderfully directed. It is a beautiful film that features Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, sex symbol Blake Lively, Juliette Lewis, and Alec Baldwin. What more can you ask for from a movie?

Chloe Grace Moretz gives Luli this great aura that makes her likable. Her performance is brilliant, making her a strong female lead for films to come in the future. This is a film that will make you think twice about running away or make you want to run away depending on how you look at it because the journey that Luli takes us through is one that we should live vicariously through. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t learn anything, she is thirteen for cripes sake. If there is anything you need to learn from Hick, enjoy the journey and not the destination.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

What is inside the head, inside of the head? This is a question that we ask about many artists across all mediums of art. Frank is a film that explores that very notion. Michael Fassbender plays the titular character, Frank, a songwriter who is always wearing a papier-mache mask.

The logline states:

“An aspiring musician joins a band of eccentrics led by an enigmatic singer == who wears a fake head — and his unstable girlfriend.”

Sounds crazy, right? Well, this dark comedy is fantastic. The cherry on top is that Maggie Gyllenhaal plays his unstable girlfriend. She is so phenomenal.

The story is told from Jon, played by Domhnall Gleeson, a keyboardist who joins Frank’s band. When Jon first encounters Frank, he is so intrigued by him that he drops everything that he is doing to join the band. What this film delves into is the subject matter of how people become so intrigued by the “individual” type in our society. We explore the fascination that Jon and his new quirky-weirdo bandmates have with Frank.

We learn that Frank is no different from you and I. He is human like all of us. But, he puts on this mask and creates this alter-ego that enables him to be an artist with the potential of becoming a symbol. It gives him a sense of confidence that he could metaphorically do a cross-over three-point jump shot in the NBA and make it every time like Steph Curry does. The best part is, he never takes the mask off. But, what happens to Frank when he takes it off? Watch the film and find out!

This film works on so many levels because it is so weird. It works as a comedy, a bromance and a memoir.

Breaking away from a conformist society is hard, and that is why it is so hard to be an individual. Following Frank’s development in this film shows us how and why people follow musicians because artists are the people in society who set the norms and trends because they are individuals. People like to follow individuals because it is admirable, and it gives us a sense of inspiration. It is not every day that we quit everything, that we are doing to join a band or to do anything that crazy in regards to being part of a movement led by someone like Frank. More importantly, this film tells you why we like to follow the “individual” and the secret to being a successful “individual” in today’s world. I think that secret is we want to know what is in the head of the artist, inside the head of the individual.

Moreover, my favorite part of this film is how the story tells us how hard it is to be someone like Frank; and that is why most people are too afraid to step outside of the realms of conformity.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

After seeing Into the Wild for the first time last night, I realized how great of an actor Emile Hirsch is, and I wondered why I haven’t seen him in very many things lately. I decided to write a recommendation one of Emile Hirsch’s earlier films that I cherish very heavily, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boy’s, a coming of age film that is based on the novel by Chris Fuhrman. The film center’s around four boys making comic books, dealing with the ideals of the Catholic church. Despite being a coming of age film, I genuinely think that this movie is about the new world order versus old world theocracy.

The logline  states:

“Eight-grade Catholic school boys plan a prank on a mean, one-legged nun after she punishes them for having drawn an obscene comic book.”

This film switches from real live action to comic book animation going from reality to the superhero world that the boys in the film create. This makes the film incredibly offbeat, creative, and truthful. This film’s theme is about friendship and bonding together to oppose a common enemy. The story plays so well with the four altar boys because they are incredibly relatable, acting like punk nosed eight graders who cuss and think about girls and superheroes all day long.

It is sporadic that you can see a group of teenaged boys pulls off an excellent acting performance. Emile Hirsch easily carries the entire film, and he does not let the likes of Jodie Foster intimidate him on screen. He holds his own against a two-time Oscar winner. Jodie Foster plays the film’s antagonist who is a nun, which the altar boys hate. But, Kieran Culkin steals the movie in every scene that he is in.

This film has ample conflict and a plot twist at the end, which keeps you engaged. Most importantly, this film will take you back to the stupid crap that you use to do as a kid, making it a perfect blend of comedy and drama. Discover how these four boys create their own world to rebel against their teachings of what the Catholic Church is trying to instill in them while learning that mixing reality and fantasy can stir a pot of trouble.

These four boys represent “progression” and new ideas in the world, so it is exciting to see how they combat their beliefs against theocratic authority. Altar Boy’s is a powerful film and is a must watch for people between the ages of 13 and 17. This film is the 2000’s version of Stand by Me but better because it has a way better ending.

Well, in my opinion.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director, based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I choose to do the Minnesota United Football Club, nicknamed the Loons. Their unofficial mascot is the state bird of Minnesota, known for its beautiful voice. They are typically found singing in Northern Minnesota on the lakes, and at every MNUFC game the fans do a lot of singing. The fans are known to sing “Wonderwall,” by Oasis, during every game. Singing this song in the right key is a lot easier to sing in key than it is to sing with a loon. These are all truths. In advertising, if you write a headline with a question, you want to make people think rather than answering “yes” or “no.”

Here is ad 28 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Tupperware plays a bigger part in the world than we think.

When most think about Tupperware, we perceive an image in our minds of parties thrown in the ‘60s where women would promote the product. But, most don’t know the significant impact that the brand has had in the world’s carbon footprint.

Since their inception in the ‘60s, they have used their products to make a positive impact around us. Not only does Tupperware cut down the world’s carbon footprint, but it cuts down on waste as well. Tupperware’s products have always been driven to increase the mortality of the planet. Never on the surface were Tupperware parties designed to create awareness and profit. Beneath that surface, they were meant to get communities together to help spread awareness about a solution to preventing food waste.

Waste today is destroying our planet through pollution. No Time to Waste has been the brand’s longstanding initiative to reduce food waste around the world. This mission has always been designed to create new, reusable, and sustainable products with better technology to prevent single-use plastic from entering oceans.

Tupperware has been a quiet leader amongst purpose-driven brands, a pioneer ahead of its time. Right now, they have outlined a vision to meet all of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

They plan to reach these goals by continuing their longtime collaborator, SABIC to develop new innovative material from mixed plastic waste called circular polymers.

By 2025, their products will be delivered to consumers with biodegradable and compostable materials. With that, they are on pace to eliminate 100% of poly plastic bag waste in the ocean in 2025.

Tupperware is teaming up with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to bring a global reach. For them to achieve their goals, the partnership will bring awareness for consumers to return their current Tupperware products for them to be recycled and repurposed. When they are returned to their customers, they will receive new products that are made with certified circular polymers. This enhanced return process is the first step in achieving their brand purpose-driven goals to be completed by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Instagram Shopping popular among younger users

What are our distribution channels, and how are they changing? This question has been a mainstay in the marketing world for the past 100 years, and it applies to inventory and point of sale practices.

When generations are changing, trends are as well. An analytics company, GlobalData, reports that close to 40% of shoppers between the ages 16-24 are now using Instagram Shopping to purchase items through the apps advertised posts.

Instagram is a powerful tool for advertisers because of the efficiency, and low costs to promote posts. More and more businesses big and small are using this point of sale advertising method to generate revenue, giving purpose-driven brands more awareness and the ability to get exposure along with their bigger brand counterparts.

Most importantly, it is imperative that purpose-driven brands capitalize on this opportunity due to the shopping habits of the growing demographic. The reason for this ever-increasing trend is because Instagram provides a more personalized advertising and shopping experience.

Abundant resources aren’t needed for purpose-driven brands to invest heavily in boosting their mobile sales, and with a continuing growth from 40% why wouldn’t anyone brand want to seize this opportunity?

Love Planet and Beauty’s initiative in reducing carbon footprint.

Hair, skin, bath, and beauty company, Love Planet and Beauty is a growing company who uses their products to promote reducing the worlds carbon footprint on the rise.

Their mission is to spread its ethical initiative of using responsible ingredients, reducing waste, saving water, and honest footprint counting.

LPB is working toward three new product innovations by 2020, enhancing the health of skin and hair to preserve the beauty of our planet.

They sell vegan products with no chemicals like butane and propane in them, promoting being vegan or vegetarian as well. LPB encourages power showering, having a planet-friendly wardrobe, recycling, purchasing ethical brands other than themselves, and avoiding aerosol products.

LPB’s philosophy is that small acts of taking action to be more environmentally conscious can make a difference, no matter how little it is. They believe it can either start with purchasing their products, recycling, or taking shorter showers.

They have innovated newly developed products such as vegan dry shampoo, fast dry shampoo, and conditioner, and their bottles are even 100% plastic recycled. Every ingredient they use only come from sustainable products and are continuing to do even more so annually on their long journey to protect the planet through enhancing their consumer’s beauty.

Like a successful ethical brand, LPB does not view their consumers as customers, but as people who partner with them to helping them achieve their goals of sustaining our planet’s beauty.

LPB has yet again proven that success comes with a purpose.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

If you want to be part of the cult that will give this comedy a “cult” following, then this film is for you to get on the bandwagon with. In this subtle yet relatable comedy, we see Jason Bateman’s character, Joel Reynolds, the owner of an extract factory, struggle to figure out the differences between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing because being a victim of temptation feels so right because it is so wrong.  If you’re a fan of Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, Office Space), then this film is for you. We witness hilarious interactions between Joel and many other quirky characters that challenge the idea of his strong morals.

The logline states:

“His employees are rebelling, and his wife may be having an affair. No one life was going to be easy.”

The quirky characters in this film star Kirsten Wiig as the lonely housewife, Mila Kunis as the sexy con artist, Ben Affleck as the philosophical bartender, T.J. Miller as the goth-rocking metal head who plays in a lot of bands, J.K. Simmons as the ignorant assistant manager, Gene Simmons as the lawyer and David Koechner as the irritating neighbor. Jason Bateman plays the only regular character, and he does a beautiful job balancing the film with all of these hilarious characters providing the movie with his passive aggressive portrayal of a successful business owner.

Now, that is a winning comedic cast if I ever saw one.

There are a lot of storylines that come together in the film. Cindy, played by Mila Kunis, is a sexy drifting con artist who looks to make her next fortune. While Jason Bateman’s character, Joel, is about to sell his company. When a factory accident happens injuring Joel’s best employee, he is on the verge of being sued. Cindy decides to date the injured factory worker and helps him hire a lawyer to help him sue the extract company so she can reap his rewards.  She also applies as a temp worker in the extract factory so she can meet the injured employee. This is where she meets Joel and charms him to death, making him want to cheat on his wife. Joel then gives Cindy a job based on her looks and passion for “extract.” Being tempted by Cindy’s charm, Joel vents to his philosophical bartender, played by Ben Affleck, about his feelings. This is where he consults Joel to hire a gigolo to see if Joel’s wife will cheat on him so that he can get a free pass at Cindy. The hilarity continues to ensue as the story unfolds.

Cindy and Joel mirror each other very well in the film. Joel represents all that is good but yet wants to do wrong whereas Cindy is the complete opposite, trying to do right but doesn’t know how. This comedy teaches us that doing the right thing and being truthful prevails over time, whereas being a lying deceptive cheat may only have short term benefits that bite you in the long run.

This is a great date night, family night, bro night film to watch. Its humor is something only the mind of Mike Judge can create and execute. The characters are loveable, making the film so engaging. This is a phenomenal low-key film that is really fun to watch.

​That is why I am going to make a bold prediction saying that this film is going to be a cult classic, so jump on the bandwagon before everyone else does!

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Accenture Strategy Managing Director Explains the Rise of Purpose-Driven brands.

Purpose should be the focal point for brands to find success. A strong cause helps improve adding good in society, along with showing consumers what your brand stands for. It is essential for brands to make a relevant connection with their consumers, and to take action towards their purpose.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Bill Theofilou elaborates on the importance of purpose-driven brands and how companies can find success. He believes that purpose is the reason why companies exist and inform every business decision. With a defining tone, Theofilou, suggests that for companies to activate their brand purpose, they need to ask themselves simple questions such as:

Why does the brand exist?

What role does it play in customers’ lives?

What challenges does it solve?

How would the world be different without it?

Nike, Dove, and Lego view their consumers more than just buyers. Instead, they see them as people who invest in a relationship with their brand. Developing meaningful relationships provides authenticity in a day and age where consumers won’t accept anything less. Customers are smart and can easily see if a brand doesn’t follow through on promises, making it more imperative for brands to stick to their initiatives.

Theofilou believes purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive because companies that stand for providing social good have a higher chance of achieving success. If a brand offers a keen perception and connection to consumers, then results can be driven to be even higher than profit-driven brands.

To be effectively fruitful, companies must establish the prerequisite for competitiveness in the market. They need to understand the sense of belonging through a clear purpose to drive engagement, loyalty, and growth.

Theofilou emphasizes that being disingenuine isn’t profitable. A brand’s purpose must be real. Otherwise, people will direct their disposable income elsewhere.

Kellogg’s Partnership with Make No Kid Hungry.

Millions of kids start their school days on empty stomachs because there isn’t enough food at home, or breakfast provided at school.

Kellogg’s doesn’t want to have any kid go hungry before school starts and have been taking the right steps for the past six years to make this vision a reality.

They are passionate about providing nutritious breakfast for hundreds of thousands of kids across the US. Since 2013, Kellogg’s has partnered with No Kid Hungry, a non- profit organization geared towards preventing food insecurity.

With No Kid Hungry, Kellogg’s is making it easier for schools to make free and reduced-priced breakfasts part of the regular school day.

Breakfast provides a child with a full stomach, making it easier for them to concentrate in class versus fighting a growling stomach. With their annual donations of over a million dollars to No Kid Hungry, Kellogg’s can help schools afford to pay for kids to eat breakfast. They firmly believe in this initiative because of the importance of what breakfast can give to a growing child every day.

The company mission is also contributing to Kellogg’s Breakfasts for Better Days cause, committing to help end hunger. This will include the expansion of educational nutrition programs so that millions of children can reach their full potential.

Ethical Brands can be Affordable.

With the misconception that every purpose brand such as TOMS, Patagonia, and Nike are expensive, here are three brands that prove this stigma to be incorrect.

These three brands created business models around being purpose driven, whereas more prominent companies such as Molson Coors, Nike, and Kellogg have had to revert to repurpose themselves to consumers. Hence, making these brands the new wave of entrepreneurial ventures based with purposeful meaning towards providing good to society.

Avocado Green Mattress makes vegan mattresses that consist of organic latex, cotton, and wool. Their purpose is to provide affordable beds made without toxic chemicals.

Cleaning products are filled with chemicals that are harmful to the home. Dropps is trying to change the game, providing natural, affordable cleaning products for every room in your house.

Sex trafficking is becoming a louder and louder issue, and it won’t be quieting off anytime soon. This is why Starfish Project is taking it in their own hands to inspire hope to sex trafficked victims. By purchasing their jewelry customers will contribute to Starfish Project’s community outreach programs. These programs help provide shelter, food, education, and counseling.

This power trio of brands doesn’t take any shortcuts when it comes to their ethics. They make products that stay true to their purpose and are working hard to provide more accessibility to more consumers.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director, based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I choose to do eye drops. I’m forcing myself to be as simple as possible.

Here is ad 27 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director, based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I chose SLIPXSOLUTIONS, a luxury bath mat. This is an absurd product to do an ad for. I wanted to make an ad for a magazine and to make it look and feel like a very old school ad that would break all of the rules. The market I am trying to hit is the millennial female market that likes unnecessary beautiful things. You know, basic girls. God Bless them. I wanted to talk in a snooty tone, suited for a women’s magazine like Cosmo, People, or whatever magazines women are reading. I don’t know.

Moreover, the left side is the front page of the ad. Once you turn the page, then you will see the right side. You probably have to zoom in to read the copy. Thank goodness for technology.

Here is ad 26 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel 

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo