1. Spend more time with family and friends –
Virtually.  Get an iPhone. This allows for Facetime and Words with Friends, you can’t really ask for more personal time than that.

2. Exercise more-
Start using a whole body vibration system  that will get you ultra fit by literally just standing there. Money!

3. Lose weight-
Or perhaps just appear to. Learning to pose to make you look 10 pounds thinner in photos can erase all record that you were ever fat.

4. Quit smoking –
At least hide the fact that you are failing.  Electronic cigarettes – smokeless, odorless, basically undetectable.  No one will ever know.

5. Enjoy life more –
Let us help. Watch this video every day: Surprised Kitty

6. Quit drinking –
We’d like to rephrase this to reduce negative side affects of drinking.
Hangover Pill: It keeps you fresh in the a.m. Cheers!

7. Get out of debt –
And into a new car!

8. Learn something new –
BAM!

9. Help others –
There’s something so rewarding about giving a helping hand.

10. Get organized –
And when this surely does not happen, watch Hoarders to make you feel better about your unorganized filing cabinet you meant to sort through over the past 12 months.

However, with people still cowering in the recession’s shadow, companies are feeling desperate to get some attention before consumer’s shrunken budgets are depleted.  According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF), 61.7% of holiday shoppers report that the economy will affect their spending this holiday season.

With that in mind it comes as no surprise that several retailers/etailers, such as Walmart, Amazon, and Newegg have already begun events such as “Black November” to begin tapping into consumers’ wallets.  Light funds are also leading to consumers seeking extra savings on Thanksgiving meals.  Perhaps there will be no turducken on this year’s table and the country will have to suffer with less than the typical lethargic turkey and stuffing hangover.

There are some other trends that are becoming more prominent this holiday season.  In an ever-increasing digital world, it is no surprise that consumers are shifting their purchases to the playground of the Internets.  Not only is it convenient to shop from the comfort of one’s own home, but the Internet allows consumers to read reviews and instantly compare products across a category to find the best deals on the best products.  A perhaps more surprising find, is that of shoppers surveyed by the NRF, one out of 4 that own a smart phone plan to use it to find their Holiday purchases (through reviews, finding stores, direct purchases, etc.).

‘Tis the season for discounters.  Both on and offline discounters are getting a lot of attention these days.  In particular, there is an increasing popularity surrounding deal-of-the-day coupon sites such as Groupon and Living Social.  These sites pair up with local companies to offer specials on their products/services, often times 50% off or more.  This saves the consumer a good chunk of money, brings in new and additional business to the local company, and provides the coupon site with a small piece of the financial pie.  This is one of those rare occasions from which a win-win-win situation is spawned!

Apparently people are also getting tired of receiving the terrible Christmas sweaters and useless gadgets that are assured to come from some distant relative or unfortunately tasteless parent.  Wish list sites are popping up, such as Svpply, that allow consumers to place items they like on their wish list, where their followers can then go to view and purchase them.  So guess no more Mom!  One drawback to this technique: it requires that said gift giver is capable of successfully using a computer, locating the site, AND making an online purchase.  Maybe we won’t hold our breath.  On the other end, gift-generating sites, such as Wantful, are appearing that will generate the perfect gift based on a set of responses detailing the recipient of said gift.  I’m not sure how well they work, but it can at least provide the clueless with some ideas.

In one last fatal effort to get what they want, consumers are also doing a lot of self-gifting this season, as it appears people have held off on buying some desired items until the holiday sales set in.  The NRF’s survey found that nearly 60% of those questioned planned on adding items for themselves to their list and have allocated on average $130 to purchase these items.

So is it hopeless?  No, not hopeless.  While consumers are keeping their money a little closer this season, there is still expected to be an overall increase in spending from years prior with about a 2.8% increase over last years sales predicted.  So retailers relax, children sit pretty, and shoppers shop on

LUDACRIS!

As companies begin planning for their 2011 annual reports, which many are doing this time of year, they may want to pay closer attention to the way those reports look.  A recent study out of the University of Miami’s School of Business Administration found that investors, regardless of their experience, place a higher value on firms with attractive annual reports than they do on those that produce less attractive reports. The study found that annual reports that utilize more color and better design are perceived to have at least one percent higher annual revenues than those with lackluster designs.

“The role of aesthetics in consumer goods like those you’d find on store shelves has been widely studied, but our research is novel in that we look at this effect in the extreme context of financial decision-making and what we find is just how boundless the role of aesthetics can be,” said Claudia Townsend, assistant professor of marketing at the School of Business, who conducted the research with Suzanne Shu at UCLA.  “Better-looking documents produce increased pride of ownership for a company, and this pride increases valuation.  People are not aware of the effect of aesthetics on their financial decisions and we found that when their attention was drawn to this issue they were able to overcome the bias and make wiser investments.”

“The implications of these findings should point firms in the direction of good graphic designers,” added Townsend.  “After all, it is a lot easier to add color to a printed piece of paper than to add revenue to a company’s bottom line.” The research paper can be found online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740810000677.:

Magneto Brand Advertising can assist your company in creating an impactful annual report. Now is the time to begin planning for your 2011 Annual Report. Contact Paul Landaker at Magneto Brand Advertising to learn more about the services available to develop a powerful and compelling report of your company’s activities last year. Telephone: 503.222.7477 or Email: plandaker@magnetoworks.com.

Check out the spots and a few behind-the-scenes pictures below. Magneto loves creating TV campaigns!

Behind The Scenes:

"El Pulpo Mecanico" mutant vehicle

In the business of advertising, fresh ideas are paramount. Ideas flow from inspiration and inspiration can come from anywhere. This year, Buzz took it upon himself to gather unique inspiration at the annual festival of art, creativity, self-expression and general weirdness known as Burning Man.

A first timer or “virgin burner” as they are called, Buzz took in the sights and melded nicely with the throng of 50,000 plus like an old pro. For those unfamiliar with Burning Man, it is a 25-year-old festival set on a vast playa in the northeast Nevada desert with the notion of widening people’s horizons.

At every turn, Buzz found himself pondering the wondrous sites of Burning Man. Complex mechanical contraptions came out of nowhere and disappeared again into the night. A full-sized pirate ship breezed by with a drunken crew dancing to blaring techno music. A movie theater at the far end of the playa showed American Graffiti with showtimes starting at midnight. Scores of oversized art pieces stood in a gallery of open desert with the mountains and sky as a backdrop.

Fireworks before the man burned

And then of course, there’s The Burn. There are three burns actually. On Friday night an immense and beautiful Trojan horse was rolled out, displayed and then burned to the ground. Saturday night it was The Man’s turn. Standing high atop his massive pedestal and lit up with glowing neon, onlookers watched as the moon passed through his outstretched arms. Soon after, an amazing fireworks display began emanating from the Man which led to his ignition and his eventual demise. The Man burned like you’d expect a bonfire in the summer desert would; hot and fast.

On Sunday, The Temple of Transition, a solemn place where people left remembrances of loved ones was the final structure to burn. Unlike the other two burns, it was very quiet with little celebrating. A reverent, fitting end to an otherwise boisterous and enlightening several days on the playa.

After the final day of Burning Man, everything is dismantled and hauled from whence it came. Then incredibly, crews pick up every last minuscule scrap of debris and cart it away to leave the playa as pristine as when the first people arrived months earlier to begin setting up. An admirable policy of “leave no trace” is strictly enforced.

What’s the point of Burning Man? Depending on your perspective, there’s either no point or it’s an opportunity to experience a creative community focused on self-reliance, participation and experience.

Buzz’s advice if you decide to attend Burning Man is to bring at least 3 things: water, earplugs and an open mind.

Buzz's "Burnlandia" camp flag

Burnlandia compound

Burning Man city

Pirates jump ship for a photo

500 rampant mutant cars

The Temple Burn

29 Ways To Stay Creative

1. Make lists.
2. Carry a notebook everywhere.
3. Try free writing.
4. Get away from the computer.
5. Quit beating yourself up.
6. Take breaks.
7. Sing in the shower.
8. Drink coffee.
9. Listen to new music.
10. Be open.
11. Surround yourself with creative people.
12. Get feedback.
13. Collaborate.
14. Don’t give up.
15. Practice, practice, practice.
16. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
17. Go somewhere new.
18. Count your blessings.
19. Get lots of rest.
20. Take risks.
21. Break the rules.
22. Don’t force it.
23. Read a page of the dictionary.
24. Create a framework.
25. Stop trying to be someone else’s perfect.
26. Got an idea? Write it down.
27. Clean your workspace.
28. Have fun.
29. Finish something.