It’s almost Thanksgiving, Black Collar Club. What are you thankful for? Ha… You don’t have to answer me — but you’ll have to answer someone. And when you do, by Bluecifer’s sculptor, it better be good. Because despite popular media opinion — there’s a lot to be thankful for these days…
More on that later as I’ve got to explain this first. This is the Black Collar Club. And in it I’ll address relevant marketing, advertising, social and cultural “news” in a condensed format sourced from hours of early morning time spent scouring the internet in hopes of finding out what’s REALLY going on in our industry.
Yes, it’s almost Thanksgiving, Black Collar Club. And it seems America’s almost thankful for small businesses. American Express, on the other hand, is all the way thankful for them. So much so, that this Saturday will be their 11th annual Small Business Saturday. And with it, American Express is debuting a holiday themed campaign.
The campaign headlines a spot to the tune of “‘Auld Lang Syne’ by singer India Carney.’ (Ad Age) It features “genuine mom-and-pop retailers, such as Breakwater Books in Connecticut and Coffee & Cornbread in New Jersey.” (Ad Age) And it’s set to debut on Thanksgiving, during “Fox’s Washington Football Team vs. Dallas Cowboys NFL game.” (Ad Age)
The spot is short and sweet but forces us to look long and hard at our current situation. It’s eye-opening. And we can thank American Express and their agency, Dentsu McGarrybowen, for that.
Andy Goldberg, senior VP of global brand management and planning at American Express, says the spot should “serve as an ‘emotional reminder’ of the benefits of supporting local businesses… ‘no matter if it’s curbside, online or socially distanced in-store.’” (Ad Age)
Goldberg went on to explain how “American Express started Small Business Saturday more than a decade ago, but shopping small throughout the holiday season has never been more important than now.” (Ad Age)
And it would seem Americans agree with him as “88% of respondents [to the American Express Shop Small Impact study] felt a ‘personal commitment’ to support small businesses in the wake of the pandemic.” (Ad Age)
Which is great. But not all businesses are able to open. Feel free to have your own opinion as to why.
And speaking of your thoughts… Have you thought of what you’re thankful for yet? Again, I won’t require an answer. But I will give you my own:
I’m thankful for my family, my ol’ lady, my hound-dawg, my friends, my Denver Football Broncos and my American citizenship. I’m thankful for having four working limbs, a brain unimpeded by the burden of big tech and Colony Grill pizza. I’m thankful for the brave men, women and otherwise that fight to protect our freedom. I’m thankful for the job I have and the workweek that comes with it. I’m thankful for the weekend that follows, too. Ha!
But also, Black Collar Club, I’m thankful for you. Sure, I write this thing as a running job application and as proof that I’m hip to the scene. But I also write it for you. I write it so you can have a laugh and even a learn before your day starts. And I’m thankful I have the opportunity to do so.
(I actually like waking up at 4:30 in the morning.)
I’m thankful for your readership. For your comments. For your emails, texts, phone calls, outrage, praise and passion. I’m thankful for all of it, Black Collar Club.
So keep it coming.
That said, I’m going on vacation! First one in… YEEHAW… a while. So I guess I’ll see ya’ when I see ya.
Your Huckleberry,
Jimmy Boy
SOURCES: Ad Age & From the Bottom of my Heart