REBUS RECAP: HOFFMAN | LEWIS

Have you ever encountered a brand that didn’t know exactly how it wanted to position itself within the marketplace? A brand that didn’t know whether it wanted to change a behavior, alter an attitude, or create a call to action. In advertising, this is an everyday occurrence. The interesting part is how agencies choose to handle themselves when approached with an unclear strategy. Local agency Hoffman | Lewis has a tried and true approach to this dilemma: “There are ways to advertise that are prudent and efficient, and ways that are wasteful and inefficient.” Choose wisely.On November 10, 2009, 50+ Rebus members came together at Hoffman | Lewis to interact, entertain, and engage in all things advertising. The topic of the night: PBA, or what Hoffman | Lewis has coined, “Performance-Based Advertising.”

A quote from marketing guru Jack Trout and an excerpt from Hoffman | Lewis’s Performance-Based Advertising Model says it best:

“If your assignment is to change people’s minds, don’t take it. ”

The night started off with a brief Q + A led by Mark Schaeffer, president of Hoffman | Lewis’s St. Louis office. The first question he asked the rowdy members of Rebus: “Why are you here? ” Among the most popular responses were to network, to learn, to find out more about different companies, and most importantly, to get some free food and beer. Some things never change.

Next up was Mark Manion, VP and Creative Director at Hoffman | Lewis who entertained the audience with some recent work done for a few of their biggest brands: McDonalds, Ashley Furniture, and Missouri Tourism. Highlights included Office Zombies in serious need of some coffee, Cowboy Dave lassoing low prices in the wrong store, and some 30-second spots that will make you consider staying a little closer to home for your next vacation.

To cap off the event, Hoffman | Lewis brought in the most important piece of the puzzle: an actual client. Brian Hall, Chief Marketing Officer of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, walked us through the process of taking St. Louis from what some consider “flyover country” to what he considers a literal diamond in the rough.

For those wondering what to expect from a Rebus event, here’s what I can tell you: you can expect coolers, cocktails, cameras, and commercials. You will meet creatives, copywriters, account planners, and interns. Most importantly, you’ll make acquaintances, create connections, and establish relationships with the best and brightest St. Louis has to offer.

A special thanks goes out to Hoffman | Lewis for hosting such a fabulous event. Lessons were learned, friendships were made, and stories were shared. We look forward to doing it again in January. So, how about making that New Year’s resolution early and making sure to get on the Bus in 2010!

Find out more about Hoffman | Lewis and see all of their work at http://hlinstl.com