New client: Crocs!

In case you're been under a rock, Crocs are the funky, super comfy shoes that have become international phenomenon. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when they called me from Colorado, gushed about our clever work, and hired us on the spot. I still don't know who to thank, so if you're the person who told Crocs about us, please let me know so we can reward you handsomely.

New Tagline for Oregon Hazelnuts

We can finally let the cat out of the bag on this one... our new tagline for Oregon Hazelnuts is "Indulgence in a Nutshell." We worked on this through Schiedermayer & Associates in Portland, the same ad agency we work with on Alaska Seafood and Boyds Coffee.

Jelly Belly Class Field Trip

My copywriting students have been working on ads for Jelly Belly Sport Beans, so naturally we had to go to on the Jelly Belly factory tour (about an hour from SF) to see how they are made. In addition to getting free samples, we enjoyed looking at the Jelly Belly portraits of Ronald Reagan and the Pope. Here I am with some of my students in front of the Jelly Belly VW bug.

Talk Dirty to Me

One of my students, Jesse, emailed me and said, "We're working on a project for this new company that comes to your house and cleans up your dog poop for you. Their name is "For Poop Sake," and their tagline is We're #1 in the #2 business." I thought this was something their teacher made up, but Jesse sent me the URL, www.forpoopsake.com, and it is indeed for real. Love the name but think it would be better as For Poops Sake and if the tagline simply said, "We're #1 in #2." BTW, my friends often say "You have the best job in the world!" I don't think these guys hear that very often.

An Award in Sex Talk

No, I didn't really win an award in sex talk. But that is an anagram of my name, Alexandra Watkins. I swear. (You know I swear because I have an award in sex talk.) Seriously, do the math:

Alexandra Watkins = An Award in Sex Talk

Here's another one:

Alexandra Watkins = Drink a Sealant Wax

More fun anagrams from the Internet Anagram Server:

Clint Eastwood = Old West Action
David Letterman = Nerd Amid Late TV
Howard Stern = Retard Shown
Dormitory = Dirty Room
Elvis = Lives
Evangelist = Evil's Agent
Desperation = A Rope Ends It
Slot Machines = Cash Lost in'em
Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler
The Check is in the Mail = Claim "Heck, I sent it (heh)"
Snooze Alarms = Alas! No More Z's
Semolina = Is No Meal
Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
Admirer = Married
New York Times = Monkeys Write
Debit card = Bad Credit
B. Obama for president = Probe: Bona-fide smart!
Democrats win house = A true wisdom chosen

What are some anagrams of your name? Find out at the Internet Anagram Server, then post them here.

This wouldn't fit on a drive-thru menu

I love reading the blog of Tom Colicchio, the sexy Top Chef judge who just opened 'WichCraft near the new Bloomies. Here he perfectly sums up why I have absolutely no interest in writing restaurant menus...

"The other night I ate a great dish: Napoleon of Sourdough Brioche, Artisan Cheddar and minced, aged Hereford, garnished with a Preserve of Cucumber and Dill, and finished with Heirloom Tomato Coulis.

A.k.a.: A Cheeseburger.

I don’t have patience for over-the-top food descriptions, mostly because they seem to say, “look at how fancy this dish is!” and I’m not a big fan of fancy food. I’m OK with food that requires a high level of skill to prepare. And I don’t have a problem with fine dining -- provided I’m in the mood for it. But the word “fancy” speaks to me of pretension, embellishment, the need to impress. About presentation over substance."

The top 10 unintentionally worst company URLs

My namer pal Amy Sherman sent this to me and I had to share it... When naming a company, it's crucial that you look at the domain name selected as other see it and not just as you think it looks. Failure to do this may result in situations such as the following (legitimate) companies who deal in everyday humdrum products and services but clearly didn’t give their domain names enough consideration:

1. A site called ‘Who Represents‘ where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name is...
www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company…
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always
www.ipanywhere.com

8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is
www.cummingfirst.com

9. Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com