Kenneth Cole
 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction R Tech Wallet Leather Case for Compact Digital Cameras Tan $1.99 Time Remaining: 22d 23h 43m Buy It Now for only: $1.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Photo Video Case Black $14.99 Time Remaining: 5h 56m Buy It Now for only: $19.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction R Tech Wallet Leather Case for Compact Digital Cameras Tan $2.49 Time Remaining: 22d 23h 35m Buy It Now for only: $2.49 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction R TECH Small Brown Leather Camera Case NEW $9.99 Time Remaining: 1d 7h 40m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 kenneth cole reaction leather camera case R Tech NEW $7.99 Time Remaining: 5d 2h 44m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Padded Camera Case Large Excellent Condition $12.99 Time Remaining: 21d 5h 10m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
 NEW Kenneth Cole Reaction R Tech Rubber Camera Case for Digital Camera $8.99 Time Remaining: 3d 22h 17m |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction R Tech Hard Case Black NEW $9.59 Time Remaining: 24d 7h 16m Buy It Now for only: $9.59 |
 Lot of 3 Brand Name Camera Cases Kenneth Cole Sony Cybershot $13.99 Time Remaining: 22d 20h 22m Buy It Now for only: $13.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Leather Digital Camera Case $6.98 Time Remaining: 22h 7m Buy It Now for only: $6.98 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Camera Case Black $10.88 Time Remaining: 2d 20h 27m Buy It Now for only: $10.88 |
 Lot of 4 Brand Name Camera Cell Phone GPS Ipod Cases Kenneth Cole Eddie Bauer $12.99 Time Remaining: 24d 23h 54m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Camera Case $3.99 Time Remaining: 3d 5h 37m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 KENNETH COLE REACTION R TECH Leather Camera Case New $14.99 Time Remaining: 28d 23h 45m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction R Tech Case Tan 557973tan $5.98 Time Remaining: 25d 19h 56m Buy It Now for only: $5.98 |
 R tech Kenneth Cole leather camera case black $21.99 Time Remaining: 23d 8h 29m Buy It Now for only: $21.99 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Mini Camcorder Case 554585 $35.00 Time Remaining: 18d 1h 3m Buy It Now for only: $35.00 |
 Kenneth Cole REACTION Camera Case $6.50 Time Remaining: 6d 10h 14m |
 Camera Case Kenneth Cole Leather Wallet Combo $8.99 Time Remaining: 27d 7h 25m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 Nylon Leather Kenneth Cole Reaction digital camera case NEW $10.00 Time Remaining: 5d 3h 35m Buy It Now for only: $10.00 |
 Kenneth Cole Reaction Dark Blue Camera Case NEW $11.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 18m Buy It Now for only: $11.00 |
 R tech Kenneth Cole leather camera case black $18.99 Time Remaining: 23d 9h 8m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 KENNETH COLE REACTION R TECH PHOTO VIDEO CASE CARRY BAG $42.08 Time Remaining: 28d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $42.08 |
 Nice Looking Kenneth Cole Reaction Nylon Camera Case $5.50 Time Remaining: 6d 1h 9m Buy It Now for only: $7.50 |
 Kenneth Cole R Tech Leather Camera Case Black NWT $24.99 Time Remaining: 1d 5h 20m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 |
 Kenneth Cole R Tech Neoprene Camera Case Black NWT $24.99 Time Remaining: 1d 5h 26m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 |
 Camera Case Kenneth Cole Leather Wallet Combo $7.99 Time Remaining: 26d 21h 25m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 KENNETH COLE REACTION black leather camera case $3.99 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 37m Buy It Now for only: $3.99 |
| Account limit of 2197 requests per hour exceeded. |
The Soul of Soles
It’s the first thing they teach you in ad school:
No puns.
Puns bad. Puns very bad. In advertising, puns went out with the manual typewriters. I do my best to avoid them like lepers.
Nevertheless, I’m fascinated with Kenneth Cole and his new book, “Footnotes” (get it?). It’s a biography/corporate history/ad campaign retrospective/ego-boost book. With a shoelace as a bookmark bound in the spine.
To look back on his advertising as a whole, Kenneth Cole has broken nearly every rule and thrown out most of the conventional wisdom that creatives tend to follow.
Kenneth Cole’s advertising is chock full of bad puns, bad wordplays, bad art direction, controversial thoughts and very little detail about the merchandise.
And you know what? The work is unbelievably effective and cool.
I won’t make this a fawning book review—I just want to highlight some lessons I wish we could apply to our often-fearful clients.
1) Be consistent. The fashion world changes constantly. But generally, Kenneth Cole ads have changed very little in 20 years. Most have one line of copy, which is made to look as if it’s a quote from Kenneth Cole himself. A singular voice, literally. But from fashion to politics to new store openings and holiday sales, any point can be made with that singular voice. And usually, one ad=one thought.
2) Be relevant and topical. Yes, Kenneth Cole errs on the side of political correctness, but he makes you think. His ads have addressed AIDS, homelessness, the aftermath of September 11th, political campaigns, abortion, gun rights, crime, etc. All with a dash of wit and intelligence. Much of the ads can be open to interpretation—and in some cases, misinterpretation. But when was the last time an ad moved you to think about anything? What do your clients’ brands stand for?
3) Be great. In the book, he says something brilliant:
“A bad ad is at best embarrassing and, at worst, damaging to the business; for all practical purposes, a mediocre ad is no better than a bad one: you define yourself as a mediocre company, compromising the relationship with your customer and worse, you spend money to do it.”
Don’t you wish you had a client who would say that?
I don’t believe shoes, in general, are any different from vacuum cleaners, soap, lawn mowers, or health insurance. However, the Kenneth Cole brand reflects Kenneth Cole’s personal beliefs. The advertising expresses those beliefs. He displays the kind of courage we keep wishing other clients would have.
At most agencies, if you proposed a campaign that was as simple, direct, and potentially controversial as Kenneth Cole’s, you’d be laughed out of the room. And if you weren’t laughed out of the agency, you’d be laughed out of the client’s boardroom.
It’s very sad that when it comes to being courageous most marketers have, well, cold feet.
Kenneth Cole wouldn’t stand for that.
About the Author
Branding. Religion. Censorship. Office politics. Global politics. Sexual politics. And getting drunk during a job interview.
Since 2002, Danny G. (a.k.a. Dan Goldgeier) has been writing the most provocative advertising columns ever published. They're all witty, thoughtful and probing, and a must read for those who want a perspective rarely seen in traditional industry publications.
An Atlanta-based copywriter and ad school graduate, Dan has worked at shops big and small. He reads incessantly about advertising, and is a whiz at rock & roll trivia. Learn more about him by visiting his copywriting website or AdColumnist.com, the View From The Cheap Seats Archive website. You may also find articles by Danny G at TalentZoo.com.
Sonny Caberwal - We all Walk in Different Shoes