Austin Improv

bradisntclever wrote:

Jastroch wrote:I heart improv for all the same reasons you all do, but isn't the primary marketing angle that we are making COMEDY.

Most definitely. In fact, the word "comedy" should be emphasized over improv itself. I recall quite a few threads where people mentioned the automatic association most people have with "improv" and "Whose Line...".

I think you can fulfill both needs. I agree that comedy means more to people than improv at the moment. But I think just saying comedy isn't enough. People get comedy on tv.

One of the slogans proposed last time was something like "Come be in on the joke." It explained the comedy angle but also made "being in on it" a sort of elitist feel. You will see a one time and one time only show and only you and the 45 people sitting around you will ever see it or hear those jokes. So you tell them what it is (comedy), but you also hint at what emotional need it fills (being part of an exclusive group). You could sell it to couples as a bonding thing: "the couple that laughs together, stays together" because you again coer what it is, but add something to it. I think if you *just* sell comedy, your only selling half of what we actually have to offer. You don't dodge the comedy, but you couch it in emotional fulfillment beyonf laughing.

Wes, I love you, but I think you're over thinking this. I agree with you that improv is more than just jokey make-em-ups, but people not in the know don't give a crap. And I don't think that's selling it short. Because I, for one, do this primarily because I like to make people laugh. That's why I have this funny tag line (see: below).

I like "Come Be In On The Joke" just fine, however.

The thing about "NOW WHAT DID YOUR MOTHER TELL YOU ABOUT MAKING THINGS UP?" is that it means more to improvisers than to non-improvisers. I understand not liking the Tell Off Your Boss idea, but I am really pushing to have something that is directly relatable to the audience and then having that inspire them to check out the website.

One of my favorite ads that they put up in NYC subways was a campaign for ABC. They had a series of bright yellow ads with bold black letters that would say things like "Without a TV, how would you know where to put the couch?"

It was clever and it made an association of cleverness with ABC. That was it.

We are not going to explain improv in this ad. We are going to appeal to people on their level and then relate that to what we do.

And there is no marketing commitee and the AIC is not in a state to really make that happen right now. We need to discuss this stuff on the boards and find something that we can run with.

And while I appreciate the feedback that is being offered, it is far outweighing any viable options for taglines. Please offer some tangible ideas, AIC, that we can choose from.

For instance, here is something that is kind of in line with what I am looking for, but may not quite be there:


NOT ALL SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER HAVE CRAPPY SCRIPTS

SEE A SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER MADE THE WAY YOU WANT

MOVIES ARE SO LAST YEAR. IMPROV IS NOW.

feel free to tweak this list or add to it.

"Improvising summer blockbusters every weekend."

"Summer blockbusters without the cameras or scripts."

"This summer, skip the metroplex and make some shit up."

"Making shit up in the heart of Austin, Tx."

"Beat the heat with improv comedy."

"Austin Improv -- the best thing without a script since Norbit."

"Austin Improv -- the best thing without a script since Fantatstic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."

"Austin Improv -- the best thing without a script since Wild Wild West."

"Austin Improv -- the best thing without a script since season three of Lost."

"Summer movies have scripts.
Summer improv has you."

"Summer movies have shitty scripts.
Summer improv has shitty you."

Holy shit.

I really like just "IMPROV IS NOW."

WARNING: My next post (EDIT: next TWO POSTS) will be long and boring, as I am going to cut and paste from notes from a marketing class of mine then explain how they relate to our situation.

If you don't want to read the whole thing, let me bottom line it for you here: The closest person to being on target so far -- in my opinion, based on studying marketing -- is Asaf's very first post on this thread.

ELM (Elaboration Likelihood Model)• Dual Routes to Persuasion
Central Route: Direct, argument / information based: rational approach, make customer think about the ad; does not work to change customers’ preferences and may even polarize them further
Peripheral Route: Indirect, association based: generate a positive association to the brand – usually not many factual points in the ad; often employs humor

Product Attribute-Focused Advertising
• Influence attributes used by customers in evaluating competitive offerings.
Change perceptions of some of product’s attributes.
Change perceptions of some of competitor’s product’s attributes.
Increase or decrease importance weight of product attributes.

Rational / Informational Appeals• Focus on the functional or practical aspects of the product.
Emphasize facts, learning, persuasion.
Persuades audience the brand being advertised satisfies needs better than competition.

Emotional Appeals• Intended to tap an underlying psychological aspect of the purchase decision.
Use humor, fear, and sex to try to achieve their objectives.
May stimulate greater memory of ad and more liking the brand.

Basically what that means is that you can seperate advertisements into two categories: Informational and Image.

From the slides, informational ads are used for taking the "direct route" to the ad. These ads are used to change peoples' perceptions of the product and to differentiate between competitor products. The AIC does not need this.

The image ads are used to make an emotional appeal to people. These ads are more memorable and are strong tools for branding. Sure, we need to "inform" the public about what we do, but the important thing for a new product is to brand itself.

The ad needs to get our personality through. People understand the concept of paying money to sit in a room and watch something that is supposed to entertain them. That's all the information they need to know right now. What they need more is to understand that we're not a bunch of geeks who are going to bore them for an hour and a half with crappy community theater skits or follies.

Sell the image that we're cool; we're hip; we're cutting edge; we're have the same attitude they do, but we express it through comedy. I think of this shoe ad that's in Austin Fit or something that shows the shoe and just explains their attitude of wanting to protect the environment in a really long paragraph. The only "information" part comes at the end that says the shoe is organic or something like that. They're selling the image of hippie tree hugger to sell shoes to hippie tree huggers. It works. I can eat my shoes in a pinch now.

I think the boss one might not appeal to the hip crowd, but something funny is appropriate. One of the best improv flyers I've ever seen is the pgraph one hanging in the staircase of the Hideout that has a list of interesting facts. I read the whole thing about a year ago; loved it; and still remember it today.

I've noticed when you guys respond to say, a new maestro, the response you guys use is "I'll play". I love this. Something as simple as "I'll play" or better yet "Come play" could be really effective and cover both the performing theater and class angles. Short, sweet and to the point.

Asaf - The "What did you're mother tell you..." idea wasn't designed to necessarily be a long term catchphrase. I was just aiming at something that would get a small smile of recognition from most people and pique some curiosity as a one-offer for the Onion ad. Long term I think it's probably too wordy to really stick.

AIC - COME PLAY!

Just read back a bit. "Improv is now" is nice and tight too.

Roy Janik wrote:Holy shit.

I really like just "IMPROV IS NOW."

I do like Improv is Now.

Maybe you could tack something onto it in smaller text that would be funny:

"You missed everything else"
"Don't wait 'till Then"
"Live in the now"
"Hurry!"

Are we against having the lead-in to "IMPROV IS NOW." because while I like it I still want to make it more relatable to the reader.

MOVIES WERE LAST NIGHT. IMPROV IS NOW.

BAR-HOPPING IS FIVE MINUTES AGO. IMPROV IS NOW.



The idea here is that we are setting up ourselves as alternative entertainment. We are appealing to the reader that would be looking for something else to do outside their usual plans. IMPROV IS NOW by itself, once again, feels like it means a lot more to the initiated than the uninitiated.

Here is a mock-up of what I am talking about featuring the lovely Kaci Beeler:

http://www.candycoatedbroccoli.com/asaf ... two.ad.pdf

Asaf wrote:Are we against having the lead-in to "IMPROV IS NOW." because while I like it I still want to make it more relatable to the reader.

MOVIES WERE LAST NIGHT. IMPROV IS NOW.

BAR-HOPPING IS FIVE MINUTES AGO. IMPROV IS NOW.

Here's what I'm thinking. The slogan "IMPROV is NOW" is what we stick to for a year. But we constantly change up the lead-in text.

Movies were last night. IMPROV IS NOW.

Don't wait until "then." IMPROV IS NOW.

So the slogan IMPROV IS NOW is in all caps and some consistent font. The lead in text is in something normal.

Something like this:


Only not involving Times New Roman and Arial.

York99 wrote:Sell the image that we're cool; we're hip; we're cutting edge; we're have the same attitude they do, but we express it through comedy.

Embrace your inner dork/geek/insanity and let it out. That's how you have fun -- by letting go and NOT being cool.

We should not be selling "cool". If we were a fashion related industry, "cool" would be what we should sell. Sadly, people laugh at stuff that's different. That probably ties into those social strings that make us all want to be the same and belong to the group. And laughter is a social cue showing you are in agreement or deferring to whatever is being said.

We laugh at whoever we consider to be outside our social circle -- and for most of society, that usually means geeks, dorks, and outsiders -- people who are a little off-centered and kooky; but it can be the uber-cool, or the snobby elite. Basically anyone not "average".

When I helped organize the photoshoot for the new AIC poster campaign, I think those images where Jeremy & Kaci are being "stupid-happy" -- inappropriatly happy; goofy-happy; insanely happy -- play the best. They made us all crack up -- a lot -- and something that makes us laugh that much is good publicity.

Here's my vote:

COMEDY NEEDS YOUR HELP
[crazy happy photo]
[blurb about needing audience suggestions]
...The Austin Improv Collective: Tackling [boredom/ monotony/ tedium], one audience at a time."

...brought to you by -- AIC: everything from nothing