A couple of weeks ago, the head of marketing for my one client called me and asked, “Is this ‘Drive-Thru Creative’?” I laughed. “I’m serious,” she said, “I don’t know anyone who can come up with a creative idea as quickly as you can.”
Anyhoo, one of her associates contacted me last Friday with a last-minute request for assistance in “rounding out” and “editing” an email that the HR director had drafted to announce the theme for the company’s annual, “Haunt the Digs” Halloween event. The previous year, the theme had been “Dungeons and Desks,” and each department competed to transform their cubes into a some sort of castle. This year’s theme would be “Candy Land,” and each department would compete to decorate their cubes based on one candy from a proprietary list of 32.
Here is the beginning of the email written by the HR director:
For a SWEET group of employees! You are all SWEET TARTS for everything you do for our clients and XXX [the company]. You deserve 100GRAND every PAYDAY. You bring such ALMOND JOY when you help them with funding and WHATCHAMACALLIT else you do for them.
The problem was that several of the candies referenced in her draft were NOT on the proprietary list; thus, the call to “Drive-Thru Creative.”
I looked at the list and wondered if there was a way to get EVERY candy on this list in the email. THEN . . . while I found the HR director’s draft rather clever, I decided to push the envelope, er, candy wrapper.
Could I do the email as a “Haunt the Digs” version of, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”? The challenge was set. About an hour and a half later, I submitted the following to the client:
‘Twas the countdown to “Haunt the Digs”
and all through the place,
[Company] departments were excited
about what theme they would ace.
“Dungeons and Desks” had been a hit a year ago –
What theme could top that, they wanted to know.
When out of HR came the theme, “Candy Land,”
and they knew right away their department must plan.
They didn’t want to be Nerds, Suckers, emit Snickers, then dismiss,
So they set themselves to choosing candy from a proprietary list.*
Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s, Skittles and Dots,
Every kid you know loves these lots and lots.
But then there’s Mounds, 100Grand, Sixlets and Payday –
And Tootsie Rolls, Gummy Bears, Gum Drops and Milky Way.
What about Jolly Ranchers, SweetTarts and 3 Musketeers?
They’re all great, but we also need volunteers.
But wait, Cotton Candy, Candy Necklace, Candy Cane and Candy Corn —
What to choose, between Twix and KitKat— departments were torn!
Don’t forget M&Ms, Ring Pops, Jelly Beans, Taffy and Licorice sublime
We’ll throw in Peppermint Patties and Whoppers to finish the rhyme.
For more details, read the rest of this email for we have nothing to hide,
Because at [Company], we’re all Stars, Bursting with pride!
*See so-and-so about the list.
15 responses to “On A Roll”
As most of you know, I don’t carry around a lot of self-esteem. But let me just say it (challenging myself not to reference a candy on the proprietary list): I’ve got a lot of Smarties for this sort of thing, and I don’t shop on Fifth Avenue or look for Mr. Goodbar.
I’m always amazed at how you are able to create things like this. I would not know where to begin with such an assignment.
Good job. And Candy Land was my first board game. It brought back memories.
Thanks, Adrienne — I wish I could find more projects like this.
I’m trying to think of my first board game, and can’t remember. All I remember are card games like, “War,” “Old Maid” and “Authors” (which was a separate set of cards).
Once again, your Smarties earns another Payday! Hope it’s 100Grand! Congrats on a job well done … and of course, once again, going above and beyond all expectations!
Thank you, dear Beth. I had a hoot completing this project, especially after I gave myself the challenge of replicating “‘Twas, the Night . . .”.
It was kind of like solving a puzzle. I sat here looking at that proprietary list, wondering how in theeeee hell I was going to get all those candy brands in this email, and then I remembered, “Now Dasher!, now, Dancer!, now Prancer and Vixen!” etc. I don’t know if those are the actual traditional names for Santa’s eight reindeer or if Clement Clarke Moore made them up, but I assumed he had to work with them, so I decided to work with the candy names I’d been given.
I’m always fascinated by the split second between not seeing an idea, and then suddenly, there it is. Thank you, muses!
Aww…….what a “sweet” post! I woke up early this morning and what a great way to start the day reading your post. When I checked my blood sugar this morning, I was a bit scared that my glucometer was going to blow up. It’s been a long time since I thought about so much candy. I love the whole post, but especially the last line! xoxoxo
Ah, you’re the sweet one, Merrie Lee. To assist you, every time you think of Candy, think Celery! I say that because I’ve been eating a lot more of it lately, substituting bread for it. Long story . . . anyhoo, thanks for reading and posting!
Such fun! And truly amazing that you could come up with this in such a short “drive-through” period of time. Brilliant!
Thank you, Carol. Again, I bow to the muses.
I love your client’s name of “Drive-thru Creative.” Yes this description is accurate. You are creative on a moment’s notice and you LOVE it. Simply Amazing. I remain absolutely baffled that you are not in HUGE demand. More evidence of how wacky are world is, I guess. Anyhoo, job well done. Bravo. Of course the client loved it.
I remain baffled, too, Charlotte, that I am not in more demand. Maybe the message is that I need to be taking advantage of my creative prowess for my own stuff, except that isn’t lucrative, at least for the past six years or so . . .
This is great! (And I’m not sugar-coating it!)
Thanks, Kelly — coming from you, who’s a principal in her own ad agency — that means a lot. And for some reason at this very moment, I’m remembering the time we flew to California on business and reenacted nearly the ENTIRE “Airplane” screenplay. Gosh, that was a hoot. I’m serious, but don’t call me Shirley.
Sharon, you always amaze me. You have an incredibly creative mind, that makes connections and develops concepts that are clearly beyond most of us [or at least beyond me}. Love you, kiddo.
PS: I’m so grateful to my wife for forwarding me a copy of this.
DAVID!!!!!! WELCOME TO SPARK AND SPITFIRE! How wonderful to have your voice and perspective here. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and then for commenting.
Love you, too.