One of the most expensive aspects of creating quality television advertising can be the production cost. Having said that, it is well worth spending the extra money to ensure that your brand is conveyed professionally. One thing we try to do for our clients is maximize production time when you shoot a spot. Why create just one commercial when, with some extra planning and strategy, you can create a series? That’s just what we did for Hummel’s Nissan with their Anniversary Sales Event. (more…)

Traditions are an important part of every brand. One of Westergaard Advertising’s newest traditions is Hawktoberfest — a celebration of our favorite things — our clients and friends, Hawkeye football, and of course, Oktoberfest beer. The second annual Hawktoberfest was held on October 31st before and after the Iowa vs. Indiana game. The Hawks tricked us a bit for the first three quarters but we were ultimately treated to a great Halloween win by the 9-0 Hawkeyes. We were also treated to have some exceptional clients and friends from all over Iowa make this a memorable day. (more…)

Last week I had the privilege of attending MarketingProfs’ Digital Mixer in Chicago. For two solid days I enjoyed sessions and keynotes from some of the brightest stars in the digital marketing universe. Just Google the conference and you can quickly see that there’s been no shortage of excellent summary posts. For mine, I’d like to add a take from our unique perspective. First, we are an advertising agency as opposed to an in-house marketer. Plus, while we work with businesses of all sizes, we counsel several small businesses that are very interested in how new media can grow their business. Thus my post will look at some of the best conference takeaways by area (social media, search, blogging, email marketing) through the prism of agency and small business. (more…)

Over a year ago, when the Betts Auto Campus became the Willis Auto Campus, the transition campaign we developed featured the tagline The Tradition Continues. Willis has many traditions but few have the reputation of their annual premiere party in October. This event gives new meaning to customer appreciation. Coinciding with the fall release of several new models, the event not only showcases product. Through entertainment, food, and drink, customers are given personal reminders of why they have such affinity for the Willis brand. Typically, Westergaard produced a fairly straightforward event invitation. This year, the client wanted to kick it up a notch. The challenge? Keep the project within comparable costing to last year’s invitation/envelope mailer. (more…)

2009 marks a very special year for Hummel’s Nissan in Des Moines, one of our oldest client relationships. This year they celebrate 80 years as a family owned business and 40 years as a Nissan dealer. To mark this occasion, Westergaard Advertising created a special anniversary campaign. The  cornerstone of which is their new 80/40 logo. Why pick one anniversary to commemorate when you can celebrate both? (more…)