Combining The Not-So-Obvious

Blogger, cartoonist and marketer Hugh MacLeod is a pretty interesting guy. His blog, that features his cartoons, opinions and other random stuff is widely read, and he has become a friend to many techies and marketers around the planet.

His two main marketing clients of whom he blogs often are Stormhoek Winery (a South African wine producer whom he has help launch to international fame...although I still can't find a bottle in Austin, Texas), and Microsoft (that little company in Seattle), for whom he has created the Blue Monster campaign; "change the world or go home!"

What is amazing about Hugh is the talent that he has employed to link the two together (Think of how Malcolm Gladwell can connect kindergarten and the plague). These two random companies with nothing in common have now been joined by the mind of MacLeod and the creation of Stormhoek Blue Monster Reserve, a private wine label exclusively for Microsoft.

According to MacLeod - "The wine is not a commercially available product, just a wee "social object" for geek dinners and people inside the Microsoft ecosystem". This is great marketing. Find two items that seem to have no connection, link them together, create exclusivity, and WAMMO - - people are talking. There is a stir of tech folks who want the chance to be invited to sip this vino.

I love it when two great things come together. When I was a kid and television shows would do "cross-overs" I was hooked (think "Six Million Dollar Man" and "Bionic Woman" or "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley" having mixed episodes that tied together!!). Congrats to Hugh, I think this is genius. Heck, we are talking about it here at Some Assembly Required!

Have A Great Day.

thom
www.thomsinger.com