Denuo - denuology.com

It should be noted before going much further in reading this that a) it is a Friday night, b) It was one of those weeks that required a glass or three of wine in the evening and c) I had a vendor meeting and subsequent work conversation fresh in my head that probably influenced all of what you are about to read.

For those that know me and have gotten a ride home from work with me, you know that I don’t deviate from my route.  That is important to note only because this evening, while waiting for the light at Ashland and Damen, I noticed a billboard looming above me—yes, I said billboard and yes, I think it was calling to me.

It was as simple as simple can get; a bottle of Maker’s Mark to the left with a bordered box in the center with the words “FRIEND US” written in blue.

 

 

I immediately knew that it was a call-to-action to Facebook “friend” Maker’s or more accurately, become a fan.  While fan pages are not new news, it dawned on me that the billboard was essentially the new version of someone signing me up for an email or direct mailing listing at a bar when I was in my 20’s but with a big difference.  The action that I took when I got home was on my own terms and required me to hand over no personal information and interact with no one.

I’m already a Facebook member and avid user and becoming a fan of Maker’s required significantly less effort than getting invited to make a new profile in a private community that I’d fail to remember to log into more than once in a blue moon.  Which makes one wonder, or more accurately me, if the days of private communities might be numbered for certain marketers in certain categories? I’ll actually leave that last question unanswered and pick that line of thinking up at a later date (it is a Friday evening after all).  But as I trade out my evening wine for a Maker’s and Ginger, how could I not, I continue to be impressed by the flawless execution of an analog asset with a digital message that connects me to a brand long after I’ve passed through the green light.