Our Blog

Throwback Thursday - United Airlines and New Orleans

It is Throwback Thursday at The Specialist Works US and today we have selected a 1960s ad for United Airlines (featuring New Orleans) to highlight. Interesting in its bold graphics and colors, we love the presentation. In looking at the ad though, we have to ask ourselves if focusing on the destination rather than the service you are selling the right call for the advertiser.

Destination envy may be the emotional trigger to call someone to action to book a trip, but is the strength of the messaging for United sufficient to make the connection? I want to go to New Orleans, but do I want to go there on United? While we normally embrace the clean format of ads, we think this may be a miss. 

Art Tuesday - Lino Cuts

It is Art Tuesday at The Specialist Works US and we are featuring one of our favorite executions, the Lino Cut! This rose and skeleton imagery will fall into our Tombstones for Media collection, but we wanted to highlight it as a piece of Art first. Bold graphics in black and red are reminiscent of the spot color used in older newsprint ads. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the rose, and the severity of the skeleton is shocking. It will turn some people off at a glance. When you look closer though, the detail of the bird skeleton is actually quite beautiful. This piece brings the question to the forefront: “Do shock campaigns turn off buyers or make them think and look further?” 

Art Tuesday - The Summer Solstice

Today, June 21st is the longest day of the year. The Summer Solstice marks the change in seasons abut it also represents a point in the year after which all other days will be shorter. Time is a thief. 

Seasons are thieves, but they are also times of rebirth, change, and in all of their power there is stark beauty. The change into summer from spring is much like our recent change to being part of a larger business family - very full of light. 

To celebrate this "brightest" day of the year, we have selected our sunniest art piece for Art Tuesday. This pottery piece is on the verge of kitsch, and stretches our concept of Art, but the ruddiness of the clay made us love it for its tactile character. Shine On! 

Press Release TSW acquisition of Elarbee Media

The Specialist Works Acquires US Agency Elarbee Media   -Agency expands growing portfolio with first US acquisition -
London 16th June: Award-winning media agency The Specialist Works (TSW) has acquired a majority stake in US digital, print and product agency Elarbee Media, it was announced today.   The deal represents further progress in The Specialist Works’ strategic objective to become the first global performance media network.   Elarbee Media will be re-branded as The Specialist Works from Friday 17th June and will be led by President of Elarbee Media, Kelly Elarbee, working closely with CEO and Founder of The Specialist Works, Jim Lewcock in the UK.     TSW and Elarbee Media have been working in partnership for a number of months prior to the acquisition, with TSW UK clients Charles Tyrwhitt, Boden and The White Company already accessing the US market via Elarbee Media.     Jim Lewcock said: “This is an exciting opportunity for e-commerce businesses needing low-risk launch and aggressive growth in the US. Kelly and the team are impressive. We’re delighted to welcome our first specialist US service as we increase our international reach.”   Kelly Elarbee said:  “We are excited to be part of a fast-growing, global family. TSW’s expertise will super-charge what we do for US clients and we are already accessing the US market to European businesses.”   Atlanta-based Elarbee Media’s clients include US satellite provider Dish and e-commerce stationery retailer Expressionary.   The Specialist Works has offices in London, Kent, Bath Sweden, Germany and Republic of Ireland. About The Specialist Works: The Specialist Works is the game-changing customer acquisition network, founded on the firm belief that a specialist always gets you a better return than a generalist. The agency has an enquiring, disruptive approach that shows in your campaign results, allowing you to grow your marketing spend with confidence.    About Elarbee Media   Elarbee Media is an advertising agency specializing in media buying and direct response marketing. With over 20 years’ experience in the advertising industry, Elarbee Media specializes in aligning brands with effective media placements and relevant channels.                           

Happy and Safe Memorial Day

 Elarbee Media wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend. In honor of Memorial Day we want to take a moment to thank everyone on active duty, and all of those who have served. We truly appreciate the sacrifice that you have made for our comfort and freedom.

Art Tuesday - Walking House by Lee Laney

It is Art Tuesday at Elarbee Media and today we are highlighting a painting recently purchased at Artsapaloosa. This work by Lee Laney of Uncle Lee’s Folk Art is painted on board. It spoke to us because it is representative of where we are as a company right now. When a house is truly a home, it is a haven from the outside world. It offers stability and warmth, and does not change unless you change it. But what happens when your house starts walking? Our house is starting to walk, and we are interested to see where it is taking us. While stability and freedom from change are good things in moderation, too much of them can make life stale. Adventure and the unknown are part of growing, and we are very excited that our “house” has decided to take us for a walk. Walk on! 

Non-Cocktail Friday the 13

The internet was flooded today with hockey masks as worn by Jason, the main character from the Friday the 13th movies. I bring you a much less frightening, but incredibly beautiful mask in its place. Leaving lunch, i found this amazing doodle on a neighboring table. Brown paper and crayons make any lunch better, especially a cocktail-free one.

Profit with a Purpose - PTSD Foundation of America

This is the image of an antique helmet turned upside down. It is almost unrecognizable for what it is unless you have seen it yourself. We use it in our post today as representative of what many of our veteran’s feel when returning home to try to resume “normal life”. 

We were recently pleased to be challenged to recognize the PTSD foundation of America and Camp Hope by one of our favorite client’s The Go Solution of Houston, TX. Their efforts to support Camp Hope through a shrimp and craw-fish boil were forwarded to us, and we were so impressed we decided to join in. Special thanks to Rob Calbert for helping us coordinate our own effort at Elarbee Media. Our staff donated, and we matched their contribution. It may not have been much, but it was certainly heart-felt. 

We are lucky to have another Texas based clientExpressionery.com, who challenged us at the same time to write 30 personal letters in the 30 days of April. Special thanks to Brandie Jewel for pushing us to do so. We have been richly rewarded. 

Enclosed with our donation, we wrote a note about what a veteran’s service means to us and as a company with many military connections that can not be under-rated. We were thrilled to get a personal note back. 

While we don’t pretend to have changed the world, we do hope that more companies we work with challenge us to be better people alongside being better business people. These two Texas based companies are great examples of how that can be done on a small or large scale. We thank you for it. 

To all of the veteran’s that have served, and all of those who are still serving this great nation, we thank you for your service. We know what we owe you, and wish you all the best. PTSDUSA.ORG

#expressionery #thegosolution#PTSDFOUNDATION #Camphope #proudamerican
Show less — with Rob Calbert, Brandie Uecker Stephan Jewell, Expressionery and The Go Solution.

Profit With a Purpose - Students Raise Awareness

At Elarbee Media, we know we have a role to play in our local the community. We love giving back, but sometimes we need the inspiration of someone else's leadership to see how to do it. We got that inspiration in April from students at Warren T. Jackson elementary school. 5th grade classes were put in charge of their own IB charity projects, and the results were amazing. Our staff was very excited to get behind charitable efforts that were spearheaded by young, but very empathetic students. 
In one of our favorite efforts, students requested donations of projects, games, books and puzzles to help other young people in recovery, that needed to be occupied while they were still healing. 

Great project, and we were happy to be involved even in such a small way. 

Derby Day

Cocktail Friday. Kentucky Derby.  One would expect mint julip, so here it is:
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Powdered sugar, 2 oz. Bourbon whiskey, 2 teaspoons Water, 4 Mint leaves
Preparation: In a highball glass gently muddle the mint, sugar and water. Fill the glass with cracked ice, add Bourbon and stir well until the glass is well frosted. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Served: On the rocks; poured over ice
But that's what we will serve at tomorrow's Race Day Party.  Today, we sip Tab Cola and ready our finest millinery!
Enjoy Kentucky Derby Day .