Garfield knows.

This has always been a pet peeve of mine. When someone utters this phrase, I think, “You should try harder.”

I could care less vs. I couldn’t care less

The point of the statement is that the speaker doesn’t care at all. But to say s/he could care less literally means that there is potential to care at least a little less than s/he does right now.Read full post...

We recently launched a skin cancer campaign for the state of Delaware that included two testimonials — Samantha’s story about how she lost her 28-year-old husband Brett six months after he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, and Terri’s story about the seven surgeries she had on her face after years of indoor and outdoor tanning. We placed both videos on Healthy Delaware’s Facebook page to encourage Delawareans to be sun-smart and get screened for skin cancer.
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We needed to face the problem.

Whether enjoying our famous beaches, working outside or just relaxing in the summer sun, Delawareans spend a lot of time outside. So what’s the big deal? Well, ultraviolet radiation from the sun — and indoor tanning — have done some serious damage in the First State. The most recent report from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DDPH) found the state’s melanoma incidence rate is now the fourth-highest in the country. Additionally, many people don’t put melanoma and skin cancer into the same deadly category as prostate, breast, colorectal and other cancers.Read full post...

Our client partners at Sartomer, a business unit of Arkema Inc., wanted to take a step back and look at their position in their industry — chemical ingredients for adhesives, inks, packaging, etc. As any good agency should, we started with research and in-depth interviews with Sartomer managers and customers in the United States, Asia and Europe to assess the brand.Read full post...

Sometimes when people ask me what I do, I say, “I order pens.”

That’s a simplification, but an accurate one. I manage the “outside” items AB&C buys for our clients: printing, billboards, displays, giveaways — that sort of thing.

I’m that annoying person who insists on facts: when, where, how much, what color, what size.Read full post...

How does an ad agency not become the shoemaker’s child?

By doing its own advertising and marketing. As a 43-year-old agency that expanded into the city of Philadelphia — known for cheesesteaks, relentless sports fans and a statue of Rocky at the steps of the Art Museum — AB&C wanted to be noticed. And kick-ass print ads alone weren’t gonna cut it. Giving back to the community in some way seemed like a bright idea. So we came up with a way to help a local business grow, which in turn would help the community grow: a competition — just like the Hunger Games — to find a great business with an innovative idea. The reward? A year’s worth of free marketing services. (OK, it was nothing like the Hunger Games. That would’ve gotten us noticed for all the wrong reasons.)

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Nobody has to tell you times are tough. Budgets are tight. And senior execs at your hospital or health system likely believe your efforts to attract physicians and advance practitioners are getting more expensive. And to an extent, they’re right — because they only look at recruitment as an expense.Read full post...

Taxicabs now offer digital advertising on their signature roof-mounted displays.

When it comes to media outlets our ever-increasing demand for interaction has forced certain traditional forms of advertising to evolve — or risk the fate of the eight-track player.

What comes to mind when you picture taxicab advertising — probably a small billboard atop a yellow car, right?

Well think again. Read full post...

It’s been said that good fences make good neighbors. On the flip side of that, particularly in the advertising industry, open doors create an atmosphere where misunderstandings are prevented and teamwork can flourish.Read full post...

Pete Merzbacher and Philly Bread will receive a free year of marketing services from AB&C.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philly Bread is the inaugural Philadelphia business winner of the Lightning in a Bottle Competition, which was announced in a live awards ceremony held on Thursday evening at the Quorum at the University City Science Center. The competition for city businesses was the brainchild of Aloysius Butler & Clark, a full-service marketing communications agency.

Philly Bread, located on North 5^th Street, is in the initial stages of introducing an improved English muffin, dubbed the ”Philly Muffin.” The company was awarded a year’s worth of free marketing services from AB&C as a result of the competition.Read full post...

Web Health Awards

PHILADELPHIA, PA — AB&C, a full-service marketing communications agency, earned gold, silver and bronze at the Health Information Resource Center’s 16^th annual Web Health Awards. AB&C’s website for Westside Family Healthcare’s Celebrate 25 Years campaign won the gold award. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s DUI prevention campaign and the American Nurses Association’s NDNQI® site both earned silver awards. Finally, bronze was awarded for the agency’s own website, MissingPhysician.com, which enables health systems and hospitals to calculate revenue lost through unfilled physician positions.

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No, not really. It’s a common question and a tough one to answer. What does a graphic designer do? Webster’s defines graphic design as “the art or profession of using design elements (as typography and images) to convey information or create an effect.”

To understand what graphic design is, think about how it affects your life. Just open your kitchen cupboard, your medicine cabinet or your latest issue of (insert popular magazine here). Someone has designed almost everything you touch every day: the label on the cup of soup you have at lunch, the billboard you pass every day on your way to work, even the print on the toilet paper you use to — well, you know. Yep, that is someone’s job.  Read full post...

Pull up your favorite beach chair, grab a drink with a little umbrella in it and take a look at some tourism creative from, you guessed it, those cool characters at AB&C.

Print ad: Southern Delaware

Print ad: Southern Delaware

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Creating a brand promise and reaching out to new niche audiences with that promise is key to the growth of any business, including tourism.

Tourism advertising has changed with the times. Even though people still read magazines and news publications to “think” about where they might want to spend their hard-earned dollars, they do their actual booking and planning online.

Consumers today tune out TV commercials with their DVRs and TiVo’s, opting instead to listen to satellite or Pandora radio. Then they tune out those ads as well.

I’m not suggesting you completely abandon traditional ad venues. But maybe it’s time to reconsider the way you integrate digital and nontraditional advertising into your marketing strategy. Read full post...

Rev. Nicholas Waseline (left) and Rev. Roberto Balducelli (right)

WILMINGTON, DE—In honor of the legendary Rev. Roberto Balducelli, the 2014 St. Anthony’s Italian Festival Cultural Committee will honor Dr. Jack Varsalona with the Rev. Roberto Appreciation Award. Father Roberto, a beloved figure in the Wilmington community for more than half a century, died last year on the eve of his 100^th birthday. St. Anthony’s created this award, named in his honor, to recognize local leaders in the Italian-American community who promote the Italian culture. The Wilmington parish will present the inaugural award to Dr. Varsalona—the president of Wilmington University—at the Italian Festival’s Gala Concert, which will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, at St. Anthony’s on 9^th and Scott in Wilmington.Read full post...