Trader Joe’s

I really wanted to be an ad copywriter. So, I became one. I created this blog, in that vein. I tried advertising. I didn’t like it. I got shingles.

Deep down, I really want to be an illustrator. Professionally. I’m working on that master plan, and having a great time of it.

Meet Trader Joe’s: My new love, and place of work. I’m a sign artist there, and wear Hawaiian shirts everyday. I can’t believe it’s real. A food store, with corporate culture sometimes described as, “dorky?” Hallelujah.

I am really fortunate to be part of the company. They give benefits to part-timers, among other awesome corporate methods. And the store is just a few minutes away from my house.

I didn’t shop there before I was hired, because I assumed the prices were high. (I was new to the whole idea, having grown up in rural northern Michigan.) I didn’t know there could be awesome, super-affordable food. Now I’m a walking advertisement. Every product has a story, and there are NO sales. No sales! No advertising! There’s something very good and honest about that:

Seths Blog: Lessons Learned from Trader Joe’s
The key mantra is that Trader’s finds foods for its customers, NOT customers for its foods.

‘Visit California’ Commercials

Does California really need to advertise? Really? I thought they were already stealing cool people from the other 49 states.

What about an awesome commercial from Idaho, or Montana? Some great ad agency should pick up on that idea, like Sufjan Stevens’ idea to write an album about every state.

California could have a problem, though. NPR says their housing market is terrible, and foreclosures are ravaging the southern part of the state. They should fix that. Maybe the same people who love these commercials, full of cheesy puns, will love buying those houses.

Illustrious Living