Episode Transcript
Rob Broadfoot 0:19
All right, Episode 50. We made it, Rob. Can you believe it?
50?
Don Mock 0:23
Yeah, five, zero.
Rob Broadfoot 0:25
Five decades, half a century.
Don Mock 0:27
It’s amazing. It’s amazing. It only feels like we’ve been doing it for five episodes.
Rob Broadfoot 0:32
It’s 50 Shades of podcasting.
Don Mock 0:35
All right, well, hey, welcome back, everybody. Episode 50. I thought, or you thought, I guess. What’s a great reveal for what we’re going to talk about?
Rob Broadfoot 0:43
I don’t know. Ruminations on 50.
Don Mock 0:47
Yeah, I think that’s the fun idea. Right. Let’s Just talk about fifty. My initial idea for 50 was, do anniversaries even matter? Right, from an advertising branding perspective?
Rob Broadfoot 0:58
Right. Okay, good save. I was gonna say if your wife heard this,do anniversaries matter…
Don Mock 1:03
Personal anniversary, right. But when brands advertise, “oh, it’s our 25th year, it’s our 50th year…” There was a big thing about Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers is all in the news because of the HBO and HBO max and the this and the that, Discovery, the whole disaster, right? But it was 100 years of Warner Brothers. Look at all the entertainment we’ve provided over the years. They did all these cool logos with all the characters, we got Bugs Bunny. Does that matter? Does it matter that Warner Brothers has been around for 100 years? Is that a good thing? Or is that honestly like a bad thing? Like, oh, that’s a dinosaur. Who wants to deal with that?
Rob Broadfoot 1:40
Here’s my non-answer answer.
Don Mock 1:44
Hit me.
Rob Broadfoot 1:45
Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. It totally depends on the context, the brand, the company, the product, the everything.
Don Mock 1:51
Yeah. My generic answer to this was going to be, it depends on the industry, for sure.
Yeah.
Rob Broadfoot 1:55
If you think about… I’ll Just start top of mind. Okay, Ford.
Don Mock 2:01
Yes. Okay.
Rob Broadfoot 2:02
Well, when Ford celebrates their centennial, or whatever.
Don Mock 2:05
Yeah.
Rob Broadfoot 2:05
Is that an important milestone?
Don Mock 2:07
Absolutely. Sure.
Rob Broadfoot 2:08
They first produced cars.
Don Mock 2:11
Yeah, well, it’s the fabric of Americana. And that’s the assembly line, the whole shebang.
Rob Broadfoot 2:17
Yeah and that’s, to me, you’re talking about, hey, we created the created category in cars.
Don Mock 2:24
Totally.
Rob Broadfoot 2:25
And we’re still doing it. So that to me, grounds them in knowledge. Yes. You know what I mean? A knowledge base that they discovered, invented, produced, all of the things. In other cases, no.
Don Mock 2:39
Doesn’t matter when Facebook turns 25.
Rob Broadfoot 2:41
If Levi’s jeans turns 50?
Don Mock 2:44
Yeah. Well, they’re over 100.
Rob Broadfoot 2:45
Well, yeah, okay, fine. So they’re 150, Levi’s jeans. Do I care that Levi’s jeans have been around for 150 years? No, no. Are they comfortable? And do they fit me to today?
Don Mock 2:58
Do they? I don’t know. Yes? I don’t think I’m wearing Levi’s, but I’m wearing jeans.
Rob Broadfoot 3:03
It was a rhetorical question, but if you want the honest answer, I generally don’t wear Levi’s.
Don Mock 3:08
The look you were giving me, though.
Rob Broadfoot 3:11
You know, for a product like that, I don’t care. You know what I mean? Because that’s an everyday, “does it matter to me today?” type of product?
Don Mock 3:19
Yeah, I think some some longevity brands. And I know that sounds ridiculous to say out loud when we’re talking about doesn’t matter. But yeah, to your point forward, I think there’s definitely some chest-beating moments for certain brands, I think, as we we are just… Gosh, daily pulled into the technology, right. I can’t even speak right now. I don’t know that I want my tech companies to advertise that they’ve been around, you know, for 15, 20, 30 years, right? Because then it feels like we’re not cutting edge anymore.
Rob Broadfoot 3:49
We’re dated.
Don Mock 3:50
We’re dinosaurs.
Rob Broadfoot 3:51
Yeah. McAfee security.
Don Mock 3:53
Yeah (laughing).
Rob Broadfoot 3:54
- was awesome when they started yet is that relevant anymore?
Don Mock 3:58
Makes me think of Barracuda.
Rob Broadfoot 3:59
Right. Right.
Don Mock 4:01
That guy’s a lunatic.
Rob Broadfoot 4:02
If you think about a philanthropic organization, like… let’s pick on the Red Cross for a second. Yeah. So the Red Cross been around forever?
Don Mock 4:12
Sure. Sure.
Rob Broadfoot 4:13
And that’s “we’ve been doing good forever.” And that to me, lends a lot of credibility to the organization. Yeah, it reminds people how much good they’ve done in the world.
Don Mock 4:23
Great point. Great point.
Rob Broadfoot 4:24
Then it makes sense, I think in that context.
Don Mock 4:27
Yeah. Understood.
Rob Broadfoot 4:28
So again, I think it’s Just one of those… It totally depends, but I think a lot of companies do get caught up in that celebration of whatever-it-is when oftentimes the consumer doesn’t really care.
Don Mock 4:43
Yeah. We haven’t celebrated at any of our anniversaries.
Rob Broadfoot 4:46
No.
Don Mock 4:47
We could have done a 15 year deal.
Rob Broadfoot 4:49
Right.
Don Mock 4:51
Is that important to our customers? No, probably not.
Rob Broadfoot 4:53
I don’t think so.
Don Mock 4:56
It’s probably more important to creditors and business-to-business. Like, “Oh, okay, these guys have been around for you know, they’re not a fly-by-night organization,” right.
Rob Broadfoot 5:04
I can see also with larger clients how there could be a perception of stability, sustainability. Stability and longevity and “these guys aren’t going anywhere.” He’s not a fly-by-night operation or whatever.
Don Mock 5:19
Agreed.
Rob Broadfoot 5:20
So I can I can see that.
Don Mock 5:21
All right, that’s the first topic on 50. What else you think about 50? I’ve got another random little tidbit.
Rob Broadfoot 5:26
Go ahead.
Don Mock 5:27
Oh, I was gonna say, in thinking about 50… And we’ve talked about sports a lot on this podcast. The NFL Super Bowl is famous for Roman numerals.
Rob Broadfoot 5:37
Sure.
Don Mock 5:38
Right. It’s always Roman numerals. That’s the whole jam. Don Cheadle had that great voiceover about Roman numerals for that one, you know, commercial and whatnot. However, Super Bowl 50 was the one they did not use Roman numerals. There’s no Roman numerals for. =.. well, there is. The Roman-
Rob Broadfoot 5:57
You can construct it.
Don Mock 5:58
Well, the Roman numeral for 50 is L.
Rob Broadfoot 6:00
Right?
Don Mock 6:01
Right. So it’s Just those singular letter and it was like, Okay, well, you can’t have a big old L.
Rob Broadfoot 6:07
That would look weird.
Don Mock 6:05
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So that is the only Super Bowl logo that actually uses numbers, the 5-0. Then they have the Lombardi Trophy in between. So symmetrically, it works from a design perspective. I think maybe they made it gold or something. I could be wrong on that. But they changed up the color scheme. So it wasn’t all silver, because it’s always silver, because the Tiffany trophy is silver. That’s another thing I was thinking about with 50. It’s this kind of an interesting factoid, the Roman numeral being L, but then the perception of wins and losses and you know, loser. Yeah, right. So what else you think about when you think about 50?
Rob Broadfoot 6:41
Well, if you’re asking me pers0nally.
Don Mock 6:43
I know what you’re gonna say. “I feel like it.”
Rob Broadfoot 6:45
I know.
Don Mock 6:45
Well, do you want to actually put that out there?
Rob Broadfoot 6:47
Of course. I don’t care. Yeah, I’m so let’s see. So today is Friday. So I have two more days, where I’m turning 50.
Don Mock 6:58
You don’t look a shade over 48.
Rob Broadfoot 7:00
I know. I’m a sexy beast.
Don Mock 7:04
So you think about a big birthday? I mean, we’re halfway home. Right? I mean, is that what is? The goal is to get to 100.
Rob Broadfoot 7:10
it’s weird because for me again, personally, there’s so many swirling thoughts around that. My first thought, my wife asked me she’s like, “Well, how do you feel about the impending turning 50?” My, my shoot-from-the-hip answer was, “Wow, I made it to 50.”
Don Mock 7:31
I love that.
Rob Broadfoot 7:31
It was my first answer. And we got a kick out of that. Not, but it’s funny because I’ve been thinking about it because I’m talking to people obviously.
Don Mock 7:38
And it’s here. It’s not on the horizon.
Rob Broadfoot 7:40
No, it’s here. It’s here. And I remember distinctly when my parents turned 50.
Don Mock 7:46
Okay.
Rob Broadfoot 7:47
As a kid and thinking, wow, my parents are old. And you remember the old like, Over the Hill hat? It had like the fishing bobbers on it. All the little tchotchkes? Yeah. I think my dad got one. I think I gave him one of those when I was 50. That whole thing.
Don Mock 8:07
And yet, here we are.
Rob Broadfoot 8:09
And yet here we are. And it was funny because I to my youngest daughter, she was like, Dad, you got a big birthday. comin’ up. And I said, Yeah, I’m turning 50. And she’s like, wow. And it was that implied, “Wow, you’re old.”
Don Mock 8:24
You’re a dinosaur.
You’re a dinosaur. Yeah, I remember, to make us even feel older. I remember going to my dad’s 40th birthday at this Italian restaurant, in San Francisco and thinking, “Man, he’s old, like 40.” So it’s same thought of like, I don’t remember what everybody did for their 50th birthday. But just remember, like, “God, you guys are old.”
Rob Broadfoot 8:48
Yeah, it’s like end-of-life old was the perception I think.
Don Mock 8:51
Yeah. Yeah. Like you’re on the downslide.
Rob Broadfoot 8:55
But you know, I subscribe to the… it’s funny because I feel like and I was talking with one of our clients actually yesterday about this and, due to a recent skiing injury this year… because I was asked “Do you feel like you’re 50?” Because oon the outside, yeah. I just injured myself. And you pull a muscle and bending over in the shower, whatever it is. Yeah. Thankfully, it was a ski injury. So I was actually doing something.
Don Mock 9:25
Yeah, it wasn’t the oh, I coughed and broke a rib, those kinds of
Rob Broadfoot 9:28
I was drying off and I pulled a whatever.
Don Mock 9:33
Those things are starting to happen, though. You move in a weird way, and you got a tweak.
Rob Broadfoot 9:40
But you know, my other answer was like, on the inside, you’re always… I mean, again, falling under the cliche “age is just a number,” you’re always who you are, no matter how old you are. You’re always the person that you are, no matter how old you are. Now that kind of changes and evolves. Maybe this is why I got in trouble in this particular incident. But when I’m out there skiing, in my head, I’m 15. Yeah, I’m not 50, I’m 15.
Don Mock 10:15
Okay, not 25?
Rob Broadfoot 10:16
Fifteen, fifteen. And I say that because my my stepson who’s 14 is the one who led me to this skiing accident. I was trying to keep up with him. So I was acting absolutely his age. Yeah. So in my head, I’m 15.
Don Mock 10:35
We’re more brittle now than bendy. You know when you’re 15 ,you’re still bendy. Now we’re stiff.
Rob Broadfoot 10:40
We’re seasoned, is what we are.
Don Mock 10:44
We are like a fine wine or… What? A dry aged ribeye or whatever it’s called.
Rob Broadfoot 10:50
We are wise, wise.
Don Mock 10:53
All right, what else about 50? Any other 50 topical thoughts? I might be out of ideas already.
Rob Broadfoot 10:59
I don’t know. I’m just trying to think of other musings. on 50.
Don Mock 11:05
It’s not a 50 thing. But as you get older, all of our favorite albums now… 25 anniversaty. “This album was released 45 years ago” And you’re like, Oh, Lord!
Rob Broadfoot 11:17
Funny anecdote about that. We’ve talked about before, we both love the metal? You’re rocking the Iron Maiden shirt today.
Don Mock 11:26
Yeah, absolutely.
Rob Broadfoot 11:28
So our good friends over at Metallica are putting out and they got a new album out? Right? 72 Seasons.
Don Mock 11:37
Do you know what the backstory behind that name?
Rob Broadfoot 11:38
It’s the beginning of their 18 years of-
Don Mock 11:42
yeah, its first 18 years of your life is actually boiled down to 72 seasons.
Rob Broadfoot 11:46
Yeah, right. And so-
Don Mock 11:52
I interrupted to train of thought.
Rob Broadfoot 11:53
No, no, it’s okay. So all week long, they’ve done a residency on Jimmy Kimmel. So they’ve been playing Kimmel late night, every night.
Don Mock 12:01
I had no idea. Okay.
Rob Broadfoot 12:02
That’s awesome. They’ve also been on Howard Stern. I mean, they’re promoting all this stuff. And they’ve been playing and they’ve been playing and they’ve been rockin. It sounds good. They rocked last night, rocked Master of Puppets, which has had this crazy resurgence because of Stranger Things. They rocked Master of Puppets last night and I watched it this morning. I can’t stay up that late because I’m empty almost, and I got to bed early.
Don Mock 12:24
Sure.
Rob Broadfoot 12:24
But I watched it and they totally kicked ass. It sounded so good. So I ended up, last night, I laid in bed and I watched the entire Cliff Em All movie.
Don Mock 12:36
Oh, the old school?
Rob Broadfoot 12:37
The original Cliff Em All movie, which for those who don’t know-
Don Mock 12:40
Is that on YouTube? Or where is that?
Rob Broadfoot 12:41
Oh, yeah. You watch the whole thing on YouTube.
Don Mock 12:43
Nice.
Rob Broadfoot 12:43
For those who don’t know, it’s an it’s an old documentary movie that Metallica did back in the mid 80s.
Don Mock 12:50
I mean, that’s probably all VHS stuff. Right?
Rob Broadfoot 12:53
Oh yeah, it’s back when Mustaine was in the band.
Don Mock 12:56
Oh, wow. It must’ve been 30 years.
Rob Broadfoot 12:59
It’s awesome. So most of the performances that they highlight in it were from 83, 84.
Don Mock 13:09
So Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning.
Rob Broadfoot 13:10
They formed in 81. There’s a lot of footage from the Master of Puppets tour. It’s like 83-84 era. I was sitting there watching it. I mean, they’re rockin.
Don Mock 13:21
I’m gonna call that the sweet spot of Metallica.
Rob Broadfoot 13:23
Cliff Burton headbanged like nobody’s business.
Don Mock 13:26
It’s a windmill.
Rob Broadfoot 13:28
I mean, you thought Newstead could head bang. He learned everything he knows from from Cliff Burton. The major rager on the fourth string MF-er.
Don Mock 13:36
Absolutely.
Rob Broadfoot 13:37
As it were, but I’m watching this last night and in my head. I’m like, “this was 40 years ago.”
Don Mock 13:43
I know.
Rob Broadfoot 13:44
These guys are rockin 40 years ago. Then on Kimmel last night-
Don Mock 13:49
They’re rockin.
Rob Broadfoot 13:50
I mean rockin, like rockin.
Don Mock 13:52
That’s cool.
Rob Broadfoot 13:54
I also heard Lars talking about all of these bands… I mean, Maiden, still touring.
Don Mock 14:04
Still rockin’.
Rob Broadfoot 14:05
All of these bands are still-
Don Mock 14:06
I couldn’t be happier about that.
Rob Broadfoot 14:07
Ozzy… barely hanging on.
Don Mock 14:09
Yeah. Ozzy, we’re done here.
Rob Broadfoot 14:10
He’s coming out for a couple of things.
Don Mock 14:12
Is he?
Rob Broadfoot 14:12
Yeah, whatever that is-
Don Mock 14:15
Oh, that thing out in Indio, California with everybody.
Rob Broadfoot 14:17
Guns and Roses, Ozzie, and AC DC and Metallica and Tool. It’s the greatest lineup ever. Old geezer.
Don Mock 14:26
Well, when you’re 50, that’s what you know.
Rob Broadfoot 14:27
My gosh, these bands. Guns and Roses is still around. All of these crazy bands. And that’s kind of a testament to young at heart. These guys are these guys are still rockin.
Don Mock 14:38
Absolutely.
Rob Broadfoot 14:39
Arguably, some of them might should hang it up. Like Kiss needs to be done, I feel like.
Don Mock 14:44
Yeah, that’s a different conversation. That might be an interesting podcast in and of itself. Is kiss actually a band or is it just-
Rob Broadfoot 14:54
No, it’s just a marketing machine.
Don Mock 14:55
It is a marketing machine. I mean, I know they’re-
Rob Broadfoot 14:57
They’re just a merchandising company.
Don Mock 14:59
It’s always the flack about the Kiss coffin. I mean, that’s what everybody always makes fun of. But to me, that has nothing to do with anything. It’s everything else. It is a true marketing machine.
Rob Broadfoot 15:09
Oh yeah, that’s an amazing story in merchandising and branding and marketing.
Don Mock 15:15
Absolutely.
Rob Broadfoot 15:15
Gene Simmons is a genius. Lunatic, but a genius.
Don Mock 15:19
Agreed, agreed, on multiple levels. Anything else about the old 5-0? Coppers? You think of cops when you think of 50.
Rob Broadfoot 15:29
Yeah, try and avoid them as much as possible.
Don Mock 15:32
The 5-0.
Rob Broadfoot 15:33
Shout out to our good friends at the cops. We love the cops.
Don Mock 15:36
Sure, sure we do. All right.
Rob Broadfoot 15:40
That’s what I got. Musings on 50. I’ll tell you what, we’ll do a podcast on the other side of 50. In a few days and we’ll see if everything I said comes true.
Don Mock 15:49
Yeah, I’m sure it will. All right, everybody.
Rob Broadfoot 15:53
All right, thanks for tuning in. Enjoy the weekend, everybody. And we’ll talk to you later. Oh, no, wait, we didn’t tell people where to find us. No. We’re out of practice.
Don Mock 16:02
We’re rusty.
Rob Broadfoot 16:04
“Where can people find us?” you ask. They can find us on the interwebs at mocktheagency.com and, of course, on the socials @mocktheagency. So drop us a note, ideas, comments, any of that good stuff. We will talk at you next time
Don Mock 16:16
Thanks.
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