The Alchemedia Project is tickled to introduce the newest member of our team—Junior Producer, Matt Pendergrass. With the addition of Matt, there have been confirmed sightings of producers Lori Fritz and Jason Stanley smiling, breathing easier, and even slowing down long enough to eat lunch (at their desks).

This is Matt's Face

Matt is a graduate of Missouri State University with a degree in Advertising and Promotion, and a minor in Logistics. From the smart things he’s contributed so far, we’ll assume he was at the top of his class or at least sat near the front.

Before joining TAP, Matt spent his days as a Senior Account Executive for a marketing firm in Kansas City where he whet his appetite for program management, marketing strategy, and wicked efficient spreadsheets. At TAP, Matt provides quality control on interactive projects, resource allocation, and day-to-day maintenance of Jason and Lori.

Thanks for joining the Project, Matt. We’re glad you’re here!

Build Your Own Show at Fireworks Supermarkets

It’s almost the 4th! The time when we Americans celebrate our patriotism with glorious displays of  grilling, swimming, and of course, fireworks. And this year, we can light our punks in confidence thanks to the new “Build Your Show” feature from Fireworks Supermarkets.

Last month, The Alchemedia Project launched the new Fireworks Supermarkets site featuring a unique new tool for the fireworks enthusiast. The “Build Your Show” section allows visitors to choose their favorite fireworks, place them in the desired sequence, and watch a custom video that shows just how the products will perform. Ka-pow!

But we’re not the only people who think it’s cool. StellaShopper, a blog reviewing the best of online retailers, called the site “a quick fix to all of your fireworks frights . . . never again will you light a firework not knowing exactly how to prepare for the effect and to execute the display safely.” The review goes on to praise Fireworks Supermarkets for their commitment to safety, industry involvement, and satisfaction guarantee. Way to go Fireworks Supermarkets!

TMN Magazine

The annual Marlin Network NRA Breakfast is upon us, and this year it brings a revealing new twist—archive footage. One tour around the TMN Magazine site and our eyes are still raw from the nostalgia.

Marking the first 25 years of Marlin’s agency adventure, the breakfast is both a celebration of the past and a rally for the future (with great optimism that the fashion/hair sins of the 80s need not be repeated). The whole TAP crew is busily making packing plans to attend the historic event on Saturday, May 22. Scrambled, wheat, links, please.

Iron Man 2 opens in theaters on May 7th.

Melinda prepares for Patagonia

For the geography savvy, John Garner Pass is somewhere around Latitude:-50.96893, Longitude:-72.86873. For the rest of us, think down. Way down. As far as you can go before hitting the water that separates South America from Antarctica.

Melinda Dean, TAP User Experience Designer and hike-maven, is inspiring us all with her current trip to Patagonia. In her last contact with TAP, Melinda says

“Just wanted to let you guys know we are headed into the park by bus today from punta natales. we had to stay the night here and catch a new bus this morning. we will get there and hike for about 3 or 4 hours then set up camp. we should be back off the trail on the 16th. love you guys and will try and send another email when we are off the trail.”

Go Melinda Go! We are so proud of you and excited to hear about your adventure. Thanks for reminding us how big the world really is.

Marlin Network High Road Rally Wins Judge’s Choice Interactive

Aw shucks. TAP would like to thank the AAF for making our debut at the local Addy Awards show so aerobic. Recognized for excellence in every media category (print, broadcast, and interactive), TAP visited the awards stage second only in frequency to the dessert table. “It was great to see our  work recognized alongside our peers in the local advertising community, ” said Lori Fritz, TAP Integrated Producer and Hello Kitty fanatic. “It was inspiring to see so many industry professionals come together to support work they were passionate about.”

Gold Addy for Care to Learn www.caretolearnfund.org

In addition to Gold Addys for both radio and television, TAP walked out with two of the event’s top awards–Best of Show Print and Judge’s Choice Interactive. “We’re a new agency, with new ideas for the new consumer,” notes Tim Bade, TAP Creative Services Partner.  “We explore the most effective media mix for our clients, so it’s really meaningful to be commended across mediums.”

Best of Show Print for Pyramid Foods

Special thanks to our partners at DEEP for all their contributions on the Marlin Network High Road Rally website (Judge’s Choice Interactive Award Winner), to the crew at Pyramid Foods for making locally sourced beef more accessible (Best of Show Print Winner), and to all our clients who partner with us every day to create award-worthy work. Thank you!

Take away the ad, the social media campaign, and the 12-page brochure. When it’s dark and quiet and your brand name is sitting there all alone with your customer, what is it saying about your product?

The best names tell your story when your story is still at the printer, hidden behind a 404, or trapped in the trunk of your sales team. Call it relevance. It’s what makes products/features/benefits meaningful and memorable. (NOTE: Relevant names shouldn’t be mistaken for functional names, which are a danger zone of unownability.  If you find a functional name that’s available, and not completely forgettable, please share. It needs to be documented and studied.)

The best names are also distinctive (because they represent what’s distinctive about your product within the category). Go where the white space is–a lush pasture of emotional and experiential language. I hear ya that “emotion” and “experience” sound like someone is going to hug you after the presentation. But this style of name can be both 1) relevant and 2) available. Embrace them.

And third in my list of unnumbered name suggestions is talk traffic. If it’s hard to pronounce or goofy to say out loud, it’s a hindrance to pass-along. You want people to talk about your brand and tell their friends. So avoid the awkward—not the unusual—just the awkward. (Unless you want to pump gobzillion dollars into launching your new lexicontrific product.) Basically, if it’s too difficult or embarrassing for your customers to share, they won’t.

There’s also the “make sure it doesn’t mean something naughty in another language” test. The “if you push the words together does it spell something you don’t want it to” test. How does it work in a url? Does it look like its mother? How soon will it wear out? Etc., etc.

All that said. Naming is tough. And wonderful. And one of the most important things we can do for a brand. Thanks for trusting us with your babies.

Shawn Finger is Creative Director and Writer for The Alchemedia Project.

This honor is a testament to the great things that can happen when strategy, idea and execution work harmoniously. Congratulations to our partners, Marlin for bringing the big thinking and to everyone on the Alchemedia team who knocked it out of the park with flawless execution.

The DPAC Awards honor excellence in digital publishing and advertising with categories covering all aspects of the wired world. To see the complete list of finalists and winners, check out the DPAC site.

Together with our food matchmaking buddies at Marlin, The Alchemedia Project was recently named a 2009 DPAC Awards finalist for the Grilled & Lonely website we co-created for Bush’s Best Foodservice.

Pairing lonely meats with their side dish soulmates, the site provides menuing ideas, product descriptions, and acess to the program’s Facebook and Twitter extensions. Directly  from the office of Mr. Lonely Grill himself, the Twitter feed provides menu relationship advice while inviting participation from operators.

The DPAC Awards recognizes overall excellence and breakthrough achievement in Digital Publishing and Advertising. Winners will be announced December 8 in NYC.