In the Creative Department at DaviesMoore we love doing big concept broadcast spots and we wish we could produce big-budget commercials for all our clients, unfortunately that isn’t financially feasible and it isn’t always strategic. Sometimes a smaller idea or simplified production can be just as effective.

We recently redesigned a website for our longtime clients- Premier Insurance and one of the things they asked for was a video on the homepage to help introduce them to new clients. This was an exciting proposition as most of our creative work for Premier in the past had been in the form of highly targeted print advertising, radio spots, billboards and collateral materials. This spot was not intended for broadcast and had a much smaller budget than your typical commercial shoot, but we wanted to create something that looked worthy of their brand (and their brand-new website) and delivered the intended message in a fun way.

Our “Speed Dating” concept turned out to be the right solution. This simple, direct idea allowed us to utilize stock photos in addition to some new video footage shot by our friend Travis Swartz. We were inspired to get resourceful with some in-house casting and location scouting. We ended up with a great crew of “actors” and shot the spot at one of our favorite downtown hangouts, The Flying M Coffeehouse.

Things fell together nicely and we were really pleased with how the final spot turned out. No, it doesn’t feature any sweeping camera moves, complex action sequences or an elaborate soundtrack. However, it looks great and underscores that Premier Insurance’s mission is to take care of your insurance so that you are free to focus on the things that you are passionate about. As their slogan says: they love insurance, so you don’t have to.

Thanks to our talent: Matt Dalley, Wendi Sievers, Travis Swartz, Ophelia Ramirez and Jeff Nielsen. Special thanks to Flying M Coffeehouse and Kent Collins for the use of their location and the delicious drinks!

MOSCOW, Idaho – “Flagship university” is used to refer to the first established public research university in a given state. A state’s flagship university is typically research-intensive, grants doctoral degrees, and competes in NCAA Division I athletics. In his speech “The Future of Flagship Universities” in 1998, former University of California, Berkeley chancellor Robert M. Berdahl said of flagship universities, “The term applies, in all the cases I can think of, to the fully mature public universities serving most of states.”

Berdahl listed the following three attributes of flagship universities:

“These institutions formed the core of the public systems of higher education in their respective states.”
•  The University of Idaho was established to serve the entire state under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act.
•  The University of Idaho has 70 locations across Idaho.
•  The University of Idaho reaches over 400,000 people a year through its extension offices in 42 of Idaho’s counties.
•  80 percent of freshmen stay for their sophomore year — the highest percentage of any public institution in the state.
•  The University of Idaho ranks third among flagship institutions nationwide for enrolling low-income students.
•  University of Idaho students graduate at nearly twice the rate of any other Idaho public institution.
•  The University of Idaho contributes to our state through research that ranges from agricultural to water, climate and natural resources management.
•  Newsweek magazine ranks the University of Idaho as the third most affordable university in the nation in its “Best Colleges 2012.”

“In most cases, these institutions were the first public universities to be established in their states.”
•  While Idaho was still a Territory, the 1889 Territorial Legislature established the University of Idaho.
•  When Idaho became a State, the University of Idaho was written into the original Idaho Constitution.

“They became the centers for research and graduate education and they developed an array of professional schools that added to their size, scope, and preeminence.”
•  The economic impact of the University of Idaho on our state totals nearly $1 billion dollars annually.
•  74 percent of all research funding to Idaho institutions is received by the University of Idaho.
•  Last year the University of Idaho reported to the National Science Foundation research receipts and expenditures of almost $100 million.
•  During fiscal year 2009 the University of Idaho spent $88,242,000 on research and development – four times more than Idaho State University’s $20,524,000, and nearly eight times more than Boise State University’s $11,955,000.
•  The University of Idaho is the Northwest’s #1 destination for new National Merit Scholars this year.
•  Since 2000, 167 National Merit Scholars have come to the University of Idaho. All other Idaho institutions combined have enrolled 37.
•  The University of Idaho produces more than half of all the STEM bachelor’s degrees in the state.
•  National Jurist magazine ranked our accredited College of Law as 13th in the nation for clinical opportunities among 200 American Bar Association-approved law schools. By comparison, Harvard ranked 20th.
•  Washington Monthly magazine’s College Guide ranks the University of Idaho in the top 100 universities for social mobility, research and service.
•  Forbes Magazine ranks the University of Idaho in the top 20 percent of all undergraduate institutions in the nation in its issue of “America’s Top Colleges” for 2012.

Boise – Luck happens again as the citizens of Idaho became millionaires for the 22nd time in as many years when the Idaho Lottery returned their eighth consecutive record annual dividend for the benefit of Idaho public schools, the State’s Permanent Building Fund, and the Bond Levy Equalization Fund.

On behalf of the citizens of Idaho, this afternoon Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter accepted a record dividend check for $37 million from the Idaho State Lottery Commission and Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson. With this year’s dividend, the Idaho Lottery has now returned $510,800,000 in dividends since beginning operations on July 19, 1989.

“I am pleased to accept this, another record breaking dividend from the Idaho Lottery, on behalf of Idaho’s public schools and our Permanent Building Fund,” Governor Otter said. “This funding will continue contributing to the infrastructure in our schools and around the state for future generations. And every dollar that the Lottery contributes is a dollar less that comes out of taxpayers’ pockets.”

“This year marked a historic achievement in the success of the Idaho Lottery. With this year’s dividend, we have now returned more than half-a-billion dollars to the citizens of Idaho,” stated Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “It was also a banner year for our players, our dedicated retailer network, and for the true winners of the Idaho Lottery, our beneficiaries: Idaho public schools, the Permanent Building Fund and the Bond Levy Equalization Fund. Thank you to every one for supporting us this past year.”

This year’s dividend comes on the strength of $147.2 million in sales that ties last year’s Idaho Lottery record. In addition to the $37 million annual dividend, the Idaho Lottery has also returned $10.1 million in income tax withholdings on high tier winning Lottery tickets since January 1, 2011. Fueled by over $192.7 million in high tier prizes, the Idaho Lottery returned $9.6 million in income tax withholdings in the month of January alone. This was approximately 11.25% of Idaho’s surplus revenue for FY2011. Since income tax withholdings were first started in Idaho in 1998, the Lottery has returned $25.7 million.

The Idaho Lottery’s record-setting year produced seven new millionaires and more $500,000 and higher winners per capita on multi-state draw games than anywhere else in the country since December 1, 2010. For the first time in its history, Idaho recorded a Mega Millions jackpot winner, sharing the second largest jackpot in United States Lottery history with Washington. For the fourth time in five years, Idaho also had a Wild Card jackpot winner. In addition, six players, three on Powerball, two on Mega Millions, and one on the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle won $1,000,000. In total, 19 players won over $200,000 and 154 players won over $10,000, both individual records. This year, the Idaho Lottery paid out over $89,900,000 in prizes other than multi-state jackpots.

And with the record number of six-figure or higher winners this year, Idaho’s local retailers earned record commissions of $8.9 million bringing their 22-year earnings to over $126 million.

Historically, Lottery dividends are shared by the Idaho Department of Education’s Public School Building Account and the Department of Administration’s Permanent Building Fund. Each of those two accounts will receive $17,000,000 this year. A statute change in 2009, which sunsets in 2014, sets aside a portion of Lottery funds above the Fiscal Year 2008 funding level of $34 million for the Department of Education’s Bond Levy Equalization Fund. This year, the Bond Levy Equalization Fund will receive $3 million, bringing the three-year total to $6.5 million since the law was changed.

We recently completed work designing a new advertising, outdoor and web campaign for Idaho National Laboratory and Hart Communications. Our solution highlights just a few of the amazing research projects underway at INL as well as the laboratory’s positive impact on Idaho’s economy, educational system and our environment.

Here are a few print advertisements:

Photos by Kort Duce.

The total number of students includes 1,754 freshmen among the ranks of new students, the second-largest class after last year’s record size of 1780; and an increase in the number of transfer students, 756 or 3 percent from this time last year.

Among incoming new students is a group of 22 National Merit Scholars, who were in the top 1 percent of their high school class; 13 of the 22 are Idaho residents. There are a total of 81 National Merit Scholars now at the university.

“The University of Idaho is creating a sustainable learning environment statewide,” said President Duane Nellis. “The forward momentum – the third consecutive increase – sustains our long-term, purposeful growth in important areas, such as National Merit Scholars, graduate studies and our regional centers. This balanced growth is the result of an institutional enrollment effort and has positioned the university as a destination for student success.”
Read the full story.

DaviesMoore develops new campaign for University of Idaho
This fall, we’re launching a new look for the University that maintains the I-graphic as the primary branding device and introduces the use of the iconic Administration Building as a consistent design element. Strategically, the campaign is rooted in the University of Idaho’s three brand pillars:

1. A student-centered learning environment
2. Globally competitive research and learning opportunities
3. A connected community

Here’s a sampling of some of the new collateral we’ve developed in concert with a new print, television and Internet campaign:

Hello and Wooh! Guess what time it is? It’s Idaho Million Dollar Raffle time! Where some lucky somebody is guaranteed to win a million big ones from the Idaho Lottery. It’s got great odds, tons of cash prizes including four $25,000 winners … not to mention the sweet million dollar grand prize.

Visit www.idaholottery.com to learn more.

DaviesMoore would like to congratulate Karl Malone on his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ever since the early days of MMG, Karl has played a major part in the growth our little ad agency in Boise, Idaho. Through our work with Malone Outfitters, Malone Properties and North Village Plaza, we have come to know and respect Karl for more than his hall of fame basketball career; he is a savvy businessman, avid outdoorsman and philanthropist.

Karl Malone and Edward Moore at North Village Plaza event in Ruston, Louisiana

Karl’s foundation helps children and families in need, including countless scholarship programs. DaviesMoore has had the privilege to work with Karl to make his vision to develop an outdoor mall concept and community center in Ruston, Louisiana called North Village Plaza a reality. We designed and developed their website, create sales collateral, manage events, public relations, as well as other marketing facets of the retail project. 

A two-time NBA MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist, The Mailman played 19 seasons in the NBA, 18 of which were with the Utah Jazz. He led the Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1996-97 and again in 1997-98. He returned to the Finals in 2003-4 with the Los Angeles Lakers. Karl is the NBA’s second-leading scorer with 36,928 points, and was named one of the “50 Greatest Players in NBA History.”

He is part of a Hall of Fame class that includes Scottie Pippen, LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss, high school coaching great Bob Hurley, Sr., WNBA star Cynthia Cooper and an Idaho Vandal; college and NBA rebounding great, Gus Johnson, who holds a special place in Corner Club lore, having touched a ceiling beam measuring 11′3″.

Thank you Karl for being such an inspiration and congratulations from everyone at DaviesMoore.

By Edward Moore

The Boise advertising community lost one of its pioneers recently with the passing of John Givens. I did not know John personally but did have the pleasure of working with his son, Dan, in my early career in television ad sales. Dan has always carried himself with a certain confidence and je ne sais quoi; and after reading John’s obituary it is easy to understand why.

John was an ad man and the founder, with Ken Davies, of Givens-Davies Advertising.

One of the greatest things about Boise and Idaho is how, if you spend just a little bit of time in the community, you can find yourself connected to one of its pioneers. Who knew that back in 1994, as Dan was “handing over the keys” to his account list at TCI Cablevision to pursue a very successful real estate career, that 15 years later I would be taking the helm of the third iteration of the agency that Dan’s father founded in 1952. It also pleases me to read that John attended the University of Idaho and that he and I, as well as six other DaviesMoore family members, walked the same paths of that beautiful campus.

As I read about John, I am inspired to continue his legacy and I hope and pray that DaviesMoore and the work we do for our clients would make him proud. Thank you John for setting a standard of excellence in advertising, community service and zest for life.

Saturday evening, Dec. 7th, was the Silver Sage (Idaho Chapter) Porsche Club of America’s annual Christmas Party and Charity Auction. This year’s charity was the Women’s & Children’s Alliance (WCA). Ernie’s wife, Mary, is President of the Board for the WCA, along with a variety of Porsche club members organized both a silent and a live auction on behalf of the WCA. The Christmas Party was held at Chandler’s Restaurant in Boise and was attended by over 80 SSPCAers. Ernie Monroe, our VP of Creative Services and Mark Prusynski, both former Presidents of the Club, were the auctioneers. Along with great food, outstanding service from Rex Chandler and his entire crew, everyone had a great time and generously opened their wallets to the tune of approximately $7,500 for the WCA. Additionally, many members brought Christmas gifts for a pre-selected WCA family of seven.

Over this past year, the SSPCA will have raised over $8,500 for the WCA.

Merry Christmas!

No, we’re not going to talk about creative awards.

Instead, DaviesMoore is proud of our ability and confidence to say “no” to our own big budget production concepts when it contradicts strategy - even if it’s hilarious. It’s sometimes hard to scrap a great idea, but sometimes we believe it’s the right thing to do.

Why? Because our first responsibility is to our clients and their ROI. Here are a few ways we do it:

1. Utilize existing campaign and/or brand elements - Not only does this create consistency; it saves time and money (clients love that).
2. Understand what influences human behavior - Each instance is different, but we feel we know how to communicate in a way that creates action. In most cases, that means we’re helping our clients sell stuff.
3. Live the strategy - During all phases of the campaign, the strategy is primary. Never abandon strategy no matter how funny or entertaining the concept. Always ask, “Will it work?” We are faithful to marketing strategy no matter how sexy the creative.
4. Never fall in love with your own creative - Maybe there’s a better way to say it or do it. Even when we think we’ve nailed an execution, we keep going. We always try to remain open to feedback (internal and external). Remember #3.
5. Always strive to be both brilliantly creative and strategically effective - It’s not always possible due to a variety of factors, but we sure get excited when it does. It’s what we live for around here. We love funny ads, as long as they work.

Learn more about our approach to strategic planning and production.