Nikon recently published the winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. You gotta see this stuff to believe it. Some of the images of the tiniest things in our world are truly overwhelming. For us at Modus, it confirms our belief that paying attention to the smallest details often makes the biggest difference. It’s this philosophy that allows us to create successful campaigns again and again. You can see photos from the contest here.
Category: Smile
Tell Mom You’re at the Library
You won’t be alone. An encouraging study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project shows that eight out of every ten Americans between 16 and 29 read a book in the last year, and six out of ten used their local library.
Though it’s undeniable the advent of e-books is changing the way many of us read, especially those on the younger end of the spectrum, it’s quite heartening and reassuring to know that, according to this study, more than half of US High School kids consider the library to be “very important”. That’s quite telling in the age of Wikipedia.
But perhaps the coolest stat from the study shows that our most voracious readers are some of the youngest among us. 86% of Americans surveyed between 16 and 17 read a book in the last year, and 88% of those aged 18-24 cracked a book in the past 12 months.
This makes us happy at Modus because we truly believe a smart, well-informed customer is the ideal audience for the innovative campaigns and ideas we strive to put forth. And the surest path to being well-informed is being well-read.
There’s a lot more to the study, which can be read here.
Modus Checks In With the Asolo Repertory Theatre!
Modus attended the Chamber 12@12 November trustee meeting at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. The Theatre unveiled what is happening within their organization and industry, while Modus provided its own corporate updates to other leaders in the community.
We also got a sneak peak at the production opening this week on November 13th: 1776. According to the Asolo, 1776 is “A brilliant and visionary high-spirited musical that movingly and often hilariously captures the great galvanizing moment in the American Story: the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As it turns out, giving birth to the U.S. wasn’t exactly easy, but Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the other original revolutionaries were determined to bring this country into being. 1776 celebrates these proud, frightened, uncertain, irritable, charming, often petty, and ultimately noble figures, who were determined to do the right thing for a fledgling nation, against all the odds”. Right on. To that Modus would like to add: USA!
Learn more about the Asolo Repertory Theatre here.
Modus Picks It Up!
The Trash that is. On October 12, Modus Direct was proud to conduct our fourth roadside trash pick-up along Honore Ave. in Sarasota. We’ve still got one more planned before the end of the year. As always, good times were had by the Modus Family keeping our hometown looking great, and we have to say now that it’s Fall (or at least what we call Fall here in Sarasota), it’s a lot nicer being outside now than on those sweltering summer days! Looking forward to the next and final Clean-Up for 2012. Geez, how is it almost Christmas again?
Forget the Little Old Lady From Pasadena, watch out for Margaret from Michigan!
At 102, Margaret Dunning puts any younger grease monkey to shame. For 63 years, she’s been personally caring for her classic Packard car, changing the oil and keeping it running all on her own. And apparently it hasn’t been too long since her last speeding ticket. We can only hope we not only all get to live as long as Margaret, but also have as great a trip as she’s had. Read more about Margaret and her car here.
Meet Sassy, One of Our Four-Legged Associates
It’s no secret that at Modus Direct we don’t just engineer savvy and successful DRTV campaigns: We’re also a big bunch of softies. Especially when it comes to our four-legged friends. Jean Rebel, our Associate Media Director, recently discovered a fabulous resource for local animals in need and those who love them, Kickapoo Rescue.
“After my Maltese, Herbert, passed, my veterinarian suggested I foster or adopt a dog from Kickapoo Rescue”, Jean explained. “I was very upset on Herbert’s passing and originally said ‘No’… but the house was so quiet and lonely without Herbert that I gave in”
And whom did Jean end up taking home? Certainly not your run-of-the-puppy-mill kind of dog. Jean recalls how her heart was stolen by, “Miss Sassafras” (Sassy for short). “She’s a 12 year–old Chihuahua, Miniature Pincher mix. She was blind with no hair around her neck and her trachea was pushed in. Kathy (who runs Kickapoo Rescue) found her in a concrete cell with a big dog who would pick her up and throw her around. She had horrible dandruff due to poor diet, was underweight and had three broken ribs. I was sitting on the floor and she walked over to me and kissed my hand. I picked her up, her tail wagged, I lost my heart to her and the rest is history”
Sassy’s not just Jean’s pet, but part of the extended Modus family. “In large part, one of the reasons Sassy became so well adjusted after her rescue was me being able to bring her to work a few days a week. Everyone at the office is very kind to her and she really enjoys being here with them. Not to mention it makes me extremely happy when she is here”
You can find out more about Kickapoo Rescue and how you can get involved in supporting this great organization by visiting their website here.
All of Sarasota Wins with the Super Boat Grand Prix!
Tampa may host the Super Bowl again someday, but Sarasota always has the Super Boat Grand Prix! Modus Direct’s offices overlook the pristine Sarasota Bay, just steps from the Super Boat Grand Prix festivities. From our office windows, our team enjoyed the magnificent super-boats making their way through downtown Sarasota. But the real party was watching from the beach. Each year, Sarasota’s biggest sporting event brings residents and tourists from all over the world together on our beautiful sugar sand shores to sip daiquiris and watch the speedboats rocket past at up to 170 mph. Not to mention the millions of dollars generated in revenue for local businesses. Hmm. Maybe we have the key to our economic recovery: Boat Races! (And daiquiris).
Give ‘Em a Round of A-Paws!
Modus likes animals, especially those with attitudes. Here are some great shots, courtesy of Huffington Post, of our fuzzy pals making the most of a dog’s (or cat’s) life.
Dog TV?
Yes, Dog TV. A new cable network will soon launch aimed specifically at… Dogs. The idea being keeping the TV on for your pooch while you’re out and about will help them feel less lonely or bored. The “shows” will be segments around three to six minutes long, showing images of natural settings, dogs being loved by humans, doggie toys, etc.
We better get cracking on a Thundershirt campaign that sells directly to the wearers!
Hapless Calls to the Help Desk
Sad but True: #4 Happened to someone on the Modus Team. We knew what to do though: Pack it in Rice… then give up and buy a new phone.
