Mike Catherall
The idea behind this new Vancouver advertising agency is that the best solutions are often found by completely immersing the writer in a client's environment, to get a true feel of the business. Working from within, Mike can produce everything from TV ads, to websites, to brochures, radio and ambient, all the while creating an online presence that will keep you on the first page of Google.
Also, unlike other Vancouver advertising agencies, Immersion also has complete access to a fleet of ice cream trucks.
Ice Cream Truck Advertising - for ads they'll chase after. To find out more, visit Immersion Creative, or call 604 537 1874.
Mike is an award-winning English copywriter and columnist as well as a former Native English teacher. He has worked for some of the world's most prestigious agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis on clients such as Disneyland, Mercedes-Benz, Citibank and Western Union.
For years, Mike worked as a copywriter in Hong Kong. He has also written novels, radio plays, children's books, screenplays, and more than ten blogs.
His adventures as an English copywriter can be found here. In his American Chronicle columns, Mike's focus is on sustainability advertising. His current clients include Toronto psychologist Donna Ferguson, mattress Vancouver retailer Simmons Mattress Gallery, Victoria mattress retailer, Mattress Choice, as well as CRNE prep course instructors - Primed Educational Associates and companies to help you get a pardon in Canada.
Contact Information
Articles by Mike Catherall
November 13, 2009
Simmons Mattress Gallery is the latest Vancouver mattress store to jump on the Internet bandwagon with a new website and an attempt to
September 23, 2009
CRNE prep is now easier with help from a two-day intensive seminar from PRIMED. Find out more at www.primededucation.ca
September 23, 2009
Toronto psychologist Donna Ferguson uses CBT to treat patients in addition to and in lieu of psychoactive drugs.
September 02, 2009
Bike advertising in Vancouver is taking off, and Agoo is one of the first to capitalize! Check out their latest ad: the Airplane Spin.
June 28, 2009
The first Agoo Active Kids Day is coming soon! Stay out and play for a good cause.
June 08, 2009
Did you know that Agoo Apparel makes SPF 50 shirts? Now your kids can stay outside and play a little longer.
May 13, 2009
If you are a mid-sized business and you are still coordinating your own advertising, you could be costing yourself unnecessary time and money. A small agency can handle all of your woes. But just to be sure, here are some key signs to look for first.
May 12, 2009
Mr. Cool is the go-to company for ice cream truck advertising this summer. With a fleet of 50 trucks, 20 carts and 3 tents, they are ready to help you own the summer here in Vancouver.
April 28, 2009
The Leaf Boat is the first children's book written by Mike Catherall. It chronicles the tale of Cindy Gooseberrybush, the little fairy princess who was afraid to fly, so she rode in a leaf boat instead.
April 15, 2009
Vancouver advertising agencies have never been so accessible. I have started up the Vancouver advertising agency blog, where potential clients can browse their favourite work, and find the agency that made it.
March 27, 2009
Advertise on a Mr. Cool Ice Cream truck and people will chase after your ad. The first ten trucks are getting completely wrapped for only $1499 a month. You can't beat that deal with a drumstick!
March 11, 2009
Vancouver Advertising has some serious talent, and some serious work, but not necessarily the best websites out there. Immersion Creative points this out to Vancouver Advertising, but all it seems to do is anger Vancouver Advertising. To be continued...
February 28, 2009
The Vancouver Advertising Great SEO Challenge was put forth to me by my friend, Kristian.
Here's a bit of background: I can put you at #1 on Google with a blog. Your blog will have all of the information you need, make you an authority on your subject, provide information for potential clients, and direct them back to you.
However, if you want your website, and not your blog, at #1. I can do that too. The Vancouver advertising SEO challenge is all about proving that this is possible. Experimenting on myself, of course.
Right now, I am ranked 1833 on the Google Rankings. Let's see how long this takes...
February 28, 2009
If you want your business to have the best shelf space in the online marketplace, you need to be eye-level. The spot people see and trust. Paid search results come with the stigma of time-wasting, irrelevant nonsense from deep-pocketed spammers. Natural search results contain information relevant to your search. Look no further than Wikipedia for an example of a useful search result.
I do the same thing with blogs. I can get your business #1 on Google for the natural search results. I have done it 13 times already.
January 27, 2009
Immersion Creative is now open for business. Here is what makes it unique.
January 27, 2009
This is about Immersion Creative. My new agency that I have recently founded. To find out more information, contact me at immersioncreative.com.
January 27, 2009
This is an advertising case study about product differentiation in a crowded market. As this column evolves, I will write more about day-to-day advertising and communications. To learn more about my new business, Immersion Creative, and how it can help you with projects, feel free to contact me today.
December 05, 2008
Sustainability advertising is growing dull. Ideas take the stage.
November 27, 2007
People already know about global warming. They've heard all there is to hear about road safety. And they've certainly had enough of the Surgeon General.
But there is plenty they don't know.
Advertising is all about awareness. The job of an agency is to take information and get it out there, ...
October 25, 2007
Potential spectators worldwide were advised recently to reconsider traveling to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, if they have a history of heart problems or asthma.
In an interesting twist of events, Dr Michal Krzyzanowski of the World Health Organization recently told BBC that athletes weren’t hi...
October 23, 2007
Sales of the trendy environmental tote designed by Anya Hindmarch labeled ‘I’m not a plastic bag’ were put on hold in Hong Kong a few months ago, due to fear over chaos from the waiting crowds.
Huge numbers of people, hundreds of who queued overnight, demanded to be let in for the launch o...
October 18, 2007
At 08-08-08 at 8pm, the Beijing Summer Olympics will kick off their highly anticipated opening ceremonies and they are leaving nothing to chance.
For starters, the date and time have been carefully chosen to highlight ‘eight’, a lucky number in Chinese culture that symbolizes prosperity.
Al...
May 18, 2007
It Pays to be Small
When it comes to advertising, it is only too common that the massive shops absorb the biggest clients, the hottest talent and the juiciest creative opportunities. Also, they have the firepower and to keep the little shops out of the running of awards strictly by the cost and v...
May 09, 2007
Maria Hruschak is a fresh face to the world of Native English Teaching in Hong Kong. Like many other teachers she has a charming personality, the post-secondary skills and a TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) education at her disposal. Also, coming from Vancouver, Canada, she has the neut...
April 23, 2007
Every morning my alarm clock wakes me up. Every morning I make a choice to be tortured by that little machine. And every evening I set it again to repeat the process. Even though I hate it, that little monster has my best intentions in mind.
Most people are short on time, especially in the hardes...
April 18, 2007
San Francisco can enjoy the distinction of being the first city in the US to ban plastic bags. A few weeks ago the Board of Supervisors took a vote that will see the prohibition of petroleum-based bags from large supermarkets and drugstores.
The plastic bag ban has planted the seed for other citi...
March 26, 2007
I always write about the intersections between Sustainability and Advertising. But this week, I think I will write about something else.
To tell you the truth, I’m a bit sick of how polluted Hong Kong is. I mean, Hong Kong is a great place and all, but the pollution is getting to me. I can’t eve...
February 09, 2007
The guy rules. First he makes himself a billionaire through edginess and irreverence and stomping around where his conservative competition dare not tread with Virgin, then, he’s off to save the world.
Today he announced a $25 million reward to anyone who can come up with a way to stop global wa...
February 01, 2007
The American Democrats have started pointing fingers at the Republicans about hiding and spinning information regarding climate change and putting the screws to the scientists. This could be true.
The Republicans are saying that all these empty accusations are hype to further the Democrats own i...
January 18, 2007
When Kristian Holen decided to enter business for himself in the competitive arena of Oslo webdesign, he knew he had his work cut out for him. Not only is webdesign in Norway an incredibly competitive field, but webdesign, especially in Oslo, is an enormously difficult field to get noticed in.
S...
January 04, 2007
Advertising giant JWT has listed off the top twenty predicted trends of 2007. Amongst them are no less than five references to sustainability and public health.
Included on the things to watch for are sustainable buildings and construction, hydrogen fuel technology, veggie-busses, or busses runn...
December 05, 2006
John Hardy Jewelers has opted to offset the environmental damage caused by its print advertising by planting bamboo forests in Bali.
Print advertising, especially in glossy magazines, is notorious for its ecological damage, both from the use of paper consumed, energy used and the effects caused ...
November 16, 2006
While the average consumer may continue to buy products heavily dependant on plastics and oil, fail to recycle, use too much energy and drive when they could walk, those with access to any form of media are aware the repercussions of their behavior. This awareness is powerful. It has enormous potent...
October 26, 2006
The 2006 Design and Art Directors Annual has been released and one of the most striking pieces is the packaging design for Daylesford Organic Milk. In an attempt to minimize the environmental impact, the designers have made use of Lean Pack by EcoLean. Lean Pack is a material that breaks down into w...
September 23, 2006
There is praise all around for Richard Branson. The billionare has recently pledged to spend $3 billion US over the next ten years on sustainability. Not only is this a step in the right direction, this is an intelligent business decision. Sustainable products and services are not going to be the wa...
August 25, 2006
Jobseekers today will find that nepotism is the only sure-fire way to break into the market.
It's a fact of life.
Those without connections, or an opportunity to get hired solely on the basis of their relationship to an employer, are required to advertise and promote themselves. The best chan...
August 24, 2006
In Hong Kong, they have recently introduced a campaign to stop using plastic bags on the first Tuesday of every month. This is a great idea, mostly for awareness about something we don't really consider in our everyday hustle and bustle. If nothing else, it will reduce the consumption by that much t...
August 11, 2006
On 8 pm on Tuesday night a portion of Hong Kong fell into blackness. It was a part of the 'Lights Out Hong Kong' campaign that would see residents and businesses turn out their lights for three minutes as a collective protest against air pollution. The idea was to show an awareness of the dangers of...
June 29, 2006
On June 17th, members of Team in Training ran a 42 kilometer marathon in Alaska to consummate their fundraising drive over the last six months. Through corporate sponsorship, pub nights, raffles, promotions and hard work, these runners are actively working towards raising $5500 each to help fight le...
June 06, 2006
At first glance, it might seem like an oxymoron, or even a sham. On one hand you have an industry hell-bent on persuading consumers to buy things they don't need by prying into their insecurities, reinforcing oppressive stereotypes and pouring gasoline on the fires of capitalism. On the other, you h...
May 26, 2006
With summer just around the corner, families are gearing up to take part in their favourite water sports pastimes. Be it on the lake, a river or in the ocean, boating is a fun leisure activity and an integral part of growing up. However, while time spent on the water can be a fun and bonding experie...
May 16, 2006
There is a big debate going on right now about corporate advertising in schools. In the States there is Channel One, which is 12 to 13 minutes of news sponsored by two to three minutes of ads. It is fed to a captive audience of 10-18 year olds and has raised some ire. In Canada there is an estimated...
May 09, 2006
As the smoke clears from tax season, it's easy to understand the need to seek out professional services to guide the bewildered through the complex maze of seemingly endless papers, receipts and documents associated with tax time. Some things are simply better left in the hands of a professional.
...
May 03, 2006
Is reality painted for you by advertisers?
The news as we know it is in a very ironic situation. With the advent of the consumer-driven information era, the power of the news has been taken from the traditional mediums and placed into the hands of the public at large.
While the line between PR, ...
April 25, 2006
Most entrepreneurs have the best intentions when starting a business. However, there are a lot of terrible businessmen and women out there. No one is perfect, but the world is filled with people who don't return phone calls, misrepresent their capabilities, cheat their clients, steal from their shar...
April 24, 2006
Over fifty thousand runners, walkers and strollers made it out for a sunny Sun Run in Vancouver yesterday. The ten-kilometre route weaved through the blocked off streets of Vancouver and thousands more watched from the sidelines as throngs of white shirted runners moved like a stampede through th...
April 18, 2006
One of the biggest difficulties faced by advertising agencies is how to measure the effectiveness of their ads.
How can you tell if an ad is moving someone into awareness, acknowledgement, acceptance or action?
How do you measure the levels of consciousness in the face of the tangibility of sale...
March 31, 2006
Pardon Services Canada, a national organization founded in 1989 that specializes in obtaining pardons and waivers for criminal records in Canada has generously agreed to be the first partial sponsor for Mike Catherall and Maria Hruschak's Alaska marathon.
The marathon, which takes place on June 1...
March 28, 2006
It's all over the papers right now, the annual cull of seals in the Maritimes to keep the population in check, obtain pelts, create jobs, or whatever reason they do it for. There has been a lot of back and forth, but the reality of the situation is a baby harp seal pelt goes for as much as $70, a...
March 24, 2006
It appears as though even the sustainability movement is not above fear campaigns.
Train
But does this ad work? Maybe. But it doesn't make the topic something you want to talk about, it doesn't open the door to discussion about the topic in an accessible way.
'Did you see that ad about the tr...
March 23, 2006
Corporations are more than willing to put money into the development of just about anything as long as it offers them a chance to advertise.
Hockey rinks, stadiums, university buildings, parking lots and libraries are no exception.
In the Infinite Jest, the book suggests that in the future corpo...
March 21, 2006
Internationally, the sustainability movement is a wake-up call. The world as we know it will not support human life for much longer and actions must be taken to stave off imminent self-destruction brought about by climate change, overpopulation, the depletion of resources and what have you.
Vanco...
March 17, 2006
There are a few sure fire ways to garner publicity for your product in the modern age. You can get your brand involved in a high-powered lawsuit like PETA and the Ringling Circus. You can track down a celebrity to endorse it. You can slip it into a film as product placement, or a hip-hop track, or m...
March 16, 2006
With a trend towards TIVOs, HBO and DVDs of entire seasons, it is becoming easier than even to watch television uninterrupted by the 30 second ad. The result is a greater push towards product placement. Ideally, it is seemless, but sometimes it is glaringly obvious.
I watched Million Dollar Baby ...
March 08, 2006
I came across a great quote the other day about advertising.
'People don't read ads, they read what is interesting to them'.
It is so true. That is so right.
People want entertainment or information. The real objective of advertising is to provide these two things. To present options and to ...
February 24, 2006
Mediocrity is a scary thing.
It can really sneak up on you. First you start tuning out to the easy listening on the radio, the muzak in the mall, the ads on tv and the next thing you know you have been so busy working mindlessly away at living, consuming, and not causing too much trouble that rea...
February 21, 2006
There are plenty of things out there to buy. There are cars, shovels, shotguns, cigars, cigarettes, bourbon, balloons, bullets and first aid kits. For everything that is sold, there is a sign somewhere advertising that product, and words on mouths spreading the news of that product to someone else. ...
February 16, 2006
After 'Going Bananas' hit the Internet a last week I started to get some calls from the American Humane Association, asking me to clarify a few issues.
I was happy to speak with them, as it was good to get the inside scoop on how animals are treated while filming commercials, and how the 'No Anim...
February 15, 2006
Communications is a strange industry.
It's all talk, really, just a bunch of words and images. It doesn't build houses, or cure cancer, or land shuttles on the moon.
It seems almost insignificant.
It is always just as I resolve that this whole advertising business is just a bunch of silly sk...
February 08, 2006
Surely you've seen them by now. Holey Soles are those brightly coloured, comfortable and distinct foam shoes that have started to appear on the feet of doctors, nurses, gardeners and boating enthusiasts. They are hard to miss, and if nothing else, they are defiantly unique.
Holey Soles may seem s...
February 07, 2006
The animal rights group The Chimpanzee Collaboratory is in an uproar over the exploitation of chimpanzees in the Careeerbuilder.com ad that aired Sunday on the Super Bowl.
The Chimpanzee Collaboratory asked Careerbuilder.com to remove the apes from its ads back in 2005, but they have continued to...
February 03, 2006
Advertising is something that has made it's way into popular culture. As much as it is reviled for interrupting our favourite shows or hockey games, it is also admired, when done well, for its wit, humour or insight into the human condition.
As to whether advertising actually works or not, few peo...
February 02, 2006
Yesterday we discussed businesses who do not feel that advertising is an effective way to communicate their benefits to the public. In the end we concluded that it basically comes down to frequency, and that the human mind takes a number of hits to absorb anything.
Today we will take a closer loo...
February 01, 2006
It pops up everywhere, on our screens, on the air, in our bathrooms, our elevators and car stereos, even when you fill your gas tank. Advertising, it's everywhere, it's unavoidable, and for the most part, it's a nuisance. But does it work?
It is estimated that we see over 2000 messages a day. How ...
January 31, 2006
Are you interested in living a healthy, balanced life over one of avarice and mass consumption?
Are you more interested in the 'triple bottom line' of economic, environmental and social purchasing than the convenient end-result?
Are your customers?
Do they have an active interest in persona...
January 30, 2006
Some say they are crazy. Others say they are masochists. Most, however, do agree, that those who subject themselves to grueling, agonizing torture for the sake of finding a cure for a life-threatening disease merit at least a raised eyebrow or two worth of attention.
And that is exactly what thes...
January 27, 2006
On Sept 22, 2005 there was a fire at the Richmond Hotel. Two women died, and 14 were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Two of these people were deaf. They were asleep and could not hear the alarms. People often forget that the deaf require specialized emergency equipment, such as flashing l...
January 26, 2006
When talking sustainability, it is important to put yourself in the mindset of the regular consumer.
The average person would choose sustainable products and services over their regular choices given the opportunity. They would.
But convenience and price play a big factor.
Money is tight. Peop...
January 24, 2006
Rising costs in heat, electricity, gasoline and other fossil fuels have made it easier to take stock in the conservation of resources. As other resources such as water, timber and even oxygen become more scarce, their costs will rise, and the inclination to ‘waste not, want not’ will return even mor...
January 23, 2006
Well, it looks like the public has finally caught on to the fact that Sugar Smacks and Count Chocula’s miniature marshmallows aren’t actually good for kids, and that claims of a balanced breakfast refer more to the glass of orange juice and the milk in the bowl.
Advocacy groups are now suing Kell...
January 18, 2006
Ah, shopping, it is a necessary evil for some and a joy for others. But no matter how you part with your cash, there are always ways to put the conscious back in ‘conscious consumer.’
If you can afford it, it is great to buy local organic food, local clothes made with sustainable materials, and a...
January 17, 2006
Even the backbone of skepticism, science and rationality, cannot entirely refute the collective unconscious. Some scientists see a theoretical grounding for synchronicity in quantum physics, fractal geometry, and chaos theory. Physicists have shown, for example, that if two photons are separated, no...
January 16, 2006
Conscoius Creatives and the Internal Locus of Control
(continued from Friday's article)
Paradoxically, there is a strong belief in an internal locus of control amongst Conscious Creatives. You, and you alone control your own destiny. Life truly is what you make of it. Those who believe in Healt...
January 13, 2006
A big part of understanding Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability is being open to the idea that everything in this world happens for a reason. There are no coincidences.
You are thinking about someone that you haven't seen in months, the phone rings, and it's him. You finally end a bad relatio...
January 12, 2006
Mr. Booth has lost his voice. He seems to lose it every time I listen to the radio.
I can't seem to tune him out.
If you have been keeping your pulse on the slow-moving, but subversive world of advertising in Vancouver, you too may have heard the ad of Mr. Booth, the man who started the petition...
January 11, 2006
There are strange things going on in the world today.
There are African sex workers who are resistant to AIDS.
Bill Gates is aiming to eliminate malaria in ten years.
It’s an interesting contrast, a curable disease, and an unstoppable pestilence, both curtailed by genetic mutations possibly...
January 10, 2006
Let's face it: Anyone who has the guts to go out and start their own business has to be commended. Without that kind of pioneer spirit the world would never change, inventions would never be realized and North America, Europe and anywhere that such vigor is rewarded, would never evolve.
But entre...
January 09, 2006
Sustainability boils down to the perpetuation of human life on this planet.
Advertising is often used to promote fashion on the backs of the oppressed, resource draining mass consumerism, ephemeral values and self-destructive habits.
So on the surface - they couldn't be more opposite.
Howeve...
January 06, 2006
Well, it is nice to see North Vancouver pave the way for the rest of Canada in terms of sustainability. The 16th storey Silva Building on the 100th block of West 16th off Lonsdale has received its LEED certification, almost a year after its construction. This is Canada's first LEED certified residen...
January 05, 2006
Strategy Magazine is going to hold a conference in Toronto entitled 'Understanding Men: Metro or Retro?' The aim of the conference is to best learn how to drill down on the target market that is men.
As a part of their email to entice me to event they have included the following snippet of wisdom...
January 04, 2006
I have been writing a daily blog called Enlightening Ideas for the agency I work for, Creative Wonders, for almost a year now. Yesterday, I discovered it is possible to achieve syndication through the American Chronicle.
It is an interesting phenomenon.
What does it mean for the future of journa...
January 03, 2006
From the big screen to your car stereo, invasion of privacy through marketing is more alive than ever.
The science fiction film Minority Report took a scary look at how intrusive advertising can become in the future. In the film, scanners would read the retinas of people's eyes (which also doub...