A lot of people seem to be missing the big picture surrounding Apple's iPhone. They're all talking about it like it's just an iPod mixed with a phone. BusinessWeek gets it right: The truly remarkable thing about this device is that it's practically a paradigmn shift in consumer electronics.

But even that is just a sideshow to the real news: Apple Computer Inc. has become simply Apple Inc. After all, when a company changes its name it tends to signal either a change in its mission or that it's a bank. Unfortunately, Apple Inc. is not a bank... and its mission has just changed from selling computers to remaking the world in shiny white plastic.

Personally, I'm happy about it. I look forward to the day when MacWorld doesn't refer to a PR spectacular but rather to the place where we all live. Hey, I'm not the only one: Wall Street seems to agree.

Mark my words, the singularity starts here. Kind of puts that old Superbowl spot in perspective, huh?

Hot on the heels of Time naming us the person of the year, Advertising Age shows up with more good news: We're also the advertising agency of the year.

After all, who understands the true appeal of a brand better than its consumers? Take me for example. I probably get Scion, Chipotle, Wii, and (despite the fact that I'm no longer drinking soda) Coke Zero just as well — if not better — than their respective brand managers. I know I'm not alone: all of those brands have active proselytizers on the internet. Think of your favorite brands, I bet you don't have to look too hard to find regular folks passionate about 'em, ready to preach the gospel in blogs, on MySpace or through YouTube either by creating their own ads, passing along good ones, or just spreading the word.

The reason for all this, I guess, is that we all want to belong to something bigger than ourselves. As such, consumers have a stake in the success of their favorite brands, especially in a long tail economy where there are so many niche products fighting for prominence.

You might say it's a pretty sad statement about modern life — or at least mine — that I'm advocating consumerism as a mechanism for community. The truth is, I have to agree with you. So what do you say we open up a couple bottles of Smirnoff Raw Tea and drown our sorrows?

So the other day my buddy tells me he didn't know which was "more accurate" -- me or my new avatar?

The only thing I could say was, "I know what you mean."

Daily Horoscope for Pisces
Friday, January 5, 2007

You are on an inward journey now with the planets stirring up enough memories that your feelings get pushed out into the real world. You are receiving signals to change direction, but it's not going to happen overnight. Pay attention to the details so you can make practical use of any opportunities that come your way.

Hmmm...

A lot of times, I read about the dangers of full-sugar soda and I wonder why folks don't just switch to diet. I mean, I used to think that diet soda tasted like poison but after a few years hitting the aspartame, choking down even a third of a can of full-sugared soda feels like a liquid candybar injection. (Which is not a good thing.) In fact, now I can't consume so much as a jelly bean without feeling sugar-sick.

Personally, of course, my favorite diet cola is Coke Zero. When they launched with a zen-like message about detaching yourself from worldly cares, I felt such a connection that I actively proselytized for the brand. (Well, that and I thought it tasted pretty good.) When they switched to lamer marketing, I only peeled back a little bit — still preferring the beverage if it was an option, but not trying to recruit any new Zero drinkers. And now even though it looks like they're taking a rather dumb approach to going after young men with their new "Coke-ness" campaign, its sexy new black can had already brought me back into the fold... at least in so far as I bought a 12 pack at Target last week. But then this AdAge article drops the mother of all bombs: Coke Zero will be on-tap at White Castle.

If that isn't high-concept, I don't know what is.