Readers Digest Saved Me from Video Drought
Readers Digest and I have had a long history together…
- We’ve spent many hours together (often on the loo, but that may be TMI).
- I used to explain that I subscribed to the mini magazine because I wanted to monitor the pharmaceutical advertising (it’s my day job… I gotta know who’s advertising). The truth is I like the jokes and cartoons. Forbes and Managed Care magazine don’t exactly wake me up.
- One year my mother-in-law got me a subscription! That’s love.
- When my grandmother was alive, I sent her a large-print subscription. Years later after she died, Reader’s Digest sent a letter with the following on the direct-mail solicitation: “Granny Hanemann… we miss you.” My mom thought it was cute, because she missed her mom too. Decades later I still have it.
- I attended a meeting at my day job a few months ago, and met one of the smartest direct-mail data analysts I’ve seen. He was from Reader’s Digest, but resigned a couple weeks ago and went to a competitor. Bummer.
- I once sent a “life in a day” kinda story to the editors about my wife meeting Harry Connick, Jr. You see, Jo was a big fan, and when I saw Harry (a classmate of mine at Jesuit) outside a New Orleans diner, I asked if he’d pose in a picture with Jo as a surprise. He politely refused, and Jo overheard that and was indignant. “I can’t believe that man wouldn’t take our picture,” she said. I told her to look more closely at the guy, and explained that I was trying to take her picture with Harry Connick, Jr. Anyway, the Reader’s Digest editors called me and verified the story, but never ran it as far as I know… I could’ve used the cash too.
Well you can imagine how excited I was last month when I heard they wanted a Nalts video. Great timing since I’m on video 700, and “running shy of ideas” (hah). Readers Digest online is packed full of stories that make for good parody. We shot a few extras that didn’t make this cut, but they were a bit corny and made the video drag. I dig when a client sees value in brevity.
So here’s the video. I’m glad we got it launched while Sarah Palin and her lipstick pitbull gags are still topical. Ultimately it seems people were less interested in me riding a child’s bike, being terrified by a turtle, and trying to put makeup on the neigbors’ pit bull… and more interested with my wife and her freakishly perfect teeth. 🙂
A big thanks to those of you who have already made “Out of Video Ideas” the top #6 rated comedy of the day and #39th of the week on YouTube! That really helps assure advertisers that they can brand and still create fun content! I tried something new by launching it at night (I usually post in the morning), and it’s encouraging to see 7,000 people watched it as I slept).
I was hoping for a pit bull mauling, but it didn’t happen. :o)
It was great Kevin! Honestly while I was watching it, I was thinking…”Oh, he’s gone back to the old school days,” was excited cause WoN was in it just to be surprised that it was a sponsored video! Very well done my friend.
You should have sucked in your tummy while hanging on the tire swing though! LOL, you know I had to throw that one in there!
p.s. Did you see this video of you, I think it’s really cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_5TW2xaRjM
I saw it right before I went to sleep.
I think it was a great video. definitely one of your better ones.
I also think this is one of your best videos in a long time. You really got into it. Whatever meds you’re on for that back pain must be working, because you seem to be “back.”
That was not an attempt at a pun.
Here’s a problem I have with your new posting schedule. When you post at night, by the time I see it it’s already got 250 comments. I am not reading through 250 comments saying “lol” or “lmao” or “you suck ass” or whatever. So it really impinges on my comment mojo. And we all know that your videos are REALLY all about giving me an opportunity to exercise my funny. Or exorcise it.
You guys should be on TV.
Awesome. Just awesome.
Hi Nalts,
This is Mike, the Blogger Outreach guy from Readers Digest. Thanks for posting this great and funny posting about Readers Digest. We are glad to see that you are enjoying the site and have found it as a great source of inspiration for your future YouTube videos.
Did you know that we are currently running the “Save Andy” humor submissions videos. Check them out at http://www.rd.com/saveandy. We’d love to see you submit some content to RD.com.
Thanks for the post and look forward to seeming more of your videos soon. I’ve been watching your stuff forever so glad to see you still doing such a great job.
Just think. If you didn’t have a rocking babysitter like me…these videos would never be as fabulous…because they would never get done.
Don’t worry. I’ll take the time here to thank myself and appreciate my existence.
Jenn, YOU ROCK.
In all seriousness, though. This video was aweseome.
P.S.
I think your mother-in-law likes Paul better.
I mean. That’s a given. So you got Reader’s Digest…what did he get?
:o)
Just wait til you hit 999 videos like I did a few months ago. The pressure on video number 1000 was more than I could take, so I deleted a couple hundred of my videos. Ahhhh, what a relief that was!
I don’t even have 200.
I read Maxim
Hey Nalts – wife of nalts is hot (in a non-covetous way, of course!)
How’d a guy like you get a gal like her? Drugs? Alcohol? Handcuffing yourself to her front porch until she gave up?
Oh, nice video too. Now, I’m off to go buy a copy of Readers’ Digest! 😀
@Jim – He had to have had at least SOME hair at one point…
I don’t know Peter. It’s possible that he was an attractive young man at some point. But then that’s depressing in it’s own right, because I just hate to see it when people completely let themselves go.
😀
Personally, I can’t wait to see what Readers Digest will do with Nalts’ book. 🙂
Next goal for Mr. Nalts: Get sponsored by MAD magazine. If that happens, my jealousy would be too much that my head would burst.
I said he probably had hair, not that he was probably attractive.
@ 18 – Good point. I should’ve caught that one. It’s all too obvious.
I’m glad Nalts likes us, because sometimes I worry that he’s going to start picking us off one by o
Which is the opposite of what he is trying to do with his hair.
CAN I MAKE ANOTHER “NALTS IS BALD” QUIP? STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT COMMENT.
Nalts isn’t bald. Not yet, anyway, My husband is bald, and let me tell you, I know bald. He always used to say he lost his hair from too many U-turns under the sheets. Hah! What’s his excuse NOW?
Anyway, I did like your video, Nalts. I sincerely doubt you will ever run out of ideas. You are too nuts.