When all else fails, throw money at it... A Super Bowl lament.

I've worked with cheap clients my whole life.

Well, not necessarily cheap, but startups that put their money into building products instead of hiring celebrities and spending millions on TV ads. Sure, during the wack-ass tech startup frenzy that happened here in Austin as the internet boom was booming, I watched local companies blow huge amounts of money on silly things and, for the most part, go bust. And I have to admit, it was a blast. The whole town was always buzzing with startup types doing grand gestures to catch the world's attention because being first to market was the only important thing, until it wasn't, and the lights came on, the champaign ran out, the sun came up, the party was over, and it's time to catch a bus home.

Yeah, I'm a nobody working in a small town (sorta small anyway, Austin, Texas). But for me as a creative type, I've always had to accomplish a lot without the luxury of licensing The Rolling Stones and hiring BeyonceSchwarzneggerDameSomebodyBlahBlahBlah.

I guess I like doing things the hard way, kind of like those cooking shows that give you a can of sardines, three spices and a bag of yeast to make dinner. You have to really dig deep to find that magic that will sell a brand and an idea. It's why I got into this business in the first place. I wanted to see what nobody else saw and figure out a way to bring that to the light.

If you're a client, cut back on the creative budget. See what your agency can do with less. Use some of that music licensing money and build a homeless shelter or save the skeet or sell your stuff for less.

And that Super Bowl Commercial thing. Meh. It was a real slugfest of a game and the commercials were an exercise in money burning and I challenge anyone who watched the whole extravaganza to name a single thing they'll buy because of the commercials.

Anyone?