Building a Brand
Or How I Screwed Up Miss America‘s Name
by Nick Coston,
Creative Director/Founder/Planning Expert/Buyer
While hobbling around this year’s AdWeek events here in NYC, I reminded myself of one of my favorite all time Best of Nick acting like a Senile 80 Year Old Advertising Stories. It’s sad but true.
AdWeek NYC, 2018, I had just scarfed down 2 giant sized slices across the street, sharing a small table with a fine retired NYC policeman who was working security at the event. You’re thinking he might factor in the story later on, but he doesn’t. I’m just setting up my pathetic scene. We talked about politics, kids, what to do when you get pulled over. Cop stuff. Growing up, people always thought I was a cop because I dressed kind of bland and wore cop shoes. But forget that.
By the time I headed back into the event space I was stuffed. And sleepy. Needed a place to sit. So I choose the first panel that had no line and had already started. I snuck in the back and prepared to take a quick snooze. A snooze that would never come because I found the panel to be extremely interesting. The discussion was how a big ad agency promoted that years Miss America, a wonderful young lady who has the same name as my daughter. Mia. Remember that.
She was on the stage along with her agency partners and was fascinating to listen to her year and all the agency was doing to promote her worldwide. As the panel ended an announcer came on and said everybody had to leave through the stage exit doors which meant you got to walk right by the panel and say hello and congratulate take selfies, whatever. As I tried to sneak past a small line that was forming to meet Miss America, the Ad Gods took over. The line suddenly broke apart and there I was standing face-to-face with the very beautiful and kind Miss America. What a lucky break I thought. I proceeded to shake her hand and congratulate her, wish her a wonderful future.
I should’ve stopped and ran for the exit, but of course, I had to stay for that one last, fatal line. “I just want to tell you that my daughter has the same name as you and we saw you being interviewed on network TV a few weeks ago, and I remember her commenting on how beautiful she thought you were and what a nice smile you had.”
Well, Miss America smiles back and asked a few questions about what my then 12-year-old daughter does, she was quite engaged in the conversation. She asked me to encourage my daughter to follow through on her dreams and keep working on the things she loved such as sports, acting and education. What a sweetheart I thought!
Before I could thank her one more time and say goodbye again, out came the Nick Dagger. The Dagger that blows up all the conversations I ever have with famous people. “I don’t meet too many young ladies with the name Nia, please tell her it’s a very special name and I’m glad her father brought her up to me”.
Nia. Not Mia. Her name was Nia. And I knew that because we just saw her on TV two weeks ago and talked about what a pretty name that is. Nia. Not Mia. And I’m Greek, we know a lot of Nia’s. My face got so red that the fire sprinklers went off and that cop I had pizza with came and arrested me. Ok, I made that part up. I shook her hand one final time, couldn’t look her straight in the eye mumbled something about thanking her for her time and got the hell out of there.
Later that evening when I got home I told my wife and daughter about my run in with Miss America. While I thought it would be funny they found me to be pathetic and did not laugh.
“Didn’t you see her name and picture on the big screen behind the panel” my child would ask. After all I had sent her a photograph earlier in the panel of the stage area with a gigantic photo of all the speakers and their names printed below. Clearly as she pointed out, Miss America did not change her name to Mia. Humiliated by a 12-year-old once again.
I have one day left here at AdWeek 2019 and I’m really hoping I can’t top my buffoonery of 2018. And Nia Franklin, if by chance you ever read this, I owe you one.
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