Friday Find: Downton Downer

Downton Abbey, one of my favorite shows, ends for us in the States this Sunday. I supposed it's not so much a downer as it is bittersweet.

Yeah, no, I'm bummed. I have loved the show so much, and I am so sad to never have a new episode to watch! But I suspect I may begin to rewatch the whole thing once I'm through my current, first-ever viewing of The Sopranos. The only thing better than the excitement of enjoying new episodes as they come out is watching a whole series straight through.

Anyway, to celebrate the end of one of the Best Shows Of All Time According To Me, I've got a round-up of some videos, gifs, and other Downton-related goodies.

And tell me, what are you going to miss most? Julian Fellowes' heavy-handed yet charming story lines? How Lady Edith could never get ahead? The way Lady Mary was such a smug, self-righteous jerk but you loved her anyway? The beautiful homes? The gorgeous period clothes and furnishings? Mrs. Padmore and Daisy's charming, high-strung relationship? MARY'S DRESSING GOWNS?

PBS has been ON IT with delightful, funny, moving videos to prep us all for the finale. Here are a few of my favorites.

Take a look back on the six seasons of Crawley sister feud. The Downton Abbey series finale airs Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 9/8c. #FarewellDownton

See cast members Allen Leech, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Kevin Doyle, Phyllis Logan, and Hugh Bonneville answer quick questions about what they will miss most when the series ends. See the Downton Abbey series finale on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. #DowntonPBS

See some of the best one-liners from six seasons of Downton Abbey. The series finale airs Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. #FarewellDownton

Like anyone who's a fan of the show, I will sorely miss the Dowager Countess's one liners and zingers.

Whenever I get glum about @DowntonAbbey ending, I remember that we'll always have Dowager GIFs to sustain us, and it takes the sting out.

— Caitlin Hannah (@TheCopyCait) March 4, 2016

Fortunately, they've provided a lifetime's supply of perfect GIFs, and BuzzFeed has approximately 112 listicles outlining them. You can find some here and here and here.

My friend Sarah sent me this delightful mug that is so perfect for watching the show, reading, and cozy Sundays.

Perfect Sunday. #herladyship (Thank you for the perfect mug, @raintea!)

A photo posted by Caitlin Hannah (@thecopycait) on Jan 17, 2016 at 4:04pm PST

I will also really miss The Fug Girls' Downton Recaps. I looked forward to them every Monday, and they've been such a fun way to indulge in and stretch out the enjoyment of the show.

And finally, this NY Times piece breaks down where the fictional series paralleled real-life historic events. Absolutely fascinating.

Do you have any favorite Downton bits, links, swag, or memories to share?

And please, no spoilers, but if Lady Edith doesn't end up happily married, so help me god, I will do absolutely nothing because this is a TV show.

Friday Find: Kelly & Leslie

I was a big fan of American Idol in its heyday (anyone else remember American Idol ice cream?), though I stopped watching in recent years. I will forever be a fan of Kelly Clarkson, and if you missed her final Idol performance last night, be sure to check it out. And maybe have some tissues handy.

Kelly's emotions run as high as her vocals while performing her intimately personal song "Piece by Piece".

A friend who helped give me the idea of the Friday Find (HI ANDREA!) sent me this AV Club article this week. And of course she did, because many moons ago we worked together, and when we parted ways I gave her this mug and a bust of Ron Swanson with a plaque that said "Give me all the bacon and eggs you have."

Anyway, If you're a fan of Parks & Rec, it's a great breakdown of ten important episodes and how they helped shape and carry the series. A series I'm currently in my third re-watch of, if you must know. I can't quit you, Pawnee. And I don't want to. (Get on your feet!)

Thanks for this perfect gif, Andrea.

Friday Find: Marketing Chitchat

I have several half-written posts languishing in the drafts folder. I had all the best intentions this week, but you know how some weeks are.
One such post involved touching on a few recent marketing tidbits I'd discovered, including conversation around a marketing event that was basically over as fast as it began. But the thing is, I never tire of talking about marketing. I always enjoy reading/hearing others' perspectives, and if there's something to learn then it's never too late to discuss. I spend a lot of time reading about this type of thing, and while I do share some of it over on Twitter, there's always more to discuss and I've been meaning to bring more of that to this space.

So first, are you up on the Beyoncé/Red Lobster brouhaha? In a nutshell, Beyoncé released a song just before the Super Bowl that was, as always, perfectly timed. It sailed through pop culture on a wave of Beyoncé hype just before the Super Bowl. There was mention of Red Lobster being used as a reward for, let's say, good behavior. It was vulgar (listen, Google it. We're all adults, but I'm trying to keep things at least PG-13), but it was certainly a golden opportunity to be capitalized on by a nimble, agile, on-the-ball Red Lobster marketing team. Unfortunately for them, social media moves at lightning speed, and if you don't respond in kind, you get left behind. As social media was blowing up with jokes and mentions of Red Lobster & Bey, Red Lobster took an excruciating 8 hours to reply; and so instead of also being lifted up by that hype wave and riding it victoriously to shore, their misjudgement in timing caused them to instead be crushed by said wave.

When Red Lobset did finally arrive with a joke about Cheddar Bey biscuits, the response was swift and cutting. From what I saw, the general consensus was that it was kind of lame on its own, but could've been mostly-sort-of okay if it were to have been tweeted out immediately.

At any rate, here's a breakdown of it all that I enjoyed.

One of the highlights for me is this quote: ""If there was a template, everyone would do it," says Hofstetter. "That’s why the Oreo tweet won and so many others failed trying. It’s critical to take into consideration both content and context, the author and what their POV represents, and whether or not that’s part of your brand’s belief system.""

Which reminded me of another great discovery this week: this interview with BuzzFeed's publisher, about where data and content meet. There are so many gems in it that I'd essentially like to just quote the entire thing, which is why I recommend you read it. I particularly love what she has to say about what data can and can't tell you, and the importance of intuition, team work, and other factors in determining what will/won't/currently does work. I love everything about this piece. Fascinating.

Have a great weekend, folks!