Tonight: went to AIGA STL‘s Design Week Crappy Hour at Urban Chestnut, laughed at the St. Louis Egotist, talked with the fascinating John Foster and several other talented people, drank good beer, and thought about advertising (which is neither in my wheelhouse nor my interest-house). The advertising part reminded me of another awesome Flickr moment (see The Chucks Story) in which a photo I posted in 2006 ended up on the sides of buses in Italy.

The setup: a big storm in Saint Louis + a Black Walnut tree in our backyard = walnuts everywhere. I recruited a then three-year-old Liam to help me pick them up and we filled a 30 gallon aluminum tub with sad, unripe walnuts. He worked hard. When we were done, Liam was hungry. I got him an apple and without washing up he dug in.

I took a photo.

(Germs are good for kids.)

I posted it to Flickr.

The result: two months later an agency in Italy wrote:

Dear Mr. Keaggy,

we are a small company located in Verona (Italy).

I love your photo, and specially this one: Liam Apple.

I want to use this picture (if you agree) for a APPLE (the fruit, not the company) POSTER here in Verona, to promote the fruit in my town.

If you are interested in, please tell me if I have to pay you and how.

I need to know the price, and if you want to sell it to me to this specific use.

The picture will be used one time in  promotional poster.

I need to have the full resolution to use it!

If you can, please reply to this mail as fast as you can!

thanks a lot

ciao

Ja*****

I loved the idea. Especially that the ads would run on natural gas buses. But as you can see, they Photoshopped the apple to be yellow to look more like the Italian type they were selling.

The lesson: the Internet is awesome. Liam is charmed. Advertising is lies.