The BIGGEST Difference Between Local El Paso Business Ads and Super Bowl Ads (it’s not budget)
Small businesses may think that because airtime is expensive that they could never make those during Super Bowl. Small businesses would be WRONG! But that’s good news for you.
Super Bowl is also known for its commercials. It has grown in popularity because it makes it entertaining for people that may not be interested in football (great marketing opportunity). These commercials/ads have a few seconds to get you to REMEMBER their message. Small businesses may think that because the the airtime is expensive that you could never do a commercial like this. Small businesses would be WRONG! But that’s good news for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself about Super Bowl commercials:
Which commercials do you remember the most?
What makes those commercials so memorable?
Do you need a large budget?
Is the message clear?
Does it solve a problem?
Did they ever explicitly ask you to BUY?
Are you approaching your ads the same way?
What is your audience remembering about your commercial/product?
What problem are you solving?
Let’s break them down a few of my most memorable commercials from this year (2023)
Tax Season
Farmer’s Dog
Bud Light on Hold
Tax Season
If you provide a service that isn’t flashy but is very necessary, this was a really good way to go about it. The commercial portrays that if you do your taxes with H&R Block, they make it so easy, that it will feel as joyous as Christmas. People will be just as excited to have “tax season” come around. Would you actually hold them to this standard? Of course not, but it is a good way of portraying the message since Christmas does have that significance of joy.
What makes this commercial memorable? It makes the product appear flashy and fun, for something that clearly does not have the reputation of being flashy or fun.
Do you need a large budget? Not necessarily. This could’ve been portrayed in a number of ways, but still delivering the same message.
Is the message clear? Yes. We make tax season so easy it’ll be joyous for you! Sometimes there’s a slogan that is just 2-3 words that makes you easily remember the message.
Does it solve a problem? Yes. It makes the mundane task of doing taxes “appear” more “fun.”
Did they ever explicitly ask you to BUY? NO! You are a spectator witnessing this, and makes you want to be a part of it. It simply IMPLIES what your life will be like after you buy.
Questions to ask yourself about your business.
Are you approaching your ads the same way?
What is your audience remembering about your commercial/product?
What problem are you solving?
Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog commercial shows the life of a dog. From a puppy and how it coincides with the dog’s human family. As the commercial goes on you see the dog getting older… and older… and you’re expecting the inevitable 😭… but then it doesn’t…How is this dog still around…? Because of good nutrition, you get extra years to make memories 🤯
What makes this commercial memorable? Because we love dogs! More time with them is something we all want!
Do you need a large budget? No. This could’ve been portrayed in a number of ways, but still delivering the same message.
Is the message clear? Yes. Live longer by using our product and giving you the desired result of making more memories with them.
Does it solve a problem? Yes. That dogs have a shorter life span than we would want, this helps extends their life through healthy lifestyle.
Did they ever explicitly ask you to BUY? No. It simply IMPLIES what your life will be like after you buy. (Starting to see a pattern?)
Questions to ask yourself about your business.
Are you approaching your ads the same way?
What is your audience remembering about your commercial/product?
What problem are you solving?
Bud Light
This one caught me off guard because usually these commercials are at a party scene. “Typical” situations where you would be drinking. Hanging out with friends, celebrating, etc. This one also had the very mundane task of being put on hold. So what’s a good way to liven things up and make the time FEEL like it’s going faster? Have a drink! Before you know it, you’re having fun and forgot you were on hold.
What makes this commercial memorable? Very relatable task where we mindlessly wait to even talk to a real person
Do you need a large budget? No. This was shot in a living room.
Is the message clear? Yes. This product makes life temporarily more fun.
Does it solve a problem? Yes. This product makes life temporarily more fun.
Did they ever explicitly ask you to BUY? No. It Makes you remember the next time you’re in this situation. “Oh I wish I had X product that could’ve made this moment a little more tolerable. It simply IMPLIES what your life will be like after you buy. (Make them want it!)
Questions to ask yourself about your business.
Are you approaching your ads the same way?
What is your audience remembering about your commercial/product?
What problem are you solving?
Small Business Takeaways
What is the ONE element that El Paso businesses are doing that these DID NOT…?
…
BUY NOW!! Which is obviously very necessary for a business, but for what reason?! What problem are you solving? The Futur is always talking about how people like to buy, but don’t like being sold to. the internet has really changed this, because if we have a problem, we know how to search. Before the internet, we had to be told what type of problems businesses were solving.
The average age of a small business owner is 44. Gen-X. Commercials from decades ago were very different, but many of us have not broken out of that model.
If you build it, they will come. Not anymore. What problem are you solving? Some of the biggest companies that came out of the last decade were solving a problem.
Instagram - A social media platform that focused on images
Square - Making it easy to take card payments.
Spotify - Instead of having to buy music… you can RENT music.
Uber - Turning consumers into suppliers
Uber Eats (and other food delivery) - People want food, but don’t want to go out. There are drivers already out as Uber drivers.
Does this mean you have to invent some new app or totally change your business? No it just means you have to be more creative in the problems you are solving. And more than ever… people have all sorts of problems 😅.
Pick something you really relate to that your business may already be doing. Maybe this is why you got into the field to begin with. Focus THAT message. Do you have coffee shop, and you decided this because you didn’t like the way you were getting your coffee from somewhere else, so you’re trying to fix it. Focus THAT message. Better ingredients, more effective process, longer lasting, better prices. How do you make them want it? Reactions are a great way. Record reactions or have your customers send you reactions. You can offer an incentive if they send you a reaction. Free item or discount on their next visit.
Recap:
Have clear message…
That solves a problem…
And makes them want to be a part of it…(without having to tell them to BUY)
Now that you have focused your message. Plan an event around your new message. Here are some tips on planning events in El Paso.
What We All Want From El Paso Events
Events are beneficial to businesses for entering new markets, giving the community things to do, and to build stronger relationships in the community. But things can go south real quick if we don’t plan correctly. Here are some tips that will have people eagerly waiting for the next event.
Many times in El Paso we don’t hear about an event until after the fact. We see friends posting about the event they just attended, and we didn’t even know it was occurring. Sometimes even big events like a tour or big name artist. What’s worse is that we were available, and had nothing to do!
Other times, even if we do attend an event, it is poorly run, leaving us with lots of questions. Events are beneficial to businesses for entering new markets, giving the community things to do, and to build stronger relationships in the community. But things can go south real quick if we don’t plan correctly. Here are some tips that will have people eagerly waiting for the next event.
Announce and Advertising
Announce your event as soon as it is confirmed. If you don’t have all the details, simply state that details will be coming soon. This at least puts a bug in the pubilc’s ear that they need to watch out for this event. An online poll showed that if people are interested in an event, they would like to know WEEKS ahead of time. Depending on the size of the event, I would recommend 6 weeks for smaller events to 6 months for larger events.
Next step is to advertise. Advertising has definitely changed. There is a learning curve, but for the better. Advertising has become more efficient and more targeted.
Traditional vs Digital
You can get a billboard for an average of about $3,000. A TV/radio commercial for about $5-$500 per second of airtime depending on the reach of your area. This CAN reach a lot of people, but do they all need to be reached?
Although this sounds good in theory, it is better to accept that not everybody is going to be in your market. Would you air a commercial for women’s hygiene products to a male audience? Even if you aired to everybody, it is only being 50% effective (assuming women make up 50% of this audience).
This is how digital marketing is more effective. People share their interests, have formed behaviors and patterns on the platforms. When you place a digital ad, you have the ability to target these very specific pattern. Omni-Versal is constantly learning new techniques and strategies to make digital marketing more effective. If this is an area you are struggling with, and are in the El Paso, TX areas, contact us for a quote. The video below breaks down the main differences between traditional and digital.
Variety of ads
Once you start learning more details about your event, release them as you find out. This builds anticipation. As you start releasing info, it is more easily digestible. For example let’s say you are doing a themed event. You have confirmed a special guest. Run an ad based on this guest. You have confirmed a special activity, run an ad announcing this activity. You are releasing a new product for the event, run an ad announcing this product.
This helps target different markets. And you can start to see which one may be more popular and more in demand, and plan accordingly for it BEFORE the event. Digital ads offer you demographic info to help you understand what to expect.
Size of the Event
Something that can make an event terrible is being unprepared for the turnout. Especially if the venue is too small for the amount of people. It’s great to have a great turnout, but the lack of preparation can turn some people off to future events.
With your digital advertising, try to start getting a feel for how many people to expect. Are there a lot of interactions, such as commenting, and sharing. Ask questions to see the engagement. Facebook events gives people the option to let you know if they will be attending. Not everyone that claims they will attend will attend.
About 10-25% of people will not show up after saying they will. You can alsorequire a ticket, even if they are free. This can give you more information as to what to expect and plan accordingly.
Competing/Coinciding with Other Events
When you are going to plan an event, you have to research as to what else may be going on that day that can hurt or help out your event.
For example, let’s say you have a business downtown, and they are doing the lighting of the Christmas tree. You should have promos and products that go along with this event. This would not be a great time for you to do your Hawaiian night luau. People in the area are in a different mindset. Even if you had a people interested in an anti-Christmas party, would this be the best time and place to do it?
Another example is if there is another event going on that has the same market(customers). For example, if you are setting up an art event, are there any other art events that may pull from your event? Are your artists going to be torn between choosing your event or the other?
This is the reason movies won’t release if they know they have to compete with a blockbuster movie like a Marvel movie. Sometimes avoiding the release for several weeks because they know this will be pulling movie-goers.
Help Us Picture Ourselves at the Event
You need photos and video of your event or setting. If it is the first time doing an event, then you may not have video or photos of real people attending your event. Show pictures of the event location with decor set up for the event. Go LIVE on social media to showcase the venue or how it is going to transform.
I like to know what to expect from an event, and at times has been a deterrent if it is a location I have never been to, and there are no photos. It has also left a bad taste in my mouth if stock photography was used. Stock photography and video are generic photos and videos. For example, if an event used generic photos or video of people at the event, and once I arrive it was not like it was in the photo, I feel deceived. If you need event photos and video for an announcement, contact us. This is not what was “promised.” Ease people into the environment so they know what to expect
Bathroom
Most people don’t really feel comfortable with port-a-potties. We use them because it is better than nothing. Some would prefer to go elsewhere before the event. So whatever info you can provide about this is great.
Also, have people that are going to be constantly monitoring bathroom situations for cleanliness. Supplies, such as soap, towels, and trash. Many events have been ruined by poor bathroom situations.
Parking
This has been a HUGE deterrent for me. If I am familiar with a location and know it has a terrible parking situation, I will not attend. I don’t mind paying for parking, but also as long as I am aware of it ahead of time. I do not like surprise expenses and neither does the public. Make this perfectly clear as to what to expect from parking.
If I do not know what to expect from parking, and it is a terrible situation, I will leave. If the venue has future events, I will not attend until the situation is dealt with.
What is considered terrible parking:
Small capacity - small lots where you have to wait for others to leave to get a spot.
Dirt lots - No maintenance, potholes, big rocks, debris that can damage tires or flying up from other vehicles. Well maintained gravel lots are fine.
Unorganized - Sometimes when there are big lots, there should be people directing traffic to know where to park to make it more efficient. When nobody directs, we get spots that are wider than they should be, taking up valuable room.
Tight maneuvering - When the parking lot is so small that it feels like we can barely drive around each other.
Paid vs FREE - Either one is fine, as long as it is made perfectly clear what is to be expected
Security - We are a fairly safe city, so even if it is in broad daylight with eyes capable of seeing something. No obstructions. Good lighting. Close to the venue where people coming and going can see suspicious behavior.
Updates
Use social media to give people updates! Updating a website may be hard to do on the spot. Have a link on the homepage that is specifically for updates. CLEARLY VISIBLE. The link should take you to whichever social media platform your are going to use for the updates. Use this to update WEATHER, parking changes, traffic, schedule changes, entrances, policy updates. Anything that has changed that was not part of the original plan.
COMMUNICATION
Leave very little room for unanswered questions. Have an FAQ section clearly accessible answering the following 6 questions.
When?
Date
Start time AND end time
Best time to arrive or head over
Where?
Venue
Indoor or Outdoor
How to get there
Where you can park (free or paid)
Public transit routes
Landmarks
Booking
Do you have to buy tickets in advance
Different prices and packages clearly explained
Limited availability?
Audience
Family-Friendly
Age groups (over 18 or 21)
Items allowed
Bag check
Water bottles
Strollers
Metal detector
Food?
Food availability
Types of food
Outside food allowed
Seating for food
Price range
Alcohol (wristbands)
Think about it from the attendee’s perspective. Walk in their shoes. Leaving the house. What do you would take or not take? What time to leave? Best routes. Where to park and how much.
Items allowed signs need to be in the parking lot! People get upset when they are inconvenienced for something that should’ve been made clear well before even leaving the house. There should be little room for confusion or reason for misunderstanding.
Depending on the event, what food will be available. Do they accommodate lifestyle diets, allergies, kid friendly, and price ranges.
This is just a start and a basic frame work. Leave a section where you can be reached if it is a more specific question that was not addressed. And ANSWER in a timely manner. Not answering quickly makes the event appear unorganized.
We will have this available as an easy to use checklist to our email subscribers to make sure your event is a success!
Events are a great way to attract new people and markets to your business. Here are some other ways to attract more people to your event.
6 Tips for Small Businesses to Reach New Customers, but #1 is the BEST One You're Not Doing
As a business you should have a few customers that ALWAYS come to you. They live in a different side of town but would rather drive across town to come to you. How is your relationship with your loyal customer?
Having trouble reaching new customers. Try these tips.
As of the beginning of 2023, you might have set new goals for your business. You already have a steady pace of current loyal customers, but are trying to reach more. New faces and new regulars in a new year would really make you feel great. Try these tips.
Boost Reviews - Boost reviews positive reviews
Emphasize your strengths - People come to you after going to a competitor to fix what they got wrong. Emphasize this!
Shareable Content - If you make content that’s shareable, that reaches people outside of your bubble
Reveal your secrets - Demonstrate why you are the expert and do things the way you do
Sell to competitors - You are not selling the same product or service. Sell them a technique or business model that helped your business
Royal treatment to loyal achievement - Give your LOYAL customers royal treatment! They will spread the word about your business.
6. Boost Reviews
Data vs anecdotes. We did a whole podcast episode on this that you can listen to HERE. When we need reassurance, we look for reviews.
If you had only star reviews (4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️) vs anecdotal blurbs about the product, which would you trust more? I personally would go for the blurbs. There is a little more human insight to how useful it is and common frustrations that you would like to be aware about.
If you have these on your website or social media, you can boost them on Google or Facebook to give that reassurance to potential customers that are on the fence.
5. Emphasize your strentgths
There is something you do, or provide a benefit that your competitor does not. MAGNIFY it. Why do customers come to you already? It could be that you have:
The best pastries
Friendly staff
Short waits
BEST quality of ingredients because they are local
BETTER knowledge and experience (15 years experience, won competitions)
Let this be known by
Mentioning it on social media
Adding it to receipts
Putting it on a sticker that you add to orders
Put it on your website
Make it sound catchier if to really have an impactful message. This doesn’t mean you will only be known for this, but it does give an edge over a competitor that is clear to the public. “When you come here, you get this.”
Wal-Mart is known for low prices. Nothing against Wal-Mart, but low prices, does not mean good quality. Their promise was low-prices. So now its customers know if they want something affordable, i can look here. They are a multi-million dollar company with that promise.
It is important to note to stick to something you are already doing. If you are trying to implement something new, it may feel unnatural to you and your brand, and will be hard to stick to. Be genuine with your business.
4. Shareable Content
This commercial never said, “Buy ketchup, on sale at your local market.” What makes this ad work? How can you apply this concept to your business.
This one is easier said than done. The days of old style advertising are gone. “Come in and buy this!” People like buying…but they don’t like being sold to. The Futur YouTube channel is great for elaborating on this idea. This used to work because as a seller, you knew more about the product than the customer. Now…not so much. People know a lot more about the product than they used to.
If you saw an ad like this…would you share it? I feel like the only time we would share something like this is if it is a REALLY good deal. Black Friday good. Everyone is being advertised to, how are you going to stand out?
Think of the content you do share now?
Funny
Heartfelt
Very useful
Satisfying
Cringy
This is where it gets more difficult to be creative, but also fun to play around with ideas. Such as when one person plays two people, voice-overs, or just crazy things that happen behind the scenes in your business. When it is shared, this reaches new people outside of your existing circle.
3. Secrets Revealed/Trusted Expert
Crumbs & Doilies is her shop. I discovered her as Cupcake Jemma. She has 2.4 million followers. Check out the comments in the video.
Why do you go out to eat? Or get a haircut? Is it because you do not know how to do it, or because you do not want to do it, or is it to save time?
Unless it is something super specialized and unique, and you are the inventor of the technique or process…reveal the secret. Sometimes people may think there is a secret, and be just as surprised to find out that there is no secret. The secret is you are experienced. Which shouldn’t be much of a secret at all either…
If you are a baker, or a mechanic, your market was only customers that needed these services. What if there are people learning to bake, or be a mechanic? If they try your techniques, you will gain their trust. Trusted expert. If one their friends needs a cake or car work, they will have recommendation.
Chef Ramsey gives away his cooking techniques, would you be able to take his secrets and start your own restaurant with the same success? In the same way, you can unlock a new market.
2. Selling to competitors
You may have something you use that you created that helped you overcome an obstacle as a business.
A spreadsheet
An email template for conversions
Any other strategy that created results
These are things that can be sold to your competitors that can help them out. It may seem counter-intuitive to help them out, but this is still a business and you are still doing what a business is supposed to do, which is make money. This is a new market. If it is valuable enough, this can come with a very generous price-tag.
1. Loyal Customers
Pat Flynn has completely transformed my approach to looking at a business model. What do you think?
This is the best one! If you take anything from this, take this. As a business you should have a few customers that ALWAYS come to you. They live in a different side of town but would rather drive across town to come to you. How is your relationship with your loyal customer?
Do you know their name?
Do they know your name?
Do they have a “regular” thing they come to you for? If you have a restaurant, do they always order the same meal. If they’re coming to you for a service, is it usually the same service?
How often do they come?
Think of things that you and your best friend would know about each other. As business owners, we end up seeing customers as numbers, unfortunately. The personal touch can go a long way.
Learn their name
Introduce yourself
Learn about why they come to you
Figure out their pattern
If you think you need a little reminder to get the conversation going, we have a conversation guide available. Sign-up to receive our emails and get a FREE download of our Customer Conversation Guide.
Once you know a little bit about them, give them the royal treatment.
Upgrade their meal
Have their order out first
Give them a little discount
Have a special place for them, like a special table next to the window, etc.
This in turn makes them realize how important THEY are to YOU. If this were to happen to you, what would be one of the next things you would do? You would probably tell one of your friends.
Picture these two scenarios. Kim is your loyal customer. Khloe is her friend.
Scenario 1
Kim just told Khloe about her experience at your shop. She talked about how she loves this place already, and now they went a step further and got the royal treatment.
Scenario 2
Khloe just came across an ad on her instagram feed about your place. It is a really great reel that is boosted and is reaching a lot of people.
Which of these scenarios is likely to be more impactful to Khloe?
The BEST FRIEND! Kim already has a reputation and rapport that is trustworthy to Khloe. Your reel and ad is great, but there is more history with her friend.
It is IMPORTANT to note that you this doesn’t mean you have to give special treatment to everyone. Figure out who are your loyal customers. If you do this to non-loyal customers, it can become an expectation. This can backfire and expect special treatment every time. It isn’t special if everyone is getting it.
Consider joining the Omni-verse
As a business or as a customer. We put promote, share, and inform our followers about unique and creative businesses.
We incentivize our followers to visit local businesses on our list, by giving away small prizes, playing games, and more. We are looking to improve customer and business relationships to better fit each other’s needs.
Embrace your obstructions, create your solutions.
Universal creativity.
7 small El Paso businesses offering exclusive discounts on Small Business Saturday 2022
There are over 18,000 local businesses, how do you know where to visit? How about some award winning ones from Best of El Paso that are offering discounts.
There are over 18,000 local businesses, how do you know where to visit? How about some award winning ones from Best of El Paso.
Most of these are restaurants, but hey, we all enjoy eating, especially if they are award winning, you have little to lose. They are family friendly with great staff, and great products, and even better, they are offering discounts exclusive to us at Versal.
Weirdoughs
Our favorite doughnut place EVER! I can’t believe they are in El Paso. We have visited another largely popular doughnut place, Voodoo Doughnut, in Portland, Oregon. This place has them beat! The “Normie” which is their regular glazed, has such a great flavor in the bread alone. But our favorite is the Trixie, with pink strawberry icing and sprinkles. Classic Homer doughnut.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SWEET discount 😉
J&M Creations
You haven’t seen candles like these! They not only do the job of making it smell nice, but they look amazing! They are molded into different shapes like flowers, skulls, and characters. AND have recently made the candle ALL El Pasoan have been waiting for. Especially those that don’t live here anymore. El Paso RAIN!
They also have events like candle making classes.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SCENTsational discount 🤦🏻♂️
The Hen House
Our favorite wing place! Great alternative to chain wing restaurants. Unique flavors that are created for us, El Pasoans. This is where you take your out-of-town friends and family. Our favorite is the Enchilada wings 🤤. And as weird as it may sound, don’t pass up the peanut butter jelly wings. Peanut butter flavored wings, with a spicy jelly sauce for dipping 👌
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SPICY deal (4 more to go 😅)
The Dripping Cauldron
El Paso's newestc offee and tea shop with a gothic theme located in northeast right next door to Sinister Kustoms. Featuring over 30 different Bones Coffee flavors. Over 15 Specialty coffee items including Lattes, Frappe's, iced coffee blends and of course fresh brewed and ground espressos.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SPOOKtacular deal 😅
Doc’s Unique Collectibles
“We love toys!” Collecting things can be a stress releiver, mood enhancer, and a relaxing activity. Think back to that time you finally got that toy you had want SO BADLY! How you felt to finally hold it, touch it, and that new toy smell ❤️. Everything from Marvel, to Star Wars, Jurassic Park, FUNKO Pops! Great selection!
You don’t have to rely on your parents now, you’re a full grown adult and you can buy what you want 😜. Either way, look for it at the best collectibles shop in El Paso. They have great knowledgeable staff that can get you what you want.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SUPER deal 🦸🏻♂️
Cereal Killers
Did you know 50% of Americans start their day with cereal? I guess it's hard to resist the sweet crunch swimming in cold milk 🤤. Imagine the look on your friends faces when they see you with cereal in a cup, like shake. This is a cereal lover’s DREAM! Bowls of cereal with flavored milks, and fruit 🤤. And the name of this place… killed it! 🗡
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a special TREAT 🍡
Tiara Del Sol
Last but not least, this isn’t an El Paso one, but a local one.
Ruidoso has 1.9 million tourists every year. 60% of the homes are vacation homes. If you haven’t been, this is a great incentive to get away and just be with nature. Great view! This quaint collection of condos really takes you up to the top of the mountains. At the summit you have great views of Inn of the Mountain Gods resort, Grindstone Lake, Sierra Blanca, and the Ruidoso community.
Think of the pictures 📸
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a reason to GETAWAY 🧳
Weirdoughs and Hen House did receive awards and recognition, including Top 5 in Best New Restaurant. The Best of El Paso list for 2022 was hard to find, but I do know these businesses posted on social media about it.
We hope you enjoy these places as much as we have. They are run by great people, and truly represent El Paso and surrounding communities. Remember that when you shop local, our money stays here. They pay taxes here which help our community, and infrastructure. You were’ going to get this stuff anyway, make it count for more by shopping local.
Please consider signing up to our email list for on local businesses, events, artists, and more.
Full List of El Paso Businesses offering discounts
Upcoming El Paso Events
El Paso Comic Con 2022. Pros and Cons and how we can continue to have other great events!
What was a pleasant surprise was the talent of local artists. I’m not surprised at the talent, but it was cool to see them all in one place back-to-back from one booth to the next.
Experience El Paso Comic Con 2022
It has been a while since we attended El Paso Comic Con. Maybe since 2016. We figured it was about to time we check it out again. It was no disappointment.
Summary
Comic Conventions are for all things geeky and nerdy and fun.
Great guests, including William Shatner.
Extremely talented local & regional artists.
Non-regional artist companies.
El Paso’s communication struggles.
Artists contact info
What is a comic convention?
If you don’t know what a comic convention is… it is pretty much a convention for a bunch of geeky and nerdy fun things. It’s not just about comic books and super heroes. It can range from pretty much anything that gets a really hyped up fanbase. Movies such as Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Disney (including Marvel and Star Wars), and TV shows such as anime, The Office, Breaking Bad, etc. Across all genres. If there was a show that has very recognizable characters that may inspire you to dress up, you may find it at a comic con.
Pros: Great guests and local/regional artists.
Fun stuff of this magnitude is hard to come by for El Paso. They had great guests. William Shatner (Star Trek) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad & The Mandalorian) to name a few. Of course to meet them comes at additional costs. I imagine putting an event like this is hard work.
But what was a pleasant surprise was the talent of local artists. I’m not surprised at the talent, but it was cool to see them all in one place back-to-back from one booth to the next. The art is not just pretty pictures. They are very skilled drawings and paintings, but they have a lot of meaning.
Chuco Chamuco
One in particular that stands out is Chuco Chamuco. He can take a lot of familiar characters and places and turn them into representations of many things to tell a new, yet familiar story.
Bloonmac
Bloonmac is another one that does something similar, taking popular characters and placing them with local landmarks. They also have some original characters, and also offer social painting classes. Check out their contact info for more information.
Louie Diaz - Black Blood Artistry
One of our other favorites is Louie Diaz, Black Blood Artistry. He is an incredibly talented artist that specializes in photo-realism. It is unreal how real it looks… if that makes any sense. He can be frequently found at Kaleidoscope Art Market. Louie was also one of our featured Versal Artists. You can check it out here.
There were also some very talented semi-local/regional artists, from Austin and New Mexico, and even California. We heard a lot of compliments on the turn out, and the people from El Paso which is always good to hear.
There were also some non-local, artist companies. Much better resources, set-up, and mass production. It is good to have a diverse selection, but it does tend to take away a little bit from the “El Paso” Comic Con. I have mixed feelings about this. There was some really great stuff there too, but I dislike that it can take away from the local artists. Most artists, especially getting into it as a business, understand what they’re getting themselves into. Competition and resources, etc. I assume the sign-up is open to everybody and it is the local artists job to sign-up and sell along with the other art companies. In the end, we definitely had a stronger connection to the local artists because they are catering to us. they know what we like and how to put their artistic touch to still make it theirs. (I have attached contact info to most of the artists we encountered below)
Cons: El Paso’s communication struggles…
Like we have mentioned, this was a really fun event and I recommend going to it if you have the faintest interest. However, our city struggles with communication. From freeway lanes being closed and not being notified until it is too late. Finding out an event sounds fun to attend, then finding out it already happened. O dimply displaying signs to get a simple message across.
Allowances into the venue - I have a DSLR camera, aka a “fancy” camera with removable lens. It was not allowed into the venue, but the last time we came it was not an issue. Allowing the camera in or not is not the issue. Policies change, I understand that. But there were no signs.
Meet & greet section - We were vlogging the event. (Video link above). I understand if we are not allowed to film in a certain area, but we were confronted by security to delete a video I caught of Giancarlo Esposito. I am not upset about this. I understand if it is a stipulation the guest had or the event…BUT this is the first I hear about it. It was little surprising to be approached somewhat aggressively about filming. Luckily, the security guard was understanding. I explained that I did not know, I had not seen any signs or warnings. We complied and got rid of it. No harm no foul. On another occasion, a similar thing happened to somebody else. A different security guard was loudly informing that there is no video allowed in this section. The person, to us appeared to be complying, but the security guard continued to reiterate that the was no video in this section. To me… this is what can escalate situations. It feels like when your mom would nag at you about something you are already doing. “Ok mom ig et it!” 😜. So I think a simple sign could solve some problems I understand also here in El Paso we also have another tendency to think, “That sign doesn’t apply to me.” 😑. But I think a sign could do more good than harm.
Getting the word out - We bumped into an old colleague at the event, and said he had just found out it was going to be that weekend. Luckily we knew from a little longer ago that the event was occurring. But it happens countless times, that I see something about an event, and it either already happened, or it is happening as I’m discovering it. I honestly don’t know where the communication breakdown happens, but it happens quite frequently in our city. Our people sometimes complain that there isn’t anything to do. I disagree. I just think that nobody knows what is happening. They don’t know there options. Maybe using a common hashtag. Especially for local events. #supportelpaso #supportelpasobusinesses #elpasoevents or create a new one that we ALL use. Consensus.
The pros clearly outweigh the cons. But the cons still need to be addressed because it is a common issue at other El Paso events. We would like for El Paso to continue having great events like this with as few hiccups as possible, so here are a few things that can help:
Signs
Directing to parking for the event
Parking signs for cash/card/which floors or areas of parking facility.
Allowances into the venue
Areas of the event guests can access
Promotion & Marketing & Timing
2 weeks to a month and more frequently as it nears.
More exposure in more places as it nears.
Social media networking and getting different bubbles to post your stuff. Your bubble already knows. Find a way to break into other bubbles.
We are working on putting together a calendar where these events can be placed for everyone to see with easy access and visibility. They can be sent in to us to be put on the calendar. Our calendar is not ready, but if the event is far enough in advance, you can send it to us and hopefully by that time, our calendar will be live. We look forward to having great events and #supportelpaso 😉
Artist contact info
Louie Diaz/Black Blood Artistry - https://www.instagram.com/black.blood.artistry/
Imperial Border Squad - https://www.instagram.com/imperialbordersquad/
Blackened Art - https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackenedArtDesign
Alex Grey Illustrations - https://bluehippopress.com/?v=e748b7c8fd06
Kim Trails Designs - https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/kim_trails?sub_action=designs
Is photo printing dead?
Do you still print photos? Seems like such an outdated practice. But some of us that grew up with it still do it. Are younger generations aware of this practice? Is the service just as accessible as before? Do you print at home? What about scheduled family portraits? Has the digital age killed photo printing?
Do you still print photos? Seems like such an outdated practice. But some of us that grew up with it still do it. Are younger generations aware of this practice? Is the service just as accessible as before? Do you print at home? What about scheduled family portraits? Has the digital age killed photo printing?
I am considered a millennial. I am 33 years old, so I still remember printing photos. We would print photos because we couldn’t see the picture you just took. You had to wait until you printed it to see if it was a good photo. A standard roll of film had about 24 pictures. This amount made you more conscious about how you would choose to take a picture because your supply is limited. So you take your vacation or go the wedding and send your film to get developed and finally get to relive the memories. Then you see somebody closed their eyes in a picture, or somebody photo bombed, or the lighting was off. That was the age we lived in, so I am grateful that the technology has now allowed for us to better capture moments. We can review it instantly and hope we still have a chance to retake. So we take all these pictures and printing them is the only way to see them. But why do we print them now?
Since the photos we took were limited because of the film, we had to really plan out or think twice about the shot. Now a photo doesn't take much memory on a phone, so it is nearly unlimited. A phone? Another phrase you will hardly hear anymore, “I wish somebody had a camera!” Unless you’re actually looking for higher quality photos and control over the shot you want, most cameras on our phones are pretty good quality. This is now almost an integral part and deciding factor for some as to which phone you will purchase next. Since we can take so many photos, has the quality of the photo decreased. I don’t mean the dimensions and resolution, I mean the criteria for what constitutes picture worthy. Most of our phones could be filled with useless things, such as a pictures of text, screenshots, etc. These are things are obviously not taken for the same reasons as you would a photograph, with the intent of capturing a memory. But all those selfies you take, do you have the intent of printing? Why? Why not? Cameras on phones have been around long enough now that you probably have gone through several camera phones. Do you still have the pictures from your first phone? Digital or printed? If you don't, is it a real big loss or had you already forgotten? Had you given it any thought before now? This is what I mean by the quality of the photos we take. What percentage of those photos in your phone right now would you be unhappy about losing?
I still print photos, but not in the same way. I don't just get prints to keep in a box and show them to people like that. I mentioned accessibility earlier. It is probably a tiny bit harder to find places that print now. Walgreens is the first one that pops in my head. Before they used to be at Walmart, K-mart etc. Although the service might still be available online, is rare to see it in store. also with printing, there have been technological advancements. Printers offer software online, where you can make your pictures more presentable. I still print, but now I print into books. After every vacation, and at the end of every year, I look over my pictures, edit them, and place them into a book. It is almost like a scrapbook, but a little more organized And professional looking in my opinion. So even though the services aren't as accessible as before, they definitely have more options.
Along with those options are big prints, onto different materials, such as canvas, wood, and metal. And again, I like to print photos, but these are the options I like to take advantage of. Technological advancements have allowed for better product options from printing businesses, or simply printing at home. Printing at home is also a very convenient option. But what does it take for you to want to print a picture?
How many of you schedule family portraits? You go to a studio, dressed up and purchase prints for your home? How often? What kind of pictures are up on your wall? The photos of us that are on our wall are from our wedding. Now that we have ur first child, it may be time to update them.
So has the digital age killed photo printing? Maybe it has just evolved. We have more options, and better tools to help us keep track of our memories. And if you haven’t purchased a print in a while, I recommend you do so. Take advantage of the newer options. Find a photo from your last vacation, print it on canvas. Or from your last birthday, or group photo with friends, and print it on wood. I guarantee you will not regret it. Although I am also guilty of having junk images on my phone, whenever I look over the photo books of our vacations or the previous years, it is a very different experience than just looking at it on your phone or computer. Holding and seeing a large photo print right in front of you, makes you relive the memory in a very different way. But my favorite thing about this whole process, is it makes you evaluate the way you take photos. Out of all the photos you’ve taken, you either already have that one in mind out of a hundred that you would like to print, or you don’t have any in mind out of the hundreds of pictures you’ve taken. Either way, what does that say about the way you are taking photos?
Versal and the creation
There was no question in my mind that I had to get my butt off the couch and into the kitchen. It was on! I had to replicate these and eat them all!
So from our previous blog titled “Do you feel creative?” you learned a little bit about Sal and well…creativity. I would love to think that I am a creative person as well however, I don’t always make time to express my creativity. BUUUUTTT…I love to EAT! And feed people. So because of this, while Sal was doing a painting or editing photos, guess where I was? In the kitchen? Nope, more like on the couch. Binge watching…Netflix. Oh yes and it was so great, except I swear the couch was getting a dent in it. Anyway I started watching The Great British Baking Show and fell in love instantly. I loved seeing these typical people make amazing desserts and pastries. I started to think to myself humm…..I can do that! Did I do anything? Nope. HA! I did continue watching it though until one day there was this beautiful pastry called Kouign Amman (Queen ah-mon). It is a layered pastry that was apparently super hard and time consuming to make. It’s name comes from the Breton language, the words mean butter cake. I was instantly transported to San Francisco.
San Francisco, if you don’t know, has amazing bakeries and patisseries. While on vacation my amazing cousin was showing us around town. Well ya know what you do on vacation? Thats right, A LOT of eating! Plus we are so good at it, especially the sweets. Anyway we stopped at this bakery that is very well known: b patisserie . Needless to say, my mouth had fallen in love and never wanted to leave SF.
So we stocked up on this delicious treat, but by the end of our vacation, the snacks we had purchased to bring back home were all gone. Somebody had eaten them all. I guess we couldn’t help it. There is a lot of walking to do in SF and there are a lot of trails for hiking. So you know we had to replenish our famished bodies with our delicious treats. Never the less they were all gone, we would need to wait to return to SF for delicious treats years later. I digress, going back to the baking show! As I sat watching these people make Kouign Amman the beloved pastry that we had eaten for days in SF. There was no question in my mind that I had to get my butt off the couch and into the kitchen. It was on! I had to replicate these and eat them all! I made a batch and thought, “Humm not good enough.” Delicious yes, how can you go wrong with so much butter and sugar HA! But I had to try again. Each time that family or friends were going to come over, I hopped in the kitchen and began the 6 hour long process of making this delicious treat. These things were warm and crispy on the outside with tiny pockets of melted sugar and flaky buttery layers.
Kouign Amann
Butter cake
Our family and friends were very happy being taste testers for these. But, as time went on, they started to say, “ You should start selling these.” Maybe those calories began to attack the clothes in their closet. Our journey to sales had begun. A local coffee shop with a super sweet owner asked if she could buy and sell them. This only worked for a few weeks and then poof, that magic slipped through our fingers. We were on a mission to find out how we could sell Sals’ photography and my baking. Long story short we began doing the El Paso Downtown Artist & Farmer’s Market.
We are now inspired to expand the little world of Versal Arts. We love doing the markets and being around the awesome people every weekend. However, with our new baby boy who is now the center of my universe, we are having to take a break from going to the markets. We are now taking orders and I am working on new and fun baking ideas to share with you all. If you have an idea or need something weird to be baked for you, we are here to explore and adventure the universe together. Thank you for visiting Versal Arts!!!
For those that would like to explore the universe with us, join our universe and sign-up for e-mail updates and newsletter. Those signed up are entered in a drawing every month to win an 8x10 print from our gallery. With that being said, we would like to congratulate Liana Diaz for being the February 2019 monthly-drawing winner. Congratulations! That could be your name next month!
Our favorite doughnut place EVER! I can’t believe they are in El Paso.