Got a killer old photo of you all decked out in your Halloween costume? Enter it in the Lemonade Stand Photo Contest and you could win a $20 gift certificate!

You’ve got until the end of the day on Tuesday, September 30. Chop chop.

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Is this a long-forgotten buddy sitcom from the 70s starring a bright-eyed boy and his precocious inanimate object? Or just a shameless plug for one of my favorite cool things at the Lemonade Stand? You decide. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy it:

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Consider another one of those age-old problems solved.

That’s what we do here.

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Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever have enough money to make a Super Bowl commercial. Maybe one starring a dancing lizard or Justin Timberlake.

And then I wonder that even if we did, would I be crazy enough to spend it in such a gratuitous manner?

We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose. Until then, we’ll continue to operate with a shoestring marketing budget that is short on cabbage and long on weird ideas. Which is actually a good thing.

And very childlike, indeed.

When I was a kid, afternoons often evaporated in a whirlwind of exciting adventure fueled by little more than a unique garage sale find and oodles of imagination. And that’s how most small businesses start: with some great, crazy ideas and a mishmash of borrowed things, like time, office space, and computers.

In any enterprise, the ideas make the difference. Many wise established companies will tell you that too much money is a bad thing, as it can often serve as a poor substitute for insightful, creative, and weird ideas. Weird ideas seem to be something we at Kim & Jason have in abundance. Such as…

What if you washed your face with a fudgesicle?

That was the premise for our latest commercial. Now, it’s not nearly as pretty as some of those fancy car commercials you see on the Super Bowl. But then again, it didn’t cost all that much, either. (One box of fudgesicles and lunch at Subway for the production crew.) But what it lacks in budget it makes up for in unadulterated fun. And besides, how else are you supposed to advertise soaps that look like popsicles? Go ahead, watch it below. If you think it’s stupid, you’re probably not alone. But if you like it, please send it on to a friend or two. (Just click on the YouTube logo, and then on “Share.”) That’s how we little guys get the word out — via people like you.

At least until we have enough money to do some sort of big budget Super Bowl commercial with Justin Timberlake.

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We can help. But you gotta act fast.

P.S. Would it surprise you to know that Doug is a big Carlie Chaplin fan?

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Apparently, the holiday season is already upon us (and has been for several weeks, if we take all the major retail stores’ word for it). That’s the thing I hate the most about being in the retail game — the pressure to plug Christmas shopping before I’ve even had a chance to count my Halloween candy.

Well I refuse to start playing Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving (and not a minute before). So we won’t be launching any grand holiday promotions until then as well. And I don’t care how many sales we lose because of it.

We ARE busily planning for a really cool December event called the 12 Days of Wishmas, which involves opening up our new office space for twelve days as an unusual shopping destination. It does involve gingerbread houses, cookie decorating, a visit from Santa Claus and more. The goal is to create a new kind of shopping experience for grown-ups, one where they are invited to re-experience the childhood magic of Christmas amidst the normal hustle and bustle of the season. It’s going to be so freaking awesome, I can’t wait! More details coming soon.

And speaking of planning, many of you out there with blogs and web sites may be planning some fun holiday stuff of your own. If you are interested in making a few extra bucks with your site, I feel obligated to point out the Kim & Jason Affiliate program. Once you sign up, you can simply link to the Lemonade Stand itself or any product within the store (we’ve added over 100 new items for the season), and you make an astounding 20% on every sale that originates from your site. Plus you help spread the word about Adultitis, which is quite a “goodwill toward men” type of thing to do.

Oh yes, one more thing. I have had the opportunity to contribute some Kim & Jason artwork to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Wisconsin again this year, which they have used on greeting cards you can purchase. Each set contains 25 cards for just $25. Plus, you can get your company logo printed on the back and/or pay a little bit extra to have them stamp and address all of your cards for you. Talk about taking the stress out of the season! Of course, all proceeds go to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. They do good stuff.

That is all. Now back to your regularly scheduled Christmas hype.

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All this week (Monday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Nov. 2), we’re running a special promotion at the Lemonade Stand. If you place an order, we’ll throw in a handful of candy and other Halloween surprises. Like what, you may ask?

Well that’s why it’s called a surprise, silly.

There’s no order minimum and you don’t need to enter a special code. All you have to do is place an order. Dressing up in costume is optional. It’s sort of like a grown-up version of trick-or-treating. (After all, why should kids get to have all the fun?)

What are you waiting for? Go shopping now!

Technorati Tags: Halloween promotion, free candy, trick-or-treat for adults

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Maybe Mondays make us feel extra generous. Maybe we’re still a little loopy from the weekend. Maybe the rumors of that rogue leprechaun hiding in our office is true. Whatever the cause, every Monday at the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand, you will find one special item marked down to a ridiculously low price. You’ll never know what product it will be, no additional purchase is required, and it’ll only last for one day.

We’ve been having Mondays like these for quite some time now, but here’s the new wrinkle: Monday Madness specials will be announced over at Jenna’s blog. So you might want to subscribe to her blog or risk missing out on the deal of the week!

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For the past several weeks now, whenever a visitor stops by our new office, they are greeted with this message from our unique doormat: “Wow! Nice Underwear.”

Needless to say, it has garnered quite a few chuckles.

They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. (I wonder if it’s possible to get a second chance to make a second impression?) In many businesses, the doormat is one of the first things a customer sees when they visit for the first time. Of course, it’s usually a boring gray color and naturally goes unnoticed.

What a waste.

Wouldn’t you rather have a customer enter your place of business with a smile on their face? I can already hear the big shot lawyers out there who have a reputation to uphold and could never entertain the idea of classing down the joint with a doormat that says, “Our dog is not a biter. He’s a humper.”

They may have a point.

But I would hasten to bet that more businesses than not could benefit from adding a little humor to their first impressions. Don’t tell me that the local cable company couldn’t benefit from customers having their frowns turned upside down upon reading, “Hi. I’m Mat.” or “Well butter my butt & call me a biscuit - look who’s here!” when they walk in to dispute last month’s bill. Who would you rather deal with: an angry customer or a formerly angry customer whose guard is down because they were caught off guard by a little humor?

Is it a little thing? Sure it is. You still have to back it up with great service. But in this highly competitive marketplace, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

Technorati Tags: customer service, first impressions, humor marketing, doormats

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People who work in the corporate world are often the ones most in need of a little Adultitis treatment. They tend to be the ones who are most hesitant about letting that child inside out for a recess break. I’m a professional; I can’t afford to not be taken seriously.

Hogwash. You don’t have to show up for work in a multi-colored jumpsuit and jester hat to get the benefits that come with being more childlike. Escape Plan challenge #36 is a perfect prescription for office workers dealing with Adultitis. Entitiled “Dress Up Day,” the challenge is to accessorize your wardrobe today with a touch of childhood.

Notice it says “a touch.” You don’t need Bozo the Clown to throw up on your power suit.

This can be done in a variety of ways — hence the challenge. My dad and some of the guys he works with wear colorful ties on Thursday, a.k.a. “Tie Day.” You could go even more subtle with a fun pin or watch.

Or you could have a little fun with your socks. These unique socks come from LittleMissMatched and are sold in sets of 3. (Solving the age-old problem of the disappearing sock!) I first saw these on a woman at a speaking gig who was adamant that we should get some for our store. So we did.

Will people take you less seriously if you wear these socks? They don’t seem to take marketing guru Seth Godin less seriously. I think it’s more likely that people will warm up to you, thrilled to find someone who isn’t so uptight (like all the other corporate stiffs they deal with all day long). And don’t forget the age-old business credo:

People do business with people they like.

Take it to the bank: just a little touch of childhood will make you more likable.

P.S. Check out Jenna’s take on these crazy foot coverings.

Technorati Tags: LittleMissMatched, socks, Adultitis, Escape Plan, Seth Godin

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I’m not a big fan of going to the dentist (is anybody?) although I am a big fan of MY dentist. He’s fun, honest, and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Certainly not a big risk for Adultitis.

One dental related routine that I’ve been able to form over the past few years has been flossing on a daily basis. It’s funny how instrumental losing your wife’s employer’s dental plan can be in encouraging new, beneficial habits…

I have never considered flossing to be a particularly fun past time (although definitely more fun than seeing the bill for a new crown or two.) But that was until I stumbled upon the Kai P. Dental Floss Holder. The little piranha guy sits on your bathroom counter with a string of floss sticking out of his chaw. It’s another genius example of a product of mirth. Life may be filled with routine moments and chores, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be fun.

Technorati Tags: Kai P., dental floss holder, dental hygiene, dentists, flossing, Adultitis

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