An attorney once told me, “You better get it in writing in case one of you guys gets run over by a beer truck tomorrow, just so your heirs know what the deal is.”

Well, I almost got run over by a Staples truck yesterday. And then a funny thing happened.

This is not the actual Staple's truck that almost clobbered me yesterday. It's added here for visual impact.

I was walking from our agency to the UPS store carrying Christmas gifts like chord wood destined for Seattle. All of a sudden, this large Staples truck comes nearly careening around the corner and onto the parking lot access road I was just stepping into. I heard him before I saw him and stopped in my wing tipped tracks. The clean cut driver deftly pumped his breaks. The bright, shiny delivery truck hissed to a stop. With an apologetic smile, he waved me across the street.

But the funny thing is, as soon as I looked up and saw the Staples’ logo on the clean truck with the handsome driver, I knew he wasn’t going to run me down. There was a very basal emotion of calm that rose inside me, and it was directly associated with their brand.

Where do you think that calm came from?

From their advertising campaign, and the easy shopping experiences I’ve enjoyed in their stores. Like the ad guy I am, I immediately appreciated the power of the brand, even as it almost clobbered me outside my own agency.

Then I asked myself, “Would I have reacted the same way if it were just a big ‘ol nondescript white van, a  Shucks Autoparts truck, or a delivery guy for Schlitz Beer?” Probably not. I instinctively knew everything was cool, even as I stood in the cross hairs of the Staples van’s hood ornament. Kind of creepy stuff.

I guess their brand pushed my “Easy Button.” Does yours?

• Powerful brands always deliver on their promises
• Powerful brands should resonate even outside of their comfort zones
• Powerful brands can ask for forgiveness and get it
• Powerful brands make life comfortable
• Powerful brands care

What’s your brand story?

Have you ever read the book or seen the documentary, “The Endurance”?

It’s about the most unbelievably ill-fated expedition that stranded 28 men in Antarctic for nearly two years.

This was the “Help Wanted” ad that Shackleton ran when assembling his crew.  Astonishingly, it generated over 5,000 responses.

Checkout “The Endurance” if:

1. You’re looking for inspiration for your own 2010 expedition into the cold, dark climes of this economy
2. You’re curious how optimism can buoy leadership skills
3. You’d like to assemble a crew that can weather anything

Most local TV ads are made with no money, no concept, no production values, and no shortage of obnoxious yelling. And in case you didn’t catch the phone or address of that car dealer, accident attorney or mattress warehouse the first time, don’t you worry, Vern, you’re gonna get it again…and again…and again.

With a dash of fun and creativity, it’s easy for a local commercial to soar mightily above this din, and I recently came across one from central Alabama that hit me like a fence post to the jaw. It was made by Rhett and Link, two guys who started I Love Local Commercials and are touring the country producing free spots for local businesses they take a shine to. Who knew honesty could be so effective. Or so funny.

That number again is 256-737-0438.

I recently returned from a whirlwind trip following U2 on the West Coast swing of their latest tour. The trip took me to three different cities in the span of a week where I saw the show from a variety of different perspectives and vantage points. The last stop was in Pasadena at the famed Rose Bowl.

As many of you probably know that Rose Bowl show was noteworthy for a few reasons. First, 100,000 people occupied the stadium making it one of the largest concert events in the history of California. Also, U2 used the performance to record their latest concert DVD and they streamed the concert live via YouTube. The statistics that followed the live broadcast were staggering. Ten million streams from 188 countries across the world made this the largest streaming event in YouTube’s history.

A friend who knew I would be attending the Rose Bowl concert sent me the following email before the show, “Aren’t you a sucker? Now, I can have the same experience free while still laying on my sofa.” In a sense he has a point. Thanks to social media he saw the same show, but he hardly had the same experience. Not even close. And this is as big a commentary on the effectiveness of social media vs. in-person Word of Mouth as there ever was.

What I experienced in the span of a week led to countless stories and memories that I’ll cherish and share for a lifetime. It was by definition the ultimate Word of Mouth experience. He didn’t experience the camaraderie that comes with spending an entire day in the General Admission line and the subsequent loss of humanity in the stampede that follows when the gates finally open. He didn’t experience haggling and begging our way back to the Vegas strip among 20,000 other stranded cab seekers. And of course, he didn’t experience the magic that is a live U2 event.

He may have been comfortable and it certainly was free to watch the Rose Bowl show on his laptop. But as I was there smashed between fans from London on my left, Hawaii on my right and Canada to my back, I was part of something bigger. I was part of something 100,000 strong in fact. A community of passionate people that if only for three hours of our lives were connected to each other. Social media is great. It has the ability to extend real life situations, but make no mistake, it will never replace those situations and experiences.

My friend may have sung along to “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” from the comfort of his own couch, but I sang the same song at the top of my lungs with 100,000 others. And as I glanced around and the band fell silent it was clear that we shared something too. An overwhelming moment that only those within those walls can truly remember. I will never forget the looks on the faces of the people surrounding me. Those looks can never be defined by any social media application. Once again, U2 taught me a lesson, and once again, I’m better for it.