Failure Coach IX

OMG AE IOU #FailureCoach

Failure Fans are alive on the web again. Alan is still astounded by the phenomenon that started with YouTube videos going viral from the Orlando conference showing Alan Edgewater at his very best and most colorful. In hindsight, it was a damn good thing Bluestone thought about this tactic as a member of the enthusiastic audience in Orlando. Failure Fans all over started to pick up on his rants. The clips, especially, became popular attachments on Twitter. They became a sort of shorthand like LMFAO or LOL (instead of or in addition to). Alan was almost afraid the activity was unique to his first book and that successful launch. He could not be certain analytics would show a flurry of the same magnitude but it did look like #110% #epicfail #AEIOU activity was alive and well.

AEIOU became a kind of battle cry for people and organizations that wanted to publicly thank Alan Edgewater (AE) for helping them accept one defeat or another (IOU).

A poster designed by one of Bluestone’s freelancers became popular as a graphic online (more so than the limited distribution of the poster itself. The design was homage to Push Pin Studio’s Milton Glaser Bob Dylan poster from 1967 with a stylized Abe Lincoln profile. The poster includes the words:

Abraham Lincoln suffered a multitude of failure in his life which he did not let get in his way as he finally won the presidency and changed the course of history.  L

Lost job in 1832.
Defeated for state legislature in 1832.
Failed in business in 1833.
Elected to state legislature in 1834.
Sweetheart died in 1835.
Had nervous breakdown in 1836.
Defeated for Speaker in 1838.
Defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843.
Elected to Congress in 1846.
Lost renomination in 1848.
Rejected for land officer in 1849.
Defeated for U.S. Senate in 1854.
Defeated for nomination for Vice President in 1856.
Again defeated for U.S. Senate in 1858.
Elected President in 1860.

AE IOU #FailureCoach

The success of viral video and this graphic energized Daniel Bluestone. The poster was reproduced in the new book as an exhibit. The validation of the value of his efforts triggered a flurry of activity focusing on guerilla and digital tactics for Alan Edgewater. The success was helping him get in the door at InBev Anheuser Busch, Enterprise Rent a Car and Sazerac. Each were hopeful this kind of awareness might be generated for their brands. Daniel too, was getting a bit of attention as he was invited to be a guest lecturer at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and mentor the student ad club AD CORE.

Note: Milton Glaser's Dylan poster (above) was inspired by Marcel Duchamp's 1957 self-portrait. It was included in an album of greatest hits released in 1967.