A Message from the President ... ZZZZZZZZ

The recent First Hawaiian Bank Auto Show has a program to help visitors find their way around the exhibit hall.  Great.

But in the program, there is some totally wasted space.  First Hawaiian Bank, the show's sponsor, has a full page to get out a message about itself and its brand.  What did they do with it?  They have a headline that says "First Hawaiian Bank Message."  Really.  Wow.  I really want to read that since I've been waiting to hear what First Hawaiian has to say.

How hard would it have been to come up with a headline linked to the bank's brand and touting the reasons that they are sponsoring this event??  And the "message" features a pic of the CEO.  Okay, show the CEO, but show him with a car or in the bank - not a head shot!  (There's an old saying in advertising:

When the client moans and sighs
Make the logo twice the size
Should the client prove refractory
Show a picture of the factory
But only in the direst case
Should you show the client's face!)

I'm picking on First Hawaiian, but I can't tell you how many newsletters I get from organizations which have a message from the president whose headline is "Message from the President."

Really, folks, can't we be more interesting than that??