A week or so ago, I mentioned that I was assembling a pretty cool panel of marketing and advertising experts to go through this year’s SuperBowl television commercials, with their reviews and comments appearing after the game on the website for my new book, “‘What Was That Number Again?’ Crimes Against Advertising, and How to Prevent Them.”

Look, advertising and marketing didn’t start to fall out of favor with the public because it’s not good business.  It’s falling out of favor because most of it is terrible.  And sometimes, there’s no bigger stage for a demonstration of the best and worst-case scenarios than SuperBowl Sunday.

THE COOL NEWS

Our panel has expanded, and now includes Kathy Buckworth, best-selling author, corporate marketing veteran, and now the person who has the ear of some of North America’s biggest corporations when they want to learn how to market to women.  It also includes Mike McCurlie, founder of MJM Productions in Hamilton, and creator of some of the catchiest, most memorable and most effective jingles in broadcasting today (people who live in Ontario still love the work he did for Sleeman Breweries).

They join Larry MacInnis and Michael Kryton – two of the most decorated and celebrated ad men in Canadian history – along with Mark Kaplowe, whose studios nestled in the woods just outside Manhattan crank out more automobile advertising than any other source in North America.

Oh yeah, and Seth Godin’s in there, too.  Wait ’til you hear what he told me the other day about Super Bowl advertising.

The website for the book is here (if you click that link, it’ll open in a new window).  We’ll have plenty of videos for you to watch, and reviews and commentary from some the smartest advertising and marketing people I know.

So there it is.

My first book.

Officially went on sale on Amazon a little over an hour ago.  (If you click on the cover graphic, a new window will open where you can buy it if you want to, but that’s not what this post is about.)

Yes, it’s an amazing feeling.  Yes, I still look at it (even though proofs have been in my house for weeks now) and get kind of a rush.  And yes, I’m psyched about getting out to meet people who want to talk about it, and celebrate its release with me.  (Click here if you want to learn more about that, although again, not what this post is about.)

If you and I know each other, or you read this blog regularly, you probably already know why I’m a mess today.  It bears repeating, even though it’s really tough to type it out.  And I’ll make it quick, ‘cuz I’ve never really been much for wallowing.

A few days before Christmas 2010, I lost my Mom, in circumstances that are still far too raw to talk about.  And I’m left with this really odd combination of sad and angry.  I’m angry because she only got to see the missteps and the mulligans in my life.  She has missed the best year of my existence.  Career.  Love.  Life.  It has all finally come to the place she always prayed for.  And I didn’t get things together in time for her to see it.

I know what many will say to me, that from the “better place” she ended up, she’s been given a front row seat to watch it all, and I believe that – I truly do.

But on days like this, I want to be able to pick up the phone and celebrate with her.  I want to share the tears of joy with her that she’d feel on those seemingly rare occasions in my life where I got something right.  I want to call her up with news that would make her proud – and this past year, I’ve been blessed enough to have a lot of that kind of news.  There have even been times where I’ve almost caught myself about to start an email, or make a phone call.

But I can’t.  That’s where the “sad” comes in.  Poor Tatiana has been wonderful through what I can only imagine has been a confusing time; she had to deal this year with dozens of things that should have given me cause to celebrate and dance with joy, but that started with sadness instead.

And that’s the part that’s making me a mess today.

Sure, I’ll celebrate the day; but while my Mom may get a front row seat, I look into the front row that I can see from here on Earth and see a very empty chair.

I miss you, Mom.  And I’ve set aside a copy of the book for you.  (I hear shipping to where you are can be cost-prohibitive anyway.)

You might already know that I have a book that “launches” this coming Wednesday.  It’s about the stuff I learned in 30 years of being an ad agency guy and radio copywriter.

The book has a Facebook page, and its own website as well.  Those will serve as an ongoing Second Edition.  So my intention is to never release a new version of the book, or a Part II, but to use the website as the home to every chapter I come up with that didn’t make it into the book before I sent it to the printer.

To that end, it would make sense for an advertising book that talks about the Super Bowl, to have some kind of commentary on Super Bowl advertising.

It’s with that in mind that I excitedly tell you about my panel of Monday Morning Quarterbacks.  Commentary on the Super Bowl commercials from people who actually know stuff about marketing and advertising.  The panel includes Larry MacInnis (Creative Director for CHUM Radio in Toronto), Mike Kryton (Creative Director, AXE Productions in Edmonton), Mark Kaplowe (owner of Kaplowe Studios in Connecticut and the most familiar voice in North American car dealer advertising), and oh yeah… Seth Godin has a thing or two to say as well.

That’s a partial list, and I’m recruiting other members along the way.  We’ll tell you what ads worked, what ads sucked, and you get the bonus of knowing that the people sharing their opinions with you have serious street cred.  (Larry and Mike are among two of the most decorated and celebrated ad men in Canadian history.)

Our Monday Morning Quarterbacks weigh in on – surprise – Monday, February 6th.  You’ll find their comments and be able to join the conversation at whatwasthatnumberagain.com.