APMP Proposal Cartoon Caption Contest

6/2/2008

Posted by Jon
Wow – we had a wonderful response at last week’s APMP Conference to our Proposal Cartoon Caption contest. Nearly 200 entries came in, offering their captions to the following:

BJ and I battled valiantly to align our senses of humour and agree a shortlist of ten – here goes, in no particular order:

1. “How did we win that? We no-bid it!” – Romie Shield, OSIsoft
2. “The dog just ate our proposal!” – Ruth Turman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC
3. “So, who knows Urdu?” – Pat Thomas, Logica
4. “New hairdresser in town?” – Chris Rademeyer, Deloitte
5. “It was ‘Eastern’ time” – Diane Keane, L-3 Communications
6. “I stapled my hands together” – Tony Milani, Experian
7. “Oh no… they gave us an extension” – Paul Fleischman, Sybase
8. “The UPS proposal was shipped FedEx” – Esteban, Motorola
9. “Terrible news… we won!” – Ron Nagel
10. “There’s been a small change…” – Pamela Goodman, Ropes & Gray LLP

We’d love your comments as to which you think was the best, so that we can choose an overall winner.

(Huge thanks to our good friend Mike Parkinson of the 24 Hour Company, author of the wonderful book Billion Dollar Graphics, for drawing the cartoon for us!)

25 Comments

Roisin

3/26/2016 03:36:56 am

“The UPS proposal was shipped FedEx” – Esteban, Motorola

This one made me laugh out loud!!!

Lesa C

3/26/2016 03:37:06 am

I agree, the UPS proposal being shipped FedEx is the winner in my book! : )

Richard

3/26/2016 03:37:17 am

A very, very tough call. Each one is highly amusing.
I will have to go for “There’s been a small change…”
p.s. Great cartoon Mike.

Graham

3/26/2016 03:37:29 am

Great suggestions. From bitter experience I think I’d have to go for “There’s been a small change…” It’s always a big change and it always messes up the content development process and the proposal plan!

Natalie

3/26/2016 03:37:40 am

Think I’d jump on the UPS bandwagon… it’s always the ‘little things’ that are overlooked…

Barbara Esmedina

3/26/2016 03:37:49 am

UPS hands down!

Connie Sanford

3/26/2016 03:38:00 am

UPS has my vote.

By the way – I sent this out to all of our Proposal Analysts and I got a message back, “Funny thing … I speak Urdu.” So, at least we’re covered in that eventuality.

Great cartoon!

Mike Parkinson

3/26/2016 03:38:10 am

Too funny! I would say that the prop professionals have such amazing gift for wiriting comedy but I suspect they were only sharing personal experiences. ;) (Joking of course—kinda’.) Fantastic idea Jon and BJ!

Nanette Mcquinn

3/26/2016 03:38:18 am

Hey, I submitted the qoute, “There’s been a small change.” I even saw my card with my name and contact information posted on the cork board at the conference. How is someone else getting credit for my qoute? :-( Perhaps, we said the exact same thing? Either way brilliant minds do think a like, so my vote is for that one.

Diane Keane

3/26/2016 03:38:31 am

I have to vote for — “The UPS Proposal was shipped FEDEX!”

Jon

3/26/2016 03:38:39 am

There seems to be a clear front-runner emerging!

Nanette: I’m guessing that this was a case of ‘brilliant minds’, as you say! (I know there were quite a few very similar, if not quite identical, entries along these lines).

Mary

3/26/2016 03:38:49 am

I have to go with UPS -

Ruth Turman

3/26/2016 03:39:00 am

My vote goes to “UPS!” Ironically, once had a proposal sent via FedEx destined for Chicago that, instead, spent several days in Pittsburgh – grounded as a result of a blizzard. So I just have to ask Estoban: Was the DR version of the UPS proposal (sent by FedEx) sent via USPS?

Cheryl M.

3/26/2016 03:39:10 am

I vote for “There’s been a small change…” hits the nail right on the head!!!!

Amy

3/26/2016 03:39:19 am

“There’s been a small change . . .” Those words haunt me!!

Catherine

3/26/2016 03:39:26 am

“There’s been a small change…” is definitely the funniest!

Jon

3/26/2016 03:39:40 am

The competition’s heating up here! I think I personally lean towards the Urdu comment, or the ultra-surreal hand-stapling reply!

Sara

3/26/2016 03:39:53 am

“There’s been a small change…” I laughed out loud at this one. It so accurately describes the corporate world and I would guess that most people have had to deal with this scenario at some time or another!

3/26/2016 03:40:07 am

I LOVE “There’s been a small change…” How accurate is the reaction to that comment.

Kristen Sargent

3/26/2016 03:40:15 am

My vote goes for “There’s been a small change.” Who can’t relate?

3/26/2016 03:40:25 am

My vote goes to “There’s been a small change.. “

Maryann

3/26/2016 03:40:35 am

Small Change – hands down! Definition = burn the midnight oils; start from scratch again.

Jonesy

3/26/2016 03:40:45 am

Tough decision! I’m torn between:
“Terrible news….we won!”,
“I stapled my hands together”,
and “There’s been a small change…”

This was a lot of fun — you should do it again next year. And…what’s the prize for the winner?

Robin

3/26/2016 03:40:52 am

Hard to choose when you’ve lived them all. Except, “I’ve stapled my hands together” TOO FUNNY…gotta go with that one.

Janet Follmeyer

3/26/2016 03:41:03 am

The UPS proposal sent via Fedex actually happened at my former company, prior to my tenure.

One can never be too careful with the details.

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BJ Lownie and Jon Williams are the co-founders of Strategic Proposals.

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