The company is one of many Chicago-area businesses piggybacking on social media for new product concepts.

“I had this idea five years ago, but the missing piece was the social networking component,” said Noel Burkman, founder and chief executive of Coin That Phrase in Wilmette. “Once that came into play, it made sense.”

Chicago-area startups piggybacking on social media for new product concepts — chicagotribune.com

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FREE T-SHIRTS TO THE FIRST 1000 QUIPSTERS WHO COIN A PHRASE ON THAT DAY!

Wilmette, IL 9/22/2009 06:36 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)

Have you every been sitting around with your friends…or in a meeting and you have a moment of inspiration where you come up with a witty combination of words like,  “MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE.”  Maybe you invent a new word like “VcNabb” to describe the coming together of two sports figures on one team.  If you have ever wondered how to officially coin a phrase wonder no more.

A Chicagoland company has recently launched a website that allows you to you register those thoughts and ideas. Coin That Phrase(www.cointhatphrase.com) is the place you can officially coin your own phrases. At Cointhatphrase.com users add their own unique words and phrases to the database and receive a certificate commemorating their creations. The database has exploded with over 8000 entries in the first few weeks. CoinThatPhrase.com also gives users the ability to earn money. By affiliating (which cost $9.99) users are entitled to share in revenue any time a product sells with their words on it. Currently, products include t-shirts, mugs, and dog tags. Coin That Phrase (CTP) is recognized as an exciting new business model and is a Finalist in the 2009 Chicago Innovation Awards.

To celebrate the launch of the site, CTP proclaimed Thursday, October 8, 2009 UNIVERSAL T-SHIRT DAY. On that day, they will be giving the first 1000 purchased coined phrases a free t-shirt with their phrase on it. Regular shipping and handling apply.

Attention, college students and parents! Coin That Phrase has started the Coin-U program to help out college students. CTP is offering college students across the country to represent the brand on campus. This unique opportunity offers a first hand marketing and networking experience for students, as well as, a chance to make $1.00 for every referral transaction. The company is hopeful that with that generations’ knowledge and use of Facebook and other social networking…students can help pay their way through school. For more information on the Coin-U program contactrob@cointhatphrase.com

Coin That Phrase…where words come to play. Come join in the fun.

Contact:

Robert Russell

rob@cointhatphrase.com

The lightbulb to the left of his noggin in the photo may or may not be the same one that went off when Noel Burkman first got the idea for Coin That Phrase, but a good idea is a good idea no matter what light fixture it occupies.  The North and Clark blog caught up with Noel and got an earful about the hows, whys and wherefores of Coin That Phrase.  Check out the post “Tweets And T-Shirts” after the jump, and bring your headphones!

COIN THAT PHRASE IS GOING TO THE EMMYS AND YOU CAN HELP WRITE THE SCRIPT…ANNOUNCING “COIN IT FOR CELEBRI-TEES”
Coin That Phrase is all A-Twitter for the Emmy’s–We’ve got it in the bag….a contest on Twitter to name the Coin That Phrase goodies that are going into the Emmy gift bags……

Chicago, Il. (August 25, 2009)–Coin That Phrase (CTP), the only website where you can officially coin a phrase (www.cointhatphrase.com) is going Hollywood, and we want you to go there with us–and get carried away….in the gift bags that is…so its CONTEST TIME!!! We want you to coin the phrases that go on the t-shirts and mugs that will be given out at the Emmys. Think of it as your own personal award….you are the leading actor in your own drama. We are looking for the most unique, clever, interesting, inspiring, funny, fabulous, glamorous, dramatic, poetic, understated, overstated–we think you get the idea…..

So to announce the Categories For Your Consideration:

Emmy Show Wisdom
“And the winner is…” “Noooo! Not another musical number!”
- Hide quoted text -

Best Word to Describe a Celebrity
“Famoose”
Acceptance Speech Behavior
“Befuddled and Blessed”
“Graciously Grateful”
Emmy Awards Word Play
“Emmy TIme, Emmy Place”
“Moon Over My Emmy”
“Keep your friends close and your Emmys closer…”

The winners of each category will receive the same CTP goodies that the Hollywood crowd will be getting at the Emmys.

So now it’s your turn. Go to Twitter and give it your best shot…Tweet your entries to @CoinThatPhrase using hashtag #ctpemmy

COIN THAT PHRASE PROCLAIMS SEPTEMBER 17th as “UNIVERSAL T-SHIRT DAY.”

FREE TEE SHIRT TO FIRST 1000 PURCHASED COINED PHRASES THAT DAY.

$250. 00 PRIZE FOR THE BEST CANDID SHOT OF “LOVE SIGNALS” EXCHANGED BETWEEN PEOPLE SUBMITTED ON CTP’s FACEBOOK SITE.

CTP Wants to be Your Cup OF “T”…

WILMETTE, IL (August 25, 2009)–Coin That Phrase, the only website where you can officially coin a phrase (www.cointhatphrase.com) proclaims Thursday October 8, 2009 UNIVERSAL TEE SHIRT DAY. Everyone should wear a tee shirt on that day and give a “signal” of love to anyone who is also wearing a tee shirt….even under work attire. How you know if someone is wearing a tee shirt under their outfit is your business…wink, wink. Now to the “love signal”–

The signal should be the one used in the movie “The Sting”–two fingers against your nose and the person who responds to the is signal should give a wink.

To celebrate CTP will give a free tee shirt for first 1000 purchased coined phrase that day. The winners can design their shirt on the site. Regular $6.95 shipping and handling will apply.

We will also give $250 for the best candid shot of the love signals being exchange by tee-shirt bearing participants submitted on the CTP FACEBOOK SITE.

We’re celebrating the iconic symbol of self expression, the once utilitarian tee shirt. Say a silent thank you to James Dean for bringing the tee shirt out in the open and taking the plain white tee to the next level. So wear your heart on your sleeve, and front and back on Friday, October 9th and express camaraderie with your fellow James Deans….

Coin That Phrase…where words come to play. Come join in the fun.

Contact:
Brian Russell
224-628-4378

If you open up the mind, the opportunity to address both profits and social conditions are limitless. It’s a process of innovation. – Jerry “Ben & Jerry” Greenfield

The list of stuff that was invented in Chicago is breathtaking: The game of softball.  Deep Dish Pizza.  The vacuum cleaner, the zipper and pinball machine.

And Coin That Phrase.  Which is one reason why we’ve been selected as a 2009 finalist in the Chicago Innovation Awards.  Thanks to CIA for the honor – check out the contest and sign up to throw a vote our way!

As American phrase-coiners go, Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956) was one of the all-time greats.  Having lived before the era of the t-shirt, and never having seen a television while in his prime, H. L. had to make the funny happen with deep, forceful wit and a devastating touch for expression.  Writer and editor of the Baltimore Sun newspaper (remember newspapers?) , Mencken wrote about everything from politics to sports to classical music.  Have interests that broad, and you’re bound to get something right:

On idealism:

An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.

On boring people:

It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull.

On putting up with dummies:

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.

On “birthers”, “death panels” and other embarrassments:

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

(Admittedly, it’s a little long for a t-shirt, but could old H. L. hit the nail on the head.)

And on what Shakespeare was famous for:

After all, all he did was string together a lot of old, well-known quotations.

Check out the great H. L. Mecnken at http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/H._L._Mencken