come what?
My biggest takeaway from visiting Taylor James is to always come prepared. Whether that is to an interview or an internship, do your research and be genuine and interested in the work. Often times you are hired due to your personality first and foremost, and a good attitude goes along way. That being said, a need to be intrinsically motivated and passionate about the work you create starts with having a solid foundation and knowledge of the industry. I am graduating in a month from now but the real lesson in learning is just beginning as we will always be students at heart and this is something I believe all SOJC students should and will takeaway in their four years at the U of O.
-Key Higdon
central
The aspect that makes New York the most interesting is not just the people that live on the island but the millions who visit it each and every day. Going to any tourist-heavy location may seem like a cliché, but there is any easy way to alleviate this misconception and this is through conversation. I decided to go to Grand Central station which was located just a block away from our hotel for the week to meet those touring the area. The first individual I met was a man named Mr. Lee. He told me that his English was bad but that he liked to take photos. We took a selfie and he was on his way. I noticed a man crouching on the ground of a staircase pointing his telephoto lens at unsuspecting bystanders. I went over and asked him his favorite aspect of photography, he pondered for a second and answered that “it is the thrill of always getting better.” He ended up sharing that he had been in advertising for thirty years and found recently that he wanted to take up photography to mitigate the need for outside hires. Small world!
-Key Higdon
look up
While walking along the 42nd street platform waiting for the subway to arrive I noticed a man passing back and fourth in melodic intervals with what seemed to be a look of discernment on his brow. He wore a two-piece pinstriped suit, with an old style hat and had a rose pointed to his jacket. I decided to strike up a conversation and complimented him on his suit. His face immediately lit up and he spoke of his long affinity for dressing well. He commented on the fact that our generation does not put in the effort to dress up. I asked him how long he had lived in New York and he had originally immigrated to new York from Sicily about 45 years ago. When he arrived he spoke no English and was able to take night classes at NYU. His English was immaculate but was thick with a rich Italian agent. We boarded the subway together and I asked him what was a lesson he had learned from his time in New York and he said that if you put your head down and work hard you can do anything, new York is made for people who GO. It was nice to share a moment in our busy week that was only a short two stops on the subway, yet an exchange I will remember for a long time.
-Key Higdon
Observe.
One of the best pieces of advice I received this week was at Radical media. They emphasized the importance of observation. The power of observation is that it can occur anywhere at anytime. Observation of the world also leads to insight and helping shape your own outside perspective of the world. The problem is that with the introduction of technology, it had indeed obviously created a sense of ease in life but it has also debilitated our senses, creating a more individualistic mindset. My goal of this week was to unplug and listen and observe the world around me. The sheer amount of people either listening to music or looking down at their phones is astonishing. I noticed, most of all, that the demographic on their phones were those who were older in age, often conducting their observations.
-Key Higdon
Career
A small lingering thought of mine from this week is if advertising is a permanent life career. Looking at the agencies, its evident that there is a lot of “young” talents. Looking at a longer and deeper scope of what my career could look like its ambiguous how long i’ll be in this career. As I was visualizing what my career could look like Bob talked about how within his experience in the field only 6 of his friends are still in it today. He said it’s because its a lot of energy that is consumed while working in ad. Even though they are in different carers, he said that the skills from advertising convert to other careers. Advertising might not be my life long career but it is a career that helps me to convey messages and to tell stories. This is a life skill that is necessary for all careers. I think Bob’s insight really relieved my stresses regarding my career. Going to all the agencies and companies theres a common pattern. The professionals said that they didn’t expect themselves to be where they are today in the past. I’m going to take my opportunities and my strengths and see where my career takes me.
David Choe 05.14.17
#UONYC2017
Joseph Romani
I look around and see strangers, but I also see myself. Being in a place that is so rich in culture but also so different than everything that your daily life has become accustom to allows you to see yourself. I am able to reflect on where I’ve been and where I am going. You see every color of skin, every attitude and ideology, and every culture. I think of my culture and how it affects me and how this city has affected me even before my existence. My great Grandfather Joseph Romani came to this city through Ellis Island from Bologna, Italy in a search of a new life. He was given a new life and a new name as the authorities of Ellis Island added an “a” to Romani changing his name and one day my name to Romania. You can feel, smell, and taste that things are different here. Culture, Ideas, and ideologies have been formed here throughout history. The world has been changed in New York over and over again. Being here and wondering the streets I begin to understand the brilliance of this city and how it affects us all. Joseph Romania came to this city and this country with an open mind not knowing the influences it would have on him or his future lineage. Realizing this I do not know how New York will affect me or my future, but I am excited and inspired by the spirit of the City.
Jordan Romania
“Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.” -Rihanna
As a junior creative, you must seek opportunity out. This was a common theme throughout the week. Creative professionals are all extremely talented. The gap between the most talented and the least talented is minor, like the distance from one end of a paper clip to the other.
What really makes the difference is how hard you work. Will you stay late? Will you ask for work when you have none? Will you jump at the opportunity to take the assignment no one else wants? That is what makes the difference in this industry, especially at a junior position, or so I’ve been told. I’m ready to find out firsthand.
You won’t always be assigned work, but you can always find it.
-Jason Lane
Thank you, just thank you.
Kevin Tuerff gave all 108 of us a challenging brief that asked for an integrated social and marketing campaign that would get people to look up from their cell phones. At the same time, we needed to find a way to incorporate the giving spirit shown in Gander, Newfoundland when 38 planes full of stranded passengers landed there on September 11, 2001. Three of my peers and I formed a team to take on the brief, creating a project that we call Spirit of Gander. The process of finding the answer, presenting it, and seeing Come From Away changed me.
I had just turned 5 years old (September 10th) when 9/11 happened. I don’t recall much from that day, but I do remember my mom picking me up early from kindergarten. She had to pick me up because my father was on lockdown at Moffett Airbase where he had to prepare to follow whatever orders he received in response to the attacks. Following 9/11, he was sent to the middle east for months at a time, multiple times. That was my story from 9/11.
Working on the Spirit of Gander allowed me to hear others’ stories, and stories from those who received kindness from strangers in Gander. We spoke with Kevin, whose plane was redirected to Gander. We also talked with Mac, a man who lives in Gander, and Maureen, a woman who was on the same plane as Kevin Tuerff, who now lives in New Jersey. Their insights and experiences were powerful and helped us make our campaign more human.
We worked for hours to figure out the logistics of our campaign and to make sure that we would reach our audience, high schoolers, in a meaningful and impactful way. We had help from our amazing advertising professors and people outside of the SOJC.
I talked with several friends and family members about this project and incorporated their feedback into our work. It felt great talking to my dad about this project, and hearing him say that it was a meaningful, well thought-out project. I became attached to this cause and I can’t wait to see it enfold in real life.
Kevin chose to use our campaign and we received four tickets to see Come From Away on Broadway. It’s not an understatement when I say that Come From Away is the best show that I’ve ever seen. We laughed, cried, and reminisced repeatedly throughout the performance.
My team and I will thank Kevin Tuerff a hundred times for the opportunities he’s given us. I’m so happy that we created something that hit his heart, and that will hopefully hit the hearts of millions in the future. Thank you, Kevin, for everything.
Emily Foster.
05.14.17
Creatives in Context
Through agency visits, questions, and getting lost a couple times, we made it a week to remember. But really what was it all about? To me, this trip was a chance to step out into the industry and put our education into the context of a career.
Some see this trip as only existing to get a job, but it is so much more than that. This trip lets us put all of our learning and thinking into context. We got to visit agencies that we might work at one day, doors we might walk through every morning. We talked to Ducks who have gone out before us, questioned, explored, failed, and come out on the other side. We gained insight into what challenges we might face and things to consider as we look for opportunity. On top of this, we built a network. Through traveling across the country, navigating the subway, and exploring NYC, we got to know the other 106 people on the trip. As an industry focused on connection, empathy, and trust, this network is possibly the most valuable thing the trip offers. Aside from the many life and professional lessons you pick up along the way.
So if you only see this trip as a way to get a job, okay, but you are going to miss out on a lot.
Jesse Summers 5.14.17
No Wrong Way
Visiting the MoMA was the very last thing that I got to do in New York. Sadly, I didn’t get as much time as I wanted there, but that’s what second trips are for! During my short time there, I saw a handful of pieces that inspired me. One was this piece: Grand Black Tie Sperm Glut made in 1987 by Robert Rauschenberg.
The description says: “Rauschenberg made this work in response to the recession in the 1980s in his native Texas: a “glut” in the oil market threw the state’s economy into a tailspin. Here, and in the larger series of Gluts to which this work belongs, he assembled metal scraps, often the debris of American car culture, observing, ‘I think of the Gluts as souvenirs without nostalgia.’ This amalgamation of weathered road signs, some of which are riddled with bullet holes, rejects the idea that there’s a single way forward.”
Did you get that? This piece rejects the idea that there’s a single way forward. What’s that? There’s no single way forward.
While the NYC Experience is an exceptional opportunity for all ad students, we can get so anxious around this time. We get caught in the race to find an internship, a job, ourselves, our city, love, our destinies, and so much more. We believe that everything needs to happen in a precise order.
One thing I learned from visiting agencies this week is that there is no right way to move forward in this industry. The advertising industry is unique in the fact that no one has the same path. We don’t all get the same degree, go through the same hiring process, and land the same types of jobs. We don’t all have to start our careers at advertising agencies. Doug Melville from TBWA started his career at Oscar Meyer, and look at the great place he ended up!
This can be scary, because there’s not a recipe for becoming successful in this industry. It’s not like becoming a doctor, where a doctorate almost guarantees you a job. However, if you stay open to opportunities, follow your heart, and treat others with kindness and gratitude, you’ll go far (even if you make a few turns to get there).
Emily Foster.
05.14.17