The company you keep
Being surrounded my 100 motivated and eager people was truly inspiring. Each student approached this trip as a business trip. We came in open minded, ready to learn from professionals in the advertising industry, and eager to ask questions. There was never a moment when I questioned why I was here or why someone else was here. We all brought our own unique traits and skills to the group. With a combination of account, strategy, copywriting, design and media planning, I 100% believe that we could start are own agency. With the ambition, hard work and dedication to our crafts I know everyone who attended this trip will be successful. It was proven through the questions asked, curiosity for each agency and the love of advertising. Maybe not everyone was able to visit their favorite agency but I know we all learned a lot from this trip and it changed our perspective of advertising. Being able to speak with alumni in the industry and visit real agencies was an experience that most students are fortunate to have.
Two Up,
Zach Cross
No future for ignorance.
One of my favorite things was all the anti-Trump artwork in New York. Turbulent political times really do inspire great art. This was taken at the HighLine in Chelsea.
5.13.17 Colleen Cass
“Rejection is circumstantial, not reflective of who you are.”
Most of the times we get rejected in an area we pour our lives into we tend get frustrated to the point of asking ourselves: What did I do wrong?
Mixed between my visit to BBDO and JWT, we had a brilliant panel from different departments within the agency that gave me insights on how they ended up to where they are now. My biggest takeaways:
• Matt Eastwood, now a very successful CD, worked his way up to being an art director for three years at his agency, won a few awards, then was let go short after. He didn’t know what he did wrong until he found out 2 months later that the agency went under, and they were letting go of their favorite people first so that they had time to find another job. Trust the process, you never know the entire behind the scenes of a situation.
• Keep a rejection folder: not as a pitty party, but as a way to remind yourself of all the times you were passed up on and all the reason more to work harder.
• When you want a raise and feel you have earned it based off awards, work, etc., sometimes you’re wrong but other times you gotta know what you’re worth if another agency will be a better fit for you.
• If you’re unemployed for a few months - year, keep making things; show that you spent your down time working endlessly on your craft.
Make yourself indispensable and you won’t be let go / rejected. Meaning, have a perspective , have multiple passions and knowledge about specific hobbies that aid to an agency’s success.
The ad industry is cutthroat and as young professionals we often feel intimidated of the idea of not being prepared. Well after visiting TBWA/CHIAT my perspective took a 180-degree turn. The spokesman for CHIAT, Doug Melville gave us some insight on his personal life as well as some of the obstacles he had to overcome in order to become a successful entrepreneur. Melville received many tips, however; he narrowed it down to 7 for us, he believed these 7 advices were the most impactful ones upon his career.
1. Your reputation is the only thing that precedes you when you walk into a room
2. Be comfortable with the uncomfortable
3. Be ready and you won’t have to be ready
4. You pay for what you don’t know
5. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses
6. Know how to tell your story
7. Success overrides all doubt
His story and his tips gave me a sense of confidence and also made me realize that it’s okay to not have everything figured out right after college. However, he also made me aware that I have to be ready when opportunity comes knocking on my door.
Diego Gonzalez
Throughout the course of the week, we had the opportunity to do Q&A with various people in the professional world of startups and advertising. One question I made sure to ask during my visits was,“what books would you recommend to a young adult transitioning from college to the workforce?”
Here are some books mentioned & which I wrote down. These can potentially provide some insight as as to how you can establish yourself and your career.
1.) The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon
2.) Shoe Dog
3.) Z.E.R.O. Zero paid media as the new marketing model
4.) Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers
I hope these help to not only inspire you guys as you continue to weigh your options for the months ahead, but also to give you some perspective. Just keep in mind that even the greats (Uncle Phil included!) faced tremendous self-doubts before being able to share their creations and visions with the world. Be patient, embrace the doubts and keep pushing forward.
- Esty_thedude
Taking the W
5 months. 20 google doc pages. 110 slides. 3 videos. It all comes down to the 10-minute pitch in front of 8 judges who want to be impressed.
April 25th my copywriter Caleb and I found out that we will be presenting our One Club/TOMS pitch at the 2017 One Show Young Ones Client Pitch Competition (it’s a mouthful). Both of us completely forgot that we applied, because we didn’t place as finalists in the main Young Ones competition. We were only given a week to make a cohesive deck to stun the judges.
This felt like the real #adlife alumni tell you about. Real problem-solving, fast turn-around and high expectations. And of course, the part when you feel prouder than ever of representing your school, right after they say, “University of Oregon, come on up!”
And then you wait. I took a 2-hour walk around Little Italy and Nolita, anxious, and trying to not think about the outcome. It’s a weird state when you have a flashback to when you started working, to how you overcame the creative blocks, and how you first showed complete pieces to your peers.
Finally, there’s the “moment of truth”. When you get the news and it doesn’t even hit you till about an hour later. The “congrats”, “smiley emojis” and ad people you never met adding you on LinkedIn. It goes from 0 to 100 too quickly and you don’t know how to react, but smile, shake hands, and blame the success on your partner.
I can’t complain.
Stacy Yurishcheva, 05/09/2017
Reflection
As our trip comes to an end there are many things that I have learned from this incredible trip. The individuals at who spoke at each agency gave us great life tips and tricks to become successful in this industry. Here are just a few that resonated with me:
1. Don’t apologize for being you.
2. Chase bigger dreams.
3. If you can understand empathy you have what it takes to be successful.
4. Look at rejection as circumstantial and move onto the next one.
5. Don’t let your setbacks define who you are.
6. Be open and personable.
7. A successful experience deals directly with trust. If they (client) trust you and you trust them then your work and relationship will inspire great work.
Joey Bonitati
the jungle.
Every time I go to nyc, I always come into the visit with a different feeling and leave with a different outcome. Summer 2012 was the first time I went (pictured below) and I went in with a completely different expectation and the four day trip with my family resulted in a love affair with the city. This week was my fourth visit to the city and I can definitely say that I am a different person from when I visited five years ago. Visiting without your family is something that I highly recommend. You see things differently, you experience the city differently, and you don’t go Times Square 8 times a day. I cannot wait for more trips to come.
-Will Nielsen
A winning mentality and strong work ethic.
These are the two traits that I found most common amongst successful individuals in the advertising industry. Whether It was an account manager at Havas, or the art director from Big Spaceship, their mentalities and ability to work relentlessly is what put them in positions to win.
I find it fascinating that I had to fly thousands of miles across the country in order to reaffirm my beliefs on how to achieve success. It was refreshing to hear the stories of many who have walked the path my peers and I are currently on, providing a sense of relief in regards to not having life or a career path solidified. Life and career are very much about trusting the process, working your ass off to attain your personal goals, and to continue digging deep when you feel most insecure about your position in life. This is a business that rewards the thick-skinned and hard-working, so be those things. :)
- Esty_thedude
What are your summer plans?
The question that every senior in college dreads oh so much.
For those fortunate enough to secure an internship already, they are able to sit idly by and watch the frenzy. The great ones will of course fiercely reject that notion and strive to better themselves either way.
Those like myself, though, must truly appreciate the art of the hustle. A handshake here, a follow-up email or LinkedIn invite there, and know that everything happens for a reason. This trip gave me a newfound confidence in myself that had been depleted over time as I watched others around me get jobs and go out into the world.
I now know exactly what it takes to get a job in this industry, let alone any industry; determination, relentless passion, and just enough self confidence to land you that next meeting.
Here’s to the hustle.
Andrew Greenblatt. 5.12.17