UO NYC '19

Kicking off Tuesday’s visits with J. Walter Thompson was something special. Their passion and engagement with the group provided us to really understand the work they produce, the steps that were taken, and the love for the industry each staff member has. CCO Brent Choi opened up to us about how it isn’t always so easy starting off woking in this industry and to never give up.

Some of his thoughts that caught my attention were to always raise your hand and be seen, find the decision makers and offer help and ideas, and that advertising has gone from marketing to changing the world.

The News Literacy Project was something that interested me the most. The idea coming from a simple idea of rotating a letter to the side formed into a social headline maker that relates to fake news and getting youth’s attention to their messages. I am looking forward to downloading the font they made downloadable online and sharing with others.

“I love ideas and I love people. I love people with ideas.” - Brent Choi JWT CCO

Emilie Weiss

05.09.17

Forging strategy + analytics

Implementing data analytics into strategy is important to stay relevant and to optimize on every campaign. At AKQA, the agency understands that collaboration between the data analytics team and the strategy team is necessary. This allows strategic insights to be supported by data from day one, driving brands further and continuously measuring KPI’s. Start by learning Google Analytics or Facebook Analytics!

-Meg Winters 05.09.17

Boxed: a startup that is built around so much more than selling things. When I went into this start-up I didn’t know what to expect, however, the knowledge I gained from that experience is priceless. This brand is centered around something much bigger than bulk good, they have created a space where they have drawn a line and promised never to cross it. Everything they do is built off of mutual respect and the willingness to disagree. They are a collective that believes there is no right path. You can’t read a book on how to be successful in this industry, it ultimately comes down to how badly you are willing to fight for it. They are collective that is innovative and inspiring and I can’t wait to see how they grow.

Topacio Beerhalter 05.09.2017

Play Big

Today I visited Anomaly and I left with a sense of motivation and inspiration. The word Anomaly means: Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule. What an empowering and inspiring word to word to encompass an agency by. Through looking at some of their work, it’s quite evident that this is a mantra that this agency takes with great pride. During their presentation they said that they are not a specific type of advertising agency. They don’t focus on one type of platform or execution. When dealing with their clients and looking at a problem, they will use any angel or any idea on any platform that best solves the problem. It is evident that they aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and not just stick to what they are familiar with. It’s inspiring to see an agency not caught up with producing work just for the big idea, but work to really solve a problem in a smart and interesting way. This is something that I hope to achieve when I get into the agency world. It’s not always easy to commit to being different and stepping outside comfort zones, but I personally want to hold myself to this standard because from what I have seen, nothing worth talking about has been done by playing it safe.

-Emma Hyman

05.09.17

We arrived. Not just to New York, but to our first agency. Wieden + Kennedy New York was kind enough to take all 100+ of us in their sweet office on Monday. We were welcomed with open arms, and then later open pizza boxes. In between the greeting and the stuffing of the faces, they gave us some valuable insight.

The main takeaway for most people though was undoubtedly one of W+K’s signature phrases, ‘Don’t Act Big’. Plastered on several slides and on the wall of the party room, these words ring in my ear to this minute. It would be easy for W+K to act big, considering they are one the world’s largest independent agencies. It would be easy for them to act big, because the people who work there have a track record of big ideas with even bigger results. It would be easy for them to act big, because they are an agency that many people who aren’t even involved in advertising have heard of. Yet, in spite of all their reasons to do so, they choose to not ‘act big’.

Instead, they take the time to put a massive-amount of effort into everything they touch. They work to stay humble, hungry, and fully-immersive with every one of their clients. It goes without saying that these are all things we shall strive to emulate in our own work thanks to our time at W+K.

Andrew J. Greenblatt 5.9.17

Comparison is an interesting thing. Looking back at last year, I already feel the differences in the weight of each conversation I have. Whether that is an added pressure that I have conjured, or the reality of the situation that comes with being a senior, I am not entirely sure. There seems to be a new sense attention; I am increasingly realizing that my life not about what is the “best” thing to do, but actually what do I want? That is a difficult thing to discern. It’s not about impressing people, gaining the title, the accolade. None of that is worth it if you don’t like it. The insight is simple, but it is easy to get lost in the pace and competitive spirit that is the strength and weakness of advertising.

Paige DePaepe

#uonyc2017

Art Directors Club Award Show

Last night I had the honor to attending the 96th annual Art Directors Club in the presence of unbelievable talent and this year’s top creative brilliance. Some things to take away from this:

Don’t chase awards, do the kind of work that make awards chase you:

From a brail-reading smartwatch, a full VR experience on a school bus or an interactive experience to bring bones in a museum turn into reality, these awards were given to talent who sought out to make life easier and more memorable for others, not themselves. While it’s important to know all of the agencies winning awards and know what kind of work to hold a standard to, make sure you’re doing the kind of work that align with the values you have and you will be x times better at what you do.

And…who are you? Show your work:

These agencies won awards because they were innovative, but also because they were entered into the ADC to be recognized for a cube. You can’t be recognized for the work you do unless you show it. Share with the world every time you make something, even if it’s the behind the scenes process or a small sketch you do, it all matters and lets the world know that you’re staying productive and on top of your shit. As a creative, I’m constantly critiquing and beating myself up over every imperfect stroke, but the beauty of doing and sharing is that you get it out of your system before all of the great work comes.

Give people your time, no matter how much money and success you have:

My friend Trish and I met a man named Steve Sandstrom who blew us both away with how smart and willing he was to offer his advice to us two art directors entering the industry. He gave us 45 mins of his time and halfway through we discovered he owned a design shop in Portland,OR, and was responsible for the redesign and identity books of some major brands Trish and I both knew from the area. His luggage was in the corner so he had just flew in and arrived minutes before, so for him to give us his time was incredibly humble. A few hours into the award shows and we see Steve go up to speak in front of everyone and call out the prestigious awards. He was big time: on the panel of the ADC.

Remember these things and you’ll be in great shape.

-Macaihah Broussard

AKQA

I have so many things I want to say about this place. They are insanely smart, kind, and amazing. (As are other places, duh.) At AKQA, we were given 30 minutes to come up with a partnership between two brands for a digital experience about the arts due to the funding be cut.

This simple exercise gave us the ability to show our process of thinking as well as how creative our school is. While both teams pitched something about travel, both teams had completely different takes on the brief that both blew away the panel that came in to see us today.

AKQA relies on authentic, truthful understanding of their brands and want to be smart. They say “it doesn’t need to be cool.” They foster relationships between brands to harvest and make real connections to keep clients for years rather than just to work on a specific campaign. Their symbiotic approach to collaboration is innovative and they feel everyone has a valid opinion at face value for any piece of work.

I was honestly blown away by them. If you want some contacts there to connect, feel free to buzz me–we got a LIST.

James McAndrew 05.09.2017

Represent Well

I am truly #blessed in my room. The past couple of days, I have been interacting with the maids here and just starting casual conversation. I joked with them about turning on the news in every room they enter while they clean and prep the rooms. Today, I came back after a stressful day of pitching, seeing things, and trying to navigate my way around the city to this. I had been on the floor the past couple of nights just due to the amount of room and my back and just overall clutter. Hands down this small gesture just went a long way. I don’t know if they for sure did it because I had been nice and friendly with them, but I can sure as hell let you know I am leaving a thank you note in reply to them. Wow, NYC. I am so touched.