Revisiting My Favorite Haunts

Part of the fun of exploring a new city is establishing some of your favorite places. Some of the most fun in returning is revisiting those special haunts. 
It’d been over a year since I’d visited one of my favorite spots in Greenwich Village. One of my favorite memories associated with the city is on the street corner outside Ramen Thukpa, at 10pm on Halloween of 2016. My partner and I wore matching onesies for the occasion- and celebrated Halloween with strangers while we ate Xiaolongbao from a to-go container, with our hands. 

Going back to New York made me realize how much I’ve grown up since I left. With exploring agencies in the industry, and the impending doom of Graduation looming over me, I found myself panicking, and (like so many others) experiencing Imposter Syndrome. Finding my way back to my favorite spots allowed me to breathe- and know everything will be okay. I’m more grown up now than the last time I was here- and the next time I come back, I’ll say the same thing again. 

Summer Ketchum + 3.14.19

NYC + Imposter Syndrome

Like many, I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome for as long as I can remember. I’ve always worried that what I’d accomplished, what I had to say or what I wanted to do wasn’t good enough, smart enough or original enough. This year in particular, I’ve tried to zero in on my insecurities and do what I can to combat them. One thing that being in New York helped me realize was that everyone operates at their own pace. Some of the professionals I spoke with started full-time jobs immediately after graduation, others attended portfolio schools between their undergrad and career, and still others took time to relax before diving into a job. Their first job wasn’t necessarily their dream job, but it led them closer to where they are now. As I apply for internships, I now have the valuable knowledge that I can move through my career as I chose, and that each of my experiences will build upon the previous to make me a better writer.

Olivia Bowman 5/14/19

New York is a lot

One of the things I felt repeatedly on this trip was a sense of being generally overwhelmed. That first descent into the grand central subway truly felt like something out of a movie with hundreds of people running by on their way to whatever job they may have in midtown Manhattan. One realization I had with with all the people and the mood of the city was how important it is to have a support system and a network of good people around you. This made me all the more grateful for the 119 other students I knew I was exploring the city with (and Deb, of course). At the end of the day knowing I have this support system of people who care was the best part of the trip.

Xavie Tow, 5/14/19

Finding the Right Culture

Throughout my time in the SOJC I always heard about the big names in ad– and don’t get me wrong they are all AMAZING– but what I learned after this trip is that you need to find an environment that fits best with your persona. Personally, I know that I would thrive and be mentored the way I want in a smaller-mid sized, independent agency. I loved the appeal of the collaborative culture that does not have clearly defined roles which is often found in these workplaces. This trip gave me so much clarity into exactly what type of agency I would love to work at, especially towards the start of my career. 

- Nita Bhojwani | Blog Post #3 | 5/14/19

Be Assertive and Lean In

The panel hosted by FLOCK was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Women in different stages of their lives, careers, and backgrounds told stories about the industry and their journey through it. The panelists were not all from the U of O, which added greater perspective in their advice. It was refreshing to hear experiences from women who were in my shoes not too long ago and it was amazing to hear the takeaways from their careers:

1. Prioritize a work/life balance

2. Sometimes other women will abuse their power

3. Find a community within the workplace

After the panel ended, I asked Molly, an editor at the NY Times to elaborate on her experience with her mentors (or other women in charge) abuse their power and how she overcomes that. She explained that it’s always best to be assertive and pull them to the side to ensure their behavior does not slide or that it does not become a repeated thing. 

- Nita Bhojwani | Blog Post #2 | 5/14/19

Back in town

It doesn’t feel like you’re in New York until you get that signature subway smell. It’s an objectively bad smell but the first moment I caught a whiff of it this trip I was flooded  with the memories of last year’s journey. Last year, I came in without much of a goal, just wanted to get a feel of the city and see if working out there was for me. This year, I came in with more determination to get out there and network to get myself a position this summer. With that mindset, I went into every single agency visit with the plan of having at least one good conversation after the visit every time. Its easy to get passive after a presentation and good question and answer session and you want to just slide out, but I made it my mission to not come out empty on every single visit. I’m happy to say I accomplished my mission and after one good interview and several solid emails, I think I can call this trip a success.

Casey Hickman

GIANT SPOON AND THEIR AUTHENTIC APPROACH TO ADVERTISING

Being a student at the UO SOJC has time and time again emphasized and encouraged brand responsibility. In creative strategy, the first course within the ad school, the prompt of our main project to answer was “what is brand responsibility?” In my green brand strategy class as well as a course with the NAME of brand responsibility, (both taught by the lovely Kim Sheehan) we focused on many case studies and would really break down what it means for a brand to be responsible. As you can imagine it is pretty difficult to define what makes a brand responsible, but one of the main reoccurring themes and necessities to brand responsibility is whether or not the brand is authentic.

BEING AUTHENTIC…

Being authentic in terms of creating and maintaining a brand image means to operate in terms of a brand’s core values and mission statement. What I learned is that many brands deceive their potential consumers by aligning themselves with charitable causes that don’t align with their brand identity. This makes an authentic brand all the more satisfying

GIANT SPOON… A LOW DOWN

Giant Spoon is a unique advertising agency in that it is based mostly on strategy with its other main focuses being culture and media. It is also unusual in that the majority of their employees are under the age of 35. Giant Spoon recruiter, Gregg Louis credits the young age of their employees for their originality and success on the campaigns they work on.

AUTHENTICITY AT GIANT SPOON…

What struck me as Gregg Louis talked about the work Giant Spoon extracts and highlights the authenticity of the brands they work with. For example, Giant Spoon proposed to GE a segment on Jimmy Fallon called “Fallonventions” where young kids show off inventions they created and in turn receive money towards their education. This is a genius way to naturally and authentically advertise a brand while also being transparent in their charitable efforts.

I found this to be the case in all of the client work done by Giant Spoon, whether it be for HP printers and highlighting the anti-hacking software or the experiential ad experience GS has done for HBO shows Westworld and Game of Thrones at SXSW. Whether it be a standard ad campaign or a full-blown fantasy experiential ad world,  Giant Spoon is setting the standard for authenticity high.

Rachel Bonner

5.14.19

I <3 Account Management

One of my favorite takeaways from the NY trip was how Jamie Robinson, an Account Supervisor at Wieden + Kennedy, described her job. In her words, her job is to remain calm and make sure everyone is happy. I know hearing that probably wasn’t a big moment to a lot of people, and I know jobs in account aren’t as flashy as other jobs in advertising- but her description really stuck out to me. It gave me assurance and confidence in knowing I picked the right path for myself, because staying calm (or at least appearing calm) and finding out the different ways I can help to keep things running smoothly, is what I love doing. I love knowing I could be doing something different every day, and finding ways to add value to a project, because that means I get to learn and try new things all the time. 

So in short, hearing that was awesome and made me feel so excited for the future and the days when my job is to remain calm and make sure everyone is happy. 

Tori Denton | May 14th, 2019

Proactive vs Reactive

There’s a lot of power in being proactive rather than reactive. Time and time again, I constantly witnessed the power of proactively navigating your career. When I met with a recruiter from Ogilvy she talked about how of the 20 people that will stand in a line to talk to her, only 2 or 3 actually follow through. The power of taking the time out really goes a long way. By being proactive, you’re committing to yourself and investing in your career. The funny thing is, it only takes a little extra effort to be proactive.

I believe being proactive is a state of mind that applies to all levels of your life. It’s being able to realize when someone needs help or understanding how to explore feelings beyond your own. Proactively approaching the world is a way to treat everyday with purpose and a goal. And, if this becomes a mindset, there’s no better way to life your life

- Z

Realistic

Going over my notes from every visit and I’m realizing that the people at Virtue were the most real with us. They didn’t sugar coat how difficult it is to crack into this industry and then how difficult it is to produce quality, smart work. One note that is sticking with me is that Kim told us that it’s unrealistic to expect every single campaign to change the world. Yes, the work should be smart and backed by strategy, but at the end of the day sometimes you’re just selling a product for a brand, and that’s okay. I think I’ve been holding myself to the unrealistic standard of trying to make every campaign change the world, and that’s actually hindered me from doing my best creative work. Something to chew on.

Bryer Hataishi | 5/14/19 | Post #4