Now that I’m back in Eugene for the next few weeks before my internship starts on June 3rd everything feels different. That week was an amazing sample of the rest of my summer and I can’t wait. I kept note of all of the fun places I went and ate at to be looked at again soon. I’m so happy I took so many notes during visits that I will 100% be looking back on. I’m starting to sell my furniture and it’s getting REAL. Knowing these are my last few weeks in Eugene I shall make the most of them (even though the rain is back)…but that’s Eugene! June 3rd is going to come fast, but thanks to this trip, I’m ready.
Allison Trujillo 5.12
I LEARNED.
I was super scared for the New York trip. I knew I was going to be surrounded by very talented students, amazing agencies, and a city whose pictures gave me anxiety on their own. However, this trip taught me more about myself than it did the industry. (I learned a lot of ad stuff too, don’t worry!) I learned that I’m still an introvert, but when I’m passionate, and I can get myself to talk to just about a way. I learned that what I thought was my straight and narrow path isn’t always, and that’s okay. I learned that not everything is perfect at these agencies we’ve talked so highly of in the SOJC and that the best agencies are honest. I learned that there’s no straight way into the industry and that the people who made are ones who did what was best for them. Thanks so much for this trip, and I’m sure I’ll be reveling in the insights to come.
- Zoë Haakenstad | 5.12.2019
Know Your Worth
On Monday night of the trip, many of us attended FLOCK’s annual panel event at Rokkan. The panel consisted of some badass women all working at various agencies in New York. They shared the ups and downs of life in the city and the struggles that can come with a career in advertising (especially as a woman). It was comforting to know that despite certain setbacks we may face, there is a strong community and toolbox to help overcome any situation. One thing each person kept reiterating was to “know your worth.” Someone in the crowd asked, “As young people coming into this industry and often lacking experience, how exactly are we supposed to know our worth?” The answer I concluded from their combined words of wisdom is that knowing your worth comes with time, experience, and failures.
This means taking every opportunity and risk that comes your way, asking questions, managing your own career, learning how to set other people’s expectations of yourself, asking for help early on, being receptive to feedback, learning what you do and don’t like, and most importantly, giving it time. Even if it doesn’t come immediately, eventually we will all know our worth and know how to take control of our own success.
Matty Leech | 5.12.19
Just a List
David Ogilvy said you’ll recognize a big idea if you answer “yes” to these five questions:
- Did it make me gasp when I first saw it?
- Do I wish I had thought of it myself?
- Is it unique?
- Does it fit the strategy to perfection?
- Could it be used in 30 years?
A simple gem I found on this trip that I plan to hold my self accountable to. Here’s to cooking up some new big ideas.
- Z
Fail Harder.
One of the first mantras I heard when I became an Advertising student was to fail harder. An iconic line of the sorts, I didn’t understand what failing harder meant until this week in New York.
In between getting lost on the subway, wearing the wrong shoes and even tripping a few times on busy streets, I failed quite a bit on this trip.
But the most significant failure that will always stick with me is when our National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team found out on this inspiring trip that we wouldn’t be moving forward to semi-finals. And, man, did that fucking suck. After hours of practicing potential questions and committing ourselves to the work, that was it. It was over.
Now, I’m talking about this here because I want anyone who is reading this to know that I failed.
As a student, I feel there’s a negative stigma associated with talking about our failures. We always have to put our best foot forward to impress a top recruiter, we have to make sure our portfolio is pristine, and we have to make sure we dedicate ourselves fully to our work (sometimes even neglecting our own mental health). Sometimes, we forget to sit down and realize we are all human. But there is strength in being vulnerable and honest with each other.
The timing of this particular failure was quite strange for me. In a mix of emotions, it felt invigorating to be in a city full of possibility, but, it also felt extremely disheartening to have lost. And, as it turns out, this momentary feeling of failure is a common thread through all the agencies I’ve visited this week.
Kim Uong at Virtue told us about a TV spot for Urban Decay that got rejected 5 times before it ran. Many spoke of getting their first break into the industry after failing 35 times. So, now, I speak proudly of failing our NSAC competition because who knows where it will lead me?
- Z
Overarching Pieces of Advice
One of the most impactful questions asked at every agency was, “If you could give advice to your junior/senior year self, what would it be?” We’re at a time in our lives where there’s a lot of ambiguity. We’re unsure of what we’ll do or where we’ll up, and it all feels slightly out of our own control. Hearing the advice of those that have been through these exact situations brings a sense of ease on what we should be focusing on.
- First off, if you’re a junior like myself, the stand alone advice surrounded enjoying every moment. Not only does that mean taking advantage of our remaining time in college by networking as much as we can, getting our foot in every office, and being sponge. It also means enjoying the simplicities of college life - even if they don’t feel that way sometimes. I often get caught up in the future and this was a fantastic reminder to take advantage of and treasure the now.
- Manage your own career. Learn how to set others’ expectations for you. Find someone who will champion you at your work.
- Cast your net, and do it wide. Don’t corner yourself into one specialty or think you have to have one specific experience - try out as much as you can to find out what you like and don’t like. Make a goals list and ask yourself “why” about each one.
- Be buttoned up - your decks should be presented beautifully and error free. Ideas are more likely to be perceived well when they look nice.
- My personal favorite quote I heard: “It’s advertising. No one dies”. While the work of advertising is a weapon and you must be careful where you point it, you must not ruin relationships or self health because of work. Always take time for yourself - and in the beginning it’s going to be hard to figure out the balance. Keep working on yourself and allowing yourself the time to stay sane.
Elizabeth Beymer | May 12, 2019
The Human Truth of Strategy
At Wieden + Kennedy, they taught us their 3 approaches to finding strategy for their clients:
1. Your truth
AKA what differentiates your client from the rest of the market? What is unique to them?
2. Your enemy
The negative to what you’re dealing with. For example, Wieden + Kennedy’s OK Cupid campaign faced the enemy that dating has become superficial.
3. Your target
Use the data to find your target market, but only to an extent. You want to think about the person on the receiving end of the campaign. They’re more than a number and a statistic, they’re a person too.
Elizabeth Beymer | May 12, 2019
NYC U L8TER
As I’m waiting for my bag to get delivered to my house after it was left in Seattle, I’m reminded that travel and NYC share a similar mantra: roll with the punches. Traveling and living in NYC can both be brutal, rough, and unexpectedly unfamiliar, but with that comes opportunities for beautifully unexpected moments as well. Dancing on 5th Ave to a street performer, eating wonderful $5 meals in Chinatown, and laughing my ass off on Broadway would not have happened if I was too hesitant to say “yes” to those chances or to this trip at all. I’m back in Oregon with a lighter wallet but a richer contact list and camera roll full of people and experiences I’m so lucky to have encountered.
Hannah Kloft #5 05.12.2019
“What’s one thing you wish you knew going into the industry?”
It’s not a surprise that a decent amount of the advice that we get and panels and at agency visits is for young professionals just starting out in their careers. We all want to spot trends and get a feel for the state of the industry, but we all need to have the practical skills to get a job and flourish so that we can see that world face-to-face.
A piece of advice that I’ve heard repeated again and again is that you should be willing to do anything. Nothing is beneath you, nothing is not your responsibility. If you’re willing to help out anywhere that you can be of help, then you should be doing that. Take projects that nobody wants, offer to help with small tasks that are generally outside of your purview, and make yourself available to anybody that needs anything. It’s related to being humble but it takes it just a step further: it requires a proactive commitment to being helpful.
Developing your own skills and looking out for your professional development is important but what has become clear to me is that in the agency world, you succeed or fail on the success of your team. What’s important is making sure that everybody has the tools and help that they need to get the job done on time. It’s something that’s useful to remember, and incredibly easy to implement.
Jordan Blackburn | 5/11/19
How to Understand the Metro
The Metro is a beast of its own. It’s the heart of the city. It’s what makes New York City so iconic. The way cities are connected created a general community for the people living here. And there is a sense of pride from any New Yorker who uses the subway. Here are some tips that I learned this week about the Metro.
1. Get the unlimited week pass. It will save you so much time and money. You will not have to worry about your card running out of money because it will continue to run.
2. Read the signs carefully when you enter the station. That is the only way you will be able to navigate in the subway. There is no signal underground so know your stops before you jump on.
3. Figure out if you are going Uptown or Downtown — this is confusing
Find the address you are going to and what part of the city the agency is in. Then figure out if you go up or down from the Roosevelt.
4. Look at the train numbers. You never know if you are hopping on the wrong train and it could take you into a different direction.
5. Once you’re on the subway hold on. The subway is surprisingly jolty. You don’t want to be the person that is tripping all over the subway. And just running into people is not fun in general.
Google is your best friend. You will be so grateful that we do not have to navigate the city without the internet. I would have been lost the entire time.
Dominique Ambat | 5.12.19 | #2