A new perspective on my personal goals
I am incredibly thankful that I was able to attend this trip because it allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the industry and the capabilities within advertising. There are several things I thought I would want in terms of my career post-graduation. However, visiting New York both confirmed and refuted some of these beliefs.
1. I want to work at a big agency. (Refuted)
At least when first starting out, I think it would make me more comfortable to work at a smaller agency. Working at a smaller agency allows you to be more hands-on with projects and build close relationships with your coworkers. I also feel more drawn to the culture of a smaller agency because it feels much more personal.
2. I don’t want to work in New York. (Refuted)
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I never really saw myself working in New York. Although it is still a bit too early to tell, I think I would enjoy working and living here— at least for a few years.
3. I want to pursue art direction. (Confirmed)
Being a creative involves many ups and downs— Sometimes the work turns out good, but many times you scrap your projects and return to the drawing board. For me, this process can be tiring and I sometimes wonder whether or not this is the right track for me. However, hearing from current art directors and designers helped me to really confirm that this is indeed what I want to do within advertising. It’s a challenging job, for sure, but passion and determination is what makes it possible and worth it.
Kelly Kondo, 05/09/2019, #4
It Never Stops
Yesterday, I visited Radical Media and Duggal. By the end of the day, I felt like I can make any idea stored in my brain come true. The work Radical creates amazes me. Also, Brian and Kelly have some of the coolest jobs. They basically make anything come to life. As for Duggal, I left convinced that they can make anything. Yesterday showed how important it is to never stop learning. After being inspired at Radical, and then seeing what’s possible at Duggal, my mind started to think of all the possibilities there are to push our ideas to the next level. If I never stop learning, I’m sure I’ll never run out of new ideas.
-Luis Sevilla | 5/9/19
I Truly Love the Subway
I’m somewhere between an introvert and an extrovert. Let me tell you, nothing has satisfied this weird in-between than the New York City subway system. Completely surrounded by strangers, all of them living their own unique lives. All of them on their own timelines. Somehow, we all ended up here in the same subway car. I love the people watching. Even if I’m in there alone, I never feel lonely. There’s this sense of unison. This “We’re all in this together” feeling that I can’t shake. I love it so much. Someone called it “The Great Equalizer” and I couldn’t agree more. We’re all here. We’re all human.
-Elliot Hodgin 5.9.19
Radical was just that (and then some)
I have never been more surprisingly thrilled than I was when I left radical media. There are three things this visit offered me that left me with a giddy, jaw-dropping feeling.
For starters, I have always been obsessed with school and learning. I love soaking up fun facts, taking in new ideas, having those “Aha!” moments. Because of this, I have been worried about leaving school next year. When our hosts, Brian and Kelly, told us that they spent parts of their days’ online researching everything they can, constantly learning new things. Spending time on YouTube and Reddit soaking up as much as they can. Realizing that there are jobs where I can do this, made my heart soar.
Brian and Kelly’s title was “Creative Technologists.” I thought Hmm. Sounds cool. Sounds right up my alley, but what does that actually mean. They went on to describe that it means they are part of the creative thinking in a project and part of the makers of that creative thinking. Involved from start to finish. Just like I want out of a job. They work with their hands, think creatively, and know all about technology. Knowing that jobs like that exist in this world made me feel more at peace with my future.
What stuck with me the most was them saying “We’re good at a lot of things, but not incredibly talents at a couple of things and there’s an exact place for that in the job that we do.” I have always found myself in this same crisis of wishing I had 2 incredibly strong talents instead of a breadth of things that I have an understanding of. Knowing I can make a career out of that, changed my whole perspective on my future.
-Elliot Hodgin | 5.9.19
day 4, goin strong
My seemingly never ending day started at Jack Morton where we got to learn all about the experiential side of advertising and the huge place that it occupies in the industry. Like Duggal, its things like that that you never really think about until you see it happening right in front of you. We got to read a brief and team up for a quick brainstorm. Next was Joan Creative which was really inspiring. Their energy was unlike anything I’ve seen all week and my pen was to the paper almost the whole time. From there I met my (amazing) boss that I’ll be working with for the summer for a drink and we bonded over the city and the work I’ll be doing in the coming months. It was quite the day…and now I need a slice of pizza.
Allison Trujillo 5/9
Strategic Insights
Today at 72andSunny, I learned some immensely valuable lessons about what a good creative brief should contain from Saeid Vahidi:
1. A strong POV
2. A definitive tone
3. Emotion
4. Something familiar
These check points help ensure that creatives will receive something they are excited about and the strategy will remain consistent throughout the campaign.
Hannah Kloft 05.09.2019 #3
Misconceptions
Initial thought: New York City is so big and so many people are living here, it’s going to be really overwhelming.
Reality: As the week has gone on one of the things I’ve been most surprised about is how small this city actually feels; over 8 million people live here but it seems like everyone I meet has a friend in common with me or some mutual connection, which makes the city seem a lot more manageable.
Initial thought: The subway is so scary and confusing I’ll never figure it out.
Reality: I had that sh*t down by Tuesday!! Figuring the subway system out and getting around on my own had me feeling unstoppable. What was scary about the subway, though: Seeing a giant live rat hold a small dead rat in its mouth and scamper down the tracks at one in the morning… some sights you just can’t unsee.
Initial thought: Food and drinks can’t be that expensive.
Reality: I will never complain about the price of anything in Eugene ever again. Also I miss not having sales tax. But I must say, the food here has been amazing and worth every penny.
How the heck is it already Thursday?!
-Tori Denton | May 9th, 2019
Reassurance
Ever since I was a kid, I always knew I would end up living in New York for a period of life. Maybe it was going to summer camp on the East Coast, or visiting family in Long Island at least once a year. But I would typically only go for a few days.
Even though this trip doesn’t necessarily show us what it’s like to live in New York, it has reassured my decision to eventually move out here. It has been a different experience exploring the city, especially alone, and feeling what it’s like to make my way around for an entire work week. Now I know for sure, this is the type of environment I strive to live in at the beginning of my career.
Can’t wait to enjoy the last two days of the trip with one of the biggest networks I’ll have for the rest of my career!
Rita Herbstman 05.09.19 | #2
Four agencies in and halfway through the trip, and I already feel exponentially less anxious about my future- which at times was the opposite of what I expected to feel going into this trip. From grasping my worth as a woman to understanding the future landscape of this industry, educating ourselves as we move forward in our careers is crucial to building that confidence. Knowledge is power people!
Standing on the 62nd floor of Spotify in the World Trade Center, I honestly had a huge epiphany about where we are at with out futures, and what is to come. The world is our oyster as cliche as it sounds, and all of what we are experiencing here in New York is achievable even if it seems impossible. You’re going to be let down at times, I’ve learned this trip that it’s not always going to work out as planned- and that’s OK. Naturally a planner, its hard for me to calm my angst sometimes since I don’t have a set plan for my future yet, which I’ve learned to slowly let go of after this experience. As the creative director at Spotify said yesterday which really resonated with me, the definition of creativity is not about the format, its about the opportunity.
Camille Furby I 5.9.19 #2
A lot of insight
Over the past few days being here in New York, it has been a major wake up call for me. I can definitely see myself moving here and having a career here. I have had a great experience at every agency that I have attended so far on the trip, but my favorite has been translation. The overall culture, atmosphere, and ‘vibe’ was something that I really loved, but most importantly I loved the work that they produced. I think that all the people that attended translation could comment and say fairly similar things. Their work with Kaiser Permanente on mental health featuring Klay Thompson was really simplistic yet very important to acknowledge.
-Nicole Lee #2