Palpable energy.

On Friday, May 11th, I was lucky enough to be one of twelve students to visit Joan Creative. Joan Creative is a small 27-person agency started by two incredible women. From the moment we walked in, they were so excited that we were there. Their smiles were plastered across their faces and it made me feel grounded and confident. They were happy that we were there.

Joan’s motto is one that encapsulates this energy and environment I described: Joyful Rebellion. They are optimistically different. In the words of the founders: “Fuck yeah, let’s do it.”

After the presentation, I walked up to the CEO, Lisa Clunie, shook her hand and introduced myself. For just a second I was silent but I caught myself and remembered what I wanted to say. “Thank you so so much for having us today. I have been following Joan Creative since its inception. I am going to start my own company one day and this is the inspiration for it.”

All in all, tears were shed and energy was felt.

Grace Gandolfo 5/11/18

Thankful from thousands of miles up

What an incredible privilege to be here, to do this. To watch the sunset from a window seat. To be flying to New York city.

5/4/2018, 6:22pm

- kristen friis

A day spent alone.

Friday I spent most of the day by myself. This was extremely refreshing, and allowed me time to reflect on the week.

I went to lunch with Kim Uong, a strategist at AKQA and recent UO alum. Talking to her was extremely inspiring and the advice she gave was very eye opening and helpful. We talked about the transition from graduating and moving straight to New York. After, I went to the Chelsea Market and walked the Highline alone. Wandered around the shops and the streets, jaywalking like a pro.

Today was the day I was absolutely sold on New York. Having the independence to take the train and walk around the city with ease was something that came very comfortably. Observing the people inspired me. They’re all here to be something, to make something great.

All I can say is wow.

5/11/2018

-kristen friis

“I can have a creative conversation, but if you ask me to draw something I’ll cry”

Tuesday morning, 10:30 am. Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Glenn Cole greets all of us as we sit in the beautiful conference room that overlooks the Brooklyn Bridge.

72 is one company with 5 doors, located all over the world. The name “72 and sunny” promotes optimism and outward thinking – two very important qualities in the ad industry. Their mission is to expand and diversify the creative class.

Going into this trip I had a lot of uncertainties about being a strategist. So many people I talked to said that strategists are “the smartest in the room.” I started to question myself. Am I the smartest in the room? Definitely not.

I talked to Neha Bhatia who is a strategist on the Axe account. I asked her about this whole “smartest in the room” thing. I told her how that made me nervous, and I felt that Strategy maybe wasn’t for me.

She said that smart doesn’t have to do with intelligence. When they say smart, they mean curious, interested and hungry to learn more. Hungry to understand people. To understand behaviors. To be empathetic.

This conversation made me feel SO much better about being a strategist. So thank you, Neha.

-kristen friis

5/8/2018

Empathy.

We are fortunate to be in a creative industry in which our job is to create. Our time is spent creating and designing products and digital content for people who aren’t completely like us—people of different socioeconomic classes, races, genders, sexualities, political parties, and generations. This is why empathy is so vital in any creative vocation.

Comprehending and formulating how other people think is analytical on the surface, but it is also about understanding the underlying emotions of people who come from a background different from yours. Emotions run high and low. Every person, with their own past, present and future, is living their own life. Now advertising comes in attempting to target certain generations, genders, sexualities, races, and socioeconomic status’. It is worth noting how empathy is applied differently to each categorical target. People often dehumanize generations, as a category, more than others. This is interesting because they are the biggest umbrellas of targets. Regardless, I think it is crucial for us to approach problems in this field by finding human truths and applying them to find our insights and creative solutions.

Grace Gandolfo 5/9/18

I found quiet.

Already on the first day, I found quiet. I arrived on the East coast a couple of days early and stayed with a friend in Brooklyn. Walking around Bushwick in the early morning made New York feel like a home. Seeing parents out on the sidewalks walking carefully while holding their toddler’s hands, dogs barking and birds chirping. This is when I realized that it was acceptable to smile at strangers. Whoever told me that I shouldn’t smile at strangers must’ve stayed in Manhattan, because Brooklyn is a community filled with people who have stories and smiles to share. I am so grateful that I got to experience that side of New York, along with Manhattan.

Grace Gandolfo 5/5/18

“It’s about you, not where you’ve been”

A quote that really stuck with me through this trip. At the end of the day what makes us different is who we are. Tons of people visit New York, but it’s your own experience and outlook that makes you unique. That is what agencies are really looking for. Not someone who can talk about the cool things that they’ve done, but rather the things they learned from them. 

Jordan Bremer 5/9

day two

The amount I did and learned in just two full days is still shocking to me. By the end of day two, I already had the opportunity to visit 3 agencies, be inspired by Flock, meet a mentor, explore Times Square and the High Line, attend an award show, and meet some of the most talented people both within the industry and the SOJC.

One visit that stood out to me the most was my visit to Translation. At Translation, they talked about how their focus is connecting brands and culture instead of letting these brands chase culture. I loved how honest they were about how they see it as more than an advertisement or a campaign, but as a story. The way they told their story about a recent project for the Brooklyn Nets was what really sparked my interest. They looked for cues within the community that would rally the people of Brooklyn and they found a cause they supported and hoped everyone else would too.

I didn’t think by the end of day two I would have an understanding of what was important to me in my future career, but I did. After my visit at Translation, I saw how the environment there led to great work. They are encouraged to have a life outside of advertising and to know about what is going on in the world and I think that’s what really strengthened the work they did for the Brooklyn Nets.

Working at a place like Translation (or Translation, hello) is a goal that I am going to continue to work towards. It’s refreshing to know that at a place like this, I can continue to explore my passions and I don’t have to settle for a job where I am unhappy and stagnant.

Monica Samson | May 15th, 2018 

Closing Remarks

I have always been drawn to big cities - there’s something about the fast paced lifestyle, grit (shoutout subway creatures), opportunity, & culture (yes, you $1 pizza place around the corner) that draws me in. Getting to put faces to names to industry leaders & creatives that inspire me only made NYC more appealing. I was simultaneously humbled and excited to hear each individual story - from duck alum, to strangers who are now mentors.

The #uonyc2018 experience was immersive, insightful, & alluring. I have never been more proud to be a Duck - See you soon, New York City.

Emily Ost

The New York trip was something I had dreamed of being apart of since freshman year. I had seen posts from friends who went on the trip and was honestly shocked that the SOJC offered such an incredible opportunity. The first and only time I was in New York prior to the trip, I was in 3rd grade. Coincidentally, I stayed at the Roosevelt hotel with my mom and dad. I have distinct memories walking through Central Park and petting the Balto statue, and ice skating at Rockefeller Center. But it was time for me to make new memories.

-Phillip Quinn