The Human Experience
When I visited Wongdoody, I walked away with more than just the photos I took of their amazing view from the 79th floor of the World Trade Center. I learned to sell to the human person and not the consumer. The consumer simply buys products, and advertising is about creating an engaging human experience. If you want to make a difference with your advertisements you have to have a point of view on how to make the human experience more positive. If you can create a positive human experience through engaging advertisements then you create a positive relationship between the brand and the consumer. Sell the brand experience and lifestyle, not the product.
-Brenan Joy
Simplicity
Translation was by far one of the best agencies I got to
visit. The people. The culture. The insights. It really opened my eyes to what
my purpose should be as someone who is coming into agency life. Here are just
some of the “major bars” dropped by the people of Translation.
Business to behave together
Rewire Language
It’s simple —– Translate Culture
An ethnic insight today is a positive impact tomorrow
Diversity empowers empathy. Empathy empowers people.
Culture influence is what shapes behavior and mindset
Dominique Ambat | 5.22.19 | #5
You do You
Well the NYC trip is over. Now what?
Every Alum that I talked to or any young professional have all described their paths as unconventional. They didn’t have a job right after college or some sort of fantastic internship lined up. They accepted weird jobs or took their time to find something they really liked. Or worked their way up to where there are now.
Be open to opportunities
And that is where I am at today. I came into the NYC trip knowing I was not the best, and definitely not qualified to go. But really who is? Who cares? I really had to check myself and think, I made it and I am good enough to be here.
But really, I just needed to relax and let go of my worries. In all honesty, I just needed to remind myself to have fun. Meet new people. Have the best time of your life and everything will just fall into place. I’m not worried about the future anymore. I’m even more excited to see where I end up.
Dominique Ambat | 5.22.19 | #4
Inertia
Defined as “a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.” My Dad always described the feeling of not wanting to leave the house as “having inertia.” It’s a mentality.
Eugene moves slowly, which can be nice, but it also makes me forget how much I can accomplish in a day. I can trust that the same events happen with the same type of people every week. It almost feels like everyone’s accustomed to the slowness, and so slow has become normal. New York was fast paced and my days were full of meetings to make, places to see, and music to hear. People were rushing from place to place. I was constantly surrounded by groups with mentalities and experiences different from my own.
I tend to be motivated and energized by a busy schedule and a faster environment. The trip was a reminder for how much possibility a single day can hold. For me, New York was the external force that pushed me in new directions.
Clare Malone 05/22/2019
Ah, that familiar loaded question: “What are you studying?” Explaining your career aspirations to people outside of advertising is a mixed bag. Most respond positively, but others are confused or inject their experiences with literally any form of advertising into the conversation. Here are some of the responses I’ve gotten, and what I would say back if being polite wasn’t a prerequisite.
“It’s all about who you know.”
This is true. Networking is important. Add me on LinkedIn?
“You should check out Wieden and Kennedy! Maybe they’re hiring!”
Bless your heart.
“Why would you want to work for a corporation?”
Because capitalism pays my rent, just like it pays yours.
“I have no idea what ad majors even do.”
Honestly? Neither do I.
“My [insert distant relative/acquaintance] is in advertising and they’re LOADED.”
And I’m sure they’d love to know that you brag to strangers on their behalf.
“I thought you were a feminist.”
Nah, I switched over to the dark side. I’m a soulless woman-hater now.
“Advertising has gone so downhill lately.”
That’s just like, your opinion, man.
“Ads are everywhere. I just can’t stand them.”
Try AdBlocker, or maybe living in a windowless bunker.
“Advertising doesn’t work on me.”
Olivia Bowman | 5/22/19
Creative Boost
Have you ever taken that first sip of coffee when you’re beyond tired, and immediately felt the caffeine rush to your brain? Suddenly, your brain fog begins to retreat and you can think clearly again.
That was what going to New York did for my creative process. I didn’t even realize I was in a rut until I left Eugene. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite fond of this little town that I’ve made home for the past four years. But the size, my routine, limited options for entertainment and lack of diversity have left me a little jaded and bored. I often joke that being a Gemini with ADHD makes me easily bored, but in this case, frequenting the same buildings at the same time every week definitely stifled my creativity.
Being in New York was exactly the shift and mental reset that I needed. I was incredibly inspired by my new surroundings, new friends and all the boundary-pushing work I saw at agencies. Even if I had been visiting the city purely for vacation, I think I would have been flooded with energy in a similar way. I nearly burst into tears in the Newark Airport because I was so loathe to return to Eugene, but since returning I’ve been trying to channel that enthusiastic energy into new projects. My new mantra: only boring people are bored.
Olivia Bowman | 5/22/19
Everyone does Everything
One common theme that was emphasized at every agency I visited was teamwork. It’s clear that in this industry everything is done collaboratively. I had always thought of myself as mainly just a copywriter until this trip. It quickly became apparent to me that everyone does everything. Sometimes it’s a media planner who comes up with the big creative idea. I learned you aren’t just a copywriter or an art director, but rather you’re a part of a team. Everyone has their specialty, but at the end of the day its about bouncing ideas off of one another until something sparks a brilliant one from anyone in the room. It’s like the Trail Blazers game against the Warriors last night. Dame may be expected to be the star player, but you never know when Meyers Leonard is going to shine (probably never again). My week in New York definitely confirmed the phrase “everyone’s a creative” to be valid.
-Brenan Joy
Side Hustle
Over the course of this past school year I’ve gotten plenty of feedback on my portfolio from professionals in the industry. One thing I was constantly told by people is that their book got noticed because of projects they did that had nothing to do with advertising. This was reaffirmed throughout the week we spent visiting agencies in New York. Recruiters from almost every agency I visited ranted about how it was so important to have a side hustle, becasue those were the projects that truly showed who we were and what we were passionate about. I made it a point to ask every copywriter I got to talk to that week the same question. That question was “What’s your favorite thing you’ve written that has nothing to do with advertising?” Whether it was poetry, short stories, or twitter accounts they all seemed to light up when talking about their side projects. Since the trip has ended I’ve talked to several of the writers I met in New York one on one and discussed passion projects. I’ve never been more inspired to create something that displays my writing abilities and passions! This trip left me with an abundance of new ideas on how to show my skills through side hustle projects.
- Brenan Joy
Keep an open mind
Often times this is easier said than done. But on a trip where you’re presented with countless opportunities to push yourself out of your comfort zone, TAKE THEM! Drop the expectations for what you think this trip should be, drop the expectations of yourself in comparison to others, and drop the expectations of what you think you know about each agency. NYC will prove you wrong in each of these categories but that’s the most important part! This experience will teach you more in a week than a year of school (no offense UO).
Paige Bara Blog 4