#1 West Coast / East Coast
As an LA native and soon to be University of Oregon alum, I have spent my entire twenty-two years of life on the West Coast. And because of my Los Angeles pride, I always had a preconception that I would hate New York. I assumed the non-stop speed of the city and over-stimulation would be too stark of a contrast to the laid-back, easy-going ways of the West Coast, however, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I fell in love with New York City the second I landed, though it wasn’t hard to considering the perfect weather and excitement of the upcoming week. I found that I was pleasantly surprised by quite literally every aspect of the city. I was amazed to find out how friendly the locals were, and felt right at home navigating the subway. I welcomed the vast size of the city, and the sounds of different languages were music to my ears. Arriving in the city made me realize how much I craved the diversity and culture that I often find lacking in Eugene, and my infatuation with New York grew with every inch I explored. I can’t see what else you have in store, New York.
Jamie Rolston - 05/06/2018
With Feathers
I have realized that that pretty much every young professional in New York had a somewhat rough time starting out in the city. After listening to some of the stories from the Flock Panel Sunday evening, the thought of moving to the big city started to sound more daunting. From apartment troubles to not being able to find a job, or the right job, it sounds like a smooth transition into the city is almost unheard of. But seeing the great network set up by Flock for women entering the work force in New York City is extremely comforting. The panel Monday afternoon showed me the importance of women sticking together and always being available to help each other out. All the ladies’ stories, whether they started off difficult or smooth, ended up in success. Making a move to fly to New York City and start a new career now seems way more achievable.
-Kiana Griffith
Until Next Time,
After coming back to Oregon and having some time to reflect on my week in New York, I have come to a few conclusions:
1) I have a lot to do and learn before seriously trying to break into the industry.
2) There is, in fact, a place in the advertising/production/creative world for someone who would rather not focus on perfecting a single skill.
3) There are SO many talented creatives making incredible things, but none of it would have been done without them DOING it. Not sure if this makes sense to you, but it makes sense to me.
4) I do believe I would be very happy living in New York City, and in fact, felt very sad that I had to leave.
5) Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, is incredibly deserving of all twelve of its Tony nominations. Don’t try to change my mind, because you won’t be able to.
I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity I had to be a part of this week in New York, and I’m ready to work so that I will be able to make it back again someday. In the meantime, I know what I need to do to prepare myself for whatever comes after all *this*, and I have so much more now to keep me motivated and moving forward.
To everyone that put this trip together, to all the people that we visited, and to New York City: thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you th
Haley Koch // 05/14/2018
Strategy Takeaways
- Have interests- Your interests will come in handy. If you love clothes let it be known and your boss will think of you when a fashion brand is a client.
- Watch people- Multiple people who spoke at agencies said they simply go and watch people, and that leads them to some incredible insights. Yes, use data and speak to people, but also just watch. You never know what you might learn.
- Be multifaceted- Strategists don’t just find data and write briefs, they help every step of the way. Learn to present, design, and anything else you can think of.
Brendon Maier 5/14/18
TASTE
TASTE: The food scene in NYC goes far beyond the scope of options in Eugene. So, I came prepared with an agenda and a list of food recommendations a three pages long. I was looking for everything from bagels to dumplings to finding the perfectly cooked dish of pasta. I got a great taste of the city but I realized that the food had an effect greater than just filling my stomach and giving me energy. I experienced the table as a place for community. Sometimes that table took the form of a grassy knoll in Central Park, a bench in dumbo and even the hotel room bed. I broke bread with people I had never talked with before and as we shared our names we simultaneously shared our food. On the other hand, I sat one on one with a friend I had know for four years reflecting on not only the past week had changed us but on the changes we had experienced throughout our entire time at college. I have always viewed the table as a place of togetherness and in a city as vast and diverse as NYC I was happy to see that it took many forms.
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That said, I left New York over stimulated and in complete and utter awe. One of the best week of my life and I am so blessed to be part of such an amazing program with teachers and peers who encourage me and push me farther than I ever thought possible. So thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU to all who made this #UONYC2018 trip a reality!
Gianna Nardi 5/5 - gianna-nardi.com
Matt McDonald and Speaking with Multiple VoicesHalfway through our presentation led at BBDO headquarters in New York, in walks Matt McDonald. Towering, dressed in a button down and the kind of designer hoodie that probably is worth more than the dress shirt, McDonald has an infectious smile and an undeniable touch for winning over a room. He feels more like a radio host than an ECD. But he is an ECD, and a seriously important one at that. McDonald is ECD of AT&T, he second largest ad buyer in America. Creating work for them is not easy, and he takes us through what it is like to make work for them. “We have to make all kinds of different work, speak to the public in multiple different voices at once.” he says. Some ideas they like right away (I mean, who wouldn’t be enthralled with Taylor Swift riding a giant rainbow cat-i-corn through a glistening forest?) But some take more time. In particular, one spot they did around texting and driving. The spot features incredibly realistic CGI rendering of victims had they grown up and aged. The ad was incredibly effective, but it took major time and much arm twisting to be able to finally do it. “We pitched the idea years before, and the client was so upset with us they almost left” he says. We eventually worked the premise into a piece of a campaign we did with multiple different moving parts, and it was by far the most interacted with piece in the bunch. After that, we knew we finally had the go ahead to create it.“ Besides being emotionally impactful, McDonald says the best part was the journey getting it made. "It took years but it made it more of a success when it came through” he says.
Caden Bohn
cadenbohn.com
SMELL
SMELL: In the style of Dave Koranda’s curiosity class I spent a lot of time paying attention to the little details of the city. The speed the clouds moved past the buildings, the texture of sidewalk and the pace of New Yorkers all around me. Yet, the smells of the city were the most intriguing sense of all. I followed my nose to find good restaurants when my google maps failed. I led by smell and not by sight. I spent one specific afternoon in Chelsea Market with a friend. We browsed the food kiosks making about five laps before deciding what to eat. There was a lovely freedom in our roaming. There was no hurry to get anywhere or pressure to choose too quickly. We simply let the sounds, sights and smells lead our steps. In a market full of delicious food the smells overwhelmed my senses. At one point (no lie) we closed our eyes and followed our noses to the most delicious smelling bakery. I laugh now, as spectators must have been, at the two girls in business casual clothing, noses in the air walking blindly into a bread shop. We didn’t buy a single pastry but I must say it was an afternoon well spent; a total immersion in the senses.
Gianna Nardi 4/5 - gianna-nardi.com
Oh, you feel that way too?
Throughout my time in the School of Journalism and Communication I’ve always felt a little bit like a fake. I didn’t come here with a background in writing or communications, I came in as someone who always saw myself working in the hard sciences. There was always a voice in the back of my head that I somehow snuck into this school, and it was only a matter of time until people found out I didn’t belong and sent be back to biology classes. Talking to alums and other young professionals on this trip made me realize that everyone has doubts about their abilities and their path at times. Almost every agency had at least one person that said they never in a million years expected to end up in advertising.
The Flock group and panel was an amazing platform of young successful women that spoke openly about the challenges and insecurities they have faced while starting their careers. I already knew many of these women’s names in Flock, whether from professors speaking highly of them, or from looking through their portfolios. To hear these women that I had spent years looking up to all say that they too had experienced periods of self-doubt and insecurity was reassuring that I’m not on the wrong path, just one that challenges me.
- Leah Kennon // 5.14.2018
TOUCH
TOUCH: Handshakes are a true art form and a large percentage of people on this trip have Mr. Derek Brandow to thank for helping us master them. His Confidence Workshop saved us from the vice of painfully tight grips and the horror of the too-soft-dead-fish-handshake. I shook hands with everyone from interns to creative directors but I was most stunned to be able to meet The CCO of MullenLowe at the Young Ones Award show. I now understand the serendipitous connections that can lead to great things. I was able to thank Mark Wenneker for sharing “Fight Gunfire with FIRE” with the audience. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I did my best listen and talk less. I shared that much like his young daughter, my 11 year old niece has also shared concerns of gun violence at her school with me. He shared a bit more of his story and the energy that drives both FIRE and MullenLowe, then he was kind enough to introduce me to two recruiters. Despite being the national CCO of top 10 agency, he took his time to not only shake my hand but to connect with me on both personal and professional levels. His humble style of leadership is not something I will soon forget.
Gianna Nardi 3/5 - gianna-nardi.com
HEAR
HEAR : Ask an honest question. Stop talking and listen well. These are the words I posted on Deb’s Facebook takeaway post. I know I am an extroverted-extrovert by nature. I am comfortable presenting, introducing myself and could talk for hours but my goal for this trip was to talk less and listen more. I asked honest questions about the industry and about people’s personal lives. The best two pieces of advice I received were from duck alumni at the 72 and sunny gathering. Benson Wink encouraged me to know where I want to go and keep that constantly in the back of my mind. Whether I am actively working towards this goal or not, having it in my sub-conscience will allow me to identify the choices and opportunities that will help lead me on the pathway to that goal. Later I shared with Jazo Moises that I had met some great MullenLowe connections earlier in the week but wasn’t sure how to sustain the dialogue. He encouraged me to put myself out there, take a stab at guessing their industry emails and reach out. I implemented both pieces of advice as the week proceeded and I was happy with the results. I will continue to visualize my goals and take bold chances in order make my own success.
Gianna Nardi 2/5 - gianna-nardi.com