I still want to work in advertising!!

I’m not sure if it was being in a city that doesn’t overuse Papyrus (Eugene) or the attention to design in every office we visited, but after this week I feel affirmed and invigorated that I am absolutely pursuing the career path that is for me. I came into this week with so many questions & doubts about if I really had the skills to make it as a designer in the ad world and if advertising was truly the best fit for me. While I still hold doubt, after experiencing professionals and even entire companies and offices that truly care about good design, I feel confident that this is the right path for me and that I am capable of doing what it takes to make it as a ad designer. This week also opened up doors to non-traditional ways to utilize my design skills such as branding and environmental design and in-house. As I continue to apply to jobs and internships, I come out of this week knowing I don’t need to be a master of every design focus and feeling more confident to stand by my design.

xoxo, Lindsay

5.13.18

A taste of what is to come…

It was a thrilling experience to see New York City for the first time knowing that I will be back for the summer in three short weeks. I am so thankful for what this trip has given me. I think I would have been lost and a bit of an emotional mess if I had flown straight into New York for the first time on June 3rd with work the next day. Getting a preview of the city has eased my anxiety of the unknown.

Not only did the agency visits give amazing insights into the culture advertising takes up in New York City, but traveling from site to site was also a great way to get to know the subway system and see so many different parts of the city.

Here are a few things I’ve learned in my travels.

1. Dive bars will charge you $20 for a simple gin and tonic in a plastic cup. (R.I.P to my wallet).

2. People on the go do not care if you are standing in their way on the streets. They will unapologetically mow through you.

3. Weird shit happens on the Subway.

4. Rooftop bars are New Yorkers favorite evening activity.

5. I LOVE Brooklyn. The area around 72 and Sunny and Laundry Service reminds me of Boston, one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve been having trouble seeing myself living on the east coast, but exploring Brooklyn just confirmed that possibility.

6. The world famous Momofuku Noodle Bar is worth the wait. Shout out to the best pork belly ramen I’ve every had.  

7. Not all New Yorkers are rude. I had the pleasure of meeting Alexa Schwartz, who had my internship position last year. When I reached out to her she was more than happy to take the time to meet with me and talk about what I should expect.

8. I am ready for an amazing summer in New York City!

- Avery Wright 

joan.

While this week was a whirlwind of inspiration, I was absolutely blown away by Joan Creative. Their mission of diversity and representation was jaw-dropping, and they were so incredibly kind. Their work was courageous, to say the least. The last visit of the trip cemented everything wonderfully:

“I am not afraid; I was born to do this.”
- Joan of Arc

Sarah Weiss

It’s What You Make of It

The phrase I was commonly told during my stay was, “New York is what you make of it. Anything and everything you’re into is here.” They were all right. Everything I wanted to do, to see were just a Google search away. The food, museums, entertainment, shopping, and most importantly, the opportunities are all there. The question is, is it for me? Members of the Advertising Club of New York emphasized how environment is crucial and how people thrive in an environment that matches with them. All I can say is, I definitely thrive in big cities.

Reflecting on my time in New York with all the networking, going to agency visits, and squeezing in all the things I wanted to do on my checklist, I can’t believe I managed to do everything in just a week.

Lisa Pa // lisa-pa.com

Experiential advertising

I’ve had an advertising crush on Jack Morton’s work for a while now, so it was a privilege to visit the agency’s New York office last Wednesday. This was one of my favorite agency visits because, not only did they present their work and do a panel, they also had everyone work on a time crunch brief. We made teams of 3 and were asked to come up with the strategy and feel for an activation at a gaming convention for Red Bull. I appreciated this exercise because it gave us a taste of what it would be like to work in an office that focuses primarily on experiential advertising.

From an account management perspective, it was interesting to learn that around 80% of their work with clients are short term from project to project, while 20% are long lasting relationships. I’m curious as to what the means for an account manger’s role, and what it is like building a relationship with a client that you know are not going to be around for a while.

All in all, I loved this visit and everything Jack Morton had to offer. I’m curious to see how other agencies incorporate experiential work into their campaigns when they are not an agency that specializes that that sort of work.

- Avery Wright 

Apply for something you love

After visiting so many amazing agencies in a city like New York, there was one main takeaway that I got from our visits. As many of us are getting ready to graduate and have been applying to many places, it’s important to apply to places that we can actually see ourselves work at and see ourselves doing great work.

Even though we may want to get our resumes and books in front of as many eyes as possible, it’s important to be applying for places that can be a good fit. Working at a place where the environment may not be right may contribute to not producing work that we are capable of. It’s important to find a place that not only does amazing work, but to find a place where we can see ourselves grow and develop in order to strengthen our skill sets and be as successful as possible in this industry.

Kyle Steffens

5.13.2018

Red Paper Heart

After a jam packed week of advice ranging from how to network to how to make amazing shit, I can say that the small, experimental shop Red Paper Heart gave me everything I needed. While I’m not an art director or designer and I’m the last person you would want to ask about technology, the work that Red Paper does and how they will always stand by their values spoke volumes to me. They reminded me why I’m in advertising and showed me just how much of a platform we have in this industry to create things with impact. They never try to be something they’re not; they’re the epitome of genuine authenticity and they do it effortlessly. 

In an industry that’s competitive and dynamic, they reminded me to take a step back and realize that joy deserves our protection. As ad students, it’s our job to make sure that that’s an idea that’s never lost.

Rachelle Roldan

Salad

In my ad & culture class earlier this term, I learned about how America can be described as a salad. In a salad, every ingredient comes together to create something delicious but they still each have their distinct flavor. You can try and imagine what this looks like, but you never can actually experience it first-hand until you come to New York.  I thought about this a lot, how these vibrant individual cultures come together to make something beautiful. I saw it everywhere, in the subway, walking through the city, and lots of times, in the agencies. As I noticed, it became something I really appreciated and it emphasized why New York thrived. People were proud of who they were and what they brought to the table; and seeing that contagious confidence alone was the greatest advice in itself.

Rachelle Roldan

A Good Job vs. The Dream Job

After the Flock panel, I started to think more about a good job vs. the dream job. A dream job will always leave you disappointed and will almost never live up to your expectations. Instead look for a good job that interests you but that you can grow from. It’s important to interview the company as much as they interview you—asking questions like what is their turn over rate? do their internships turn into full time paid positions? do people like working there? do I like the people? I came in with the mindset that I wanted a job but now I am much more aware of making sure that the company is the right fit and the right move.

Takeaway 3: Find a good job, not the dream job.

-Emma McBride/ Junior Art Director 

Boil It Down To A Sentence

If it can’t be said it an sentence, it’s not a true insight. 

There was a lot of talk this week from multiple agencies about the difference between an insight and a strategy. Although all the agencies had different strategic processes, they all discussed the importance of discovering the insight. The insight is not what is found through strategy, yet the connection made between the strategy and the problem.

What is really going on? If you’re not asking why, you’ll never find your insight.

Allie Bottinelli