It’s not all about advertisements
Earlier today at W+K, our gracious hosts shared the wisdom of Dan Wieden, “Share ideas, not ads.” That makes me want to take a step back on every project I have ever worked on. An idea has the ability to be present in any form. From TV spots to milk cartons. An ad almost always has an idea, but it’s not always a clear idea. The idea has to be a deeper truth because it is what is going to make the consumer think. If the idea is bad, the consumer may just breeze past and forget about it. But if the idea is good, then the consumer will connect to it. In advertising we want to create a genuine company-consumer connection with hopes that through that we can sell the product or service. It’s important to remember that it is a good idea connects with the consumer, not an ad. So as Dan Wieden said, “Share ideas, not ads.”
Spencer Kupish - 5/8/17
I Heart Boxed
So much takeaway from Boxed! Such a generous presentation with multiple speakers who spoke about so many areas of the company. I loved the #rethinkpink campaign that calls awareness to the “pink tax,” The unjust practice of taxing essential female products and not taxing the male product counterparts.
Most importantly, I saw a bright, creative workspace, diverse staff, a company with strong core values and a fearless attitude with a desire to keep growing. One of the most important conversations I’ll remember was with Steve Lowe, a Marketing Designer with an Animation background, and he said he always asks himself, “How can I apply my personal style to this brand?” That stood out to me because up until now I had always thought that my personal style shouldn’t “stick out” in brand work. It made me feel like I could do work that is interesting, purposeful AND incorporate my personal aesthetic to further the brand. Steve said that he tries to make sure that all visuals from Boxed have the same magical charm that comes from animation, but in a way that reflects the brand.
Best quote from Jackson Jeyanayagam: “If you are creative and passionate, don’t worry, there will be a place for you.”
Thank you Boxed!!!
-Aven-itza De Primavera
New platforms, new opportunities.
I’m still thinking about the great work our group saw at Wieden and Kennedy New York this morning. Teared up at a bit at a W+K Amsterdam spot for Nike Russia, laughed out loud at some great OOH ads for Spotify, and really started thinking about an emerging social media platform– live video.
In their Bud Light x Lady Gaga Dive Bar Tour campaign, WKNY helped Lady Gaga launch her newest album by staging performances in surprise, intimate venues all around the country and broadcasting it all live on Facebook. The campaign was incredibly successful and garnered millions of social and PR impressions.
Brands are just beginning to get creative with live social video and I’m always on the lookout for successful approaches. Here, WKNY leveraged Gaga’s massive “stan” following – a culture that thrives on Twitter – and brought it onto a new platform to promote her album and Bud Light. Definitely taking note of that insight and its success.
Huge, huge thanks to WKNY! What an incredible privilege.
Rachel Benner 05.08.2017.
Monday
Sometimes all it takes is a hot dog and a nice view to finish off a great day. It has been an eventful and exciting first day of the week in the city and I can say its given me the best taste of what is still to come. Having already made 15,000 steps by early afternoon, I’d say its been a success. Now, sitting in Central Park with a $4 hotdog in hand, I can only smile about my experience at our first agency of the week: Wieden + Kennedy. The love and trust in the air between different people and perspectives was both overwhelming and inspiring. The incredible collaboration that was demonstrated was something more than special. I feel I heard insights and advice today that I can use for years upcoming in the start of my career. The foundation of W+K is so simple yet so incredibly important. It was shared is as follows:
“Rules
Don’t act big
No sharp stuff
follow directions
and shut up when someone is talking”
Thanks W+K.
Blair Paley.
Paint on Clay
The artistic aura of the city oozes through the slivered cracks of brick and shapely spreads into individual’s logos, tags, and commissioned work. Hundred-year-old walls have seen the likes of Banksy and Fairey, but in my opinion, what is most artistic are the carefully crafted messages nestled between antiqued pressed glass windows and rusted metal framed doors by unknown city dwellers. Raw emotions, questions, and ideas are presented by the average everyday experiences of unfamiliar people. Illegal? Yes. Powerful? Yes. These are more than just cosmetic beauty marks on the (Big) apple of the NYC cheek, they are life altering symbols of empowerment and stand for progressive movements. They are what art should be.
Devyn Holbrook
Endless Possibilities
After weeks of anticipation and prep work, we’re finally here.
I’m curious to see the long-term implications of this trip. Where will my peers and I end up in five, ten, twenty years? Who’s going to be in New York? Los Angeles? Seattle? Miami? The possibilities are endless, and that’s both wildly exciting and mildly terrifying.
I’m humbled by the opportunity to visit some of the most successful and innovative advertising agencies in the world and eager to soak up as much knowledge as I can in the city that never sleeps.
To the professors, students, donors, alumni, and agencies who worked tirelessly to orchestrate this trip: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sam Coffaro 05.07.2017
As much as I’d like to sound like a “real New Yorker” and hate on Times Square, I have to admit I felt the magic last night.
That’s not to say I’m thrilled by smelly streets, loud noises, and potential pick-pocketers. Even the “oh my god I’m actually here” excitement faded pretty quickly. What remained was a sense of awe and scale that I associate with this entire city.
To get advertising nerdy: think about what goes into each of those bright, colorful screens. Hours of ideas, research, and production become just another flashing symbol above a clamoring crowd. It’s like looking at a skyscraper. You feel small, but you want to know what’s happening inside.
So ready to learn. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Rachel Benner 05.07.2017.
Rising Tides
Surround yourself with people who wake up at 4:30am and can’t wait to start working on the airplane. The ones you bounce ideas with over bowls of Rice Krispies and edit copy with as you’re brushing your teeth. People who think deck organization is as fun as you do and pitches are an underrated form of performance art.
Energy and optimism are rising tides.
Hannah Lewman 05.07.2017
As a writer, I always carry a book with me in order to inspire or entertain. With a place as inspiring as New York, various authors have tried to express their own connection with the city. Here are a few of my favorites:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Jazz by Toni Morrison
M Train by Patti Smith
As we are about to venture and express ourselves and our experiences, I look to these amazing authors as inspiration on how to write for a city as great at New York.
Amelia Inouye // 5/6/17
The five traveler archetypes
- The exhausted
We’ve all been here. With their sore feet up and their eyes closed in a “don’t mess with me” kind of way, we don’t know their struggle but we can all relate. Don’t initiate conversation with them, they don’t want to hear it - The “this is the fourth time I’ve been at this airport in two weeks”
This person is probably wearing a suit, typing on their computer looking like they’re very important. They may or may not be wearing sunglasses inside. Don’t initiate conversation with them, just like the exhausted traveler, they don’t want to hear it. - The newbee
This is the person looking nervously at the terminal gate while clasping their boarding pass for their own life. They look around to see what they need to be doing at all times. Don’t be afraid to reach out to this traveler, because they will attach themselves to you as their protector. - The adventurer
This person is probably wearing comfortable clothes and look like their passport has way more stamps than yours. They always have a good story to tell. Depending on the adventurer, they may or may not grace you with their tales. - The overly-cautious (could also be the newbee)
This person has been at the airport for 4 hours already and they are sitting as close to the gate as possible in case they miss an important announcement. They run back and forth to the bathroom because each precious minute wasted away from the gate is another minute of risk. They will probably ask you if you are going to the same place as them in order to double-check.
Amelia Inouye // 5/6/17