I believe the most important lesson I've learned about copywriting and art direction is there is no easy way to get to the final solution. Both of these things requite trying and trying again if the first creative solution doesn't seem to be working. This has been the first year that I've had to re-concept a project just a few days before the final files are due to the client. I found that the most useful way to have an extremely successful campaign is to have a solid concept in the beginning so that you have plenty of time to go back and edit both copy and art direction. This also allows some time to experiment with different looks and diction for the client.
If I knew what I know now at the beginning of this year, I would have started pulling together my professional portfolio and resume way earlier that I had started. I am very upset that I was slow in doing this, and now I do not have a summer internship. This is going to slow down the actual hiring process a year from now. This summer I plan on scanning many of my sketches and doing some extra poster work on the side to add to my portfolio. I really look forward to working on my design and illustration!
As next year approaches, I'm looking forward to the experience that I will gain from participating in the N.S.A.C. However, I think that I'm most excited about finally seeing all that I have learned while I've been at Ringling come to a close. Next year at this time, we will all see how the education that we've gained will pay off. I am really looking forward optimistically to getting a great job at a reputable agency. I am greatly anticipating graduation day!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Social Media Marketing a Waste of Time?
I was browsing adweek recently and saw a headline that caught my attention. Social Traffic Worth Less to Publishers Than Search: Study claims search links bring more engaged visitors.
Honestly, I'm glad a group has taken the time to do a study on the accuracy of social media marketing. The article states that only eleven percent of personal website traffic is generated by social media, opposed to forty one percent generated by searches and direct visits. The organization who conducted the study, Outbrain, also found that the visitors from the social networks stay on companies web pages for less time than that of direct web traffic.
I find that the only reason social trafficking works at all is because of boredom. Most people surfing around on Facebook and Twitter are looking to waste some time and are probably not legitimately interested in your company, even if they love your product. (The article also suggests that these numbers are a bit skewed, depending on the product or service. For example, sports sites have less than five percent of their traffic come from social media.)
I am just happy to hear that social media isn't the final marketing frontier. I am personally pretty sick of coming up with the same ideas for sites like Facebook and Twitter. I think social media, at this point to our generation is getting a bit old. I am very ready to find another way of communicating a brand's personality to the consumer.
Honestly, I'm glad a group has taken the time to do a study on the accuracy of social media marketing. The article states that only eleven percent of personal website traffic is generated by social media, opposed to forty one percent generated by searches and direct visits. The organization who conducted the study, Outbrain, also found that the visitors from the social networks stay on companies web pages for less time than that of direct web traffic.
I find that the only reason social trafficking works at all is because of boredom. Most people surfing around on Facebook and Twitter are looking to waste some time and are probably not legitimately interested in your company, even if they love your product. (The article also suggests that these numbers are a bit skewed, depending on the product or service. For example, sports sites have less than five percent of their traffic come from social media.)
I am just happy to hear that social media isn't the final marketing frontier. I am personally pretty sick of coming up with the same ideas for sites like Facebook and Twitter. I think social media, at this point to our generation is getting a bit old. I am very ready to find another way of communicating a brand's personality to the consumer.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I've Got Some Creative Beef..
I was browsing through some other advertising blogs this weekend and stumbled across one that discussed the current job market. The poster talks about how lame some creative advertising applicants have become.
This links to Creative Beef's Blog
I'll be the first to admit that this post makes me nervous. If the job market is sparse now, imagine what we have to look forward to in the coming year. I'm hoping we will have an advantage, being that we'll be fresh out of school and cheap to hire. However, cheap work and free work are not quite the same. I mean, what would you choose, cheap pancakes or free ones? I just feel more and more discouraged each day. The pressure of having a dozen internships before anyone will hire you is just ridiculous. I know that this is something that shouldn't be discounted, but I find it frustrating that I'm supposed to work at a handful of agencies before I get any money!
How is everyone else feeling about this? I hope I'm not the only one scared of finding a summer internship in time..
This links to Creative Beef's Blog
I'll be the first to admit that this post makes me nervous. If the job market is sparse now, imagine what we have to look forward to in the coming year. I'm hoping we will have an advantage, being that we'll be fresh out of school and cheap to hire. However, cheap work and free work are not quite the same. I mean, what would you choose, cheap pancakes or free ones? I just feel more and more discouraged each day. The pressure of having a dozen internships before anyone will hire you is just ridiculous. I know that this is something that shouldn't be discounted, but I find it frustrating that I'm supposed to work at a handful of agencies before I get any money!
How is everyone else feeling about this? I hope I'm not the only one scared of finding a summer internship in time..
The Zen of Social Media
I guess I'll start by putting up a fool proof chart on the differences between traditional marketing and social media marketing.
I think there are a few interesting points made in chapter three about the delicacies of the social media platform:
The author of the book, Shama Hyder Kabani, makes a point in differentiating traditional marketing and social media marketing by noting that social media is a dialog... not a monologue like traditional advertising. She has also stated that there are many negative repercussions to trying to control this conversation. A while ago there was a CEO of a company (posing as a customer) who was trying to manipulate the public by posting on his own company website. Lying and trying to manipulate is bad for business, because people will smell your bull and you will get caught.
I also like that Kabani points out that just being apart of Facebook or Linkedin won't get you anywhere. Once you're there, you have to be proactive! Just sitting around on sites hoping to be seen isn't going to work.
I also found the Twitter chapter pretty insightful. I feel that a lot of people under the age of 25 don't use Twitter as much as the 35-50 market. From what Kabani has said about Twitter, it is easier to reach consumers on this platform than it is on Facebook. I also liked learning the logistics of what the "@" is used for, what hashtags are (#) plus other various functions on the site. (I don't like that everything is limited to 120 words!)
Kabani also advises the new Twitter user to have a custom background for their page. I think I disagree with this; from a designer's standpoint, I think this could be tastefully done. However almost no one is going to hire a graphic designer to make a Twitter background for them. I understand the logistics of having an own-able, customized look and it is a nice little touch... I just think that this could make or break a reputation, and nine times out of ten the background will not be up to a designer's standards. But then again, I haven't been checking out many Twitter pages lately.
I think there are a few interesting points made in chapter three about the delicacies of the social media platform:
The author of the book, Shama Hyder Kabani, makes a point in differentiating traditional marketing and social media marketing by noting that social media is a dialog... not a monologue like traditional advertising. She has also stated that there are many negative repercussions to trying to control this conversation. A while ago there was a CEO of a company (posing as a customer) who was trying to manipulate the public by posting on his own company website. Lying and trying to manipulate is bad for business, because people will smell your bull and you will get caught.
I also like that Kabani points out that just being apart of Facebook or Linkedin won't get you anywhere. Once you're there, you have to be proactive! Just sitting around on sites hoping to be seen isn't going to work.
I also found the Twitter chapter pretty insightful. I feel that a lot of people under the age of 25 don't use Twitter as much as the 35-50 market. From what Kabani has said about Twitter, it is easier to reach consumers on this platform than it is on Facebook. I also liked learning the logistics of what the "@" is used for, what hashtags are (#) plus other various functions on the site. (I don't like that everything is limited to 120 words!)
Kabani also advises the new Twitter user to have a custom background for their page. I think I disagree with this; from a designer's standpoint, I think this could be tastefully done. However almost no one is going to hire a graphic designer to make a Twitter background for them. I understand the logistics of having an own-able, customized look and it is a nice little touch... I just think that this could make or break a reputation, and nine times out of ten the background will not be up to a designer's standards. But then again, I haven't been checking out many Twitter pages lately.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Bad Writing Reflection
I think the message that Vernon Lott has behind the documentary Bad Writing is an awareness of traditional writing dying off. Books and magazine articles are all being moved to digital outlets like Kindle or iPad. From what I remember, Lott thinks that contemporary poetry should take a turn towards the humorous side, similar to Prairie Home Companion, to get a different crowed. I personally would listen to more poetry if it were styled after this sort of silly situational humor; most of what I hear is not exactly something I would consider self deprecating... Other than this specific note in the film, my memory is hazed as to his stance on where the future of writing traditionally is headed.
The most important lesson I gathered from the film is that it's okay to suck at writing when you're starting. Before it was stated in the movie, I was noticing the age of most of these great novelists; Writing interesting, relevant content requires some life experience. Kids my age tend to think that they've experienced everything, which is just not true. There may be some significant experiences in such a short life, but not enough to truly write something great.
"Writers who are just effortlessly fluent are less likely to use obstacles, like mistakes, to grow and become more interesting." I really love this thought as well. It's very inspiring because when it comes to copywriting, I feel like I make a million mistakes every time. Vivian (my copywriting prof.) has helped me realize that I don't need to be a machine when it comes to writing headlines. It's okay if it takes me some time to craft the sentences I need for advertising.
My only hope is that I'm not over the age of 30 before I start improving my writing. :]
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
New Nokia Typeface!
The world's largest phone-maker has unveiled a new font dubbed Nokia Pure for mobile and digital environments. I guess the whole idea behind this new typeface is to create a feeling of fluid motion. The font is a sans serif that is actually quite nice and overall convey a "moving forward" attitude.
The brand is definitely on the cutting edge of foreign phones and other technologies, I just don't really see why they are jumping on the bandwagon of redesigns. Based on the trends so far this year, this redesign will undoubtedly fail. The brand is globally recognizable and it is going to be very difficult to change people's perceptions of something they are familiar with. Then again, no one but designers care that much about typography, so perhaps the change will go unnoticed.
Here's a little comparison so you can see the "moving forward" fluidity in the type.
Opposed to their old font:
The new font will come in three weights: Light, Regular and Bold. These are designed to deliver "pin sharp" legibility on screens. Supposedly, this font will be implemented on billboards and other forms of marketing by later this year. I guess we'll see how this one goes... Good Luck!
The brand is definitely on the cutting edge of foreign phones and other technologies, I just don't really see why they are jumping on the bandwagon of redesigns. Based on the trends so far this year, this redesign will undoubtedly fail. The brand is globally recognizable and it is going to be very difficult to change people's perceptions of something they are familiar with. Then again, no one but designers care that much about typography, so perhaps the change will go unnoticed.
Here's a little comparison so you can see the "moving forward" fluidity in the type.
Opposed to their old font:
The new font will come in three weights: Light, Regular and Bold. These are designed to deliver "pin sharp" legibility on screens. Supposedly, this font will be implemented on billboards and other forms of marketing by later this year. I guess we'll see how this one goes... Good Luck!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Be Remarkable
This is one of the best TED talks I've watched, and it's the first about marketing. Seth Godin, marketing guru is an entrepreneur and blogger who talks about marketing ideas in the new, digital age. Seth talks about how even sliced bread failed horribly upon it's release into the market place. He goes onto say that "the riskiest thing you can do now, is be safe." Make something remarkable, and sell it to the right people;
market to the Otaku. Otaku is a Japanese word referring to a group of people, the geeks if you will, who are obsessed with a certain thing. Market to those who are avid, but most importantly those who are listening, and have them tell their friends. Do this instead of trying to make a product that is meant for everybody. If it's very good, it's bad. The lack of "friction" when it comes to a product/idea isn't what is going to get it talked about.
The ideas in his presentation are remarkable and seemingly obvious.. I see this exact thing happen through a friend at home in Orlando, Pat. He is always ahead of the curve, months ahead. By the time he tells me about a certain thing, and I've had time to forget about it, that idea has taken off with the public. I don't know where he finds this stuff, but he will be the one I go to when I'm looking for an innovative advertising/marketing tactic in the future. :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Super Cute Dramamine Ads
JWT in Venezuela produced these three print ads. They seem to have a lot of haters on ads of the world, but I think that they are eye catching, and they get the message across. These appear to be some of the first advertising specific pieces from Igor Bastidas (illustrator). Here is a link to his blog. I am a fan of the style and will likely use a similar art direction in the future. :]
Monday, March 14, 2011
Two Great Ads that Never Were
Hope everyone from Ringling had a great spring break!
I just wanted to have a fun post for this week. I wanted to visit the fabulous writing of Matt Groening in some Simpson's phony advertisements from the show.
The first phony ad is for Canyonero: "The truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats 35." Even though these are silly, I feel that it is valuable inspiration all the same. I recall Bill Paxton saying that it's very important to know the classics. I feel that the classics for advertising can be anything from Plato, to the Simpsons.
And this second ad is of course, from Ren and Stimpy. The Log is perhaps one of the most well known, fake toys to kids who grew up with this cartoon. Taking the classic 1960's Slinky song, John Kricfalus somehow managed to turn out an even more successful brand song... Sort of.
I hope you were entertained by these videos, that's all I had intended from this week's blog post. I personally love them! :]
I just wanted to have a fun post for this week. I wanted to visit the fabulous writing of Matt Groening in some Simpson's phony advertisements from the show.
The first phony ad is for Canyonero: "The truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats 35." Even though these are silly, I feel that it is valuable inspiration all the same. I recall Bill Paxton saying that it's very important to know the classics. I feel that the classics for advertising can be anything from Plato, to the Simpsons.
And this second ad is of course, from Ren and Stimpy. The Log is perhaps one of the most well known, fake toys to kids who grew up with this cartoon. Taking the classic 1960's Slinky song, John Kricfalus somehow managed to turn out an even more successful brand song... Sort of.
I hope you were entertained by these videos, that's all I had intended from this week's blog post. I personally love them! :]
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Queer Beer!
(This entry is not intended to offend.)
Manerva, a Mexican brewery has produced the very first "queer beer!" Packaged in purple, this citrus flavored beverage is only being sold in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos for now, but it's sure to spread fast. "The 'artisan honey-ales' are made with organic honey and malt, giving them an orange flavor, which the brewer believes appeals to gay communities."(adfreak.com)
Personally, I think the coolest feature is not the specific marketing, but the clever packaging. The belly band on the bottle (which has lots of gay symbolism) is designed to double as a bracelet! Although I'm still thinking that marketers just wanted people to wear the plastic band based solely on the pride factor; I doubt that it's anything other than paper meant to last past the sweat of your beer bottle. If this is for real, I would buy this official 'queer beer' just for the novelty of the packaging design.
Manerva, a Mexican brewery has produced the very first "queer beer!" Packaged in purple, this citrus flavored beverage is only being sold in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos for now, but it's sure to spread fast. "The 'artisan honey-ales' are made with organic honey and malt, giving them an orange flavor, which the brewer believes appeals to gay communities."(adfreak.com)
Personally, I think the coolest feature is not the specific marketing, but the clever packaging. The belly band on the bottle (which has lots of gay symbolism) is designed to double as a bracelet! Although I'm still thinking that marketers just wanted people to wear the plastic band based solely on the pride factor; I doubt that it's anything other than paper meant to last past the sweat of your beer bottle. If this is for real, I would buy this official 'queer beer' just for the novelty of the packaging design.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
JACKPOT! Some ADDY Recap
JACKPOT!!
Well, as you all know it's ADDY's week finally! And to honor it, I went on a search for some different award show themes around the country. While in pursuit of some creative ideas in fun cities, I found a site that has a compilation of ADDY intro videos. This catalog of shorts has really gotten me psyched for the award ceremony on Monday night!
So if you have five minutes, (and I know you do) get off of facebook and watch Sasquatch rap about his hairy bottom; or maybe you want to watch children, similar to yourself who want to one day grow up and work in advertising. These videos are pretty great because surely, this is the ONE time that an agency can actually have full creative freedom with a project.
I hope for the best at this years award show. Hats off to everyone who busted their butts to make it happen.
Cheers!
Well, as you all know it's ADDY's week finally! And to honor it, I went on a search for some different award show themes around the country. While in pursuit of some creative ideas in fun cities, I found a site that has a compilation of ADDY intro videos. This catalog of shorts has really gotten me psyched for the award ceremony on Monday night!
So if you have five minutes, (and I know you do) get off of facebook and watch Sasquatch rap about his hairy bottom; or maybe you want to watch children, similar to yourself who want to one day grow up and work in advertising. These videos are pretty great because surely, this is the ONE time that an agency can actually have full creative freedom with a project.
I hope for the best at this years award show. Hats off to everyone who busted their butts to make it happen.
Cheers!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Bowl 2011
I must admit, I found myself a little disappointed this year when it came to concept quality. There were only a handful that I found 'good'. I find myself having this thought every year. Here are the two best in my opinion, and I'll keep the jeers to myself.
I vote for Audi's "Release the Hounds" for one of the funniest this year. Far better than Hyundai Elantra ad narrated by Jeff Bridges. This one was pretty silly. I thought it was entertaining for our age demographic as well as really appealing to the older market who can afford a luxury car. This ad makes me wonder what these rich people did to get locked up in the big house (er, more like mansion)...
But I must say, I think my overall favorite was the VW Darthvader.
It's cute, simple, and crystal clear. A very realistic situation in such a household. Even those of us who are not parents get it and think it's funny and cute. One of the most original yet simple ads I've seen this Superbowl.
I vote for Audi's "Release the Hounds" for one of the funniest this year. Far better than Hyundai Elantra ad narrated by Jeff Bridges. This one was pretty silly. I thought it was entertaining for our age demographic as well as really appealing to the older market who can afford a luxury car. This ad makes me wonder what these rich people did to get locked up in the big house (er, more like mansion)...
But I must say, I think my overall favorite was the VW Darthvader.
It's cute, simple, and crystal clear. A very realistic situation in such a household. Even those of us who are not parents get it and think it's funny and cute. One of the most original yet simple ads I've seen this Superbowl.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Fear and Loathing on Madison Ave.
Fear and Loathing on Madison Avenue
So I have a confession... Lately, I've been a little worried about our future, based on how the advertising program at Ringling is going thus far. At first, being the guinea pigs was a great thing, but lately I feel like it is hard to ignore the repercussions that come with being the first. I personally find it a little upsetting that we are just now learning flash, in our JUNIOR YEAR! The fact of the matter is that the sophomores have already surpassed our skills in technology. I wish we would be doing more relevant assignments opposed to traditional branding techniques. A good foundation is important, yes. However we need a more vast experience when it comes to advertising because it is a big market in a cut throat world. I'm looking forward to a chance to create hoopla.
Anyway, read the article. It's somewhat related, I just mostly wanted to respond with how I was feeling about the program.
:]
So I have a confession... Lately, I've been a little worried about our future, based on how the advertising program at Ringling is going thus far. At first, being the guinea pigs was a great thing, but lately I feel like it is hard to ignore the repercussions that come with being the first. I personally find it a little upsetting that we are just now learning flash, in our JUNIOR YEAR! The fact of the matter is that the sophomores have already surpassed our skills in technology. I wish we would be doing more relevant assignments opposed to traditional branding techniques. A good foundation is important, yes. However we need a more vast experience when it comes to advertising because it is a big market in a cut throat world. I'm looking forward to a chance to create hoopla.
Anyway, read the article. It's somewhat related, I just mostly wanted to respond with how I was feeling about the program.
:]
Friday, January 28, 2011
Office Party! My 2006 Super Bowl Advert. Flashback
With the 2011 Super Bowl coming up on Feb 6th, I thought I'd recap on one of my favorite ads I've seen come out of this decade. It's too hard to pick my favorite of all time, so I'll limit it to that.
This is a 2006 Superbowl advertisement for CareerBuilder featuring monkey office personnel (produced by the Cramer-Krasselt agency). The zoo like workplace is quite ridiculous and depicts how I'm sure a lot of blue collar America feels about their job and the idiots they have to put up with daily. All of this calamity and monkey partying to get to the final tag "a better job awaits." As part of that campaign, CareerBuilder teamed with a digital agency, (Oddcast) to introduce an e-mail service called "Monk-e-mail" which enables computer users to send messages featuring customized images of “talking” chimpanzees. I haven't checked it out yet, but I'm glad to see that this wasn't just another funny, one off Super Bowl ad.
Friday, January 21, 2011
QR Tagging Trials
Bosch Refrigerators have a series of print ads that include QR mobile tagging techniques. The ads depict an ancient creature (such as a dinosaur) packaged as a poultry or something. Apparently the code takes you right to the Bosch website, but only with the right application. In theory this is a good idea, however I feel like companies need to do something more interactive with a link. Taking a user who is that tech savy to a simple web page is sort of a slap in the face. There is no real reward for the viewer who figures out what to do with this eight bit box. I'm still waiting for that day, when this tag takes you to a fun game or cool splash page experience.
Also, here is a QR code I generated myself. It's super easy to just go to the website and make one yourself!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Agency party planning? AND PONIES??
So this is one of the sillier posts I've seen. The Canadian ad agency, John st. decided to make a parody 'disruption' video of sorts. The mission? Advertising agencies planning kid's birthday parties. With lines like "research shows that eight year old Chelsey likes the color pink, and ponies." I think I just about died when the "traditional techniques" (pin the tail on the pony) was thrown out.
So what is the message behind this birthday movement? Is it a message of how out of hand this industry is and how deep we have infiltrated the culture? Or is this simply a silly video to pass the time when procrastinating around the office? Many interpretations are out there. Personally, this reminds me of a video that our marketing professor made us watch about a year ago titled Consuming Children. A sick film, really. It did help open my eyes to what a glutinous monster marketing can be. I suppose this is slightly better because there were no Barbie logos anywhere to be seen.. Or maybe this video was worse because the J.B name was dropped.
I'm still left wondering why the mini pony at the end of the video wasn't pink... I guess dying a pony the color pink for Chelsey's eighth birthday party theme would be a little sick.
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