Interning

Wow! So much can happen in a matter of days. I've been emailing my resume to hundreds of agencies and have heard from all but... none. Then, to my surprise, I recall a family friend who has connections in the industry. A few days later, I've landed an internship at a major entertainment advertising agency and I'm working on copy for a hit TV show.

What it really comes down to in this city, no matter how amazing you are (and believe me, I am incredible), it's all about who you know.

Now you may be asking yourself, why copy? I thought she wanted to be an art director? I do. Or, I did? It isn't like that decision was put in stone. I was always under the impression that I'd find myself in college. Or, at least find my career path. Now, I find myself still figuring that out.

I know I'm a phenomenal writer, but I also love art. Then I ask myself, are graphic arts for me? Do I have the patience? Or is copywriting more of my creative forte? Could I be a copywriter with the eye of an art director? Two-for-one special, people.

It's been a while...

Geez louise. Has it really been over a year since I've updated this blog? Poor thing has been neglected. Partly because of life, but mainly because of frustration. But, I think it's time to get back in the game. I've recently (as in about six months ago) graduated with my degree in advertising and have been on the job hunt ever since. It's a rough world out there and even with my degree, there's so much to learn.

Funny thing, my last post was about VW's advertising... and I believe there were a few posts prior to that about VW ads as well... And wouldn't you guess it, I am now a VW driver.

Now that I'm no longer a student and doing make-up to pay my bills, I have a bit more time on my hands... and with that, more update to come soon.

VW and Crispin Split

Yesterday, Agency news announced the split between VW and Crispin Porter and Bogusky. At first, I was shocked by this. Some of the most memorable and powerful ads in recent years were from Crispin. VW was always thought of as being an unsafe car. They disproved that in their ads by crashing their own cars - without test dummies - and made consumers remember that "safe happens." And also thanks to Crispin, anytime I see Brooke Shields I think of the Routan Boom...

But despite all that, and the fact that VW's market share did increase by 0.4% through July (making their total share of the market 2%), they had a decrease in sales by 13.5%. This was, however, a result of the over all 32% automotive market decline. On a positive note, VW is continuing to grow globally, and with that, is searching for the right agency who can better express the image of the VW brand.

According to Tim Ellis, VP-marketing at Volkswagen of America, "The Volkswagen brand needs to inspire our base of enthusiasts as well as reach out and captivate those in mainstream America. Therefore, we are re-evaluating all areas of our business and after careful considerations have decided to take the necessary steps to ensure we have the right agency partner in place."

So, with that, VW bids farewell to CP&B.

And in honor of Bill Bernbach, the great originator of the Volkswagen brand (and thanks to Rodney Mason for this) I give you 12 inspiring quotes:

1) The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.

2) Word of mouth is the best medium of all.

3) It is insight into human nature that is the key to the communicator's skill. For whereas the writer is concerned with what he puts into his writings, the communicator is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. He therefore becomes a student of how people read or listen.

4) Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.

5) You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen.

6) Forget words like 'hard sell' and 'soft sell.' That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something that will inform and serve the consumer, and be sure you're saying it like it's never been said before.

7) Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at. How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed... but dull?

8) No matter how skillful you are, you can't invent a product advantage that doesn't exist. And if you do, and it's just a gimmick, it's going to fall apart anyway.

9) Our job is to sell our clients' merchandise... not ourselves. Our job is to kill the cleverness that makes us shine instead of the product. Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product message.

10) Advertising doesn't create a product advantage. It can only convey it.

11) Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art.

12) Properly practiced creativity must result in greater sales more economically achieved. Properly practiced creativity can lift your claims out of the swamp of sameness and make them accepted, believed, persuasive, urgent.

-Bill Bernbach

We're in a Crisis...

A hair crisis, apparently. Well, men are at least.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty recently came out with a campaign launch for Axe hair products. I typically like BBH's style and the creative they come up with, but there's something about this campaign - at least the videos I've seen from it so far - that just... bothers me.

Now clearly, I'm not the target audience, but as an advertising student, I can still appreciate ads that aren't meant for me.

On a positive note - BBH does do a great job at implementing various media into their campaign with a music video, TV ads (which also runs online - hulu.com was where I first saw them), a downloadable ring tone, etc; and at illustrating the problem that their target market has. Nonetheless, the commercials [I've seen] are corny and lack the stereotypical sexiness and humor that other Axe ads portray.

The ads focus too much on the women and their "mission" as opposed to the product and it's effects (in other Axe ads, we see the product - and get that it'll bring women to you. In this, the women are coming to the men).

Maybe they're trying to take their ads "out of the box," but in my opinion and from a creative standpoint, it just doesn't work. But, who knows. With the commercial success and product sales, I could be proven wrong.

Here's the music video, if you so choose to torture yourself:

Rich Media Monday

I know it's been quite a while since I've updated with anything. With the end of the Spring 2009 semester, Summer school, and my internship at Inveneo, and continuing my part time job on the weekends - I've been entirely too busy for much of anything else but sleep. I've also recently updated my website: Sprouting Creativity.

So with that, I've decided to dedicate this post to Rich Media Monday. Seeing as how it's Monday... We're all coming back from our weekends, and pouring cup after cup of coffee... who wouldn't love a little interactive fun to keep us awake at our desks?

Now, you don't have to be a fan of golf or video games or even Tiger Woods, for that matter, to appreciate the interactive beauty of this web banner (courtesy of @creativesocial). This rich media banner (created by Freestyle Interactive Agency, US) takes you through various "sites" as you click through them. In the end, you reach the EA sports website where consumers can purchase Tiger's PGA Tour 10 video game.

Meanwhile, (courtesy of doubleclick.com) McDonalds (agency: Tribal DDB) and the Sims 3 (Freestyle Interactive) imbed their video advertisements within their banners. The Sims 3 ad does a great job in somewhat integrating game play within their ads, while McDonalds continues the rich consistency of it's McCafe campaign. Check 'em out!

Shake It Up!

This is one of the reasons why I love advertising - for innovative and creative ideas like these. A Youtube video of game play footage to promote "Wario Land: Shake It" for Wii with changes to the Youtube interface. You can even pick up the different tables and move them around. It's amazing! Absolutely mind-blowing advertising done by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners of San Francisco (and with a ridiculously tight budget for this project, I might add).

An account manager from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners spoke in a class at SJSU yesterday. The theme to his presentation - that everyone is creative/creative ideas can come from anywhere. It was inspiring and intimidating at the same time. There is so much creative talent out there and so much competition. I've got a long road ahead of me and there's so much to learn. It's exhilarating.

What's Happening Now

I just saw this commercial for the first time last week, and I must say... stats and things like this always impress me. It would definitely be interesting to see the research put in to making this ad. Research is definitely not my thing, so props to the team at Goodby Silverstein.

It was funny, I asked a friend if he knew what this ad was for without seeing the brand's logo at the end. He said he had no clue. School has done me some good. I knew right away by their use of yellow, black, and the word "now" that it was an ad for Sprint.