Snoopy Knows Best!

AD Lad's Honor Role GRAND PRIX!

Super Grads!

In light of the entrepreneurialism that helped shape the way we all use the Internet, The below desperate dynamic duo deserve a Grand Prix for effort and creativity in use of the roadside medium

AD Lad's Honor Role

Great Trend Guys!

Things I Have Missed

A stack of proper Pancakes with proper syrup, made my the best mom in the world...... followed by a quick trip to a tiny local shop known as Costco, to pick up some tid bits! :)
It's Yummery!

Advertising Crap

All Ads try to power conversation...

Great Ads inspire a reaction...


What would you do if you were asked to advertise a crap product? (no pun intended)

to be continued...

AD Lad's Honor Role

This film was directed, produced, and starred some of my very good friends! I will miss you all dearly and cannot wait until we can meet again over 6 or 15 pitchers of cocktail jugs.

Enjoy!

Things To Be Missed

A Saturday afternoon stroll through Hampstead...












Followed by a Cappuccino from Princi in SoHo



-- Post From My iPhone

A Dreadful Digital Delight

Today I got to sit down with some people from Fallon and really give some honest feedback regarding their work experience program. At the moment, the placement last for two weeks. (This is similar to most agencies) However, Fallon is far from similar to any agency, so rightly so their work experience should attract and train young talent in a way that is true to Fallon's nature.

To describe some of the agencies I have worked at, JWT is extremely posh and powerful, similar to the agency in the film What Women Want staring Mel Gibson, but on a more global scale. Saatchi & Saatchi is a brand in itself, with a name and highly experienced talent stretching between every cultural hub and booming city around the planet. Fallon, starting from the states and stretching to London and Tokyo is a highly creative power house full of young talent who not only live and breathe this industry, but are obsessed in the best way possible. Every agency packs its halls and floors with highly passionate people, there is no doubt, but if you're lucky enough to get in the doors here at Fallon, my point is, you better leave with a proper jolt to what you thought the industry is really like. It's too soon to tell what the exact new layout will be for Fallon's work experience, but from the meeting I had, it's definitely one people should be on the look out for.

I would also like to instil some insight for those of you interested in planning, which is to immerse yourself for the digital revolution. It has been said and reported before, but if you really want to get a look at just how great this shift from the traditional to the digital culture, check out B-Reel.com.

I won't go into any more detail on Hotel 626 except to say, it is the most engaging way to interact with Doritos. It is an online interactive film which will scare you to your core and excite your adrenaline, but you have been warned, it is a seriously frightful experience! Log on and see for yourself. Don't forget to tip the maid...and don't think closing your browser and turning off the computer will save you, once you're checked in!

Total 2-FER

When Banana Republic opened its first store in London on Regents Street last year, I was ECSTATIC. I can't recount how many times Lady and I would ditch classes and forget about debt as we would venture to shops in Portsmouth NH and outlets in Kittery ME to buy things we couldn't afford on the store credit cards we could easily get. Other adventures included a mid-day trip to Mike's Pastries in Boston as we rocked out to Jefferson Starship. But really, what day can't be made better with a slice of cheesecake!

As I began to learn more and more about communications, books like "e" and shows like Mad Men were great outlets to immerse myself in. Second to cheesecake, who can say they don't like DVD box sets! With Mad Men's third season premiering on August 16th, marketers are lining up to associate themselves with the franchise. Ad Age reported Banana Republic and AMC announced a partnership last week that will feature an in-store "Mad Men" promotion, running July 21 through Aug. 11. Using "Mad Men" imagery and characters to symbolize Banana Republic's modern take on dressing for the 1960s workplace.

My mild mannered attire back in college was made up of sports coats and chinos! (Some days it just felt good to dress up..what..don't Judge!)

And if you thought it couldn't get any better......there will be a contest for customers to win a walk-on role in a "Mad Men" episode and a $1,000 Banana Republic gift card!

I can't wait to add onto my student loans with a few BR bills!

Some Midsummer Fun With a Cherry On Top

Sometimes life throws curve balls at you...and so what, sometimes you catch them!

On Friday I was invited to the Midsummer Awards down at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, London. Being quite a newbie myself this was so rare and I have Pitch Pantha to thank for the invite!

The night went very well, expensive drinks lead to delicious ham (unfortunately drizzled in my kryptonite) before a lovely roast of Lamb found its way to my table! It was Midsummer Yummery topped with some fizzy bubbly.

My first award ceremony reminded me of what happens on the Oscars just with out all the rock star performances and red carpet. Fallon was the toast of the night after we all got up to accept Agency of the Year, for producing great work, just check out some of it here! In celebration I decided to be the first on the dance floor with Pitch Pantha! Oh yeah we tore it UP!

***

Now Monday clearly had a hard act to follow, but sure enough at 9:35pm, I was watching Friends, the one with the two surprise parties for Rachel, and suddenly an advert I got to sit in research groups for, when I was at Saatchi & Saatchi, came on. I can recall watching it over and over at my desk making sure the tiniest detail was correct and sitting behind the one way mirror listening to groups debate and share feelings about how the spot made them feel.

But today, after a great first award ceremony, Monday's Ariel Excel Gel ATM advert really was the cherry on top! It felt nice to know I had a part to play, however small. :)

When it is on you tube I will post it for sure, but in the mean time here is a preview of the prior spot about Ariel Excel Gel.

Watch Out Oprah & Angelina!!

Borrowed from blog.yogajournal

Quick Megan Fox, take note!

AD Lad's Honor Role

Another reason to love W+K

The ‘Resist Simple’ campaign is about people who abandon something simple and make the effort to experience a more interesting life.

Being an ex-bartender and someone who veers away from most things ordinary this ad hits home for me!

Coke & X-Men...Life Is Good

As a young planner who has not yet been captured by an agency, mainly due to the economy and my dang visa head ache thanks to the Home Office, it is really exciting thinking of that day when I can post about my first day with a real salary! Until then I can drift off up into the clouds thinking of what it might be like to work at difference agencies.

Wieden + Kennedy is an agency I have always respected regarding the work they produce and the fact that their offices in East London can easily be mistaken as a tourist shop. Often the receptionist waves a flag informing those camera happy travelers that it is in fact a creative agency not a nick nack shop.

Funny enough, if you take away the business aspects of this industry and dive deep into the underlying theme of why people love working in advertising is because we all love nick nacks, and more often than not, great ideas come from the tiniest of things...

Two reasons I love W+K are below. First, the Coke ad, aired in 2008 titled "It's Mine," (I loved waking up early on November 27th to stand in the cold waiting for balloons in Times Square) Second, the link to the W+K NY blog about how a very intense brainstorming session turns into a discussion about Forge, an X-Men character and their world. Life must be good over there!

All In A Day’s Work: Part III Things to Think About

Every now and then Pitch Pantha, whose special powers are attuned to 'hunting' and rescuing brands which need saving from poor comms strategies, and I get together to enjoy a racy conversation over brunch or coffee, but more recently to think of new ways to inspire and cultivate rising talent. Yesterday we sat down to develop a student pack to offer insight into advertising as an industry, compile some of Fallon’s best work over the years which illustrates it’s diverse creative portfolio, and to fundamentally offer some advice.

Aside from doing everything in my power to beat that Catch-22 and get some initial work experience, there are some skills every future Ad Lander should practice daily. It doesn’t involve practicing climbing up walls from a back alleyway or jumping from rooftop to rooftop as my photographer mate Peter Parker did when he started out. Instead it is allowing yourself to always ask yourself the following questions when looking at an advert:

• Do I like this ad?
• Does it engage & empower me?
• What is the strategy?
• How would I change it?
• Who is it trying to talk to?
• Is it telling a story?
• Who made it?
• How was it made?
• How has it changed from its last ad?

These questions are ESSENTIAL when you’re preparing to fill out graduate or work placement applications and more importantly when you get to that first interview.

When you answer these questions make sure you’re speaking from what you believe and then try and back it up with trends and strategies that have worked in the past and be a trendspotter and adapt your version of the ad to any of the shifting themes in popular culture and society.

Here are some tips from Pitch Pathna:

Pitch Pantha’s believes Size Matters! Ask yourself the following...

• What is the size of the brand?
• What is the size of the market?
• What is the size of the problem?
• What is the size of the (creative) opportunity?
• If the size of the opportunity is great, what is the size of the budget?

Once you agree to work on a project, get to know the client, know what keeps them awake at night, for the bigger and better the relationship, the bigger and better the rewards!

Gazing with my Ears

During a thunderstorm, there is nothing like a warm cup of tea and being under 4 different blankets. My favorite one is a tattered green and black throw with designs of golfers woven into the ends. It's lasted me almost a decade and is one I hope I can pass on one day.

Sitting at my desk during a crack of thunder makes me long for that cuppa under my golf blanket, but something with even more meaning to me is a personal playlist.

Working behind a bar was always great, not only because of the disposable income, but because I was able to pick and choose the upbeat tunes, until one day I played snow patrol during a dinner rush and literally got booed out from behind the bar! When I worked at a hedge fun, to listen to music was just easier than draping a 5ft "Fire Me" banner across one's cubicle.

One of the many things I love about working in advertising, is that from time to time you need a pair of headphones to keep you in the zone! Furthermore, here on the fifth floor of Fallon,I am lucky enough to have an sky light that is 50% of the roof top. On sunny days it makes me hate being inside, but during thunderstorms its fantastic!

Listening to the crack of thunder and pitter patter of rain on a window can take me back to thunderstorms on the cape, just like listening to my headphones can take me back to rainy days in college sitting in a small Randal Hall dorm room playing with scraps of paper and avoiding studying. For me that room had two songs, California Love by Tupac Shakur and The Promise by Tracey Chapman.

Superman Might have x-ray and magnified vision as well as super sonic hearing but I, ADventure Lad, find the best way to see something is with my ears.

Thunderstorms and playlists of all sorts, just like poems and stories, conjure up more images in your mind than your eyes could ever capture.

AD Lad's Honor Role

Working here at Fallon and getting to scan through Juan's work is a real perk of being a superhero!

All In A Day's Work: Part II Networking

As promised I am going to keep an ongoing themed post dedicated to sharing what has worked for me in terms of getting noticed in this industry.

In any business, keeping a contact list of anyone & everyone you meet is vital! You never know when you might need to shoot them a quick note, for yourself, or as a means to help a mate or two out. With Email, Twitter, Lifestream, blogging and texting etc., keeping connected is getting easier by the second!

My father was awesome at keeping in touch with people. Not to get morbid but at his wake, there was an hour queue in the rain, just to say goodbye.

In November I met key people across various disciplines; Advertising, PR, & Marketing. One of the most effusive people I met was a planner for Saatchi & Saatchi. He was SO passionate about his career and life, I just had to meet him. This is where being your natural self pays off!

After he finished speaking, many of the young undergraduates raced up to him, resumes in hand and armed with many many questions. The one at the top of their list was, 'Can u hire me?!'

Take note: DON'T EVER EVER ASK THIS!

In creative industries, talent and your personality is what will get you hired! Simple.

I am not tooting my own horn, because of course I would have loved a job too, but I focused on why I enjoyed listening to him and why I would like to one day work for his company. I simply said hello and asked if I might buy him a glass of wine one day so I can gain some insight into the industry and his role within Saatchis. I went home and sent him the following email, no CV attached.

Dear XXXXX,

I so enjoyed your stories about Saatchi & Saatchi's creative approach to business problems with human feelings at its core. I understand that your time is highly sought after however, I would love the opportunity to hear more stories and have a chance to introduce myself properly over a glass of wine, later this week perhaps.

He emailed me 4 weeks later inviting me to coffee. I like to think that in my case, amidst a gaggle of yuppies, my personality made an impression both in person and later in email. I've had the opportunity to work alongside him many times, and it's fantastic! Through him I met even more amazingly talented people!

When you are networking to the movers and shakers, keep in mind they are really busy and might not have a chance to reply right away (even though your secretly hoping they will). It is OK to send quick follow ups when you feel it's appropriate and keep them updated on your activity, but do so with caution! The minute you seem annoying and desperate, the chances of getting your foot in the door diminishes by 90%!

Through my power of networking I have met dozens of the key players from Account Managers who can out wit a fox, a creative who loves Jack on the rocks and Bruce (let's be honest, who doesn't love that duo), to sharp shooting and insightful CEOs and really personable managing partners!

The most important thing is to keep an ongoing dialogue and create a relationship which suits you and your contact. This is because, the day you get hired (and you will) is the day these contacts become your peers and your new circle, for when you want to make a move to further your career on your own or with another agency.

I hope this helped and I would love some feedback. Treat these posts and an open Q&A and I will do my best to shed even more light on how to properly network yourself.

Play Me London

If you find yourself wondering the streets of London or flying high above like me, and you happen to notice a few pianos, check them out. My mate, who happens to be a Lord...(yeah I like to fly high in many respects)...mentioned he saw a piano with the words 'Play Me, I'm Yours' on the front.

It is a live art installment touring internationally since 2008 by artist Luke Jerram. Read more here.

Today walking down Carnaby Street I managed to sit back and enjoy the live show by this talented stranger who decided to have a go.
(I managed to make a recording and as soon as I can convert and upload the file I will)

AD Lad's Honor Role

HBO's Voyeur

This won a grand prix award at last year at Cannes. It is an outdoor ad in which a short film was projected onto the side of a lower east side building. I am researching examples of audience engagement and stumbled upon this campaign made by BBDO New York, and I wanted to share...enjoy :)

All In A Day’s Work: Part I

Do you ever walk out the door and forget your wallet, only you’re a good mile away from the front door before you realize it? I am guilty of this all the time, but in my case, I tend to leave my goggles behind. You might be wondering what I’m going on about. Well when I’m flying high above ADLand, my eyes become a net, catching every creepy crawly with wings…Yuk!

Keeping your vision clear is your only means to getting hired! This is also vital for anyone who is considering applying for work experience or anyone who is already on a placement in a creative agency. The first thing to understand is that in most cases graduate schemes vary greatly from work experience! I learned that at JWT.

There is an infamous catch-22 within most creative industries for all those who are starting out. While you need to show academic performance such as a degree or more, you also need to have relevant work experience however, you need work experience, to get work experience.

If you just got a head ache, don’t worry. I am going to devote a few posts going forward, for some tips on how to make this catch-22 work in your favour.

**Please take note, I am only sharing what has worked for me, and hopefully you can get a sense of just who AD Lad is from prior posts.**

What worked for me might not exactly work for you. This is because every person is different and that is what agencies are looking for! However, if you can gain some insight as to what your particular angle will be when keeping in touch with industry leaders, picking a mentor, filling out those applications and how to approach your first day on a placement, you will already be well on your way to getting noticed!

AD Lad's Honor Role

I was reading the WSJ--
(written by Eric Bellman...below is a snippet of his piece)

Advertisers in Benipur Village, India can't rely on TV, radio or even newspapers to reach the country's 700 million rural consumers. So they use Sandeep Sharma.

On dirt roads across the subcontinent, the former wedding singer cracks jokes, gives demonstrations and stages game shows to spread global consumerism, one village at a time.

He is one of thousands of traveling performers who bring the world's biggest brands to audiences of a handful in the remotest reaches of the nation. He offers free Castrol oil changes for tractors. He dishes out bowls of Nestlé noodles in village schools. He pushes Unilever soaps and creams. He promotes tooth powder and condoms.

"Stick to the countryside if you want to be successful," the 34-year-old says, beaming after a recent performance before a small crowd of villagers in stifling heat. "When we arrive, the whole village comes out."

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One recent afternoon in the single-road village of Benipur (pop. 5,000), he opened the back of his truck to reveal a stage, speakers and bright posters. The village is a sandy strip of one-story houses and simple shops, most of them brick but a few made of mud with thatched roofs. The road up to the village is flanked with carefully constructed 10-foot towers of cow dung, burned as fuel for cooking and heating. Trucks, tractors, scooters and herds of goats slow as they see the stage. A curious crowd grows. The music starts. Mr. Sharma shouts into the microphone.

"You have to sacrifice so much in life, but these Nokia handsets have all the extras," he says, waving his hands. "Nokia makes life easier."

He pulls barefoot people onto the stage and quizzes them about the product. When they answer the questions correctly, they get a Nokia keychain in the shape of a guitar. Two other performers do a skit mimicking characters from a popular Hindi film.

"Brother, why would you need a cellphone?" one performer asks as he passes the only microphone. "To flirt with the most popular girl in the village," comes the answer. The crowd giggles.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Mr. Sharma has been working the circuit for five years for Linterland Rural Communication, the rural outreach company connected to Lowe Worldwide, an agency owned by Interpublic Group PLC. He earns about $350 a month, a higher-than-average rural wage; less-experienced salesmen take in $200.

Selling in the village takes a lot of interaction -- but not too much. Mr. Sharma and the salesmen for Unilever soaps and skin creams talk to women from behind flip charts so there is no direct eye contact that could offend the menfolk.

"It's the men, not the women that get upset," says Mr. Sharma. "Usually a husband or brother stands nearby and asks all the questions, even for women's products."

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He travels by road more than 5,000 miles a month, visiting as many as three remote villages a day, often getting stuck on dirt roads and in floods. He sleeps in cheap hotel rooms with the four others on his team, or in his truck. He can't go home for months at a time, bathrooms are scarce, and he has trouble finding appetizing food.

His hair is orange from being in the sun all the time. He usually gets two shirts monogrammed with the logos of the latest promotion. He washes one by hand every day so he has a clean one for the next day.

It isn't quite the fulfillment of his dream of singing at the best hotels, but he does get to perform every day and has made a lot more money than he made singing at weddings. "Now, I can afford to be married," he says during a break behind his truck. He tied the knot last month. His bosses have promised him that he won't have to travel so much now, but he has a better idea.

"I will anchor shows together with my wife," he says. "Then we will get double the pay."

(See, now that's a propper Suit)

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http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124458376269599545.html?

-- Post From My iPhone