Airport Anticipation

Would you look at all the dust around here! It's been AGES!!

Here is what you missed:

I moved into the East Village, met loads of new people and fell in love with my roommates! I have been at Wunderman New York as a planner / social media strategist working on some interesting brands alongside some drop dead talented minds. I will be taking an improv class in the new year with the Upright Citizens Brigade and will be apart of a Google-Agency training course for the changing landscape of SEO marketing and social media... And that's what you missed so far on AD STORM.

Diving right into it - Over the past day or so I have been tackling a creative brief in which airport lounges play a big part and it has gotten me thinking of just how great airports really are. Obviously the imagery of Love Actually might come to mind for most of us and for the other half, the stress of flying. Although, when I look back to the first time I traveled to what I've done so far and to the hopeful future, there is nothing more exciting to me than being able to walk around, sip, drink, smell, shop and people watch within an actual space dedicated to anticipation.

Now I have done quite a bit; the double digit layover which leads to public napping......needless shopping, tipsy chatter...
...the sweaty marathon, and the relaxing first class cabin experience...but I have yet to experience the infamous ... the glorious ... the hailed airport lounge!

At first, my research brought me to the amenities and features offered to the likes of the higher social and financial echelon, in hopes that I too one day would get to smell the same air, sit in the same seats, and taste the same champagne...until I stopped myself. The airport lounge is no more different than the airport itself apart from a few walls (sans the free food, drink and plush seating). In the context I began thinking of what a lounge and airport really stand for isn't as simple as a line between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. Status isn't just about access or symbols anymore, it's about what you experience and can share with others that come from these perks and the lack there of.

In my experience so far as one of the 'have-nots' I once spent 3 hours testing out the inclined people-movers at the Amsterdam airport; first standing up-right, then sitting Indian-style and shortly after, laying flat on my back. You might think it weird (It's ok - I kind of do too now thinking back on it) but at that moment, it was my very own experience and I love looking back on it and may sometimes share it regardless of it's lack of a point, plot, or punch line.

Now, I hope it is easier to imagine the experiences had within these lounges aren't too different from ones had outside of them. Be it a first sip of Dom amidst fellow lounge-ians, or the first true Italian cappuccino mustache shoulder to shoulder in the food court; the first time you feel apart of the elite, or the first time you feel just as cultured as anyone next to you in line for the loo (Because it's not just any old loo ... it's the loo in the ___[insert city here]___ airport.)

Take a look at this website where status is no longer just about symbols, recognition or access, but more about the stories that come from them. This is what unites us; the desire to experience something. Sure there are places where status and access matter, but for some reason in an airport, every traveler is there for a single purpose filled with a shared feeling. Anticipation.

I'm now itching to take to the skies once again, in hopes of meeting someone new. :)

Up Up and AWAY!

The Start Of A Never Ending Weekend

To bring to life my prior post on how the last few years have felt like a Never Ending Weekend, in both an amazing and a drawn out sense, it would help if I brought some of the main events to the foreground.

First, let me state that packing my bags and moving to London in the late summer of 2007 under the guise of pursuing a graduate program, was by far they best thing I have done with my life, so far. The places I tasted, the strangers I laughed and cried with, the people whom I grew to love and will forever keep with me in some shape or form, and not to mention, the places where I have lived while in the story city of London are all contributors to my very own story.

In the context of AD Land and the planning discipline, well tis a bumpy road filled with upsets, triumphs and a never ending flow of insights if you know where to look. Those who are all the way up in the high planning seats in those top and up-start agencies all once came from a different industry, background, passion, hobby, you name it. I have mentioned before that planning, while it can be seen as another way of researching, is a way to bring a truly social aspect to a problem, and the best problem solvers comes from the bumpiest of roads.

I am far from anything great in the planning community...yet, however my Never Ending Weekend began with the infamous student visa dilemma. While applying to, interviewing for, and competing at the JWT London Graduate Scheme in 2008, I had begun my story soon bouncing to other tradition shops such as Saatchi & Saatchi on 80 Charlotte street, and soon to Fallon London to be amidst the great minds that helped bring to life those Cadbury & Sony adverts. While stepping over the front stoop of Saatchi, reading "Nothing Is Impossible" every time, to indulging in the free coffee bar at Fallon where shoulder rubbing with Robert Senior and Laurence Green is common, I was still bound by the title of "glorified work placement." I say this not driven by ego, but by definition a work placement lasts only a week or two at best in London Ad Land, and for me to have been asked to remain on and later return, I had really began to see I had some sort of talent for this thing called planning and I wanted to make it permanent.

Being a Yankee in London has its fun at happy hours when locals think the only words or phrases we know start with...

"omg, like totally awesome _______(insert normal sentence here)______."

It also has its perks when we begin to hint of the various forms of sweet treats we all grew up with, obviously among some other perks here and there. However, the most difficult is the limits placed on really being able to start a life.

My student visa, while granting me leave to remain in England, at the same time, placed limits on my potential to earn, work, live (due to references needed to secure a legit flat), and travel without being constantly grilled about my life's choices leading up to standing at that grey border control kiosk where a grimmace framed by bullet proof glass made me feel less of a human as I prayed for a wee bit of ink to release me from what seemed like a timeless limbo. As I was faced with difficulties around my graduate program's stipulations and that of the visa application for extending my stay, I soon found myself in a room somewhere in Farringdon, awaiting my turn to plead my case to a judge and a rep from the Home Office, with an audience of two lawyers and others making their cases to remain. While sitting at the small desk, with a legal foundation to argue my case, equal only to watching a dozen seasons of Law & Order and The West Wing, I began. As words came out, I remembered my life over the past two years, the triumphs and the upsets, the people and what was to come, until I was interrupted by the Home Office rep,

"There is no doubt, this young man has fought to make a life for himself here, however he has no family ties keeping him here, only a social circle at best, and a career which is not limited to the shores of England."

[I gulped]

This man just transformed me and what I knew as my life in London into a cluster of crumbs to be swept from the table. The only thing I had left was the most basic reply I could think of...

"I'm here today to plead my case that after studying and working, I simply want to be here in London, apart of everything."

The judge peered over her glasses, took notes and professed to the court a summary of the facts raised and informed me, she would decide by the following fortnight.

Despite the most dehumanizing experience I had just encountered, as the judge uttered, "fortnight," I thought to myself, cool! I still wanna live in a place where you can speak like this, where knighthood, castles and perhaps even dragons once ruled the same lands, I was walking on. I began at that moment to think that being a Yankee in London, allowed me to see things, others sometimes miss.

Unfortunately, events that followed weren't all ideal as I was planning on a move, parting from someone I cared for deeply, have less and less pounds to play with (money not fat), and finding that while the traditional shops I had been at thought I had great potential, the upsetting economy paired with my visa uncertainty did not allow for any permanent reality in London.

As that fortnight approached, I had already accepted my new reality of moving back to the States, so when I received a letter from the Home Office stating I had won my appeal to remain I was thrown into a fog of "what ifs" aching for someone to swoop in and give me the answer. I was soon informed that while I had come out victorious, it meant beginning the whole 8 month process again with no passport, no means of secure funds and back to square one. This was unfortunately, while not impossible, far from desired.

And so, with my bags packed and a few tears, I said goodbye and took to the skies on another adventure!

Stay Tuned...

A Never Ending Weekend

2008 & 2009 & parts of 2010, speaking in the macro, was a very intense and volitile time period in regards to salary, security, and other economic buzz words. Speaking in the micro, I fell in love with a post code vs a zip code, had a priceless relationship, and began to finally uncover a passion for a creative career.

I began this blog with inspiration from Lady and the major players in social comms in my flat off Finchley Rd in South Hampstead London, as my roommate rolled his eyes and pottered about with his GHDs ;-P. However, along the way as I developed my voice, commented on my surroundings, and made some major changes, I fell victim to the mist of lost blogs. (Just for kicks & giggles let's call it what some great writers before me -- Bill Shakespear, Bill Wordsworth, Brit Spears -- have called it, writers bloc)

[PS- I'd punch me too at this point but I've already placed blame on the vino, as should you]

Anyways, back to my long excuse ... rather than go on about tips on staying active during a personal slump, I'm just gonna call it an almost Never Ending Weekend. Along the way, of course I've lost, I've fought, I've had a blast, I've flown, I've moved, I've interviewed around the world it seems (short of Asia, but I did make an attempted with Fallon Tokyo one time) and I've sat on my ass. After trying to define the job hunt in a new way, I thought back to the angxt I felt on a Friday, knowing I'd not get any prospect emails until around the following Tuesday. So looking back on things, it has really just felt like a Never Ending Weekend.

Now, I know out of the handful of followers I have, a never ending weekend sounds LUSH, but I mean it in niether a long awaited for sense, nor in lieu of saying "what a drag."

[how many of you want me to say what I mean by now, if your still with me...?]

As a Planner it's my job to dissolve a mess of Questions, Comments, Concerns, Problems & Issues*, down to a single idea or "insight," and yet as this is MY BLOG I wanted to describe something as hard to describe as the Job Hunt for a Jr Planner, in my very own way, using my very own story.

I will be using this week to really push a short but sweet story forward for those coming up the 'pike.

Stay Tuned...

*Shout out to middle school crush & high school teacher, Courtney ;)

- Created, Edited & Shared using BloggPress on iMike

3D & QR Code Tech

It's been a long time and I have some thoughts and moves in the works, but in the meantime I would love to share some thoughts I have on creative strategy for planners coming up the 'pike.

December 18th 2010 brought about a large change in demand when Avatar hit the theatres in 3D. From that moment to it now being the 'biggest movie of all time' quoted Details magazine, 3D technology went from being a novelty to a necessity for not only the tech savvy consumer, but the modern family as well.

Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony has not only been in the race for 3D, he is at Sony's helm with a goal to fuse it into the fabric of our everyday lives. While Samsung, Panasonic and Toshiba are releasing new TV models, some critique Sony as betting the credibility of its entire ethos on the ability to convince the 2.0 consumer that 3D is the new reality. Wired's Karl Greenfeld claims Howard is doubling down on aggressive new formats and betting big on a holistic roll-out, in that TV, Playstation, Vaio and BluRay are all to support 3D innovations. "Sony products seem to be exactly what we didn't even know we were waiting for," says Howard in Wired's April issue. Many see this as a shake-up, and Howard is not one to dwell on the past, however, using Sony's ability to be ahead of the market when it brought the first; pocket transistor radio, the cassette tape player, the home video recorder, the CD player, and the 3.5 floppy disk (to name a few) to the market, regarding 3D, it's go big or go home time.

Product innovation in the consumer electronic category has no doubt built bridges between two worlds, much like 3D technology is doing. Camcorders are snapping photos, cameras are recording video, handheld gaming devices now store and stream music, and the 'smart' phone can do all of the above and much more! QR (Quick Response) codes were seen as the bridge between the Internet and the 'outernet,' during SXSW 2010 and if this notion be true as many suspect, the phone is the obvious tool needed to bring about such a reality. It can be said that what 3D is to home entertainment, augmented reality is to the mobile experience. I disagree for the reason that augmented reality provides a simple sense of an environment much like a 2D viewing experience does. 3D goes beyond the screen to bring an experience to life, just like QR codes have the ability to bring digital content to life not on a mobile screen but out in the open, on street corners, buildings, monuments and the lot.

February's issue of Details magazine dedicated 4 pages of a men's wear fashion spread with QR codes. Using a recognition app enabling a mobile's camera to focus in over a QR code, launches the mobile browser leading the consumer to a coupon respective to the fashion spread's QR tag. According to a sneak peak from TechCrunch, Facebook is testing the use of QR codes which link to a retail location's facebook page. The QR codes can be printed out and displayed for customers to snap a photo of them as a means to 'check-in' within the cloud. Further more, there are rumors of Real Estate companies and brokers adopting a QR code strategy. Flyers would display a QR code, that when photographed the consumer would instantly see a video tour of a house and/or specific details right on their mobile. The possibilities for how QR codes can be used to marry two worlds are endless.

While 3D and QR technology seem to be the hot trends maturing into platforms for change and innovative leaps forward, the success foreseen by Howard Stringer and others depend on proper implementation. True ROI in today's world comes from content sharing and talking with and listening to consumers. Social media is pivotal in bringing brands and consumers closer together to unveil the level of intimacy desired by both sides to encourage if nothing else, participation. What builds these strong bonds between brand X and John Doe are high levels of chemistry, authenticity, transparency, inspiration, connectivity, value, shared POVs, empathy, the list is sometimes endless. Mobile technology through the use and development of applications have capitalized on these core underpinnings of relationship building. JetBlue's Twelpforce, Nike iD & Nike True City, My Starbucks Idea, the Ford Fiesta movement, and many more are key examples of how brands are crossing the bridge between the Internet and the 'outternet.' Critics have coined the phrase "Consumer 2.0" to match the cyborgian characteristics we have adopted and welcomed into our lives. 3D no doubt answers the question of how might everyday things be improved to meet the demand of tomorrow, however QR technology is vital when using participation tactics to solve some of the new breed of business problems as two worlds collide.


- Created, Edited & Shared using BloggPress on iMike

A New York LOVE Story

Since the new year and a wee bit prior, I have been taking trips on the Bolt Bus, to and from DC to visit my Lady. While gallivanting around Georgetown, bumping into Hilary Clinton (not really, but we saw her mop of hair in the halls of Georgetown University), I got a call from a research and trends firm based in New York. PSFK, some of you might know of it. All I can, say is that I felt pretty bad ass and honored that Piers had called me to come in for a 4 week internship for the month of January. Now, after almost 2 years across 2 countries being on the constant hunt for my official long term agency position as a planner, an internship hardly has the glory it did four years ago, but having a chance to be in the room with some great thinkers and do-ers is not a chance to ever pass up.

As I made my way home I got news from my Suit friend at McCann, that her aunt's apartment would be free for the time that I would be working at PSFK. The timing could not have been better! The sheer thought of Metro North being a thing of the past, give me goose bumps!

As I begin the second half of my time at PSFK working on some great clients, my newest neighbor is the famous LOVE sign on the corner of 6th avenue and 55th street in Midtown Manhattan. Adorned in the heart of the metropolis amidst the city's famous pieces of signage, it rests, waiting to stand beside anyone wanting to get up close and personal with a little piece of LOVE. I am lucky enough to have an amazing view from 'my' kitchen window of people sharing a moment with one of the city's quieter jewels.

I have taken great pride in my worldly travels and more importantly the places where I was lucky enough to call home for a brief moment or two. From living on an 18 whole golf course in Greenwich CT, to a small villa off the cliff of Santorini's capital city Fira, to a basement studo flat in Nottting Hill, a brownstone in Hampstead and now a midtown apartment in the big apple where LOVE at my doorstep, I am eagerly awaiting my next wee nook.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:W 55th St,New York,United States

AD Lad Caught on Film!!!

The other day @elan_miller from Redscout reached out, asking for my reaction (I'm the fourth one!) to the Spur series on account planning. I began planning over in the UK where the junior talent pool seems to be more proactively cultivated and I really believe Redscout has done a great job on provoking the conversation not just here in the States but around the world! Going through the videos (They can also be found in my prior post) as well as these reactions should help to paint a picture, not of what planning is, but what it is doing.

This month I am working with PSFK on a few exciting accounts, pulling trends and innovations which will help support the pending strategic brief. For anyone thinking of making the switch or even the initial moves into unearthing the myths and realities of planning, I would encourage you to start working on anything that inspires you and see what happens!

Kenji Summers was right when he said planners are a guild, so go out there and Get Excited & Make Things!

Ad Lad OUT!

Redscout & PSFK Present Spur for Planners! 2010

Happy 2010 everyone! PSFK & Redscout have put together a fantastic series about the evolving horizon for planners. I am still hitting the pavement myself and I am working on a project of my own which I will be posting in full detail in the coming months!

Enjoy!