Creative Strategist 2012 Blog

Entry Twenty Five:: A Course for the Ages + Website Link

03/05/2012

               Deb Morrison's J456 Creative Strategist is not a class, it is an experience, and it is something I will cherish long into my career as a young professional in the exciting world of advertising.

               I am so glad to have signed up for J456 this term. Deb has inspired me to want to create great work, and has truly created an environment that students can come to prepare themselves for the "real world."

               The secret group we call the 'Creative Strategist Club' has become a place I look forward to attending twice a week, and a place where I have significantly refined my toolkit. Thanks to Deb and Erica Ciszek, I am now apart of the twittersphere. Twitter is a place where communication of ideas, opportunities and professional relationships are bountiful. I am now a blogger.  Blogging is a great way to collect and curate ideas that otherwise would have been sent to the back of my brain or even worse, forgotten. J456 has also prepared me for "real world" application through the creation of my portfolio website at cargocollective.com.  Creating a website that I can call my own is a huge advantage when it comes time to begin the post-college job search. Deb, you have sparked a fire under my ass, thank you.

               Two-Year Post-College Goal: Being Skype-worthy.

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Entry Twenty Four: The Mosting Interesting Campaign in the World

03/05/2012

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"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." - The Most Interesting Man in the World, AKA Jonathan Goldsmith

Dos Equis is now the country's sixth-largest imported beer. They have risen through the highly competitive beer rankings in large part due to the success of "The Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign, and have captured a piece of popular culture.

               I love this campaign, its fresh, gripping and... fucking interesting. Everything the man does ranges from bad ass to loving.

               "Mr. Goldsmith is a self-described Russian Jew from New York who's a bit of a hypochondriac. He had pretty much given up on Hollywood by the time of that tryout, turning his attention to business ventures such as logging and car washes." -Adage.com

               I'm glad to see that Mr. Goldsmith did not completely give up on his dream of being an actor for the world would be a lesser place without this genious campaign.

                                                                             "Stay Thirsty My Friends."

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Entry Twenty Three: Billboards!

03/05/2012

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Billboards have always fascinated me. They have witty slogans often paired with a funny or gripping image. They can be seen on every highway and interstate, and for something that doesn't cost a fortune, are quite effective.

NYC's Time Square is home to hundreds of brilliant digital billboards. They light the streets throughout the night and add a futuristic feel to the area. I love this style of billboard when I'm in a slow moving area such as TIme Square, but I must say digital billboards are dangerous and distracting when I'm speeding down I-5.

The best style of billboards are the ones that interact with their surroundings!

I believe billboards such as these are some of the most effective advertisements out there. When someone comes across a huge scale poster interacting with its surroundings it creates brand recall value, and an impression they won't soon forget.

I leave you with a personal favorite:

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Entry Twenty Two:: Advertisements That Aligns With My Interests

03/04/2012

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As a Pepsi and advertisig fan, I really enjoyed this piece. The mouth of the straw looks to be frowning, showing its displeasement for the red can. I envision the straw on the left to be shouting something like, "No! No! Please
god! Do not put me in there! I'll do anything, anything!"

An impressive example of viral marketing, this campaign put on by the Nike team, proves that their brand is larger than life. And the stunt payed off, it is estimated that 1.6 million people witnessed this.

Both of these campaigns are well executed and both appeal to my interests. I enjoy the design side of advertising. And I love the spectacle that out-of-home advertising possesses. I plan to have a career that teeters between the two.

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Entry Twenty One:: One Funny Poem

03/04/2012

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I set out in search of a poem that would make me laugh. I ended up enjoying this one the most.

funny... but not

it's funny how hello is always accompanied with goodbye
it's funny how good memories can start to make you cry
it's funny how forever never seems to last
it's funny how much you'd lose if you forgot about your past
it's funny how "friends" can just leave when you are down
it's funny how when you need someone they never are around
it's funny how people change and think they're so much better
it's funny how many lies are packed into one "love letter"
it's funny how one night can contain so much regret
it's funny how you can forgive but not forget
it's funny how ironic life turns out to be
but the funniest part of all, is none of thats funny to me

arianna loshnowsky

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Entry Twenty:: Jogging Your Creative

03/02/2012

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               Keeping your creative mind on its toes is crucial in the world of advertising.  One has to be interested and interesting.  If a client expects an ad team to produce fresh and exciting work, then the minds behind that team need to have quirky, fun and obscure thoughts to draw inspiration from. So what are some things you can do to expand your mind, creating an environment where creativity flows? Shit, If I knew I would tell you. There is no set way to become inspired, and no guarantee that it will lead to great work, but hell, you got to try.

               The most creative and imaginary people I've experienced are ones chasing each other around the jungle gym. I've found that toddlers and pre-teen children are some of the most fascinating and inspiring people to be around, so they have to be doing something right, right?

               Getting back to my roots as a youngin', I find creativity by washing away the troubles of adult life with some good old fashion 'freeze tag' and monkey bars.

Resorting back to the peaceful days when you had nothing to worry about besides your bed time is awfully therapeutic. I find it frees your mind and allows new thoughts to enter. But the nearest playground is not the only tactic I use to draw in inspiration. I am also an avid board game lover. Monopoly, of course, is my all-time favorite, but I play an array of games that stimulate my mind, past memories and new ideas as well. My immediate family contains my father, step-mother, two sisters, brother and I, making family game night a perfect match for 3 vs. 3, guys vs. girls. Here are some games we play together.

          I love any and all games. Other games I love to play include: Scene it, Boogle, Scategories, Sudoku, most card games, Life, Clue and Risk. I believe playing these games keeps my mind stimulated, offbeat and interesting.

             I also entertain myself with a lot of different sports such as: basketball, golf, football, soccer, dodgeball, swimming, tennis, cycling, snowboarding and just about anything that involves speed, contact and or competitiveness.

            Art is a major passion of mine. I love to draw, paint and create.  My father has always owned a wood shop enabling me to build things with my hands. Birdhouses and nameplates are fascinating.

Finding the right places for inspiration can be challenging but very rewarding. It can come in when you least expect, and in a form you didn't think possible. Have you ever been dumpster diving? It sounds gross, because it is, but there are things you never expect to find, and if lucky, potentially spark so creativity. I believe the that in order for someone to become inspired, they have to let go of their concerns, go into every situation with a positive mindset and dive head first!

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Entry Nineteen:: Painting On Water

02/27/2012

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Need a surefire technique to lower your stress levels?
I must learn how to do this!

This entire process amazes me! The colors and shapes are tremendous. Throughout the video I kept feeling bittersweet for the artist. I had no idea he was going to transfer it to paper and therefore was disapointed that the design was going to be lost. Wow! What an awesome way to create art. The part that fascinated me most was the role the water played. No matter how skilled the artist, water is going to act on its own accord, creating unique shapes from the ripples. Disneyland needs someone with this skill set, I would buy one.

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Entry Eighteen:: Advertising On School Buses

02/27/2012

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With the decline in educational funding nationwide, some schools are resorting to placing advertisments on their big yellow buses.

               It's unfortunate to see America's educational system selling advertisement on the sides of their buses. But am I that surprised? No. America's educational budget has been hit hard by the recent economic depression, so hard in fact, that they need funding from companies such as: Little Caesars, McDonald's and local insurance agents.  Education receives the largest slice of the 'Hot-N-Ready' pizza-pie in most state's budgets, making it difficult not to reduce.
               Alex Johnson, reporter for MSNBC.Com, said, "...many states have nearly exhausted their windfalls from the federal economic stimulus plan, and with falling housing values shrinking property tax revenue — the largest source of public school funding — the question for state and local officials planning budgets for the next school year is: Will it be bad — or horribly bad?

               In my opinion, public schools should be a sanctuary that children can enter into, and focus on schooling. I love advertising, but they do cause distractions. It is just sad to see the educational system collapsing right in front of me. I do not agree with the placement of the advertisements, but do schools even have a choice? Money is money, and if it can help support a music program or social studies class then I guess it has to be done. I feel as though advertising on school buses could be the beginning of a slippery slope for public schools. What happens when the budget gets decreased even more next year? Will we soon see advertisments line school's inner hallways?

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Entry Seventeen:: The Cutest Jingle Ever Produced

02/27/2012

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K9 Advantix's "Hello Mother, Hello Father"commercial is quite possibly the cutest jingle to ever hit television.

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Entry Sixteen:: Product Placement

02/27/2012

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               In the world of advertising, product placement or embedded marketing, is fairly new. A strategy that took off in the 1990s, product placement has transitioned from blatant endorsements, to subtle and sometimes subconscious ways to promote a product or service. Association of National Advertisers, said "Reasons for using in-show plugs varied from 'stronger emotional connection' to better dovetailing with relevant content, to targeting a specific group."

               Here are some examples of product placement that I find shameless, but hilarious: