tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81850084403647750132024-03-14T07:47:51.063-07:00Makin' AdsGreg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comBlogger863125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-73271583350072028862016-06-20T16:25:00.001-07:002016-06-20T16:27:28.357-07:00We're Moving
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.orlandomovingvanrental.com/images/slide6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.orlandomovingvanrental.com/images/slide6.png"></a></div>
This neighborhood just isn't what it used to be. Everyone we used to hang with when we were kids has moved out. The good bars have all closed up and the only music scene is downtown.
So...we're moving. Packing up and heading across town.
<span style="background-color: #FFFF00" size="10">
<a href="https://makinads.wordpress.com/">Here's our new blog. </a>
</span>Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-3321811387754663072016-04-08T09:34:00.001-07:002016-04-08T09:35:35.101-07:00What's it take to be a great creative?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some good advice from a couple creatives I really respect. </div>
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<br />Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-63187681917974815122016-02-29T15:31:00.001-08:002016-02-29T15:31:21.468-08:00VCU Brandcenter Traveling Info Sessions<br />
Just got a note from VCU Brandcenter that they have an upcoming series of info sessions in a few different cities: Richmond, San Francisco, Chicago and Portland.<br />
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<a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/admissions/information-sessions/" target="_blank">Here are the details and registration link. </a>Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-26586046382350830102016-02-26T12:15:00.001-08:002016-02-29T15:27:12.878-08:00Body Copy TruthI cam across these classics from <a href="http://adage.com/article/people-players/lunch-tim-delaney/92471/" target="_blank">Tim Delaney</a> today. I was reminded of a truth:<br />
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Only about 2% of the general public will ever read your body copy. (If you're lucky.)<br />
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But over 98% of creative directors will read your body copy when you're interviewing for a job.<br />
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Creative directors want writers who can write.<br />
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So if you're a writer, use your book to prove it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEb_PF1KQSoVIg8lWaVGE4TjnVILqKu_ZZ5A0J0kaFdlWFNkspTgQ-DQE48-SEUzXHJhqnSxTexy7DBnQEb_uhgQzJaUo3NumMLRqzmaEc8zdVlAUzaXzDyRiiRJPUJs0UyuNRnKtjtVb/s1600/4e17e7d9dcbe34ba0dc4dce92d42ceb6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEb_PF1KQSoVIg8lWaVGE4TjnVILqKu_ZZ5A0J0kaFdlWFNkspTgQ-DQE48-SEUzXHJhqnSxTexy7DBnQEb_uhgQzJaUo3NumMLRqzmaEc8zdVlAUzaXzDyRiiRJPUJs0UyuNRnKtjtVb/s640/4e17e7d9dcbe34ba0dc4dce92d42ceb6.jpg" width="426" /></a><br />
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<br />Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-78083680178346596072016-02-19T10:37:00.001-08:002016-02-19T10:37:08.508-08:00To clocks, bad ads and good ads are identical.In <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hey+whipple&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=49832643385&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14231576350152888439&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6kjeeimfza_b" target="_blank">Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This!</a></i> Luke Sullivan reminds us that it takes just as long to make a bad commercial as it does to make a good commercial. Whether it's a brilliant, shining idea or a dripping wad of hair and toe jam, you're still going to have to do storyboards for it. And present it to the client. And walk through a director through the idea. And sit through a pre-pro. And sit in video village. And edit. And revision after revision after revision.<br />
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So don't cut corners on the idea. Make the idea solid. Because even if the client strips away your very best shots, and makes you change the music you love, and doesn't want to pay $1 million for the celebrity voiceover, you'll still have a strong idea.<br />
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If you spent the time to uncover it.Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-60460061132422804802016-02-10T12:11:00.002-08:002016-02-10T12:11:32.488-08:00Know What You Need To KnowIf you're doing an ad - even a spec ad for your student portfolio - know what you're advertising.<br />
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If you're advertising gum, go buy a pack and chew it. Chew it every day for a week.<br />
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If you're doing an ad for a car, go to the dealership and sit in it. Take it for a test drive.<br />
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If you're doing an ad for insurance, call them up and pretend like you're interested in buying some. You'll get a bunch of junk mail and follow-up phone calls. But you'll probably have a better ad in the end.<br />
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A lot of times, students (and even professionals) rely on the internet for research. We watch videos. We read articles. We sit through planners' consumer insights presentations. We think we're too busy for hands-on experience.<br />
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We're not.<br />
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Get to know your product. Use it. Live with it. See what you love and what you hate about it.<br />
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You can do a good ad without ever touching your product.<br />
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But without it, it's very difficult to do a great one.Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-59578216448493769502016-01-16T16:57:00.001-08:002016-01-16T18:42:05.464-08:00Tough Room<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/348/tough-room?act=1#play" target="_blank"><br /></a>
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<a href="http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/12/images/xlarge/FLO_1_TD12ONIO2_NYAR10_0412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/12/images/xlarge/FLO_1_TD12ONIO2_NYAR10_0412.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/348/tough-room?act=1#play" target="_blank">This is an old "This American Life" about the writing room at </a><i><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/348/tough-room?act=1#play" target="_blank">The Onion.</a> </i>I was reminded of it the other day at work. It is an excellent example of the creative process at work and a pretty funny behind-the-scenes look at one of the most consistently funny publications in the country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKpclDnqtX2u2l29O2Xo_IhdeQ_N1RSd3sTZSSF8Jj1vHvEeL4RGAF3UV0B9Nd7vAxn47uV3AuT00I6vdCOkys63IsdYpeEHWu_f8l3THg99aWm-yF4Os7jpjUvpghCvapcMy1QVOLws/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-16+at+6.38.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKpclDnqtX2u2l29O2Xo_IhdeQ_N1RSd3sTZSSF8Jj1vHvEeL4RGAF3UV0B9Nd7vAxn47uV3AuT00I6vdCOkys63IsdYpeEHWu_f8l3THg99aWm-yF4Os7jpjUvpghCvapcMy1QVOLws/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-16+at+6.38.34+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-58742854758374381582016-01-12T19:17:00.001-08:002016-01-12T19:37:01.489-08:0072U Summer SessionOur friend, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YO1FmVAPrA" target="_blank">Maria Scileppi</a>, says <a href="http://72u.org/" target="_blank">72U</a> is "looking for Wonderful Weirdos." The application deadline for the program's summer session is February 10th.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BX0Q6O5-iBc" width="560"></iframe>Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-50797001171825696102015-10-13T14:57:00.000-07:002015-10-13T14:57:00.926-07:00Chip Kidd WisdomIf you haven't watched <a href="http://go.ted.com/bPqU" target="_blank">Chip Kidd's TED talk</a>, take 15 minutes to do so.<br />
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Here are the Cliff's Notes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fYyo656WMWmG-od1nFI3DK5vAW9bCxnF1TxJWtT6EU-NBlpvQp2bHjt2r2kge3VzH4y0aEN8oKHyeheZPM530YeSoV1fm-VTw7ExkCNY7-CDYueDXs5E-SAwjzMn2yyLoS7qizydXgfj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-13+at+4.49.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fYyo656WMWmG-od1nFI3DK5vAW9bCxnF1TxJWtT6EU-NBlpvQp2bHjt2r2kge3VzH4y0aEN8oKHyeheZPM530YeSoV1fm-VTw7ExkCNY7-CDYueDXs5E-SAwjzMn2yyLoS7qizydXgfj/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-13+at+4.49.25+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-44945233786854534112015-10-04T20:57:00.001-07:002015-10-04T20:57:27.626-07:00"Inflatable Trans Ams and Stained Glass Backboards" or "Have An Idea That Forces You To Learn Something New"<br />
I love to see side projects in someone's portfolio. Granted, they need to be interesting and well-done too. Bad poetry doesn't score many points. But good side projects show what you're capable of with no restraints. How far you'll go to make something cool. How big of an itch you have to just create something new in the world. <br />
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About six months ago, we hired this guy. His name is Guy. He's a great advertising creative, but beyond that he has a whole life as an artist. He has two portfolios, one for advertising and one for his art. <a href="http://cargocollective.com/guy_overfelt" target="_blank">Here's his art portfolio. </a>For the inflatable Trans Am idea, he had no idea how to make inflatables. He just had the idea, then he started calling people to figure out how to make it happen. The end result is pretty bad-ass. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZKVED0x_bM5mVcX4kR8HajQ05VWIYO0ss0FCUit3Mp6WPNWzDKd3H1IEfl6JyNqO-2LYHo1SxVhf9W8lKIDdBP0MARgVp6GGEpY4iUo8JcYpY8MYTudzVuZ_iQP_Ux5hhbvYid6Y5mA/s1600/10_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZKVED0x_bM5mVcX4kR8HajQ05VWIYO0ss0FCUit3Mp6WPNWzDKd3H1IEfl6JyNqO-2LYHo1SxVhf9W8lKIDdBP0MARgVp6GGEpY4iUo8JcYpY8MYTudzVuZ_iQP_Ux5hhbvYid6Y5mA/s640/10_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guy Overfelt, untitled <br />(his 1977 Smokey and The Bandit Trans AM as an inflatable) 1999, 2009<br />
inflatable nylon and electric blower<br />
54H X 204L X 84W inches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another friend of mine recently started a side project (obsession) that required him to learn a new craft of his own. His name is Victor Solomon. I know him because he used to do some freelance editing and the occasional shooting for us. He had an idea to do basketball backboards made out of stained glass. A comment on the deification of athletes, the spiritual nature of sport, something like that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQAbRDEkfGDMLBVUTbCiofJEbgUXdmXlz7fN-9bbU2DFqaBad4-SCd_WAPWMHF22R_Rml_OuKISVX4tZM-DB3mJsFeKgKyv_0p_bairk_SHnb7IFHBPc_MC4POYmZV1BGxe-kgaua2rQ/s1600/NowYouTalkinBoutSomePrimeTime_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQAbRDEkfGDMLBVUTbCiofJEbgUXdmXlz7fN-9bbU2DFqaBad4-SCd_WAPWMHF22R_Rml_OuKISVX4tZM-DB3mJsFeKgKyv_0p_bairk_SHnb7IFHBPc_MC4POYmZV1BGxe-kgaua2rQ/s640/NowYouTalkinBoutSomePrimeTime_3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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When he had this idea, he knew absolutely nothing about stained glass other than that he liked how it looked. So he did some research and did an apprenticeship with some master stained glass dudes down in San Jose. It takes him around 100 hours to make a backboard, but man are these things cool. And as he's just starting out, his craft is only going to get better.<br />
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<a href="http://www.literallyballing.com/" target="_blank">See more of his backboards at literallyballin.com.</a><br />
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Ideas are a dime a dozen. The only ideas that matter are the ones you care about enough to actually bring into the world. Pick the hard ones--the ones that you don't know how to make. Let your passion to see it realized be your fuel. Make yourself learn something. In the end, you'll have created something in the world and in yourself. <br />
<br />Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-33736172333565596722015-09-25T08:03:00.000-07:002015-09-25T08:03:36.613-07:00How to Write for Television (When You Have Never Written for Television)If you want to concept TV commercials, you've got to start with premises. Do not write scripts. Let me explain...<br />
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Forever ago, I did a summer internship at <a href="http://www.gsdm.com/" target="_blank">GSD&M</a> in Austin, Texas. I was in between semesters at the VCU Adcenter (before it was the <a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/" target="_blank">Brandcenter</a>), and I was excited not only to be at an agency that had been all over the award annuals, but to be partnered with a classmate of mine who was a fantastic art director. It was going to be a very good summer.<br />
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That first week, we were given a chance to write TV commercials for Chili's. Yes, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NQ4_YjBNtY" target="_blank">Chili's of Baby Back Rib fame</a>. Our first year in school, we had worked on lots of print campaigns, but had never worked on TV. (This is before digital was even a thing. <i>Web banners </i>weren't even a thing. Like I said, this was forever ago.)<br />
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So we sat down and spent days concepting. We came up with a story about an Amish boy. We had another one about a kung fu master and his disciples. We had one shot from the point of view of a bird. And we crafted each script in detail. We argued over dialogue for hours. I thought the Amish boy should say, "Yea, verily," because it sounded funny and biblical. My art director thought he should say, "Even so, mother," because it made more sense. This went on for days.<br />
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Finally, we brought five or six scripts in to our creative director. Who killed them all. Welcome to advertising.<br />
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So we came up with five or six more scripts. And we agonized over dialogue and descriptions. Again, we showed them to our creative director. Nothing.<br />
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We were feeling disappointed and a little bit of pressure because we knew that the interns VCU sent to this agency the year before had actually produced a commercial for Pennzoil. That's insane. Summer interns producing a TV commercial? But it happened. And we wanted it to happen for us, too.<br />
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But it never did. We had a fun summer. But we produced nothing. (To be fair, the idea that interns would produce anything other than spec work is a little unrealistic. But we didn't know that.)<br />
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On the last day of our internship, our creative director gave us an evaluation. And we were shocked to hear that it wasn't so hot. He said we came in with five or six scripts a week. According to him, the team that had produced the Pennzoil spot last year came in with 100 ideas the day after they were briefed. Maybe 100 was an exaggeration. But it was certainly more than five.<br />
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It took me the better part of my career to learn that there is a difference between writing premises and writing scripts.<br />
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A premise is a short two to three sentence blurb about what the spot's about.<br />
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A script is a crafted document that tells you exactly what happens in the commercial.<br />
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A premise is loose.<br />
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A script is tight.<br />
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You can write 100 premises in a day.<br />
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It might take you an entire afternoon to write a decent script.<br />
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A premise is something you jot down as a potential idea.<br />
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A script is an idea you begin to craft.<br />
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So if you have the chance to write TV scripts. Don't just start writing TV scripts. That's like crafting the body copy for a marker comp. Start with a premise. And then come up with another. And another. And another.Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-22110270375569294282015-08-27T10:58:00.001-07:002015-08-27T11:00:27.871-07:00A Short Lesson In Perspective<br />
You may have seen this post from Linds Redding floating around. It's gotten a fair amount of much-deserved press. It's important, much more important than most of the stuff we post here. When you have 5 minutes, you should read it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lindsredding.com/2012/03/11/a-overdue-lesson-in-perspective/" target="_blank">A Short Lesson in Perspective</a>Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-55636286030350985122015-07-17T15:10:00.000-07:002015-07-21T16:35:16.184-07:00How to Pick a Portfolio School - UpdatedA couple summers ago, Ashley Sommardahl from the VCU Brandcenter wrote <a href="http://makinads.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-to-pick-portfolio-school.html" target="_blank">a great post titled "How to Pick a Portfolio School."</a> It's been updated to reflect their current numbers. Obviously, Ashley's biased. But the numbers are what they are. And if you're serious about a career in advertising, you really have to consider VCU.Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-43491618373168830622015-06-27T21:43:00.001-07:002015-06-27T21:43:28.634-07:00David Oakley's Why Is Your Name Upside Down? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">We have a list of books we recommend over there ----> on the right side of the page. Lots of stuff that might inspire you or make you a better creative. Here's one that might do both, and will get you excited to be in an industry as fun as ours. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Your-Name-Upside-Down/dp/0990986519" target="_blank">Why Is Your Name Upside Down? Stories from a Life in Advertising by David Oakley</a>. </span></div>
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Oakley is the president and creative director at <a href="http://www.booneoakley.com/" style="color: #c73403; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">BooneOakley</a>, a small independent advertising agency in Charlotte, NC. It’s a really good shop with nice, talented folks. Full disclosure here—I’ve met David and many of the people there, so I’m probably a little biased. Even so, I laughed much harder at this book than I thought I would. After 15 years in the business, sometimes reading books about the industry feels like, well, <em>work</em>. This one feels more like just grabbing a beer with a dude who tells really good stories.</div>
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BooneOakley opened with a ballsy, attention-grabbing stunt. During the 2000 presidential race, they ran a billboard that said “Gore 2000.” But what it showed was a photo of George W. Bush. Calls from the media started immediately. All the big names wanted to know who had screwed the pooch so badly. CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX. Oakley even received a call from the Vice Chairman of the Republican Party. Only after a few nervous days of incredible publicity did they reveal the punch line: the board was for 123hire.com, with the copy: “Today’s job opening: proofreader.” A really simple prank that turned a local billboard into national media coverage.</div>
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<a href="https://bosilawhat.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bush1.jpg" style="color: #c73403; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="bush1" class=" size-large wp-image-1767 aligncenter" height="255" originalh="255" originalw="600" scale="3" src-orig="https://bosilawhat.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bush1.jpg?w=600&h=255" src="https://bosilawhat.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bush1.jpg?w=1800&h=765" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="600" /></a></div>
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That is the M.O. of Oakley—he likes to take risks, make his clients famous and have fun doing it. Some of the stories here are how some of BooneOakley’s best, most over-the-top ideas came to be. Some are stories from the trenches of running a small agency in a small market. And some are personal stories from David, how he got into the business, how he met his wife (who also works with him), a few other random but always entertaining stories from his past. If you were to cut a trailer for a movie version of this book, you’d see a giant muffin fall on a car, a professional golfer tee off on a biscuit, a <em>Silence of the Lambs</em> basement moment as Oakley tries to buy a ping pong table for the office on the cheap, a client fired via tweet (don’t we all wish sometimes), a condom on a dog, a pole dancer, a live earthworm eaten by a human, some <em>terrible</em> golf, Celine Dion, Roseanne Cash, a kidney stone passed and what is certainly the only sex doll thrown from a rooftop during a new business pitch. And that would just be the 30-second cut of the trailer.</div>
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You don’t have to be in advertising to enjoy these stories. But if you are, you might actually learn something while you’re laughing your butt off. There’s a method to Oakley’s madness, and he drops some important lessons along the way. Even his craziest stories have morals to them. Well, <em>most </em>of them do. And you’ll be treated to some delightful writing, such as this: “Our moods were swinging like a pair of donkey balls.” (Surprising, visual, simple—everything a good simile requires.)</div>
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The stories are so random and improbable that you know they’re true. Advertising <em>is</em> random and improbable. I’ve had many moments in my career where I’ve stopped to look around and wondered, “How the hell did I get here?” I could totally relate. And what comes through more than anything is that Oakley is a guy who loves what he does. He loves the people around him, and he’s built an agency, a body of work and now a book that shows that advertising can be a blast. It should be, if you’re doing it right. And he shows that, despite the rumors, there are some really good people in this industry.</div>
Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-54944224155021742132015-05-16T09:05:00.001-07:002015-05-16T12:45:26.950-07:00The Third Shoe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFDMNRbQVgWl7O0c0ou8KWLj6RwaItleWI_JlLUZDGu_fv3V1RGjJAzKCMmKy_CvULdS7BBbyR9oZIp3SfSeP6TzWl6yP6X_l0Wo3Crgk1-9I2QdTM_tWuA05yGJglt7bpoT8dVzXsqE/s1600/shoes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFDMNRbQVgWl7O0c0ou8KWLj6RwaItleWI_JlLUZDGu_fv3V1RGjJAzKCMmKy_CvULdS7BBbyR9oZIp3SfSeP6TzWl6yP6X_l0Wo3Crgk1-9I2QdTM_tWuA05yGJglt7bpoT8dVzXsqE/s640/shoes.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Yesterday I was having lunch with Tracy Urquhart, our awesome creative operations manager, and I was talking about being disappointed when creatives take my direction exactly and bring nothing else to the table. <br />
<br />
Tracy said that one of her first jobs was selling shoes for Nine West. When a customer asked to see a shoe in a certain size, she would bring that shoe in the size the customer wanted. She'd also bring a second pair that was similar, maybe a slightly different model or different brand. Then she'd bring a third pair. Something else completely. Something surprising. Something the customer wasn't asking for at all. But maybe--based on a hunch, something they said, maybe based on their style--something the customer would really love. <br />
<br />
This is a perfect metaphor for what we should always be doing. Whether you're addressing feedback from a creative director or client, bring what was asked for. But don't stop there. Is there another way to do it? Maybe the direction was to emphasize a point more in the voiceover of a spot, but there's a better way to solve that same issue visually. What other ways can you solve that specific problem?<br />
<br />
But don't stop there either. What else is there? How can you completely turn the problem on its head? What can you do that's radical and surprising? What is your gut telling you? It may be completely wrong. That's fine. You've already done what's asked. But there's a chance that third shoe just might just be more spectacular, more right than anything. Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-39194849597211003612015-04-26T14:49:00.002-07:002015-04-27T09:17:47.732-07:00An Interview with Andrew LeVasseur, Head of Experience Design at VCU Brandcenter<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">At the <a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/" target="_blank">VCU Brandcenter’s</a> annual recruiter
session, there’s a small group of tinkerers and builders and mad scientists who
sit in the same room as art directors and copywriters, but kind of off to the
side. Instead of ads, their tables are littered with drones and robots, hacked
toys and games, tablets with app prototypes. Tangible things, things they’ve
actually built. They are a new breed, a new creature in the industry. Until
now, they’ve been called Creative Technologists. </span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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{page:WordSection1</style><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
love talking to them about their work. I have a whole different set of
questions than when I talk with the art directors and copywriters. Things like “What
the hell is this?” “How's it work?” “How did you make it?” “What's this button
do?” “Have you patented it?” And, usually in the back of my mind, “Wow, is this
even advertising?” </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This track—Creative Technology—has just been renamed Experience Design. We
caught up with Andrew LeVasseur, the head of the Creative Technology/Experience
Design track to get his take on VCU Brandcenter’s approach to technology
and user experience, the future of the program and the reason for the name
change. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhYpN5MhpE5LT1e6UBqG2rfn-b2IhVoX4TMA22Ns4p0W9zS457R4gl_qz5vwAWMg6IE9AOLP9DuMHWkZQXXfRA7SNgw3r6wTQZBOssi9KlwJi-aITJ4jsjlm_cm-8wDGph96up5MTXUM/s1600/IMG_4259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhYpN5MhpE5LT1e6UBqG2rfn-b2IhVoX4TMA22Ns4p0W9zS457R4gl_qz5vwAWMg6IE9AOLP9DuMHWkZQXXfRA7SNgw3r6wTQZBOssi9KlwJi-aITJ4jsjlm_cm-8wDGph96up5MTXUM/s1600/IMG_4259.JPG" height="187" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What’s your background?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I have
worked for top agencies like Razorfish (Seattle) and The Martin Agency
(Richmond). I have also launched and helped grow multiple start-up companies. My
brand credits include Barclays, Best Buy, Capella University, Capitol One,
Harrahs Entertainment, Hawaiian Airlines, Holland America, Microsoft, Michelin
– BFGoodrich, Verizon FiOS, Weight Watchers, among others.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">My
focus areas include brand strategy, user experience design, information
architecture, interaction design, software, information systems and process
design, technology and new media, applied research and analytics<b>.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What’s your role at the
Brandcenter?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
joined the VCU Brandcenter as an adjunct in 2009 where I played a large role in
establishing the Creative Technology track (a precursor to the
Experience Design track). As head of the Experience Design track, I help shape
the vision, curriculum and course content. As a professor, I teach
multiple courses focused on strategy, design and technology.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><b>Why the name change from </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Creative Technology to
Experience Design?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Creative Technology
track has successfully been in operation for 6 years and the name “Creative
Technology” has served a specific purpose for the times we were in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re renaming the track to better align with
the direction of the industry, the career opportunities for our students, and
to reflect more specifically the titles and roles our graduates are assuming in
business.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So what does an XD student do?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Experience
Design students concept, design, prototype and build ‘experiences’ that push
the envelope of what is technologically possible. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">While
at the VCU Brandcenter, Experience Design Students will:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Study new and emerging user
participation platforms like digital, social, mobile, and experiential (IoT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Identify new and imaginative
ways for brands to engage with users across platforms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Design ads, interfaces, apps,
wearables, robots, flying machines...things yet to be imagined. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Balance strategic, tactical and
technical project demands to bring ideas to life in both form and function. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here is
the Fall 2015 Course List:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Semester 1</b>: Business of Branding, Creative Thinking, User Experience Design, Physical Computing 1</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Semester 2:</b> Strategy & Design, User Participation Platforms, Visual Storytelling</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Semester 3:</b> Creating Gravitational Pull, Experimentation, Physical Computing 2</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Semester 4:</b> Innovation, Persuasion, Indivituation </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/school/graduate-program/#d.en.35538">Take a
deeper look the XD Curriculum.</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What kind of people are you
looking for in XD?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We
accept students from very diverse backgrounds and believe that the more variety
in experience, capabilities and skills make for richer collaborative design. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, we want students who have a passion
for business, design and technology, and who are: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Culturally-Curious/Tech-Forward:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Are you fascinated by the world around you and
the impact of</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">technology and new media on culture and people?</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Creative Problem Solvers: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Do you see
challenges as design opportunities and have the capacity to</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">find creative design
solutions?</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Interdisciplinary: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Do you possess a combination of
business, design, and technology</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">experience?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But want to develop a deep specialization and practice in experience design.</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Productive Team Members:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Do you welcome new ideas and play well with others?</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Thinkers + Makers: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Are you equally comfortable developing
concept, design, and prototypes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Strategic, Tactical and Technical: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Can you address the strategic,
tactical and technical challenges</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">that come with any complex design project?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">If this
sounds like you, we're still <a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/admissions/">accepting applications for Fall
2015</a>. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">How about the students graduating.
Can you describe their skills?</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Breadth
and Depth<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>You’ve heard it before,
but the industry requires talent that gets the big picture, but also brings
something unique and differentiated to the creative exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We focus on developing talent that has strong
foundation in concept and craft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dependent
on their unique ambition and interests, our students also develop an area of
specialization while at the VCU Brandcenter. For some XDs, it is user-centered
design and related UX disciplines (UI, IA, IxD, Front end-development).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While others are passionate about concepting,
designing, building and trialing new experiences that push the envelope of what
is technologically possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While other
students are focused on the production of dynamic multimedia content for new
environments. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many emerging
opportunities out there, that we leave it up to our students to shape their own
views and invent their own visions of the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">See the
<a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/people/current-students/experience-design/">portfolios
of current XD students</a> and the current <a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/work/student-showcase/">student showcase.</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Where are some of your graduates
working today?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Since
we started, we have placed upwards of 100 CT/XDs<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Our graduates are in high
demand and have gone on to work in the top agencies, client-side, and in
successful start-up companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work
for global brands, on award-winning work, and some have been recognized as
leaders in our industry<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Our graduates operate under multiple
titles in the industry (and this is a good thing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Any predictions on where this
track is going?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This
track is uniquely positioned within our curriculum to be looking upward and outward
to what is new and next. What are the trends impacting our industry, where
might we experience disruption, how does that point to new opportunities for
brands, and what capabilities and skills will we need to develop to lead the
creative industry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why we will
need to constantly evolve, question our assumptions, and expand our base of
knowledge and ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also the
same reason we are hard to define.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
might not be a bad thing after all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In the
spirit of change, I’d love to hear from you. <a href="mailto:alevasseur@vcu.edu">alevasseur@vcu.edu</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt;">About <a href="http://brandcenter.vcu.edu/">VCU Brandcenter</a></span></u></b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The VCU
Brandcenter Master's program, part of VCU's School of Business, has been
recognized by Creativity Magazine, the 4A's, Ad Age and BusinessWeek as a top
graduate program in advertising, marketing, digital media, and design + business.
The Brandcenter is known within the advertising industry for its
intensity, and the students who graduate from the program earn valuable real
life experience to develop brands on a global scale. The VCU Brandcenter
is more than a portfolio school. Students earn a Master’s of Science in
business that complements their portfolio of work. This portfolio could contain
ad campaigns. It will definitely contain strategically thought out and
creatively conceived solutions to business problems. Brandcenter students concentrate
in one of the five tracks. They study within their given track, as well as
collaborate with all tracks on team projects that culminate in presentations to
their faculty, peers and often real world clients.</span></i></span></div>
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</span>Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-4308821904772685922015-03-23T14:43:00.000-07:002015-03-23T14:44:07.425-07:00Creative vs. Creative DirectorThere's an article in <a href="http://www.commarts.com/" target="_blank">CA</a>'s Interactive Annual by <a href="http://www.xanthehohalek.com/" target="_blank">Xanthe Wells</a> called "Promoted to Fail." It includes this chart from <a href="https://twitter.com/schwartzie14" target="_blank">Rob Schwartz</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rWv5wrfRA4z5axNqsx0ohyphenhyphen8oE10d4W7HNjtx2Mb84_BTH6FKjStpLw35zapq5pNDFwmytUnyOu3REecPg64h3dkKJSZ0aZCLnaFI7POhKQPFG4B_ZcXsQwwUvKM06eON8FxOMVs6AgYQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-23+at+4.19.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rWv5wrfRA4z5axNqsx0ohyphenhyphen8oE10d4W7HNjtx2Mb84_BTH6FKjStpLw35zapq5pNDFwmytUnyOu3REecPg64h3dkKJSZ0aZCLnaFI7POhKQPFG4B_ZcXsQwwUvKM06eON8FxOMVs6AgYQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-23+at+4.19.56+PM.png" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love it. It's true. Absolutely true.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But if you're a young creative with aspirations of becoming a creative director, don't just jump to the right-hand column. Embrace the left side. Be about your book. Have lots of ideas. Worry about now. It's what you need to do now.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Someday, you'll realize you're more concerned about the client than your book. You'll know what finding <i>the</i> idea feels like. Unifying won't sound so lame and kumbaya-ish.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nothing wrong with either column. Just know where you fall. And play your part as best you can.</div>
Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-56056179377723314422015-03-18T16:18:00.004-07:002015-03-18T16:18:47.940-07:00It doesn't have to be what you think it has to be.I'm a fan of Stephan Sagmeister. I like his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-have-learned-life-far/dp/0810995298" target="_blank">book</a>. I like his <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_time_off?language=en" target="_blank">TED talks</a>. Maybe I'm suckered by the Viennese accent, but I think he does <a href="https://www.behance.net/sagmeisterwalsh" target="_blank">fascinating work</a>.<br />
<br />
Sagmeister was asked by Adobe to "make an interpretive graphic of their logo." A lot of creatives would have come back to Adobe with just that. A different version of their logo. Sagmeister gave them a game show. The first episode is below. But you should <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/14350595/Sagmeister-x-Walsh-Adobe-Remix" target="_blank">view the entire experience here</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="506" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/87875328?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="900"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/87875328">Episode 1, Sagmeister X Walsh</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user13893723">Sagmeister & Walsh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
I work at <a href="http://richards.com/index.html" target="_blank">The Richards Group</a>. And though I'm not on this account, one of our most famous campaigns is the Chick-fil-A cows. This is one of the longest-running, most-awarded advertising campaigns around. And the Cows were completely off-brief. Not even close. The idea was at odds with the original strategy. It took guts to present something off-brief to the clients. And it took guts for the client to buy it. But it's done pretty well for both parties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o3SXWqhuDcGvzCA6kpy5MJMF4u1H3_Lh4rEtnfKWFipZ5VP73_G7yGOJW5Z9o5_tC4xpc9U5oGbQkN0kUhfsnAuxlwq9np2TuTirhuMoivXeRXSp5fM0Ij-Rz7WfJ_pe5tiNny2KNIps/s1600/1343840147_4195_billboard-original-EMC-lg+B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o3SXWqhuDcGvzCA6kpy5MJMF4u1H3_Lh4rEtnfKWFipZ5VP73_G7yGOJW5Z9o5_tC4xpc9U5oGbQkN0kUhfsnAuxlwq9np2TuTirhuMoivXeRXSp5fM0Ij-Rz7WfJ_pe5tiNny2KNIps/s1600/1343840147_4195_billboard-original-EMC-lg+B.jpg" height="288" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We all approach assignments with pre-conceptions. And sometimes we're able to overcome them. But even then, we still stay within expected parameters. Yes, we have clients to answer to. And yes, we have to be grown-ups and deliver what we promised. But don't let that stop you from doing something more.<br />
<br />
It doesn't have to be what you think it has to be.<br />
<br />
<br />Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-70157555288332653632015-03-12T06:59:00.001-07:002015-03-12T06:59:16.002-07:00The 30 Most Creative Women In AdvertisingHow many amazing, world-class female creatives can you name? (Go ahead, post them in the comments section, I'm curious.) Not just good female creatives, but Cannes-jury-level female creatives. Off-hand, I can think of <a href="http://makinads.blogspot.com/2007/07/heroines.html" target="_blank">four or five</a>. And a couple of them aren't really in the business anymore. I know there are more. But unfortunately, they don't come as easily to mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoPZ7PEpO6hvOprUIIJpt5RkOLT7vPs5piUMarSSYnaluLP4bvIdLmLZuVWJ_eWDV6PYqahBlt_9jSq2zJLHv79iU5u26aklg8xpZLGqKXFlTegzjttuvX5p9Ik34hYoSQsN2HHPbkb6w/s1600/images.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoPZ7PEpO6hvOprUIIJpt5RkOLT7vPs5piUMarSSYnaluLP4bvIdLmLZuVWJ_eWDV6PYqahBlt_9jSq2zJLHv79iU5u26aklg8xpZLGqKXFlTegzjttuvX5p9Ik34hYoSQsN2HHPbkb6w/s1600/images.png" /></a></div>
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<br />
There are lots of women in advertising. But not on the creative side. At least not in my experience. If you're a female writer or art director, I hope you can change that. I hope you can put your stamp on the industry. Here's a list to get you inspired. It's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-creative-women-in-advertising-2015-2015-2?op=1" target="_blank">The 30 Most Creative Women In Advertising</a> according to Business Insider.<br />
<br />
Go through the list. See how many of these women you already know. You probably already know their work. See what they do, and how they do it. Then, go do it yourself.<br />
<br />
Guys, you may want to pay attention, too.Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-27518705838386757832015-02-20T13:46:00.000-08:002015-02-20T13:46:08.192-08:00Things We Don't Want To Hear In A Radio Ad (Parts 1 and 2)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="326" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/116894563?title=0&byline=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="580"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/116894563">Things We Don't Want to Hear in a Radio Ad (Part 1)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/radiomercury">Radio Mercury Awards</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/116975820?title=0&byline=0" width="580" height="326" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/116975820">Things We Don't Want to Hear in a Radio Ad (Part 2)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/radiomercury">Radio Mercury Awards</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-6394272026561524582015-02-03T18:29:00.000-08:002015-02-03T18:29:55.911-08:00Moving and Working Overseas<i>Having worked overseas, I get a lot of questions from students about how they can work abroad, too. I published pretty much all I know in <a href="http://issuu.com/makinads.com/docs/makin__ads_abroad" target="_blank">this free ebook</a>. But my experience is hardly comprehensive.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I recently traded emails with <a href="http://www.trippjakovich.com/" target="_blank">Tripp Jakovich</a>, a creative working in Shanghai. I asked Tripp to share his advice on moving and working overseas. Here's what he had to say:</i><br />
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Back in October I decided to take my chances abroad in hopes
of starting a career amongst the heavy hitters of the advertising world. So I
set my sights on Shanghai, China. It wasn’t a completely random decision.
Having used to live in Beijing and a working knowledge of the Mandarin
language, it seemed like a reasonable venture. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Within two weeks, not only did I meet a multitude of
inspiring individuals, but I also landed a job as a copywriter at an
international agency. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvgRjKbIy_XnI3x2Hj-RvlPdc6P0YXkt8MCjpSwb38IfOjEnOMJEmoJZk-tnifnI0Hfmmea2XffbLg0WowdVR3fv0SPY9nd98TkUxd91seBRGkds5CvVSQiAMh3DzINR2OQarM4ovkvhH/s1600/IMG_1694.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvgRjKbIy_XnI3x2Hj-RvlPdc6P0YXkt8MCjpSwb38IfOjEnOMJEmoJZk-tnifnI0Hfmmea2XffbLg0WowdVR3fv0SPY9nd98TkUxd91seBRGkds5CvVSQiAMh3DzINR2OQarM4ovkvhH/s1600/IMG_1694.PNG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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The ad industry flourishes in cities like Shanghai. With
more brands establishing themselves in the Chinese market, it only makes sense
that agencies are following suit and setting up shop. After months of learning
about the opportunities to be had, I compiled a few reasons why and how one
might start a career overseas (in advertising or otherwise).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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1. The Whys<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Go out, see the world and challenge yourself.
Find out what you are really capable of. If you can make it on your own in a
foreign country, you can likely be successful anywhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Creative curriculum is prominent in Western
education. In my experience, it seems artistic minds are in short supply in
developing countries. Their more basic needs drive educative focuses, so
creative education isn’t really necessary. For cities with growing ad scenes,
there is a huge demand for people who have learned to control and communicate
the creative process. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You will get chances to prove yourself no matter
how experienced you are. I have been given responsibilities and opportunities
that I never would have had in the US because of my limited amount of time in
the advertising field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKZJ7YXxrRRk8Sb1VjWRKDwPEbCQTkD1Ge7e2-uwwqj3VSpZCqxUC6Hk3U87EKCLFEuZYWWbebuhtzcr7PLc6YBpG-O9ObvHHoUMuarAhtpoHWFcDnz4DPW6RHFfFKz4mq2vz9-TMo6dH/s1600/IMG_1693.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKZJ7YXxrRRk8Sb1VjWRKDwPEbCQTkD1Ge7e2-uwwqj3VSpZCqxUC6Hk3U87EKCLFEuZYWWbebuhtzcr7PLc6YBpG-O9ObvHHoUMuarAhtpoHWFcDnz4DPW6RHFfFKz4mq2vz9-TMo6dH/s1600/IMG_1693.PNG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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2. The Hows<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->As always, do your research. I used both WeChat
as well as LinkedIn to search for people who were working at companies in which
I was interested. By merely reaching out to them, I was able to get a number of
different interviews. Don’t be afraid to ask. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get lost and connect. Go explore the city and
meet people along the way. Get lost and find your way back home by asking
directions. Stop at a bar, buy someone a drink and pick his or her brain. If
that person has any jobs leads or connections, your desire to learn will leave
a good impression.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Take the plunge. Just go for it, no extensive
plan needed. Don’t have a job lined up just yet? Hire a headhunter a few months
before you leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set up some interviews
for when you arrive. Meet people and find work through new contacts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Greg Christensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05457397492105228346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-2595899429661933992015-01-23T10:19:00.000-08:002015-01-23T10:21:20.655-08:00VCU Brandcenter launches Experience Design Track<br />
Whenever I go to the VCU Brandcenter's recruiter session, I get so inspired when I talk to the Creative Technologists. They make some crazy-cool stuff. Tangible, with real-world applications. To be honest, the thought has crossed my mind... "Dang, I should go back to school and learn to do what these cats are learning."<br />
<br />
So it's exciting to hear the news that the CT track is evolving. It will now be called Experience Design. The curriculum concentrates on the conception, design, prototyping and building of brand experiences - pushing the envelope on what is technologically possible.<br />
<br />
From the Brandcenter:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">
"We are experience designers. We dream things. We make things. We break things. And then, we do it again. We don't define ourselves by the things that we make. We do define ourselves by how those things make others think and feel and act. That is why, on any given day you might find us making any number of things: ads, interfaces, apps, wearables, robots, flying machines, ... whatever it takes."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span>
Last year's students were in high demand. They will continue to be so as agencies and brands see their increased value. Students interned and were hired by companies like Coca-Cola, The Barbarian Group, BBH, The Martin Agency, AKQA, Deutsch LA, and R/GA, to name a few.<br />
<br />
The track is run by Andrew Levasseur. Here's what he has to say about it.
<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='532' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZpQZGmWVMjc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
If you're interested, here's <a href="http://news.vcu.edu/article/VCU_Brandcenter_at_forefront_of_next_great_design_movement" target="_blank">some more info</a>. This is without a doubt where the industry is headed. It's not surprising to see the school one step ahead.Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-35258196098310874962015-01-22T20:25:00.002-08:002015-01-22T20:50:30.632-08:00Cris Carter on Stuart Scott <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://allhiphop.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/rise_030810_promo_stuart_scott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://allhiphop.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/rise_030810_promo_stuart_scott.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
You probably saw the news a couple weeks ago that Stuart Scott, ESPN sports anchor, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Many moving and inspirational things were said about Stuart. He was indeed one-of-a-kind. You could see in the genuine reactions how much respect and love his colleagues had for him.
One reaction that really struck me was Cris Carter's. I can't figure out how to imbed the video, but you can <a href="http://deadspin.com/rich-eisen-hannah-storm-others-react-live-to-stuart-1677360761">see it here</a>, at about 5:10.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">"He was a role model for me. He talked, on <i>Sportscenter</i>, like me and my friends talked. He did it his way and was great at it."</span><br />
<br />
That, for me, summed up why Stuart Scott was so revolutionary. Before <i>Sportscenter</i>, sports news was kind of like the other news. The guys on <i>Sportscenter</i> talked about sports like fans, like a bunch of guys just hanging out watching a game. They changed the way sports were covered everywhere. Scott, in particular, brought a unique voice. He wove hip-hop references into his coverage and connected with young people everywhere--urban African-American kids because he sounded like them and young white kids because he just sounded cool. Someone could have--probably did at some point--tell him that he wasn't talking like a serious sportscaster. But he did it his way. He believed in his voice. That's what made him great.<br />
<br />
Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-62870847402616025622014-12-29T10:48:00.000-08:002014-12-29T10:48:06.634-08:00The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read a handful of books on creative thinking and management every year. Some are more helpful than others. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Accidental-Creative-Brilliant-Moments/dp/1591846242" target="_blank"><i>The Accidental Creative </i>by Todd Henry</a> is one I found full of good advice from both perspectives. In a nutshell, Henry's focus is on practices that help us make the most of our creative resources (time and energy). It also has some good advice about managing a creative environment. </div>
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My review is below, along with some random notes (I post reviews of everything I read on <a href="https://bosilawhat.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">my personal blog</a>). </div>
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Additionally, Henry runs <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/accidental-creative-creativity/id93424211?mt=2" target="_blank">The Accidental Creative podcast</a>. And he has a new book out, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Die-Empty-Unleash-Your-Every/dp/1591845890" target="_blank">Die Empty</a>. I haven't read that book. If anyone has, let me know what you think of it. The title's a little cheesy, but he usually has smart stuff to say. </div>
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Anyone who works in a creative industry knows the pressure that comes with having to solve creative problems against a deadline. Or being required to generate ideas every day within the constraints of budget, timing, politics and the chaos of the modern work environment. This is a book on applying rigor to the creative process. This is not meant to confine creativity—Henry cautions that structure should not be confused with formula. Formula is a prescriptive process. Structure is a scaffolding within which surprising creative solutions can still flourish. By understanding the rhythms of creativity, its inputs, its enemies and various tricks of the trade, one can learn to coax ideas out reliably. As Henry says, “people who succeed are often those who do the little, everyday things that other won’t.”</div>
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Henry identifies elements of the process for creative individuals as well creative teams, some of the barriers that can hinder creativity and gives some practical tips for working more productively as a creative person. I’ll include somewhat random notes and my favorite slide-worthy quotes about creativity below, but in general what I love about this book is that it articulates process problems I experience all the time, both at work and with my own projects, both as a creative and a creative manager. Identifying the barriers is often more helpful than the solutions because the barriers sometimes become so ingrained in the way we work that they become invisible. Shining a light on them, naming them and calling them out as problems is critical.</div>
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We all want a greater sense of purpose in our lives and in our work. We want to feel that our efforts contribute to a greater good, and that our personal goals align with our professional ambition. That all our motivations are in sync. What this book provides is a pragmatic and sometimes inspiration outline to better align our individual goals with our professional realities (and vice versa). It’s a handbook for becoming a more productive, more reliable, happier creative person.</div>
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<strong>NOTES:</strong><br />
<strong>Key elements of the creative process</strong></div>
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<strong>Focus:</strong> Know your true objective. Articulate it. Be aligned with team members on what this is and constantly check back against it to maintain alignment.</div>
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<strong>Relationships:</strong> Identify and build the relationships that positively empower your process. My buddy Jon, when I asked him what advice he’d give a younger version of himself, called this one out. In a nutshell, he said that you only have so much time and energy—focus on the relationships that push you to grow and make you stretch.</div>
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<strong>Energy:</strong> Establish practices around energy management. You have to maintain a healthy, sustainable lifestyle in order to maintain a sustainable creative output.<br />
“It’s all too easy to waste the energy we need for important creative objectives on unproductive or unfocused behaviors.” (e.g. constantly answering email) [p116] The opportunity cost of sitting in unproductive meetings or answering emails, dealing with politics and other BS has a huge opportunity cost. Which, smartly, Henry defines with this quote: “You can have anything you want, but you can’t have everything you want.” [p128]<br />
“You are defined by what you say no to.” [p130]</div>
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<strong>Stimuli:</strong> Beauty in, beauty out. Austin Kleon says creative people are a mixtape of everything they consume. Be purposeful with what you put in. Henry suggests you have a defined “study plan” and figure out a way to keep what your study provokes—the ideas you come up with—organized. A notebook, note cards, whatever—but return to those notes from time to time. Study can be inspiration for ideas, but not if it’s quickly forgotten.</div>
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<strong>Hours:</strong> The tension between possibilities and pragmatics is the source of most of the burnout, frustration, and conflict within teams. “…it’s difficult to stay excited about the work when we feel that practical limitations will ultimately prevent us from really doing something we believe to be truly great.” [p23] Henry dedicates a chapter to the various types of tensions that can cause strife within a team, but they are all variations of possibilities vs pragmatics.</div>
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<strong>Assassins of Creativity (I love that name)</strong></div>
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<strong>Dissonance/Unclear Objectives:</strong> Everyone not being on the same page with the “What” and, more importantly, the “Why?” The common purpose for existing as a team is…? If everyone can’t answer that, you got problems. If there are differing objectives, the boat will go in circles, maybe sink. The creative process, without proper management, will naturally trend toward entropy. In the generative portion of the creative process, this can be normal. But to be successful, the creative process also requires decisive pruning (convergent thinking). This is where a clear objective is critical—it is the guide to what is pruned away and what is left to flourish and given more resources. Lack of a clear goal invites chaos.</div>
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<strong>Unnecessary Complexity:</strong> Maybe Einstein said it best: “Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler.” Included in this section is a point that I think Henry glosses over too quickly, which is that complexity can lead to obfuscation of how an individual contribute to the overall mission of the organization. Daniel Pink, in his TED Talk, lists this understanding as one of the three key motivators in the workplace.</div>
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My favorite illustration of this point is a story. In 1962, JFK was touring NASA’s space center. He saw a janitor mopping the hallway and broke away from his group and walked over to the janitor. As the story goes, he said, “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What do you do here?” The janitor replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon, Mr. President.” Whether or not that story is true, it’s a great illustration of an ideal. Every member of the team must know how their efforts contribute to the project, and their goals must be in line with the goals of the project and, ideally, the organization. It’s not only good for cohesion, it’s good for motivation.</div>
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<strong>Fear:</strong> Fear can take any number of forms, all of which cause hesitation or, worse, paralysis in the creative process. The creative process, specifically the generative part of it, relies on momentum and energy. Fear drags its big heavy feet in the mud. Henry describes the forms that fear can take, and he makes the point that while fear of failure certainly exists, fear of success can be even more stifling, especially to an individual. Comfort is the enemy of success, “the single biggest factor that causes creative to shrink back from opportunity.” [riCardo Crespo, p56]<br />
“Fear of success is often more destructive than fear of failure because it’s masked in the guise of wisdom.” [p59]</div>
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<strong>Comparison:</strong> This is, I think, a specific manifestation of fear rooted in our insecurity that our final product won’t be good enough. We compare it to our past work, the expectations placed on us by our co-workers, benevolent (or malevolent) overlords, or to our industry heroes. We don’t see our work measuring up, and it plants a deadly seed of doubt. This can be crippling, particularly early in the process, when a germ of an idea will never live up to a fully realized, polished and celebrated project. There may be a time to compare our work to others, but early in the creative process is not that time.<br />
“It’s great to stand on the shoulders of giants, but don’t let the giants sit on your shoulders.”<br />
-Stephen Nachmanovitch.<br />
Said less poetically, “there is a form of oppression that emerges when we allow the work of our influences or competitors to drive our creating in an unhealthy way.” [p62]</div>
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<strong>Miscellanea</strong></div>
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<strong>Creative Rhythm:</strong> In order for us to create, we need to get into the zone, the right headspace, whatever you want to call it. We need to be able to focus. This is the most important element in our work—time to think—yet the modern work environment conspires to steal this time from us. Make sure you structure time into your day to actually think about things. Put it on the calendar if you need to. Good ideas rarely come about when ticking off menial tasks and answering email.</div>
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<strong>The Ping</strong> is technology and culture colliding. It is the constant sensation that an email has come through, a need to check in on social media, etc. It prevents us from truly being present in any task or situation. When I’m writing, I’ve anecdotally experienced that it takes me 15-20 minutes to get to anything good. So if I’m only spending 10 contiguous minutes on any task, I’m denying myself the ability to do my best work. Linda Scott calls the way we live and work “continuous partial attention.” Again, structure time into the day to do these things, or time when menial tasks and Facebook updates are off limits.</div>
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<strong>Assumptions:</strong> “We develop systems to replicate our past successes—or to prevent replicating our past failures—but all we really do is fossilize these processes and create rigidity in our life.” [p72] We make assumptions that we reinforce time and again, each time deeper ingraining those assumptions and making it more difficult to think in new ways. What are those assumptions? Stepping back and literally your assumptions can be one one way to break through creatively.</div>
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<strong>The Big Three.</strong> One suggestion Henry makes to help focus is to define “The Big Three.” Creative people tend to have many irons in the fire. It allows them to self-medicate with distraction. His suggestion is to pick three. Identify the three top priority projects (not tasks, projects) and focus on those. Dedicate time, bandwidth and any other resources to accomplishing those three projects. In addition to resource management, this sends a signal to your brain that these projects are the ones that are important. It relieves your mind of trying to solve 15 things at once. This is true in a collaborative environment as well.“One of the greatest gifts any creative leader can give to their team is to regularly refine focus by utilizing the practice of establishing the Big 3.” [p86]</div>
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<strong>Relationships.</strong> Henry dedicates a section to the importance of building and maintaining important, inspirational relationships. Meaningful connections, rather than maintaining relationships of necessity. Be structured with it—create a group that meets regularly to share ideas and provide motivation.</div>
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<strong>Unnecessary Creation.</strong> I engage in this quite a bit, personally. Take time to make things that don’t need to be made, that won’t be judged, that are important for no other reason than they are personally fulfilling. Creating work for ourselves, under no pressure from anyone else (or ourselves), with no expectations, is a great way to explore ideas and a pressure release valve—the urge to create has been temporarily relieved. And the feeling of “getting lost” in your work is, from my experience, therapeutic. It can be meditative, can lead to total immersion, what some refer to as “in the flow.”</div>
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<strong>Quotables:</strong><br />
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”<br />
– Jack London</div>
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“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”<br />
–Edward de Bono</div>
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“Few things in life are less efficient than a group of people trying to write a sentence.” -Scott Adams (Dilbert)</div>
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“Creativity is a natural extension of our energy.”<br />
–Earl Nightingale</div>
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At the beginning of every season, Vince Lombardi would give a talk to his players. He would start that pep talk by holding the ball in the air and saying to the professional football players around him: “Gentlemen, this is a football!”</div>
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<br />Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185008440364775013.post-12443020260006219552014-11-14T20:36:00.001-08:002014-12-02T06:58:09.176-08:00Bill Murray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was going to add something else to the title of this post, like ":Creative Genius" or ":Master of the Unexpected," or ":God of Mt. Comedius," but if you need more than "Bill Murray," you should be kicked in the nuts.<br />
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I just finished this <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/being-bill-murray-20141028?page=2" target="_blank">article about Murray in <i>Rolling Stone</i></a>. Please read it. My takeaway from it, broadly, is that the characteristics that make you a good creative person are the same characteristics that make you a good person. A fun, interesting person, at least.<br />
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In addition to some great stories, here are a few gems:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Someone told me some secrets early on about living. You can do the very best you can when you're very, very relaxed. And I realized the more fun I had, the better I did." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Wear your wisdom lightly, so insights come as punchlines." </span><br />
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<b>On his famously bizarre/amazing interactions with the strangers: </b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"My hope, always, is that it's going to wake me up. I'm only connected for seconds, minutes a day, sometimes. And suddenly, you go, 'Holy cow, I've been asleep for two days. I've been doing things, but I'm just out.' If I see someone who's out cold on their feet, I'm going to try to wake that person up. It's what I'd want someone to do for me. Wake me the hell up and come back to the planet." </span><br />
<br />Bosilawhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202660081299735889noreply@blogger.com