Rolling On Dubs

The Fat Lady Is On The Premises

2009-07-06T21:05:00.007-04:00

In a similar vein to my friend and former roommate, Jesse Bowen, I am no longer posting on this blog. Like his, it was created as a resource for potential Brandcenter students, documenting much of my life, thoughts and experiences in ad school. I made it because it was something I wished I had when I was thinking about attending.

Although the blog is done, I'd be happy to answer any questions from prospective students, employers, or anyone else.

Jake Dubs
dubsjm@gmail.com

All the best, and good luck.

dubs. out.

The 11 Most Important Things I Learned in Ad School

2009-05-14T22:57:00.015-04:00

Top-10’s are for pansies.

11’s the key number.

1. It’s what you think that counts. This is probably the most cliché thing on this list, but it’s also the most important. Being a subjective business, it takes an incredible amount of ability to judge your own work to compile only the best. Shopping my book around I got 20 different responses from 20 different people. In the end, it wasn’t as if I could listen to any one of those opinions. I was forced to trust myself.

2. Stay humble. The people who think they’re the shit usually aren’t. And the ones who don’t think they’re the shit usually are. Unless they’re not.

3. Compete only with yourself. Some other guy in your class did a sick campaign? Awesome. Some other guy in your class did a shitty campaign? Awesome. Who cares? What did you do? Are you proud of what you’re presenting, regardless of whether it’s the best or worst in the class? For more times than I care to remember I felt the evil pangs of jealousy and the even more evil pangs of gloating rise up inside me depending on what others showed. If I could do it all over again, I’d have made more of an effort to keep my head down, my blinders on.

4. Love the process. This is a Fenske original. When you’re enjoying doing your work, it not only doesn’t feel like work, it makes whatever you do better. It’s been said before, but your enjoyment shines through. People can see it. It's weird.

5. See everything as an opportunity, not an assignment. In 2 years, I worked on more than 100 brands/products/projects. 90% of them didn't end up in my book. But I approached every single one with the intention that it would, no matter how bad the product, partner, or circumstances. Looking back now, I think that made a big difference.

6. Learn more from your peers than your professors. The professors are brilliant. The professors are rich. The professors are successful. The professors are old. This is not a bad thing, it is merely an undisputed truth. With few exceptions (Charles Hall), it’s hard for them to be tapped into the modern culture of the 20-somethings whom you are often advertising/communicating to. Your 20-something peers are. And so are you.

7. Care. When you care about your work, when you want to do well, when you take pride in what you do, the work is forced to be the best it can be. It has no choice. It’s when you’re tired and your brain taps out at mediocre that you stop caring. And it shows in the work.

8. Don't create ads. Create culture. This is straight from Charles Hall, and it's evident in most of the real-world work most of us deem as "great." Great work doesn't piggyback off the latest catchphrase or that year's cool kid lingo. It makes its own.

9. To be inspired to make ads, don’t look at ads. I've learned that when you’re stumped and need to seek inspiration, you shouldn't look at the awards books. You should listen to pitchfork. Look at ffffound. Look at computerluv. Look at The Dieline. Shit, read The Onion.

10. Listen to yourself. This was really hard for me for the first year and a half of school. Still is, actually. I am a shy and uncertain person by nature (why else would I have a blog), and it’s hard for me to let loose and believe in what I’m saying. I often feel like I am the only person on earth who feels this way, but more often than not, the exact opposite is true. If you’re a living, breathing, thinking human being, then what you have to say, from the deepest depths of you, will always be valid to other living, breathing, thinking human beings. From two professors’ suggestions on separate occasions, I’ve read Self Reliance by Emerson. It wasn't recommended twice for no reason.

11. Work hard. I hate to say it, but it has to be said. The harder you work, the better your work. That old Fenskeism, “Hard work is a waste of time if your idea sucks” is valid, but to counteract it, hard work is never a waste of time if you get a good idea out of it.

I’ve learned about a thousand times what’s on this list, but this is, in my view, the top pinnacle of that enlightenment. Apologies if you found any of these trite or cliché. That's only because they're true.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Vonk - 5/10/09

2009-05-10T23:43:00.005-04:00

Be honest. It may be painful in the moment, but in the long run there’s no downside.

-Nancy Vonk, Co-CCO Ogilvy, Toronto

A friend and I were discussing the idea of honesty this afternoon, and the recent lack of it we've both seen amongst people we know. In advertising, before we're honest with our messaging, we should first be honest with each other.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Orzino - 5/3/09

2009-05-01T01:06:00.025-04:00

There are two kinds of creatives. There's the creative person who has a Rolodex of ads they've memorized and they're students of advertising. And then there’s people who are genuine creatives, who have to somehow express themselves. But within that is the ability to express themselves in a way where they enjoy getting a reaction from people. That's the person I'm looking for. They make better collaborators. They make better nurturers. They make better listeners. And they make better advertising, because they're more attuned to what other people—namely the consumer—is going through. I don't want to just hire someone with a great book. I want to hire someone with a great book who's—as pompous as this sounds—highly evolved as a human being.

-Marty Orzio, CCO, Gotham Inc. NYC

Supposedly Marty just became the new CCO of Gotham in New York, after a steallar job at Energy BBDO in Chicago. For anyone who has gone to Gotham's website, you'll see that there's not much there yet to be awed by. But I think it's a good move to keep eyes on this place.

It may yield some interesting things in the near future.

dubs. out.

72

2009-04-28T20:13:00.003-04:00

Holly and I are going.

Pretty dope.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Goodby - 4/26/09

2009-04-26T16:59:00.006-04:00

I think the best thing about the advertising industry is that it should be very afraid that it could disappear in its current form. And that’s a good thing. It’s forcing everybody to ask themselves, ‘what am I doing? Am I really lending any value to anything? Am I doing anything anybody cares about? Am I doing anything relevant? Could I wake up tomorrow and be totally irrelevant?’... These are good questions for advertising people these days… It forces us to think far and wide about what we’re really doing here and why.

-Jeff Goodby

Sometimes when I'm slumming through an assignment I'm not enjoying, I feel a slight twinge. It feels like God is reaching down and flicking the back of my neck, annoyingly. It's this vague feeling that tells me I'm making the kind of work that pollutes the world with more clutter. The kind that makes "normal" people hate advertising.

I hate this feeling.

dubs. out.

JakeDubs.com

2009-04-22T22:10:00.005-04:00

lives.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Costner - 4/19/09

2009-04-21T00:46:00.017-04:00

Don't fuck with a winning streak.

-Kevin Costner, Bull Durham

This is the second Kevin Costner Bull Durham quote I've put up in the last several months. Probably 2 more than I should have for a site devoted mainly to advertising. But the dude knew what he was talking about in that movie. He had a lot of wisdom to share.

Costner's Crash Davis is part of a small list of what I consider to be "the almost perfect male character" club.

No one is perfect in real life. No one has the looks, the brains, the balls, the ethics, the mad skills we all want to have, where everything they do, no matter how outrageous or controversial, is the cool/right thing to do.

But a handful come close in movies:

Mel Gibson, Braveheart
Sean Connery/Pierce Brosman, the James Bond series
Vince Vaughn, Swingers
Robert Redford, The Natural
Tim Robbins, The Shawshank Redemption
Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Harrison Ford, Clear & Present Danger
Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke
Marlon Brando/Robert DeNiro, The Godfather I & II

dubs. out.

Some Cold-Blooded Gangsta Shit

2009-04-17T23:31:00.006-04:00

When we were in LA last month, we drove past the billboard on the left. Everyone in the car remarked about how they thought BMW would respond.

It's like Coz used to say: "If you're gonna do competitive advertising, you don't nick a testicle. You cut their fucking balls off."

dubs. out.

This May or May Not Be True

2009-04-16T22:26:00.004-04:00

But it's funny regardless.

dubs. out.

The Last Lap

2009-04-14T21:08:00.011-04:00

As Winter turns to Spring and the rains come and, depending on the day, I have the back-and-forth struggle between using my car's air-conditioner and the heater, I find myself in the final death throes of my education.

When all is said and done, at least I have this to take pride in: Public school, born and raised, the whole way through, baby.

This makes me happy.

It's been an arduous, often frustrating, 24-year trip. But it's also been a safe trip, always having had the arms of school around me, cushioning me from the harsh reality of a life without Spring or Summer or Winter or Thanksgiving breaks.

I've always been a fan of those.

It's a scary and humbling thing to realize that in 1 month, whether I'm prepared for it or not, real life will officially start.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Warsop - 4/12/09

2009-04-13T01:25:00.004-04:00

It comes as no surprise when prospective clients reveal their favorite ads are amongst the most creative and distinctive in a category. It’s quite helpful to remind them of this just before presenting the creative.

-Graham Warsop, Chairman, The Jupiter Drawing Room, South Africa

I see a lot of crap on TV. And in magazines. And online. And on the side of highways, blown up to gigantic proportions.

I can't help but wonder sometimes about what Warsop says. If regular people connect to work that is smart and interesting and different-- and clients are regular people, too-- then why is 95% of what most clients inject into the world dumb and boring and like everything else?

dubs. out

Words Escape Me

2009-04-07T18:56:00.002-04:00

Childish? Maybe.

But you can't tell me that cat at the beginning isn't hilarious.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Boyko - 4/6/09

2009-04-06T00:02:00.007-04:00

Words are a powerful way to convey an image. The auditory quality of the spoken word adds the dimension of sound, evoking an even higher level of engagement, especially when it's delivered in the right environment. In radio, what is said, how it's said and where it's said are equally important.

-Rick Boyko, VCU Brandcenter

Tony Granger recently judged the ANDY's and had this to say: "This year's ANDY submissions are inspirational stuff. With one exception. Radio. Not one winner. Not even a finalist. That's really sad actually. Where are the beautifully written spots that use theater of the mind to make you laugh or cry? Anyone wanting to go for easy pickings next year. Radio."

I've heard through the grapevine that the Brandcenter is going to be offering a course in radio writing taught by Fenske. This both excites and annoys me.

It excites me because I think radio would be a cool class to take.

It annoys me because I can't take it.

dubs. out.

A Modern Beer Ad That's Actually Good

2009-04-04T00:40:00.006-04:00

Believe it.

Americans take note: Exaggerating a unique product benefit in a novel way works. Stop making up bullshit words.

Unless they're cool.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Schunker - 3/29/09

2009-03-29T20:19:00.015-04:00

It really starts with knowing that the agency understands the brand and the kind of work we want to do for the brand, rather than the agency trying to impose their brand on our brand. It’s critical to have partners within the agency that truly understand the business issue. That’s really where the success and trust builds from. And I think key for the agency is knowing that the client is there to be their champion.

-Pio Schunker, Senior VP/Director of Advertising, Coca-Cola North America

The Brandcenter has a track called Creative Brand Management.

It is full of approximately 25 future account directors and, God-willing, future clients. Many are fantastic, those being the preservers, the guardians, the "yes" people, the ones who contribute more than just a strong vision and a substantial budget. In my two years here I've worked with a handful of these CBMs whom I think are just as good, if not better than, a lot of creatives out there.

Myself included.

I dislike how we get caught up in titles in this business. I don't like the name-calling. The "you're a suit, you're a creative" bullshit. Everyone is creative. Sure, it's a cliche, but it's only a cliche because it's true.

My CBM roommate, Jordan, (one of the exceptions to the rule) has an interesting take on the subject.

"I have made it a point over the two years at our institution," he writes. "To constantly and at times, inappropriately point out the title of “Creative” as antiquated nomenclature and an inappropriate attempt to concoct a proper noun."

It's good to know there are people like this out there who call bullshit on the boundaries. That they will not only be on our side now and will be on our side later, they will be fighting/thinking alongside us the entire time.

Because we trust one another.

This last project, our team has decided to try a novel idea along these lines: No silos. No titles. Everyone does equal work, equal research, equal brand vision, equal insights, equal strategy, equal creative, equal writing, equal art direction, equal thinking.

I have a feeling interesting things will happen when the walls come down.

dubs. out.

New Tiny Portable Thumbtack iPod Microphones

2009-03-26T10:52:00.006-04:00

They're a mouthful.

Pun.

Count it.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Goldberg - 3/22/09

2009-03-22T11:31:00.006-04:00

What great writers actually pass on is not so much their work, but they hand on their breath at their moments of inspiration.

-Natalie Goldberg

I'm currently reading Goldberg's book. (It was recommended by Coz at the beginning of last year and I'm just now getting to it). I can see why he told us to read it.

It was a mistake to wait this long.

dubs. out.

Do. Things. Differently.

2009-03-19T15:08:00.001-04:00

I hate airports. I hate planes. I hate flight attendants. I hate flying.

I like this.

dubs. out.

The Return of the Money Tag

2009-03-17T21:38:00.008-04:00

Feels like it's been a while.

Stouffer’s: Let’s fix dinner.

Brinks Home Security: What do you have to lose?

New Balance: Love running more.

Monster.com: Your calling is calling.

Johnnie Walker: Keep walking.

Reese's: Perfect.

Natty Light: Now we're talkin'.

Pam: Helps you pull it off.

Feel better, Tylenol

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Christensen- 3/15/09

2009-03-15T23:38:00.005-04:00

If you really love advertising, it will show. If you have a thirst for creativity, it will shine through. If you know your destiny is to have amazingly cool ideas and put them on paper, TV, the web, and into the stratosphere, you'll stand out. If anything, tough times weed out the people who weren't really interested in working in advertising anyway.

-Greg Christensen, Y&R, Adcenter grad ‘00

On a recent partner's suggestion, I've been reading Greg's blog the past couple weeks. It's great. It's addictive. It's daunting in its number of long, interesting and relevant posts for ad students.

Where the hell was this last year?

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, McElligott - 3/9/09

2009-03-11T19:36:00.005-04:00

Don’t be distracted by anything. The work is what counts. There are a lot of things that can get in your way, that take up your time and your emotional and intellectual energy; none of them account for anything. They mean nothing. The only thing, in the final analysis, at this stage of the game, that really counts, is the work. The work is everything.

-Tom McElligott

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if the above picture is Tom McElligott. I am, however, entirely sure the above quote is badass.

dubs. out.

The Lebron Witness Campaign

2009-03-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

For his limited edition 6 sneakers.

Campaign done by Hort, out of Berlin. To see the full campaign video, click here.

dubs. out.

Quote of the Week, Tarty - 3/1/09

2009-03-01T17:06:00.013-05:00

Maturity comes in at a point where you realize you don’t know anything.

-Feh Tarty, CD, Wieden + Kennedy London

It's a difficult realization to have. But I think when you have it, you quickly realize ego shouldn't exist. Neither should hard-headedness or machismo.

With every passing day of school, a comforting notion keeps getting further hammered into my head: no one has any clue what the fuck the world is all about, why we're here, what art is, what good writing is, what a truly good idea is, what constitutes "truly good," or any answers to an infinite number of questions or ways of doing things.

dubs. out.

Crazy/Brilliant

2009-02-28T18:39:00.005-05:00

The best ideas always are.

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam
Executive Creative Directors: Jeff Kling, John Norman
Creative Directors: Mark Bernath, Eric Quennoy
ACD/Copywriter: Betsy Decker
Art Directors: Anders Stake, Ayse Altinok

dubs. out.

Now That's How You Write Copy

2009-02-25T22:10:00.007-05:00

We worked on the X-Games brand last year. Very cool assignment. Very tough assignment.

Before we got started, the Martin Agency showed us some past X-Games work. One of the campaigns they showed (from 2006, out of the LA-based shop, Ground Zero) stood above all the others, and was the all-too-familiar dual punch of being both intimidating and inspiring.

Not just beautifully put together, shot and animated, but surprisingly, beautifully written. (ACD/CW Kristina Slade, ACD/AD: Rodrigo Butori)

COPY: Would the world look different if you had the eyes of Paul Rodriguez? Would ledges and rails that have faded in the background secretly reveal themselves to you? Would you have the vision to liberate them from the architect's intentions? And if you did, would this view of the world change you? …Or would it change the world?

COPY: You can see it in a smile like Rob Machado’s. Just look at the man and you know you’ll never see anyone so happy to go to work. He’s got that inborn style that only happens when true talent is motivated by sincere pleasure. You can see it between him and the wave, how he surfs in harmony. And those long, soulful lines he carves are the love letters he leaves behind.

COPY: He may not look like the nicest guy, but Brian Deegan’s got heart. The kind that gets on a motorcycle and tries to make it fly. The kind that believes physics can be tamed. That you can soar upside down with a motorcycle above you and the ground closing in. The kind that knows that only the desire to win can overcome the fear of consequence. Brian Deegan’s got that kind of heart.

COPY: If you could pick any superhuman power, it should be Dave Mirra’s focus. With it you could fly. You could leap tall buildings in a single bound. You could win more X Games medals than anyone in history. And you could be in last place, with only one chance of redemption, and walk away with a gold medal around your neck and a stadium full of hanging jaws. You could, if you had Dave Mirra’s focus.

I suppose great copy is made greater by the peerless voice of Alec Baldwin.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Barrett - 2/22/09

2009-02-22T22:28:00.006-05:00

I've always thought optimism in the face of pessimism was a great response. As long as an advertiser has something to be optimistic about, of course. People are hearing from enough places that times are tough. For advertisers it's a chance to be a positive antidote.

-Jamie Barrett, CD, Goodby

When everyone else zigs, now more than ever is the time to zag.

People are looking for something solid to believe in and hold onto. Maybe a product as trivial as a can of Pepsi can be made into that something.

dubs. out.

Notes From Chris

2009-02-20T13:01:00.008-05:00

Our speaker today was Todd Lamb, a 2000 graduate of the Adcenter. After working at Weiden, Goodby and then Mother, he's now a freelance writer/director/maker.

Todd's speech was entitled, "The Importance of Making Shit," in which he showed us around two dozen random things he has created in the last decade. One thing he showed was a series of crude posters known as "Notes From Chris," in which a fictional man writes public, asinine notes to New Yorkers. It is, without question, one of the wackiest and most pointless--yet smartest and funniest--things most of the audience had ever seen.

To check out more of Todd's work (including some awesome Cane 10 Rum spots), click here. To check out his blog, click here.

dubs. out.

This Is Fantastic

2009-02-19T00:45:00.004-05:00

From the author/illustrator/designer Christoph Neimann:

Click here to see the rest.

dubs. out.

It's Funny

2009-02-16T19:14:00.008-05:00

The gigantic project is over.

We have entered into this tiny window known as "the longest point from when our next batch of craziness happens all over again." We have at least a week to let our past efforts sink in. Enough time to take off and not worry (or, at the very least, worry only nonchalantly) about upcoming assignments.

Enough time to relax.

And yet, for the ambitious ones, this tiny window is an opportunity to drive forward at even faster speeds. For those who don't know how to stop, now is when the work begins.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Sarkissian- 2/15/09

2009-02-15T11:07:00.011-05:00

Advertising is a tax levied on unremarkable products.

-Patrick Sarkissian, SarkissianMason

Patrick Sarkissian spoke to our school last week, and while he had a lot of great things to say, this one sentence stuck out to me.

When you really think about it, many of the best brands and products in the world don't advertise. They rely on PR, on making their products the best they can be, and on the words coming out of people's mouths saying how great these products are.

The best products shouldn't need to advertise. Consumers will do it for them.

dubs. out.

What's The Lesson Here?

2009-02-14T11:51:00.003-05:00

Don't do weight-loss competitions with roommates.

dubs. out.

Johnnie Walker - Android

2009-02-10T23:35:00.005-05:00

I know this is a couple years old, but I rediscovered it a few nights ago and felt compelled to show it. Great script. Brilliant execution. Stirring message (all from an alcohol brand).

This spot and others like it is my argument against anyone who says all ads are indispensable. I could watch this thing for years.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Costner - 2/8/09

2009-02-08T19:41:00.005-05:00

You gotta play this game with fear and arrogance.

-Kevin Costner, Bull Durham

I'm pretty sure Costner was talking about baseball. But I think it can apply to the business of advertising/branding/design/communication as well.

Life, too.

dubs. out.

Google Latitude

2009-02-04T13:26:00.003-05:00

Lets mobile phone users share their location (either exact, or citywide) with close contacts like significant others, friends and family.

Why it's a good idea:

dubs. out.

Scary Big

2009-02-03T22:36:00.008-05:00

and only getting bigger.

Click here, then hit refresh a couple times and notice the change.

A dozen babies are being born every second.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Fitzloff - 2/1/09

2009-02-01T11:22:00.006-05:00

Ads can be about the brand itself rather than borrowing from culture or being about independence or freedom or some other aspirational thing. Coke can be about Coke. It can be about the sound or the bottle… An iconic brand is when you accept who you are, and people will love you for that sort of honesty.

-Mark Fitzloff, ECD, Wieden + Kennedy Portland

Why doesn't anyone make ads about the product anymore? It's always about something deeper, less tangible. I suppose it's this way because over time, people have run out of things to say about a particular brand, but that doesn't mean there isn't something yet untapped.

dubs. out.

The Joy of 12 Minutes of Not Being Sold Anything

2009-01-31T16:21:00.009-05:00

No Nokia logo. No T-Mobile logo. No eharmony logo. No problem.

I think this is brilliant.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Lois - 1/25/09

2009-01-25T13:35:00.003-05:00

Show me a great campaign and I’ll show you people who care about their work and their fellow man.

-George Lois

I think it's usually pretty easy to tell which campaigns out there are the ones made by people who aren't just injecting their thoughts and biases onto humanity, but actually care about it.

dubs. out.

54 Kick Ass Logos

2009-01-23T01:41:00.004-05:00

Logos are one of the reasons I'm so interested in design. A good one is worth more than any good ad ever will be.

Thought there was some good stuff here.

Click here to see the other 53.

dubs. out.

D.C. Inauguration Pics- 1/19/09 & 1/20/09

2009-01-21T13:57:00.008-05:00

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, MacLeod - 1/18/09

2009-01-18T11:06:00.007-05:00

Being good at anything is like figure skating—the definition of being good at it is being able to make it look easy. But it is never easy. Ever. That’s what the stupidly wrong people conveniently forget.

-Hugh MacLeod

I used to be one of these stupidly wrong people, always thinking there were those out there who were just naturally gifted and their wonderful talents just came to them in waves whenever they felt the urge to pull them out of the air. I've since realized it's the exact opposite.

The people who have a difficult time with things are the ones who end up doing the best work. For a week or two when they're working on an assignment you don't hear a peep from them, and then they'll come in and present something that is just rocking. In class, they make it look easy. But behind closed doors, those 2 weeks before are a trainwreck of self-doubt, blows to confidence and ability, filled with the difficult task of thinking of ways to do the new.

dubs. out.

We Finally Got One In

2009-01-14T01:30:00.013-05:00

Well, it took nearly a year and a half, but our house has at long last gotten a member inducted into Creativity-Online (as well as its permanent archive), in many people's opinion to be the definitive database of the greatest advertising/branding/design work in the world being done today.

My roommate, Tristan had the talent and tenacity to be one of 4 Brandcenter creatives to come up with the AICP's 2009 Call For Entries Campaign, in which winners get their work inducted into the Permanent Collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). To see the microsite their team created and produced, and all its ensuing hilarity, click here. To actually submit work, click here.

Congratulations to Tristan, Holly, Raquel and Chuck. I'm proud of you guys.

dubs. out.

Objectified Trailer

2009-01-12T18:25:00.006-05:00

From documentary director Gary Huswitt, who brought us Helvetica, this one deals with industrial design, looking at everything from "toothbrushes to tech gadgets." It takes a close look not only at how these things impact our lives daily, but also at the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential designers who bring them to us, including:

Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich)
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris)
Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis)
Anthony Dunne (London)
Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo)
IDEO (Palo Alto)
Jonathan Ive (Apple, California)
Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam)
Marc Newson (London/Paris)
Fiona Raby (London)
Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany)
Karim Rashid (New York)
Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune)
Smart Design (New York)
Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine)

The film will have its world premiere in March, with details announced shortly.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Foster - 1/11/09

2009-01-11T17:14:00.006-05:00

The adult thinks too much and has too much scar tissue and is manacled by too much knowledge and by too many boundaries and rules and assumptions and preconceptions . . . The child is innocent and free and does not know what he cannot or should not do. He sees the world as it actually is, not the way we adults have been taught to believe that it is.

-Jack Foster

I've always thought that rather than children being little adults, adults are just big children.

It's sort of a glass-half-empty way of looking at it. But us being big kids is way more intriguing and inspiring and liberating than kids being little us.

dubs. out.

We Could Never Get Away With This

2009-01-08T17:46:00.004-05:00

But Europe can.

2 visually stimulating PSAs for the French organization AIDeS from TBWA Paris.

Boy:

Girl:

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Gladwell - 1/4/09

2009-01-04T17:10:00.015-05:00

Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing that makes you good.

-Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers

On a friend's recommendation I read the third of Gladwell's 3 books (and in my opinion, the best) last month. It was one of the most interesting I've ever read.

In it he devotes an entire chapter to the idea that when a person spends 10,000 hours doing anything—be it learning the piano, programming computers, or playing hockey—they will become an expert in that particular field.

So a lot of practice will never make you perfect. But it will make you pretty fucking close.

dubs. out.

Top Ten From '08

2008-12-30T19:29:00.010-05:00

There was a lot of good work this year. Too many good spots to name. So I’ve narrowed it down to my ten favorites in no particular order.

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland

Agency: DDB London

Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day NY

Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland

Couldn't find the translated version. Click here to see it on Creativity.
Agency: Madre, Argentina

Agency: 72andsunny, LA

Agency: Grey NY

Agency: BBDO NY

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland

Agency: 72andsunny, LA

Agency: Campbell Ewald, Detroit

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Maeda - 12/28/08

2008-12-28T16:49:00.007-05:00

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

-John Maeda, President, RISD

One of the ironic things to me about technology is that it's supposed to make our lives easier, simpler, better. And yet with all the computers and the software and the internet, with all the cell phones and the PDA's and the iPods-- among dozens of other technological breakthroughs of the past 2 decades-- our lives are made more congested, confusing, complicated.

Because each day is dominated by these things.

Because we are constantly connected, allowed access to a larger plethora of information than any human being can process in one lifetime, we feel like we constantly must be connected.

I think John Maeda is one of the good guys, doing everything in his power to cut away all the excess, but even when all the crap is cut away, the information will still be there. It's up to us to be the ones to say, 'enough.'

dubs. out.

One More Makes a Dollar

2008-12-22T03:12:00.037-05:00

There are 368 miles between where I'm sitting in Chappaqua, NY, my childhood home, and my house in Richmond, VA, the place where I’ve spent the last year and a half of my life molding and shaping myself into an ad man.

Three semesters of Brandcenter have come and gone, and in about 1 month we’ll return for our last one. One more semester before my 80-odd classmates and I are unleashed into the advertising world like a swarm of bees, some to sting, others to make honey.

Interpret those metaphors as you will.

Like the first 2 semesters in this place known as ad school, here's my take on the third:

Kelly O'Keeke's Culture & Communications- Kelly’s class was interesting, to say the least: We went to Monticello, saw an Italian Opera, sat with a chapel-full of old Jesus freaks, spent an evening at a motor speedway in McCain country, attended a lecture by NY Times writer Frank Rich, learned how to salsa dance, spoke with Georgian painters at the James River waterfront, listened to Alan Crawford discuss his book on Thomas Jefferson, learned everything there is to know about Muhammad Ali, visited a folk festival and went on a Friday evening art walk in the pouring rain. It was a great class. And despite the ironic and unreasonable fact that we had just as much work in it than our actual branding and portfolio classes, at least I got a book piece out of it.

Charles Hall's Portfolio Development- It’s been said before by previous classes and it will be said again by subsequent classes, but you give Charles two more years, and he will undoubtedly be the best professor at the Brandcenter. That he continuously learns how to be a better teacher from his students as much as we learn how to be better mass communicators from him is something I don’t doubt for a second. A lot of people dislike Charles’ way of teaching. They dislike his comments and his criticisms, his intense passion and his ardent conviction, his political correctness and his way of what many feel is him projecting his own thoughts. But I try to embrace all of it. Charles is one of those guys that, when giving criticism, will often rub you the wrong way. It’s happened to me numerous times this semester. But each time, as I listen to what he says to my classmates and I, I can’t help but realize two things:

1. He’s usually right.

2. He’s always, always looking out for our best interests.

Cabell Harris' Brand Campaigns- As a Cabell-second-timer, I've gotta say that I got a lot more out of this class than the first time around. The semester before this was a dozen projects, one week each, piled on top of each other in an endless barrage of what felt like suffocating crap. Amidst all our other classes, there was no time to fix anything, hone our crafts, or even put enough thought into something to make it worthwhile.

This semester was different.

Cabell is, in many ways, the opposite of a Charles Hall or a Coz in terms of his teaching style. Where Charles and Coz are passionately hands-on, Cabell prefers a more laid-back, laissez-faire approach. Where it often feels like other teachers push you on their behalf, with Cabell, you’re forced to push yourself on your own. And you’re forced to work with the freedom to do so. I enjoyed this freedom, as I got two of my favorite campaigns done at this school in his class. What Cabell lacks in intensity and pressure he makes up for in support and good-naturedness. These traits, in my eyes, are just as valuable. And are a welcome balance.

Peter Coughter's Presentation Skills- As someone who got a C in his last undergrad public speaking class, I entered this one with a strong sense of purpose. I was determined to make myself a better presenter, which, as Coughter himself says, is the difference between making it in this business and not. Whether I became a better presenter or not is something to be seen, but out of all the classes I’ve taken at this school, at least I enjoyed this one most. I think that comes from laughing harder than I ever have. Peter's not only a great teacher and a great guy, he's funny as hell.

The real world is 20 weeks away from today.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Ally - 12/21/08

2008-12-22T00:24:00.007-05:00

The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging, and hog futures. He never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six years down the road. But the creative person has faith that it will happen.

-Carl Ally

And when you see something interesting (or think it), there's always this to mark it down in to hold onto for those 6 years.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Della Femina - 12/14/08

2008-12-15T01:24:00.006-05:00

Creative people start out hungry. They’re off the street; they know how people think. And their work is great. Then they get successful. They make more and more money, spend their time in restaurants they never dreamed of, fly back and forth between New York and Los Angeles. Pretty soon, the real world isn’t people. It’s just a bunch of lights off the right side of the plane. You have to stay in touch if you’re going to write advertising that works. Ride a subway. Stand up on a bus. Buy a hot dog on the corner. Stay in touch.

-Jerry Della Femina

I was told to read Jerry's book a few years ago when I first started getting interested in advertising.

Although written almost 40 years ago, the principles and insights inside are some that will never be out of use.

dubs. out.

Popping The Whopper Cherry

2008-12-11T13:07:00.014-05:00

Was checking my email today and saw the following message from my mother:

Having worked at Crispin this summer and having seen the amount of publicity generated and Whoppers sold due to stunts like Whopper Freakout, I am obviously biased about the Whopper Virgins campaign.

I like it.

I like the bigness of it, the originality of it, the novelty of taking an ancient idea like blind taste-testing and putting a new, 21st Century, Third World, literal spin on the entire thing.

Say what you want about how this video mocks impoverished people, strange diets and foreign cultures, but I don't believe it does. Despite what people around the industry and around the country are saying, I think most people are overlooking how interesting the campaign is, and instead feel it's their duty to point out false prejudices.

The very fact that people are talking about it in the first place is something that CPB strives for with almost every single thing they do. But this leads to an intriguing question:

Is all publicity, even negative, a good thing?

Needless to say, I satisfied one of my two-Whopper-indulgences-per-year directly after viewing it the other night.

Much better than seal meat.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Marco - 12/7/08

2008-12-07T18:33:00.005-05:00

I'm the son of a workaholic perfectionist. I don't know how not to care. But I've learned that not everybody is cut from the same cloth or does their best work staying up all night and working weekends. A burned out creative is not going to create brilliance. Nor is a bitter one, or one who feels uninspired.

-Harvey Marco, CCO, JWT

I've said it once and I'll say it again (even if the only person who reads this is my mother):

Care.

That's it.

Care about your work, care about the details, care about doing what you think is right. I don't know much, but I know that.

Care.

dubs. out.

New Ffffound

2008-12-05T19:57:00.005-05:00

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Henri- 11/30/08

2008-11-30T20:44:00.009-05:00

Genius is not a possession of the limited few, but exists to some degree in everyone.

-Robert Henri

Sometimes I feel like I'm the smartest guy in the world, and everyone else is stupid and crazy. But more often than that, I feel like I'm the dumbest guy in the world, and everyone else is talented and a genius, privy to the joke that is the universe.

For some sick reason, both scenarios are equally funny to me.

dubs. out.

In The Literal Sense, I Suppose They Are

2008-11-28T17:47:00.004-05:00

I have always hated the word “loser.” I think it’s one thrown around by mean-spirited middle schoolers with no regard for its true connotations of animosity and evil.

But I saw this on ffffound today and couldn’t help mysssself.

dubs. out.

Damn you Wieden...

2008-11-25T23:31:00.010-05:00

and your crazy, brilliant, superbly-written, perfectly-acted Nike branded content.

Ironically, my partner, Matt and I are working on Starbury, the $15-shoe brand that goes against literally everything Nike, Adidas and Jordan (and their array of well-compensated endorsers) stand for.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Hall - 11/23/08

2008-11-23T19:52:00.015-05:00

A writer is someone who thinks he’s right.

-Charles Hall, VCU Brandcenter

I have a lot of esteem issues with my writing. I often feel that what I have to say is something either people don't agree with or is something they don't want to hear. I usually have to force myself to write it. Especially on this blog.

So it was nice to hear Charles give me this little nugget of wisdom earlier this week in our one-on-one meeting. He told me that all great writers--from the professors at this school to beyond--believe this, whether they know it or not. It's not arrogance. It's just injecting what you believe into the world.

If you're wrong, no one gives a shit. If you're right, it's the greatest thing there is. There is nothing to lose by saying what you think is right.

Here's some words from a guy who had a similar view.

I think there are few better words for a writer to live by than Charles'. And I think they're something I'll carry around with me for a long time.

dubs. out.

The Magic of Perception

2008-11-21T18:42:00.003-05:00

Stumbled on this site from Digg.

It shows 20-year-old model Eniko Mihalik photographed as if she were at 6 different decades of her life.

Very cool.

dubs. out.

Somewhere, a Local Media Buyer is Crying

2008-11-20T14:15:00.011-05:00

This is a picture of the billboard across the street from the Brandcenter. It’s not photoshopped and there’s nothing missing from it.

I couldn’t make this shit up.

Sometimes the stupidity and/or carelessness of the things that go on in advertising makes me shameful for trying so hard to be a part of it.

I've seen ads with typos in ad annuals before.

This picture demonstrates why I often feel this way and makes me want to find whoever approved this and give them a good, hard smack across the face for being part of the problem.

dubs. out.

I Know, Right?

2008-11-18T19:45:00.002-05:00

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, McLuhan- 11/16/08

2008-11-16T22:29:00.005-05:00

Advertising is the greatest art form of the 20th century . . . Historians and archaeologists will one day discover that the ads of our time are the richest and most faithful reflections that any society ever made of its entire range of activities.

-Marshall McLuhan

Every now and then, when I'm working hard and immersed in some bitch of an ad campaign, the worst thing I can do to break focus is stop and think, ‘What am I working so hard for? Fuck it. It’s only advertising.’

Instead I should imagine, as McLuhan does, what my print ad for Little Debbie cakes might look like to an archeologist in the year 3214 picking up a crumpled magazine from some dusty patch of dirt in Milwaukee.

What will she think about the society in which we all lived based on that?

dubs. out.

The Idea Block Blocker

2008-11-13T15:44:00.008-05:00

This thing, from The Director's Bureau Special Projects, a creative consultancy firm, may just be what we need when our heads are hurting and our thoughts refuse to move another inch.

To play around with it or download the widget, visit here. Maybe, somehow, a revolutionary morphing hotel will be the answer you're seeking for that new smoothie client.

Special props to Husayn Raza for the find.

dubs. out.

Words Microsoft Word Continues To Underline, Despite My Protests

2008-11-10T14:32:00.007-05:00

creatives
playlist
internet
blog
blogger
blogged
ringtones
businesscard
iPod
pics
YouTube
non-trad
papercut
aspirational
speedbump

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Hegarty – /11/9/08

2008-11-09T13:15:00.017-05:00

You get paid a large amount of money to sit in a very nice office to have lots of crazy, wacky ideas. Then those ideas are sold to a client, who pays a large amount of money to take those ideas. And then spends an absolute fortune on telling everybody about your idea. Now isn't that the biggest ego trip in the world?

-John Hegarty, BBH

Sometimes it's hard to keep your eye on the ball that is your career whilst in the middle of the storm that is ad school. So it's always refreshing to get an outside perspective. In the case of last Monday, ours came from one of--if not the greatest--ad men in the history of the business. Not only did John Hegarty speak to our school, but my roommate, Jesse and I were privileged enough to pick him up from the airport.

I was even able to meet with him one-on-one to look at some of my book.

If you had asked me 2 years ago if I ever thought I would get to show John Hegarty my portfolio, I would have laughed. Yet it wasn't until halfway through that meeting where it finally hit me, and I remember at one point being in awe of not the man, but the moment itself.

The verdict: He thought my work was "interesting," albeit a bit too far for people to go in terms of advertising. He told me I complicated things, and that I would improve once I learned to truly simplify, referencing the simple brilliance of The Economist headlines. I don't need a second opinion on that. He also told me to take out my Miss Yu ads, citing most local ads as "parochial." Needless to say, it was an awkward few seconds as I explained the meaning of the first one to him.

I make no exaggeration when I say that Mr. Hegarty was the best speaker I've seen at this school-- and we've had many good ones. I say that not just because he has a reputation unsurpassed by few living people, or because he's built one of the most famous and successful agency networks on the planet, or because he has made some of the greatest commercials of the last 25 years, or because he was knighted by the Queen. I say it because he is, very simply, a tremendously nice guy.

I have often heard that many of the greatest ad people have stepped over people and clawed their way to the top, with horror stories from those who have worked under them along the way. But I cannot possibly see anyone not wanting to work for this man, as he struck me as one of those incredibly rare people who actually cares about those around him more than he does himself.

I'll always remember throughout my career, the day a 60-year-old man, more busy and more successful and more intelligent than most of us will ever hope to become, took time out of his schedule to personally meet with a dozen ad kids, and in the process, learned the meaning of the word "milf."

dubs. out.

Perspective on a Whole New Level

2008-11-07T00:48:00.008-05:00

This is Carl Sagan reading an excerpt from his audio book, "Pale Blue Dot."

Imagine if everyone watched this video once a week. If so, the world would have no choice but to be a better place.

Imagine if just the world's leaders did.

dubs. out.

Impossible Really Is Nothing

2008-11-05T13:42:00.007-05:00

"That is what happened Tuesday night and that is why we awake this morning to a different country. The struggle for equal rights is far from over, but we start afresh now from a whole new baseline. Let every child and every citizen and every new immigrant know that from this day forward everything really is possible in America...... Obama will always be our first black president. But can he be one of our few great presidents? He is going to have his chance because our greatest presidents are those who assumed the office at some of our darkest hours and at the bottom of some of our deepest holes...... None of this will be easy. But my gut tells me that of all the changes that will be ushered in by an Obama presidency, breaking with our racial past may turn out to be the least of them. There is just so much work to be done. The Civil War is over. Let reconstruction begin."

-Thomas Friedman, NYT Op-Ed, Finishing Our Work

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Deutsch- 11/2/08

2008-11-02T10:47:00.011-05:00

The biggest winners in the world are the people who somehow, right or wrong, are able to use their own universe as a grading system. They don’t need anybody else’s boundaries; they don’t play in anybody else’s sandbox.

-Donny Deutsch, Deutsch USA

I’m currently reading Donny’s book, Often Wrong, Never in Doubt, alternating nightly with Augusten Burroughs and Charles Bukowski in my “fill your head with simultaneous bits from different worlds” reading program.

I started reading it on a roommate’s suggestion, and to be honest, I hated it at first. To begin with, I don’t particularly like the way he writes, which is often poorly-punctuated, usually not grammatically correct, and almost always sounds like it's written by an arrogant, suburban Long Island kid still stuck in 1974. On top of this, the examples of “good work” he cited from his agency are, in my idiot student opinion, not good at all.

But when I started getting into it I realized something: The reason I didn't like him was because he was different. He wrote differently, spoke differently, thought differently. Where every other ad writer wrote humbly and downplayed his or her accomplishments, this guy just tells it like it is. He's smart and successful and he lets everyone know that he knows it.

More than anything, dude's honest.

So instead of resisting his poor grammar and annoying Long Island slang, I soon found these things refreshing. A strange, more down-to-earth way of saying something thousands before him have all said in the same, well-mannered way.

He’s got good things to say, and an interesting perspective from which to say them. He looks at the world the way I suppose all ambitious young people should. With a “do what you think is right” attitude and a “why not me” philosophy.

Why not me write brilliant ads? Why not me win lots of awards? Why not me make a shit ton of money? Why not me get promoted? Why not me get promoted again? Why not me open up my own shop? Why not me be the next big thing in advertising? Why not me be the next big thing in anything other than advertising? Why not me marry a supermodel?

Why the fuck not me?

When you live your life like that, when you arm yourself with this lack of thinking about all the boundaries and all the politics and all the things holding you down, the walls fall and the whole world opens up to you. When you think like that, your mind is free to see beyond what you think you will be and onward to what you could be.

The hard part is having the courage to think like that.

dubs. out.

Oh, Dwight.

2008-11-01T18:10:00.009-04:00

I just received a call on my cellphone. The number said “630 Calling...”

What the hell does that mean?

I answer it. A man’s recorded voice comes on and states in exactly 30 seconds why Dwight Jones is the only mayor Richmond can trust. Then it hangs up on me.

I may actually vote for this guy simply for having the balls to do such a thing.

dubs. out.

They're... Tooooo Old

2008-10-30T00:08:00.009-04:00

In our first semester of Brandcenter, our copywriting professor, Coz used to say we needed to take facts and--creatively--make them our bitch (not in those words).

These do that well.

From JWT New York, Ty Montague and Harvey Marco, they're the best (read: truthful, funny, distinctive) youth voting awareness ads I think I've ever seen.

Airport:

Phone:

JWT has been rocking it lately.

dubs. out.

Help Momma Vote Right

2008-10-29T14:50:00.019-04:00

There are still millions of undecideds out there. Statistically-speaking, most of them are 40 to 60-year-old mothers. Who better to convince them to vote Obama than their own babies?

To make this idea a reality, a few girls from my class (Julie, Kelly & Raquel) created this site along with Mike Lear and some others from the Martin Agency.

It's awesome.

So far the site has gotten 10,000 hits and has received press on Adrants, Digg and Current, which said: "This is a site created by some brilliant college students at Virginia Commonwealth University to help new voters reach out to their mothers about the importance of this election and why they are supporting Senator Obama. It's inspiring to see students with this kind of initiative and creating something so positive. Check it out and please spread the word."

I'm incredibly impressed and immensely jealous they were able to actually do what they said they would, instead of just talking about it like most of us do.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Krouse Rosenthal – 10/26/08

2008-10-27T21:49:00.008-04:00

Think about how refreshing it is to see a movie you can’t stop playing over in your mind. Or read a cartoon that makes you rip it out and tape it to your wall. Or you’re 3 cents short and a stranger just hands it to you. Or you see a commercial that assumes you have a brain.

-Amy Krouse Rosenthal, author

There is nothing in the world more amazing than seeing or experiencing the few things in it that are truly works of genius. Things you are forced to enjoy as you suspend your jealousy and realize that you never could have done them yourself.

I don't believe we should ever be forced to dumb down our work for anyone-- no partners, no creative directors, no agencies, no clients, no public. They deserve to see the best we've got, and they deserve to be challenged and inspired.

dubs. out.

Sarah Palin's High School Report Card

2008-10-25T17:55:00.001-04:00

Scary.

dubs. out.

Wassup 2008

2008-10-24T17:15:00.004-04:00

They said this joke was dead a decade ago.

They were dead wrong.

PUN. Count it.

dubs. out.

In Warm Blood

2008-10-23T17:57:00.029-04:00

The cigarette bounces in my trembling hand
And the city stays still below
The third floor deck I’m grasping
With the free one

It’s one of those perfect cloudy days
That gets its perfection from those clouds
Thick and ashen and neverending and beautiful

And we go back together

To a moment before
One of those horrible ones that make you
Sad with the way things happen and
Angry at the way things have to be

A warm squirrel is hugging cold pavement
Slowly inching its way in no particular direction
Half his body victim to a remorseless front right tire

Praying for any other than this exact moment of his life

Misery may love company
But when company’s not an option
Misery panics
Misery wants a way out

Bike skids to a stop
Backpack drops
Girl watches scene unfold

Now misery loves release

Helplessness overpowers me
Overpowers her
Overpowers him
Overpowers us

No cars to flag down for our dirty work
No police to call
No parents to make everything alright

It's just us here

A blue shoe raises
The air parts
A leg muscle holds steady
And releases

Then again
And once more
And the puddle grows

And it lives still

Girl's car is the last option
And my heart heaves
When another tire finishes
What the first didn’t have the guts to do

You want a cigarette, girl commands
And doesn’t ask
As she reaches into a gold purse

I don’t smoke

Only when the beers allow it
Or when the jangled nerves allow it
Or when the innocent squirrels allow it
So yes

Back on the deck
A nicotine-riddled mind reflects on
The only thing in the world worse than death

And sometimes killing is the only moral thing to do.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Lubars– 10/19/08

2008-10-19T19:48:00.005-04:00

(When you’re looking for a Cannes Grand Prix winner) you're looking for the first time you get kissed. The first time you walk into a baseball stadium holding your dad's hand when you're 7. The first time you use an iPod. The first time you drive by yourself. The first time you have ice cream. The first time you dive off a board. The first time you plug in a guitar. The first time you watch Goodfellas. The first time you hear Miles. The first time you look at a Magritte. Something like that.

-David Lubars, Chairman/CCO, BBDO North America

I wouldn't mind working for this guy someday. And by that, I mean I'd kill to work for this guy someday.

dubs. out.

The Triumphant Return of Terry Tate

2008-10-18T23:01:00.003-04:00

dubs. out.

John McCain Making Balloon Animals

2008-10-16T00:51:00.000-04:00

dubs. out.

Trust

2008-10-15T14:04:00.015-04:00

I’m sitting in a coffeeshop in the middle of Richmond, Virginia.

A few minutes ago, a middle-aged man came up to me outside as I was chaining up my bike. African American. Old sweatshirt. Dirty jeans. Wouldn’t look me in the eye. He tapped me on the shoulder and showed me a small white index card with the following message written in big, block, child-like letters:

HELLO. SMILE.
DEAF MUTE.
TAKING DONATIONS TO GO TO A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.
EVERYTHING HELPS.
GOD BLESS YOU.

I looked up at him and used the second-and-a-half of time I had (for my face to follow my eyes’ lead) to size him up.

This man could be lying to me.

But I knew that if I asked him if he was serious, not only would he not answer me, I might offend him by even suggesting he was scamming. So with no options, I did the only thing I could do. I pulled out my wallet. The only thing in there was a 5. I pulled it out—freeze frame in my mind as I thought twice about it—and handed it to him without saying anything.

He pocketed the bill. Without a change of expression in his face, he put his hand to his heart, held out the card again and pointed to the last sentence at the bottom.

GOD BLESS YOU.

Then he walked away.

This was either one of the neediest people I have ever met, or one of the smartest. Either way, he had $5 I was going to use to get a muffin and an iced tea.

Now I’m hungry and drinking tap water. But half of me feels fulfilled.

The other half feels stupid.

dubs. out.

Nike “Fate”

2008-10-13T14:06:00.007-04:00

This is the kind of ad that makes little kids want to be nasty athletes.

Or advertising copywriters.

Or both.

Notice the shots of both kids falling back laughing onto their beds at the end. That didn't need to be there. The spot would have worked without it. But the thing that has made Nike advertising so memorable over the years has been the seemingly unnecessary little details like this. To me, that's what separates great work from good.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Parton, 10/12/08

2008-10-12T13:33:00.011-04:00

Approach all work with an online state of mind.

-Paul Parton, Brooklyn Brothers

Paul Parton and Guy Barnett, two of the founding partners of the Manhattan-based shop, The Brooklyn Brothers, are neither brothers nor have been to Brooklyn more than twice, but they've managed to put together an agency that was successful enough to open a second office in London several months ago.

After sharing some drinks with them and hearing them speak at our last Friday Speaker Forum, it's clear their 15-man operation is living proof that bigger isn't better. While they might have a trivial name, their philosophy is anything but. And it shows in their work.

I like keeping an eye on small, boutique shops like these. The ones that don't define themselves as advertising or branding or designing agencies-- just creative. They will, in my opinion, define the future of where the best work will be done. In many cases, it's where it's already happening.

dubs. out.

Vote. For the love of God.

2008-10-12T00:55:00.005-04:00

dubs. out.

Care

2008-10-08T00:47:00.022-04:00

I love making ads. It sounds ridiculous. But I really do.

There’s always that feeling of starting out without any clue. That momentary panic when you’re given an assignment. That ‘oh, shit’ minute.

‘This is it,’ you silently say. ‘This is where everyone’s going to realize the true hack I know I’ve always been. Where the genius I will never become will finally—and thankfully—be exposed.’

But part of you thinks something else.

Part of you thinks about what you could do. The anticipation of doing what’s been done by no one before you and conceivably, by no one after you.

And that’s the part I love.

Could this be the one that defines my career? The one that people will see and get excited about and remember and love? Could this be the one that inspires someone to do something they’ve always wanted to do and never have? Buy a product they’ve never bought that will change their life? Get involved in a cause they’ve always felt strongly about and never realized?

Could this be the one that makes someone see some aspect about the world in an entirely new and different and amazingly optimistic way that makes him or her think, ‘Man, that is so right on. That’s how I see things, too. I just never knew it.’

I love how advertising makes the mundane seem extraordinary. How it forces you to see the wonder in literally everything that exists. This wonder can make train transport remarkable, multivitamins incredible, insurance unbelievable.

I love that there’s a certain amount of fear in this business. But I love even more the pride. Because pride is where the fear comes from. It’s worth more than the money and the fame and the toys. It can’t be shown off on your wrist or backed out of a garage or sipped from a glass.

Pride is what keeps you working two days straight not because of a paycheck or a promotion or an awards show, but because you truly want to make it great for no one but you. It’s knowing you’ve figured out and created something no one out of 6 billion ever could.

It’s someone coming up to you and telling you your work touched them. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced what that feels like, but I know this much.

It's worth caring about.

dubs. out.

NewRack

2008-10-07T19:01:00.007-04:00

Got this from a friend of a friend. Who I suppose is now a friend.

Wish I thought of this.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Riswold– 10/5/08

2008-10-05T23:01:00.017-04:00

Most advertising strives for nothing more than to be ‘not wrong.’

-Jim Riswold, former CD, Wieden + Kennedy

Jim Riswold, in the words of Mark Fenske, "is the greatest American copywriter alive today." Three years ago, after being diagnosed with leukemia, he had a low chance of still being alive.

But on Monday at noon, students at the VCU Brandcenter got to see him in the flesh to hear him speak about triumphing over that tribulation. A few of us went out for drinks with him and Fenske the night before, and it was an amazing experience to say the least. Halfway through the night, while I was urinating my second beer, I remember looking at the wall in front of me and letting it finally hit me. I was having drinks with the man who made Nike Nike, the one brand that is undisputably put on a pedestal by every single ad professor I've ever had, almost to the point of annoyance. He was the unveiler of the most famous tagline ever created, and the inventor of postmodern advertising, which even the inventor himself doesn't know "what the fuck that is."

Riswold created the Mars Blackmon campaign, Charles Barkley's "I Am Not a Role Model," a bunch of Tiger Woods commercials, including "I am Tiger Woods" and "Hello World," the "Bo Knows" campaign, and a slew of MJ spots, to name just a few.

Most of the people sitting at that table, at one time or another, had a Nike poster taped up in their room that he wrote. We grew up amidst what this guy spewed from his brilliant brain. What spewed from his brilliant brain influenced us, and most likely contributed to why many of us were in ad school to begin with.

But that's another blog post entirely.

After being diagnosed with leukemia, having worked at Wieden for more than 20 years, working amongst, under and over some of the best creatives in the entire world, he decided to retire to follow his other passion: creating, in his words, "bad art." It's controversial and tasteless and hilarious and sensational and genius all wrapped together. He's truly one of a kind, and I feel honored to have met him.

To see is work, visit Jim Riswold Dot Com. And turn up the volume on your computer speakers.

dubs. out.,

Bumper Sticker Hell

2008-10-04T15:26:00.020-04:00

My roommate, Jordan and I were getting into his car to drive somewhere last week, and as we were pulling out of the spot, I noticed that the car in front of us had two Hanna Montana bumper stickers on it. This got me thinking about all the awful, meaningless shit people put on their cars.

Um. What?

Jesus thinks you're an asshole too, amigo.

How bout no, Scott.

I'd rather I were not behind you.

Lady, you're scarin' us.

There is no real reason why you need to tell us this other than to show how funny you are. Problem is, it's not funny.

Oh, puns and threats.

You are not worth understanding.

That's very mature of you.

You would.

When the tough go drinking at Whitey's, the tough get DUIs.

You're awful at life.

I hate you.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Granger – 9/28/08

2008-09-28T14:21:00.006-04:00

My personal mission and mantra is ‘Life is too short to be mediocre.’ I don’t want to get up in the morning and go ‘Hey! Today I’m going to be mediocre!’ I want people around me who are on a mission to be the best and to be famous.

-Tony Granger, CCO, Y&R NY

I keep Tony's mantra over my desk, so I have to see it every day. Forcing yourself to look at something subjective yet true makes it hard to do shitty work.

dubs. out.

The Other Side

2008-09-28T12:46:00.005-04:00

In one month, the video below has gotten nearly 10 million hits on YouTube. It has been nearly that entire time without a proper comeback, so long so that we had actually written and planned to shoot one ourselves. Someone beat us to it, and did a better job than we ever could have.

The original:

The comeback:

Clearly McCain doesn't own the military vote. Let's get this one 10 million hits, too.

dubs. out.

100000000000000000000

2008-09-25T01:30:00.008-04:00

I was wondering when something like this would finally happen. Welcome to the "Save The World Contest." $10 million up for grants.

Of course it's Google's idea.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Schenck - 9/21/08

2008-09-21T23:57:00.006-04:00

We all want to do inspired amazing work. We all want to move up the ladder. We all want to be adored at Cannes. Idolized in the One Show. See our names emblazoned on the pages of Communication Arts and Lurzer’s,. Get the big glass office. Get the big promotion. Get the big everything. Fell the grin on our face the first day we pull out of the Audi dealership in our new R8. All that’s cool. All that’s fine. But if one day, while you’re waiting in South Africa to board your flight to Tokyo and you get a text from your daughter saying that she did great in her ballet recital and don’t worry mommy took some pictures for you, don’t be surprised if you find yourself asking: Why did I (want this)?

-Ernie Schenck, CD, Hill Holiday, Boston

Be careful what you wish for.

dubs. out.

A Beautiful Moment Ruined

2008-09-21T23:56:00.016-04:00

Tonight marked the last game in Yankee Stadium’s storied 85-year history. After a full Sunday of meetings, my roommates and I were able to get back to the house in time to catch the last 2 ½ innings and the postgame hooplah.

I was never a crazed baseball fan like many of my friends, but as a lifelong New Yorker I always enjoyed seeing the Yankees win, I always admired their history and tradition, and I always loved being in their house.

It was an emotional half hour. The kind you watch live and know that you’re one of millions out there seeing and thinking the same things. You know you’re seeing something special that will be viewed again and again and talked about for years to come.

You know it’s something special when Mariano Rivera enters the field for the last time silhouetted amidst several thousand flashing bulbs. You know it's something special when the announcers don’t speak for two straight minutes, giving viewers those rare, unblemished moments in sports where you can hear what what an excited crowd sounds like when two men aren’t trying to talk over it.

At one point after the game, as the team made their final lap around the perimeter of the outfield, the shots being beamed into our house were of cameras catching crying and clapping fans around the stadium. My favorite: A boy who couldn't have been more than 8-years old who looked like he was on that verge between tears and of being completely fine. Someone who was not alive in the 20th Century looked to me like he was about a fleeting glance of Derek Jeter away from breaking down and weeping.

One of the other images the cameras picked up was a young couple silently embraced in one of the upper decks. She had her head cocked, sobbing as she looked out onto the field. He had one arm draped over her, expressionless, looking down at his cellphone, furiously punching in something with his thumbs. It could have been one of those stunning, truthful moments that etch itself into your mind-- like the picture of that sailor who came back from World War II and kissed that woman in Times Square (my friend's grandmother as it turns out).

But instead, a cellphone ruined it. Technology ruined it. This future we’re all living in ruined it.

There was no one texting or calling with their cellphones 53 years ago. Even 20 years ago, would we have seen this same moment ruined by someone checking their beeper?

For one of our classes, we’re required to write something about culture each week. It could be anything. This week, I've decided to document the death of pure, untarnished emotion, by stating the following truth we just witnessed:

A beautiful moment in history was marred tonight by the spoils of the future.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Kalman - 9/14/08

2008-09-14T21:27:00.011-04:00

Good designers (and writers and artists) make trouble.

-Tibor Kalman

Today, several of my classmates and I were given the real-world opportunity of a lifetime by some of the most famous and powerful people in the advertising industry.

The assignment: Get Barack Obama into the White House.

The assignment: change and shake up the very foundation that traditional American politics is based on. It's to get a man into office that will, years from now, when children that aren't even born yet open their textbooks to this era, hopefully prove that 2008 was the crossroads of time for this country and for this world, and that by changing how we choose, we made the right choice.

The assignment is, in essence, to make trouble.

dubs. out.

Bang.

2008-09-08T11:40:00.010-04:00

Was perusing CNN.com this morning, and stumbled on the following lead story: Big Bang Experiment Creates Excitement, Fear. Even if understanding most of science is beyond your comprehension (as it is mine) you can't be a citizen of this world and not be intrigued by a headline like that.

The story is about the team of scientists, working underground, 300 feet beneath Geneva Switzerland, that has created the first Large Hadron Collider. Aside from being one of the most expensive ($10 B) and ambitious scientific experiments ever, the Colider is being dubbed "the most advanced and complex machine ever built in the history of mankind."

They plan to turn it on 2 days from now, on September 10th.

During one of the videos the team made, the voiceover says the following: "Please don't turn off your television. Because if you do that, it's... like turning off your television when man landed on the moon. Really."

Okay, guys. You've got my attention.

Since the science is way over my head, this video can explain it better than I ever could.

They even made a rap about it.

"I think we are on the verge of a revolution in our understanding of the universe," says one of the scientists. "The LHC is by far the biggest jump into the unknown."

When I was little, I thought that adults knew everything about everything. Having grown up since then, it's been times like these along the way that have suited to keep me constantly reminded that no one knows anything about anything.

It's times like these that make life exciting, to know that you're living while there's this momentous occasion in history unfolding as you breathe. But some aren't so excited. They think the LHC might tear the fabric of space time and thus destroy the universe in a flash, or create a black hole that eats the whole world:

The truth remains to be seen this Wednesday. If we're all still here, I'll post again.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Palmer – 9/7/08

2008-09-07T17:25:00.021-04:00

It’s a great time to get into advertising because people are in a panic, and they’re open to new ideas.

-Benjamin Palmer, CEO, Barbarian Group

Benjamin Palmer and his partner, Rick Webb came to speak at our Friday Forum last week. It started out slow, but when the guys got into some of the web stuff they've done (including Subservient Chicken, and CNN t-shirts) it was clear that there was this electricity in the air, the kind that happens when you know everyone around you is feeling inspired. It's those magic moments that you wish were constantly happening, when you see and/or hear something that motivates and stimulates you. A lesson from a teacher, a lecture from a speaker, something in a book or video, anything that makes you want to bust out of the doors and create something cool. It felt like a more tangible version of the word 'possibilities.'

When Benjamin said the quote above, I wrote it down feverishly. Because although I already knew it in the back of my mind, I had never heard it put quite so bluntly. I never realized how true it really was.

It's become sort of a cliché in the industry because everyone always says it, but people really are scared. As far as advertising goes, especially with technology and innovation moving at the pace it is, they're open to literally anything they can use. Clients, agencies, Creative Directors, whoever. Everyone wants to know what the next big thing is. What the next crazy way the web can be shaped and molded to sell something to someone. Or what the next crazy way something off the web can be shaped and molded to sell something to someone.

People just want to know what's possible. And whether it comes from some 35-year-old flash developer/VP or some punk 24-year-old ad school student with a head full of what hasn't been done before, if it's cool, people want it.

dubs. out.

Brand(,) You(?)

2008-09-02T14:39:00.028-04:00

A few of us spent Labor Day at Virginia Beach. On the way back, we stopped at Prime Outlets in Williamsburg. While uncomfortably trying on a blue cardigan sweater in J. Crew I made a joke that, “wearing this wouldn’t be on strategy for the Jake Dubs brand.” An advertising joke.

Funny.

We got in the car and began the drive back to Richmond. I leaned my face against the glass and looked up at the star-riddled sky.

Written on my portfolio professor, Charles Hall’s business card is the following:

when lovers stop flirting
and partners stop listening
when boyfriends stop calling
and girlfriends stop kissing
when husbands stop touching
and wives stop feeling
when people stop communicating
people have affairs.

brands are people too.

I always liked it put that way, but let's flip it.

People are brands, too.

As a person, you are your own brand. Everything you do must be on strategy as to what it is you are trying to do in your life. Everything you do must be on strategy as to what makes you different and unique and better. What's your USP?

From any one moment we can be a million different things at once, any one of them representing who we are and what's important to us at that particular moment. A racquetball player, a student, a leader, a lover, a hater, a nice guy, a smart guy, a cool guy, involved, apathetic, girl-crazy, money-crazy, crazy-crazy, someone who wants to have a family, someone who wants to change the world, someone who wants to sell multivitamins.

But who you are overall is what really matters. All of those moments put together to create that one big moment that is your life is what really matters.

Taking risks in your life is the same as taking risks for a brand, as far as I'm concerned. Analogously, as putting money into a different new proposition for a brand could be risky, so to is putting yourself in jeopardy when you put time and effort into doing something different.

Similar to spending a half million dollars to put fire-juggling clowns atop the Chrysler Building for Commerce Bank, you could be taking a year of your professional life to backpack India in order to broaden your horizons. In my opinion, there’s no difference between the two.

The only questions are, will shelling out half a million to put fire-juggling clowns atop the Chrysler Building get people to switch to Commerce Bank? Will taking a year of your professional life to backpack India really broaden your horizons and make you a better professional and person? Is either one right for the brand, or just a stupid figment of your imagination, off-strategy, and an unnecessary risk?

I realized that at this school--and in this industry--it's all about taking risks and putting out work that is different and provocative and new. Which is fantastic. But everything we do still needs to be smart and calculated. We need to start thinking of the brands we work on as ourselves, or at the very least, brands we own. By putting ourselves in these shoes, it forces us to think calculated and smart, rather than risky and half-baked just because we can.

In the same way you are your own brand, your book is your brand's ads. Everything in there is working towards showing off who you are and what you stand for. And to create it, I think it's important to remember you are always working for yourself (especially when you're in school). It’s not for your teachers or your client or your agency or your Creative Director.

It's all for you.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Scarpelli – 8/31/08

2008-08-31T16:12:00.005-04:00

I deeply believe that every assignment is a chance to do something great for your client, for your agency, and for yourself.

-Bob Scarpelli, Chairman & CCO, DDB Worldwide

The word of the day is opportunity. The smaller, harder, more arcane the assignment, the greater the possibilities. And the greater it looks when it's in your book.

dubs. out.

45 Years And 1,700 Miles

2008-08-29T00:08:00.007-04:00

History has a way of repeating itself.

This time that's a good thing.

dubs. out.

Ohhh Those Crazy Account People...

2008-08-28T02:30:00.004-04:00

My mother actually sent this to me over the summer.

Now that my vow of silence has been lifted, I share it with the world-- if you haven't seen it already.

There is truth in exaggeration, and 4:32 of time is a small price to pay to witness it.

dubs. out.

Quote of The Week, Cole - 8/24/08

2008-08-24T23:58:00.018-04:00

Creativity is playing with freedom.

-Glenn Cole, Co-founder/CD, 72andSunny LA

It's a funny thing to leave a year of school making fake ads, take a summer internship making real ones (or trying to), and return to a year of school to make more fake ads, in between returning to a lifetime of making real ones (or trying to).

Some might say it's difficult, frustrating and stupid to come back to fantasy when you've spent time in reality, but it's not. This place isn't about making fake ads. It's about showing what you can do with the freedom to do whatever you want, before a lot of that freedom is taken from you.

What can you do when there's no boundaries? When there's literally nothing holding you back except your own imagination? When the only opinion that really matters is your own?

It took me an entire summer of rules and restrictions and briefs and planners and Creative Directors and real jobs and money and stock prices on the line to realize we have it pretty good in this fantasy world.

And yet why is ad school still more stressful than the real world?

Because with the freedom to create we have the freedom to scare ourselves into not letting ourselves down.

dubs. out.