denim.

this article was posted in the NYTimes today.

it was interesting for a few reasons. one, i knew levi's was searching for a new agency last year, and i knew one of the agencies in the running - so i clearly wanted to know who was going to win the account. two, because of the agency they chose.

"Wieden & Kennedy was selected for the assignment, Mr. Sweeny said, because of its “track record for tapping into” popular culture for brands aimed at younger consumers like Nike." Mr. Sweeny, by the way, is the vice president of marketing for levi's.

i already do not like the campaign. i think it is generic. and it doesn't really make me want to jump on the levi bandwagon. and i say this because i am the target market.

also, i think it is ridiculous for them to choose W+K because of the work they do for Nike. yes, most likely there were other reasons in the choosing of said agency, and while i do enjoy the work they produce for nike, among other brands, i think it is because both have created this lasting, beautiful partnership together, while also being given the time to really understand one another, as well as the cultural landscape they advertise in. so, if levi's wants to get back to being awesome, creatively, i hope they are ready to spend the time and energy by building a relationship with W+K.

also:

this is a rebranding campaign, first and foremost. new agency. new creative. new tagline. and while as a country we are facing tough times, i find it odd to wrap a rebranding campaign strictly around the economy. their research shows the target market being optimistic about the future - we're resilient!

i think they should have built a campaign around what they want to be (while also keeping their heritage), and then add parts to it to fit the current climate. because when this is all said and done, they are going back to the drawing board to fit the new climate.

am i wrong in this thought? again, i was not part of the actual pitch, or the selection process, so this is just an opinion.

thoughts on advertising.

I am quickly beginning to realize the future of advertising is going to be purely digital.

personally, i love interactive advertising (specifically, the Internet). when i first interned with IMC2, i was able to think in a visual capacity, as well as a print medium. and the merging of both created a very interesting and exciting space and place for our message to get across.

As of late, i have noticed many buses carrying these sweet billboards that move. and glow. and provide excellent stimulus to my senses. and even when i was in school, and home in texas, i noticed billboards which changed every 10 seconds or so.

i say this because once, a long time ago, before newspapers were dying, and people didn't have the internet, people read. they read magazines. books. the paper. so i wonder if what people saw on a printed piece of paper, they went out to experience for themselves first hand. after all, an image can be a very powerful thing.

we now have billboards, first done by mini cooper which show RFID technology being used to relate to consumers.

And more importantly, we have fast food menus, television monitors at the box office using digital imagery to entice consumers. which don't get me wrong, is nice to see popcorn and a DP being all delicious looking, but i can get the same sensory satisfaction looking at a well-shot picture.

and late last year, Esquire magazine created the first digital cover to hit mainstream.

we are moving into a generation not content with stationary objects. and that isn't bad, per say, but i think my real worry is: it might eventually take the fun out of experiencing an event.

basically, i think there is a time and place for all advertising. and i think we need to tone down the digital bits. we need to allow user interaction across many mediums, instead of having an explosion all at once. a good campaign has the user seek out the product. gain information.

as a creative, i hope we don't lose touch with the past. someone once said my portfolio lacked "punch. it was boring, because it was print". and i was floored. i was sad. i was angry. i covered a lot of emotional ground in the span of 5 minutes, trust me. but looking back on it, i realized how wrong he was.

print advertising is HARD. it's difficult. it's a process. we are not able to merge visual (moving objects) with the print. we have one way to reach our audience. and it's what i crave. maybe people use both to hide behind their idea, thinking "if we tease them with moving objects, they won't notice the ad sucks."

once you get a good print idea, the rest just falls into place. and a great ad doesn't need a lot of layers. and if the digital parts work, as with my above example with mini cooper, than i say why not. just don't let being digital take precedence over what could become a good ad. and a great campaign.

no title. sorry.

the weather lately in nyc has been putting me in a sour mood. while i love rain, and highly enjoy splashing in puddles with rain boots on my little (metaphorically speaking) feet, i can only handle so much rain for so long. what can i say, i love the sun.

anyway, this past weekend was wonderful. it was relaxing to just hang out. you know what i mean? we had no set agenda except to eat BBQ. which brings me to the main part of this whole post! the big apple BBQ. i'm from texas. i love meat. and BBQ. and i love it in large quantities. so when i smell charcoal and mesquite wood burning, my heart speeds up to the speed of light in this huge excitement explosion.

so we went and ate. and decided to go eat some froyo (frozen yogurt) and walked around SOHO.

i felt like a real new yorker this past weekend.

oh, and i inexplicably woke up before 8 AM on sunday, so i was able to accomplish many things - running around the park,buying milk, and even hitting up st. patty's for mass. the things that happen in the early morning.

commercial for you.

i freaking love this commercial



this ad from Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, New York is for Wendy's, and it's just so much fun. I remember when Wendy's was going through their huge agency overhall and I was unsure of the direction. I haven't really noticed Wendy's advertising until now though.

one year baby.

today is friday. which means it's the weekend. which means, i am excited.

this past weekend was memorial day. hopefully, everyone out there knew that and was able to celebrate in grand style. i myself made it to a couple of BBQ's and was quite in love with the smell of all things lighter fluid. it reminded me of texas.

one BBQ was in brooklyn. i left the island. and it scared me. also, i looked like i just arrived off my yacht, and had finished a conversation about harvard. naturally, i didn't fit in. it was humorous.

this weekend, one of my close friends and i will celebrate our one year anniversary of moving to the city that never sleeps! it's a big deal. and even though we haven't lived here for a full year (i went to chicago, she went home after our respective internships) we both came back and that is what matters.

so we are going to be all touristy. and cute. and if you see us squealing like 17 year old girls, well, don't be surprised.

something more.

last night, i was able to see "33 variations", a play starring jane fonda. it closes today, thursday, so i was pretty lucky to see it. plus she was nominated for a tony for best actress, and COME ON! it's jane freakin' fonda.

the show itself was wonderful. not exactly what i was expecting, which isn't a bad thing. most of the actors were excellent - colin hanks is also in it, and i really like him. there are some parts where he sounds just like his dad. i mean, i was wondering if it was indeed mr. tom hanks himself.

today, i received my business cards! which means, i am a real adult. well, not really. but i have cards to hand out to anyone and everyone. i am quite excited.

i have also started a new diet. which isn't like, "new" according to some magazine or televisions how. but it's new to my and my stomach. i have started shopping at whole foods a lot more, and started eating in. while most will say "whole foods is so expensive! how can you afford that?!" i will say:
"well, living in new york, everything is expensive. so for me, there really isn't a price difference on it compared to shopping at the same ole grocery store"

i have been eating tons of fruits (pineapple is my favorite so far. but i love strawberries, and always will), and have switched to organic milk, which doesn't make my stomach make these weird digestive sounds.

i can tell my skin is a little better, and i haven't really gained weight, nor lost it. but i feel much better and brighter, which i feel is a major plus.

the only thing i need to work on is my ability to get up in the morning and run.

whoa. long time.

it's been quite a while, and it is totally my fault.

the past few weeks have been quite crazy, and i think now i have the time to reflect and obviously discuss.

the weather is changing in nyc, and my allergies are killing me. i can't stop sneezing, my eyes look like i have been doing coke for 13 hours straight, and my body is achy. i know you care.

i moved into my sublet a few weeks ago, and more importantly, i now have my own bed! like, how adult is that? very, i know. it's my first real piece of furniture, and i can't wait to add more.

my job is still going strong, and i love it. i don't have a lot of stuff to do right now, so it's weird for me to just sit here. and update my blog. but they are all busy (all being the partners) and can't really walk me through what they want right this second. but i will wait patiently.

oh, and i am starting to run again. i hope to compete in a marathon or something soon, so watch out for that!