today is the last day of 2009

2009 is winding down in a mere 12 hours. it's safe to say this has been one year of adventure, heartbreak, growing up, dreaming big, regressing and maturing. i've thought a lot about my future, and what it holds. and what it won't hold and how my dreams have changed. some things have changed dramatically, and some have slightly veered off into something new.

it's a new year, a new decade. i'm not going to be a "new me", i've already become the person i need to be. but i will make sure i never grow up and stay forever young.

i have some resolutions. and i think as we get older they become more practical and attainable. i plan on making mine a reality. and i can't wait.

so here is to you, and here is to me. let's make memories.

HSBC wants to be your friend.

HSBC has recently launched a campaign in New York. And I am not sure if it is global, or has reached other parts of the nation, but it seems to be a huge rebranding campaign. I remember them filming "soap box" in madison square park in the middle of july, asking everyone to choose a topic and state what they think about it.

an example would be bottle water. is it good? bad? apathetic? the individual could just rant or throw accolades depending on their views.

the tagline for the campaign is something along the lines of how they can't continue until they understand everyone. different values make us all different. my words are not as fine tuned as theirs, and i am having a hard time finding the actual ad for them.

side note, it seems in all the google searches i am finding different versions, so i think we were being tested. i could be wrong.

moving on, anyway. HSBC basically took the entire platform of advertising, and created a campaign using our very foundation! we try to understand people. and we interview people and try to find a consensus about them. we also try to figure out how they view things differently and then we create ads around them. but we don't expressly state that in ads. HSBC basically did that. like, could you imagine that board meeting?

"we need to understand our consumers. who are they? what do they think?"
"what a great campaign idea. we need to understand our consumers. use that. let's go."

it's like they went halfway, stopped and ran with it.

and it's annoying. i wish they could have come around and done something different. especially since they are taking these attributes that are not associated with banking and giving them this personality.

this is one example of the ad:

i understand a bank is trying to humanize themselves into a more friendly bank. but i think they should have just focused on banking. and worries about the future. not the bottle water or a shaved head.

what are your thoughts? am i wrong in this whole thing?

ps, this isn't against their banking or anything like that. just the advertising.

the start of something new

i am currently in my parents house in texas. the house that i called home for a small part of my childhood/adulthood. i say small because we upgraded into our new (which is now current) house during my freshman year of college.

while i would visit in college, it was home. my stuff was still here. i left my crap around without a care. i treated it as my own. it wasn't a vacation coming home, but just a normal visit. i think living in a college town that is 2.5 hours away didn't really cause a problem in what was home and "home". both norman and dallas were home.

living in new york though, i purchased my first plane ticket, with my own money, to come home for a visit. and not just to visit my parents, but to visit college friends who i have not seen in over a year. a real vacation.

so i find it odd, but also mildly exciting, to be part of this journey where i am growing up. and being in a place where a vacation is going to dallas. and not just for a holiday. sure, i have my room. but, it's not my room. i don't have these exciting memories anymore in that room. they are all in my bedroom in new york city.

and i find myself being a little more careful with the house. i see myself more as a guest. maybe because i don't breathe in the house anymore. or come home at 4 in the morning. but i do see how far i've grown. and how much more i will grow.

i am alive

i have so much to catch up on. birthday's. more birthday's. holy hot summer. my upcoming birthday.

so until then, you will have to hold tight. more of an update, grander and better, to come.

texting is no fun.

today, i received this little gem in my text message inbox:

"hello jill this is coach robinson for young women 1st sorry 4 text you but im at work n cant talk im texting about ticket for aug.1st if you can about 15 call u"

i have no idea who this person is. i have no idea exactly what they are trying to say. and more importantly, my name is not jill.

but it brought me to an idea, typing in today's society. have we really moved into a culture that beats and abuses the english language in such a way where 'u' really is a substitute for 'you'?

my personal writing style doesn't include things such as capitalization and whatnot. but that is my style. i at least know how to spell out words and form coherent sentences.

i find it rather vile for people to relegate words to mere letters. i seriously wonder what is going to happen to our future, and our language, when it becomes acceptable for someone to type and use words like this professionally. plus the sentence structure of that message just makes me want to beat someone with a dictionary and the ap style guide.

maybe it's because i have a love of words, but i can't bring myself to just throw away all my years of schooling because it is just "easier" to type 'n' in the form of 'and'. it's not really easier. and it really makes the other person seem like a complete fool.

published.

since i am only beginning what i believe will be a long, fruitful career in advertising, i still have tons to learn. in fact, i will never stop learning when it comes to advertising.

last night, i was reading "rolling stone" trying to catch up on my music, when i came across an ad for speed stick. which probably won't matter to a vast majority of anyone reading this, but i honestly had to do a double take. it was the exact same campaign i had worked on last summer when i was interning for my agency!

the last few weeks of my internship were completely dedicated to the campaign. we went through all the phases of creating a campaign. we also went through client specifications: small budget, mostly print, and nothing ultra crazy.

but there it was, neatly tucked between a regina spektor article and an allman brothers piece, the campaign i helped develop, staring at me.

it's weird to look at something and realize you don't completely love it. not that i expect to love everything that comes out of my head, or have ever written - but life goes on. and to look at something, and touch it, no matter how you felt about it at the time, makes you nostalgic.

which is then quickly followed by rage because you can't believe they thought this was the best creative, and you really wish you could have stayed to see how it all went down.

and to see it in a magazine, that people read, is just crazy. i wish i could show it to everyone, to show them how my summer played out, and to at least get some sort of recognition. so i think that is what i have to learn. the recognition might never come. but that doesn't mean i should stop trying, or doing, or wanting, or loving. i love this industry. i want to grab it by the balls and squeeze.

ps, i don't have a copy of the actual ad, since i left it at home. but you can click to the site here

i don't really feel like writing a huge narrative of my weekend, but i will give you bullet points.

the fourth was this past weekend, and i must say, it was the best weekend i have had in terms of fireworks, friends, food and drinks.

my mom comes in about 6 days, and i can't wait to let her see me be an adult.

i moved into my first real adult apartment last week. my joy should be felt and heard for months to come.

that is all for now.

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!

life, updated.

my life has been all sorts of chaotic lately, but in an awesome, bitchin sort of way.

my job is still fantastic. third week in, and it only seems like the first week. that, my friend, is an excellent sign.

and the most exciting part right now is this beautiful weather NYC has thrown at me. and the city too, i suppose. i am so excited to free my feet of pesky shoes, and let them roam free with some flip flops. i even got a pedicure so i could show them off without feeling slightly insecure. and yes, pedi's are totally manly.

emily, AKA my future roommate, celebrated her birthday week (yes...week. i want a birthday week, so remember that please) and we made it to blockheads, this mexican restaurant with excellent drinks and cheap food by new york standards.

OH! and speaking of food, brother jimmy's BBQ, on the UES, was having this all you can eat ribs and beer night yesterday for 22 bucks. coming from texas, and being male, i descended upon the joint with an open stomach ready to be filled. and it was delicious. heavenly. new york knows something about bbq, so i highly recommend it. plus it is making me very excited for the BBQ festival coming up in june.

you know you love me. xoxo.

culture.

living in new york, i am afforded many opportunities to be cultured. and i am beginning to take up the city's offer now that the weather is beginning to not suck and i actually have the funds to do things involving money.

last weekend, my wonderful and future roommate, emily, invited me to see a musical which just opened up on broadway: 'next to normal'. it blew my mind. honestly, you can't really go wrong with any show on broadway because it is a guaranteed good time. plus, i'm gay so anything that involves choreography, music and flashing lights makes me giddy with excitement.

the music is phenomenal. the actors were all believable. and it helped not knowing what i was getting myself into because there are a few twists and turns along the way. which work. ask emily - i gasped when things were revealed. and while i didn't cry - the straight/frat guy in me is able to maintain some composure - i was THISCLOSE to crying.

so, go see the show. you will love it too. and invite me.

last night, i went to see 'valentino: the last emporeror'. this too was amazing. now, if you don't live in new york, or attend major film festivals, i doubt this will come to a theatre near you. but if it does, go see it.

it's not a 'devil wears prada' type of movie. it's a documentary. and it's wonderful. i love clothes, and fashion and it was breathtaking to see how he worked, and how his team of seamstresses worked as well. everything is by hand! i was so shocked. and it made me appreciate clothing, and the art of designing so much more.

plus, he's a cute old man. even if he does look a little crispy for my taste.



so there is a quick wrap-up of my week in culture.

work is grand

there is a stark difference as an intern and as an actual employee. there are the most obvious examples - salary, benefits and having a position that won't expire after 12 weeks simply because that is the length of the internship.

and it recently dawned on me that this job is my first. i have had summer jobs, but THIS job is the first one where i am doing exactly what i have trained to do for four years. this is my first job doing what i love.

so yes, there is a huge contrast between intern and employee. i am asked my opinion. i am trusted. people in the office assume i know what i am doing. and most of all, i am put to work doing actual work that is actually beneficial to the company.

i want to know how many times i will write "actual" or some form of it during this post.

i love my job. i love doing what i do, and it is only the third day. rock on.

here's to you.

for the past five months, i have been searching for a job. for those past months, i have been emailing my resume out, interviewing with those big and small, rejected by way of the silent treatment. yesterday, someone finally said yes.

life is tough right now. but it's always tough. so for someone to take a chance on me, i am utterly all smiles. and i haven't been smiles lately. i have been a ball full of worry. and stress. but now, i can relax and breath. i love my industry. i love my place in it right now. i can't wait to grow.

i have tried for so long to find a position where i know i will excel. and i found one. and those months of searching have lead to me have this unimaginable hunger as an advertiser. i have had some falls along the way. but i have had some amazing shots at greatness. and i am proud of every single one because i have done them, and i have grown and been taught some very important lessons.

so here's to you, people in the big offices of the big agencies who never return emails and phone calls. here's to you, people who say i need to be hungry for it all, who say i am entitled. here's to you, people who say my book isn't exciting, and to those who say "maybe next time".

but also, here's to you, friends who said to never give up. family who prayed. people who said keep going. those who wished for the best and those who said i have talent.

the people who turned me away gave me the drive and ambition. the people closest to me gave me the determination to keep going.

chocolate shakes and burgers! yes please.

i just realized that once the weather settles into something wonderful, i will be going to 'shake shack' in madison square park. just thinking about that place made me giddy with excitement, like some girl who just saw the jo bros for the first time. yes, that type of excitement.

the weather in nyc brings out the best i think in everyone. i don't know why i keep talking about the weather in all of my posts, so i apologize. but that is all for now.

i also talk about food i think too. not a glutton.

life change

so, i had an internship with EuroRSCG, which is an advertising agency. i was interning as a strategic planner, and i wish i could tell you what my job was, but i still can't.

yes, the word is 'had'. through a series of events and consequences, we broke up. and i'm not mad at all. or upset. the short time i was there, i realized what i loved to do was creative, and my account service dream was just a dream.

i learned a few things, but one thing i will miss is the fridge full of DP.

on a side note, the weather is finally getting its act together. thank goodness.

brian: 1. new york: 0

the first thing i was excited about when i moved to nyc was the excuse of never having to drive anywhere. i was in loooooooooooove with public transportation for so many reasons, but the two most important was i could leave the hard work to someone else, and i didn't have to worry about trains. above ground i mean.

so my internship sinfully entrusted me with an automobile. a volvo to be more specific, which was probably for the best since i have a track record worse than most normal human beings. that being said, i was told to drive around in the nation's largest city like it ain't no thang. also, this was the first time i have really driven in a long time, and the first time i have driven in nyc.

the biggest city i have ever driven through has been dallas. but i mean, i used to live there and it was seriously nothing. coming to nyc and driving, man. what a way to release some pent up frustration. i could honk my horn at anyone and anything, i could speed around the city (for the brief 2 seconds i was allowed to before i would hit a car or a pedestrian, or a red light) and i could pull over anywhere and not get in trouble. seriously, try that in dallas and see how many cops surround you in less than 5 minutes.

BUT THE MOST EXCITING PART OF MY DAY!!!!!!!! i found the only drive-thru McDonald's in the city. and i used my driving privledges to take erin, ja and myself into a little place i call heaven and experience some good old fashion food.

i don't plan on driving around the city for some time. i mean, it was probably a fluke i didn't kill anyone. i feel i am pretty indestructible individually considering what i have been through so i am not too worried about dying ... yet.

but i think i will leave the driving to someone else for a while. trust me.

leggins are not underwear.

while i understand many things, some always seem to allude me. science is a good example.

but one thing i am completely perplexed on is the idea of tights. i know tights are good for warmth. and a good layering piece for women. they also come in a variety of colors and styles, so you have plenty of options.

however, tights are not pants. like, it seriously looks like you forgot an article of clothing - your pants. or skirt. but throwing on a pair of tights and walking out of your apartment is not what i call awesome.

some might say it's no different than wearing a swimsuit. and i say you are wrong. because it's expected to be worn on a beach or a pool. but you don't walk around manhattan in just a swim suit do you? i hope not.

manners, please.

now, as a good ole southern boy, my mother taught me a few things. beating girls isn't a good idea. opening doors for others is always in season. and if someone writes/calls/corresponds with you, you reply back.

i know the world doesn't (sadly) revolve around me, but so far, it's done an amazing job. but what really presses my buttons is when i email people or leave a voice mail, and i get nothing. i mean, i could have shouted into a brick wall and i would have received my own voice as a response. but sending information and never hearing back is infuriating.

working in the advertising industry, i would hope and assume we would be best at communication. after all, we communicate with the world. and with blackberry on the verge of implanting itself into our brains in about 2.5 minutes, i don't understand why people can't reply to anything within a reasonable amount of time. seriously.

i am just confused as to where all of our manners have gone. some things should stay the same (stop messing with facebook...facebook) and some things should simply RIP (children who scream and cry in public). and it is my opinion that manners should stay. it frightens me when i open the door for a person (woman mostly. guys are on their own...unless it's jake gyllenhaal....i'm locking that door and throwing away the key) and they look at me like i am about to strike them down with my bag or fist and walk away like it's alright.

do people not do nice things anymore? does blair waldorf really exist? i am sure i have some emails to attend to.

first day of spring...not.

so, in regards to my previous post, i was waiting for spring to slap a bitch. apparently, spring, much like rihanna (what, to soon?) lost. and it's now snowing. or was snowing when i left my apartment for work this morning.

as a firm believer in warm weather, i find this whole mother nature thing quite annoying. i mean, last night while shopping for things i do not need, i had to turn away a very impressive belt because i seriously didn't know when i would be able to wear shorts. and i think that is a travesty.

on a completely different note, i am way excited today is friday. because friends will be visiting tomorrow and i will be able to indulge in some cuddling with my bed. plus, i read this amazing article today in GQ about how to drink without consequences, and i am excited to try it out. often, i have found myself having the time of my life, only to wake up in the morning wishing i could live my life without feeling like a zombie. it's a slippery slope really.

so i will try it out. hold tight.

spring...awakening. (ha, get it?)

i can tell spring is upon us. and i am way more excited than most people. growing up in warm places such as california and texas, i have grown accustomed to heat. and nice breezes. and i am used to having short winters that don't make you wish portable heaters would be invented. kinda like a bubble that you walk into and poof!! you are are all warm and snuggly. i think we should start inventing people.

so the past few days, spring has slowly shown her gorgeous face. she is fighting with winter. winter is giving up. but it's kind of an intense battle between seasons and i really can't wait for spring to just slap a bitch and call it a day. seriously. i have big plans for outfits. and i want to lay out in central park because let's face it, a tan is good for the soul.

i would say i can't wait to start a running routine, but i would be going against everything i stand for - such as fast food and sitting down on the subway even if i am going one stop.

if you know me, you know i love affair with McDonalds. it's borderline unhealthy to be honest. so it makes me sad when i see this commercial, created by Arnold Worldwide, because the love i have for McDonalds and their number one, or two, or three, or if i am really hungry, a number four, seems to dwindle every time i see this commercial. and it doesn't help the situation that it seems to run all the freaking time. 

now that i have settled into my new job, relocated to a big city away from my family - more importantly my mother who was able to provide fresh, delicious tasting meals in minutes - and have become an "adult" as some might say, i have come to a few conclusions regarding life after college. i will only post one of them here.

i consume food in the way most pediatricians tell you not to consume. today, i have eaten: a muffin, toast, and coffee (but the coffee in a can, pretending to be good for you but is really packed with a few hundred calories and and is actually pretty terrible for you). so far, my breakfast is sorta healthy. sorta. moving on, for lunch i have eaten oreo cookies. and washed it down with a dr pepper - which will be referred to from here on out as DP).

and don't get me started on the past few days. entire cartons of mac and cheese. chocolate. donuts. mcdonalds. fritos, sans bean dip.

i think my diet is far worse than that of a 1st grader who has a nickname of chubs and wears shirts a few sizes too small. i don't know if this is to be blamed on my new occupation of being a 9-5er, but i do have issues with what i am ingesting into my body - but i clearly am doing nothing to combat this issue. only time will tell if i start breaking out in zits like a high schooler, or if i really will become your friend chubs. but i don't think i can take the latter because i already have a double chin thing, thanks to the lack of definition in my jaw line, and i don't want to add to it.

this is my first blog.