The Biggest Cookie in Iowa

(For the recent grads)

Jennifer Johnson and I were once talking about small towns and resumes and how to get a job in advertising, and she told me that what makes you different is sometimes more important than internships and grades.  "What if you baked the biggest cookie in Iowa?  You should put that on your resume.  People are like, wow, the biggest cookie in Iowa?  How did you do that?  You'd have to find a recipe, and find an oven big enough, and a way to maneuver the dough... I'm always going to want to talk to the kid who baked the biggest cookie in Iowa over the kid with the 4.0 GPA."

Kevin Swanepoel Lecture

Kevin Swanepoel, the president of The One Club, graced us Minneapolitans tonight with a series of great work done for The One Show, as well a mini-lecture about "The User Revolution and the Creative Evolution." (I got to meet him. He has an awesome accent. Don't be too jealous ladies...)

Quick summary of the lecture for those who were unable to run on over to MCAD to see him speak:
The User Revolution (which consists of
1. Emergence of "Communitainment" [Community+Entertainment]
2. Growth of User Generated Sites
3. Mainstreaming of the Internet
4. Declining usage of tradition media and
5. Fragmentation of content consumption)
has led to a need for a Creative Evolution in our industry. (I think we Yaybies are already hip to that jive, but I'm just summarizing.) The Creative Evolution that he talked about was one that strays from the traditional advertising formats. However, he warns: even newer forms of advertising still need proper copywriters, art directors, producers, and all of the other talents that come from traditional backgrounds, so DON'T FRET MY FRIENDS!

Kevin also said that in order to be successful as a Creative in this modern world of advertising, you must answer "yes" to all of the following questions:
1. Do you own an XBOX, Wii, PlayStation, etc.?
2. Do you hold a MySpace/Facebook account?
3. Do you own a website?
4. Do you write (or contribute to) a blog?
5. Do you subscribe to any RSS feeds?
6. Do you know what an RSS feed IS?
7. Do you post your creative online?
8. Have you ever created a video or podcast and posted it on YouTube?
9. Do you have a Twitter account?

According to Kevin, however, don't throw in the towel just yet if you haven't conquered all of the points on the list... there's always time to quickly whip up a podcast of how you plan on taking over Hollywood as the next Miley Cyrus! But seriously, knowing how to interact with a variety of digital/technological devices and sites makes you a better advertiser. (Does this mean I can beg my mom for a PlayStation so I can play SingStar? "But Kevin Swanepoel told me I NEED one Mom!")

The show stoppers of the evening, however, were the examples of "new media" advertising. Here is a not-so-exhaustive list of what was shown: (Sorry if you've seen some of these before. I have too, but I want to make sure EVERYONE has!)

Super Monkey Ball Deluxe's Chad Series This is just one episode in a series of hilarious webisodes for the SEGA game. A viral video that I actually WANT to pass on - WHO KNEW? (Actually, I share a lot of shit that probably isn't very deserving... so I guess that's not saying TOO much.) Never mind my rambling. This is funny stuff.

GNUF How do you advertise for a new online casino in a fresh and BIG way? Make HUGE DICE and roll them down a mountain and have people bet on it! Wish I would've thought it first...

Coke Happiness Factory Hiring Everyone on NSAC (REPRESENT!) loves Coca-Cola and especially the Happiness Factory, but AKQA New York added even more fun to the experience by letting you apply for a job in the Happiness Factory! I'd <3 style="font-style: italic;">you know where.)

Hema A hysterical way to have fun with your site. No need to create viral ads to send traffic, just make your SITE viral!

HBO's "Voyeur" site This work brought up a series of questions about to whom work belongs during collaboration. I don't know whether to give claim to BBDO (who originally started the campaign) or Big Spaceship, who BBDO hired to help make the campaign interactive. Either way, this site is intriguing, if not creepy.

Smirnoff Raw Tea The Tea Partay music videos are classic. If you haven't seen them yet, you haven't lived a true advertising life. P(rep) Unit FOREVA!

Ford Sportka This viral vid is devilishly funny. The cat one got a lot of criticism and was removed a while ago for just going a little TOO far, but I still enjoy them nonetheless. (AND I LOVE KITTIES!)

Okay, I've blabbed on enough, right? So, if you want to check out some more sweet ads, Kevin gave us the link and password to access a bunch of The One Show stuff that you normally need to pay for. I suggest looking at MINIMALISM by Taxi 2 Toronto for Mini Canada. Perhaps Get the Glass for the California Milk Processor's Board too. (It's only good for 90 days, so GET TO IT!)

Just go to: www.oneclub.org/creativerevolution
Username: creative@oneclub.org
Password: revolution

Peace Lovas!

P.S. Got to see my JJ tonight! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Jennifer Johnson!

Yaybia Back-to-School Extravaganza: Best J-School Professors!

The Yaybies know we’re lucky to have gone to the J-School at the University of Minnesota. Our SJMC instructors are brilliant, inspiring, and eager to share their real-world experience. In celebration of the back-to-school season, here’s a rundown of the best of the best:

Jennifer Johnson.
Creds: Tons, but most notably Leo Burnett and CD at two shops in Mpls.
Teaches: Copywriting/Creative Strategy and Portfolio Development
I thought I knew how to think creatively before JJ’s class, but she completely reinvented the creative process for me. Now I know what makes a great ad and how to brainstorm effectively. (Hint: It involves dozens of scraps of colored paper that you WILL fill with ideas.)
Best lessons learned: Don’t cry at work. Be an elbow, not an arm (leave a comment if you’re curious about the origins of that one…)

Earl Herzog.
Creds: EVP/Media Director at Campbell Mithun
Teaches: Media Strategy
Students either love or hate Earl’s style: gruff, to-the-point, unabashed. His class is completely real-world and the skills and knowledge he shares give aspiring media professionals a huge advantage in their first job. My favorite part of his class? Quizzes on the New York Times’ Media & Advertising section. A perfect example of teaching students what they really need to know in the advertising world.
Best lessons learned: FIGURE IT OUT. Read the Times’ Media & Ad section. And don’t be late.

John Rash.
Creds: Director of Media Analysis at Campbell Mithun, writer of The Rash Report
Teaches: Mass Media and Politics
Unfortunately, I never got to take John Rash’s class, but all his students rave about his intelligence and availability, even though he’s crazy busy. The Rash Report is absolutely astounding. The first time I had a conversation with this man, I knew he was one of the smartest people I will ever meet. I can’t imagine how amazing Media & Politics will be with the election this year!
Best lessons learned: Actually, I’m usually too busy trying not to let my jaw drop at his eloquence and insight…

John Eighmey.
Creds: Senior management and both Y&R and the FTC. Journal of Advertising listed him as one of the 10 most-cited authorities on internet advertising.
Teaches: Cases
Another professor whose brilliance I never got to witness firsthand, but friends tell me he’s incredibly intelligent and a stellar thesis advisor. When we had an NSAC near-disaster, one team member emailed him frantically for advice. He replied within minutes, calming us down and giving us guidance on how to proceed.
Best lessons learned: Intelligence and quiet compassion goes a long way.

Howard Liszt.
Creds: Former CEO of Campbell Mithun. Served on the Easter Seals board. Knows absolutely everyone. Malcolm Gladwell should have profiled him as the Connector in Tipping Point.
Teaches: He’s technically marked down as teaching JOUR 3201…but we know him as the fearless NSAC advisor.
Howard pushes his NSAC team to work harder, be smarter, and think more creatively than they ever have before. Having his seal of approval on your resume all but guarantees you a job after graduation. And he honestly cares about every one of his students.
Best lessons learned: Work hard. Believe in yourself and your team. Genuinely care about others. 400 BABIES!

Brian Southwell.
Creds: PhD, outstanding researcher of health communication, and winner of a huge teaching award
Teaches: Psychology of Advertising
Choosing Brian Southwell as my thesis advisor was the best decision I could have made. He was endlessly patient and always had complete faith in me.
Best lessons learned: Extra effort and thought will always be rewarded.

Mark Pedelty.
Creds: Anthropologist who has traveled Central America, Mexico, and the US.
Teaches: Mass Media and Pop Culture
Each semester, Mark organizes a concert or other event which his class promotes to help raise awareness for a cause. My semester was the first one, and the honors section promoted local artists in conjunction with Friends of the Mississippi River. Through this, he demonstrates how media can work for good, and how anyone can use our PR and ad knowledge for a good cause.
Best lessons learned: Intersections of culture and media are everywhere. Decide for yourself whether that’s good or bad.

Kathy Hansen.
Creds: Co-author of Behind the Message, a communication researcher’s Bible. Innovator in communication research and teaching techniques, like creating a custom module that turns Neverwinter Nights into a PR/journalism research simulator.
Teaches: Honors Senior Seminar, Info for Mass Communicators
I liked both of Kathy’s classes, but I remember her most as an exceptional mentor. She knows the J-School inside and out and will sit down with anyone to help them discuss class and career options.
Best lessons learned: You can do anything, no matter how big.

Debra Kelley.
Creds: Principal of Hall Kelley design company.
Teaches: Basic Media Graphics
Debra is encouraging and patient. She knows that ad students are not necessarily designers, but she teaches the fundamentals to make any Powerpoint look clean and professional. Her class is the best way ad kids can learn Photoshop and InDesign besides pirating their GD friend’s copy, getting drunk, and playing with vectors. Err…was that just me?
Best lessons learned: Read The Non-Designers’ Design Book. Now.

Did I skip your faves? Leave them in the comments!

Words to Live By

Jennifer Johnson always says never cry at work.