Creative Thinkers Wanted

The High Seas

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

"You sank my battleship!" Remember that classic line from the 80's commercial? Well, these days, it takes a little more wit to sell a board game in a world littered with games for consoles, smartphones and tablets. In comes writer Pete Harmelin with a fresh injection. A funny headline matched with beautiful propaganda poster art (courtesy of designer Steven Dressler) makes for a perfect excuse to dust off an age-old favorite. But if you decide to play it with mamadukes (who's now in her 60's), beware. She might not break out the milk and cookies if you win.

Thank You

2011-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

To all those who attended last night's information session at SVA last night, thanks! You guys were a great crowd and I'm looking forward to working with some of you this coming semester. Thanks also goes out to Lisa Rettig-Falcone for organizing a really nice, cohesive flow. Awesome job.

Keep checking back here for updates and new student work (coming soon). And if you have any questions as day one approaches (September 21), just shoot me an email.

See you all soon!

Advertising Extravaganza

2011-09-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night is the Advertising Information Session at the School of Visual Arts. Come down, meet the instructors and get an idea of what the classes and the school are all about. It begins at 6:30 at the main building (209 E. 23rd Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in room 311 on the 3rd floor. Hope to see you there.

Tomorrow Is A New Day

2011-09-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Especially for Afshin Hatami. After taking my course for two semesters (and putting up with the constant abuse), he's taking the next step towards an amazing career in advertising. Tomorrow is his first day as a creative coordinator at Ogilvy. And he's earned it. Every week, he'd come in with a stack full of ideas containing some of the wildest thoughts I've seen. Some have made it on to my wall of shame at the office. But others will make it into his book. One you should keep your eye out for. Congratulations on the new gig.

Luxury Has A New Home

2011-05-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ever dream of that MTV Cribs style mansion? Walk-in closets. His and her master bathrooms. An indoor jacuzzi. Well, you've come to the right place. Sotheby's International Realty specializes in luxury homes for the most discerning tastes. And what better way to reach that audience than with pithy headlines featured in front of desirable pieces of real estate.

Gillian Kline's copy has luxury spot on while Jackie Olivieri's art direction has embedded these thoughts into the imagery seamlessly. They've crafted groundbreaking ads that look nothing like ads at all.

Patience Is A Virtue

2011-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's not impossible to start at an agency as an account executive, media planner or even receptionist and go on to become a creative. It takes a lot of hard work and an extreme amount of patience. That being said, it is with much pride that I welcome Brittany Clark to the creative fold. She's worked hard at her day job of account executive and spent her free time on her portfolio. Her work has impressed the agency she works at (Saatchi) to transition her into the creative department. Job well done. Best of luck in the beginning of a fruitful career as a copywriter, Britt.

Congratulations to Jenna Moeller

2011-05-30T17:21:00.001-07:00

Jenna Moeller. If you don't know her, you should. She was in my very first class a few years ago and decided to go to the University of Texas to get a graduate degree in advertising. Jenna has just finished the program and has a beautiful portfolio to show for it (not to mention a One Show award). Jenna, you've come a long way and deserve the best.

Check her work out and grab her as fast as you can. With her positive attitude, strong work ethic and amazing work, she won't be on the market for long.

Nice Cans

2011-05-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how some men can cook? I'm not talking about Gordon Ramsay or Alain Ducasse. I'm talking about the average Joe. The guy who works like a dog and, if he's lucky, get's home for dinner around 9:00 and whips something up quick. That's who copywriter Brad Engle is talking to in his brilliant ads imaginatively art directed by Natalia Pereira.

You see, not every man knows that Men's Health A Man, A Can, A Plan should be his culinary bible. But Brad and Natalia key into the fact that everything else in a man's life is so challenging, that he can't sweat it when it comes to dinner. So they suggest he grab the book and bust out a meal that takes 15 minutes or less to make (eat that Rachel Ray). Problem solved. And Brad and Natalia have done it in a way that isn't as juvenile as the headline for this post. Great job.

Long Time No Post

2011-05-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

So it's been quite busy in Ad Land. But Creative Thinkers Wanted is very much alive and well. New work is on the way in addition to some exciting news about CTW alums. The new semester begins Wednesday, June 8th. You can register for the course here. And if you have any questions, feel free to email.

Filling Fast

2011-01-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

You can't tell by the storm we just had in New York City, but Spring is right around the corner. And so is the Spring semester at SVA (class begins on Wednesday, January 26). Class is getting filled fast. If you find that you have trouble getting in, please contact me or have the school do it so that we can sign you up. Looking forward to seeing you all in two weeks.

Slush Gives Way To Spring

2011-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. As the DSNY continues to shovel out SVA and everyone else in New York City, now is a good time to mention the upcoming Spring semester of Creative Thinkers Wanted. The new class begins Wednedsay, January 26.

But before you decide which class to take, head on over to SVA's Advertising Open House this Thursday, January 6. The Open House takes place from 6:30-8:30 and is located at 209 E. 23rd Street room 311 on the 3rd floor.

Hope to see you there!

New Year, New Work

2011-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

This campaign for Amy's Kitchen comes from aspiring copywriter Gillian Kline. Amy's provides frozen meals for vegetarians that are actually pretty healthy. But the biggest idea that Gillian found was that Amy's creates these meals with the freshest ingredients available and locks this freshness in when freezing the meals.

The result — fresh food whenever you want it. And a great integrated campaign. It all starts with the quick tagline "Refreshingly FRESH frozen food". The headlines to the print ads are intelligent and the art direction helps support the idea of "freshness in the box". And what better way to show freshness in a frozen meal by placing it in the produce section of grocery stores? Brilliant.

Long Overdue

2011-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog, but that doesn't mean class has stopped moving. Speaking of moving, remember Yi-Fan Lu and Jin Ryu? You've seen a lot of their work on this site. Amazing visual stories for well-known brands that break the boundaries of advertising. Well, their work moved them to Portland, OR.

A few months ago, these talented students began attending WK 12. This school, affiliated with Weiden & Kennedy, selects only 12 applicants every year to work on real brands and get real-world advertising experience. This program has shaped some of the industry's hottest creatives. And I'm sure that Yi-Fan and Jin will be two of them.

Congratulations, guys! Your hard work and brilliance have paid off. Best of luck!

The End Of "Are We There Yet?"

2010-09-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found that getting to your destination is a mundane task? Maybe because your destination is mundane itself. Going to the grocery store was never an adventure in driving. Unless you're in a Range Rover Sport.

This latest campaign is brought to you by writer Brittany Clark. Her engaging copy encourages the reader to make every day driving experiences more extraordinary. And this is only possible with the Terrain Response System — one of the many amazing features found in the Range Rover Sport.

The art direction supports Brittany's brilliance by putting the reader into the elements they might need to tackle. These ads will kill the question "Are we there yet?" once and for all.

Rise and Fall

2010-09-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Fall semester of Creative Thinkers Wanted begins on Wednesday, September 22. With it brings new assignments, new guest speakers, new challenges and new advertising heroes. Class is filling up quickly, so register while you can at schoolofvisualarts.edu. And if you have trouble getting in, let us know so we can make room.

We're looking forward to a new semester and some new faces. See you soon.

Miami Bound

2010-09-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Another congratulations goes out to Quaison Carter of this year's Spring semester. Quaison brought unyielding enthusiasm for the class and the advertising business as a whole. Our critiques can be tough, but he continued to bring in industry challenging work every week that caught our eye. And his sense of humor during those critiques was unmatched. Talk about rolling with the punches.

It brings us pleasure to announce that Quaison is heading to Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami to work in their interactive development department. Way to go, man!

Check back here for some of Quaison's work to be posted in the future. And check the industry pubs and award show annuals for the name of this brilliant thinker.

Feed With Speed

2010-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

When you give an assignment to a class of 20, you hope everyone brings in great work. And when they do, your job as an instructor gets a little more difficult. You have to find ways to push each student's campaign in different directions so no two students come out with the same portfolio.

Here is a great example of different thinking on the Ramen Noodle assignment. This time, Jin Ryu took a different route than his classmate Yi Fan and came up with an all-visual solution to the problem. The fact that Ramen is a quick fix is a no-brainer, but no one has ever said it in this way. The hands of the DC superhero The Flash holding a bowl of steaming hot Ramen? Brilliant.

So take 5 minutes out of your day, whip up a bowl of Ramen, put your underwear on the outside, and go fight some crime.

Let The Games Begin

2010-03-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Cascella took our class a little over a year ago. You've seen much of his work on this blog. Immediately, he stood out as one of the best writers we've seen in a while. He had the command of different voices, knew his long copy from his short, and could create some of the best visual work we've seen from anyone (ADs included!).

But what mattered the most was that Ben never gave up on his book. He continually worked up new campaigns and shared them with us as he developed them. Every piece better than the last. His talent and dedication are unmatched.

For these very qualities, Ben's earned himself a new gig at Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners as a copywriter. Congratulations, Ben, and good luck. Can't wait to see what great new ideas you and KBS+P bring to life.

Lame Assignment. Killer Work.

2010-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

The purpose of Creative Thinkers Wanted is to push the boundaries of what a traditional advertising class is. We keep it fresh with new assignments every semester. We give students challenging products and services that we don't normally see in junior portfolios. We write strategic briefs so they're not swimming in an ocean of uncertainty until the night before class when they actually do the work. And, most importantly, we have our class think beyond the print ad.

This campaign by Jin Ryu, however, is an exception to the rule. We gave Jin no brief, no media alternatives and no product background. Just a traditional, tired ad school assignment — Krazy Glue. Surely, you see student portfolios and international advertising publications filled with brilliant campaigns for this product. But Jin's campaign takes the cake. Beautifully shot. Perfectly arranged. And just flat out hilarious.

And, for your information, Jin put this campaign and all of his other pieces featured in this blog together in a week. A WEEK! We wish we could win the lottery and hire him just to sit around so no other agency can have him.

A Lesson In Collaboration

2010-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last semester we were fortunate enough to have Nick Moore give a lecture to our class. For those of you who don't know, Nick is the Chief Creative Officer of Wunderman and a hell of a great guy. His lecture was in perfect time for the class' first team assignment. Focusing on collaboration, Nick showed us all how not to shut down the creative process but to nurture it by leveraging positive language. Take a look at a few of his valuable pointers:

"No, and..." is the first "no" in collaboration. Mr. Moore points out that this is the worst way to respond to a partner's idea. It's a negative response and one that may end your partner's contributions entirely. "No, and you're a total hack for thinking of that."

"No, but..." is only slightly better. As Nick showed us, it is still a negative criticism of the idea with an added insult that you might have a better way to solve the problem. Not only does this make your partner feel foolish, but it makes your ego appear larger than it should in a partnership. "No, but I think I can save your pathetic arse."

"Yes, but...", while starting on a positive note, ultimately ends up in a negative realm. The "but" still insinuates that you have a better solution. "Yes, but wouldn't it be better if we made the car bigger?"

"Yes, and..." is the response that a partner would like to hear. Not only does it begin with a positive, but it ends with the best intentions of collaboration. The word "and" signifies that you will add to an already solid idea. "Yes, and if we made the car bigger, it would give the ad more impact."

Thank you, Nick, for finding time in your insanely hectic schedule to show us how to work better together. Now, if only that person who keeps calling those brainstorms would wear more deodorant.

Fashionably Early

2010-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

With new TSA regulations, flying is no longer the quickest way to travel in the Northeast Corridor. Yi-Fan Lu tapped into this fact for the Acela print campaign you see here. At first glance, you just see the spacious, comfortable seating of an Acela train. But the scenic view outside of the window tells a different story. Famous destinations along the NE Corridor are blurred together to give you the sense of quick travel. The line at the bottom of the page ties the idea together nicely. Makes you wish they had a chunnel to Europe.

Wisdom Of The Ages

2010-01-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Ramen Noodles are a staple in the diet of college students and people in the middle of career changes. At the price of 20¢ a package and a cooking time of 2 minutes, in can't be beat. But how do you elevate it beyond being just a cheap meal? Yi-Fan Lu uses ancient proverbs and historical quotes from Asian culture to build up a brand with minimal equity. The photography, typography and striking colors help push words of advice to the forefront of these ads. The use of humor and intelligence has me cooking up a bowl of Roasted Chicken flavor right now.

Mad Man. Sane Advice.

2010-01-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

We were really lucky to have Jerry Della Femina speak at our class two semesters ago after being inducted into the One Club Hall of Fame. Jerry is famous for quite a few great campaigns in the history of advertising and a memoir about the industry. Before he was one of the original Mad Men, Jerry was a door to door vacuum salesman. His lecture found a way of relating that to students who are just beginning to get their feet wet in a shrinking industry and a rough economy. A few of his insights included:

• As a salesman, you have 10 seconds to say something important. In advertising, you have even less time.

• Choose the right media — never sell vacuum cleaners in a neighborhood that doesn't have carpets. Know your market.

• When selling, talk softly. Let the people listen to you and help them to understand what you are saying. Perfect advice for long copy ads.

On getting into the business now when it's getting smaller and more difficult to enter:

• Make yourself indispensible and do what you have to do. The harder you work, the more unique your talents, the more desirable you are to agencies.

• Now is the best time to get in — when the industry is booming, no one will pay attention to you.

• Freedom is just another word for nothing to lose.

Jerry, thank you so much for your words of wisdom and for taking time out of your busy schedule to pass them on.

Decade of Deliverance

2010-01-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hey all (4 of you). Long time no post. It was a busy 2009. Three semesters featured a lot of bright stars and some future posts will show you what all of these geniuses have been up to. We've been really wowed by their talents and insane dedication to the business of advertising.

As we approach the new decade, we look to continually challenge the norms of this industry and deliver unique ways of selling. Thanks to all of those who attended last night's open house at the School of Visual Arts. Great audience filled with enthusiasm. We can't wait to work with you.

The next semester begins Wednesday, January 27th. Head over to schoolofvisualarts.edu to register. And get ready to change the world.

Mmm...Beer

2010-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Samuel Adams is not just any drinking man's beer. It's one of the few American beers full of flavor. But how do you sell this to consumers who are complacent in their purchasing habits? Art director Jin Ryu found a way in this campaign that makes you stop and think about what you've been drinking. With simple visuals, he shows that the arguments of "drinkability" and "tastes great, less filling" don't hold any water.

New Orleans Isn't Coming Back. It Never Left.

2009-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

In 2005, 80% of New Orleans was flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina. But as the waters rose, so did the city's spirit. This tourism campaign from writer Eben Conopask proves just how tough New Orleans is with well-written, thought-provoking copy. These ads tap into the city's history and give you a taste of NOLA's enduring culture and soul, without relying on beads, alcohol and the oft-trotted-out Mardi Gras. The art direction uses contrast to reinforce the city's lively and colorful nature. The tagline "The City That Never Quits" crystalizes the idea that the Big Easy has done everything but taken the easy way out.

Death Warmed Over

2009-10-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

The Grim Reaper better find a pastime, because we're not ready for him yet — thanks to POM Wonderful and this campaign from art director Giancarlo Alvarez. Giancarlo uses humor and his own beautifully simple and organic illustrations to show Death killing time as you gulp down antioxidants. That scythe is looking a little rusty, bud.

Beware of Superpowers

2009-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

With great power comes great responsibility. Like not destroying a city. This outdoor campaign for Manhattan comic book store Forbidden Planet from creative extraordinaire Ben Cascella shows how superpowers can get out of hand. The Incredible Hulk smashes through his poster and creates a chasm in the surrounding sidewalk. Spiderman fights against Doctor Octopus' steel appendage that doubles as a subway railing. Wolverine, well, he just went insane and slashed through every ad he could find. If these demonstrations of sheer power don't make you want to revert to a pimply, Yoo-Hoo® drinking 12 year-old who spends his/her allowance on tales of the extraordinary, we don't know what will.

Congratulations to Jenna Moeller

2009-06-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Jenna, for this long overdue posting. But you succeeded in not only impressing us, but the admissions board of the graduate program in communications at UT Texas, Austin. Good luck with the coming semester and in revolutionizing the business of advertising. Your talent and refreshing enthusiasm will get you far. Keep us in mind when you're a creative director!

Come Towards The Light

2009-06-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

AE Light makes some of the brightest, most powerful flashlights. So it's only natural that they deserve some of the most powerful rich media banners. Ben Cascella is the creative force behind these ideas. His unique executions position these flashlights as a brief view into the after life, a replacement for the sun and an enemy of creatures of the night. Take a minute to look at these, but don't stare too long.

Healthy Warnings

2009-06-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you saw cautionary labels that revealed positive side effects? Probably never. That's what makes these print ads for POM Wonderful so, well, wonderful. Eben Conopask is the writer behind these beautifully ironic ideas. He took the health benefits of the 100% natural pomegranate drink and gave them pure stopping power. Shaun Kessler, the art director, brought them to life in layouts that are clean and simple.

Pigs Are Flyin'

2009-05-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

On New York City taxi cabs, anyway. This brilliant ambient campaign for Brother Jimmy's BBQ restaurants was created by writer Ben Cascella. Brother Jimmy's is best known for bringing authentic Carolina traditions to New York City. And what better way to hammer this idea home than with roasting meats in city streets? Ben's done a great job because, as we post this, we're getting BBQ sauce all over our fancy bluetooth Mac keyboards.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

2009-05-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

New work is on it's way. We promise. Just finished up another great semester at SVA. We're pleasantly surprised by some of the brilliant work we've seen. And as the brilliant minds behind that work put the finishing touches on it, we're just posting this short note to say hey.

To anyone new who has found this site after Wednesday's open house at SVA, give us a shout. We're here 24/7 for you all.

The next class starts June 3rd. Looking forward to meeting some amazing new talent.

The New Renaissance

2009-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

Remember Highlights magazine? You were probably 8 or 9 at the Dentist's office frozen by fear of the drills or anxiously awaiting the euphoria of laughing gas. Highlights was the magazine that took your mind off of everything with logical problems, intriguing stories (to a 3rd grader at least) and creative projects designed for the artist in all of us.

This print campaign targeted at parents promotes high level thinking and intellectual development for their children. The left side of the spread announces that the following page is reserved for the next great thinker of the new generation. What's great about these pieces from ChiungHui Chiu (damn, you are on fire) is that the following page in the spread gives your child a blank canvas to work with. Music sheets for the next Beethoven, blueprint paper for the next Flank Lloyd Wright and watercolor paper for the next Van Gogh. The tagline: "Readers today. Leaders tomorrow." is a fantastic way to encapsulate the aspirational nature of this campaign.

Extra Lettuce

2009-01-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Before ING began running their brilliant "We the Savers" campaign, we gave a brief to our class stressing how important ING is to preserving your capital. This simple proposition is featured in executions by the amazing art director ChiungHui Chiu in unique placements. One features paper money on an escalator sliding into a wallet at the bottom. The other is featured on a conveyor belt at a supermarket. This time, coins are going into a change purse. "Easy, automatic cash flow" with ING's high interest rate wraps these up nicely in retail environments where savings should be top of mind.

The Tide Is Turning

2009-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days when a student could stroll into an ad agency with decent ideas scrawled on a few scraps of paper and land a job.

Gone are the days when you could stumble into the same agency with an over-sized portfolio full of print campaigns for rifles, condoms and chewing gum perfectly laminated with felt backing.

Campaigns with two great ads and a third, weaker link just won't cut it anymore.

In fact, campaigns as a set of three won't even cut it. Especially if they're done for the aforementioned rifles, condoms and chewing gum.

Today, you need brilliant ideas for a wide range of challenging products and services. And an even wider range of places to put them. And they all need to stand together under a strong, single-minded thought.

If they don't, you're sent away from that agency to spend the rest of your life busing tables at a flair-adorned chain restaurant, folding t-shirts in the dark depths of retail, or mindlessly entering data in a tiny gray cubicle in a monolithic gray building.

All the while left to wonder what life could have been like as that bus passes by with the headline you could have written. As your friend sends you a link to an amazing site that you could have designed. As a viral video explodes without your name in the credits.

But we're not here to focus on what could have been. We're here to make it so.

Let's dust off that mushy bit between your ears and get started. Shall we?