America's First Freedom

My Cultural Exploration class had the unique opportunity to hear Ambassador Robert Seiple speak tonight. He currently heads and organization called America's First Freedom, which aims to create religious dialogue and religious acceptance in the United States.

Seiple spoke about religion and religious freedom in a way that made a huge amount of sense to me. He began his talk by talking about the face of religious freedom. Or rather, by talking about the fact that the issue of religious freedom has no face. Instead of being seen through the eyes of a person, issues of religious freedom are always seen through the eyes of the courts. Boring and not easy to relate to.

Seiple spoke about the idea that 95% of the world's problems take place at the crux of religion and politics, and yet we're told never to talk about either in polite company. In his words, though, there are many examples of "faith at its best overriding religion at its worst."

I could probably dedicate and entire blog to the thoughts of Robert Seiple. I have rarely met someone who I respected more. I would love the chance to work with him someday, just so that I could observe his thought process up close. However, instead of starting a Robert Seiple fan club, I will leave you with one final Seiple thought.

In America, we talk a lot about religious tolerance. Why? Tolerance does not solve problems, because you don't have to feel that you are on the same level as those who you tolerate. Instead of stopping at religious tolerance, we should strive to accept and then to respect.

What a novel idea.

Thoughts on the ideal brief

The ideal brief should:

• Tell two stories: product and consumer
• Make readers understand the barriers to consideration
• Make readers understand the consequences of not buying
• Incite imagination and creativity
• Be flexible: in format and in future
• Consider media in-depth
• Take into account both consumer and product lifecycle
• Talk about the consumer as they relate to the product and media
• Be visually stimulating
• Answer questions the creatives didn’t know they had
• Be understandable without translation from the planner
• Be a step in the process – not an ending point
• Be customizable by project

please add your thoughts!

Story Brief

Our latest Portfolio Development assignment was to write a brief in the form of a story. For your amusement, I have included my romance novella for Cruzan Rum below.

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It was early summer as Mr. Devine walked down the white sand beach of St. Croix’s Limetree Cay. He couldn’t believe his luck – spending a week in the USVI tagging along with his girlfriend and her best friends. It was almost like college spring break all over again! Finding a spot on the beach where he had lots of room to spread out, and yet could be seen, Mr. Devine unfolded a fluffy white towel and lay down on the sand. He took pleasure in St. Croix’s combination of upper-class exclusivity and easy tropical relaxation. Mr. Devine felt that he could stay on the islands forever, leaving his college degree and his upper-management job behind forever.

As he soaked in the sun and thought about his upcoming 28th birthday party (which would take place at a new lounge in Manhattan, where quiet conversation and beautiful women reigned), Mr. Devine saw his faithful girlfriend, Bacardi, walk towards him with several of her friends. Sailor Jerry, her wild eyed friend who always partied hard; Malibu, whose sugary personality always reminded him of a girlfriend from freshman year of college; Captain Morgan, who greeted him with a grin and a wink; and Ten Cane, who managed to look put-together and exotic no matter what the situation. He had known these women for years – all beautiful, all slightly tempting, but none even worth the hassle of a potential fight with Bacardi if she caught his eye wandering.

As Mr. Devine waved and smiled at the girls, he suddenly saw an unfamiliar face out of the corner of his eye. The woman who walked towards them looked like an island native. She was tan and fit, with a beauty that seemed complex and foreign in comparison to the women he had known all his life. As she approached them, Mr. Devine’s friends waved at her hesitantly. They had a look in their eyes somewhere between jealousy and shame, as if they knew that they couldn’t compete with her natural beauty. Bacardi turned to him, saying “this is Cruzan, we met her on the veranda this morning.” The curl in Bacardi’s lip told Mr. Devine that he shouldn’t mention how fabulously floral her perfume smelled to him. In one easy step, Cruzan walked towards Mr. Devine and smiled. “I’ve heard about you,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

Hours had passed, and Mr. Devine was still thinking of his brief encounter with Cruzan. She was so perfect it almost seemed like an honor to be in her presence – some sort of award. As he sat alone on the veranda, he quickly reminded himself that Bacardi had always been there for him. They had attended fraternity party after fraternity party, celebrated his graduation until he could celebrate no more, and had even spent entire weekends together reminiscing and laughing about their college days. The fact that she seemed completely ordinary in comparison must be a trick of the tropical sunlight. And yet, Mr. Devine couldn’t get Cruzan out of his head.

Bacardi and her friends would be dancing at the resort’s club through the night, he thought. Mr. Devine chuckled as he realized that he had briefly considered joining them at the bar just to ask the bartender if he knew Cruzan. He shook off the idea, reminding himself again of his relationship with Bacardi. Just as he was about to go in for the night, there she was. Cruzan appeared on the edge of the veranda, smiling slightly, as if he had summoned her there himself. Without saying a word, she walked towards him and took a seat. Mr. Devine was startled to realize that he felt nothing but relaxation. She was a woman who he could take out anywhere and who would look good in anything. Her presence made him feel intelligent and deserving.
Cruzan turned to him. She touched him on his shoulder smoothly and he could see the sparkle in her eye. Cruzan leaned towards him suddenly and whispered “You deserve better than Bacardi.”

Mr. Devine smiled and knew that he had made that decision the first time he met her. She was an interesting woman, full of warmth and character, and he had been craving a relationship with more depth.

Culture Crash: The Fight for the Future Now

A man from SS+K, whose name I cannot remember, was one of our Culture Crash speakers today. He said several interesting things, but the two that stick out to me at the moment are these:

"If anyone ever tells you advertising is dead, they're dead."

"Great brands change the way people live."

Things to remember

When I met my mentees, I gave them each a journal. My mentor did the same for me, and I remember being excited about the sense of possiblity in the journal. Of course, I didn't actually use it until second semester when Caley required it, but still...

In the journals I gave to my mentees, I included a few pieces of advice. I'm sure I could have said a million more things or taken an entirely different tack. I don't think that surviving and getting the most out of the Adcenter can be accurately described in eight points. But with those caveats in mind, I've included my Adcenter advice below. Please add you own, I can always use the wisdom!

1. Don’t censor yourself

2. Be an active participant in groups

3. Don’t worry about what you don’t know

4. Find someone who you can share your ideas with

5. Listen and absorb everything

6. Take time for yourself

7. Have an opinion

8. It’s just advertising