Monday, August 27, 2007

Communication via cupcake

Megan, Jess and I are starting a group at the Adcenter called Potluck. I've copied our group summary and action plan below. All Adcenter students are encouraged to join us at meetings, which will start this Thursday at 7:00 PM in the Lecture Hall. Our first advertisement for the group will go out tomorrow in the form of cupcakes. Because if we've learned anything this year, it's that Adcenter students rarely read posters, but always want food.

Exhibit A: Megan holding one of our advertisements.


POTLUCK PLAN:

To Sum It All Up

We aim to enhance our understanding of the world through sharing in the experiences of our classmates.

What We’re Doing

Potluck is a forum for discussion comprised of VCU Adcenter students. Interested students will meet to hear a classmate or panel of classmates speak about some part of their life outside of advertising such as hobbies, specialties and previous careers.

Why We’re Here

In a world that is becoming increasingly segmented, it becomes more and more important to have an in-depth understanding of consumers and of culture. We need to be able to connect with people of all sorts. By acknowledging the following truths, Potluck aims to enlarge its participants’ worldview for the sake of maximizing their communication potential.

• We need to understand the things that drive people and that help them make their day-to-day decisions.
• We need to shed our fear of the unknown by making it familiar.

As a secondary benefit, Potluck will allow us to gain a more in-depth understanding of our own classmates and will give students the chance to present and to lead their peers.

The Specifics

• All Potluck events will be held at the VCU Adcenter in order to provide a neutral space for discussion

• Potluck events will be held once a month

• There will be no membership; students are welcome to join in the discussion at any time as their schedule allows

• Meetings will not take any one set form, but will take whatever format necessary to have the most impact, whether it be lecture, discussion or activity

Example Speaker Ideas

Life in Sales
Improv Comedy Workshop
Coming to America: International students speak about cultural differences and surprises
Living through Hurricanes: New Orleans Before and After the Storm
Collecting model cars
From Arts to Advertising
The Real Richmonders
Interning Internationally
Selling education
Skateboarding
College/Competition level Athletics

A change in the winds

While I've enjoyed Vox for its interesting layouts and novelty, I'm moving my Adcenter / Advertising blog to this new address. Blogger, you've seduced me with you photo capabilities.

Over the next week or so, whitmarsh.vox.com will become caitlinscreativeclutter.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

In support of advertising

I've always found the King ads incredibly creepy. I have no interest in waking up with that particular king. And yet I've fallen in love with the new Western Whopper campaign. And so, here's my pet moustache.

Monday, June 18, 2007

New favorite agency email quote

P.S: Our attempt to get together to get financially savvy with Janet and learn how our agency actually makes money failed because of scheduling conflicts. We'll try to have that happen again soon.

Millenials and branding

This article from Brandweek, which talks about teen relationships to their brands, has some interesting figures in it: http://www.brandweek.com/bw/magazine/current/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003599815

My personal favorite is:

Despite being wired 24/7 with mobile devices and online communities, they feel the word "chill" best describes them (according to 40% of those surveyed). Music most defines them, according to 44% of teens, followed by family (39%) and moral values (38%).

So to sum it up, teens are a "chill" group of people who believe in music far more than morals. That's fabulous.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

From the mouth of Mike Hughes

Agencies are always changing process. Ideas might not change too much, but methodology has.

The planner develops something that's in people's heads and hearts.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Marshall McLuhanisms

The medium is the message.

We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future.

Today the business of business is becoming the constant invention of new business.

All advertising advertises advertising.

If it works, it's obsolete.