Baby it's cold outside

My latest DP Challenge Photo Submission - The challenge, depict boredom

Here I am with nothing to do - tossing cards into a hat and killing time

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It's 1:30am and it's snowing in my part of the world.

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Earlier I was out playing in the snow / decorating my house for Christmas. It was below 30 degrees and windy but I wasn't cold at all.

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My kayak / camping gear saved the day. I had a ridiculous amount of layers on and kind of felt like Ralphy's little brother in A Christmas Story (My favorite Christmas DAY movie to watch!). Fortunately I was able to put my arms down when I needed to.

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I've had a really nice week.

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I found multiple people capable of art directing my ad campaigns. I applied for a freelance position earlier in the week for an Account Executive position at an Ad Agency (we'll see how that goes) and I popped in on my old job and met some friends that I used to work with for lunch.

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I had the General Tso's Chicken. I can write a book about my thoughts regarding this dish but I'll save that for another day (for your sake, a day that won't come anytime soon!).

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We met at #1 Chinese Restaurant in lower Manhattan. I always joke that the Restaurant Manager calls the entire staff into the kitchen before each shift to give extremely motivational pep talks.

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Ladies / Gentlemen, it's 10:45 and those doors will be wide open in 15 short minutes. We will have diners and people calling in orders for delivery and pick up. Our chairs will be filled with folks conducting lunch meetings, holding interviews and others who are looking to escape the office for a few fleeting minutes.

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The time they spend with us is precious. Some of them will be dining with us for the first time and others chose our restaurant based on the recommendations of friends or from past experience. We have a responsibility to give them the best meal possible.

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They may order General Tso's Chicken or Hunan pork with noodles, they might be picky, they might be in a bad mood but we are # 1 Chinese Restaurant and will will go out on that dining room floor and show our customers that we can handle any request.

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No one goes to #2, our spring rolls are crisp and flaky and we've got the best duck sauce in town. We're #1, we're #1, we're #1........

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Funny thing is the staff, while attentive, are very subdued, so if they really and truly are fired up to represent #1, they hide it very well!

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Anyway, I always look forward to my fortune cookies after I eat chinese food. I'm not all that superstitious but I do get a kick out of a good fortune.

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Sometimes I grab my cookie from the pile the waitress leaves on the table (choose my own destiny) other times I leave it in the hands of fate (let others choose first, good table manners you know). I like to completely eat my cookie, then read AND try to pronounce the chinese word on the back of the fortune. This time my chinese word was watermelon (gua).

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My fortune, "Your future looks bright."

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That is not a promise, it doesn't mean that anything will be handed to me, its only an outlook. Really it's just a mass produced "fortune" but based on the last few weeks I tend to agree with my cookie.

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I have a lot to do tomorrow, the first order of business will have me clean the snow off a few cars. I have a lot of work to do if I want to turn in quality ads for my last class but good news, I have a few interesting concepts. So tomorrow is all about execution. And I will approach all of my tasks with the knowledge that good fortune smiles on those who put in the hard work.

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Have a nice night world and enjoy the snow!

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joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

The good life

Really great advertising is powerful.

It can make you laugh or move you to tears. Tonight we did PSA (Public Service Announcement) ads for the prevention of animal cruelty.

I spent time looking at the award winning ads in this category and was definitely moved by what I saw. One ad I really liked had the following line (I'm paraphrasing):

This is the box a mink comes in (Visual of fancy garment box)
This is the box a mink lives in (Visual of much smaller box drawn in dotted lines inside garment box)

Assuming that the dimensions of the boxes represent accurate living quarters, how can you not feel for these animals? The key to moving the viewer is taking an interesting fact (mink living small quarters) and providing a twist (showing dimensions in relation to garment box).

My PSA campaign stayed on the wall so I was very excited. There is a huge difference doing research for Scope Mouthwash and the prevention of animal cruelty...it was torture just to see some of what goes on, I'm glad that's over!


Tonight the professors spoke about their preferences regarding student portfolios.

Portfolio = website and simplicity is king.

I'm going to get a few campaigns art-directed over the next month. It's kind of exciting to get my work produced, I can't wait to see how it comes out!

My professors advised us to not be cute on our website as it only takes away from our work.

I agree. Let the work speak for itself darn it! (Maybe I'll feel differently after my 100th rejection, who knows?!)

Tomorrow is another busy day in the life of this unemployed 27 year old. I have special motivation to work hard this week as this is the last assignment of the semester and we have been instructed to create a guerrilla (ambient) campaign. My previous guerrilla attempts have sucked but I'm hopeful I can improve ;o)

The great thing about being your own boss (which I am these days) is that you can make and break, your own schedule. Here's mine for tomorrow:

7:30am - breakfast
9:00am - Yoga (I have to workout the back for tennis!)
10:30am - Advertising research
12:30pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Photography - I have to take a picture that shows boredom or enthusiasm
2:30pm - Contact Art Directors and continue with Ad research
4:30pm - Run
5:30pm - Dinner
6:30pm - Work to improve past ad campaigns for portfolio

This list will stretch out to 4am, easy (probably because I totally lied about the allotted lunch and dinner times in the schedule above!). There will be moments of intense focus and inspiration followed by periods of procrastination and digestion. Items will be added to the list and others will be completely ignored.

As always, the day will unfold and I'll roll with the punches. It'll go fast and that's why I'm taking a moment right now to stop and enjoy the fact that unemployment has been treating me well.

I'm living the good life and hope you are too!

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Conquer yourself

I have one goal when I wake up, to conquer myself.

• To not be lazy
• To stay on task
• To get out of my own way

Sometimes I feel like everything I do is a test. It can annoying at first but the presence of many challenges means the opportunity for many victories.

Today I woke up and raked leaves in the front of my house, in the wind.

I was really frustrated, and cold and pissed off. I was in a bad mood and the job was not getting done. Each time I raked a pile a strong wind would blow them everywhere except the bag.

I went back inside, warmed up, and read something that focused me.

When I went back outside the job got done, I actually had fun and now, after the normally boring and frustrating chore of raking leaves, I am pretty damn fired up! I met the challenge head on.

So what changed?

I stopped complaining and got resourceful. I got inside of the garbage bag, raked leaves, hopped close to the pile and shoveled them in.

I'm sure there are other better ways to rake leaves in the wind, but my method worked fine, and I got to hop around in a hefty bag, what's cooler than that?

Oh, and no leaves escaped my rake.

Give all of yourself in everything you do. No challenge is too small, each one can make you stronger.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Always take the stairs

My hand caught on fire this past Saturday night, It was kind of cool :o)

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of blogs about what people in the advertising industry should be thankful about.
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In the words of Johnny Mac (Enroe, for you non-tennis fans) You cannot be serious!
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The job market sucks, AgencySpy is reporting layoffs every other day and companies are slashing advertising budgets and killing projects. What does anyone have to be thankful about?

Everyone agreed that 2009 was rough but full of perspective. Anyone working in, or trying to break into the business was given plenty to think about.
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That's a good thing and for me, this year has been one long test.
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The two toughest questions I had to answer were: do I really want this and can I really do this?
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I do want this. I spent a large part of this year convincing myself that I can be a copywriter. Maybe it’s true, the more you say it, the more you believe it (I should print business cards or get a tattoo, don’t tell my mom about the tattoo!).
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Aside from art direction, I’m halfway done with my portfolio. One week after a review with my professors and I have three completely completed campaigns and 3 semi-completed campaigns.
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I found a cool website last week called findyouryang.com. It’s a place where copywriters and art directors can team up to complete their portfolios or begin working together in the business.
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I plan to contact art directors over the next few weeks and will provide an update on the value of this website (which is really a Facebook group), so stay tuned. If anyone knows any art directors that would be interested in working together or making some extra $$ to art direct my ads, leave a comment and let me know!
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In other news, the two professors who taught my first advertising class have been telling their current students to contact me and ask how they can join a “Secret Society of Ex Advertising Students.”
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Sounds mysterious and exciting, is there really such a group?
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As a matter of fact there is!
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The first advertising class I took was more than great, it was a homerun, a semester worth of stars, and it was what really inspired me to take myself seriously.
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I will forever be grateful to those professors and the people I met in that class for encouraging me along this path. If anyone wants to join my Advertising Facebook Group, please send me a friend request on Facebook and I will send you an invite.
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For all those students currently in class with those two awesome professors, enjoy your last class and be sure to ask yourself the tough questions when you wake up on Wednesday morning.
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I ask and answer those questions every day. Some days I respond so confidently I scare myself and other days my voice cracks.
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Breaking into this business is not easy. You have to want it. You have to have the right mindset and be willing to push yourself to think more creatively, to constantly work on your book, to take yourself seriously, etc, etc. I know that’s the only way I will ever make it in this business.
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Push yourself constantly, race walk random people on the street, wake up one hour earlier than you planned, don’t hit the snooze button when the alarm rings.
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Take the stairs, not the elevator.
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People may look at you like your crazy and that’s ok, plenty of creative people are crazy (check out the movie Crazy People, if you haven’t seen it already!). You always go further when you avoid the easy way (and you’ll get some exercise on the way up :o)
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joeyz101
http://joeyz101.blogspot.com

Reflecting before the review

First attempt at a self portrait with my Olympus E-520

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I'm always ready to photograph whatever crosses my lens. But one thing I never shoot is myself.

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It's 1:15am and I'm still organizing my ads for tonight's portfolio review. Sorting through my work got me in a reflective kind of mood, hence the self portrait.

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Did I learn anything while peering within?

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I've done some good work. I'm more creative than I would've given myself credit for a few years ago and I have A LOT to learn when it comes to self portraits.

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As far as the photo goes, I had a lot of trouble with the light. In the end I created a makeshift diffuser by hanging a bedsheet around my ceiling fan. This softened the light overhead, which reduced some of the harsh shadows I had been facing.

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My kit lens also wasn't focusing in the low light and I kept having to point the camera to the window, press the shutter (to start the 12 second self-timer) reposition the camera on the tripod, run over to the couch and strike a pose each time I took a picture (the excuse I settled on for why I look like such a dipstick).

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Lastly, I wanted to apply a little trick I learned over the weekend and make it rain (using Photoshop). I tried two different methods and although I'm not thrilled with the end result, I had a great time and learned some new things.

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I actually bought a silly business book when I graduated college and got my first job, it's called, How to become a rainmaker. I finally figured it out.

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You can learn anything in online tutorials these days!

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I better get back to organizing my ads. I have a lot to go over with my professors tomorrow and I want to make the best use of my time (that means no sleep for me tonight!)

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Joe

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http://twitter.com/joeyz101

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P.S. Check out Stephen Poff on Flickr. He wanted to learn about self portraits so he decided to take 1 self portrait a day for an entire year. Hundreds of people, maybe thousands, have followed his journey and resolved to do the same, its a Flickr revolution and it's pretty cool!

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Peace, love and paper cuts

I took this shot on my hike along Bash Bish river this past weekend

Hello world,

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Good news, my "Band Aid" ads were well received, with two pieces making the wall. I jokingly called my campaign "Peace, Love and Paper cuts" because I developed ads making fun of the fact that little cuts aren't the end of the world (you have to actually see the ads to get the whole 'peace, love, paper cut' thing!). I got great feedback and am hopeful that I can turn what I have so far into a solid "book worthy" campaign.

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But the best news coming out of last night's class was the announcement that next class will be our portfolio reviews.
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This is where we, the students, have the opportunity to review our best work with two guys in the business. So what am I hoping to get out of the review?

• Which campaigns my professors like the best
• Honest feedback on my best concepts

Today I looked back on the work I did for this class and realized that I've had 11 ads stay up over the course of 7 assignments. That means I need to be as organized as possible to get the most out of the review. That's the goal for the week!

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I had an interview today for an internship working at an entertainment company.

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I get a kick out of interviews and I think it went pretty well. It's a young company and they have a lot of projects going on. I would work to help them market and advertise their work.

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The company is located on Lafayette and Astor Place, an area full of buildings with character and people with funky clothes.

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Whether I get this internship or not, I'm going back to that neighborhood soon to take pictures, that place is a goldmine!

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Ever since I made the decision to focus on advertising full time I've been thinking a lot about the big picture, life, and all those philosophical things college freshman talk about in dorm rooms and common areas in the wee hours of the night.

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Thanksgiving is Thursday and aside from the fact that my family can cook, I'm really thankful for the opportunity to make my dream come true. I hope that you take the time to give thanks for all the great stuff you have going on.

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joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. Thanks for the emails and comments, you keep me fired up, I owe you one!

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Is enough enough?

One of my walking tour of NYC shots yesterday.

Enough is enough, or is it.

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I stayed up on the wall again in yesterday's class. I'm very happy about that but I want to better understand the meaning of "the wall" and how it relates to the ads I choose for my portfolio.

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Now that I have an intial draft of my portfolio I'm looking to make it better and I want to be sure that every ad in my book (book = portfolio) is stronger than the next.

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Last night we were only allowed to show 2 ads that we did for Milton Bradley. I came to class with 7 so I had to quickly choose my 2 favs. Here's the headline I wrote that stayed up:

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Headline: Come together as a family and bring the leader down.

Tagline: Milton Bradley. Know who you're up against.

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Milton Bradley games are all about having fun and coming together with family and friends, I wanted to show that its still also about winning and the friendly competition that exists between family and friends. Basically my ad says, "Hey cousin of mine, I love ya and I'm happy we're having a great time together but I'm here to win so get ready to lose!"

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I like this concept but I worry that it might be too safe or not impressive enough for my book. Let me know your thoughts on the line, I'd be interested to know!

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My professor said that he liked the line, which is good since he works in the business. And being the competitive nut that I am, I think I have enough to turn this into a funny "Family Competition" campaign.

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In other news, I walked all over Manhattan yesterday searching for new shops with "Grand Opening" signs in the window. I only found one and it wasn't what I had in mind.

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I was surprised because (in my head) I always see loads of new stores popping up all the time. These days I guess it's too risky to remove the safety net and try to go it alone in the cold cruel world.

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Err, then what the hell am I doing out here in the cold cruel world? Mommy?

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For my next photography challenge I have to capture an image that represents a country creatively. For example, it's a stereotype to use an eagle to represent the USA but there are plenty of other images that can be used to represent this country.

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My idea is to take a picture of a storefront with a "Grand Opening" sign because to me, people coming from all over the world to chase the American dream by risking it all is a large part of what this country has been about. Hopefully I can find something today (the deadline is midnight!)

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I'm also going camping this weekend. I think I need to get away for a bit, work has been crazy lately :o)

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I have some preparing to do, cold weather camping is no joke (when I was little I got hypothermia but that was because I was using a summer sleeping bag in the dead of winter, thanks mom and dad ;p )

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joeyz101

http://joeyz101.blogspot.com/

Leaf piles

I've been in a pretty great mood these last few days.
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- I spent the weekend focusing on my best ideas (of the week) and was disciplined enough to ignore the rest (that were way off target!)
- One of my best friends and I took some nice autumn pictures with our SLR cameras and watched videos of our semester in Italy
- I had way too much fun raking leaves in the backyard
- My ads stayed on the wall last night (for Fellowes Paper Shredders)

I've been on quite a roll as far as staying on the wall in class. This week I am working to put together a rough draft of my portfolio, a collection of Joe's "Greatest Hits" and see if it sells or flops. Either way feedback is good and the outcome will help me to understand exactly how far (or close, I could be close!) I am from making this career move a reality.
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Going back to the leaves, I'd like to explain why I had so much fun raking them this past Sunday.

The photo challenge for this week was to capture a photo in which symmetry is present. After coming up short all week long I was asked by my parents to help rake the leaves. I started with the leaf blower and actually had a lot of fun with that until it ran out of gas.
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At this point I had two pretty big, not yet huge piles of leaves. Then it hit me, or so I thought, I'll make two huge piles of leaves (kind of in rows) down the center of the backyard and I'll have my symmetrical picture. My idea was to rake all the leaves into two large long rows and have a bench at the end of the row and lie down on the bench with the rake in my hand and make it look like I raked my way straight through a (red) sea of leaves.
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So after raking like a maniac for a few hours I set up the shot, mounted my camera on the tripod, set the self-timer and took a bunch of pictures. Unfortunately, it was already getting dark and my lens wasn't wide enough to capture how cool my leaf piles actually looked, that and I kept moving on the bench before camera snapped the picture! Below is the best shot I got:
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Since I wasted so much time sculpting leaf piles, I found my self in danger of not fulfilling my promise to bag all the leaves. And bagging them is what led to all the fun.
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I was picking up leaves the slow way, scooping them by the rakeful, when I started thinking about how much fun it was to dive head-first into these mounds when I was growing up.
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Before I knew what happened, I was knee deep in foilage, as happy as a kid who just found out that everyone gets out of school for Yom Kippur, Jewish or not.
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It reminded me of a short video I watched the night before from my semester abroad in Italy. My friend and I happened upon this old man one day while walking past the Duomo in Florence. He seemed crazy to us that day, but his smile was infectious and as I look back on this video now I realize that he is so full of life. That's how I want to be, always.

Next time you see a leaf pile, jump in, don't worry who sees. When you smile, people notice and they never forget it.

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

The wee hours

I come up with some of my best work late at night, under pressure, when the "chip people" decide to put down their chips, and it's starting to irritate me.

Don't get me wrong, it's a rush, producing under pressure, but I am trying to do the right things, take a consistent approach with my assignments and it can be frustrating to feel like I'm waiting around for that big idea until crunch time when it falls out of the sky and bops me in the head.

Maybe I shouldn't complain. It's just that sometimes big idea isn't enough. I need time to shape a great thought into a really great line.


Last week I had another ad stay up on the wall (for the Budget Dream Car Rental Assignment), which means that I've had work "stick" for 3 out of the 4 assignments given this semester.

In full disclosure, I should mention that the professors ripped my ad in half, threw away the headline and kept the visual and tagline on the wall. They thought my headline was clunky.

It was.


Where can I get a waterproof notepad?

I get plenty of ideas in the shower, ideas in the dark, ideas when I'm driving, when I'm conversing with friends when I should be listening.

Seems like ideas come to me whenever I'm not in front of my computer.

Curse the creative process and it's lack of structure! Fortunately the iPhone helps me (not in the shower though, that's where I either have to frantically dash out of the shower as fast as I can or spend the remaining duration of my shower repeating the thought over and over again until I finally decide I actually hate it).


This week I've been working on ads for "Fellowes Paper Shredder" and I think I have some good ideas. Today is the day I want to turn my highlevel thoughts into rough headlines so I don't get all fahklumpt* as I rush to do it in a panic on Monday.

As usual, I have only one goal, to make the wall, I'll keep working and let you know.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101


*Did you know that the Nanny is on just about every night at 2am?

Shaking up those creative juices

Over the weekend, I shook things up by participating in two online digital photo contests, or challenges as they are called by the actual website.

Photography is one of my hobbies and as a relatively new DSLR camera owner (Olympus E-520) I think these "challenges" are an awesome way to learn new techniques and have fun along the way.

The challenges are actually a lot like my ad assignments:

• You get a project
• You brainstorm
• You post your work online (the virtual "wall" if you will)
• And people vote and critique

Take a look at the photos I submitted below and let me know what you think by commenting below! I can take the criticism, but be gentle, because I just lied about being able to take criticism!


Challenge - Tilted II
Make use of an unusual angle to create design or movement in an otherwise ordinary photo.



I wasn't sure what to do for this challenge, so I started grabbing random objects and looking at them from all different sides. Finally I grabbed this coffee cup rack and when I looked at it from the angle you see in the photo above it looked (to me) like the back of some Tuscan coffee cup transformer, and it looked like it was running away, but from what?

How about making it run away from bad instant coffee! A cup rack, instant coffee and a sugar bowl morphed (in my head) into a high octane (or is it caffeine) chase scene. The coffee cups are totally making a run for it and they'd rather dive off the counter top than bear another drop of that nasty instant coffee. I entertained myself for a few hours and really had a lot of fun with this one!


Challenge - Animal / People Interaction
Capture an image that depicts some kind of interaction between people and animals. It might be friendly, it might be antagonistic, or it might be something else. Be creative and communicative.

Since I no longer have any pets, I went to the zoo. After an hour or so of walking around, shooting a bunch of llama portraits and talking to the chickens I was about to call it a day and give up the goat when I saw this cute little girl introduce herself to one.
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I politely asked the sun to hide behind a cloud but the sun did not comply. Even though there is some harsh lighting in this shot (particularly on her forehead) it is for the most part well lit and it is an overall happy little moment.
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I'm glad I was there to capture it! 0
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Tomorrow is my ad class and that means I'll find out how my "Budget Rent-a-Car Dream Car Rental" ads do. I've asked loads of people what there dream car would be and what they would do if they had it for a night or two. I think that I'm clear on the product benefit and have some pretty good ideas. I'll be up for the next few hours polishing my thoughts.
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Hopefully something will stick.
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joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. Some of you have told me that you get a message saying that your comment cannot be submitted. If you see that message after typing a comment just click the 'submit comment' button again and your comment will go through. If not, DM me on twitter and let me know.

Early bird gets the (book)worm

I woke up early today and raced to the School of Visual Arts Library.

They're having a book sale and I wanted to be the first through the door. As I type this, I hear certain voices, some clearer than others, saying Wow Joe, you are seriously a loser.

Maybe so and maybe not so, I say.

I was one of the first to walk through the door and my punctuality was handsomely rewarded in the form of first dibs on all the Advertising Award Annuals. I've mentioned these before but, for anyone who doesn't know, they are books showcasing the very best advertising for the year.

All of the advertising books that I've read, all of the professors that I've had say that you should spend as much time as possible looking through these books. Well I just doubled my collection.

In other news, three of my MICHELIN Guide ads (one campaign) stayed on the wall this past Monday!

The benefit (as I see it) is that the MICHELIN Guide Star ratings are based on anonymous inspectors who are highly trained food experts whereas Zagat, Yelp, Citysearch ratings are based on the user reviews of people just like you and me (or worse!).

Very quickly I would just like to point out that although I wrote what "The benefit" is in the paragraph above, I really didn't actually get to the point (I'm hearing those voices again).

What I mean is, I stated a fact about the MICHELIN rating process but didn't tell you what the associated benefit is. This seems to happen often in advertising. You get so caught up in the research that you develop ads based on facts and features. The problem with this is that all we really care about is the pay off. What does this product do for me? What can I get out of it? That is the benefit.

Of course, it's implied and I'm sure you figured it out, but to be sure here it is. Since

(FACT) the MICHELIN Guide is based on the expert critiques of anonymous inspectors,

(BENEFIT) you can trust that the rating they give will be the experience you can expect.

The tagline I chose to capture this benefit was: Ratings you can trust lead to meals worth having.

I showed actual User Reviews from websites like Yelp and Citysearch that gave a restaurant 5 Star ratings but did so for the stupidest reasons. The User reviews that I included served as the visuals in my ads and they were pretty damn funny. Some people mentioned that they got drunk before the entrees came out and others mentioned that they never ate there but saw a celebrity leave or found money in front of the restaurant.

I think that the campaign is based on the right stuff and that's because I put the time in last week to do my research. Speaking of which, I have to get back to work on the assignment for next class, Budget Rent-a-Car (Luxury Edition), an offer by the company to let you "ride your dream."

Enjoy the rain everyone. I hope I survive the journey home with all of these books :o(

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

That midnight oil

At the moment (2:16am) I'm hard at work on my ads for the MICHELIN Guide.

I've really enjoyed learning all about the MICHELIN Guide this week and hope that my research results in a creative ad or two that stick on the wall.

My main concern now is making sure that my high level list of ideas are closely aligned with the overall benefit consumers receive from the MICHELIN Guide. If not, then those ideas represent trails not worth exploring. You can write headlines all day long but if the overall idea doesn't sync up with the product benefit, it's all a waste of time.

I've been spending so much time doing product research and thinking of campaign ideas you might say, Joe, you should get out more.

If that's the case, then you (and my mom) are probably right.

But in my defense, I managed to squeeze some fun into these last few days. I avenged a recent tennis loss this past Thursday night, hung out with friends Friday night, attended the NYC Photography Show all day Saturday and then raced straight to a Surprise birthday / costume party (dressed as Spongebob Squarepants).

I also just watched the latest episode of FlashForward tonight as I made a lovely pastina dish for dinner.

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I expect to have a great day tomorrow. It will start with me working on my ads and it will end with my class. Whether I produce portfolio worthy ads or not, I'll know that this week's approach was better than the last and structured enough to reapply going forward.

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Ciao for now,

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joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

No turning back

Dramatic title I know, but I just got out of class a few hours ago and I'm in one of those moods.

Tonight we reviewed the ads we developed for the Black&Decker Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster. Over the last week and a half I wrote about 75 ads for this assignment. I hung my best work on the wall around 6:45pm in good spirits.

Nothing stuck.

The professor's took down all the ads I put up, and for good reason. Their main complaint was that I focused too much on word play and too little on the key product benefit.

I agreed with their feedback and left the classroom inspired for two reasons:

1. It's better than being discouraged
2. I can't afford to be anything but inspired

This is exactly why I quit my job. When I had a good job I could shrug off a poor effort and say "oh well, there's always next week." But now the pressure's on. It's improve or die, well maybe not die but you get the point. I am much more serious about learning from my mistakes and much more aware of what will not happen if I don't improve (won't get a job for one thing).

I'm happy with the way things turned out. I have been playing with my words too much lately, I think it's because I watch too much Frasier, curse the Crane brothers and their witty banter!

My goal for next class is to be concept-strong and word play free.

I just ordered another Advertising Award Annual (circa 1995) from Communication Arts through amazon.com. My professor said he used to keep multiple annuals open on the table as he worked on ads for his portfolio. Looking at the best ads helps you to recognize great ideas of your own as well as the ones that aren't quite as good.

My plan for tomorrow is to attack next week's assignment, the Michelen Restaurant Guide, right away. I developed a Creative Brief Template last week so I'll spend the better part of my day completing it for this assignment. That will lay the foundation for the rest of the week.

My back pack will be a lot heavier tomorrow because I'm going to start taking all of my Award Annuals with me wherever I go.

Until I learn to avoid word play, this is the only way I can guarantee that I'll be heavy on great concept. (ahh! Stupid word play, I did it again!)

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Breaks allowed

I woke up bright and early this morning, ready to work.

It feels good to be excited about the day ahead. I'm at the library now working on a few things but thought I'd take a break to share the silly picture I took while making breakfast. Really, all I did was hang the sign and take the picture (so what if I arranged the tomatoes and cleaned the counter a bit).

Any time you have eggs on the stovetop and a tripod in the kitchen, you know you're multitasking!

After making, a really perfect, sausage egg and cheese sandwich, I got the ball rolling by reading Simple & Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers, by Jacques Barzun. The goal here is to polish up my writing skills so that I churn out tighter headlines with more punch, pinch and pizazz.

I'll put what I've been reading to the test in a few. Next item on the to do list is to work on my Black & Decker Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster ad campaign. After that I'm thinking pizza, some things never change, and after that, I'll watch some Adobe Indesign tutorials.

The guy's voice is a little annoying, so is mine, so I deal.

Then I'll dig out an old ad campaign, I'm thinking As Seen on TV, and sharpen it up. I like the ads but I need to come up with at least one or two more to knock out the current weak links and strengthen the campaign overall.

Then comes the fun stuff.

Dinner, maybe I'll make a pizza, probably not, but I could if I really wanted to. Around 8pm I will stretch out and by 9pm I'll be on the tennis court (hopefully winning my match, sorry Rob!).

And one more thing, I'm trying, really hard, to get "into" a TV show (other than Seinfeld). I saw the first three episodes of Flash Forward and I thought it was pretty cool. I'm going to check out the fourth episode after tennis tonight, on Hulu.

Yep, today is rolling along nicely, but the day is long and there's still a ways to go. Hopefully by 11pm I hit that tomato strike.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Inspiration in aisle 7

Any time I make a (bad) supermarket joke I always say, you can find thus and such in aisle 7. It's always aisle 7, I don't know why.

After spending the evening in Starbucks working on my ads I remembered that I had to pick up a few things at the store. I ran into the supermarket and took off for the dairy aisle at my usual ridiculously fast walking pace when something stopped me dead.

Old Italian people.

There at the end of the aisle, a bunch of the cutest old Italian people you ever saw were staring me in the face, from Via Roma pasta boxes. I forgot all about the milk and eggs I was supposed to be picking up and started arranging and photographing the pasta boxes, they looked so damn cool.

There is something you should know, I love old Italian people.

More specifically, Italian women, 75+, those chics are my bag of chips. I could listen to them tell stories from their youth all day long. I used to chase them around in Italy (Ciao bella ragazza :)when I studied there. Being around them always makes me feel like a kid and I like that feeling.

As odd as all this is, you could imagine how this packaging grabbed my attention. I wonder what the supermarket staff was thinking when they saw me photographing pasta boxes. Take a look at the photo's below and let me know what you think.

United, a British branding company created a marketing campaign for Tuscan Pasta company, Via Roma. The packaging has personality and that is just what United was going for when they shot the black and white portraits on location in Tuscany. I think it's really smart.

I like Ronzoni, Barilla and De Cecco as much as the next guy but their packaging is so boring. The truth is I'll never turn down a bowl of pasta, but now I want to try Via Roma because they captured the spirit of the people and the region of Tuscany and I appreciate that.

For me, cooking is about so much more than the food. Every dish has a story and any box of pasta that can transport me to Tuscany is a damn good box of pasta. Anyone ever tried Via Roma? Thoughts? In the next week or so I will give it a spin and let you know what I think.

Wow, it's 2:30am! Where does the time go?

I'm currently working to develop an ad campaign for Black & Decker's Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster. Really that's just a fancy name for a car battery starter.

Let me know if you've ever drained your car battery and had to use one of these products. Was it easy, did it work? Ever have to ask a stranger to jump start your car? Any and all car battery stories are welcome!

joeyz101
http:/twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. I heard back from one of the part time jobs that I applied for. I'm being considered for the Men's Head Tennis Coaching position. We'll see what happens!

The tails side of things

Just so you know, there is a not so glamorous side to chasing your passions.

As you know, my goal is to become a Copywriter and in a perfect world, I’d do the following to achieve my dream:

Work on my ad portfolio, win all my tennis matches (a guys gotta take a break), churn out a few witty, super creative ads for my portfolio, nail the first interview that comes my way and win more golden pencils than I know what to do with.

But that’s not life.

The reality, for me anyway, is that I’m going to have to get a part time job while at the same time, really be disciplined about using my off time efficiently. I’d actually love to work as little as possible and when I do work, I’d prefer to make loads of $$ and not have to think that much because with all this passion-chasing, I’ve got enough swirling around in my head to really focus intently on anything else.

And no, becoming a male gigolo is not my secret part time dream job desire.

Fortunately, in the one week that I’ve been unemployed I’ve had multiple part time job opportunities present themselves. Nothing is set in stone yet so I will continue the search (it’d be fun to do something completely random like clean windows on sky scrapers or learn the art of Japanese ramen noodle making). The Head Tennis Coach job is my favorite option so far but sadly, I think I’d make more selling Girl Scout cookies door-to-door.

So yeah, having to get another job, not having money, thinking that things might actually not work out, and contending with unexplainable moments of laziness, these are the scary things I’m facing on a day-to-day basis (wow, this is how I sound when I go to confession, only difference is there I usually throw in a "...and a bunch of other things I am probably forgetting at the moment Father").

These are real feelings. At the very least, they’re what anyone thinking of doing this sort of thing will encounter. But that’s just it; it’s all about how you choose to deal with them. You can let everything remind you of how unrealistic your dreams actually sound (how could you quit your job in this market Joe??) or you can use each fear to motivate you, to push you harder.

A lot of what I’m feeling can be likened to my recent folding bike experiences. When you’re riding for your life there’s a lot at stake, (dying comes to mind, for example). But when you get to where you’re going and you feel like you cheated death, you're left with quite a rush and I find myself wanting to feel that feeling again and again.

This is about much more than just getting a job in advertising. It’s about me trying to live life the way I feel it should be lived. Going after what I’m passionate about is so important to me because, I don't think there is a better feeling than how you feel after leaving everything on the table and lying there fully exposed (and believe me, you feel pretty damn exposed riding along 7th avenue at night in traffic).

I've experienced that "here I am, take it or leave it" feeling a few times so far and I know that I’ll never forget those moments (despite the fact that you can't help feeling like a tiny grape that just rolled into a field of angry grape-stomping elephants).

Those moments brought me to life and helped me realize who I am and what I'm capable of.

They've become fond memories that I can revisit whenever I want and they can be used as a source upon which I can draw confidence and be inspired (you get that , "I did it then, who says I can't do it now," kind of feeling).

It’s easy to be prone to violent swings in temperment when you're the one who voluntarily chose to shake the life you were accostomed to upside down and all around. To stay the course you need to be disciplined, organized, (constantly) inspired (that's where friends/family come in!) and you've got to believe. You have to find balance amidst the chaos.

You also need to know that no matter what happens, you can't go wrong when you work hard, believe in your self and stay true to who you are.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. Worst case scenario, Joe the tiny grape gets stomped. Stomping grapes makes wine. I love wine, so there. Good night.

Ad Class #2 Icy-Hot

Got home about an hour ago from my ad class.

It was our second meeting which meant that our 1st assignment was due. For those of you who don't know how it works, I'll break it down.

• Each week you get an assignment, last week it was "Icy-Hot"
• We must create 3 print ads for the product
• The ads may (or may not) include a headline and visual and should include a tagline
• All of the students hang their work on the wall and the professors critique the ads
• Ads come down for many reasons (i.e. boring, cheezy, ridiculous, doesn't make sense)
• Best ads stay up on the wall

An ad that stays on the wall is an ad that might just be good enough for your Advertising Portfolio. Most times, even the ads that stick still need a lot of tweaking but at least you know you're on the right track. Big question is how did I do?

2 out of 3 of my ads stayed up!

Each week we put everything into creating these ads, knowing that our carefully crafted lines may very well spend the rest of their day's lining bird cages. It was great to have 2 stick for the 1st assignment.

Really its not that big of a deal. I mean, its not like I quit my job for this. Oh wait.

So yeah, it felt great. I thought that the professors did a great job reviewing work, pointing out whatwe need to avoid (sex jokes, before and after, etc.) as well as acknowledging the positives.

The number of different directions you can take the same product never ceases to amaze me. There were at least 25 students in class tonight and people always seem to come up with different stuff, very cool. What direction did I go? Check out my ads below (the lines, at least).

Ad #1
Headline: Walk the walk, then walk some more.
Tagline: Cool down, warm up. Keep going.

Ad #2
Headline: Desire may push you over the finish line. But will it carry you to the car?
Tagline: Cool down, warm up. Keep going.

I still need to explore what visual I'll use but overall I like the lines. I'm targeting athletes. Icy-Hot is a great product for weekend warriors and the goal of my campaign is to show that for those who push themselves, Icy-Hot is there to provide them with the pain relief to help keep them going.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, I plan to work on past ads I did for Brother Jimmy's, study Adobe Indesign tutorials and start researching next week's assignment: Black and Decker's Car Battery Charger.

In the last two days I put 32 miles on my little folding bike. Tonight I almost died twice, aside from that, it's been a blast. Wow, it's 2:30am, and I'm tired so good night. Let me know what you think of the lines I wrote for Icy-Hot (after some positive feedback from award winning industry folk, I can take a little criticism).

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

The day after Sept. 30th

For me, September 30th represented the end.

The end of what I will refer to as the first chapter in my career. I have to say, the send off was great. I know that my colleagues are all very happy for me and were able to sense that I am making such drastic changes because I am serious about chasing my passion.

My team and I said our goodbyes over a "Little Italy" lunch (they know me well!). They also presented me with an awesome card. It's a picture of my face "photoshopped" on Rocky Balboa's body. The card says something along the lines of, "The Eye of the Tiger cannot be stopped. But it can be distracted by doughnuts and pastrami." These are inside "office" jokes that I definitely appreciated. Everyone signed the card and wished me well and I promised to hang the card in my office when I eventually get one at an advertising agency.

While it's always been my plan to leave my full time gig to work on my ad portfolio, I am not altogether against having a job, in fact I'd be up for something part time. Like everything else, I have a list of criteria. For a part time job, they are the following:

- It has to be part time
- I'd like it to be fun
- I want to learn
- And I want $$

I received a nice surprise on my last day of work, when I got a call from the Athletic Director of a Division III NYC college asking me to interview for the position of Head Men's Tennis Coach. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love tennis, so to say that I was thrilled to get this phone call is a gigantic understatement. In a way, this is almost a dream job. I am really noticing that lately, doors seem to close fast and open faster!

The interview was today (Friday Oct. 1st) and in my humble opinion, I completely knocked their pants off. I went into this interview with an unbelievable amount of confidence and for that, I must immediately give credit to some of the guys on my USTA tennis team who wrote me the most beautiful letters of recommendation (with hardly a moments notice). Even if I don't get the job, just knowing that my guys hold me in such a high regard means the world to me. They have become very close friends and are just all around great guys that I respect and admire.

On a very sad note, my beautiful baby peach face lovebird, Peaches, had to be put to sleep this past Thursday. After all the great things that have been happening to me these last few weeks this was a definite low point.

I got Peaches on the last day of school in 7th grade. She was the cutest, spunkiest, little parrot with more personality per square inch than the coolest people I know. Peaches was always able to make me smile. She stayed with us for just about 15 years.

Being that Wednesday was my last day of work, I was randomly home on Thursday and as a result, I was able to be there for Peaches while she was suffering. I took her to the Vet and when the the Doctor informed me of Peaches' poor prognosis I really had no choice but to put her to sleep. The staff was so kind and understanding. They brought Peaches out of the oxygen incubator so that she and I could spend some time with each other one last time.

I am not embarrassed to say that I cried like the little 7th grade boy I was when Peaches first came into my life. I told her that I loved her and I hope she knows that I didn't want her to suffer anymore. Here's a picture of Peaches and I from this past Wednesday night. Although she was sick, I think the special bond we had was obvious right through our last moments together. I will miss her always.



The silver lining in all of this really is that my sudden departure from Corporate America somehow allowed me to be with Peaches. The timing really was incredible, a day earlier and she could have been alone.

Late Thursday evening my family and I went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I, of course, had General Tso's Chicken (or was it General Tao...I have a theory involving a forgotten General, but that discussion is for another day). At the end of our meal we each grabbed a fortune cookie.

Mine happened to contain 3 fortunes. They were:

- You will be fortunate in the opportunities presented to you.
- You are a bundle of energy always on the go. (Could be why I'm blogging at 2:15am)
- A thrilling time is in your immediate future.

Waves of excitement have been crashing over me by the hour these days (am I wearing a shirt that says, "looking for a wild time?"). If so, remind me not to change. But with each passing day I am less sure what the future will bring.

There is one thing I'm sure of; I'm flying high, sitting pretty and in for quite a ride.

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Now that's a phat ad

Just came across these ads for the German Olympic Sports Federation (GOSF) on Adverblog.





In fact, it was hard to miss them.

And if you think about it, that's how all great advertising should be: simple and hard to pass over. These ads stopped me in my tracks and made me look.

I admit, I stare at fat people.

Breaking it down, you've got a visual that everyone is familiar with and a headline that's ridiculously simple, "If you don't move, you get fat." Come to think of it, that line almost sounds like the first thing someone said in a creative meeting."

Jim: So I see we've got work to do for the German Olympic Sports Federation account.
Bob: Yeah, we need to tell kids to get out and play, cause if they don't move, they'll get fat.

In my opinion, the line is all it needs to be. It finishes the story and points you to where you can go to get more info (the GOSF). You might be thinking, "Anyone could've written that line." Maybe you thought, "Making a great ad is so easy, a caveman can do it."

It ain't that easy, trust me.

As a guest speaker from a previous class told me, "The best ads are the ones that are "dumb simple." They floor you with their simplicity and your left thinking, "Why the hell didn't I think of that ad?!"

In this case, visual + headline = great ad. There is synergy beween the two. Also, the visual is the star of this show. The headline doesn't try to steal any spotlight, it only supports the star.

As an aspiring Copywriter, this is an important lesson for me because I sometimes try to be too clever. Many times, the result is an ad that is just too confusing.

I'll steal a page out of Scholz & Friends, Hamburg and try to remember:

Chunky but simple is better than clunky and complicated.

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. I have no doubt that I would look just like the chubby David (or worse) if I didn't run around the Arno river every day when I lived in Florence, Italy. I would spend whatever money I had on panninis, pizza and pasteries during the walk to and from school.

I miss having that problem!

Watch out for the signs

I am three days away from leaving my corporate gig.

Despite the fact that a pizza party will be thrown in my honor this Wednesday, I am still going about my business, tying up loose ends and sticking to the same routine that I've stuck to these last few years. Today a wrench was thrown in that routine as I sat down to eat my Sausage Egg and Cheese sandwich.

My hard drive crashed.

Three days away from my last day and the hard drive goes kaput. If that isn't a sign that my time here is done, I don't know what is.

When I wake up on Thursday morning I will be out of work. I won't have a job, but I won't be a bum. Instead, I like to think that I'll be out of the kind of work I don't want to be in and one day closer to the kind of work that gets my engine going (can work really do that?!).

As that day gets closer, I'm proud of the fact that I am a happy mix of bold and stupid enough to not let anything stop me from going after what I want.

When I think back, I wonder how I actually made this decision. I think it's because of the following:

• I have lots of interests
• I've spent tons of time with my self
• I'm always up for trying / learning new things
• I know what I want and I'm passionate about it
• I know who I am

Once I realized that there is something out there that I could do for a living AND really enjoy, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I thought about it so much that I decided to take a class, then I took another, then another and then another. I kept reading and thinking and talking about this one thing until it nudged and wiggled its way into all aspects of my life.

I'm really not superstitious but I do pay attention to the signs when they present themselves. I feel very fortunate to have already met many talented and enthusiastic people in the advertising industry and I know that this little network of mine will help keep me inspired and motivated to succeed. So far all signs are pointing me in the direction I want to go.

If on my first day as a Copywriter, my hard drive crashes, I'll revisit my plans.

Joe

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Forget glass houses, start with glass corners

Random thought.

Every corner of every wall should be made of clear glass.

That way you can see if someone is coming around the other side.

That way you don't bump into 37 people a day.

That way you don't have to pour your coffee in a sippy cup for fear that someone will make you wear it.


In my humble opinion, we're talking about a major office innovation here.


Got a glass house? Don't you dare throw stones. If you spring for glass corners, you won't get bumped or burned (by coffee at least).

While we're on the topic of office innovations, I think they should have lanes or rows inside elevators.

If you work on the17th floor of a 20 floor building, you should stand in the back.

In my building, those who work on the lower floors always run straight to the back and then push their way out, while the high floor folks hang out in the front. It has to stop...there is a better way. Every morning I think about proposing an organized entry but the looks I see make me think the gang isn't game for such experiments.

It might be better to just stay late one night, make lanes out of duct tape and assign each lane a floor range. There you have it, the intelligent elevator. After all, why shouldn't we go in and out as easily as we travel up and down?

What strange ideas pop into your head over the course of a normal business day? I for one, constantly think of stupid things. Its up to us to make sure no day is ever just another day at the office.

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Rain drops keep falling on my head

I'm heading out to meet with some friends for dinner, a little Italian food, hopefully I'll like it ;o)

Earlier today, I borrowed my sister's iPod and went for a run. I usually run with my iPhone and listen to Pandora. The "Kim Sozzi" radio station does a good job of keeping me fired up.

I'm probably the only person in the world with ZERO songs on my iPhone/Pod device thingy. I love music but just like I need someone to help me order sushi at a Japanese restaurant, I've always needed someone to educate me on the latest music.

Unless it's Frank, Dino or Louie (Prima), I'm lost.

I remember when I was in high school, a girl asked me what kind of music I listened to.

I said the radio.

That's why Pandora suits me. I plug in one song I like, and in minutes I'm discovering all these new songs and artists. Very cool.

My run started out with a little savage garden. Then it started raining.

Since I love running in the rain I didn't mind one bit. I was completely soaked. People in cars were giving me strange looks but I just smiled and kept on moving. Then to my surprise Dean Martin came on (I love my little sister!).

This is real music.

A whole bunch of my favorites played but the best was, as if on cue, just as the rain started coming down harder, on came 'Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head'. It sounds weird but I doubled my pace and sang along the whole time.

That song is all about keeping a positive mindset when things get tough, maybe Dino was the mastermind behind another one of my favorite songs, 'Eye of the Tiger'.

I worked on my ads more today and posted them to an advertising Facebook group that I created a while back. I've already received some feedback on the campaign I posted but i think my ads still have a way to go.

When they're closer to a finished product, I'll post them. Hopefully by that time you'll have figured out how to leave comments and we can get a bit of a dialogue going ;o)

I'd also like to take a moment to 'remember' those who lost their lives (and their loved ones) on 09-11-2001.

I was on the train earlier this week when an old man sat down next to me. I see this man a few times a week but until this past Wednesday we never spoke.

How are you, I said. We talked about trains and commuting for a few minutes and then he said, I sometimes see that you wear a blue Italia jacket. Did you get that in Italy? I told him that I bought it when I studied in Firenze and he told me that he was from Calabria.

We got to talking about careers and I told him of my plans to chase my passion and become a Copywriter. He kept calling me a good boy and telling me that I remind him of his son.

He told me that he came to this country when he was 23 and he came because as much as he loved Italy, The United States is unique and special because it's one of the only countries in the world that gives you the opportunity to achieve your dreams.

He told me that I will have to work hard, be focused and stay passionate but if I do that I can succeed here. Sadly, he said that is not the case in other parts of the world.

People here, take this country for granted. He said they forget the sacrifices made by others but I will never forget. I'll never forget what happened on 9/11, and I will not forget all of the people that died. I won't forget the bravery shown by our city, the men and women who ran back towards the buildings, in an effort to help others.

I had the chills. I agreed with everything he said but I felt a bit ashamed because I feel as though I forget sometimes. I really liked this old man and I am going to make a concerted effort to remember and pray for these people on a more consistent basis.

We got to talking about gardens. From the sounds of it, his family has enough tomatoes to feed the neighborhood for a few months. I think I impressed him with my fresh mozz and sauce-making abilities, (maybe he has a grand daughter he can mention that to).

I'm just about to meet my friends now so have a great weekend and I'll post some more advertising related stuff soon.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Citi's Live Richly Ads

I love these Citi ads.

They were done by Greg Hahn, Steve Driggs and Blake Winfree (among others I'm sure). I forget the agency these fella's worked for when they did this campaign. I'll find out and update this post when I do.

These ads simple and so smart. They get down to the heart of the product, how Citi addresses identity theft, and they convey the message in a really funny way.

Of the three ads, I like the first one the least. I don't know why but the little old lady and the monster truck doesnt work for me as much as the second visual. The old lady in the tattoo parlor and the trucker getting his hair done with the girls both make me smile.

Speaking of little old ladies who make me smile, I saw my Aunt Ro Ro tonight and, damn is she cute. She's 85 now (but any chic over 70 is automatically my bag of chips).

She would always tell me to put out my hand and then give me two tic-tac's. My snacks have gotten bigger since then (and so have I) but it was really nice to see her. I really do have a thing for old Italian girls who know their way around the kitchen. These days, most ladies don't love to cook like the older gals.

I hope I'm wrong about this one.

Back to the ads, leave some comments and let me know what you think. It's now 3:15am and I need to get some sleep, big day at the US Open tomorrow with my tennis team!








joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Gone fishing

Apparently, I'm a stalker.

I've been spending the better part of my nights online. My mission: track down the award-winning Copywriters and Art Directors responsible for creating my favorite ads in the 2004 CommArts Advertising annual and learn.

Learn what though?

Anything really. Ten things, one thing. About them, about their ads, I don't know. On weeknights it's either this or watch the Golden Girls. I figure if I'm really disciplined, I can swing both.

Tom Camp and Jason Smith did some really great work for Harley-Davidson while at Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis. The tagline for their award winning campaign is, "It's time to ride". The ads ran in 2004 and are just awesome. When I find them online, I'll post them to get your thoughts.

Tom and Jason started their own agency, Pocket Hercules, and after perusing their work, I was hooked. I am now a fan. If you want to see some more of their stuff, check out http://pockethercules.com/

The ad below is for Rapala. Rapala is a longtime maker of fishing lures. The movement of the lure is designed to mimick that of a wounded minnow because in the 1930's a Finnish fisherman observed that large fish would consistently attack the smaller wounded fish.





Simplicity.

Tom and Jason dialed in on what makes Rapala great (their lures catch fish) and they conveyed that in a way that is clever yet clear. Being from Brooklyn, a diehard fisherman I am not, and even I get this ad instantly. I just love this line, what do you (yes, you!) think?


As an aside, I consider my self to be somewhat of an outdoorsman but I've never had any real luck with fishing. I've had some success on camping trips but if I'm being honest, I should tell you that the fish I catch are much closer to the size of a Rapala lure than the fish they're designed to attract.

Over the years, I've heard a lot of fishing stories. They always involve huge battles and bigger fish; they're exaggerated and exciting, in a 'if you like flannel, you'll love this' kind of way. Despite my limited experience, I actually have a tale of my own.


I went fishing for the first time as cub scout in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. We went after school and as we threw our lines in the water, we saw party boats drift out to catch the big fish. I remember being confident, (or was it ignorant) as we began the waiting game.

I really didn't have the slightest idea how to fish (couldn't tie a knot, bait a hook, cast my line) but I had a feeling that this was something all adventerous boys just knew how to do.

But after a few hours of watching my friends reel in all the fish, I started to second guess my innate abilities. My frustration must have been obvious because a chubby old man motioned for me to talk to him. Great, all my friends are landing fish and I'm attracting strange old men.

I don't remember much about the man, except his advice. Here it is:

Hey kid, you don't look happy and you're not talking. The fish will only come if you talk to them, so say, "Hey fishy-fishy".

Hey fishy-fishy? I walked away completely disappointed. Was that really the sage advice my old fisherman friend had for me? I can't believe I walked 20 feet for this.

Another hour passed. 60 minutes full of everyone catching pretty much everything under the sea. One of the dad's even caught a small sand shark. Our trip was coming to an end and I was desperate.

Hey fishy-fishy. Nothing.

Hey fishy-fishy, don't you like pork fat? I've got some here for you. Hey fishy-fi...wait a second, was that a nibble? I couldn't believe it. It was!

Next thing you know, everyone is crowded around me, they could tell I had my hands full. There I am in the middle of it all screaming, "HEY FISHY-FISHY" as I fought to reel my prize in.

My friends were confused, I sounded ridiculous, but I didn't care. I spoke to the fish and they really came! It was really dark at this point, but my fish was now out of the water and I was bringing her home.

Closer and closer, I could almost see it now...I wanted it so bad. The line was finally short enough so I jerked the pole towards me

And got hit smack in the face, by an eel.

I screamed! Dropped my pole, ran to the fringe of the circle around me and watched in horror as my catch wriggled violently in it's search for water. One of the Scoutmasters eventually helped me to unhook and then toss her back into the sea.

That night, people caught bigger fish, lots of fish but I had the most memorable catch. It was my very first fish / eel and it's a memory I will always treasure.


Want to create memorable ads / hook big fish? Keep it simple and talk (network? I'm stretching I know).

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

War of the Words - Scrabble

After a looOong bike ride from Brooklyn to Central Park (over the Brooklyn Bridge, down Westside Highway round-and-round Central Park), I am back in front of my laptop with the very best intentions of working on my portfolio.

I am still working on my campaign for The Pond at Bryant Park. It's coming along nicely, but I have to think up a better tagline.

Yesterday I went through the 2004 Communication Arts Advertising Annual. There are A LOT of great ads in there. I had a blast flipping through all the work and I'd like to get your thoughts on some of my favorites over the course of this week.

Let's start with Scrabble:



Click the pic to enlarge, but if you still can't read the tag, it says, "Scrabble. Its your word against theirs." Young & Rubicam did this ad for Mattel in '04 and I think it fits the game perfectly. The piece shows words going head-to-head, and just like the game, the winning word is the one that receives the most points.

"It's your word against theirs" goes great with the visual and overall I think this is an ad that really speaks to anyone who loves the game of Scrabble. Y&R (the ad agency) did great job of making the game of Scrabble look like a game I'd have fun playing so to me, this ad is a homerun.

Agree / Disagree? Leave a comment and lemme know.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Got passion?

Earlier this week I saw "Art & Copy" at the IFC film center. It's a documentary about the advertising industry and how it's changed over the last 50 years. They also interview some of the major players and review their best campaigns both past and present.

The link below will take you to some reviews (pos. /neg.) .

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/art_and_copy/?critic=columns&sortby=fresh&name_order=asc&view=

Basically, if you're the type of person who waits until after the commercials to go to the bathroom, this is the movie for you.

I got a kick out of the stories behind the campaigns (e.g. Got milk? Just do it.). I'm also pretty sure that 95% of the audience worked in the business because every client jab was met with the kind of approval that said, "I've been there, you suck and now its my turn to laugh."


As far as my progress has gone, it's been a good week. My Communication Arts Advertising Annuals came in the mail yesterday so I'm about to find a chair in the nearest Starbucks and start reviewing. Comm Arts hosts, arguably the most prestigious competition for creativity in advertising and the annuals showcase the winning ads for each year across print, tv, interactive, etc..

There is a lot of crap out there and thats why becoming familiar with the best work is so important. It brings me one step closer to creating my own great ads. (At the very least it makes me much more critical of my own work.

A professor of mine said that before becoming an award winning Director, Quentin Tarantino worked in a video store and would literally watch every single award winning movie to understand what made them so good.

You have to recognize greatness before you can achieve it otherwise, how can you know what you're shooting for.

Joe

http://joeyz101.blogspot.com/

Portfolio Update - The Pond at Bryant Park

This past weekend was great.

I went to Montauk and took a few pretty cool pictures of the Lighthouse. I revised old ads and worked on new ones for the portfolio. I even came as close as I ever have to cooking the perfect steak.

But back to the ads.

Lately I've been working on improving the ads that I developed for the Pond at Bryant Park. TPBP is an ice skating rink located on 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in New York City. It seems odd to be thinking about ice skating in August but that's where my head is at the moment.

This past winter I went to TPBP on a Saturday morning. I got a seat by a window and sat inside the main area with a cup of coffee and just watched people go round and round for hours.

It was hysterical.

Kids and adults, tourists and natives, everyone was seemed to be on the ice. People were dropping left and right. You could tell the casual skaters from the serious ones right away. One girl was spinning 20 times per second on the tip of her skate while a kid was doing the same on his butt. As far as I was concerned, they both put on quite a show.

The ads around the rink did not capture what I saw out there and it made me think, "Did the team responsible for these ads spend any time here at all." Take a look at the links below and let me know what you think.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yehwan/284350687/

I think the line is cute, fun, light-hearted, etc. but it seems generic; like it could work for any ice skating rink. So far, I think I have two really great lines that capture the spirit of The Pond at Bryant Park. One more ad and I'll have a complete campaign. Then I just have to figure out how I'm going to get this thing art-directed.

For now though, I better stop thinking of triple axels and get back to work!

Joe

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. When I was younger, I had the biggest crush on Kristi Yamaguchi...Sweet Jesus!