starting again

My classes finally started and I got to see all the people I grew to love who love the profession like some kind of awkward love-triangle of advertising, other advertising majors and myself. Even though we throw tremendous parties on the weekend I had gotten side-tracked last semester and I think it was due to the responsibility that was laid upon me and others to begin the journey of rejection and binge drinking...

I started this semester not knowing if the feeling of not being up to par on everything advertising was gonna go away after having been told to make a list of the agencies you want to bug for internships, start a blog as a form to get noticed, network with those in the business and creating a portfolio that would make David Ogilvy cry with joy. I know I've only gotten my feet wet at this sorta thing but what can I say? it caused some anxiety. In my first semester of this, I called myself a CREATIVE without having anything to back it up but I guess when you're a novice at something its full of uncertainty. I just hope that in this next semester with the help of new professors that my credentials will rise and the new knowledge I acquire from my Layout & Production, Consumer advertising and Visual Communications classes.

This week the Ad club is starting up again on Thursday as the secretary I'm supposed to take all the notes and regurgitate the info to members who fail to show up. It sounds easy enough, and good practice for a wannabe copywriter. We have plans to have visitors come, real professionals speak about what they do and how to get in the industry with the things you need to know, as if that amount of knowledge is limited. Anyway, it should be an interesting year.

In other news Lilly, my advertising professor is absent, I don't know what happened but we have a new professor who is the AAF (American Advertising Federation) president of the Silicon Valley Chapter. So far so good, she's new at this teaching thing but I think with someone who's been in the business for 12 years like she has and the connections she has its possible we can learn some valuable lessons through campaigns she wants us to do.

This entry is pretty long for talking about nothing but if nothing else this year is going to be something good.

I am 19 Going On...

My birthday is tomorrow but instead of being overly excited about turning twenty I'm slightly worried. I feel like I haven't accomplished the things that some people do by the time they are twenty. I haven't gone anywhere outside of California besides Nevada but what the heck is cool there, tumble weeds? Bummer. Plus my Intro to Advertising Professor says that we need to start getting our name out there NOW. She was especially avid on how Industry people need to find out who we are or else not find a job. I'm not sure if the industry is that extreme but I wouldn't know as far as this goes.
I've tried my best getting myself "out there" making sure that other people in the Advertising program know who I am even if I make a complete ass of myself from too much caffiene or something awesome like that but they all know me at least a little. I joined the Spartan Ad Club and tried out for the open Creative Director position; not having expirence I didn't get the position, but I'm not afraid of taking chances. Anyway, towards the end of the school year I got the Secretary position for the Club. Which was what I wanted since it'll give me time to learn layout, photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and everythign else a copywriter should know.

I can't stand this idea of having to start right away or else nothing will come of me. I mean what the f--k?

I think I have this uncanny ability to add pressure to myself when I surround myself with such awesome people who have extraordinary talent. I know I can learn from them but it is hard when I'm not up to speed with my one advertising class under my belt.

All I can say is wait and see.

I'm sorry but All Questions Must Be Submitted In Writing

Okay so I'll cut to the chase like Cops and Robbers but My friend Brian told me that copywriters should try to avoid coming up with a tagline that asks a question, because the reader of the ad will answer the question and move on without thinking about it. I know that a good ad captures the audience for 30 seconds. For The first tagline I came up with for the Noxzema account was "What's Wrong with Being Blue?"
Well, anyway, it seems to me that campaigns are asking questions.

Did I Get Hit By A Billboard?

This is probably not new but it is to me. On the road yesterday while sitting through traffic I sat through a light change and angry honks at my rear bumper. The reason: Moblie Box Ads I was watching this truck that had ads revolve on a convaerbelt seen through a viewer. I was excited to see this out-of-home rollin' down the block.
http://www.boxmobileads.com/

Green House Reeses Cups

This ad though it takes on a tough issue as this is what most of the U.S and the rest of the world is worried about. Global Warming, I think it needs a swear jar just like the keyword economy--don't even think about it!--

I feel that this ad fit well with being current, funny, and deliciously earth conscious, so kuddos to you Arnold Worldwide, you are an amazing agency!

School's Out for Summer

ADV91 is over. I'm going further into this thing called advertsing and as avid as I think I am about it I forgot some of the key details that hold it together. Maybe it's just the summer and its endless reign of warmth and joy that gets me every time I think about school work. Then again its not school work its my life's work. It is going to be my job to bother anyone I can to catch hold of some insight into this industry and the only thing I can do is to hope for the best and try as hard as I can throughout this process. I need to welcome failure as I know at some point it will come and that's okay. I'll be ready for it.

Product of a Problem

What if a product has advertising that is actually good, but the product itself gets a bad rap from consumers? For example, the Blackberry Storm and how people say the touch screen is slow and holds up the person using, taking up their time. What does the advertiser do, if anything, in that situation? Anything?