ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Ok, I'm ircked.  I am a well-qualified ADVERTISING CREATIVE STRATEGIST (seriously, check me out!)  and cannot seem to get a job as easily as many predicted pre-recession.  Now, my overachiever spirit is getting me places only slowly but surely. 

Yet, with all of those well-seasoned ad people unfortunately laid off and all of us budding ad enthusiasts trying to break into the market, THIS GUY still has his job:

Meet Nike Advertising Executive Paul Dewitt.  Seriously, we aren't talking small time here... this is the JUST DO IT man.  He has a hand in what this brand giant tells the world.

He must be BRILLIANT right?  WRONG!  Maybe he used to be in his prime, but in a time when your job should be gold right now, this man is throwing it at the wind and winging it with a brand people would kill to be associated with.  

The Onion Sports Network informed the world of his pitch this week in this article.  The product: Nike.  The spokesperson: Usain Bolt (appropriate last name).  Product Benefit: goes fast.  Here are my favorite highlights - why I'm ircked that he has a job and I don't.

• "I don't know, maybe in one [commercial] he's running away from a car or a train, or toward a car or a train," Dewitt said to members of Nike's executive board, including company president Mark Parker. "If it's a train it should probably be one of those silver, pointy-looking ones that look like they go super fast."
• Dewitt spent an estimated five minutes listing more than 200 living and nonliving things that Usain Bolt could run up, down, toward, against, or around "in one of those fast circles that are made of smoke," including bullets, airplanes, camera flashes, Internet search engines, really fast dogs, really fast cats, even faster dogs, other runners, the earth, the solar system, a comet, and the universe.
• "What if he runs against a cheetah or a jaguar or maybe, like, a gazelle?" Dewitt said while standing in front of a PowerPoint slide labeled "Animals."
• "He could eat his lunch really fast or do his laundry fast? That could be two separate commercials." - oh yeah, great idea... way to come up with a whole CAMPAIGN!     
• "Maybe at the end of all these commercials, a Nike logo appears and it thumps like a heart to convey intensity," Dewitt said. "So, okay, I'm done now. Any questions?"

So basically this is what I got out of that presentation:  Someone has been reading too many gossip magazines, going home early and must have been nursing a hangover or still in a state that may bring on a hangover soon.  

Nike should open the position to entry level people and allow some of the eager advertisers out there to help them shine.  I mean come on... anyone can figure out that 'Bolt' can be used to show he is FAST.  My head actually hurts having to regurgitate this stupidity to you.           

      

A More Personal Note

It's been a while since my blog served as a portal for my random thoughts to escape from.  So please, bear with me and possibly enjoy...

I am moving from Boston to NYC on Sunday/Monday.  (Watch out, there's a new G.G. in town)

That means there is a lot of loose ends to tie up, packing to be done, hair cuts to be had and nails to be done while I still have my go-to places on tap, favorite foods to be consumed and a whole lot of planning to be done.  (Did you know you have to turn off utilities and turn them on somewhere else?  - oh the things you DON'T learn in a dorm and under you parents' roof - That you have to PLAN AHEAD in a place that you only know from one day trips and movies?!)  Oh and while accomplishing all of this, I also need to work my 13 hour days of multi-family nannying!  

So someone as super organized as I am should be checking off items like a whiz off of a color-coordinated list, right? WRONG.  The list definitely exists, yet it's sitting on the counter.  Instead I am distracting myself left and right with all that the internet has to offer, while simultaneously watching my entire 85% full DVR of WHAT NOT TO WEAR (that's accomplishing something, right?)  Should I feel guilty for learning?  I'm going with NO.  The boxes can pack themselves :)

Here are some of my finds:

• FREE THINGS TO DO IN NYC by Timeout Mag.  I am definitely looking forward to FREE yoga and bootcamp workout classes at Union Square Park compliments of YMCA.
• Mr. Tweet.  This Guy started following me on Twitter and Direct Messaged me letting me know he had suggestions of people I should follow.  I found some great friends and exciting ad industry companies that I had never thought/known to search for!
• SHOCKING pictures of Sharon Stone linked from Cool Hunter.  All in the name of FASHION I suppose.  (Speaking of which, FASHION WEEK in NYC Sept. 10-15 - Search Craigslist Events for working opps to get you in/near the godly white tents.)  
  

Oh and to top it off, I'm also designing a credit card for California Association of Realtors and freelancing for a Ski/Snowboard Travel Company creating a logo, sticker, website and more!  (More to come when the finals are approved!)  Who needs sleep when God made coffee?!

Don't worry, I assure you there has been MUCH more distraction online - many blogs and Tastespotting hours - all in the name of social media and my anthropological cravings to explore the thoughts of others.  However, the guilt of Catholic High School is setting in and I must do something useful.  

(If you know something else pretty cool that doesn't involve tape and newspaper... let me know!)  xx

  

  

Socialnomics

Advertising concept of the day: SOCIALNOMICS.

Socialnomics is, according to Eric Qualman, how social media transforms the way we live and do business.  More specifically, he qualifies it as "The ability of social media to generate exponential returns for individuals and businesses. A subset of this is that in the future we will no longer search for products and services, rather they will find us via social media." Check out his insightful blog here.  

Social media is the way of the future because we have made it that way.  Facebook alone is big enough to be the 4th largest country on planet Earth.  People are fascinated by people and crave integration in an extremely segmented society.  I'd beg to differ that we are a true melting pot, but instead a bowl of many haphazard ingredients.  The internet is what is bringing people together, and faster than a central radio or television set was ever able to.  So thanks Al Gore for inventing the internet. cough cough.

Check out this telling video about social media - the path people and advertisers alike are joyfully exploring and embracing:

 

Hidden Gems if you Will

I am a big fan of the old off the beaten path finds.  

Recently on a horrific schlep to find an apartment in the NYC Metro area, I exited the subway in Brooklyn on the L at Jefferson.  This is a sad area turning hipster fabulous (if that exists).  

The streets are not welcoming but the one block of small cafes (probably vegan and all things earth friendly) on Wykoff is an amazing find and worth the hipster road bike excursion to it or a subway treck on an early morning.  

Why morning?  Because there is a cafe that has the BEST ICED COFFEE that I've had in a long time.  (Sorry Starbucks, your new non-corporate ads still don't give you the best coffee).  Check out this awesome detail in the shoe-box sized establishment:        

I don't know that name of this place but it's the only coffee shop there.

Down the road, past the restaurant serving brunch with a side of fashionable hipsters (oxymoron?) is the COOLEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN.  Behind a tall wooden fence is an oasis of mini golf in the midst of this rebirthing ghetto.  It's THE PUTTING LOT at 12 Wykoff.  Check out their Facebook (definitely fan-worthy).

I didn't get to go, but I wrote down the address because it was THAT cool.   

Best thing about it: it's made of recycled materials, sponsors events and is yet another NYC (Brooklyn) way to entertain yourself and stay green.  Read more here.       

A New Shade of Green

We all love to be a part of the "green campaign" - at times - and now we can be eco-friendly and get our party on too.  Introducing New York City's first GREEN nightclub/lounge and event space: 

The Greenhouse.  

150 Verick St, SoHo

New York, NY

The Greenhouse has L.E.E.D certifications (green-construction) and is a 6,000 square foot space that is outfitted with recycled and reusable materials.  The owner of Greenhouse is proud to merge nightlife with a positive message about protecting the planet and take positive steps towards the future.  And he is merging quite the nightlife - this bi-level establishment has many VIP sections and multiple sound systems.  And it reinforces it's green message with its ceiling of hanging crystals that emulate a landscape and beautiful bar scenes.           

 

Turns out New Yorkers love to be green and this place attracts all of them - check out the website for weekly events geared towards hipsters and chic upper westers too (on separate days of course - Converse and Gucci don't mix).

The Greenhouse hosts many events - inhouse and satelite (think Kentucky Derby and VMAs)- and provides floorplans and event pricing on their website - all in an effort to spread their ingrained eco-friendly message.

So go green and forget you did by morning - open 10pm to 4am.  Enjoy tree huggers.  

  

Ad of the Day: Intel

OMG OMG OMG!!!! OMG, it's Ajay Bhatt!!!! 

I'm sorry; who?

I LOVE Intel's new commercial that keeps you wondering why on earth people are googly-eyed over this typical nerd.  Simple.  Intelligent.  My kind of commercial:

      

Fashion Dream Come True

Have you ever read a magazine like Vogue or Lucky and wished you could buy something you saw in a spread?  But by the time you finish the magazine you don't remember what to look for in the back pages to ever be able to find where to buy that amazing jacket or killer pair of stilettos?  

Well, as magazines move onto the web, things are easier to find.  However, there is no longer a need to go through magazines to find those fashion gems.  Introducing fashion brilliance: POLYVORE.

This online site - that encourages visitors to "Express Your Style"- operates like a collection of magazine spreads but is a user-generated site.  "Sets" (like one-page spreads) are created by dragging backgrounds, accessories and outfits from a list of already there items or from the web in order to create the look you desire.  When Polyvore users surf the Web, they use a tool called the Clipper, downloaded and saved on the toolbar, to select images and save them to Polyvore, where anyone can use them in a collage.  

This can be the perfect way to exercise your inner stylist.

OR, the site can be used to look for inspiration from other fashionistas.  "Sets" are arranged by Top Sets, Top Products, Brands We Love, Hot Trends, Top Sites, and Celebrity Styles.

Here are some examples of Mary-Kate and Ashley inspired looks:

When you click on the items in the set, you are given an image of the item alone as well as a link to purchase it.  Started by three ex-Yahoo engineers, this site makes money by gaining a commission from the items purchased because of their use on the site.  The company is now trying to forge relationships with clothing and accessories sites in return for uploading their product catalogues to the site.  (Read more about the Facts in this NYTimes article.) 

This is a very interesting concept - based on magazine fashion journalism, integrating users to create content, making the internet smaller once again by making it one big boutique.  Registration is free to make your own set, or just use the site to explore, get inspired and shop.  

Check out my Rock N Rose titled set (all the items are from the site):