AdClub New York vs. San Francisco?

These trips were both so unbelievable, they are hard to compare! Through Oklahoma State’s AdClub, I’ve been able to travel to so many agencies and learn so much about the advertising industry from professionals often eager to share their stories and successes with us. Also, AdClub’s subsidies have helped to lighten the financial load. As a member of the club, I’ve been able to get money toward these trips and certain meals and activities paid for along the way.

The main difference between this New York trip and the San Francisco trip was price. Even with the subsidy, the SF trip was $1,000 less – mostly because NY is so expensive to begin with, and I received class credit. But, it’s hard to compare trips just by price. The priceless parts of the trips, like sharing a hostel in SF with my friends, or like riding the Staten Island Ferry at 1:30am with a group of AdClubbers passing the Statue of Liberty while discussing our ideas about America. It was very late, so we got all philosophical – but it was fun. I loved being able to explore and experience the city on my own time, as well as enjoying the tour and presentations from agencies in both cities.

In SF, we toured DraftFCB and the über-creative Goodby Silverstein. Goodby was unforgetable. McCann and Mediaedge:cia were definitely forgettable, as interesting as the info was. It was just a less exciting experience for me. Still, it was very valuable for me to see the way New York advertising, the pinnacle of the business, functions and how the people there get jobs and get by. We kept hearing stories of living in poor circumstances and with roommates until they were able to move up over time in their respective companies. Of course, the same goes for SF – high cost of living in that city as well.

The cities themselves are not equal – they both have so much to offer and so much to experience. I’d like to spend a year in both someday. But, if I had to choose, I think I’d still go with San Francisco. Both cities have a great bicycle culture, which is a big deal for me as a bike rider. But I think SF would be a good fit for me. NY is a place I’d like to try for a year or two, but not for too much longer. I don’t think my Oklahoma self could handle the stress for much longer. But, they say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, so I definitely want to try it someday. We’ll see what the future holds.

So, much thanks to AdClub for helping make these trips possible. I was glad to be a part of it as VP this past year and I can’t wait to see what Wes and Jordyn have planned for the future of the club next year!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading up on my adventures in New York City with OSU AdClub on our summer class trip. To keep up with my future summer adventures in Orlando, Florida, working for Relevant Magazine, check out my newest blog – AdBrad FL. I’ll be getting started on it soon, once I get settled in down here.

ESPNzone doesn't skimp on the drink sizes.

After the dinner (and the massive drinks!) Whitney and I made the trek to Brooklyn for a concert. I’ve been listening to the Helio Sequence for about a year now and they’ve grown to become one of my favorite bands. So, when I found out they were going to be in New York the same week I’d be there, I knew I had to go! Not only do I love the band, but the opportunity to see them in the Mecca of indie music – Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was an opportunity I couldn’t miss out on. So I convinced Whitney to go to the show with me even though she’d only heard of the band on my iPod the day before. By the time the show started, she was a fan and we had a blast. It was so awesome – the intro band we heard first, Howling Bells, will be touring with Coldplay in the fall, so obviously they were really good too.

I got really into it in some songs with the crowd, so Whitney helped out by doing the video for me on some songs. Unfortunately, she got me in some of the video. Please excuse my ridiculous head bobbing and grooving to the spectacular music.

(FYI: The video has music in it, so it could take a couple days to get approved and ready to play on YouTube.)

Free stuff from Mediaedge:cia. They know how to keep college kids interested.

Mediaedge:cia is a media agency that serves hundreds of clients and specific agencies as part of the WPP Holding Company. In other words – they’re huge. We got a whole presentation, from the history of their company to a rundown of simple advertising media procedures, to free popcorn, magazines, bags and mousepads (which I’m using on my desk now). Our pro contacts, Matthew Cirri and Christina Michalatos were very knowledgeable and helpful in explaining how the worldwide media planning industry works. They confirmed everything our classes had told us about media. It was comforting to know that we’re being well-prepared for future careers in advertising, especially in a failing job market. Mediaedge:cia also provides a media training program, taught by our guide, Matt. They take you through a program teaching you to make presentations, plan media strategies, and work in a team effort on a campaign. They also have some other interesting classes to always keep their employees learning and having fun together, in such a high-stress environment.

After Mediaedge:cia, we took the train (way too many trains) to get to McCann. We got lost in the subway, because we had to change our route a couple times on the fly. We didn’t really get a tour of McCann – just a group presentation and question time with a recruiter and an account leader from the worldwide marketing agency. As I said in my earlier report on McCann, they are much more than just an advertising agency. They allow brands to be fully marketed all over the world with a unified, but culturally savvy message. They were very corporate, but definitely one of the most creatively setup offices I’ve seen for a large agency. They were up there with Goodby Silverstein creatively. I’ll post more about the differences between our trip to Goodby and San Francisco agencies and our New York trip.

Whitney in the lobby of McCann before security could tell us to not take pictures.

Whitney was the only one able to get a picture at McCann before security in the lobby made us put our cameras away. But, she got this one in just in time to get the logo in there. After seeing the corporate feel of McCann, I have no desire to work there. I liked Goodby in SF, but McCann didn’t do it for me. I guess I’m used to the smaller shops in OKC.

The Balto Statue in Central Park.

We discussed our New York escapades of the first half of the week and prepared for the more serious part of our trip – our media company tours.

But before those began, we went to the Schwartz Toy Store and made a stop next door at my most favorite (probably an exaggeration) building in New York – the 5th Avenue Apple Store Cube! The build-up for the construction of this store was on the tech blogs for months before its launch. It’s a magnificent structure. Whitney and I held up our iPhones in front of the Apple-branded cube.

Holding up our iPhones in front of the 5th Ave. Apple Store Cube.

That afternoon we made our way to Sports Illustrated. We were enlightened and entertained by three of the coolest, most intelligent and successful guys in the magazine marketing business. The more I learn about magazines, the more I’d like to be involved with them. I’m learning basically what these pros are doing at SI, this summer at Relevant Magazine in Orlando. I’m really enjoying the strategy behind partnerships and sponsorships. Justin, Justin and Shaun, from SI, helped me understand more how smart magazines are adapting to the decline of print media by initiating partnerships as well as launching online features that set them apart. It was a very enlightening experience and I will surely be in contact with them into the future for insight into magazine development and jobs in the industry.

In front of the SI headquarters after our meeting with their marketing team.

After SI, we walked to NBC Studios. Not as insightful, as far as jobs and media go, it was still a fun tour of the studio. We got to see the studio where they film Saturday Night Live – chilling to be in that room where all that history has occurred.

]]> http://adbradny.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/day-4-central-park-si-nbc/feed/ 0 adbrad DSC03622 applecube SIboth http://adbradny.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/ill-be-right-back/ http://adbradny.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/ill-be-right-back/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 16:03:33 +0000 adbrad http://adbradny.wordpress.com/?p=82 ]]> Today, I drive down to Orlando, Florida to start my internship with Relevant Magazine. It is a 21-hour drive, so I will be getting in sometime Sunday afternoon/night depending on how fast I drive.

So, because I’ve been packing and will be unpacking this weekend, I’ll be posting a lot more pictures, videos and stories of my experience in New York. So, don’t worry (Kelsey) – I’m on it. Just gotta get my computer back up and running in Florida to finish it all up from there!

To appease the masses reading AdBrad NY, here’s a link to our web photo album pool on Google Picasa. Check out the pictures, download them, or upload your own if you’re in the group I gave the login and password! If you’re in that group and don’t remember it or lost the e-mail, give me a call and I’ll help you out.

Enjoying Central Park with a New York Times & Starbucks. Doesn't get any better.

So this is a quick summary: Central Park, Apple store, R.O.A. Schwarz Toy Store, 5th Avenue, sushi, getting lost, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, ice cream.

I’ll post the stories, more pictures and more videos tomorrow. This is just until I get the chance to get them all converted, etc. And that whole sleep thing that apparently people in New York don’t do.

We figured he’d lead us to his shop off the corner and maybe into these “back rooms” we’ve been hearing they take you to to look at their inventory. No. This was sketchier (I apologize for the overuse, but it really is the only applicable word here). He motioned us to enter the back of his black van. It was straight out of a “Do’s & Don’ts of Child Safety” video and we were the unscrupulous “Don’ts” example. The whole time Mallory & Whitney battled the vendor for prices in the most gutteral, basic human communication imaginable, I had my foot in the door behind me and my eye on the empty driver’s seat to make sure it stayed that way. We were stupid. Sadly, no video. I didn’t feel it was a good place to whip out my brand new FlipHD video camera.

I managed to spend $5 on some new sunglasses.

After our experience in Chinatown, 6 purses, 3 pairs of sunglasses, 2 wallets, 4 subway trains and an ice cream sandwich later, we made our way back to the hotel. We managed to get a look at the Statue of Liberty from a distance, but didn’t get great pictures. We’re going later this week to take the ferry and get a better look.

The afternoon was scheduled for a New York City Bus Tour. When I saw this on the itinerary, at first, I was honestly not excited. But once we got going, it became one of my favorite parts of the trip. I loved hearing about all the districts and the history as well as getting a great view of every major landmark within driving range. All the major buildings, shopping areas, memorials, cathedrals, bridges and much more. It was totally worthwhile.

I say this because of the history and the culture we could observe within such a short time. The girls say this, because we saw a certain actor in SoHo – the Notebook’s Ryan Gosling. He was just strolling around, in cognito, obviously trying to go unnoticed. So that was funny to watch everyone’s reactions and hear their drooling conversations the rest of the tour while looking at a couple blurry pictures we were able to take (pictures coming tomorrow from Whitney’s camera for all you celebrity hounds).

After the tour, we waited in line for half-price Broadway tickets. It wasn’t on my list to start the trip, but I figured I might as well see one while I’m in New York. So, we all got tickets to the Phantom of the Opera. We went back to the hotel and got all snazzed up for the show (bowtie included – pictures tomorrow) and went to dinner at Bella Napoli. It was a quaint little Italian restaurant with great pizza and lasagna, as well as a great atmosphere. So after the ordeal of splitting a check 12 ways, we had about 12 minutes to make it to our show 4 blocks away. Sounds easy, but not in the people traffic we hit at 7 with rain starting to set in. We felt like real New Yorkers, running down the streets, yelling directions as each other and trying to keep pace with the group. We got to the show and were ushered to our awesome seats front & center (of the balcony), and got there just in time. The play was amazing! Breathtaking, impactful and so well-produced. I’d never seen a Broadway play, or any play outside of high school before, so I was absolutely blown away. I loved the movie, but this was so much better and interactive. Favorite part of the day for sure. Still get goosebumps just thinking about some of the songs.

After the show, we came back to the hotel, had some dessert at the cafe downstairs and now about to get some much needed sleep before a big day tomorrow. Here’s the list of things I will hopefully get done:

• Central Park group meeting
• Tour of NBC
• Tour of Sports Illustrated
• Statue of Liberty
• Shop at Urban Outfitters
• Ok, I thought there were more. More Thursday too.

We spent the early afternoon in the Museum of Modern Art – MoMA. It was absolutely incredible! I’ve been reading design blogs for months and I always see updates to this museum and awesome pieces or classic designs that are featured in it. Today, I got to see them in person! The Sagmeister self-cut AIGA poster. The gun in typography. And many others in graphic design, modern art and architecture that I’ve studied and fallen in love with. Also, the typography introducing the exhibits was stunning. It was probably my favorite part. I know, that may sound lame to some people, but you typophiles out there – you know what I’m talking about. Well set type is just as impressive as a painting to me.

MoMA: Aer Nout Mi K abstract video exhibit

MoMA: Architecture Exhibit. Also photographed for the typography.

Moving on. After the MoMA, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had some presuppositions. I am really a modern design lover – grids, symmetry, vectors, typography-centric design. So I thought I would just breeze through this one with all the ancient sculpture and stuff I didn’t care about from the 19th century. I was wrong!

I soaked up every inch of that museum! And doing that took some serious concentration, planning and a little running. The museum complex, located right at the edge of Central Park, is enormous! It would take a good 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other without stopping or waiting in lines. I enjoyed it all so much – every culture’s best work on display in New York. It was mind-blowing. I could spend 3 weeks in there and not be finished. Unfortunately, they close at 5:30 so I only got 3 hours. But I milked that 3 hours for all it was worth and thoroughly enjoyed the museum. Can’t wait to go back. I’m giving myself 2 days for the Met next time I come to New York!

Greek(?) bust sculptures at the Met.

Tonight, we went back to Times Square to the Hard Rock Café for a big, (very cliche) group dinner. But it was really fun to be back with the group again after a day of walking through museums, usually by ourselves. Whitney is more appreciative of ancient art (she’s taken art history), and I was more excited about the modern art and design. So we split for a few hours and had our own separate museum experiences at the Met.

Long day. Just got back from diner hunting with Whitney and Wes. No luck finding a great place, but I did manage to try a knish. My grandpa always gets them in New York, so I had to try it – not impressed. But the rest of the day was impressive enough to make up for it.

After packing all night, I got about half an hour of sleep before waking up and driving to the airport for my 5:45am flight out of OKC. Cassidy, Natalie and Cara were all there on the same flight – a pleasant surprise for someone who’s never flown alone before.

This was the scene at the airport this morning in my half-asleep stupor. Thankfully, upon arrival in New York City, I was swiftly ushered through a terminal full of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. I love this city – coffee everywhere. But that’s only the beginning.

I was in a rush to get to Yankee Stadium. The only home game they had while I’m in New York was this afternoon at 1pm. My flight arrived at noon. I had to get from my seat on the plane, to baggage claim, to Hotel Wellington in Manhattan, and take the D train to Yankee Stadium – in an hour. All while I’m trying to get there quickly, Whitney is at the stadium already trying to buy us tickets. Miraculously, she runs into a guy who had 2 extra tickets because he got in free as a member of the armed forces for a special promotion. So he just gave us his tickets. For free! 2, $100 tickets. Free. It was awesome. Couldn’t have planned it better if we tried!

Me at the new Yankee Stadium!

So we went to the game and although our beloved Bronx Bombers didn’t pull out a win, they played a good 11 innings and we had a blast.

Check out our pictures from the game here.

After the game, we wandered around the Bronx a while, then took the train back to the hotel. We couldn’t get to our rooms yet, so we did some more exploring in Manhattan and made our way to Times Square to gawk at the spectacular display of advertising and media before us. And above us. And all around us.

Our hotel is a bit old and our room is a bit small. But what a view! I can see the lights of Times Square from my 20th floor window. Pretty awesome.

Just a sample of their major worldwide clients.

Whitney and I were assigned research for McCann Worldgroup for our pre-trip class. This is our report. Click the link at the bottom to read the whole report.

McCann Worldgroup is more than an advertising agency. They are a multinational, mega-brand platform with offices in more than 130 countries. As part of Interpublic Group, McCann Worldgroup is made up of McCann Erickson, Universal McCann, MRM Worldwide, Momentum, Worldwide, McCann Healthcare Worldwide, FutureBrand, Weber Shandwick, TAG, Endeavor Marketing, Worldgroup EXP, and a number of smaller satellite agencies all over the world.

Forty seven of McCann’s top 50 worldwide clients are handled in North America. The New York offices house the strategic and creative architects of numerous worldwide client campaigns including MasterCard’s “Priceless” and many Microsoft and Intel campaigns. McCann is responsible for an immense amount of television advertising for its instantly-recognizable brands.

A Brief History of McCann Worldgroup

McCann Worldgroup was not always a worldwide media conglomerate.

In 1902, Alfred Erickson, an advertising manager at a department store in Manhattan, started his own advertising agency with two clients: Fiat automobiles and Bon Ami cleanser.

In 1912 McCann and four partners launched the H.K. McCann Co. With “Truth, well told,” as their credo, they oversaw multiple ex-Standard Oil units and Vaseline.

In 1930, McCann and Erickson merged to form a $15 million agency. Brands at that time were Beech-Nut, Bon Ami, Congoleum, Del Monte, Encyclopedia Britannica and Vaseline.

In 1931, illustrator Theodore Geisel (more commonly known as Dr. Seuss), illustrated the Flit campaign that debuted in New York as a commercial preview to an early talkie.

In 1957, McCann Erickson became the first U.S. agency to bill more than $100 million in television and radio.

In 1960, the company organized into four independent operating units reporting to McCann Erickson, Inc. Offices opened in Japan.

In 2000, Ad Week named McCann Erickson “Global Agency of the Year” for the third year in a row.

Over this illustrious history, McCann Worldgroup has added and changed names, clients and offices. With more than 130 offices worldwide, their 20,000-person workforce is spread around the world, creating and tending to major international brands. More than 1,000 employees are in the New York offices alone.

Head Honchos

John J. Dooner has been Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldwide since 1995 and McCann Worldgroup since 1997. John first joined McCann Erickson in 1984 as a Worldwide Account Director and was promoted to general manager of McCann New York the following year. After being given the title of President of McCann North American, he was named Worldwide President and Chief Operating Office in 1992. Two years later he created and launched McCann Worldgroup, today one of the world’s leading marketing communications companies. He has been very influential in the formation of McCann Worldgroup and its subsidiaries as they are today.

Eric Einhorn, Chief Strategy Officer in New York, ensures that all Worldgroup integrated communication is informed by a clear strategic focus. Eric continues to create strategies for many of McCann’s major clients, working in close collaboration with planning leaders around the world. He is also responsible for the development of strategic tools and is the principal mind behind the McCann Demand Chain, McCann’s strategic approach to driving demand for clients’ products and services.

Eric Keshin, Chief Operating Officer and Regional Director, is somewhat of a rarity in the advertising business. Eric has spent his entire business career at McCann. He joined McCann in 1980 as the agency’s first account management trainee, rising through the ranks. He was named a senior vice president in 1990 and in 1995 became executive vice president, director of account management.

Clients That You’ve Heard Of…A Lot

McCann Worldgroup specializes in creating and delivering messaging for megabrands – the types of brands you know all your life and the ads you’ve stopped to watch for years.  These are just some of the brands that use McCann Worldgroup to reach their global audience through marketing, advertising, branding and public relations:

American Airlines, Bacardi, Black & Decker, Coca-Cola, General Mills, GM, Goodyear, Harley Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, MasterCard, Microsoft, Nestlé, Sony Ericsson, Tiffany, Unilever, Xbox.

Recent Developments

As of May 5, McCann has been assigned the envied position as official marketing agency for the 2012 London Olympic Games. This is always a significant nomination, because the chosen agency is essentially responsible for branding a city and country to the world in a few weeks. The logo, created in 2007 by another firm, has been very controversial in the design community. Hopefully McCann can present the identity of the games in a way that will appease the masses who participate in and observe the games as well as the international design community.

In other recent McCann news, they have launched a new branch of their company, called Worldgroup EXP. This branch will be responsible for very quick marketing needs that call for instant action, beyond the long range planning process that McCann clients usually work through in creating a worldwide campaign. This is the fifth niche project launched by McCann Worldgroup in the past three years. TAG was launched in 2007 as a creative group that specializes in reaching young adults – an elusive, but desirable market. Endeavor Marketing specializes in entertainment media. Planet McCann is an eco-friendly specialist. Populist is their social media specialty group.

With an array of agencies, groups, projects and tools all over the world at their disposal, McCann Worldgroup can do more for global brands than any typical American agency. Their decades of international experience and cosmopolitan outlook on branding gives their clients a perspective on global branding that few can provide.