Leaping Forward in 2012

EOS Leap Year Bracelets

Leaping into 2012 and taking our agency to the next level, we have expanded with six new clients, new team members, and new products. As the economy recovers, our long-term clients graciously referred new business our way because of the value thinking and big ideas we offer. Couple big ideas with our ability to consistently execute programs that reach consumers and our new clients are winning in a rebounding economy - which is an also a win for us as their agency!

New clients added to our roster include:

• The City of Dunwoody
• Convention and Visitor’s Bureau of Dunwoody
• Higher Ground, a blog written by four Atlanta faith leaders to inspire positive change formed through The Community Foundation
• MillBridge, a new master-planned community outside of Charlotte
• Soleil Laurel Canyon, a master-planned active adult resort-style community in Canton, just north of Atlanta
• Turknett Leadership Group, a leadership character and organizational development firm

As the agency of record for these clients, we provide a range of integrated marketing services including advertising, branding, creative, public relations and social media.

In January, EOS joined forces with Emmy Award-winning journalist Kimberley Kennedy, in a unique partnership to offer a comprehensive, hands-on media and communications training program called EMPOWER.  Kennedy has more than 25 years’ experience covering hard news, features, and entertainment for WSB, WXIA and CNN.

We have already made some big steps this year, and are eager to see where 2012 will take us.  Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook and stay up to date on what’s happening at EOS. Let us know how you plan to leap in 2012 on Facebook and we will send you a LEAP YEAR bracelet!

Happy Leap Day!

The Right Perspective

I recently came across a TED video by Kathryn Schulz, the author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error,” and “The Wrong Stuff.”  In this video she discusses the question of what it really means to be wrong and the feelings associated with being wrong.

From the beginning, the idea of what is “right” and what is “wrong” is instilled in us. As early as grade school we are introduced to the dreadful feeling of being wrong and the negative stigma associated with it (I sure remember the very first time I misspelled a word in front of my class). So, as a way to avoid that uncomfortable feeling, most of us decide to become perfectionists and overachievers.

Still adjusting to the fast pace of the real world and learning the ropes of a growing agency, this video hit home for me.  As a relative rookie at EOS, it is not a question if I am going to be wrong and make a mistake, but when.

“Things don’t go wrong, they simply happen”. Listening to Kathryn speak, I realize it is not about being right or wrong, but all about perspective. The big idea here is how we perceive the feeling of being wrong. Society’s obsession with being right can affect our productivity and creativity. I often lack confidence in my work and will make sure that each of the partners have reviewed it before I move on. This is the perfect example of how my efforts to avoid doing something wrong, can waste valuable time.

I know that taking chances and learning from my mistakes is a part of life and is fundamental to who I am in both my professional and social life. Embracing unexpected change and the instances in which we are wrong, can enable us to see things in a different light– allowing us to take a step back, see the big picture and put things in perspective.

This is why I find the EOS mantra “New Day, Fresh Perspective” completely inspiring.  As I continue to learn and grow with EOS in this industry, implementing creative, intuitive and innovative campaigns for our clients, I am hoping to overcome my insecurities of making a wrong decision by accepting the hiccups along the way, and remembering that tomorrow is always another opportunity to get it right.

So, check out the video yourself and let me know what you think!

Your Most Valuable Resource is Closer Than You Think

I walked into the office last Friday morning with big plans. I had new ad creative due by the end of the day and cleared my schedule to devote myself to this one particular project. And I was ready. I went for a run before work, had my coffee and was perfectly prepped to spill my creativity into a print campaign for the next eight hours. Well, as to be expected when you put all your eggs into one basket (or in my case, one day), I got into the office and learned that our servers were down. So there I was: No art files to start from, no way to access the internet for research, no websites for inspiration, nothing.

My initial reaction was panic. What was I going to do? I had an entirely new ad concept due by the end of the day and nothing to use as a resource. Until after about 5 minutes, I stopped and realized that I did in fact have the one resource that is the most valuable: my brain. So I sat down with a pen and a piece of paper and started brainstorming. I did mind-maps, sketched comps and let my mind focus on this one specific project without the distractions of email, internet, social media, etc. And the result?

Well, once the internet and server were back up and running, my ad campaign was complete within a few hours. And our client loved it.

When I looked back, I realized that our Friday morning Server-geddon was the best thing that could have happened to me. We are all so inundated with information through the internet and social media, that we forget where our most powerful resource is.

From now on, I will always start with pen and paper ­- even if it feels like a waste of time. Because it reminds me that my best thinking can’t be found on a website or in the depths of twitter-land, it’s found within myself.

Consumer-created commercials creating a stir in the ad industry

In the wake of the Super Bowl, it’s only natural that an ad agency sound off on the commercials. Give their two cents on what worked and what didn’t. But as I tell people all too often, the more time we spend criticizing, the less room we make for creating. So this year’s Super Bowl blog post is more of an open forum. A “leave you with something to think about” type deal.

In the last five years we’ve seen a trend emerge in Super Bowl advertising: that of the consumer-created TV spot. Between Doritos and Pepsi Max, PepsiCo had six consumer-created ads in the Super Bowl this year. SIX! That’s a whole lotta advertising dollars not going to the ad industry.

Now, as someone who makes a living off of being an ad creative, I must admit, when this trend first started, I was not happy about it. I won’t lie, I was mildly threatened and even a little offended that some Joe Shmoe thought he could do my job better than me. But as I’ve thought about it more and seen it evolve, I’ve discovered two things:

1.       The premise of the consumer-created ad is quite smart really. In fact, the concept was actually created by an advertising agency. If you think about it, it’s nothing more than using a focus group to create the commercial, baiting them with money (albeit small) and 15 minutes of fame. Of course these people will hit the spot when it comes to speaking to the target audience. They ARE the target audience.

2.       While they are mildly entertaining, there is one thing all of these ads have in common: they lack staying power. Think about all the Super bowl ads you remember. The really great ones. Were any of them the result of a contest?

For me, the most memorable ones have been The Budweiser frogs, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird’s Nothing but Net for McDonalds, Bud’s Wasssssup campaign, and more recently, Old Spice’s Smell Like a Man. All of which were created and produced by advertising agencies.

So after giving the consumer-created commercial trend some thought, you know what I say? The more, the merrier, guys. Because you may be able to speak to your fellow target audience and get your 15 minutes, but when it comes to selling something you know nothing about, that’s where the ad agency shines.

Thinking inside the box

As a creative, I have always felt that my best work comes from unlocking those client handcuffs and letting my mind run free. However, I recently experienced something that I can only describe as a creative wake up call.

Several weeks ago, I met with a highly respected global design director of one of the most well-known brands in the world. To say I was a little intimidated to be in the same room as this individual would be a vast understatement. Anyway, halfway through our meeting, he said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. He told me that the most creative work comes from thinking WITHIN a box.

Hold on…let me say it again, just so you hear me correctly: He said thinking inside the box forces the most creative work.

I was shocked by this statement. I couldn’t believe it. I was crushed. I had happily planted my brain outside of this proverbial box years ago and this creative genius was telling me to go back in. It was much like finding out Santa Claus isn’t real.

But as I started thinking about what he said, I realized that he was right. And if that wasn’t enough, I then started to be thankful for this box. Let me explain:

Working inside a box means working within a set of parameters. Deadlines, client opinions, brand guidelines, anything that makes the creative process more challenging. And when I work inside this box, I have structure. I am pushed to get the job done. If it weren’t for this, I could prance around in my head all day long, coming up with wild ideas that will never come to fruition. Which, yes, would be fun for me. Not so much for my agency or our clients.

In addition, it is much more challenging to think inside the box than it is to think outside. And the more challenging the problem, the more creative the solution – which is exactly what this design director was saying in our meeting (I know, it took me a while, but I got there eventually).

For example: Did you ever see Apollo 13? There is a scene in this movie where the NASA engineers on the ground sit around a table and come up with a way to join a cube-shaped canister in a cylindrical socket given the same materials the astronauts have in the shuttle. Now, this task would have been much easier if these engineers could have used anything they wanted. But they couldn’t. So they improvised – they used their ingenuity and what resulted was a much more creative solution.

So, in reality, yes, thinking inside the box stimulates more creative work. And I’ll gladly plant my brain in there from here on out.

Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings ~ Know How to Present Your Work

People always say it’s important for creatives to have excellent presentation skills, but to be honest, I never believed it. I just thought it was one of those things that if I do, it’ll help, but if I don’t, it’s not going to kill me. Like when my parents used to tell me to eat my veggies. Well, this is not true. At all. If you can’t present, it will kill your career.

Why? In short and simple terms: because no matter how great an idea is, it won’t come to fruition if the client doesn’t believe in it. And a client won’t believe in something unless it’s presented in terms they understand.

As creatives, we don’t think like others. We dance to the beat of our own ipod shuffle. And often times it’s hard to explain how we arrive at a concept. It’s funny how we can be master communicators when it comes to the benefits of someone else’s product or service, but when we try to communicate our own thought process, we might as well be speaking in tongues.

Enter the invaluable skill of presenting your work. Now, I am by no means a pro at this. Yet. But I have learned a few helpful tips since I’ve been here at EOS. Read on…

1. The creative brief is your Bible. This little guy will figuratively and literally get you and your client on the same page. When in doubt, refer to the brief when presenting. The strategy is all there in black and white.
2. Go through your thought process. Most of us in advertising and marketing know that good creative can only come from well-mined thought and research, but your client does not. So when you present, tell them what you learned about the history of their industry, what you liked and didn’t like about the competition’s website, anything that says you’ve put time and effort into learning about their brand.
3. Write out your reasoning before you present. Yes, I realize this is tedious and a little silly, but I promise, it helps. This is my form of practicing in front of an audience. Why did I choose a serif typeface instead of a sans-serif, how do certain design elements interact with others…WRITE IT ALL DOWN. No need to write it like you’re giving the State of the Union Address - just get it on paper.

So yes, “Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.” And for creatives, our landing gear is found in the form of the presentation. Ease the client into the concept. Make sure they know you weighed all possible options. You didn’t leave a stone unturned. If you can master the art of the presentation, you will see your ideas take off.

Stepping outside my comfort zone

As a designer, I’m always trying to keep my ideas fresh. And the best way to do that is to step out of your comfort zone artistically. Now, sometimes this produces unusual results. For example, I have an end table that is shellacked with playing cards and campbell’s soup labels. Not my best work. But it was something I did outside of my normal aesthetic. Creativity is like a muscle­ - you need to keep working it, otherwise it will atrophy. That said, I stumbled across this website the other day for some inspiration: www.jellio.com/store.html (See the picture of a cupcake chair).

Seeing this work got my blood pumping and heart racing. Who knows - perhaps this weekend I’ll create a xylophone made of twizzlers. Or a slinky hat, or an oreo mosaic, or a scrabble-tiled picture frame…. When you think outside the box, the possibilities become endless.