24. Things We Learned

The finish line is quickly approaching for us, Deb Morrison's Creative Strategist students. Projects, blogs, papers, and tests are throwing us into a triple-shot-coffee-instead-of-sleep zombie like state. Anyone would be hard pressed to walk through the University of Oregon's campus and find even one pair of eyes without luggage under them (I say luggage because bags don't cut it, I'm talkin' your headed to Paris for Fashion Week and bring any fashionable item you've ever owned luggage).


So lets take a moment to recap the learning and generosity moments. Here we go, in no particular order:


1. Brands are the metaphysical construct, while products are tangible things.


2. An example of building brands to do better: Haagen Dazs - Save the Honeybees.


3. Scott Bedbury rocks our world and tells us about how he rebranded Starbucks and Nike, among others, and for this he deserves a small sub folder.
     a. "When it is as good as it gets when it can't get any better, what does it look like?"
     b. Any function in a business is a mix of art and science.
     c. The dangers of pre-testing ads, can lead to the perfectly unremarkable. Instead, ask people you trust and find out their problem with it.
     d. When we are genuinely interested and curious, we don't miss much, so be present.


4. Watching Jon Steel tell the world that we must bring out the best in other people, be useful, create simple solutions, feel comfortable with ourselves and our ideas, and constantly work to build our real world broad frame of reference.


5. Maria Scileppi tells us to add 5 interesting things/facts about ourselves at the bottom of our résumé that will provoke a story or question. Best advice. Thank you.


6. "I want to dig your chili."


7. Make sure to have an 'other life' outside of advertising (or at least 'other' hobbies) if you want to be interesting. Being interesting = job.


8. Tracy Wong visits (at 12:06. Oh ma Gohd.) wearing a baller watch and fuckin' hot shoes and lays out a 6 point plan for success. The first point being; 'your big fat fucking ego can hijack your career,' followed by DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE. The sixth point being, 'love your client like you love your dog.'


9. Kathy Hepinstall visits. Deb gets verklempt. Kathy tells us that creativity is an exchange of energy. If we can understand this, it will help us be better creatives, husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers. Also, kindness is an artistic medium. Be somebody good news in a creative way. Tells a funny story about setting up a tent at WK NY, which awarded her a tentwarming gift. I want to set up tents in random places.


10. Dave Allen visits. I take two pages of notes and draw a picture of his shoes and pants that says "everything from here up s grey, from pants to hair" (I think it's funny). He was the first person to talk with us about profits and the business side of advertising. The account people were happy. So was I. Explains that there has to be more than brand engagement to get the sale, besides, engagement is a fluffy word. Instead, strive for participation. The new 3P's: pique, provoke, participation.