Squeak of the Week

Creative Department founder and partner, Lauren Anderson, and her family were recently featured in Wyoming Living for their Spring Break trip to New Orleans and their work to help restore a hurricane-ravaged home. The article isn’t online, but you can view scans of the entire story on Flickr.

Our own Brandon Blank, ACD of Interactive, has just returned to the Queen City, fresh from his appearance at the World Beard and Mustache Championships in Anchorage, AK.

This current style, which he is calling “The Pablo,” is the culmination of months of work. It kinda reminds me of this episode of Family Guy.

When you get a moment, check out his profile on the WBMC website.

Editor’s Note: The Creative Department is privileged to have not one, but two, co-op students from University of Cincinnati’s prestigious, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) gracing our presence this Spring. One of them, Nathanael Gethers, has decided he wants share a little about his experience thus far.

So it’s just another day in the CD office, but I must say nothing ever seems to slow down here. On top of being a co-op, working on a client’s “miispaceâ€? page, and getting pegged in the face with a finger-rocket (“The Mailbox Flipperâ€?), there is so much creative working going on that I don’t even know how to focus.

UPDATE!

Rocketball has been requiring a lot of my attention lately, and I have learned to maintain a certain level of watchful paranoia. Whether it’s returning fire at Jeff or banking rockets off the giant disco ball to assassinate Brandon, I have to constantly watch out for Katie, who seems to like launching the rockets off my face.

UPDATE!

Another great distraction is the 10,000 stairs we have in the building.

UPDATE!

Every time one of us lucky interactives has the pleasure to see Starfield Chris Fryburger we get to hear a rimshot and Sean yell out. “Ladies and Gentlemen, FRYBURGERRRRRRRRRRR.�

UPDATE!

Of course I can’t forget about Drew McKenzie and the crazy “sad tromboneâ€? sound effect that Sean plays to warn us of his presence.

UPDATE!

This is the fifth time Jeff has warmed his coffee today in the microwave. He either needs to start drinking cold coffee or drink a bit faster.

UPDATE!

In order to be a part of the interactive team, you must complete one very simple task. Drink 8+ cups of coffee a day.

UPDATE!

For those who are bored at work or sitting at home this is for you.

Just sit there in amazment and watch to see if the flow ever switches from left to right to right to left.

FINAL UPDATE! (for now)

M. Night Shyamalan (nothing with a twist) has nothing on the Creative Department. There are always things happening around here and there is always a twist.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the leading thinkers of the advertising industry who’ve selflessly dedicated themselves to documenting and sharing their wisdom. I’ve read a few of their books. They were very nice. I will, however, never read another one. Don’t need to. I have a cat.

I recommend this to everyone. Get a cat, sit back and observe.

You’ll learn a basic lesson within the first few days. Let’s call it, “Cats and the Consumer Mindset.� Both tend to lie around completely disinterested in you, unless you scare them or entice them with something they want. Limited time offers, coupons and Fancy Feast are always good choices.

After a while, you will learn more:

• Understand how to approach your audience, lest you be ignored or shredded.
• Get close, get the details and if needed, sniff your consumer’s butt.
• Keep your nose in the wind to catch coming trends.
• Regarding brand identity: You can get away with a lot if you are cute and purr.
• If you are successful, avoid the temptation to lie around all day looking cool; it won’t get you far.
• Never sharpen your claws on a client.
• If you are looking for new ideas, jump up on something you don’t usually jump on, run up the drapes or, if all else fails, stick your head in the toilet.
• Keep your brand well groomed.
• Don’t be too finicky; you never know when the food supply will stop.
• Clients and consumers develop hairballs easily; take preventative measures before they throw up on you.
• Learn the art of leg rubbing; new business and possibly a saucer of milk will follow.
• If an idea flops around on the ground and never takes off, kill it and partially eat it.
• If you do something embarrassing, just keep moving.

Please note: This only works with cats. Dogs are a whole different, er…metaphor. What with all the tail chasing, begging and leg-humping, the most you’ll learn is how to be a copywriter. Trust me on the cat thing, though. If nothing else, you’ll learn the most important lesson about this business.

If you make poop, bury it.

This month we launched a new outdoor campaign for Ohio’s oldest inn, The Golden Lamb. Conceived and executed by the Creative Department’s “Two Johns”, copywriter, John Graham and art director, John Doubet, the ads feature the incredible illustrations of Matt Collins (a resident of Connecticut, Collins’ grandfather used to take him there as a youngster).

You can read more about the campaign and the Ohio landmark at the Cincinnati Business Courier. Here’s a taste:

The marketing efforts begin this month with a new billboard campaign crafted by the Creative Department, an Over-the-Rhine shop known for its pun-laden Busken Bakery slogans. In one ad, Civil War General U.S. Grant leans on his sword, which, upon closer inspection, turns out to be a butter knife. The image is accompanied by the slogan, “He fought for the union of our lamb and mint jelly. The Golden Lamb, Est. 1803.”

The marketing campaign comes at a time of rebirth for the Golden Lamb building, at the corner of State Route 63 and Broadway in downtown Lebanon. Since 1926, the property has been owned by the family of former Cincinnati Congressman Rob Portman. They are partnering with the Mullingers on a $5.5 million renovation project that began last fall.