Starbucks for years has had an assortment of pastries and donuts ready to infuse carbohydrates into your bloodstream, and more recently they’ve dipped their hand into the breakfast food basket offering oatmeal (don’t get me started), english muffin sandwiches, tortilla wraps and such. The concept is solid. I’m coming there for coffee, why not offer food? So I obeyed my hunger pangs and picked up the Chicken Sausage Wrap. Score?

Jack Squat

Starbucks has been a mistress of mine for years. I wake each day jonesing for her dark elixir. So, I’ve tried just about every donut-frappuccino-latte-concoction they have. At times I’ve ventured out and sampled many of the breakfast products, but found them lacking and oh so bland. The purchased wrap would be no different. One bite. Done.

After my rant to my fellow workmates I pondered why Starbucks venture into uncharted waters of breakfast cuisine (*cough* Money). For me, and many brands (and people) fall prey to this, why expand your offerings – and if you do, why put out sub par products? (Obviously, Starbucks intention wasn’t to shoot a brick.)

The expression, “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind. I found a better translation in Mandarin… yes, Mandarin, “All trades known, all trades dull.” And who doesn’t remember that old Esperanto saying, “he who chases two jackrabbits catches none.” By offering “everything” are you at risk of offering nothing? Possibly. It’s true that having a single focus allows you the luxury of honing your craft.

That said, I am and will forever be a Starbucks Man, but just their coffee. Coffee is the one thing they do well and when I think of that morning fix, I think of Starbucks.

Do fries come with that shake

Just this week, while out to lunch with @mugrad, he suggested we visit Five Guys. Not having sampled Five Guys goodies… um, wait. They do burgers and fries – so we went. The “burgery” boosts white walls with red trim, a full view of the grill and modest tables and chairs. @Mugrad gave me the insiders scoop on how to order. The menu is clean (not counting the grease) and simple. What you see is what you ingest. Burger eaten. Burger good. Burger, very good. They do burgers. They do burgers exceptionally well. It made this consumer take note. I didn’t find their brand suffering from an identity crisis. Instead I found a company who knew who they were – they make burgers… really well. Burger (good) is as burger does.

So, being good at one thing is… good. And just because you are, doesn’t mean you should make really bland chicken sausage wraps.

Introduction

Hi again!  As you all know, I am new to The Creative Department as a Brand Coordinator.  Today, I’d like to introduce my first client, ProKids, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of Hamilton County’s foster children.

I knew I had landed an awesome gig when I learned of our newest pro bono client.  We are donating time to ProKids’ marketing and strategy efforts for 2012.  It is important to me to “give back” to my community; and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead these efforts on account of CD.

I’m especially pleased with leading ProKids’ account knowing the controversy that surrounds the “working for free” mentality.  Here is an AdAge article that shares supporting arguments on why agencies should donate their time and services to nonprofits.

Left to right: Jennifer (ProKids Community Director), Jonathan (CD Sr. Interactive Media Strategist), Chris (CD Sr. Business Strategist), Katie (CD Graphic Designer), David (CD Brand Leader), and Stacey (CD Brand Coordinator). ProKids Young Professionals happy hour at Arnold’s Bar and Grill.

So, what’s the big deal?

This year in Hamilton County, over 2,000 children will be abused and neglected to the point of removal from their homes and placed into foster care.  Many assume that the county is taking proper care of these children.  The Child Welfare League of America recommends caseloads between 12 and 15 children per worker.  Nationwide, the average caseload for a child welfare worker is twice the recommended number.

What many don’t know about the foster care system:

• Children in foster care are 10 times more likely to be abused than children in the general population.
• Less than half of foster children graduate high school, only 38 percent find a job within 18 months of leaving the system, and only one in eight graduates from a four-year college.
• A child is nearly twice as likely to die of abuse in foster care as in the general population.
• Take for instance, the two year old foster child, DeMarcus Jackson of Cincinnati, who was fatality beaten two months ago.
• Almost half of foster children will spend at least two years in care, while almost 20 percent will remain in the system five or more years.

How is ProKids helping the situation?

About ProKids

ProKids was founded in 1981 and is part of the National CASA Association.  This private nonprofit ensures Hamilton County’s foster children receive safe, permanent, and nurturing homes.

ProKids recruits and trains volunteers known as CASAs (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to operate as activists for these children.  If you’re wondering who becomes CASA’s, check out the “I am for the Child” campaign video from National CASA.

Click here to view the embedded video.

ProKids also provides leadership and education to the community by creating specialized programs such as Building Blocks for children ages 0-3 years old, Steps to Peace (STOP) to address family violence, and CASA University training program.

PKYP

ProKids recently launched ProKids Young Professionals (PKYP) to provide younger people, with limited time and money, a way to help out.   This year, 19,000 children across the U.S. will turn 18 and “age out” of the system without ever finding a permanent home.  PKYP members can volunteer to support these young adults’ transition into the “real world” by assisting them with college applications, writing resumes, and apartment hunting.  You can also partake in fun networking events like the one pictured above at Arnold’s Bar and Grill.

Ready to Help Out?

Find more ways to get involved by visiting ProKids’ website and stay up-to-date on events and volunteer opportunities by liking ProKids’ facebook page.

Whether you work at an ad agency, law firm, accounting firm, etc. there are many worthy organizations and causes that could benefit from your pro bono services… get out there and make a difference!

My name is Stacey and I am the “newb” here at The Creative Department.  My role is Brand Coordinator and simply, I help manage clients’ accounts.  I become the expert on the client’s business, an active participant in strategy development, and I maintain the relationship between the client and the agency. Besides working at CD, I enjoy riding my bike through town, eating my fruits and vegetables, and hanging out with my scrappy cats Frankie and Bonnie.

Frankie

Bonnie

How did I get here? 

I am a proud graduate of Northern Kentucky University where I studied abroad in England while also traveling to France, Scotland, and Ireland.  I’ve worked in quite a few marketing departments from local public radio station WNKU 89.7, to one of the Nation’s top zoos (yes, the Cincinnati Zoo), to The Princeton Review in Irvine, CA.  I was introduced to The Creative Department through a friend and former manager whom I’m forever grateful for.

Scotland

Cincinnati Zoo

I remember driving my airconditionless Sebring (AKA the “Michael Scott Mobile”) to Over the Rhine on a scorching August day for my first visit with The Creative Department.  Stepping inside was a breath of fresh air (literally) and one of the coolest office spaces I had ever seen.  First of all, the lobby welcomed me with a bathtub turned coffee table (AKA The Tubble), a telephone booth complete with a superman costume, and an antique elevator the size of my bathroom.  After lunch, my tour of the office followed with brightly colored paint, neon signs, and delightfully, quirky décor.

Michael Scott Mobile

Superman Telephone Booth

As for the employees and my future co-workers – just as quirky as the décor and as witty as their advertising.  I was in love.  I had known the people and the space for a mere hour and a half, but already felt oddly comfortable.

It was nice “meeting” you

I’ve been here a little over four months and am still ecstatic that The Creative Department has so warmly welcomed me to their team – I think I’ll stick around for a while.  Look for my next post about ProKids, my first client and CD’s 2012 pro bono client.

And Sarcastic Thursday was fun for all involved. Or not.

But to us, Thursday became a day to look forward to, when we were free to unapologetically dole out sarcasm to anyone who crossed our paths. For one day of the week, we had free reign to spread our sense of humor across campus, and everyone just had to deal with it.

And even though I left Luxottica for my current job at The Creative Department, Scott soldiers on. Even in my absence, he continues to fly the flag of sarcasm every Thursday without fail.

So I got to thinking, shouldn’t I do the same?

And so it was that I introduced Sarcastic Thursday to CD.

A rogue band of beer guzzling intellects proceeded to hold up Thursdays to the highest standards of caustic commentary. And the popularity soared – at least among 3 or 4 of us – so we created other days of the week – Bitter Mondays and Condescending Fridays.

Condescending Friday has become the favorite and not just because it falls on the last day of the work week. Being able to talk down to people with no consequences until Bitter Monday? It’s a dream come true!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been left untouched to save some room for wild cards and give everyone else a break.

How do you pass the time (or justify your attitude) during the work week?

I’d love to know.

Or not.

It’s my turn to blog.

Writing a blog post for me is akin to exercise. I know I should and the benefits of doing it, but I’d rather sit on the couch and watch Dexter with a glass of bourbon and a pint (really, a half gallon) of ice cream.

As a new kid on the block with the CD Mother-ship (a.k.a. The Creative Department), I recently made the exodus as Director of Marketing for a large retail brand, to the fast-paced, often imbibed world of the Ad Agency (aka Mad Men).

 

The journey brought new enlightenment.

“What we think, we become.” ~ Buddha

In August of last year I began looking for new opportunities that presented challenges and would produce a certain work environment that I knew existed but had eluded me to this point – one that embraced my pony-tailed-ness.

Enter the job process.

I do not like resumes and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am. The entire method of looking for jobs, applying, and sending in a resume chaps my backside. As a creative person, taking your thoughts and concepts, or as I like to say, MY SOUL, and condensing it into a double-spaced-Arial-portioned-cattle-call-sheet scrapes against my sensibilities.

So I sat there gazing at my computer screen in November of 2010, ill-humored over the current job market orthodoxy. Now, it could have been that late night feeding or some transcendental communication with celestial beings, but a thought began to permeate my head… “If every instinct you’ve ever had has been wrong, the opposite would have to be right” (Costanza 3:12 JSV-Jerry Seinfeld Version).

In Costanza We Trust

Click here to view the embedded video.

I realized my efforts to that point had produced nothing. I followed the plan precisely and nada. So, I sought out, “the opposite.”

Turning Point
To the Google! I searched for “Marketing Agencies” in my vicinity. As the SERPS rolled in I sifted through the list.

[My Criteria] I’d go to an agency’s website – spend a few minutes giving them the once-over and then determined if I WANTED to work there or not. I was looking for the vibe they were laying down. My search turned up ten agencies I wanted to contact. Going into stalker-mode I trolled their sites for email addresses of note – someone to contact and unleash the sparkle.

Stepping out of the norm, I wanted to just be myself. Say what was really on my mind and let the chips fall where they may.

Email subject line:
“Hello, how are you – Applesauce”

Email body:
“Greetings, I wanted to inquire about any possible job opportunities you may have. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is George. I’m bald, unemployed and I live with my parents. Should any of that interest you, please contact me. Cheers, Jonathan”.

Ten emails were dispatched. Three agencies responded. The “crazy” thought that kept standing on it’s hind legs and barking at me to let outside, was this:

Be yourself. Really, be yourself and let them see who you are. If they still want to talk versus reporting you to the authorities, then that’s a place you may fit in and flourish. Of the three agencies that responded to my email, two of them have formed great working and even friendly relationships. We scheduled interviews over coffee and cookies. They were able to meet the wacky-email-dude and I them. What transpired was a mutual respect and connection between the parties that continues to speak and do business with each other. The third agency… The Creative Department. They took on a whole different meaning as we began to dance the forbidden dance of marketing-love. The same day I sent out my email, I heard back from the head Chief-tan of the agency. He chided, “Your email made it through the clutter. Send me samples of your work with proof you did them and not your mother.”

(Heart pitter-patter or same feeling a dog feels when a squirrel comes into view)

Emails were exchanged. Samples of work, with proof of non-mother authenticity sent. Witty banter abounding. I needed a cigarette.

So, around Thanksgiving we established a summit. Now this, mind you, wasn’t the Julliard-School-of-How-to-Find-a-Job course I was on. Raw. Fresh. Organic. An interview with the agency partners was established. Normally, interviews are to follow certain protocols. First, dress in your funeral best. Wear clothes that you won’t wear during the normal day-to-day work grind – should you get the job. Be nervous. Pretend to be nicer than you really are. Meet several strangers who don’t want to chat and are angered because you’ve taken them away from Facebook. Kill me, please.

Not today my friend. If I was to truly convert to my new philosophies and hippy-logic, I would have to go all in. With help from my in-home/CFO/She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed stylist, an ensemble of jeans, casual dress shirt, Shanghai Collar Blazer and my lucky Frye Harness boots was constructed. A nice, loose ponytail was composed and off I went for my date.

The Eagle Has Landed.

I arrived to my interview right on time (actually a few minutes before… obviously). Their headquarters reside in a antiquated, downtown brick building. One of those that look as if you could stand in the middle and touch both walls at the same time. As I was escorted through the building to the room of interrogation, I noticed a difference in what I typically feel before inquisitions. Having sought out this opportunity with my own flavor and panache, it allowed me to enter this vocation station with super-sized aplomb.

The meeting with the partners was superb. Dope, even. To their credit, they had wondered if I was truly a real person stemming from the email exchanges we’d had. Having felt such liberation in our prior discourses to be my hippy-self – throwing caution to the wind, I had stumbled upon my own celestial revelation. George Costanza would be beaming, or at least have a “pinkish-hue”. In interviews past, the compulsion to be hired, no accepted, was high. In this instance, because the frame work of my mojo was laid going in, the interview process was a dream. Next, I toured the building meeting the band of eclectic rebels.

Ginormous posters, and samples of their work were strewn about the office… and lots of shiny things (A.D.D’s playground)! I wasn’t sure if I was being introduced to the office because my interview was going that well or it was more for them to prove to everyone that I really did exist, “See, see! The crazy man from the emails really is real!” The interview closed. Hands were shook and I traveled home. I left feeling whole – that I’d been myself completely. Nothing was said or done that could be misunderstood. I knew who they were and they knew who I was. If I get invited back for dinner, then what I served up is what they were after. There is a great serenity that develops from knowing that. My god, this post is long. Summing up.

A few weeks passed and I received a phone call from the partners (right before their Christmas party was underway). An offer extended. An offer accepted. Tiny Tim would have a great holiday after all. Later that week the official offer letter arrived. It was witty and quirky and the mention of “house coffee” and “house beer” lept from the page as I read. Again, the serenity.

In 40 years of existential wandering you can learn much about yourself in these types of situations. Why is it so hard for us to be ourselves? If we conform to this or that standard are we being true to our core? At this juncture, I can say my Costanzian Theory worked… for me. Some may scoff, and others may agree. That’s fine. But in doing so you prove my point. We should align ourselves with like minded people. In doing so, you find a better, truer place to work. Or, in any respect, you’ll be more like me. I’m kinda awesome.

Here’s John demonstrating the proper technique for using a Shake Weight:

And here it is again, slowed down for those of you who really want to understand how to shake it.

And, in case that wasn’t enough, here’s John going for the Oscar:

Let’s shake things up in 2011.

See all the originals and the rest of the crew’s getup by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Tiffany’s best friend in the whole world (outside of Ryan, of course) lives in Brazil. And the two haven’t seen each other in a long time. To reunite the two friends, Ryan gave Tiffany the gift of a round trip plane ticket.

A wonderfully thoughtful gift. Something that really sets the bar high for you guys out there.

But it was the way this gift was packaged that was truly special. Ryan presented the ticket with this video:

Now if that doesn’t make you smile, call 9-1-1, because you may not have a pulse.

The thing is, Ryan is always doing stuff like this. He constantly looks for new ways to channel his creativity and Tiffany is often the fortunate recipient. Which brings us to Ryan’s crowning achievement.

This past weekend, Ryan convinced Tiffany that he had managed to get an art installation put on exhibit at Newport on the Levee’s Art on the Levee. He told her that it was a sculpture he had created for The Creative Department and she should really come and see it, he was really proud of his work.

Ladies and gentlemen, if the above video gave you designs on stealing Tiffany’s man, you can forget it.

Ryan Bennett is now taken.

(Click the first image to enlarge and navigate through a slideshow)

“SOS ART 2010”, a group art show and event of sociopolitical expressions for peace and justice, in its 8th consecutive year, will take place at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, May 28 – June 6, 2010.

Greater Cincinnati Artists of all expressions (visual, verbal, musical, cinematographic, etc.) are invited to participate.

All submissions will be considered and all works will be included provided they adhere to the theme of the show, are inclusive, and space permits.

Please spread the word, participate, and make your voice heard.

SOS ART 2010

WHERE: The Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1212 Jackson St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

WHEN: May 28 – June 6, 2010

Download the Artist submission form geared to the visual art component of the event.

Please submit your proposal, questions, or suggestions:

• Via email (preferably) to: saad.ghosn@uc.edu
• By US mail to: Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher, Cincinnati, OH 45229

Deadline for submissions is May 10, 2010.

*No matches were lit in the making of this holiday.

Here are some of the hairspray-tastic highlights:

Laura was made for this sport.

Jacqui had dimension.

John celebrated Big “Hare” Friday. (Oh, copywriter, you and your puns.)

Adam rocked a hybrid Bob Dylan – Jonas Brother inspired coif.

Check out the full gallery of updos, fros and curls by clicking the thumbs below.