Post Secret! is coming!

Post Secret is coming to Mercer University October 27th! Huge fan here. I love any way that people can tap into their creativity. I think that everyone is innately creative but some are just more capable of expressing their creativity. Some of the most innovative and creative people I know look like an average joe and don't have to dye their hair ten different colors and wear their art work. And that's what I like about Post secret.

Website decisions

I've got my concept down, and I've figured out a few more details. But, I'm torn between two different color schemes and fonts. Here are the two finalists (and when I say finalists, I mean what will probably be changed again.) These will be on the opening page of the site and when you click the travel suitcase, it will open up. Travel stickers will be on the inside of the suitcase and when clicked, will lead to things like my work, resume and fun useless facts about me. But like I said, I'm torn.

Where's the work?

Where's the work, you ask? Well more is coming, I promise. And I also promise to get that website going. For real this time.

Art Directors/Copywriters are not work horses.

I'm glad that my teams instructor brought this up today. When you work with someone, you concept, come up with new ideas and let your mind explore new ideas. You do not say, "attach some lines here" or "just art direct this up." It's a TEAM effort. At this point, you are working with your partner, not your creative director and not your junior. It's not black and white and there is no complete vetoing. So we are not work horses.

World's most Ridiculous Statue

Pride of Worcester, MA

Am I wrong or has this already been done with a small car?

Just saw on Adverblog that TYO Interactive design and Kyucon for Smartcar Japan have created a website that lets the user design their ideal Smartcar. Adverblog and I are on the same page about how this is VERY similar to the Mini campaign done a few years ago, but let's be honest. It's pretty much the SAME thing wearing a different coat.

Allow me to explain my thoughts on the "different coat" theory. When my sister and I were younger, we went to a restaurant with our family and friends around Christmas. For some reason, there was a Santa Claus there passing out candy to the kids. (hey, it's new england, we're weird) Anyways, my sister kept borrowing people's coats and going back up to Santa for more candy. The poor Santa fell for it but finally realized that this little girl probably didn't own a man's suit jacket that reached the floor. So the candy stopped.

The way I see it, consumers are like the Santa Claus. They won't want to be tricked over and over by the same gig.

I think as advertisers, we need to come up newer strategies, and although inevitably things will have to be recycled, we need to be more creative with what we do. Dressing up a Smartcar could be fun, I guess... But so could a Mini cooper, a Jetta, a dodge or a hyundai. Cars look funny in cheetah print because ANYTHING looks funny in cheetah print.

Let's take off the coats.

And you thought your parents were embarrassing.

This is going to haunt someone when they get to college... Also, that's a DOLL in that woman's lap...

Black Books = Saving my sanity.

So while I was stranded in Newport News Airport for 6 hours yesterday, I was really thankful for having three seasons of Black Books on my computer. (thanks Andrew) It's a British comedy that's actually funny. Bernard is like the more snarly Captain Jack Sparrow of a little book shop. His rum is wine and his friends are just ridiculous. I think it's by the same guys who did Shaun of the Dead? Whatever, it's just funny. And it helped me survive the airport without having to be sedated. I mean, what kind of airport doesn't have a bar?

Side note: I have to take my flip flops off in security and I can't bring a water bottle... but the woman a row ahead of me can bring a freaking CAT in her purse? Small travel size containers of lotion are also a security threat but we can bring pets on the plane with us now? My god.

What the hell is this?

Ollyollyoxenfree

I think we have break to recharge and get some inspiration after 11ish weeks of hard labor at the Circus. Some people get their inspiration from books, movies and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Whatever works, right?

 I get mine from everyday life, which sometimes includes the former. It's break, I'm in Maine at my mom's house and here are a few of my favorite things that go on here:

- The way people here rate clam chowder. If they get anything less than the full bellied clams, it's crap. And the difference between soft shell and hard shell lobster. 

-Recycling. Since trashbags cost $7 and a first born here in Kennebunk, people tend to have a very detailed trash process. We end up having more recycled stuff and only one trashbag a week. Go earth. 

-Seeing an old friend after 10 years. Catching up. 

-Listening to my mom criticizing the tennis player on tv because she has a tattoo of a butterfly. "That Serena Williams is a nice girl. I bet she has no tattoos."

-Going to see Sex and the City. Being the youngest one in the theater by at least 20 years. 

-My short mom trying to help me put my surfboard on top her car. Surfing in the rain with the boys. Kicking ass. 

- Kids in lifejackets at the beach. Whatever happened to floaties? 

-deer and turkeys running around the field in the back yard. 

-Bennett's subs. Nothing in the entire world compares.

-watching the Office. I get it. 

So i've been writing a lot and getting ideas from everyday, simple things. And just a few more days until round 4 at the circus.