Grey Group, Mcgarry Bowen, & Strawberry Frog

During our stay in New York City, our group had the opportunity to tour fourteen agencies that operate in the advertising world.  Each business employs a different, creative approach, and I learned a lot from all of them.  On the first day, we visited Grey Group, McGarry Bowen, and Strawberry Frog.  Katie Thomas, an account executive at Grey, explained how the agency specializes in long lasting customer relationships and represents some very famous clients including Covergirl, Pantene, and Proctor & Gamble.  They even created the E*Trade baby!  McGarry Bowen was located on the Hudson Riverbank and offered a beautiful view of the city.  Two members of the creative team at the agency talked to us about the importance of collaboration and teamwork in the advertising industry.  They also gave us some very useful tips on how to build a memorable resume and cover letter.  I was particularly intrigued to see the final agency of the day, Strawberry Frog, because they utilize a very small business approach.  Strawberry Frog emphasizes cultural movement in all of their campaigns.  It was a very young, creative atmosphere and I really enjoyed learning about their Jim Beam campaign.  We ended the first day at the Peabody Awards reception at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.  It was a great networking opportunity and we were even among a few well known celebrities!  

Preparing for the Big Apple

In class today, we discussed the agencies that we will be touring in NYC this week.  I think that I will learn a lot from all of them and I could not be more excited!  I leave tomorrow morning to spend some time with my sister in Manhattan before I begin a busy week of agency tours, sightseeing, and hopefully a lot of networking!  Strawberry Frog, a cultural movement agency, particularly interests me because of my background in Anthropology.  This agency employs cultural research to create a purpose and philosophy that emotionally engages with the consumer.  They utilize cultural anthropology to understand the unconscious attitudes among the target audience, a method that I hope to practice once I am in the industry.  TAXI’s edgy campaigns, including the “Oops Pill” Campaign for Plan B pills, also caught my attention.  My cousin works at 360i, a digital agency that we will be touring on Tuesday.  I hope that I have the chance to learn more about the digital realm of advertising at this agency, and possibly have time to see my cousin! Other agencies that we will have the chance to tour include Grey Group, McGarry Bowen, POKE, LaForce & Stevens, The Moderns, Translation, McCann-Erickson, Momentum, Vayner Media, HUGE, and Inc. and Fast Company Magazine.  I think that this week will be a great learning experience and really help me decide what I want to do when I enter the advertising world after college.

Up, Up, and Away

According to The Cool Hunter, hot air balloons are the latest trend in the advertising and entertainment worlds.   I have a slightly weird obsession with hot air balloons, and was intrigued by the funky and creative balloons presented in the article.  Because balloons are often used to decorate birthday parties and school dances, they are associated with fun and happy times from childhood.  Advertisers are now benefiting from this association by using hot air balloons in their campaigns to create an upbeat, creative feel.  The article even shows a picture of a hot air balloon in the shape of a Nike swoosh, demonstrating their ability to increase brand awareness in a dramatic way.  Like many other important inventions, hot air balloons originated in the military more than 2000 years ago.  Today, large festivals and races take place around the world, ranking the balloons on speed, creativity, etc.  I need to investigate where I can find a hot air balloon festival because that would be awesome to see…