Vacation as Inspiration!

To us vacation is not just a time to relax it is a time to get inspired and bring those inspirations back home and put them to work!
Here are some great stories from our staff. These vacations inspired them in some way and is part of what makes them as creative as they are!

San Francisco My Long Lost Love by: Cortney Kreer, Designer

My best vacation I've had in recent memory was the long weekend I spent in San Francisco last year. I wanted to visit the city for almost my entire adult life, and when I got there for the first time it felt like I was coming home. Walking up and down the streets of the city and just people watching -- the old hippies, the street punks, the hipsters and the yuppies alike --- was inspiring simply because everyone was so different than the folks I was so used to back East. I heard of the West Coast Mentality but had never really understood it until I saw it and heard it. It was like finding my own voice in another, like meeting family I didn't know I had.

We stayed with a friend in San Rafael, in this quintessential West Coast mid-century modernist ranch house. He took us into the city by ferry and we saw the famous California fog. It looked like frozen ocean waves crashing from the middle of the sky onto the horizon. Later in the weekend we also drove into the city over the Golden Gate Bridge and passed by the mile markers and the suicide phones overlooking the dizzying drop into the Pacific.

Driving through the city, you could smell eucalyptus and ocean water on the air. Heat of the surrounding cars mixed with cool breezes from the bay.

On Saturday night we went out to DNA lounge for "Bootie" which is a mashup show that I follow pretty closely (bootiemashup.com). It was insane to be there finally after listening to the MP3s for however many years. I got to meet DJ Earworm, my all-time favorite mashup dj, and there was a live show where this guy came out dressed as a jelly donut and started rapping over the singing of a Debbie Harry impersonator.

We also got a chance to visit Amoeba Music, which is giant record store in the Haight-Ashbury district. I have loved the artwork on vinyl album covers since I was a child (looking at Queen's News of the World album stands out as my first terrifying memory) so this was a visual feast for me. We spent hours looking through vintage vinyl. I grabbed a copy of Starland Vocal Band's self-titled album for a dollar just because the typography was so cool. I later found out it included "Afternoon Delight" which is hilarious if you've ever seen Anchorman.

In my experience, I've found that things are almost never how I envision they will be. California was the only exception. San Francisco was exactly how I wanted it to be, and in ways it was even better. After the (all too short) weekend I spent there I was convinced that I would live there, and I still am convinced of that. I still think about the overwhelming sights and sounds and people and places and I long to be back there. So if I disappear and you never hear from me again, that's probably where I am.

It is a gorgeous day here in at AMG. We are embracing the warm weather with open arms... this has definitely been a long time coming! We hope you are enjoying your day as well and if not (or even if you are) perhaps this interview with our Creative Director Albert Whitley can help to bring a little more enjoyment to your day! If you are familiar with AM+G’s work that you have definitely seen a lot of Albert’s work. He is currently working on a revamping our capability statement so keep looking back for its premier.

Albert Whitley is an award-winning designer / design director with 10 years of experience in strategic brand design from integrated marketing programs, digital design, print and online advertising, branded experiences, environments, social media, packaging and print applications.

He is driven by equal parts design and business. As a design visionary, Albert's synthesis of the design profession is to be culturally sensitive, inspire, and to connect with meaning. His vast experiences, has allowed him to develop and lead world-class design solutions which impact brand strategy and increase business growth.

He has collaborated alongside with senior executives and creative leaders to create meaningful design solutions for global brands such as Adobe, Amway Global, BMW, Herman Miller, Maybelline New York, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Tele Atlas. His design contributions have been recognized and awarded by leading design publications, and appeared as a guest critic and panelist in leading discussions on design practice and trends.

Albert graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta with a degree in Graphic Design. He currently serves on the AIGA Atlanta chapter board for the professional organization for design and The Society of Typographic Aficionado, an organization dedicated to type, typography and related arts.

Did you always want to do advertising?

I can remember in high school having a passion for communication, technology and science. Advertising and design sort of found me. A former high school teacher introduced me to the profession early on and my mom, in her own way, also introduced it to me advertising and design. My mom would always have me create church bulletins, plus my high school classmates always had me make flyers for parties. It was kind of fun, I learned what a printing was early on without even knowing what a printing press really was. Oddly enough I found myself addicted to creating stories, making imagery and playing with my Mac in my free time.

Why did you decide to start your own company?
Coming from a family of entrepreneur’s it has always been ingrained in our mind as kids – my sister and I – to run our own businesses. I have always had a passion for business, the process of operations and the endurance to sustain a healthy client base has always interested me. When I was 20, I started working for my father's company, MED transit, as a part-time driver and would drive patients to their doctor's appointments on a weekly basis. It was nice to make some extra cash for the summer but when I began to understand how my performance as a driver impacted business I knew that I wanted to own my own design studio.

Did you work anywhere before?
I was employed by a leading design agency, Grant Design Collaborative in Canton, GA. I learned a great deal from Mr. Grant and the design team about communication design, brand design and development, print, digital design, showroom design and product design. We wore many hats there. We did not do the traditional role of a designer and I really appreciate the lessons i learned there as a designer.

Favorite part of advertising?
My favorite part about advertising is the ideation and design development process. I enjoy collaborating with others who are willing to bring a viable voice or point of view. It is sort of fun and magical how we as designers can take a blank canvas and employ wonderful works that communicate and inspire.

Least favorite part?
Here are some things that can kill a strong creative idea or the ideation process fast – a bloated creative brief, a client with no vision or doesn't understand what we do, and last millions of revisions. I prefer to develop a strong relationship with clients, streamline the process, and allow creativity to thrive in a healthy environment. It is also equally as important that I have my client's business best interest. The is bottom line is the that if a client wants to be engaged, make sure their message is clear and concise and most importantly generates ROI for their business

Top 10 Dream Clients:

1. Apple
2. Olympics
3. Volkswagon
4. Dior
5. Tate Museum
6. Starbucks
7. Aveda
8. Godiva
9. Unilever
10. Google

As always don’t forget to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages!

We have some really exciting things happening at AM+G Marketing Communication. We have just launched a promotion on our Facebook fan page. We are offering a gift certificate to Starbucks for our 50th fan and a gift card to iTunes for our 100th fan. So invited your friends to be a fan today and maybe they’ll offer you a cut of their winnings!
We are also in the process of taking on some exciting new clients and working on a brand new capabilities statement, Keep checking back here and on our Facebook page for more information! As promised here is another interview from our creative strategist Jane Metcalf:

Did you always want to be in advertising?
No I wanted to be an exotic large game vet. That said I always had a flair for looking at things from a variety of angles and I was designing covers for my adventurous short stories as a kid.

What jobs have you held in the past?
My very first job was a dog walker. It was my first venture into the business world. I had my mom photocopy photos of my dogs and I made a collage with copy written by mom. I had 6 dogs in addition to our 3. So I walked 9 dogs twice a day. I also held jobs as a lifeguard, bike courier, researcher in a neuroscience lab, production artist, graphic designer and art director


What is your favorite part of advertising?
Researching, Conception, Strategizing and Creating

What is your least favorite part?
Prepress in Print

Top 10 dream clients

BMW
Apple
Chalone Vineyards
Sundance Channel
Louis Vuitton
Shaun White
Stowe Resort
X-Games
Chronicle Books

Check back again soon for a interview from Albert Whitley our Creative Director!

Don't forget to Fan us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter

When I joined Facebook I was a freshman in college and the only thing on there were pictures of my friends getting wasted at parties. Now everyone has Facebook. My mom has a Facebook. Instead of drunken pictures she posts statuses that say, “So excited for my daughter Sara to come home this weekend!” It started with parents and then switched over to corporations.

My friend received her acceptance letter to graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh last week. She opened the large envelope, looked at the first page and it said, “Visit our Facebook page!” “Follow us on Twitter!” When she told me this I was completely weirded out. Although I guess I should not have been, just about every person and company out there has a Facebook Site.

From Burberry to Kathy Griffin everyone has a Facebook fan page with hundreds to hundreds of thousands of fans. They are uploading photos, sending links to random websites they like, posting information about appearances, sales, concerts, the list goes on and on.

Social media has allowed companies to relate to their customers like never before. They are now able to show their publics a different side of their company. They can show them that they are not just a company who sells $300 polo shirts, but that they also enjoy talking about themselves excessively. Okay… bad example but a company like AM+G for example posts lots of articles that we find interesting all the time.

Although Facebook is great let’s admit it people are getting lazy. Post more than a sentence, good luck getting anyone to read it.

This brings me to Twitter. Although I can understand how Twitter became such a phenomenon, I really cannot believe it. Twitter caught on like wildfire. It was like one day they announced the launching of the site and the next day it is the most used word of 2009.

I think that Twitter is so popular because it provides a very intimate experience between users. It is like having a conversation with whomever you are “following.” It has given people communication with a company or celebrity that they have never had before.

Who would have known that John Mayer was such a pervert? Or that Kim Kardashian does not know how to spell Pisces (although I probably could have guessed that one). Who says more than 160 characters in a sentence anyway? (To all of those who speak 300- 400; if people paid attention to you before, they probably do not anymore).

Aside from that, Twitter has been huge for larger companies as well. Dell, for example, posts their sales up on Twitter before they go up on their website. If you follow them on Twitter you are at a huge advantage.

I will admit that I joined Twitter a few months ago, but I swear I only did it as a career move (what does it say that I am embarrassed to admit I have a Twitter but not about having a Facebook? I guess I can explore that in another blog, but think about it). The importance of Twitter in the advertising and marketing world has grown in immense proportions. I just have a friend who basically did not get a job because she did not have a Twitter. A year ago having a Facebook was seen as a bad thing, but not it can be the difference between a new job and living on your parents couch.

It is evident that social media is the wave of the future. It is possible that in the future there will be no more advertising, only social media. … Okay probably not but it will affect the market. Advertising will become more competitive and to not have a Facebook, Twitter or whatever they come up with next will mean you may as well not have a company at all.

All of that being said make sure you follow US on Twitter and Facebook!

I have a case of the Mondays. That feeling where my brain is still weekending but work does not stop for a tired brain. Things need to get done. It has taken a lot of fine-tuning but I finally found a way to get passed them, let us know if they work for you!

1. Listen to relaxing music. Although relaxing music may not help for some for me relaxing music helps to clear out my brain. I can close my eyes and remember what my purpose at work is. There are a few songs that always help me. Just to name two Sia- Breathe me and John Lennon- Imagine

2. Get inspired. There are many different ways that I get inspired to do my work. Today we received a copy of communication arts in the mail and it has helped immensely in my Monday inspiration. The article on page 22 “Contemplating White Space” really spoke to me today. The article is about an exhibit done at the Guggenheim in New York called contemplating the void. The author Wendy Richmond has such a beautiful thought that I would like to share with you, “White space is not just about leaving blank spots. One has to establish content and structure in order to be successful in eliciting participation…” I refuse to explain how this helped me to be inspired because I implore you to think about how this can be used to inspire your Monday. (let us know how it did!)

3. Look forward to something. Mondays always seem slow. Maybe that’s because I do less work on Mondays. I find that when I do a lot of work they go by quicker. It is hard to work when all you can think about is how great/ fun/ unproductive your weekend was. Instead of looking back on last weekend look forward to next weekend or an upcoming vacation. I find that having a goal in mind helps me to get through my work quicker.

4. Write out what is on your mind. I keep a pad of paper by my desk and write down everything that is on my mind. Whether it is things that I have to get done that week or month, things that are making me upset or the reasons I do not want to do work, they all go on there. After I have all my thoughts down on paper it is as if I have wiped my slate clean and I am able to get done what needs to get done.

I hope that at least one of these tips helped you! All of us here are doing at least one of these and we are having a productive day! I hope you also come away with a constructive day and just remember tomorrow is Tuesday which means its not Monday J

Don’t forget to become a fan of our Facebook page and to follow us on Twitter.

Check back again soon for another interview!

We are so excited about the changes that are making their through AM+G Marketing and Communications and we want to share them with you! We are currently revamping our website so look around for that! We are also working launching our social media campaign. As a part of this campaign we have just created our Facebook fan page, Click Here to visit and become a fan.

We will also be posting blogs at least once a week. Every week we will highlight one member of our staff and who better to start with than our president and CEO Karen Alston.

Education: I went to Howard University and graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration in 1993. My major was Finance. The Finance program at Howard University was extremely difficult but in the end it was a great choice for my career. Today I combine left and right brain activities in my day to day duties. I have taken graduate courses at Howard University and Harvard University.

Did You Always Want to do Advertising: No, not at all, I wanted a career on Wall Street with a big yearly bonus! I never thought about Advertising in undergrad however, earlier in my corporate career I got a taste for marketing and advertising. At America Online I fell in love with interactive advertising. When I started AM+G I wanted to market movies and TV shows. To this day New Line Cinema and Weinstein Companies are both brands I would love to work with and collaborate on marketing and branding strategy. I decided to start my own company in 2002. At the urging of my boyfriend at the time. He knew I always wanted to own a business and I come from a family of entrepreneurs; my grandfather owned a business in West Philadelphia for over 30 years, my mom a owner of two businesses one since 1983, my brother a successful photographer www.kwakualston.com and great aunts, uncles, cousins several of whom own businesses. Entrepreneurship is in my blood.

Past Jobs: I started my career at JP Morgan out of college, what a great experience and a amazing company. At JP Morgan I learned the value of hard work and teamwork. After JP Morgan I went to work for MBNA America Bank. At MBNA I learned the value of mentors. I have mentors today that have known me from my early days of my career and their guidance and advice is invaluable. I went to America Online in 1999-- I loved AOL and at AOL grew to have a passion for Advertising and Marketing.

Favorite Part of Advertising: Clients and interacting with people. Taking an idea from conception to reality. It is the greatest feeling to watch something grow from a small idea to completion.

Least Favorite Part of Advertising: Too many snow days in one winter season!

What Sets Your Company Apart? We are a small company and we are proud of our size. Being small allows AM+G to respond quickly to client needs. It allows the principals of the company to interact with clients, to give them the "old fashioned" client service that understands their company, their brand, their customers/members and most importantly why the marketing or advertising campaign has to be successful.

Top 10 Dream Clients:

1. Thompson Hotels- www.thompsonhotels.com

First of all I have a passion for design, all design, architecture, interior design, graphic design but mainly great design. I have been following this brand for year. It was one of the first brands to speak to me as a consumer on the fun on staying in small boutique hotels. Their brand is fun, engaging, stylish, and luxurious. It speaks to a hip, urban, luxury consumer -- who isn't pretentious. I hope to stay in the Hollywood property some day soon. This is my number one dream brand!

2. Wealth TV

I discovered Wealth TV a few months ago, a fairly new company and brand based out of San Diego, CA. Wealth TV is a great channel geared to the rich, successful, and those who want to be rich one day. I love the travel shows, the tour of amazing homes, and the programming speaks to me. I am rooting for this channel and would love to help them grow into a major cable channel powerhouse.

3. New Line Cinema

A cutting edge movie company, a subsidiary of Time Warner, this company distributes films such as The Lord of the Rings and Sex and the City. Years ago when I worked for AOL I spoke to one of the marketing managers. I was so impressed with the methods and strategy's New Line Cinema uses to promote movies. Social marketing is a huge strategy for this company and I would love to work with them on creative interactive ads that grab the attention of different demographics.

4. TED Conferences

5. Wyclef's Yele Haiti Organization

For the tragedy and the joy of spotlighting the good works this organization is doing to improve the lives of Haitian's and an opportunity to showcase good positive stories, images and results.

6. Sarah Palin

An amazing brand -- Sarah Palin has captivated the nation, no matter if you love or hate her she is fascinating and an important part of our culture. A relatively new brand and one that is evolving.

7. McDonald's

Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to produce and write a McDonald's commercial. Now my favorite commercial is running "Filet of Fish - Talking Fish" for lent and passover. I love this commercial, the creativity and the sheer fun McDonald's has in all of its advertising. The creative team at McDonald's understand what appeals to children, adults and the child in all of us.

8. Air Jordan

9. Turks and Caicos

Travel and tourism have always interested me and here is a destination that has recently aggressively marketed themselves to developers, travel enthusiasts and the overseas marketplace.

10. Beyonce

Check back again soon for more interviews!

It is about time there was a "sea" change in Hollywood. I am so happy to see so many diverse faces, women of color, and men of color in movies, as political pundits, on sitcoms, etc. Maybe soon we can have a minority run a major movie studio. Wouldn't that be amazing!

I am ready for my screen test! Someone contact me soon! :)


Hollywood's Views on Race May Be in for a Change
Q&A: Producer Joe Pichirallo on Marketing Black Films to White Audiences, Box-Office Success and the 'Bradley Effect'
By Claude Brodesser-akner Published: October 30, 2008LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- Is there a "Bradley Effect" when it comes to the box office?
'The Secret Life of Bees'For those perhaps not paying close attention to the presidential election, with Sen. Barack Obama ahead in every national poll, political pundits have been feverishly inserting the words "Bradley Effect" into articles and sound bites in an effort to ratchet up the election-eve drama. The expression explains in racial terms the 1982 defeat of Tom Bradley, a black Democrat who was at the time the mayor of Los Angeles, by his white Republican rival, George Deukmejian, in their quest for the governorship of California: The theory goes that despite polls predicting a Bradley win, white voters pulled the lever for Mr. Deukmejian. A quick look at Hollywood's box office results would seem to let some air out of the theory, at least when it comes to how Americans elect to entertain themselves: The success of two new films with largely black casts -- "The Secret Life of Bees" and the thriller "Lakeview Terrace" -- suggests that marketers' conventional wisdom about how race influences purchasing decisions may be in need of re-examination. Having served as a producer on both movies, Joe Pichirallo has gained a firsthand understanding of how Americans consider -- or ignore -- race. Each film has over-performed, with "Lakeview Terrace" cresting $40 million domestically, having opened at No. 1 at the box office last month, and "The Secret Life of Bees" cruising past $20 million, having opened at No. 3. Mr. Pichirallo oversees film for The Gold Co., a production venture headed by talent manager Eric Gold, whose clients include Jim Carrey and Ellen DeGeneres. But before joining The Gold Co., Mr. Pichirallo was head of feature film production and development for Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment. He's also been a senior executive at Fox Searchlight Pictures, where he oversaw "Antwone Fisher," and at Universal's Focus Features, where he supervised both "Hollywoodland" and "Something New." Madison & Vine: Settle this for us: Is there a Bradley Effect at the box office, too? Joe Pichirallo: Let me put it this way: The conventional wisdom of the Hollywood studios is that films that have primarily African-American themes or actors in them are not are not going to do well, because they don't do well overseas. And in the last few years, the rule of thumb is that 60% of box office is actually going to come from outside the U.S. So if you look at even the most successful films that cross over, like "Barbershop," its domestic gross was $70 million, but its foreign box office was, like, $1.2 million. ... So if [black films] get made, you're forced to do them at independent [movie] budget levels, on the theory that you have to make most of your revenue on the domestic side. M&V: How does that affect how we portray black America on the big screen? Mr. Pichirallo: If you're looking at something like "The Secret Life of Bees," on one level if you didn't know the business, you'd say, "Well, here's a best-selling novel. This should be made for the standard Hollywood budgets of $40 million, $50 million, $60 million." But the concern would be that you'll never hit those levels in box office, so you're immediately put into a situation of seeing it made in the $12 million range. M&V: How soon did race enter the making and marketing of "The Secret Life of Bees"? Mr. Pichirallo: You start thinking about it right off the bat. Who are going to be the leads? Are we going to be able to get people with name value to play those leads? ... We also knew we had two things going for us: The book was a best-seller for a very long time, and the book was not perceived as an exclusively African-American book. The underlying material had an existing appeal to a white audience. M&V: And so "Bees" isn't behaving like a typical film with a black cast, is it? Mr. Pichirallo: No. And let me just say something about the second weekend of the film, that shows it's playing both ways: In Los Angeles, at The Grove -- which couldn't be more of a white, upscale, affluent theater -- it out-grossed the Magic Johnson theater, which is the leading African-American theater in Los Angeles. And so that tells you right there that the movie is really playing. Most theaters aimed at predominantly whiter audiences actually held [onto their "Bees" audiences] better in the second weekend than those with African-American audiences. Seattle had just a 12% drop. Those are phenomenal holds for any kind of movie, and give indication that it's reaching a diverse audience. M&V: What can we learn about Americans' racial attitudes from "Lakeview Terrace"? Mr. Pichirallo: We knew we had to walk a fine line, because it's not often that the so-called bad guy in a movie is an African-American. Sam Jackson ultimately is terrorizing this interracial couple who lives next door to him. It's headed toward $40 million because white [audiences] went to see it, and we didn't get any real serious complaints from the African-American audience. They embraced the film and saw the film. The danger would have been that they would say, "You're holding up a negative stereotype." M&V: So if all it takes is some forethought about making a movie that's relatable to everyone, why not make more money by making black films that appeal to white audiences, too? Mr. Pichirallo: [Studios] don't want to restrict their gross, but when they sense that the material is not going to cross over -- and they may often be wrong about this -- they're not going to waste their money chasing an audience that they don't think is coming out. And that's when it gets to be circular: What is the chicken, and what is the egg? Are the audiences not responding because they're not marketing to them and so they're not turning out, or are they right that the audience is not finding it appealing, and so was never coming out? M&V: We've talked about how the box office reveals the racial attitudes of moviegoers, but has the marketing of Sen. Barack Obama as a post-racial candidate changed anything about Hollywood's attitude toward the marketing of black films? Mr. Pichirallo: You're going to see that as we get more sophisticated and evolved as a culture, we're going to have multicultural-themed movies that are going to cross over more. What we're tying to do is break conventional perception that if you have a black-focused story that it's only going to appeal to blacks and therefore you should only market to blacks. M&V: Is the lesson, then, that film ghettos are bad for show business? Mr. Pichirallo: I think we have to work hard from a cultural and social standpoint to break that, but from an economic standpoint it doesn't make any sense, either: You don't want to limit your audience. If you're going to limit your audience, you end up having to do the films for lower budgets, and therefore it gets harder to get those movies made, because some of the bigger actors won't do them. M&V: So, what is the marketing lesson from Obama '08? Mr. Pichirallo: The lesson is, Don't assume past performance dictates future results. Obama has not run as a "black" candidate. The world is changing. Our culture is changing. You have to change with it.