A Short Story... What do you think?

There was traffic this morning on my way to work.  It’s just another Monday, I think to myself as I walk to the kitchen to brew coffee. The machine is black and sometimes splatters coffee outside my cup. The kitchen is never fully clean anyway.

I find a plate of brownies and four boxes ready to ship out with USPS waiting for me. The front desk is tidy and I’m happy in my calm environment. I answer the phone when it rings. Good morning, how can I help you? I log onto my desktop, check my mail, read the news. The air is barely moving but at least it’s cool.

An account executive approaches with a list of seven names and addresses, cards and labels. They need to be sent out today, she tells me. Ok, I answer as she walks away. I’m told where to find the boxes, they're flat and waiting to be formed. There are also more address labels and packing popcorn. Soon I’m bombarded by four more account executives, each with another seven or eight addressed labels and cards. They place them on my desk and walk away.  

By lunch time I’ve only finished packaging eight. There are 23 boxes still waiting. I am no longer calm, my insides are tied, my head is floating. The phone won’t stop ringing. I can’t answer the calls. I’m tense and emotional; I push off lunch. I need to finish, I say, these need to go out. Would it be possible for you to come back and cover for me later?

My desk is a shipping disaster. Tape is stuck to the desk so the edge doesn’t get lost, the small scissors I’m given barely cut the tape fully in two, the popcorn is everywhere, the contents are strewn about waiting in haste for me to pack them. Hurry, they say, we want to go too. I’m trying to be as fast as I can, I reply, I want you shipped more than you know.

My environment is calm and my desk is tidy, I’m not happy. I take lunch an hour late; I walk around and shop. I don’t buy anything. It’s raining outside even though it’s a clear day. I’m wet and cold and shivering. My body aches and nothing fits. They’re screaming at me, but I can’t hear an individual voice. I call Ace. I plug my ears so the yelling stops and I cry. Will you take me to the beach? Of course, Babe, let’s go now.

I run to him. I run faster than the noise, faster than the rain. The air is racing and my heart is punching my chest. There’s blood on my feet and hands. He’s there to clean me up when I reach home. My clothes dry when he holds me, my heart relaxes. I just want to go. Of course, Babe, I’m taking you now.

It’s dark and the stars are awake. The breeze off the ocean fills my lungs as we lay together in the sand. I hold him close, my head in his neck. I feel him breathing, slowly, deeply. We’re alone and I relax into his chest. Coldplay plays in the background as he sings to me softly.  Each wave takes with it a piece of my day.

We stare together into the night; the horizon glows in the distance. I’ve missed you all day. I have too, Babe… I always do. The Arctic Monkeys quietly fill the night. I want you forever, I whisper. Baby, I’m yours.

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

When Sleep Started Running My Life.

I've always been a night owl and a morning sleeper. Going to bed no earlier than 1 a.m. and waking up a little past 12 p.m. or even 1 p.m. on weekends. College didn't help my issue either with classes that were offered at 10:30 a.m. the earliest. Those mornings were met with coffee from the on-campus Einstein Bros. after literally rolling out of bed.

But the thing is, I functioned... very well actually. When I was awake, I was awake. I would study all day and retain the information, I would speak eloquently and respectfully. I didn't have mood swings, I payed attention, and fully comprehended every conversation I had.

However, it's not the case anymore. Sleep has begun to run my life. If I don't get my full 8+ hours a night, I become zombie-like the next day. It gets hard to focus and it takes me longer to do everything. Studying, thinking, and I get writers block- which is always the worst thing. I am simply not fully alert the entire day.

So I checked the Sleep Foundation Web site and found that Adults need about 7-9 hours every night and it looks like we need less sleep the older we get. Check out the chart listed:

At the ripe age of 22, my sleeping patterns have started to considerably matter. It's no wonder every one speaks fondly about their college years. The years where the weekend started on Thursday and going to bed at 3 a.m. was just another day. When school was first priority and yet personal freedom flowed wildly without remorse. I have never neglected my studies and I graduated last December proud of my achievements.

However, while working my 9-5 (which is actually an 8:30 -5:30), my bed time is at 11:30 p.m. and going to sleep any later holds its consequences. Today, unfortunately is one of those days and I have learned my lesson.

To all of those struggling through Thursday along with me, tomorrow is Friday and it's quite possibly the best day of the week. Hang in there! We can do this.

Happy Thursday and I hope you have a great weekend.

For me, my weekend will consist of applications and portfolio perfecting... and, of course, sleep. :) I'm excited!

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad.

It's Just Another Day in Paradise

I pulled into work about 15 minutes early today to find an odd looking older fellow hanging out by the entrance door. I tend to be paranoid sometimes and so I opted to enter through the back door of the building and wait till the rest of the office arrived before letting him in. Before I knew it, he was in my office and distressed to hear that his prize could not be located until the Promotions Department opened around 9 a.m. The current time was 8:37 a.m. The poor fellow left, only to return later this morning to find his prize had not, in fact, been delivered to the station yet. He walked away, this time in the rain, empty handed. 

Around 9 a.m. a lovable promotions intern, a retired on-air jockey, and an office assistant hurried outside to clad the outside palm trees in Christmas spirit. After all, it is the holiday season in Sunny Miami. They finished decorating at the exact moment the skies opened up and the storm came down. For almost 20 minutes, half of the BBGI Miami staff crowded our mid-sized reception area waiting for the rain to stop and the sky to clear so our Christmas photo could be taken. 

Finally clear. "Ok everyone...Squeeze in!...Smile!"

And back to work.

I get a phone call from HR at Zimmerman Advertising. I had asked for advice on how to gain the necessary experience Zimmerman hiring managers were looking for to successfully acquire a position at the agency in the future or at any other agency for that matter. I simply wanted to be pushed in the right direction. She knew of no post-graduate internships or how I can gain the experience, she only gave me general feedback from the hiring managers as to why I was not a fit now. Examples of which include: "Not enough experience, found some spelling mistakes, didn't think you were ready." Well ok then, thank you for your time.

I can understand the spelling mistakes being an issue because Interview Rule #1 is "Check Your Spelling!", however the mistakes were found towards the end of our hour-long meeting so I'm assuming he was already leaning towards the "no" end and that just gave him a reason to say it. I guess I'll never know for sure, but hand hit, lesson learned, will re-read everything 20 times instead of the usual 10... and maybe take a break in between to adjust my brain back to normal mode. 

And, about the "not enough experience, didn't think you were ready bit"... is that an opinion? Lately, throughout my daily copywriting advice news and readings, I have learned that experience level is linked mainly to the strength of your connections and your ability to follow-up, and that one hiring manager not thinking I'm ready is... well... one hiring manager not thinking I'm ready. 

And I say, "Hiring manager- you missed out on one ready and talented junior." Now..off to a more organized and knowledgeable agency.

Back to my desk. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Blog ideas?...hmmm maybe later. Google Buzz. Agency News. Business Week. VCU Brandcenter?... not accepted last year... do your chances increase the more you apply and show determination?... or is it another $50 charitable donation to a university that wants nothing to do with your individual future but finds others they deem more fit to obtain your dream job, and give them your donation to help aid in molding their future?...hmmmm I still really want to go there though... everyone already knows I'm determined and experience is my key to success, after all. Plus, it is an institution for the greater good that I do regard highly. I think I just might give it another go- maybe I'll be seen as a more likely candidate for the copywriting track as opposed to the art direction track I was considered for last year. It may very well be my only chance to obtain my desired career. 

I then follow-up with an agency I've been scouting out for a while. Publicis NY. Very organized and very knowledgeable with a friendly creative staff (I met a few on my visit there) and a gym on their top floor. :) NOT the reason why I'm obsessed and would kill to work at that agency, just a perk I'm overly excited about.

Lunch time, post office- Corinne's letter sent!, small chat with the BF, and back to work.

UPS, FedEx, USPS mail time! A letter to me? What?! No way. OMG, that crazy guy actually sent something? I know exactly who it's from! Sign, print, sort out the rest of the mail.

So I sit at my desk with this letter in front of me. It's addressed to Erica Dass but it's clear I am the intended recipient of the package. I've never gotten mail at the office before. I hand out letters and packages that hold goodies from Media Kits and PR agencies all the time but I've never received a package at work exclusively for me. 

Inside I find a cardboard slipcase that generally is made to protect CDs from cracking and getting damaged in the mail. On top a logo is created with a black Sharpie. The letters E and D separated by a single heart monitor beep line. (Of course later this will be changed to E and B, but as for now, Mr. Crazy Guy still thinks my name is Erica Dass. Next time I will be sure to spell out Bravo. Alpha. Sam. Sam.) I like it! It's catchy. The bottom directs me to Flip Open, in very creative typography I might add.

I flip the cover open and inside the first thing I find is a Hide & Seek Chocolate Chip cookie wrapper... no cookies. Underneath the wrapper is Mr. Crazy Guy's card, and beneath that is a note written in the same black Sharpie, all caps.

"HEY ERICA,

  CRAZY [GUY] HERE. "HIDE & SEEK" IMOGEAN HEAP. MOD-$REAL DEAL&. TRACK 2, 3, AND "...." ARE MY FAVORITES."

That's it. Underneath my portion of the mail is a separate package with a CD inside and addressed to a DJ here. No CD for me though. This left me wondering three things. 1) Why the empty "Hide & Seek" cookie wrapper alluding to Imogen Heap, 2) Why the Imogen Heap song reference (misspelled, might I point out) and 3) How can I check out track 2, 3 and "...." without a CD of my own? It's not like I can share with the DJ or anything. Strange, right? BUT!, this strange piece of mail made my day! I love mail. All types of mail. Letters, packages, postcards. It's so much more fun than e-mail. Seriously. So, YAY MAIL.


After a quick walk around the office handing out other peoples exciting mail and Media Kits and PR goodies, I'm back to my desk. A quick call to the Promotions Coordinator about a letter that was returned to the station with the same address that was inputted into our system and an invalid phone number (so no way to contact the intended recipient) and I'm back to social media, application reviews and advice from established copywriters. 


I received an e-mail back from Publicis (See?! Organized!) and was directed to the creative recruiter there. 

"No positions available right now but please keep in touch and I'll do the same."

Will do!


A sales executive and on-air talent emerge drenched from the ongoing storm. We chat about the weather. He's from New York. 


"New York? Do you know anyone in the advertising industry up there? I'm trying to become a Jr. Copywriter."
"I'll call my friend and tell him about you now. He's with Saatchi. You know them?"
"Saatchi & Saatchi? Of course! Wow thank you."


I'll have to follow up with him about that... but hey, a connection is a connection right? Then the interview is up to me. I already corrected the spelling errors. No worries there. SCORE!


After I escort a group of GEICO flight team guys back to the studio for an on-air interview, I'm back and I'm blogging. And, with only 24 minutes left to work, I'm getting more and more excited about hitting up the gym.


My day in a nutshell. 


Till next time,
The New Ad Grad

Another Interview, Another Paradox

entry-level

en·try-lev·el

 

[en-tree-lev-uhl]

–adjective

1.

of, pertaining to, or filling a low-level job in which an employee may gain experience or skills: This year's collegegraduates have a limited choice of entry-level Jobs.

I want experience more than anything. I want to be able to sit down in front of a Hiring Manager and tell them what I did with a company and what the outcome was and how my efforts positively effected that outcome.

But tell me, "How is it that I need experience to gain experience?" And, to take it one further, "How do you get the initial experience to further your experience?"

See? And the paradox continues...

I always thought that the point of an internship was to get that initial experience and that it becomes your foot-in-the-door. However, every advertising agency internship I was interviewed for held the same outcome, "The other candidate has more experience under their belt." 

How did they get the experience? Did they know someone?....Is it an accurate assumption to make that the only reason I have not become a "chosen one" for this experience in the industry is because I have no one pulling for me on the inside?

Maybe...

I don't know anyone personally in the industry; I have no connections. The thing is... I know I am destined for great things. I am. Advertising is my calling and I'm passionate about it. Even better, I have more drive and determination that anyone else I know.

I am a fast learner, a great listener, and I take criticism well. I am always looking for ways to improve my work. Most of all, I'm a dedicated employee and I'm reliable. I've covered for my supervisors more times than I can count because they know I can get the job done accurately and in a professional manner. And, they know they can count on me.

Basically I need a chance to prove that my lack of experience has no correlation with my qualifications. I am a qualified and competent employee with a desire to succeed. I also write well. (Well, you read down this far and I kept your attention, right?) I'm talented and creative and I'm looking for direction.

...

I believe that things happen for a reason. Maybe it's not my time to shine yet. But to get my time to shine, I might need a little more experience under my belt...

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

Budweiser has done it AGAIN

My newest achievement is landing the full-time receptionist job at a radio station in Miami. It's a great company atmosphere with amazing people and seriously fantastic connections and... well... it's full-time pay. And, if I'm ever going to become Ms. Independent again, I need all the income I can get. So 40 hours a week I'm listening to Country radio while at work.

As you probably know by now, I listen to commercials. Not all commercials, I have been known to change my station when a horrible commercial breaks through the clean atmosphere in my car with its noise pollution, but most catch my attention and are the not-so-hard-to-listen-to kind. It's not ordinary for me catch a commercial I actually try to listen for though, and lately I've found it. It's so entertaining that the first time I heard it I almost cried laughing. The new Budweiser pep-talk commercial...

that seems to be no where on the Web. But I'll try to keep looking...

In the context of a football coach hyping up a team, it's entertaining in the way the Budweiser campaigns have always been. Attention grabbing, holding and owning- I still can't wait to hear it again. The commercials are cute and lovable and I wish I had a clip to show you here.

All I can do now is recommend listening to the radio commercials, because, believe me, you'll be glad you did ...especially when you catch the different versions of the same Budweiser pep-talk commercial. And, I've heard it on different stations too so you have choices.

Good luck, a thousand times! Let me know if you hear it and what you think!

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad :)

The Art of Imagination... taking a step away from general advertising

I found this new Web site the other day, Abduzedo, and I just needed to share it with you. It's a site dedicated to design and art direction. There are so many different topics, forums, blogs, and ideas being thrown around- I get blown away every time I visit the site and I leave with a smile on my face or a new design idea to tackle. 

Yesterday the site posted a "daily inspiration" entitled Awesome Colorful Oil Paintings. Of course I think they could have chosen a more fitting title for the post, but that's a different story. The paintings featured are from Sebastien Feraut, or Niark1, who instantly reminded me of one of my favorite artists, Jacek Yerka. Jacek is very Dali-esque in style [yes, I just made up my own word :) ]. His paintings are imaginative and fun, like windows into his mind through the different worlds he creates. I remember finding some of his peices years back (in my Polish Sci-Fi and Fantasy film class) and searching through his Web site hungry to see and find more. I could stare at one of his pieces for hours, picking out new discoveries time and time again... 

Anyway, so this artist, Sebastien, holds to the same reality-warping mentality. He uses an intense primary color theme with notes of secondary colors thrown in to explode his images. He depicts crazy cat-like creatures with multiple eyes and his painting's literally gaze back. They are intense and new age and full of emotion.


Check him out.


Till Next Time,


The New Ad Grad

The Tesla Roadster

My father and I went out to lunch the other day. It was just a nice father -daughter outing, complete with burgers, beer and conversation. It wasn't the lunch that would merit my blog entry (my father and I have had so many lunch outings that they all stick in my head for eternity) but in the parking lot we were in the presence of fame. Electric Car fame to be exact.


Out there in the Flanningan's parking lot in the city of Weston, next to every other car parked there, was an orange Tesla Roadster. My father and I gravitated to it like water in a desert. It was my first time seeing one in person, I had stalked it online (of course), daydreamed about owning one consistently, and put it on my list of things to own before I die, but I had never actually seen one. (AND, it was orange!!!!!!! Not quite as pretty as pink, and not as stellar as yellow, but still a great choice of color, for sure.)


Then I realized, I hadn't seen a advertisement for the Tesla Roadster anywhere. Not in magazines, on the Web site, or even my in my second year of college when I was role-playing AE for a creative team and I was researching the company for them to create the campaign. They have no advertising. They simply get around on word of mouth and
"early customer recommendations" which, for them is perfect. However, they have appeared in other ads not specifically for them, i.e. a Blackberry add and the 2008 "Iron Man" film.


Tesla has showrooms in California (where the company is based), Colorado, Seattle, New York, London and Munich. It is the only company to produce "highway- capable" electric cars and the "Tesla Roadster is twice as energy efficient as a Prius and faster than a Porsche 911." it goes an average of 244 miles per charge and it is completely and entirely electric. 


While checking my mail the other day, I happened upon an e-mail from the Creative Circus boasting their students' portfolios. In it were three print ads for the Tesla Roadster, and two out of the three were very poorly done, I might add. The tag lines were corny and I thought the presentation lessened the value of the product. This car was not made to be mass marketed, but to be a premium car only sold to the rich and famous like David Letterman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 


I just hope one day Mr. Tesla thinks of the masses and the environment, not to mention the little people like myself and make another electric car, just as efficient, and mass market it. Not to be corny myself or anything, but a little more Tesla in the world could only make it a better place. :)


Till Next Time,
The New Ad Grad

Owning the Kiss

The newest Dentyne Ice campaign is better than ever. It's clever, hilarious, and it continues the long Dentyne tradition of poking fun at modern culture. The spot created by McCann Erickson NY entitled Practice Safe Breath is simple AND effective AND the buzz is insane- the heart of great advertising.



A lot of sites speculated whether or not the message was transmitted effectively to a younger crowd. One blogger, tscott, on the TransmediaTV: "practive safe...breath?" entry states:

 "I know it may seem extreme but this ad only encourages the trend of unprotected sex, with a slogan that says 'Icy cool intensity, so you are prepared no matter how close you get.'"

What I'm asking is, how far can people really go to overlook the concept? The commercial is targeted at an older audience for one, I would assume college students ages 18-25 by the scenarios depicted and two, it effectively plays off of the "safe sex" concept and the ceremonial "condom reach" (as I like to call it.) I believe that an audience without the proper "safe sex" education would think the commercial is funny and understand the gum concept, but may not completely understand the tag line of "practice safe breath."

I do not believe it encourages the trend of unprotected sex, but rather uses that idea and slogan to further convey Dentyne's long quest of trying to "own the kiss." On Eric Bowe's blog entitled, Safe Sex, Social Norms, and Bad Breath, he argues for the campaign with the my same playful admiration. Dentyne ICE is to Safe Breath as condoms are to Safe Sex. He states that the campaign is "a fun poke at safe sex or at a higher level it is about being prepared when the right moment presents itself." 


I can understand how some would perceive Dentyne ICE to be saying that "gum is like a condom." However, i just think those who believe this way completely overlooked the entire ad. It's all about having a sense of humor, poking fun at social norms, and relaying a message that the target audience will understand. 


I think the message to the target audience came out loud and clear, it's the members of the audience not targeted that don't understand and are causing the uproar... Simply stated, no matter who tries explaining it or in what way it is laid out, the ad was just not meant for them and it will not be understood in the way the target audience understands it. But that's the beauty of advertising. 


Till Next Time,
The New Ad Grad

Old Spice. The Man Your Man Can Smell Like, Did You Know.

Hallelujah! The clutter has been broken! Finally a commercial that brought me to tears with laughter. There is hype, full product recall and an abundance of enjoyment- seems this spot can never get old. The entire Web is going crazy for Isaiah Mustafa (a past NFL wide receiver), the actor from the Old Spice "The Man Your Man Can Smell Like" spot from Wieden + Kennedy Portland.

On the Old Spice Manmercials Web site the spot is coupled with matching wit, "We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot,  but we are insinuating it." The spot was posted to the Manmercials Web site on Feb. 4 and it already has over 3 million views. 

Leo Laporte, ChiefTWiT from TWiT.TV, interviewed the creatives behind the ingenious ad on the making of the ad. Craig Allen and Eric Kallman tell how it was created in one shot without any CGI, Computer-Generated Imagery. It's really impressive, if you have time to watch all 19 minutes and 35 seconds... but if not, I'll try to break it down for you. Here it is just in case:

It took them three days to create the spot. The three walled bathroom shower set is actually build on one-half of a  boat set close to the beach's shoreline, fully intact with running water. A crane is set up next to the boat to pull up the bathroom set. The shirt, which kept its shape and form with wiring, was dropped onto his shoulders by letting go of a fishing line, which is why the shoot took 3 days. They used take 56 from day 3 for the shot. To make the diamonds pour out onto his hand, they shot a fake hand in front of a black background with a machine pumping out the diamonds. The hand was them composited onto the actor's hand for the final shot. To get onto the horse, he sits onto a cart mechanism that then carries him onto the horse... no CGI at all- except when they had to paint out the "arm" that brought him to the horse in the last scene.

As they state in the video, Isaiah never breaks focus. It's amazing! In my opinion, that's mostly what brings the "awesome-ness" to the ad, the slight of hand, the displacement of focus. The viewer is not sure where to concentrate. Do I stare into his eyes or at the background or at the things he is holding?

Then they touch on the 15 second spot "Did you know" that proceeds this spot. In this spot he's riding on a horse... backwards.

Craig Allen admits that originally he was supposed to run on the horse, but it turns out that is slightly physically impossible. Written last minute the day before the shoot, it is used as a second spot for the campaign to reinforce the original message. 

The campaign was aimed at women and men- women apparently do most of the purchasing of soap and body products for the households for their men so it was important for them to  appreciate the commercial too. 

I have to admit, the first time I saw this spot I only caught the end of it, so in my mind (since I did not see it in its entirety) I perceived it to be the end of the original spot- that in the concluding shot of the original 30 second spot he was "on a horse, riding backwards." Upon the second viewing of each of the ads separately, and in their entirety I realized I was mistaken. The interesting thing is that the fluency of the campaign allowed me to perceive it that way, that is a sure sign of a great campaign. I'm certian this spot will go down in history and will possibly even become pop-culture as many jokesters are already refering to it in witty conversation. 

To creatives Craig Allen and Eric Kallman, I say "Well done," and I hope to work with you one day. 

Hey Wieden + Kennedy!!!!!! Do you need a new junior art director?????? I'm your gal and I look forward to hearing from you. :-)

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad


P.S. March 11, 2010 he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show! It's so funny. Check it out:

It's 2010! The New Year + Nostalgia...

Happy 2010! Hope the holidays were a blast! Now it's back to work...or school... or job searching...or to whatever boat you may be floating. (Myself being in the latter... but not for long!)

So now that finals are over and I have successfully graduated, college is a thing of my not-so-distant past. And, of course, it is all I can think about. The classes I most enjoyed and the least, the professors I will never forget and those already forgotten, class trips and family vacations, roommates, friends, ads... I know, I'm a little obsessed- but what can I say? Passion has that affect.

So naturally, as I watched the ball drop in Time Square on the television screen this New Year's Eve 2009, I could think of nothing else. I was observing New York from Florida, watching the land of advertising, opportunity and my future. Nostalgia hit me like a rock through a window- three years ago that very night, I (along with my mother and sister) stood on that very street, staring at that illuminated globe, counting down the new year. Excited, cold, eager, smooshed and dehydrated, my family stood in that locked off section of the street for 10 hours. But we did it- we rode out the night in style and I can now say that I was in Time Square to bring in the new year of 2007.

My most vivid memory of that day, however, wasn't the mass bottles of urine strewn about the street, or the promised confetti that held written wishes that never came (they were all blank), or my first time eating genuine New York pizza- it was of my family's trip to the cleanest bathrooms in Time Square- the Charmin Bathrooms: the interactive campaign by Publicis NY. (See AMBIENT, CHARMIN, CHARMIN: BATHROOMS)

It was a bathroom theme park, equipped with entertainers dancing in Charmin bear suits, music, colorful walls, picture opportunities, televisions and even a stage. And lets not forget the actual stalls that were cleaned right before AND right after every use. Odor free and squeaky-clean, each room offered both Charmin Ultra Soft or Charmin Ultra Strong tissue for testing. Coupon dispensers masked as slot machines dispensed a coupon of your choice on the way out of the exhibit. Publicis NY succeeded in taking a place most individuals hesitate to enter and making it fun and enjoyable.

At this point I was a college freshman, new to advertising and not yet in my major courses, but I knew then that this was what it was all about: taking a brand and making it memorable. And I was as determined then as I am now to take part in the process.

This year the Charmin bathrooms offered a Broadway Musical experience with their "Bathrooms over Broadway" show- "the first-ever broadway show in a bathroom."

The 10-15 minute production stars Charmin, as well as famous Broadway performers. Actor Christopher Sieber, known for his role as Lord Farquaad in "Shrek the Musical," along with Maya Days, Marya Grandy, Bernard Dotson, and Joy Hermalin, "The Go Team" (five Charmin restroom entertainers), and the Charmin Bears completed the cast. They utilized "toilet-paper-fashioned props" as they performed musical numbers to the tune of familiar songs.

For every visitor to the bathrooms, one dollar is donated to select charities with Charmin's "Go for Good" campaign. The charities involved include, Broadway Cares, Boys & Girls Club of America, The Harlem Children's Zone and Angels in Waiting, chosen by "actor and stand-up comedian Mario Cantone, the campaign's spokesperson." 

This year the restrooms include, baby changing stations, stroller parking, a digital graffiti wall,  a kids' toilet-paper pit, photo-ops with a giant toilet, and a video "can-fessional" booth. There is also a daily blog with lut out. inks to "Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, where consumers can share their photos and videos" from their experience with the event. They even added a mobile app, "Sit or Squat," that searches for clean public bathrooms.

It's an advertisement, a tourist attraction, a fun house, a rest-stop and a clean bathroom all-in-one. I may not have had my blog back then, but I think my experience with the attraction that year and this Charmin campaign deserves a shout out. Because, why not live a little in the past? The past made us who we are after all.

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad