High School Students Protest Radio Station for Local Artist OhGinelle

High School Students Organize to Protest Local Radio Station
By: ERICA BASS


A group of 11 protestors organized peacefully outside the Power 96 radio station in Miami on Monday, Feb. 21, to hear local artist, OhGinelle, on the radio. The protest lasted from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and it consisted of students from Miramar and Blanche Ely high schools, as well as friends from the surrounding areas.


Tyriah Brooks, 18, a Blanch Ely High School senior from Coconut Creek, grew tired of the overplayed, national artists on the radio. She wanted to hear OhGinelle’s song, “Liar,” instead and sent out a mass text message to family and friends for their help.


“They play artists like Katy Perry, who doesn’t live here and wasn’t born here,.” Brooks said. “It was just time for a change.”


Even in the face of opposition, Brooks and her supporters held up signs to the chant of “Play OhGinelle!” and handed out her demo CD.


OhGinelle’s music and lyrics are catchy, and we have something in common, Brooks said.


OhGinelle, 23, a singer-songwriter with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Everest University, was home in Pompano Beach and unaware of the event taking place in her honor. She learned about it from a Tweet on Twitter.


“I was confused at first because I had no idea what was going on,” OhGinelle said. “It was a total surprise.”


I called the station multiple times asking for them to play the song “Liar” and all anyone said was ‘No, we can’t do that,’ Brooks said. Why? What’s the harm in doing that? “My little cousin, my little sister, we all sing to it and they know the song by heart, better than I do.” We just wanted to hear it on the radio.


Brooks plans to attend college next year for political science or graphic design. She uses her art to connect with the local artist. I found OhGinelle about three years ago on MySpace, Brooks said. When I sent her some of my artwork she used it in her promotional material.


Tyriah is a really talented graphic designer, OhGinelle said. To show my appreciation I always put her art on my Web site and post her pictures. I have also used them for Web banners and on the cover of my demo CDs.


OhGinelle encourages me to do graphic design and inspires me because she always tells me that I’m talented, Brooks said. Brooks also focuses on community service, something that OhGinelle also finds important. OhGinelle is someone my friends and I can relate to and that’s important to us, said Brooks. We have one goal: to hear her song on the radio.


Brooks plans to join another peaceful protest to stop Gov. Rick Scott from taking 5 percent of state employees’ paychecks to contribute to their pensions and to help balance the Florida state budget.


I practice my first amendment right of free speech because I think it is the most important, said Brooks. It gives people the right to voice what they believe in and try to make change that’s beneficial.


OhGinelle’s next show will be March 18 and April 1 at the Miami-Dade County Fair. She has been with her manager, Mishka Brown, for four years. She is not yet under a label.


For more information about OhGinelle and to hear her single “Liar” visit www.OhGinelle.com.

Are Consumer Generated Ads a Good Idea?

In November 2009, right before I graduated from UF, I posted an article about Consumer Generated Ads in relation to the Amazon Kindle. I was absolutely thrilled with the ad. I found it charming and artistic and, above all, out of the ordinary. After last Sunday's Superbowl my opinion on Consumer Generated Advertising has changed; at least enough to say that corporations need to be more strict when it comes to who is creating the advertisements for their brands. There is a lot that goes into advertising. Advertising professionals take a business problem and tear it apart, piece by piece, forming a strategy and developing the best possible solution. They then execute this solution in the most creative way possible, if not the most memorable. 

Don't get me wrong, these spots were entertaining and memorable, but did it leave me wanting to get up from my couch right away and rush to buy the product? Not really. More realistically, it was not added to my shopping list. Looking back on the PepsiMax spots I'm reminded more of a beer commercial than a soda commercial. If the target audience is the same but the product is dissimilar, can the ad be executed in the same way? I'm not sure it works in the same manner and here is why*:

1. Beer is alcoholic. An alcoholic drink is typically consumed with a crowd and found at celebrations. It is fun and adds another level of festivities to a party. Soda is not fun in this same way. It is more "child-like" by nature, consumption of soda alone is not the first sign of a serious disease and therefore generally substituted for water, and it does not add much to any festivity... unless paired with liquor, but that's a different argument entirely.
2. If Beer were a personality it would be manly, burly, interested in sports, fun-loving yet serious, respectable and friendly. If soda were a personality it would be juvenile, entertaining and lively, cheerful, and sometimes refined.

*Of course this is only an opinion, but I'm sure most would agree they cannot be treated as beverage equals.

I feel that the consumers behind the PepsiMax ads were looking towards the "greats" in beverage Superbowl advertising like Budweiser and Coke, but failed to see the strategic juxtaposition between the two types of ads. It appears that they only perceived them shallowly and tried to imitate the type of humor used.

On Feb. 7, in a blog post titled "Consumer-Generated Ads Win Big at Superbowl", Teri Rogers writes:

"This was the first time that Pepsi and Doritos partnered for an event and Crash the Super Bowl was a huge success. Not only did the contest garner a record number of fan submissions, it also generated an unprecedented number of consumer votes. Just goes to show the power of the consumer and how the creative landscape has changed. Not only do consumers want to watch great spots, they want to be a part of the process of not only creating them, but also selecting the winners."

I agree. To an extent, of course. The consumer does have great power over brands, so much that PR agencies exist (take the Kenneth Cole incident for instance). I also agree that consumers want to be a part of everything surrounding the brands with which they identify. However, this has a lot to do with social media as a whole. Consumers are now a very identifiable part of a brand because of and through social media outlets. The degree of separation between consumers and brands is significantly minimized today. However, that does not mean that consumers should be taking the place of advertising agencies when it comes to creating something so vital to a brand's future. 


Here is the Ad Meter on how the Superbowl ads ranked among viewers... what are your thoughts?


Till next time,
The New Ad Grad

A Better Short Story... :)

Andasia®

Bring Out Your Inner Glow ^TM

In a small studio apartment located one block away from Central Park, there lived a lonely lady named Frangella. She moved to New York exactly one year ago to pursue her dreams of making it in the Big Apple. After countless auditions and numerous rejections, she remained a waitress at a local organic café, where her dreams died with her determination- she had simply given up. Now in professional limbo, she dreamed of stability, wealth, and the bottled water that went with it- Andasia®, the water that helps to “bring out your inner glow^™.”

Her shift at the café ended every day at exactly 4:00 p.m. when she would start her 15-minute walk back to her small studio apartment. Once there, she’d sneak past the front trying to avoid her landlady Ms. Tievel, a bitter and evil old maid. When Frangella first arrived in New York, Ms. Tievel let her rent out the small studio in the apartment building for a set price having known her late mother and father. Since then Ms. Tievel had become bitter at her own lack of success and Frangella was the victim of her aggression. She’d demand higher rent at an earlier date, call the police when she had company, would constantly steal her mail and call her names.

Reaching the mailroom without detection meant success, as the door to her apartment was just around the corner. On the bulletin board there she noticed a flier for the 4^th Annual Kiva Wine Tasting; this year her godmother was a sponsor and she’d give anything to go. It was being held in Central Park at 10 p.m. but Ms. Tievel demanded rent today by midnight (two weeks early), which meant another shift at the café tonight to make up her rent in tips. She made her way back to her apartment, defeated.

Once inside, she grabbed the side dish she had made earlier and left again for her godmother’s apartment. They were meeting for their weekly dinner, which translated into her weekly check-in. The dinners began after Frangella’s parents passed and they had helped her through many hard times.

When she arrived, her godmother brought out a bottle of Andasia® taken from her exclusive stock at her boutique and the last VIP ticket to the wine tasting. Refusing to take no for an answer, she dressed Frangella in a glittering dress with sparkling jewelry and a gorgeous pair of black stilettos with a distinct red sole.  She then handed her a check for the remaining rent amount and the small bottle of Andasia®- for brilliance and courage.

“Remember,” her godmother explained, “the rent check must get to Ms. Tievel by midnight or you’ll be evicted.”

Frangella was sent on her way.

Even as she walked towards Central Park, Frangella couldn’t believe this was happening. As she entered through the gates of the park the crowd turned quiet; everyone seemed to be gazing at her: she was stunning. Then the band erupted in a new song and the celebration continued. She felt here, of all places, her dreams would come true. She slowly sipped her bottle of Andasia® water, for tonight, more than ever, she wanted to glow.

A handsome young politician stood across the field. He noticed Frangella walk into the party, select a spot near the dance floor and stare up at the sky, sipping from a bottle of Andasia®. He needed to know her.

Frangella also noticed the young politician. She decided he was handsome with shaggy dark hair, honey-brown eyes and tanned skin. The suit he wore portrayed wealth; his demeanor disproved the stereotype. She returned her gaze to a small star twinkling brighter than the rest, and silently made a wish.

            “Just water tonight?”

He had startled her.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, I just noticed you weren’t tasting the wine,” he apologized.

“Oh, it’s all right, I’m just a little jumpy tonight.” She couldn’t help but smile.

“The name’s William Allen (D-NY), pleasure to meet you.”

“Frangella, but my friends call me Franny.”

Minutes turned to hours, and the night raced by without notice. It was now 11:45 and the alarm her godmother had set rang from her bag.

She panicked, handing him her empty bottle of Andasia®. “I had a great time. I have to go.” With that, she raced back to the apartment, back to Ms. Tievel, back before her bed became a cardboard box in a tunnel of the subway system.

He called after her in vain: he missed his chance. Without information how could he find her? The empty bottle of Andasia® sat knowingly in his hand: Andasia® water was exclusively sold in one boutique. There he would begin his search.

After handing Ms. Tievel the rent check, Frangella returned to her apartment where she collapsed on her bed relieved, only to realize she would never see William again. He was the one, the answer to all her dreams and she had missed her chance. She could not sleep.

Feeling dejected, Frangella rode the subway the next morning to visit her godmother. She had foreseen last night as special and so she must have the answers to Frangella’s questions.

As she approached the boutique, she found William standing by the store window. Their eyes met and she knew he had been waiting for her. In his hand sat her empty bottle of Andasia® and, with a grin, he declared triumphantly, “You left this.”


Till next time,
The New Ad Grad

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