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Launch Agency has once again added creative firepower with intern Jeffrey Rodriguez, aka “J-Rod 2.” (Art director Joanna Rodriguez has already claimed the original “J-Rod” moniker). A recent graduate from the University of North Texas, Jeffrey joins the team bringing with him his passion for graphic design.
A native of the Lone Star State, Jeffrey grew up in Plano, Texas. The Communication Design major studied typography, graphic design, packaging, publication design, art direction and AfterEffects motion in earning his degree.
Jeffrey’s other interests include discovering new music, hanging out with friends, working out, and — believe it or not — cleaning and organizing. He will also be Launch’s “go to” man when it comes to smooth R&B and Top 40 music.
We interrogated Jeffrey to figure out how this “neurotic” (his words, not ours) designer works:
Q: Most unique talent?
A: I’d like to think I’m a good whistler. Name a song!
Jeffrey Rodriquez, Launch Agency's cleanest creative
Q: Favorite kind of games? Board games, mind games, video games…?
A: I LOVE Scrabble/ or Words with Friends — any kind of word game.
Q: What is your favorite piece of art?
A: “The Great Wave of Kanagawa” by Hokusai
Q: Celebrity you’d most like to meet.
A: Beyonce Knowles
Q: What is your favorite children’s movie?
A: Disney Pixar’s “Up”
Q: Favorite inspirational rocket/space related saying?
A: “Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Please join us in welcoming Jeffrey, along with his eye for graphic design and tidiness, to Launch.
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Sam’s Club searches the world – literally – to discover delicious seafood and negotiate the best prices on behalf of their Members. Last month Jason Giles, Launch Agency account manager, traveled to Brussels, Belgium to attend the world’s largest seafood fair, the 2011 European Seafood Exposition.
Giles accompanied – and filmed, along with videographer John Carstarphen – Sam’s Club buyers as they sourced, sampled and selected the highest quality seafood to ultimately offer Members in the U.S. The film footage will be edited into a short video, part of a series Launch Agency is producing for Sam’s Club, and will highlight the lengths buyers go to in order to secure the highest quality, freshest seafood for Members – in addition to ensuring the product is sourced in a sustainable manner.
From Chile to Norway to Asia, countries from all over the globe were represented in Brussels. See photos of Jason’s travels below, and stay tuned for more; the Sam’s Club quest for the best seafood will take Jason and the team to Copper River, Homer and Anchorage, Alaska next month.
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No question, advertising is an unusual industry. And in an appropriately “truth is stranger than fiction” moment, Launch Agency managed to win two prestigious awards from the Dallas Society for Visual Communicators this past Saturday for work promoting an entirely different award show, the 2011 Dallas ADDY Awards.
The winning entry was a video piece originally screened at the aforementioned ADDY event, titled “Suffer For Your Art Teaser Video.” This entry received a Gold Medal, as well as a Judge’s Choice award from judge Greta Ackerman, Associate Design Director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
The video focuses on some of the strange, silly and downright surreal moments that Dallas advertising notables have encountered during their time in the ad business. Launch principals/creative directors Diane Seimetz and David Wilgus created the video, with the help of acclaimed director Jeff Bednarz and Directorz executive producer Jeremy Besser, and also appear in it. Charlie Uniform Tango edited the piece, including the efforts of executive producer Lola Lott, editor Jack Waldrip, assistant editor Alex Campos and graphic artist Dave Slack. Launch principal, Michael Boone makes a cameo in the video as well.
Watch the winning entry here:
Suffer for Your Art Teaser Video
And check out more photos from the 43rd annual DSVC Professional Show:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/launchagency/sets/72157626889614148
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With the Texas summer heat also comes a new account service intern at Launch Agency. Rebecca Lauten is most easily described as a TCU grad, a native Texan and Chipotle’s most loyal customer. She graduated in May with a degree in Advertising/Public Relations from the Schieffer School of Journalism and a minor in Psychology of Leadership.
As a Horned Frog, Rebecca served as advertising intern at The Anew Women’s Group and marketing intern at DESIGN Duncan Miller Ullmann. She also studied abroad in Sydney, Australia for a semester. While Down Under, Rebecca studied Australian media when she wasn’t working on becoming a hardcore adventurer. Rebecca has described herself as “Christmas Day + Parks and Recreation Marathon + endless supply of fountain drink Diet Coke” excited about interning at Launch.
To better understand the mind of Launch’s newest intern, we gave her a Q&A so we could figure her out:
Rebecca Lauten
Q: Who would play you in the movie about your life?
A: Tina Majorino who played Deb in Napoleon Dynamite. I used to get asked constantly if I was the girl from Andre. Yes, the movie about a seal.
Q: Play, opera, or symphony? TV, movie, or concert?
A: Play and concert. No contest.
Q: Favorite kind of games?
A: Board games. Monopoly, Scrabble, Scene It…doesn’t matter since I always win. Unless it’s Risk, I never win at Risk.
Q: Celebrity you’d most like to meet.
A: John Krasinski. Mostly so I could give him a very thorough list of reasons to marry me.
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Launch Agency team.
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The Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County recently held their biggest fundraiser of the year, Gala 2011, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. Themed “An Evening in Wine Country,” the event raised an astounding $1.1 million to aid in the fight against child abuse.
Immediately upon arrival to this incredible “must attend” formal engagement, Gala attendees were immersed into an amazing silent auction boasting everything from autographed movie memorabilia to hundreds of premium wines. Adding to the electricity was Tiffany & Co, offering goers a chance at winning breathtaking jewelry while longtime Launch client Park Place Dealerships sold raffle tickets for a chance to take home a brand-new Lexus IS C Convertible.
After nibbling on a variety of hors d’oeuvers while perusing and bidding on the vast array of auction items, the evening continued into the grand ballroom. Beautifully decorated, guests enjoyed flickering candlelight and amazing floral arrangements overflowing with sunflowers as they made their way to their tables.
As a three-course meal was served, a live auctioneer entertained guests, offering bidders a chance at many exclusive travel opportunities, experiences and one of a kind items. Included were trips to Napa Valley and the Caribbean, the chance to drive a NASCAR racecar and exquisite jewelry.
Two-time Grammy Award winner, Kenny Loggins, had the honor of closing out the evening. The artist rocked the stage, performing hit after hit, including “Footloose” and Top Gun’s “Danger Zone.” The brilliant singer-songwriter delivered a standout performance giving CACCC supporters the experience of a lifetime.
Launch Agency is proud to be a continuing sponsor of the CACCC and work in partnership with this incredible non-profit organization. We were honored to produce the event’s Impact Moment, a touching video that reminded attendees of the special benefactors of the evening – the children of Collin County. Special thanks to the all the people and partners who donated time and resources in producing the video: Reuben Miller, art director; Ryan Ingram, copywriter; Alison Hamilton, account service; Laura Carroll, producer; Jon Fullrich, video editor; Manny Rodriguez, videographer; Keith Burtwell, voice over; CUT, sound editor; as well as the children and families who volunteered as talent.
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Launch Agency digital & social media planner, Alexandra Watson, just passed Google’s AdWords certification exams in advanced search engine marketing. She is now a Google AdWords certified professional. Alexandra was also awarded a DFWIMA (Dallas-Ft Worth Interactive Marketing Association) scholarship for excellence in interactive marketing.
Watson attended DFWIMA’s 2011 Excellence in Interactive Marketing awards dinner at the Dallas Museum of Art on April 19th, to be recognized as a scholarship recipient. The scholarship program is new to DFWIMA this year. The fund was established in 2010 to support the study of interactive marketing at DFW area universities. Outstanding students were selected by faculty nomination and included recipients from Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Dallas and University of North Texas. Watson was selected by Temerlin Advertising Institute faculty as SMU’s first recipient of this prestigious award.
Watson graduates from SMU in May 2011 with a Master’s degree in Advertising-New Media. She maintained a 4.0 grade point average while working full-time at Launch to build the digital and social media planning discipline at the agency.
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Launch principal David Wilgus has served on the University of North Texas CVAD board for the past two years.
“I’ve been a big fan of the school over the years,” UNT alum Wilgus said. “We’ve hired several art directors from their award-winning design program, and I’m always impressed by the talented students they produce.”
UNT’s College of Arts and Design is considered one of the best art schools in the southwest, offering 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Wilgus has been closely involved in helping the school launch its new Design Research Center (DRC) in downtown Dallas. The DRC opened in January to serve as an “urban laboratory” where graduate students and faculty members can spark and sustain design-driven solutions to real world problems.
To learn more about UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design visit http://www.art.unt.edu.
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For the third year in a row, Launch sent senior creative team members Richard Wezensky and Alex Slotkin down to Austin to attend one of the world’s premier interactive conferences: South by Southwest Interactive. It was five days of inspiration, information and borderline-overwhelming intensity (especially with conference attendance having swelled by more than 30% over last year).
Naturally, high-tech gadgetry was everywhere, from the brand-new iPad 2 to hot new group messaging apps, QR codes, tweets and location-based “check-ins.” At the same time, the conference covered an even broader swath of subjects, everything from Web coding and design to marketing, social media, gaming and the societal implications of technology.
Despite the plethora of seminars, panels, interviews, workshops, networking sessions and parties, a few recurring ideas seemed to come to the fore. First was the idea that brands are moving from the role of being traditional marketers to publishers. Some are creating original content, others aggregating content from third parties (and in some cases, a bit of both). By building a reputation as a go-to source for information on a specific topic of interest to consumers, brands can better establish themselves as trusted authorities and reach an increasingly marketing-averse audience.
The second big takeaway was the notion that advertising and marketing agencies need to start thinking more like software companies. They need to be less precious with their work, take less time to go from idea to market, and then make constant, iterative adjustments to their work in response to customer feedback. While selling this approach in to clients can be challenging, it helps if agencies start with smaller and less costly initiatives, and then try to grow them over time.
Finally, there was a lot of emphasis on the unique qualities and challenges of social media—specifically, how social engagement has to be an honest, one-to-one conversation with customers. Companies need to give their audience more of a say in the direction their brand will take, and work to create long-term relationships. Whether it’s through Twitter, Facebook or a company blog, brands need to provide more humanity and transparency. These days, being obviously promotional is the fastest path to becoming irrelevant.
There were plenty more nuggets of wisdom, chance celebrity encounters and other fascinating discoveries at SXSW, but those are best experienced in person. Of course, the next best thing is to peruse the sizable catalog of SXSWi 2011 podcasts, videos, notes and other materials, which you’ll find at sxsw.com/interactive. Also, don’t miss the full Launch SXSW photo set at www.flickr.com/photos/launchagency/sets/72157626249293558/, and the Launch Twitter feed, including live tweets from the event.
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The Launch Agency account service team increased its ranks with the addition of Carl Brandvold to the fold. Most recently with The Richards Group, Carl brings with him a love of brand marketing and building client relationships.
Born in Illinois, he spent most of his childhood in California, then attended high school and college in Oklahoma. He graduated from Oklahoma State and went work at Walsh Branding in Tulsa — as a graphic designer! He soon discovered his passion for account service and working directly with clients, and switched departments and career paths (and wardrobes?). Carl left Walsh for Richards in 2010 and joined Launch in March, 2011.
Carl’s other interests include illustrating, drawing, fishing and running. Recently he ran his first half marathon. He also loves old school films in all genres, but he is particularly fond of comedies and mob movies. And to balance his love of the classics, he also loves tech and gadgets, especially those made by Apple.
The Q&A provides insight into how Carl’s mind works:
Neil Patrick Harris, err... Carl Brandvold
Q: Most unique talent?
A: I can do a pretty good impression of a raptor. Seriously, it’s loud.
Q: Favorite galaxy or constellation?
A: I feel like if I were a big Star Wars fan or Trekkie this would be an opportunity to say something witty. Unfortunately I am not.
Q: Favorite kind of games? Board games, mind games, video games…?
A: Board games. Simple games that involve social interaction. Apples to Apples is always fun. It gets people to laugh.
Q: Who would play you in the feature/art film/made-for-TV movie about your life?
A: Ugh. Fine. I’ll say it. Neil Patrick Harris. Apparently I look like him…I don’t see it.
Q: What is your favorite piece of art?
A: I’m a big architecture fan. Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.
Q: What is your favorite piece of children’s entertainment?
A: Does Harry Potter count? I really want to go see the new Harry Potter theme park in Florida. Don’t judge me…
Q: Celebrity you’d most like to meet.
A: David Bowie. I’ve been a Bowie fan since I was 5 years old. My uncle used to make me recite over and over that I loved David Bowie. Apparently, it worked.
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Diane Seimetz, Launch Principal, offered her take on Journalism and Mass Communication Education at the recent Idea Summit hosted by the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC). The topic of the Summit, held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, was “The changes I would make in Journalism Education.”
Communications professionals, including Seimetz, came to discuss what Journalism majors — and the corresponding curricula — are doing right and critical areas for improvement. The event focused on the perception that there are no new jobs in these professional fields, and the consequent dwindling numbers of students in these majors. In attendance were eminent presenters and academics from some of the most respected mass communication schools including Syracuse, Trinity Tech, TCU Schieffer, BYU, Missouri and Scripps College of Communication.
“The topline to the students was that the world still uses pictures and words to tell stories,” explained Seimetz. “The need for that skillset and talent hasn’t changed.”
In addition, “Students should be held to real-world timelines and more realistic deadlines. They should be taught how to concept quickly and accurately, and call upon that creativity at a moment’s notice to survive in their first jobs out of school. Inspiration is capricious, but creativity is on demand.” Seimetz proposed pointers on “how to do things quickly” and “how to articulate and present ideas well.” She contended that good ideas are often lost because someone couldn’t sell them.
Seimetz suggested class topics with more immediate, and practical application, such as: “How to Have a Two Way Conversation with Your Audience,” “How to Change Your Voice When You Change Medium,” “How to Sell Something in 140 Characters” and “Writing for an Audience with the Attention Span of a Gnat.”
One of her key takeaways was that because the lines between advertising, marketing, and journalism are blurring, there are new opportunities for students who understand aspects of all three and possess the skills to utilize them. Most current courses offered in these programs are attribute-driven as opposed to benefit-driven. Shifting this paradigm could help students in their approach to solving problems and critical thinking.
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