To announce the news that the MyBSWHealth app now connects you to Baylor Scott & White Health 24/7, we partnered with award-winning director Eli Green to create a series of charming spots focusing on what happens when we get sick after hours or on weekends––you know, times when the doctor’s office is usually closed.
From frantically searching the internet for clues to creating less-than-appetizing homeopathic remedies, we see real-life scenarios get solved by simply connecting patients with the expert physicians at MyBSWHealth.
“Urgency is a tricky message in humor. With a hint of levity and character performance, we found a tone that connects need and relatability for Baylor Scott & White Health,” said Eli Green of Cultivate Media.
The television commercials launched during Dallas Cowboys games and even mention that you can get care during the game. Digital and social executions feature actual clocks that call out the exact time they are running to emphasize you can get care right this very minute. And airport OOH speaks to the fact that you can get care right now between flights.
By correlating with the times and places you can get care through the MyBSWHealth app, this charming campaign hopes to empower patients across Texas to get the care they need whenever they need it. Like right now. Later today. On weekends. At the airport. In the grocery store. You get the idea…
The campaign is running in North and Central Texas on television, print, OOH and social platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.
We believe in nurturing and inspiring the next generation of industry talent. That’s why every year, Launch seeks out the most promising advertising students and gives them a chance to put what they’re learning in the classroom into practice. So as summer draws to a close, we’re proud to recognize this year’s talented trio of interns. Art director/designer interns Bryce Johnson and Natalie Castillo and account service intern Lucy Galloway all made major contributions and came away with plenty of valuable experience. We asked them to share some of their highlights.
How did you find out about the Launch internship?
Bryce: Launch funds an art director scholarship for my school UNT. I was the winner selected, and it led to an intern position for the summer.
Lucy: I was browsing advertising agencies in Dallas and came across Launch and the internship position. I applied and, the next day, got a message that two Launchers were visiting UT for creative week. I loved talking to them, and knew that this would be a great experience and a great place to work. The rest is history.
Was agency life what you expected?
Natalie: Working at a smaller agency, I feel like things are a bit more personal. Whether it’s happy hour on Thursdays or hearing jokes randomly through the week, I don’t think I would have had quite the same experience at a bigger agency.
Lucy: Launch was ten times better than what I had expected out of agency life and what I have experienced in the past. It is such a creative and collaborative environment and I think that’s a main factor in producing great work.
What was your favorite project you worked on this summer?
Natalie: I really enjoyed the Rise School Round-Up poster and the agency social templates project.
Bryce: The Dallas Cowboys activation for Baylor Scott & White Health was a fun project where I was waaaaay out of my element.
How would you describe your daily routine?
Natalie: Since things were always changing or different assignments were coming up, I don’t think I had the exact same day twice, but I preferred it like that. There was always something new to do, so I was never bored.
Lucy: Wake up, walk to work (I live two blocks away), attend a few client calls in the morning, eat lunch, participate in internal reviews, work on our social platforms, update statuses, look for Wolfie (a wolf man action figure everyone takes turns hiding somewhere in the agency) and walk home!
What was your funniest memory?
Bryce: When I was spitballing with my partner in crime, Nat. I refuse to give our account director, Jason, any credit because his jokes are terrible, but our copywriter, Isaac, coming in with the rimshots always got a laugh out of me.
Lucy: There is always so much fun to be had in this office: Hawaiian shirt Thursdays, happy hours in the office on the balcony, going to Electric Shuffle, doing headstands for no reason, repotting the office plant. But I think my favorite is when they let me think (only for a few minutes) that I was being fired from being an intern. It was all in good fun and, needless to say, it ended happily with me being over the moon to become a full-time Launcher!
What advice would you give a future intern?
Natalie: Don’t beat yourself up. Being able to witness people’s out-of-the-box ideas would kind of discourage me, but I would remind myself that one day I could be on their level. It just takes experience to learn the ropes on how to come up with great ideas.
Lucy: If you are open to working and learning, Launch will give you all the tools you need to be a part of the team and work with clients on actual projects. I think this sets Launch’s internship apart from a lot of others. They understand that busy-work/made-up projects and assignments don’t really help anyone grow.
What was the biggest takeaway from your internship?
Natalie: One, go out to see work and expand your thinking. Two, enjoy your time. The people here are nice with great ideas, so LEARN from them.
Bryce: Great vibes, free food and too many dad jokes.
After a portfolio review of top candidates from the communications design program, they were recognized for creating an outstanding body of work. Launch established this scholarship in 2007 to inspire creative excellence and make a positive impact on UNT graduates who will, in turn, positively impact our design and advertising community.
Launch takes great pride in helping launch the careers of talented students like Bryce and Mariangelis. Explore more of their work at here and at the links below.
Now that we’re a few weeks into the new year, it’s safe to say that this past holiday season was unlike any other (perhaps maybe last year’s). But at Launch, we used that time to work together to create a very special holiday card to share with our friends, families, and clients.
We had a blast making the video, but the best part was knowing we were able to bring a smile or a chuckle to people who needed it. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely check it out. And if you have seen it, feel free to watch it a second time!
As we were creating our own holiday card, we couldn’t help but reminisce about our favorite holiday ads that have stuck with us over the years. The ones that made us laugh and cry and that are packed with nostalgia. So, we asked the Launchers to share their favorites, and here are some of their top picks. Do you recognize any of these classics?
Man on The Moon (John Lewis 2015)
“All the John Lewis Xmas spots are great, but this one in particular strikes an emotional chord.” -Alex Slotkin
Snow People (Tim Hortons 2020)
“This one I saw earlier this year is my new favorite.” -Alexa Pérez
The Long Wait (John Lewis 2011)
“Best Christmas ad of all time. No one can convince me otherwise.” -Brian Dedering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWt7OMae75M
Christmas Bells (Hershey’s 1989)
“I still love the Hershey’s Kiss ad. So simple but such a classic.” -Richard Wezensky
Time to Come Home (Edeka 2015)
“I love this one.” -Megan Robertson
Melting Snowman (Campbell’s Soup 1993)
“Now I want soup.” -Andrew Reimherr
Believe in the Wonder of Giving (Macy’s 2018)
“Hands down favorite holiday commercial ad.” -Alicia Douglas
It’s 2021, and Launch has made its way into Uptown, nestled in an office building overlooking the bustling shops and restaurants below. It outgrew its location in Carrollton, TX, and has found a new home in the heart of Dallas. Years of expertise, successful campaigns, and busy days have molded the agency into what it is now.
National Boss’s Day is coming up this weekend, and we figured there was no better time to dig into Launch’s history and learn more about the people who created it. We can trace our culture, workflow, and success back to the founding Launchers and principals – Diane Seimetz, David Wilgus, and Michael Boone.
Prior to Launch’s formation, these three were off on their own, making a name for themselves in the ad industry.
Diane was working on brands such as Frito-Lay, American Airlines, and Match.com. Dave worked at TracyLocke, where he met Diane. He completed work for Bank of America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, as well as many others. Michael, who previously worked at TracyLocke, Puskar Gibbon Chapin, and The Maxfield Group, came into the picture once Dave and Diane moved to Temerlin McClain, and the rest is history!
They formed Launch in 2000 within Temerlin McClain, and GroceryWorks was their very first client.
Some of the projects completed by Launch for GroceryWorks
These OG Launchers gave some insights into their passion and the work they do:
David Wilgus
What was your mission when first starting Launch?
“We wanted to take our experience working on big brands at large advertising agencies and apply it to launching startups and relaunching brands that needed help gaining momentum. In 2003, we left the world of big agencies and holding companies to start our own ‘startup’ and reshape what an ad agency looks like. We adopted the characteristics of the startups we were working with – lean, scrappy, creative innovators.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“Our local arts community helps feed my creative spirit. Austin seems to always get the center stage, but Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton offer a wealth of talented artists, musicians, photographers and filmmakers.”
Diane Seimetz
At the agency, what is one major thing that has changed over the years?
“Embracing technology and leveraging consumer insights resources to help level the playing field for our clients and the agency. We’ve been using Slack, for example, since 2015 – less than two years after it launched. We also invest in several enterprise-caliber research tools to help understand our clients’ customers better and inform the work.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“People-watching 😊 I love to observe how consumers think, shop, express themselves – it’s a wellspring of great ideas. I also like to immerse myself in creativity in many forms, whether it’s fine art, podcasts, crafting, music. The more diverse, the better.”
Michael Boone
What do you think is the biggest contributor to your or the team’s success?
“For Launch, it’s been a three-pronged approach. Start with talented professionals passionate about doing a good job, infuse a collaborative and creative culture, and finish with trusting clients.”
What’s a source of inspiration for you?
“I’ve always loved advertising. As a kid, I was impressed by unique, compelling ads and almost equally fascinated by terrible ones (what was that?). I first learned of ad agencies – and that they could be a career choice – from watching the old Bewitched TV show. In fact, I referenced that when I got my first agency job. I’m not sure whether they hired me in spite of that comment or partly because of it!”
When starting the agency, Michael mentions his desire to “create great work […] and have fun doing it without layers and bureaucracy to muddle the message.” This is the reason there is an air about Launch that asks people to notice it – to ask why it stands out. It’s more than an agency. To Diane, this is due to the “special culture of people who genuinely care about our clients and each other.” Because of this, the agency and those within it have made a name for themselves in this big Texas city. “The strong entrepreneurial spirit and business culture of Dallas is a perfect fit for Launch and it’s at the heart of who we are,” Dave writes.
These specific characteristics and elements have come together to forge a small-sized yet mighty advertising agency with equally tough team members.
Interning at Launch: The Inside Scoop
Mentorship and learning are key to adapting and refining one’s skills in the advertising industry. At Launch, we are able to offer internships to young professionals and students who want to learn more about what working at an ad agency is like. Whether it’s creative, account services, copywriting, design, or another area of interest, Launch aims to see interns grow and achieve their goals throughout their time here. Several of our past interns have gone on to work full-time at Launch, as well. We interviewed current and past interns to get an insider perspective on experiences and work they have been involved in.
Megan Robertson, past Intern and current Account Executive
Megan is an Account Executive at Launch, previously interning in the Summer of 2020.
What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?
I was in the interview process my senior year and attended a career fair at SMU. I had the best conversation with the Launch team. I remember feeling an instant connection and sense of ease. I continued to meet more members of the Launch team via zoom interviews throughout the Spring and was offered a full-time account management internship after graduation.
What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?
The most important lesson I learned while interning was how to adapt my communication style in the workplace. In advertising, you work with many people across multiple teams, brands, and clients. Learning someone’s preferred communication style is a game-changer. Taking the time to understand who might prefer phone calls to emails, or who prefers to chat before meetings vs. diving right into a presentation is crucial. Learning how to effectively communicate with different clients and team members facilitates greater collaboration and builds rapport more quickly.
How have you grown since your internship?
Interning at a smaller agency allows one to wear many different hats and interact with multiple clients. I’ve had the opportunity to reach beyond my account management duties and try my hand at social media content creation, new business development, consumer research, and Google Analytics. Each one of these challenges presents a chance to grow and flex different muscles. Trying new things has instilled a greater sense of confidence in my abilities as I have transitioned from an Intern and Assistant Account Executive to my current role as an Account Executive.
How would you describe the company culture?
The company culture at Launch is one of my favorite things about my job. The stereotypes you hear about ad agencies simply don’t apply to Launch. Everyone is kind, hard-working, and intelligent. It’s very much a work hard, play hard environment. Many of our team members have been with Launch for 5, 10, 15+ years! It’s a true testament to the amazing culture we have at Launch.
What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?
Be proactive!! Actively looking for ways to be helpful not only increases your value to the company but also allows you to learn new things you may not have experienced otherwise. Look beyond your to-do list and take initiative. You won’t regret it.
Isaac Swedlow, past Intern and current Copywriter
Isaac is a Copywriter and interned during the Summer of 2021.
What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?
I applied to the summer internship at Launch in 2020 right before the pandemic took off. I interviewed over Zoom and got to meet some of the lovely people on the team. Sadly, the creative internships were canceled that year and I was disappointed since I really liked everyone I talked to during my interview. That’s why I was so excited when I saw that Launch was bringing their internship back in 2021. I immediately reached out and sent them my website and resume, and I heard back in just a few days. I feel like I was drawn to Launch because I had missed out on the opportunity to intern there in the past, and I knew I would get great opportunities and be able to work with really amazing and talented people. I ended up getting the internship and the rest is history.
What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?
The most important lesson I learned during my internship was to not be afraid to ask for help or advice. It doesn’t make you look unknowledgeable or inexperienced, instead it shows people that you are constantly trying to understand the world around you and get better at what you do. It’s a crucial lesson, especially in creative advertising which is such a collaborative field. It can lead to much better work and more fulfillment overall.
How have you grown since your internship?
One of the biggest ways I’ve grown since I began interning is being more comfortable presenting work and ideas, both at internal meetings and during client presentations. When I was in school, I presented work all the time to my professors and the rest of my class, and I got used to it quickly. It feels different though, presenting real work to an actual client. But that’s one of the coolest parts about the internship: I was trusted to present my own ideas to the client and speak for myself. It’s not really something you can learn in a classroom; you just have to learn by doing it. Having the opportunity to practice and develop my presentation skills really helped me grow over the course of my internship, and it’s helped me become a better creative.
How would you describe the company culture?
The company culture at Launch is wonderful. Everyone is friendly and mostly everyone is pretty funny (except Jason, who tries too hard). Besides that, you get the sense that everyone wants to see you succeed and grow, not only at work, but also in your personal life. Everyone feels very close to each other because a lot of them have been working together for a long time. As someone new, that’s one of the clearest signs to me that the culture here is exceptional. Everyone wants to stick around, and even some of the people that leave end up coming back. During my time at Launch I’ve never heard anyone say that they “feel more like a family than a company”. They don’t have to say that because you can just feel it. Also, they’ve got great taste in movies/TV shows. I’ve got a nice long list of recommendations to get through.
What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?
To any young professionals or new interns, I would say don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have the advantage of a fresh perspective that many people may not have if they’ve been in the industry for a while. It might take a new point of view like yours to find new solutions, or a new, more efficient way of doing things. Just because you’re less experienced doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Not to mention you’re probably more in tune with what will resonate with younger generations, which brands are increasingly trying to focus on. Even now, you can start shaping the industry into what you want it to be in the future.
Taya Caligiuri, current Account/Project Management Intern
Taya is a graduate student that is currently an Account Services intern at Launch.
What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?
I discovered Launch through a course in my graduate program. After hearing people from the team talk about the agency and the internship opportunities, I was interested in learning more later on and ended up applying! It seemed like it would be a great place to learn more about what working at an ad agency is like. Plus, the Uptown Dallas office location and company culture I witnessed from their presentation to my class were very unique and attractive. From what I saw then, I had a feeling that the agency aligned with my goals perfectly.
What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?
The most important lesson I have learned so far is to be proactive. As an intern, I want to learn firsthand from industry professionals as much as I can. Everyone here is willing to mentor and I want to take advantage of that – I try to initiate conversations and go out of my way to see what is needed of me and learn whenever I can.
How have you grown since you began your internship?
While it has only been a month, I believe I have grown in my accountability and flexibility. Launch gives interns real work and values the insights that we can offer the team. I also am given a variety of projects and tasks. Owning my responsibilities while remaining flexible with the scope of work I am given has let me become even more helpful and efficient.
How would you describe the company culture?
Launch’s culture has been amazing to witness and participate in as a young professional. The team really wants to watch you succeed and grow. They are willing to go out of their way to answer questions and help you out. Being able to shadow and learn from these successful people has been very educational. It also is such a fun and engaging environment to be a part of. While the work these people do is extremely professional and serious most of the time, they don’t let it change who they are as people. It’s been so great to get to know the team and have fun in the office together.
What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?
Remain open to a variety of opportunities! It can be hard to try something out of your comfort zone, or something that you hadn’t previously imagined for yourself. If you are willing to apply to a job or internship in a new area or industry, it could lead you down a really interesting and successful path you never knew could happen!
Meet our 2020 student stars!
It’s our favorite time of the year–Launch Scholarship Season! Every spring, we proudly honor two rising design students from UNT Communication Design with a $1,000 scholarship. And while 2020 has sent many students into the virtual world of studying, creating, designing and working from home, that didn’t stop this year’s recipients from coming through with an amazing lineup of inspiring work.
After an online portfolio review of selected junior design majors, we have selected Taylor Hill and Hana Snell as our 2020 Launch Scholarship recipients. Both were honored on May 17 at the first virtual home graduation ceremony in the history of the College of Visual Arts and Design. Taylor was recognized for best art direction and Hana was awarded for best design portfolio.
Launch established the annual scholarship in 2007 to inspire creative excellence and make a positive impact on the caliber of graduates who will, inturn, positively impact our design and advertising community.
Hana Snell – Winner Design Portfolio
Taylor Hill – Winner Art Direction
Congrats to Taylor and Hana! May their talent continue to soar!
Rallying The Troops For Your Brand
Timelapse video of a war room build. (Never let the account team set up the camera – leave that to the art directors.)
The advertising war room – far less aggressive than it sounds (although there are occasional battles within) – is Strategy Central at Launch. It’s here we conduct a full brand audit and assessment of “enemy” territory. What are our client’s greatest strengths? How well does their product or service differentiate itself in a sea of sameness? Vital insights are drawn here, insights critical to informing the planning process.
We discussed the role and history of the war room with Launch partners and Creative Directors Diane Seimetz and Dave Wilgus:
What exactly is a Launch War Room?
It’s one of the few truly private places in the agency…no windows, a real door to close. We find this helps our squirrel-prone brains to focus. Inside, the walls are covered with pinnable material, which becomes home to a wide variety of our client’s and their competitors’ marketing, brand and social media assets, online reviews – almost anything digital and physical we can unearth. In the end, it’s a 360-degree deep dive, providing a unique, all-in-one glimpse into the customer experience.
A recent Launch War Room built for our client, Norwex.
What led Launch to establish this practice?
Surveying the competitive landscape has always been intrinsic to our discovery process. While we think we know what the others in the category are saying and doing, our recollections can be dated, confused or just not the case. Things change quickly in the world of consumer brands, and there’s really no substitute to ensure you’re working off the latest information than gathering it for yourself. We felt that designating a dedicated space to collect, view, compare and share this intel would encourage and facilitate this key effort.
What do clients gain from this process?
A date with the War Room is always a highlight of the brand strategy process. Our clients are extremely busy, and they appreciate this unique glimpse into their customer’s journey – all under one roof. It’s immersive, interactive, and has impact.
How does a war room get built?
It really does take an army to locate/source the large amount of content required to outfit the effort. A typical war room can include everything from website pages, Instagram feeds, video, print and promotional samples, menus, packaging, paid digital, search. We have people who have become expert at organizing this content on the walls in an easy-to-understand way.
Do you have any tips for building an effective War Room?
The key is to represent all relevant channels, so you get a really good idea of each brand’s story, who they are targeting, how they are attempting to position themselves, how they talk about their company, mission, unique benefits. It also helps to have at least one tall person on your team to pin things nice and high on the wall:)
How else does Launch fight the good fight for clients?
Spending time learning what’s going on in the competitive space is just one of the many ways we prepare to go to war for our clients. It’s part of our four-stage Launch Sequence® that combines strategic process with creative prowess.
Building a powerful brand starts with insights as the foundation, which inspire work that’s relevant, engaging and meaningful. Often highly entertaining, too. Creativity used in this way is the marketer’s ultimate trump card, prevailing over clutter to cut-rate pricing.
Memorable, shareable ideas not only differentiate a brand, they drive its success.
Lights, Camera, Major Tom
2019 was an exciting year for Launch Agency. Our crew made a big move from Carrolton to Dallas right before the holidays. We needed an exciting way to share our new coordinates and spread some holiday cheer. Creative Director Dean Oram gives us his insight on how our team came together and developed an out of this world moving campaign and holiday card.
Shooting At West Village in Uptown
What was the inspiration for the 2019 moving and holiday campaign?
At Launch, we’re all considered part of the ‘Crew’. In our agency rebranding, Caliber Creative (our design partner on our revamp), created an astronaut icon. That was the seed that led to Major Tom
Describe the process for creating the campaign? Did you do any sketching, location scouts, etc.?
We knew we wanted to let people know we were a) moving to a new space and b) Happy Holidays. From there, we created a teaser campaign hinting at the move, with a longer format Holiday video rolling out after that, that carried on Major Tom’s odyssey. We sketched and pulled scrap images to create key frames for the basic storylines. Refined the action from there. Scouted locations. And then went out and found ourselves one brilliant NASA-style space suit. Lastly, we cast Major Tom from within the ‘Crew.’
What was it like to shoot the entire campaign on an iPhone? Was it easy? Were there any challenges?
Fun. Really fun. Easy? No. Main challenges were to make sure we covered enough scenarios and moments of action to be able to edit (in iMovie) without needing reshoots or pick-up shots. We’re novices at this after all.
Dean and Richard finding the right angle
Dean directs Alejandro
Major Tom catches the DART
Riding the Uptown Trolly
Setting up at DART Cityplace Uptown Station
Was there a budget for the project?
The budget extended to the purchase of the NASA-style suit and the music. The rest was a combination of donated time and free labor from our ‘makers’ within.
Who was on the team for this project? What was each person’s role?
Team consisted of April Steinbach (Writer/Wardrobe/Make-up/Crowd Control/Public Relations while on locations), Richard Wezensky (Director of Photography/PA/Runner), Zach Deutsch (Crowd Control/Public Relations while on locations/PA), Myself (Director/Editor), Ray Ives (Actor/Comedic Genius), and Alejandro Hernandez AKA ‘Major Tom’ (Actor) .
What’s next for Major Tom?
The world’s his oyster. He’s now a permanent member of the crew. And likely to show up in a myriad of spaces in the not-too-distant-future.
Alejandro getting work done between takes
So Much Better
Changing Healthcare For The Better. It’s not just a tagline for Baylor Scott & White Health. It’s the mission behind everything they do. Now in its second year, the tagline was once again a central driver of the campaign message. Since Baylor Scott & White Health is focused on making people better so they can live a better life, Launch set out to create advertising that feels, looks and sounds better, too.
“Healthcare advertising is mired in a sea of sameness, full of sympathetic images of nurses and doctors with patients in the hospital,” said Ben Day, Director of Creative & Brand Management at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Finding the right team to help bring the idea of better to life in a meaningful way was key. So Launch partnered with award-winning director, Jaci Judelson and director of photography, Colin Watkinson. Both known for creating beautifully engaging and emotional commercials, Judelson and Watkinson were the ideal pair to capture stories that would connect with viewers in a memorable way.
The result is a series of spots that merge the past with the present, showing what a patient’s life looks like today while hearing the back story of how they got better with the help of Baylor Scott & White Health.
“We want to inspire Texans to take charge of their health, be proactive and worry less. This is why we show our patients thriving after treatment,” said Day.
