Chocolate Microscope gets a shout-out from Rethink

To celebrate the holiday season Rethink took to the internet airwaves yesterday and performed customized Christmas carols on-demand. In the course of a day The Rethink Festive Requestive churned out over two hundred and fifty custom videos.

The special hip-hop rendition of Jingle Bells (above) features CABA grad/Rethink employee Jordon Cohen and was sent out to Chocolate Microscope.

Portfolio Night Round-Up

Portfolio Night 8 is history and by all accounts it was a great event. I had a chance to chat with a number of attending Creative Directors and the feeling was unanimous: the work is remarkably better this year. Now, call me biased, but I honestly think that is a reflection of what's happening down at the Lakeshore Campus and here's why: there was a far stronger showing by Humber than any other school. Sure there was representation by Seneca, George Brown, Georgian, Miami Ad School and Creative Circus - but Humber outweighed everyone else by almost 2 to 1. I think we're onto something here.

As you've probably noticed, I'm a big fan of collectively learning from each other's experiences. So with that in mind I've asked those who attended to reflect back and offer up some advice for next year's participants.

What I found interesting, is what some of you may find frustrating: there's conflicting advice. So what worked for some people, didn't in fact work for others. The biggest battle seems to be what format to show your book. Digital or printed.

Laura Kitching

• When selecting the ads to put in your book, make sure that all of them are your absolute best work. Anything less than your best will stand out and bring your book down a notch.

• Last year (PN7) I showed my book on my laptop and this year (PN8) I showed a hard copy book. I think the physical book was better, people were less hesitant to touch it, flip back and forth through the pages and compare various pieces. I found that people only really looked through my digital book once or maybe twice - there is something nice about holding a physical book... or so I've been told.

• I stayed long after my session and managed to see a few more CDs and meet new people. I think it's beneficial to hang around afterwords because you never know who you'll end up talking to and where that may take you. It's actually interesting, the people I was least excited to talk to, proved to be the most insightful, helpful and beneficial in the long run - and if I hadn't stayed I would never have learned that.

Gay for Advertising

2010 is Y&R's second year hosting Portfolio Night. One thing we neglected to do last time around was put together a promo video, a commercial if you will. So the first thing we did a few months back when our interns arrived was brief them on just that. Portfolio Night is all about effecting change in those not yet working in the business, so it seemed only fitting to get Jordan and Mishelle to craft a piece of communication that would resonate with students.

What they came up with was not only attention getting and rooted in truth, but it was also a massive undertaking. The script called for a two day shoot, including ten locations, three hookers and a chicken suit.

Jordan had this to say about the experience:

I couldn't believe David & Brendan gave us this chance.

I remember our pitch meeting with David – we had a bunch of ideas we were pretty excited about. We presented “Gay” and had a few more left, but David cut us off, “I don’t care about your other ideas, I can’t get gay out of my head.”

The entire experience was mind-boggling. Interns shouldn't do stuff like this. That's how you end up with ideas like…this, I guess.

Look out for my new spot "Gay for Zebras". It's not what you think. It's about zebras.

See you at Portfolio Night! 

 


Creative
Agency: Y&R
Creative Director: David Houghton
Copywriter: Jordan "Turbo" Cohen
Art Director: Mishelle Menzies
Copywriter: Trevor West
Art Director: Brendan Watson

Production
Production Company: Hooligan Filmworks
Director: Mark Satterthwaite    
Director of Photography: Brett Van Dyke
Producer: Sarah Riley
PM/AD: Jeff Pangman
Production Associate: Alex Motley
Production Associate: Peter Geilen
Sound Mixer: Thomas Hayek
Key Grip: Mario Frisk
Gaffer: Dave Sheehan
Gaffer: Sean Hearns
HMU Artist: Jessica Steblyk

Post Production
Editing: Rooster Post Production
Editor: Jason Grebski
Transfer: Notch
Colourist: Bill Ferwerda
Music: Tattoo Sound + Music
Audio Director:Steve Gadsden

Starring in your own ad

When executing an ad, part of your job is to direct the talent. However you may run into scenarios when time or money dictate that you actually become the talent.

Today for example, while at a music session I was asked to step behind the sound-proof glass and offer up my vocals for a sound effect in my own spot. It's a small part, but my Mom will be beaming with pride nonetheless.

Moving forward I'll ask that you address me as per my one and only acting credit: screaming construction worker.  Click below to hear my starring role.



Much the same, yet quite a bit more interesting, is a story about Jordan Cohen who's currently interning at Y&R Toronto. As if it's not enough that I get him to pick up my dry cleaning and bring me coffee, I also demanded he play the starring role in an ad for Portfolio Night.

Jordan can rest easy knowing that he will be forever immortalized in the program book for Portfolio Night 8 - which is distributed to Creative Directors and students all over the world.

Big thanks goes out to photographer Tyler Gray and Westide Studio for not only creating a beautiful shot, but also pulling together this shoot in a matter of hours. 

Think Outside the App

This next post comes from Jordan, who's currently interning at Y&R. He argues that in the internet age it's still possible to have a huge idea that's low-tech. Jordan brings us a brilliant example from JWT Italy which supports his theory. 

We all know ‘traditional’ media is on life support, and it’s essential for our books to bleed digital and interactive pieces. But that can’t be everything.

My advice to you – advice I desperately need to put into practice in my own book – is that you can’t limit yourself to cool AR pieces and trendy iPhone apps. Creative Directors aren’t just looking for new media ideas; they’re looking for big ideas. Scratch that. They’re looking for smack-you-in-the-face-where-did-that-come-from-do-I-smell-burnt-toast-because-I-think-I’m-having-a-stroke ideas.

Again, the kids overseas are showing us how it’s done. Check out this huge idea from JWT, Italy.


Creative Director, David Houghton said, "Working in different media can be learned, but amazingness is always in short supply."

Time to get more amazingnesser…