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Friday, January 22, 2010
Comments: 0
We hold hands.
Once upon a time, Jajo had a friend called Numana. They liked sharing playdates, dreams and imagination. They had many good times together, sipping diet sodas and chatting about what they’d be a few years down the road. As time passed, they had a few opportunities to test their skills. But it wasn’t long before natural disaster struck. And immediately, Jajo and Numana were no longer playmates. They became brothers. In arms. Battling against a power much bigger than they ever imagined. They decided to ask a few more friends to join the family. It’s your turn.
Numana Million Meal Packaging Event
To benefit the victims of Haiti earthquake
Jan 23 8am-6pm; Jan 24 1-7pm
Kansas Coliseum
Donations: numanainc.com
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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It’s the real thing.
Good stuff always works. The first time anyone heard it was 1971.
The scene: Connie is doing something with her hair while I’m shaving. Out of nowhere she started to softly sing:
I’d like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I’d like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company.
I looked at her through the mirror and asked, “Where’d that come from?”
She said, “Whatya mean?”
I said, “That song. Coke. The Coke song. Where’d it come from?”
She said it started with her just saying, “Hmmm.”
That reminded her of the melody which compelled her to sing the chorus which made me write this post about Coca-Cola.
I want a Coke. Good advertising works—good.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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A Reminder
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2009 was a tough year for a lot of communities, Wichita being one of them. It seemed that no one could escape completely. It touched everyone. Families. Friends. Strangers. We were all in it together.
As the year closed the stories started to roll in. People with the heart to give to those who were in need stepped up and did what they felt needed to be done. Mother in London gave $10,000 to any person who would respond to their suspiciously-written email. Local businesses banded together to encourage giving and doing good deeds. An organization provided an opportunity for people to make an impact in the life of starving people in Haiti. And many more equally compelling stories.
But that was a month ago. Now we’re on our way to making 2010 better than 2009. Our focus is on strengthening existing relationships while building new ones. My fear is that the more days we put between now and then, we’ll become numb to the ever existing challenge of helping our neighbor and we’ll forget what it’s like to help our brothers and sisters along the path. Let’s all commit to never forget.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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If you question the power of advertising:
Last week, the Outdoor Advertising Assoc. launched a campaign in London to prove effectiveness of billboards and posters. The campaign featured a “Career women make bad mothers.” message on busses and buildings. The idea, reported Amy Graff for the San Francisco Chronicle, was to grab people’s attention. And it sure did. After hundreds of moms expressed outrage over the ads online, the OAA promptly canceled. The company that designed the posters, the Beta Agency, apologized on its blog for the ill-conceived campaign. “It had not been our intention to cause such offence, nor to attract such abuse,” the agency blogged. (San Francisco Chronicle via Ragan’s PR Daily)
Friday, December 11, 2009
Comments: 3
Memoirs of an Intern: Culture Shock
Howdy y’all. I have good news: Apparently, my last blog was so popular and life-altering, Jajo, and the rest of the world, have asked me to do it again! So here it goes, get ready to be inspired. Like this kind of inspired.
Being a senior in college, I have decided that it might be a good idea to figure out my post-graduation plans. So in between class and playing an intense game of slow pitch softball, I decided to go back to the beginning, to my first job, to where it all started, to Barn’rds restaurant! As I sat there, eating my Supreme sandwich, reminiscing about how good I looked in plaid, I began to think about my other jobs that led me to where I am today, the people I met and the different culture’s provided by each one.
Barn’rds was homey and comforting, Mirada Management Group was just…there and United Way was all about professionalism and caring. Every business has culture. It’s their personality, their values, their aura, their essence, their pizzazz, their flavor, their swagga.
This is no different at Jajo. In fact, the culture here is what sets us apart from everyone else. Our personality is unique and unmatched, because it’s the people, not the organization, that makes Jajo what it is.
Where else could you find Amy Frazee, chronic hummer/singer/whistler who also dabbles in graphic design? Or Steve Randa, a managing partner who gets caught buying a Barbie tricycle at Target by you and says its “for his daughter?” Or David Hahn, a graphic design genius and alumnus of your fraternity who forces you to bong your first beer in front of the whole office? Or Jason Townsend, a car-loving web developer who is too afraid to bong a beer because he knows you just dominated your inaugural one and doesn’t want to be shown up by the intern? Or Jolynn Berk and Angie Plummer, account service executives to the stars who constantly prove that they are probably the hippest moms this side of the Mississippi? Or 13 other employees who make coming to work everyday a dream and an adventure?
For the sake of the power of rhetorical questions, I will let you come up with your own conclusion of where this awesome place is. All I’m going to say is it rhymes with Play-Doh®.
So thanks Jajo… I mean Play-Doh. Thanks for housing the true foundation of great friendships and great advertising.
Blog-Invoking Questions:
What are your feelings toward your past and current employment? What job was your favorite? What was your worst? And why? Let’s hear it!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Comments: 0
Living the Dream with Creative People
In my early career days, my family used to affectionately taunt me about working with “artsy fartsy” people. And to the traditional corporate world, I know without a doubt that life at an ad agency is beyond understanding. I feel very fortunate that some of my best friends are highly creative people. These are some characteristics I admire about them. And why I’d rather not exist in career or life without them.
She lives in her own little world.
Yes, creative people march to the beat of a different drum. They don’t work within limits – but choose to consider infinite possibilities. They use all their senses, which affords them a different perspective or outlook. Inspire and embrace this courage and you’ll be rewarded by the contributions that follow.
Just keep swimming.
Creatives crave independence and love to depart from the norm, challenging and exploring different positions or views. Sometimes, they are seen as off-beat, odd or rebellious. But conforming is the opposite of creativeness – so in order to birth big ideas, creative people are blessed to naturally swim up stream.
My gut tells me …
Creative people trust their intuition, even if it isn’t right all the time. And the more creative a person is, the more they tend to tap into their intuitive skills. They can often see solutions even when pieces to the puzzle remain missing. And solving problems in this way just further demonstrates their ability for sheer genius.
Daydreams and whys.
They were the kids who stared out the window or found themselves in their own imaginary worlds. Creative people love to imagine, fantasize and play. They question, question … and then ask even more questions. And may continue to explore possibilities until the time clock runs out. They are unceasingly curious, almost child-like. But this is all part of who they are. Don’t assume that they are asking questions to be critical – but rather to explore and examine.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Creativity cannot exist without laughter. Continual seriousness and intensity truly squelch creative thinking. Often, our best ideas at the agency are born during a brainstorm session when the team is cutting up and acting silly. An environment and teammates that celebrate humor (and frequent ridiculousness) foster the creative spirit.
Now, when was that due?
One trait that seems ambiguous in highly creative people is discipline. But don’t be fooled. While some creative types can appear disorganized and chaotic (I tease a few about being ADHD), they are very self-disciplined. They are tenacious and do not give up on ideas or pursuits they feel passionate about. They resist the discipline of others who don’t think like them – so support them with organization and time management tools that work best for them.
Life with creative people isn’t always a walk in the park. They can be difficult and stubborn, insensitive, aloof and vague – but also challenging and inspirational. I’ve found great reward in learning how to work best with each individual creative director, graphic designer, art director, copywriter and web developer. My life has been enriched – and far less boring – for it.
(Props to Robert Alan Black, Ph. D. for his 32 Traits of Creative People.)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Comments: 1
Sell more stuff
PowerPoint: the bane of every agency creative department. You can hear a collective sigh float through the building after it’s mentioned. It’s a function we most often associate with the duty of an admin. Such a harsh caste system we perpetuate.
I used to be the same way early in my career. I was too good to work on a PowerPoint presentation. That was until I understood the power of the opportunity and stopped thinking about the tool. I recognized that the people asking for these presentations were CEOs of global corporations and they were talking to people who were vital to the success of their company. I identified that as the right place to be and began focusing on the opportunity.
As proven by Mark Fenske with his infomercial for Never Compromise putters, the product doesn’t have to suck. And that’s the approach we’ve been taking with our clients’ PowerPoint projects. They don’t have to suck and the presentations we put together for our clients are good and compelling.
The short of it is this: we’re in business to make our clients’ business better any way we can. If it’s by doing ads, we’re happy to make them ads. If it’s by making a PowerPoint presentations, we’re equally as happy to make that too.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Comments: 2
Memoirs of an Intern: I’m Flipping Out!
Hello all! As I sit and try to write my first-ever post on Jajo’s blog, I can’t help but get distracted. At Jajo, this happens all the time. Whether it’s all the designers telling me my BlackBerry sucks and I should get an iPhone, 5 different songs being blasted from throughout the office or the Amy’s assuming that because I’m the Phi Delt president I come to work with a hangover like this everyday, there is always something to keep you busy.
But today, we received the best kind of distraction. In the middle of our enthralling social media webinar, the managing partners, Steve and Shawn, called the whole office together. They proceeded to tell us how we were all doing a great job and how much they appreciated us. The MPs also told us about their purchase of a company Flip Video recorder, to help us catch all of our fantastic office shenanigans.
I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, that’s a really nice gesture. No company I have ever worked for has ever done anything quite like this.”
Then they dropped a bomb on us. They got one for everyone in the office! Even me, the intern!
After the announcement, it was like the final scene from Rudy. The one where the little kid from the steel mill town finally gets his chance to play and is carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates. It was crazy! Shawn had Gatorade poured on him, Fortune was jumping around like the little leprechaun and the ladies starting spontaneously chanting, “Jajo, Jajo, Jajo…!”
What a great Friday. What a great internship. Thanks Jajo. And America, look out for hundreds of videos via Jajo employees’ new Flip Video recorders!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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New outdoor for Boo Benefit
Sharing new work for our client, Boo Benefit, a weekend-long benefit motorcycle rally to raise money for a burn camp for kids. Billboards and gas pump toppers were recommended to target bikers where most relevant to them - on the open road. Billboards were placed in Benton, AR on I-30; Marshall and Canton, TX along Hwy 59 and I-20. Gas pump toppers appeared along I-20 and I-30 in Rockwall, Nash, Longview, Lancaster, Greenville, Garland, Balch Springs and Dallas, TX and Texarkana, AR. The rally is October 9 - 11 in Jefferson, TX.
