Winter - VCU Brandcenter

BEYOND SIXTY
Winter 2012
Letter from the Director
Dear Brandcenter Alumni,
I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday season. I am loving my new position as Director of the Brandcenter and my new home in Richmond; and it’s hard to believe I already have a semester under my belt. I
have truly enjoyed getting to know the students, faculty, and board members, and I have even had the great
opportunity to meet some of you.
The more I learn about you, the more impressed I am and the more I want to share your success stories
with our industry. This year, those among you have been named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative
People in Business, one of the Adweek 50, one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Powerful Women in Advertising
and 30 Most Creative People in Advertising Under 30. You all are the reason your agencies and companies
come back to recruit Brandcenter students each year, and we thank you for being such excellent representatives of the school.
I’ve found that there is a very strong Brandcenter alumni network and I am amazed by the support you give
and receive from each other. It started when you were in school and has continued throughout your careers,
and it is something not to be taken for granted. I hope you’ll continue to stay connected with each other and
with the Brandcenter, and I hope to get to know as many of you as I can.
As I am sure is usually the case, it has been an eventful fall semester. On orientation day, I welcomed our 94
first year students to the Brandcenter, and the second years welcomed me. I had the opportunity to do some
speaking engagements for both student and industry organizations in Richmond, Miami, and New York. I was
able to meet our board members at a meeting during Advertising Week, and got to cheer on our students as
they squared off against Columbia University in “The Great Debate.” I sat in on many classes and presentations, including one that was filmed by a documentary film crew, which was quietly capturing some 2nd year
students’ progress on a real world assignment to revive the game of Bridge.
There are so many interesting things happening here every day and I’m excited for more to come. Please feel
free to reach out to say hello and tell me what’s going on in your lives and careers, as well as any thoughts and
ideas for the school. I hope to meet more of you at our Recruiter Session in April.
Meanwhile, read on to see what’s been happening at the Brandcenter since
I
arrived in August.
Best, Helayne / Director
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Breaking News
Brandcenter Welcomes Class of 2014
At Orientation, we welcomed 94 students to the class of 2014 including 23 Art Directors, 21 Copywriters, 16
Communication Strategists, 18 Creative Brand Managers, and 16 Creative Technologists. Our new student
body continues to be a mix of students joining us internationally- from places like Brazil, Pakistan, India and
South Korea- and nationally- from places like California, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, etc. Their backgrounds vary from Mass Communications to English, Psychology to Business Administration, and Sociology
to Architecture, with around 70% having had a year or more of work experience before joining us. The class of
2014 also revealed at Talentsaurus Rex that many of them come to us with exceptional dance skills.
Every year the Brandcenter students manage to squeeze in a little time to get to know each other better at some
events outside of school, starting with our annual orientation reception in August. Incoming first years enjoyed
meeting each other and their 2nd year mentors at Mulligans’ rooftop bar. Later in the semester the two classes
got competitive in the Brandcenter softball game. The first years put up a good fight, but the 2nd years pulled
out a close one led by the fierce bats of Megan Winterhalter (CW) and Rilee Harman (CS), always solid fielding
from Fitz Maro (CT) and Charles Merritt (CT), and consistently strong pitching from Johnny Roelofs (CS).
Students Work on Real World Assignments
This semester the Brandcenter had the opportunity to welcome back a few alums, and students had the opportunity
to work on some exciting real world assignments in Kelly
O’Keefe’s Brand Interactions class.
Josh Rosen, Gautam Ramdurai and Natalie Hammel
Four assignments were divided among 23 teams, including
projects for Google, JW Marriott in conjunction with Team
One, Ashland Tourism in collaboration with Virginia Tourism Corporation, and a documentary on reviving the card
game Bridge. After giving the students five weeks to polish their ideas, all four clients came to Richmond to watch
as the student teams competed to have their presentation
deemed the “winning pitch.”
We want to give a special thank you to the following alums who worked with our students on these real world
assignments and made the trip to Richmond for the final presentations:
•GautamRamdurai(CS,2011)–StrategistatGoogleCreativeLab
•NatalieHammel(CW,2010)–WriteratGoogleCreativeLab
•JoshRosen(AD,2002)–CreativeDirectoratGoogleCreativeLab
•AshleighEdwards(CS,2010)-StrategicPlanneratTeamOne
As always, we want to thank all of the clients that have worked with our students and provided them with such
wonderful real world experiences. If you have an interest in collaborating with Brandcenter students, email
Hawley Smyth at [email protected].
Lost in the Shuffle: Documentary Film on the Campaign to Save Bridge
If you visited the Brandcenter this fall, there’s a good chance you came across a film crew capturing our studentsatwork.No,it’snotanewBravorealityseries–butBrandcenterstudentswillbeappearinginadocumentary film about reviving the game of Bridge.
The Brandcenter was approached by four Virginia filmmakers who were struck by the fact that while Bridge is
still the most popular card game in America, the average age of its players is currently 69 and increasing by
two years every year. Avid Bridge players like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are concerned that the game is losing relevance with younger generations and could eventually die out. Second years in Kelly O’Keefe’s Brand
Interactions class were given the assignment to solve Bridge’s image problem and revive the game. From
concepting to final presentations, the students were followed by the film crew of The Bridge Documentary,
LLC. Their work will be incorporated into a currently untitled feature film, which is on track for the film festival
circuit in mid- to late-2013.
To view photos and video clips from the production, visit www.facebook.com/bridgedocumentary.
TheGreatDebateDuringAdvertisingWeek–Brandcentervs.Columbia
This year the Brandcenter was invited to face off with Columbia’s Business School in an Advertising Week
event called “The Great Debate: Should advertisers, agencies and the media worry about cord cutting?” While
a winner was not declared, the Brandcenter 2nd year team of Charles Merritt (CT), Lacy Quarles (CBM) and
Ted Makarewicz (CT) upstaged their business school counterparts, demonstrating a clear understanding of the
media landscape and stellar presentation skills (coached by Peter Coughter). Watch the debate here.
Brandcenter Sponsors Richmond AICP Show
Matt Miller, President of the AICP (Association for Independent Commercial Producers) and long-time Brandcenter board member, was gracious enough to reschedule the AICP Show at the Byrd Theater after Sandy hit
on the originally scheduled date. The students loved seeing the best commercials of the year on the big screen,
including several spots from Brandcenter alumni:
Stuart Jennings (AD, 2003) Wieden + Kennedy New York: Heineken
Stuart Jennings (AD, 2003) Wieden + Kennedy New York: ESPN
EB Davis (AD, 2008) AKQA San Fran: Microsoft XBox
Rob Thiemann (CW, 2010) Leo Burnett Detroit : Troy Library Book Burning
John McClaire (CT, 2010) Leo Burnett Detroit: Troy Library Book Burning
Jarrod Higgins (CT, 2009) Wieden + Kennedy Portland: Old Spice
Students Shine (mostly) at the Annual Talent Show, Talentsaurus Rex
This year marked the 4th Annual Talentsaurus Rex, the VCU Brandcenter’s talent extravaganza. Guest judge
Jeff MacDonald, (CT, 2012), adjunct professor from The Martin Agency, joined two old hands: Don Just and Peter Coughter (whom Helayne has compared to Muppets Statler & Waldorf). The show featured some outstanding (and a few lackluster) musical and dance performances, an endearingly vulgar stand-up comedy routine
by Christina Semak (CW, 2012), a little moshing, and even a serenade of the Dark Knight himself by Fitz Maro
(CT, 2012). The stunning joint performance of Kiera Rooker (CT, 2012) on vocals and Tom Vassallo (CS, 2012)
on guitar and harmonica was proclaimed the winner.
Godfather of Richmond Advertising and Brandcenter
Supporter Passes Away
David Martin, founder of The Martin Agency and co-creator
of one of the most enduring taglines in all of advertising,
“Virginia is for Lovers” died October 2, 2012 at 82. Mr. Martin, with partner George Woltz, launched the agency that
bears his name in 1965. He was remembered by those in
the ad community as a pioneer who put Richmond on the
map. “He was sort of the godfather of Richmond advertising,” said Kelly O’Keefe, chief creative officer of CRT/tanaka
and a professor at VCU Brandcenter. In addition to founding
The Martin Agency, he was instrumental in providing support and guidance to Diane Cook-Tench when she started
the VCU Brandcenter.
Brandcenter Alums Recognized by Our Industry
Stuart Jennings (AD, 2003) is a Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy in NYC. Stuart was named one of the
Adweek 50, “the people who make the machinery of media, marketing, and technology hum.”
Jay Kamath (AD, 2007) is a Creative Director at 72 and Sunny. Jay was named one of the 30 Most Creative
People in Advertising Under 30 by Business Insider.
Katherine Wintsch (CS, 2001) is a SVP/ Group Planning Director at The Martin Agency and Founder of The
Mom Complex, a think tank with expertise in marketing to moms. Katherine was named one of the Most
Powerful Women in Advertising by Business Insider.
Brandcenter Marriages
We don’t have statistical proof but we’re betting that the Brandcenter has an unusually high percentage of
alums who marry each other. Maybe it’s the intense workload, which ensures students have no time for anything/anyone else. Maybe it’s the constant criticism from professors causing students to seek comfort from
others. Or, maybe it’s the beers at McCormicks, Penny Lane, Sine, etc. We’re thinking about a new recruitment
campaign with the message, “Come to the Brandcenter to build a great portfolio and find your soul mate.”
This past year, 3 couples from the Class of 2007 got married.
Becca Hasskamp (CW, 2007) and Evan Thompson (CW, 2007)
Michelle Nam (CW, 2007) and Richard Fischer (AD, 2007)
Meranne Whitney (CS, 2007) and Luke Behrends (CW, 2007)
Becca Hasskamp and Evan Thompson
Michelle Nam and Richard Fischer
Meranne Whitney and Luke Behrends
RVA Campaign Takes on Life of its Own
In the last alum newsletter, we told you about a campaign 2010 Brandcenter students worked on to rebrand
the city of Richmond. The campaign, “RVA Creates,” celebrates the city’s history and the innovative spirit that
has led to its quiet emergence as a creative hub. The campaign’s dynamic logo has been a huge hit, unifying
the city with a groundswell of pride. Richmond colleges, organizations, businesses, and many others have
been making the RVA logo their own. See the pictures below! The campaign was created in Caley Cantrell and
Mark Avnet’s classes by 2010 students Pankaj Rawat (CS), Sara Cobaugh (CS), Katie Chapin (CS), Michael Whitten (CS), Jarrod Higgins (CT), and Cecilia Bogardus (CT). Kelly O’Keefe (Chief Creative Officer at CRT/tanaka)
worked with the client to develop the project and execute it.
Friday Forum Live and 5Q
Even with several cancellations due to Sandy the super storm, the Brandcenter had an amazing Friday Forum
line-up this semester, including Carolyn Hadlock, ECD at Young & Laramore; Kristen Cavallo and Kelsey Hodgkin, Chief Strategy Officer and VP Group Strategy Director at Mullen; David Muhlenfeld, VP Creative Director
and composer songs such as the Freecreditreport.com song at The Martin Agency, and Jeff Jones, Chief Marketing Officer at Target, among others.
With permission from our speakers, each week we live stream Friday Forum from the Brandcenter Facebook
page. Be sure to tune in next semester! Also check out the Brandcenter’s 5Q interview series. Each Friday Forum speaker is assigned a student host, who comes up with 5 insightful and sometimes quirky questions to
interview the speaker with on camera.
Behind the Scenes
Brandcenter Professor Caley Cantrell has written a children’s book called “You’re Bringing Me a Baby?” due
to be published this spring. Illustrations by Sarah Berheimer.
The Brandcenter has several new and returning adjunct professors this Fall, including three
Brandcenter alumni:
New:
• Bob Kelley, President and Founder of Pure Culture Consulting, teaching Advanced
Brand Management.
• Kevin Rothermel (CS, 2006), Senior Strategic Planner at The Martin Agency, teaching
Research Methodologies
• Michael Chapman (CS, 2001), SVP/Group Planning Director at The Martin Agency,
teaching Research Methodologies
• Terry Taylor, Director of Ideas at Big River, teaching Creative Fusion
• Jeff MacDonald (CT, 2012), Creative Technologist at The Martin Agency, teaching Mobility
Returning:
• Paul Seward, Digital Strategist at IFC Ironworks, teaching User Participation Platforms
• Sarah Trickey, Director of Account Management at Big River, teaching Strategic Thinking
• Andrew LeVasseur, Director of Strategy at Create Digital, teaching Information Architecture
• Chris Busse, VP/Strategy & Analytics at Create Digital, teaching Brand Analytics
Kelly O’Keefe was named one of the Top 100 Web-Savvy Professors by bestonlineuniversities.com
http://bestonlineuniversities.com/web-savvy-professors/
Hotline
• If you change jobs or addresses, please remember to let us know. Please e-mail the updated information to [email protected].
• If you think your agency would like to be informed about Brandcenter interns and recruitment fairs,
please e-mail [email protected] and we’ll add them to our database.
• If your agency has any real world projects for the school, please e-mail [email protected] or
[email protected]. The students have recently worked on real world projects for The Boy
Scouts of America, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Google, Coke, Lexus, Microsoft, Audi, Venture
Richmond, Hamilton Beach and new business pitches for agencies. If you’re looking for some strategic
and creative firepower, please let us know.
• Caley Cantrell, Head of the Communications Strategy track, has been working with her Communications Strategy students on conducting research to help agencies with new business pitches. The students have worked on pitches for Team One and Cramer-Krasselt. If your agency could use the help of
Brandcenter Communications Strategy students, please contact Caley Cantrell at [email protected].
• Please Help us Promote the Brandcenter at Your Alma Mater
- Undergraduate students LOVE
hearing from our grads about their lives in the “real world” of advertising. If you are interested
in recruiting for the Brandcenter at a nearby university or at your alma mater, please let us
know. If you have a contact, that’s great. If not, we can help you connect with an advertising/
marketing professor or an ad club. We’ll also ship recruiting materials (SIXTYs, keynote, etc.) to
the school in preparation for your arrival. Contact Katherine Keogh ([email protected]) if you are
interested. Thanks to all of the alums who have already been promoting the school with their
alma maters.
• Alumni Work on Brandcenter Website
- We are featuring some of our best alumni work in the Alumni
Showcase on the Brandcenter website. If you have some great work that you would like us to feature on
the site, please send it either via a vimeo link or as a .mov file to Katherine Keogh at [email protected].
• We want to thank all of our alums that have made donations to the Brandcenter. Donations can help
support a wide variety of things to include:
- VCU Brandcenter Scholarships: as you know, scholarship support to our students is so important
as it helps offset the cost of tuition and other costs associated with attending a full-time graduate
program.
- Brandcenter Areas of Greatest Priority and Need: unrestricted gifts to the school are counted in
the Brandcenter Annual Fund. This is a powerful way to give because we can use your gift immediately wherever the strategic need is greatest (recruiting materials, mailings, special events, etc).
Unrestricted gifts allow us to seize opportunities and move with the pace of business. Your gift, no
matter how small, can go a long way.
• If you have any questions about giving, you can contact Hawley Smyth at [email protected]. Checks can
be mailed to the VCU Brandcenter (103 S. Jefferson Street Richmond, VA 23284) or donations can be
made online at: www.support.vcu.edu/opportunityvcu/ Who? What? When?
• Morgan Welch Aceino (CBM, 2011) and Adam Aceino
(CW, 2011) were married on September 2, 2012 in Richmond, VA. Morgan is a Brand Strategist at Omelet in LA.
Adam is a Copywriter at TBWA/Chiat/Day LA.
Adam & Morgan Aceino
•Jenn Totten Aspinwall (CW, 2006) is a Freelance Copywriter in Sydney, Australia.
•Marcus Brown (AD, 2008) is a Sr. Art Director at CP+B in
Los Angeles.
•Bill Carlson (CW, 2011) and his wife Katie welcomed a
daughter, Nina Jane Carlson on November 6, 2012.
•Katie Chapin (CS, 2010) is in her 3rd year of her WPP Fellowship. She’s a Digital Strategist at VML London.
•Jillian Dresser (AD, 2008) is an Art Director at Silver +
Partners in NYC.
•Ashleigh Edwards (CS, 2010) and Amanda Rue (CBM,
2011) were both finalists in the 4A’s “Pick of the Litter”
Planning Awards recognizing top young planners in our
industry. Caley Cantrell, professor, said, “They’re both
pick of the litter in my book.”
Nina Jane Carlson
•Phil Flickinger (CS, 2002) is a Brand Strategy Director at
Venables Bell.
•Katie Fitzgerald (CS, 2009) is a Senior Strategist at
GSD&M in Austin.
•Michael Griffith (AD, 2011) is an Art Director at GSD&M
in Austin.
•Thomas Hair (AD, 1999) is an ACD at Mullen in Winston-Salem.
David Wesley Hurt
•Tim Hurt (CT, 2011) and his wife Amanda, welcomed a
son, David Wesley Hurt, on October 15, 2012.
•Evan Husted (CS, 2012) is a Strategist at Now What Research in Boulder, CO.
•Brian Jang (CS, 2012) is an Associate Strategist at
AKQA NY.
•Crockett Jeffers (CW, 1999) is a CD at BBDO West.
•Howard Jordan (CW, 1999) wrote a great piece for the
Huffington Post about Hurricane Sandy. Check it out
here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-jordan-jr/
hurricane-sandy_b_2074496.html
•Amber Justis (AD, 2000) is a CD at BBDO West.
•Molly Mascia (CBM, 2012) is a Senior Marketing Associate at Capital One in Richmond.
•Ed McClure (CS, 2009) is an Account Strategist at Myjive in Charlotte, NC.
•Kelly Mertesdorf (CS, 2011) is a Strategist at McKinney.
•Tyler Moore (CBM, 2012) is a Senior Analyst/Planner at Digitas in Chicago.
•Roseanne Overton (AD, 2012) is an Art Director at Anomaly in New York City.
•Mollie Partesotti (CS, 2009) is VP/ Brand Strategy Director at Hill Holliday. She was recently selected
to be a judge for the Effie Awards.
•Amanda Rue (CBM, 2011) is a Strategist at Carrot Creative in New York.
•Lirra Schiebler (CS, 2011) is a Brand Strategist at Mullen in Boston.
•Jodi Kanger Shelley (CS, 2000) is a Global Planning Partner at Ogilvy & Mather in London. She’ll be
working on Brand Unilever and Comfort, a global laundry brand.
•Joyce Forbes Simmons (CS, 2002) is Executive Director of Brand Planning at Engauge in Atlanta.
Jacob Soroosh
•Michael Soroosh (CS, 2005) is a Planning Director at
McGarry Bowen in Chicago. And, he has a cute little boy
named Jacob.
•Chris Trumbull (CW, 2010) is a Copywriter at TBWA’s
Media Arts Lab. Check out his work for the iPad mini here.
http://adage.com/article/creativity-pick-of-the-day/ipadmini-big-boned-cousin-make-sweet-music-newest-applead/237945/
•Haywood Watkins (CS, 2012) was honored at the ADCOLOR Awards in October. He created the ADCOLOR Futures
program to help send more young professionals to the ADCOLOR Conference and Award Show each year. This year,
they were able to send 33 people for free and raised over
$700,000 through various sponsorships. Haywood continues to work with the organization to grow the program.
Haywood Watkins
•Warner Whatley (AD, 2011) is an Art Director at McKinney.
•Jameson Young (CT, 2011) will be speaking at SXSW. His
topic: Backyard Brand: Maker Culture for Business. Jameson is a Creator at Create Digital in Richmond.
Jameson Young