With everyone headed to Cannes next week, the party RSVPs, restaurant recommendations, and “franglais” (an affectionate term for English/French mish-mashes, i.e. “I’m going to Whole Foods for dejeuner”) are flowing.

Ok, people aren’t actually speaking in franglais. But I’ve seen a few French words pop up here and there in Cannes-related tweets, which is very exciting because it makes me feel like my otherwise not-so-useful degree in French is finally coming in handy.

Though I won’t be traveling to Cannes next week (unless I can find some free space in someone’s carry-on—an unlikely scenario at best), I can tell you this: if it were me, I’d probably last about three days of beach-ing and award show-ing and partying and networking before I needed a little break from “le monde.”

Enter Avoid Humans, Cannes edition. Because even fancy wannabe French socialites need a break from the masses every once in a while. Or a place to take a conference call in peace. Or (let’s be honest) a quiet place to nurse a rosé-induced hangover. Happens to the best of us.

Now, allez et vous amusez bien. Bon voyage à Cannes!

As communicators and marketers we are involved in a lot of science, research and speculation to understand what goes into the customer journey. We look to glean that magic moment when a consumer makes a buying decision. The one constant we know for the majority of our consumers is their smartphone is with them wherever they go (68.2% U.S> smartphone penetration 4/14 comScore).

Mobile is the most intimate, powerful and personal medium we have as a playground. Yet we have been a bit slow to embrace that the internet and brand utility are now in the consumer’s hands.

This is demanding a shift in how we strategically and creatively think about the where/what/when of a campaign. Any media experience we create is connected, and our task is to understand that mobile will be central along the journey to any transaction moment.

While we do not have to necessarily be “mobile first”, all of our ideas and solutions should consider the consumer and their use of mobile as a personal digital hub that is anywhere and everywhere along their consumer journey. Add in layers of technology available through the device like geo-location and we have a whole new way to think about proximity to purchase.

This points to how mobile media behavior during a campaign can give us a tremendous way to glean need states, interest, action and even physical proximity to purchase. If we understand the intended structure and message of our content we may start to understand the stacking order(s) of need as a consumer gets to the moment of transaction.

While we cannot predict every step of the consumer journey, we do know the key attributes and messages a consumer needs to support or incent intent and action. This suggests we need to refine and develop the rigor around what kinds of content and experiences we provide. We need to know what we’re trying to communicate and what utility we are providing along the way.

Any aspect of brand and campaign development demands that we start talking to our clients and internal teams about how to account for the growing role of mobile. After all, the consumer journey is in the their hands.

It’s not often enough, in this crazy industry, that an opportunity arises to do good work and make a difference in the world. To make even one person’s life better, happier, and more fulfilled. This past fall, I was given the opportunity here at GSD&M to do all of that. And then some.

Honor Flight Austin, a non-profit organization that honors Austin’s veterans, requested our help with marketing and branding. They raise money to transport our nation’s heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. To enjoy a day of honor, remembrance and celebration from a proud and grateful nation.

When I was first briefed on the assignment, I was instantly passionate about it. Not only do I believe that the Honor Flight program is a wonderful cause– it also happens to be one I have a personal tie to.

My maternal grandfather, Robert W. Kentner, LT, USN, was a WWII veteran and POW. He kept a diary during his 3.5 years in a Japanese prison camp where he documented when prisoners passed away and of what causes. He managed to hide this from the Japanese and bring it home with him to help bring some of his fellow prisoners’ families closure.

Like most WWII veterans, he didn’t like to talk about his experiences during the war. And rarely shared much, until later in his life. I had a very close relationship with him and was lucky enough to hear some of his stories first hand. I am so grateful for the 22 unforgettable years I was able to share with him. He showed me how to truly enjoy life, appreciate family and friends, and to always see the good in people. He’s without a doubt one of my greatest heroes.

As I started diving into the Honor Flight assignment, it quickly became much more than an “assignment” for me. I volunteered to be a Veteran Guardian on a flight in my grandfather’s honor and I was beyond excited about the opportunity. I was paired up with Navy veteran, Bernard Snyder, the second coolest WWII veteran there is.

As a guardian, it was my job to stick by Bernard’s side at all times, assist him as needed and ensure his safety during the trip. I was prepared and honored to do just that, but had no idea how much I’d be getting in return.

We left on a Friday and returned the following day. During the seven hours spent sitting next to Bernard on the plane to and from DC, and all of the activities in between, I learned so much. And I gained a new friend. These brave men and women truly are “the greatest generation” and I was reminded of that fact countless times during my trip. It was a humbling, unforgettable experience I will be forever grateful for.

Check out the work we did for Honor Flight Austin here.

This May marked my one-year anniversary as Communications Intern for the best advertising shop in Texas. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way – not the standard intern advice like to bring a notebook to every meeting, because if you’ve gotten a job that 300 other people apply for each semester you already know that. This is the good stuff: the picadillo in the intern advice taco, if you will.

You might even get a sweet nameplate.

Listen to everything – literally everything. Develop the habit of having your ears open at all times. Even when you’re working on something else, keep an ear out for what your boss is saying in case it’s something that will come in handy (like ‘hey, get ready for literally thousands of SXSW party RSVPs to land in your inbox’) so you can chime in or get ahead of the game. Listen up in the hallways to know what is going on around the agency so you can ask questions or offer to pitch in on a project you otherwise wouldn’t have known about—or in my case, hear something you can put on the Wall of Things You Can’t Tweet (I would share a picture but, you know). Pitching in leads me to my next bit of advice…

(pictured: Things You Can Tweet)

You can stay there, but don’t stay in the same place. If you’re going to spend multiple semesters at the same place, don’t do it because you think the agency is fun and exciting, or (worse) because you’re comfortable there. Make sure your time is well spent. I’ve helped out other interns, picking up knowledge of how the agency works along the way, and met with people from other departments (the strategists here are mind-numbingly cool and the project managers are total bad asses) – there is always so much more to learn. And while you’re busy learning everything and meeting everyone…

Develop a signature move. No, not a dance move you bring out at agency parties (unless you have no problem being That Intern). Hone a useful skill. In my case, one of my favorite parts of the job is planning and promoting internal events like our totally rad 80s Skate Party. If I can plan a fun event and incorporate puns, GIF gags and cultural references in an email invite and take something off my boss’s plate at the same time, I’m happy as a clam. And more importantly, my boss knows she can trust me to do this. That being said…

Live and die by feedback. Your supervisor isn’t trying to hurt your feelings when she says to cool it on the adjectives (or whatever your Achilles’ heel may be) – she’s trying to make you better. Incorporating constructive criticism is one of the most valuable skills you can have as an employee because it shows you listen, you learn, and you can focus on what’s important: the work, not getting a pat on the head and a gold star.

You can reverse Google image search with a picture you already have to find the source. Drag the picture into the Google image search bar from a different tab or from your desktop.

Insert hyperlinks in Microsoft Office products with Ctrl+K/Command+K. You’re welcome.

Now go dazzle ‘em.

By Kevin Dunleavy, Associate Creative Director

This past Saturday, I took the missus and our three tiny crazy people to the Mini Maker Faire at the Austin Expo Center.

The Maker Faire? It’s an event taking place in a lot of cities across the country – most of them showcasing local individuals and groups who’ve done some very cool things in the realm of science, technology and engineering.

(The photos below aren’t the best, but, well, I was holding an 11-month old.)

First project I saw upon entering the Faire was like a living RadioShack napkin sketch (which, if you haven’t seen any on ye olde social medias, start here: http://instagram.com/p/nd-eaMv0c5/)
The “sashimi tabernacle choir” the owner called it.

250-ish singing Bass and robo-lobsters, mounted to an ancient Volvo. They gyrated in sync with music blaring from speakers. Their site says the control system features “a Linux netbook, custom C software with a web-browser GUI, 300 pounds of batteries, 5 miles of wire, and about 30 custom PCB driver boards.”

But you probably already knew that.

Then there was this guy.
Proving that there’s not just a technical side to this Maker phenomenon, but a crazy/weird/interesting one as well.

A giant eagle bike. Because why the hell not.

Inside, a ton going on.
Intel. Lego. The Austin Planetarium (which apparently does not yet exist, but is soon to be dazzling our city with constellation displays and Pink Floyd laser light shows.)
There was laser woodcutting, 3D printers a-blazin’, geeks ooh-ing and everyone else aah-ing.
Of course, it’s not a Maker Faire until Star Wars schwag shows up.

Annnnd here we go.
A fully functional R2D2, in all its bleeping and blorping glory.
Not even a little person inside, which is how G-Lucas did it (I checked).

There were some costume makers at the Faire too, standing out like Chewbacca at a Klingon convention.
(Probably meant to be at the craftier Palmer Center Re-Make Fair on the same day. Which, gee, is not confusing in the least.)

That’s my kid with Batman face paint. He peed on me later as I carried him through the parking lot.
I only bring it up because he was having such a good time he forgot to go. Such is life.

Back to the science side of stuff. Someone built an 8-bit Nintendo into an old Mac using Raspberry Pi and, presumably, black magic. At another table some people had made a robotic system that was playing Nintendo 64 — and winning. Some other guy had made his own pinball machines (Star Trek ones, naturally). I overheard him mention something about using LEDs vs ionized gas tubes because the light from the one was washing out the illustration of Capt. Kirk. I wish I could remember the quote verbatim, as it was quite possibly one of the nerdiest things uttered in over 20 years.

Yeah, I know the above isn’t a very good picture.
I was shooting these things quickly.
Did I mention my kid peed on me?

Overall, time well spent.
Yes, there are a fair amount of folks at the Maker Faire who look like:

 
But there’s also a lot of normal people just into making and building cool stuff.
As a “sometimes tech-forward/sometimes luddite” guy, it’s inspiring to see these Makers go all out.

I was particularly impressed by the high schools and clubs that had set up some tents there. For example, the Westlake Robotics team had built some super-cool robotic contraption that was capable of catapulting giant rubber balls into the air.
All I did in high school was work on the newspaper and drink Miller Lite Ice.

To sum up:
saw a lot of cool stuff,
learned a few things,
got a giant oval urine stain on the right side of my shirt.

Not a bad Saturday in the least.

This past week was the 4^th year of the Digital Content NewFronts, the digital world’s response to the long-standing TV Upfronts, which take center stage for anyone in the media industry this time of year.

The NewFronts are a who’s who of brands and talent, all trying to one-up each other and bring the “next big thing in digital” to the table. Big media brands are partnering with A-list celebrities, creating original content, and promoting a slew of new ad products (thank you, Hulu).

But glamour aside, I see two big unanswered questions associated with the NewFronts. Yes, digital video ad spending is on an upward trajectory–estimated to reach $9.25 billion by 2016 (according to eMarketer), but the jury’s still out on data and audience.

First and foremost, digital planners and buyers love data. I love data—and there’s plenty of it among multiple digital platforms. But making it accessible and available–let’s just say that’s easier said than done. With big media brands launching new products and content, most of which is untested, there is limited data transparency going around.

Second and equally important is building and retaining an audience – a long-term audience – one that will continue to return to the brand after a three to four-month series has ended. This has been a challenge for many brands in the digital space and is a hesitation for advertiser participation.

On the plus side, the NewFronts have created a noticeable momentum in the industry. If you can get past the celeb-infused announcements, there is a striking trend… the convergence of content across multiple digital platforms.

Some want to rebrand the NewFronts as “Omni-Fronts” or “All-Fronts,” which I respond, hey why not? It would be a truer representation of what we as an industry are trying to achieve. It’s the acceptance that consumer behavior is changing due to technology advancements and access to video content is being demanded across all screens, consuls, devices, platforms… not just during prime time viewing periods. And, lastly, let’s be honest, there is little that is “new” about digital video, the focus now is on how, where and when it is consumed.

Is it just me, or has haiku really surged in popularity lately?

I suspect it’s largely because haiku is so easily consumed; its bite-sized format is perfect for our overscheduled, time-starved society. It’s also just the right length for social media — especially Twitter, where a wonderful #micropoetry movement has sprung to life. I regularly see #haikuchallenge and #tweetku posts streaming through my feed; I so love these little poetic snacks.

For many modern purveyors of these poems, the form helps set up a “punchline” in the last phrase. Plenty of humor books have made the most of this, from Zombie Haiku (“Good Poetry for Your…Brains”) to Redneck Haiku to the newly published Suburban Haiku, which celebrates (and skewers) the lives of minivan-driving denizens of the ‘burbs.

The simplicity of the form also just begs you to give it a try. To celebrate National Poetry Month, The New York Times asked readers to post haiku odes to The Big Apple; they garnered nearly 3,000 entries.

In that same spirit, why not try your hand at a haiku or two about the advertising world? From creative briefs to client dinners, there’s plenty of poetic fodder. Come play along! Post your own #adku in the comments section below.  Here are a few to start:

Today’s task at hand:

meet the simplest of requests.

“Make it go viral.”

 

 

Let’s push the check-in –

briefing info incomplete.

Creatives have needs!

A writer at GSD&M, Carlotta also finds the poetry (and humor) in parenting as The Well-Versed Mom.

If you’re a record geek, Record Store Day is the day you look forward to all year like comic geeks look forward to Comic-Con. Only slightly cooler. What started in 2007 as a way to promote independent record shops has today turned into a global event with thousands of stores on every continent (sans Antarctica) serving up specially released vinyl records, CD’s and in the case of Green Day and Skrillex, cassettes. We’re talking exclusive 45s, live 10” and 12” albums, re-issues and lots of color vinyl!  But for every person with a shelf full of albums at home, Record Store Day presents a different experience…

A VINYL LOVE AFFAIR by Bill Bayne, group creative director

The Popularity of Record Store Day is growing exponentially. But my lovely wife really doesn’t “understand” the popularity in general, or more specifically, my fanatical obsession with vinyl. And that’s cool. But ever since I was a little kid and listened to, “Snoopy vs The Red Baron” on my first plastic, portable record player, vinyl has been a talisman for me. Those inky black circles let me connect with my favorite bands and songs in ways that compact discs and MP3s never could. Vinyl is tactile. I can hold it in my hands. Someone “made” it for me and I get to listen to it then flip to side 2. And in doing so I feel a deeper connection to the music I love because of records.

But when I try to suggest to my missus that my mania for Record Store Day, “isn’t really that bad,” by letting her know that some guys have been camped outside of Waterloo Records for 24 hours, somehow it doesn’t have the desired effect. She kindly suggests that I should consider, “growing out” of this vinyl phase (and I will regrettably admit that some of my vinyl brethren do appear to still be sleeping on couches in their parent’s basement and are more often than not, “allergic” to exercise) and just walk away.

Deep down we both know that my love affair with albums and 45s won’t end, we just need to learn to live with it.

Here are few of my reflections on RSD 2014, with the hope that you too will catch the vinyl bug, or at the very least be empathetic towards my wife when RSD 2015 rolls in:

1.     Know your store. When I’m looking for Soul vinyl (Donnie Hathaway Live, 1971) I visit Encore Records. Known for being one of the best places to get Death Metal records this side of SA, the usual suspects who frequent Encore aren’t looking for Donnie Hathaway records. Conversely, when I needed the Gram Parson RSD lp, of rare and unreleased tracks from his two awesome Cosmic American solo records, I went to Breakaway on North Loop known for, you guessed it, Soul and R+B vinyl.

2.     Vinyl Nerds are nice. Yeah, 99% of us may be out of shape and still living with our folks, but we have great taste in music and we’re really polite to one another.

3.     Analog is the future. The same mindset that has made the slow food movement so popular helps fuel the passion for vinyl and Record Store Day. We’re all lucky to live in Austin where having great things to listen to and wonderful food to eat is the rule rather than the exception.

GO EAST YOUNG MAN by Jack Epsteen, SVP production

Record Store Day is quite the holiday in our household.  Until this year, for the last 7 years, my little guy (Levon, age 7) and I have waited for hours outside of Amoeba records in Los Angeles.  We were both excited for our first RSD as Austin residents.

My theory has always been, go to the big stores, they have the most product.  Which is why we’d get to Amoeba a couple hours before opening and enjoy our “boy time” in line.  Yes the lines have gotten longer each year, but we always make friends, have nerdy conversation, eat snacks and wait.  The same was true here at Waterloo.  (Even gained two new Facebook friends!)

Let me stop here and explain how Amoeba handles Record Store Day.  While the first couple of years were the same mad dash into the store at opening time, once the lines got out of hand and the product offerings became vast, they instituted a great system (also in use at many stores across the country, I’ve heard.)  Everyone in line (and there are hundreds now) receives the list of all available titles.  You mark the titles you want on that list and hand it to an employee, who hands you a number.  When you get to the front of the line, you are handed a bag of the selections on your list that are still available.  Perfection.

We still had fun at Waterloo though.  It was a little crazy holding Levon’s hand as I rushed through the crowded isles, but the product was spread out nicely.  Aside from a few bumps, we did just fine and scored everything on the list but one.

Is Record Store Day for 7 year olds?  Probably not.  However, my son and I enjoy the ritual so much, he’s already ready for next year (and Black Friday!)  I will, however nicely mention the Amoeba process next time I’m at Waterloo for a visit.

THE WRONG WAY TO DO RSD by Travis Waid, creative director

A veteran of three Record Store Days now, I thought I had it down. I had a printout of every release with my favorites highlighted in yellow and the true must-have’s marked in red. I knew when the different stores were opening and had a plan. But there’s a right way to do Record Store Day and then there’s my way to do Record Store Day, which turned into the wrong way.

Mistake Number One: Underestimating the hype. Waterloo was scheduled to open its doors at 10:00, so I figured I would stop by Taco Deli for a potato and egg and a Jess Special and then head over with an hour to spare. But when I got to Waterloo, the line was already snaking around back, down the block and around the side towards 24 Diner. I was a good 300 people back holding my tacos.

Mistake Number Two: Succumbing to impulse. I showed up prepared with my printout of the albums I wanted to buy, but as soon as I entered the belly of the best I found myself grabbing whatever looked interesting and forgetting several of the pieces I was there for until I had already checked out. The list never came out of my pocket until it was too late.

Mistake Number Three: Cutting bait too early. Knowing that End of an Ear opened up at 11:00 I checked out after one pass through and raced over there to pick up whatever was sold out at Waterloo thinking the line would be a lot shorter. It was, but it also moved three times slower and the inventory was five times less. I managed to pick up a couple of albums that I had missed, but it wouldn’t have been needed it if I hadn’t committed mistakes one and two.

In the end I walked away with some gems including Hüsker Dü’s Candy Apple Grey (on grey vinyl), The Pogues with Joe Strummer Live (on red vinyl), DEVO Live at Max’s Kansas City 1977, but just as important, a lesson learned and a plan for RSD 2015.

What do you get when you put The Wild Feathers, Aaron Behrens, Aloe Blacc and The Hold Steady on stage all on the same night?

Add food, drinks, a photo booth and a few thousand of our closest friends, and you have GSD&M’s 2014 SXSW Party.

We made a video recapping the best moments and are reliving the glory as we speak. Viva SXSW 2015!

The Civil Rights Summit wrapped up yesterday with many power players in attendance to spread the message of We Shall Overcome and to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The audience and speaker program, produced by Autumn Rich & Co., were made up with the who’s who of Austin and Washington D.C. to include the current and former presidents, athletes, social activists, marketers, politicians, among others. Here are a few behind the curtain moments you won’t find anywhere else.

 (CBS News’ Bob Schieffer and Luci Baines Johnson)

(Reverend Jesse Jackson)

(Translation Founder and CEO Steve Stoute and NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson)

 (Former President George W. Bush)

(Maria Shriver and David Robinson)