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Martin’s own strategic planner, Lizzette Vidal-Alicea, shares her perspective on the creation of the “I am a New Statistic” campaign.
34% of young people in Metro Richmond live in poverty.
50% of Metro Richmond’s high school students drop out.
These are sobering statistics, but they shouldn’t be allowed to define these young people or their futures. I should know. My life could have been defined by my early life as an inner city Latina, whose father died of a drug overdose. But I refused to become part of that statistic. Through hard work and an optimism born from the determination that I wasn’t to let others define what I was to become, I chose to create new statistics.
The idea for the "I am a New Statistic" campaign for the Boys and Girls Clubs was born from the same determination and optimism. We found that the desire not to be defined by other people’s expectations was universal among the Club’s staff, members and donors. No one wants to be put in a box, whether you are a disadvantaged youth trying to strive ahead or a wealthy donor trying to make a difference. At the heart of the strategy was the recognition that each constituent, the club members, the donors and the staff, want to create new statistics and new futures in Richmond.
The campaign began in 2011 as part of a class focused on communication campaign development, a special section of Virginia Commonwealth University’s advertising program. The class, taught by The Martin Agency’s director of consumer forensics, Lauren Tucker, and senior planner Cliff Adams, was divided into five groups, each group acting as a functioning ad agency with the intent to pitch the Boys and Girls Clubs business. I am proud to say that I was a member of the winning team, "Laamp," developing the "I am a New Statistic" campaign. The gallery exhibit we showed today, which features the "I am a New Statistic" campaign, is to thank our supporters and mentors, without whom we couldn’t have pulled off the campaign.
Chris Mason, featured in one of the New Statistic ads in front of Martin, was the surprise guest in attendance at the gallery event. Chris was honored as the 2012 Youth of the Year and has aspirations to become an art director one day. Like me, he is a New Statistic, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from high school and go on to college.
In closing, I want to say thanks to everyone who helped in the process. The list is far too long to include here, but I am truly grateful. I am proud of where I have come from and eager to see where I will go. Most of all, however, I am proud to be a "New Statistic."
Style Weekly, Richmond’s alternative weekly paper, hosted the first Shadrock Music Festival on Brown’s Island, April 28, celebrating the big 3-0 with live music, local beer, and lots and lots of rain.
For those of you who were deterred by the drab weather, or perhaps chose to spend your Saturday in a crowded NASCAR parking lot instead, the festival went on as scheduled, featuring eight eclectic bands. And although the crowds weren’t as large as anticipated, Style Weekly Publisher Lori Waran said she was pleased by the diverse group that came out, enjoying bands such as the Photosynthesizers, Dum Dum Girls, and headliners Yo La Tengo and De La Soul.
The festival drew attention not only to Style Weekly’s birthday, but also to the tremendous growth the paper has seen since its founding in 1982. Starting out as a monthly publication, distributed solely to Richmond’s West End, the paper now has a circulation of over 37,000, with more than 110,000 monthly visits to styleweekly.com. And, in an industry where readership is constantly declining, this growth seems significant.
“We (the Style Weekly staff) like to consider ourselves a great representation of Richmond,” says Waran. “Unique backgrounds, unique perspectives, we each bring something different to the table that helps us understand how our readers may respond. If we each thought the exact same way…well…how boring for Richmond and our readers?”
Waran, who has worked at Style Weekly for six years, remains the youngest Publisher in an Alternative Newsweekly in the U.S. When asked if she could be granted three wishes to use toward the paper, she responded: “Let’s just say, we make things happen here and wishes come true. You don’t need a fairy godmother for those. You just need hard work, the right people, and the will to get through a few missteps in order to make those wishes happen.”
We wish the staff at Style Weekly all the best. Happy 30th birthday — Richmond is truly lucky to have you around. And, with any luck, we’ll all be able to attend next year’s Shadrock Music Fest!
Check out some additional photos of the Shadrock Music Festival, courtesy of Style Weekly's Scott Elmquist and Ash Daniel:
From discussions of the most sought-after superpowers, to The Hunger Games, The Boxer Rebellion jammed and let loose during their visit to The Martin Agency on Monday.
The London-based band, whose album Union was named iTunes #1 Alternative Album of 2010, is composed of Australian guitarist Todd Howe, Tennessee-born lead singer Nathan Nicholson, British drummer Piers Hewitt and British bassist Adam Harrison. The band joined us mid-tour to perform a short acoustic set and discuss the random facts of life.
If you could invent an instrument, what would it be and how would you play it?
Nathan: What if there was some kind of instrument that hooked up to your brain so you could just think about it slightly and the instrument would play?
Todd: I would have an instrument that is a hula-hoop on a piece of rope. You could whip it around at different velocities to produce different tones. Kind of like a Theremin, but much more involved.
Adam: I’d like a computer program that somehow turned inanimate objects into instruments. So with a pair of sticks, you could play anything you’d like. You could be doing the washing up in the kitchen and the plates would turn into instruments. It’s a little far-fetched and it definitely needs fleshing out. We are free-thinking people here.
Piers: I would like different lengths of stretchy fabric and then a ball that you can bounce as you stretch the fabric out. Different lengths would produce different tones. Kind of like bell ringing, but with a cloth.
Todd: See what you get when you ask a question like that?
If you could invent an iPhone app, what would it be?
Todd: Google Goggles, but with x-ray vision, just so I could have the power and the most sought-after app in the world.
Nathan: I would have a time-stopping app, I could freeze life.
Adam: I would want a “locate my everything” app. Find my everything, my keys.
Nathan: Find Nemo. The movie would have been so much shorter.
That begs the question, if you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Piers: I would teleport myself. There would have to be some monitors, though, as to not ruin the transport system completely. You would get one teleport a week, but it is only one-way. You could teleport home at 2 AM when you’re really pissed and tired and just go straight home and to bed.
Adam: Or if you’re really late for work.
Todd: What about, we’re on tour, girlfriend calls up – you've left the iron on. You’re in a meeting and, snap, you’re in D.C.
Adam: But then you’re stuck in D.C.
Todd: Well that’s just a mockery.
Piers: It’s about not ruining the transportation system.
Nathan: Who cares about the transportation system?
Piers: They employ people! What are you going to do with your air miles if the transport system goes out of business? They will be useless.
Nathan: Who cares about air miles if you can teleport? You don’t even need lounges anymore.
Todd: I’m going to have to go back to my room after all these questions.
Nathan: I’m gonna be stop-time guy. Adam spills a lot of stuff. Maybe he should be the anti-spill man?
Adam: I am going to be Mr. Rewind and not spill that shit all down my jeans.
How do you feel about The Hunger Games?
Nathan: I have only seen the movie, but I liked it.
Adam: I tell you what, I think they did a fantastic job with the movie, but a lot of why I loved the book and couldn’t put it down was because the actual hunger games stretched on and on for days. I couldn’t go to sleep ’cause I was thinking of Katniss alone in the trees, getting attacked by hornets and all of this shit. In the actual film, they obviously had to compress it. So the actual games were very compressed, even though they were well done.
Do you watch “Mad Men”? If so, what is your favorite character?
Nathan: Yes. My favorite character is Don Draper. I think if you say anyone else other than him, then you’re trying too hard.
Adam: I’m actually going to say Betty Draper. She’s a good person.
Todd: I only saw one or two episodes, they were all assholes.
Piers: I’m going to play Fruit Ninjas while you discuss this.
If you could be on one reality show, which one would it be?
Todd: Ice Road Truckers.
Adam: Oh my God, out of everything, you would drive a truck through the artic?
Nathan: I would pick Gold Rush Alaska. But basically Discovery Channel has made every form of job a reality show. The next will be high school janitors, eavesdropping on all the kids’ problems.
Richmond hosted its first RVA Street Art Festival this past weekend, transforming the previously drab power plant and floodwall on the James River into a giant masterpiece.
Dozens of national street artists participated in the event, each given an 18’x32' piece of the wall to work with. Check out the pictures and make sure to visit the sight, located on 12th and Byrd Streets by the Canal Walk.
Photos by Matthew "Chewy" McDonald.
The Richmond Ad Club kicked off its Richmond Show on Friday, April 13 at the historic Jefferson Hotel. The 90’s–themed award show, cleverly dubbed the “RAD Show,” drew in approximately 300 guests, complete with tie-dye, ring pops, and special edition RVA stickers.
Despite the 90’s theme, the Richmond Show again awarded all winners with the traditional gold, silver and bronze cannonballs—only in Richmond would the most prestigious award in advertising come in cannonball-form. The cannonballs, handcrafted in a pewter shop in Gum Springs, Virginia, have become the signature of the Richmond Ad Club’s annual event.
Two special recognitions were given at the show. Terry Taylor of Big River, was honored as the Richmond Ad Person of the Year, and Hunter Pechin of the VCU Brandcenter, accepted the Harry Jacobs Scholarship. The scholarship was created to honor Jacobs, the chairman emeritus of The Martin Agency.
As for Martin, our Younger Skin spot for Walmart took home the “Best in Show” award. By the end of the night, The Martin Agency had taken home 26 awards. Here’s the breakdown:
Gold Awards
Net 10: Grandmother
Comcast: Moving Rooms
Straight Talk: Expensive Car
GEICO: Daycare
Walmart: Necklace/Surprise, Audible, From The Car, Conveyor Belt Case Study
BF Goodrich: Shaun White
John F. Kennedy Library: Khrushchev
Silver Awards
GEICO: Sushi
Straight Talk: Paparazzi
Walmart: Conveyor Belt Campaign 2, Horn, Guy’s Gifts
Mentos: Gum Gallery Documentary
VMFA: Picasso
Manpower: Age Of
Moen: Buy it for Looks. Buy it for Life.
Mentos: Choose UP2U website
Bronze Awards
GEICO: Guinea Pigs, Cats & Dogs
Walmart: Dance, Conveyor Belt Campaign 1, Yodeling Cat
VMFA: Picasso
… and some lovely photos of our Martin winners showing off their cannonballs:
Photos by Michael Jeffries Photography.
Robin Long died Wednesday of the cancer that had made her family’s life very hard over the past few years. She was 51 and is survived by her husband John, her son Ben and her daughter Gretchen.
She started at The Martin Agency almost 25 years ago as a traffic manager and rose to become a senior vice president and manager of the creative department.
Her death won’t be noted in the advertising trade publications. She won’t be named to any of the industry halls of fame. Someone else has already taken over her responsibilities at the agency.
Our industry gives gold pencils and platinum lions to writers and art directors and creative directors. Account management leaders go to conferences at places with great golf courses. Account planners covet the Jay Chiat Award. The people who control big media budgets can aspire to a whole series of honors. Press releases extol clients and agency presidents.
In the 24 years since Robin joined our company, we’ve had a few thousand employees. A few hundred have been in the spotlight for their work. The traffic directors and project managers and department coordinators did their work in relative obscurity.
I understand this. Your place in the sun isn’t always a result of the work you do. Sometimes it’s just a perk you get for the position you hold.
But I’m convinced that what makes one agency better than another agency isn’t just the quality of its stars. It’s the quality of its community. The rest of us get credit for our craftsmanship when the real craftsmanship comes from unsung studio artists or production managers — or from the proofreaders who corrected our spelling and fixed our grammar. Good project managers, financial managers and administrative people save our butts every day: by helping us make deadlines and stay on budgets, they do more than their share in keeping our clients satisfied. Our receptionist often makes the first impression with new business prospects; the presentation those prospects see was the work of AV guys who probably worked all night. Every day, accounting, operations, HR and IT folks accommodate insecure account executives, paranoid creative people, late timesheets and Neanderthal agency c-suites.
Lord knows how they do it.
At my company, my partner John Adams and I are often complimented on the culture we’ve created. We know better. No two or ten or twenty people created this culture. Robin and a lot of other Martinites whose names rarely appeared in the press or on the awards certificates created it.
Robin made our company better. She made me better.
The outpouring of grief at our company since Wednesday has been sobering and inspiring. When we stopped to think about it, we realized what a huge difference Robin Long made at our company. She was part of the fabric of this place for a long, long time. She cared about us.
Robin loved her job. Just as my dad — a production manager at an ad agency back in the ’50s — loved his. They didn’t expect to get the credit they deserved when they worked late in the night to help others look good.
But they should have received that credit anyway.
Robin’s son, Ben, asked me to speak at her memorial service. I hope I don’t say anything that I didn’t say to her. I hope she knew how I felt.
What's more dramatic than an underwater surfer rodeo in a Bollywood movie? A spelling bee among word people. Martin Agency spelling aces bested teams of librarians and teachers on their road to victory at Richmond's first annual Corporate Spelling Bee while raising money for the Henrico Education Foundation.
Looking for the most formidable spelling team of three in our company, we held an internal competition that drew a diverse group of employees. Who knew there were so many closet spelling fanatics in our ranks?
After a fierce spelling smackdown, only Brad Armstrong, Lindsay Newport and Patti Fox remained to go to battle to defend the agency’s spelling honor.
Richmond’s first Corporate Spelling Bee was attended by 12 teams that were divided into two competitive rounds. Capital One won the first round and The Martin Agency won the second round, sending these two teams into the final, ‘stinger’ round to determine the champion.
Tricky words ranging from ‘colloquy’ and ‘Guernsey’ to ‘polonaise’ and ‘commensal’ were impeccably spelled by The Martin Agency team, who ultimately secured their impressive victory with ‘immiscible.’
The agency has won shelves of advertising awards over the years. The trophy at the front desk these days simply reads ‘Spelling Bee Grand Champions.’
For many months, longtime employee and much-loved friend Robin Long has been battling cancer. A small group met to discuss how we could help. The brief was simple: Make her smile.
It started with jokes. Who doesn’t love a [insert funny here], right? We asked Shockoe to submit voicemails of their best comedic performances that we could deliver to Robin. Our plan was to send her one joke a day to make her laugh in the face of a daunting treatment.
We got responses. They were good. But the delivery mechanism seemed a little lackluster. Voicemail? C’mon. So we decided to take the idea and build something different. Something cool for Robin.
What about an app? There’s an app for everything. Why not one to cheer up a friend? Visual voicemail could be interesting. Yeah. Artwork generated by sound. Could the artwork come out of a robin’s egg? Beautiful, elegant and that small plus of the fitting name. But where would we find the art? A question with an easy answer.
One of the great things about working with a bunch of creative people is well, working with a bunch of creative people. Imagination lives in the walls, or in our case, on the walls. It’s everywhere. A loose piece of paper doesn’t usually make it out of a client call without morphing into a full-blown comic strip. ADD at work equals doodles galore.
So we asked the agency for art. There were no stipulations. Just draw.
We gathered a collection of Martin’s best procrastination and plugged it into Applespace; a simple way of saying one kickass designer and one brilliant developer spent days and nights transforming hand-drawn sketches into a working app.
Robin’s Egg hatched. We got friendly bears, hearts with biceps, fat cats, jazz musicians, superheroes. We got imagination at its best— The Martin Agency in a nutshell…errr, an egg. All incubated within these doodled walls.
I've only worked here for a little over a year, but I can't imagine our atrium filled with more love than the day we presented the egg to Robin. Spine tingles. Goose bumps. For you cynics, warm fuzzies. She smiled.
What started as a voicemail grew into a bright blue egg full of random joy. And now that it’s available in the App Store, people everywhere can create their own Robin’s Eggs and keep the love going.
The wheels are already spinning for version 2.0. Stay tuned.
Have you ever made out at the agency?
He said: All the time. Everywhere.
What’s the best/worst part of working together?
She said: I am so glad we finally work together. I just love it. I know what he thinks just by looking at his face, and that makes life easier. The worst, having to make him work over the weekend.
He said: Best and worst — working together.
Is there anything that your spouse does at work that gets on your nerves or embarrasses you?
He said: Yes, but I can't say or I am a dead man.
What tagline sums up your relationship?
He said: Did we ever have Pepsi? Because it would have to be: Be young, have fun, drink Pepsi. But change Pepsi to Coke. And change young to old. And change fun to burritos.
Have you ever made out in the agency?
She said: P1 garage.
He said: Which agency? We've worked at two together. And let's just say one of them had to buy a new conference room table.
Does your spouse critique your wardrobe before work?
She said: Ha…….
He said: She lays out my outfit every morning, so that would really be a self-critique.
Any special plans tonight?
She said: Valentine's Day isn't our favorite holiday, and traditionally we opt for the anti-Valentine's Day dinner and go to a diner. We haven't found our favorite diner in Richmond yet.
He said: I made special plans to call her around 7:00 and whisper sweetly, I won't be home for a while, gotta work.
How’d you meet?
She Said: We did meet at work, just not here. We met at VCU. I hadn’t really noticed Matt until one day he stood up to help me move a heavy computer. When I realized he was taller than me I vowed to take a closer look.
He Said: We met at work but not here. She was my supervisor at the VCU new-student registration program. I came off the elevator and she was sitting there in a sweater that showed off her managerial talents. I also liked how tall she was. I'd always dated short girls and I liked that she didn't have to stand on a coffee table to look me in the eye. She was intimidating, though. Very authoritative and take-charge. Took me a month to get up the nerve to ask her out.
If you had an all-agency wedding party, who would be in it?
He Said: Mike Hughes would marry us because his sermon would be eloquent and awe-inspiring. My best man would be Greg Cassidy because he knows strippers and can keep a secret.
Any special Valentine's Day plans? Fancy dinner or conference calls?
She said: How did you know? Of course we can’t plan a dinner out — someone may have to work late. I did buy some steaks which can be grilled at 6:30 pm or 10:30 pm. Whenever we get home.
He said: We thought we'd start with a late night at work followed by a nice quiet drive home around midnight. Then maybe feed the cat before bed.
Any advice for coworkers considering an intra-office romance?
She said: This is hard because I would strongly advise against it. But it’s the smartest thing I’ve done.
How long did you keep your relationship under wraps?
He said: I think John Adams knew we were dating before we did. Not that he was snooping around or anything. That’s not his thing. But he knew early, I think thanks to Kristen’s boss at the time. Once he knew, it really took any pressure off to be secretive, so that was smooth sailing.
Which harder is harder, advertising or marriage?
She said: Advertising by a long shot. Jed never complains that my emails aren't clever enough. If I suggest we paint a wall blue, he doesn't point out that another couple already has a blue wall and therefore "owns" the color blue. And the best part, he never asks me to say things with more of a smile.
He said: Advertising is way harder. At home, there are only 2 people we have to make happy, and both of us are rooting for that outcome. As for advertising? Let’s just say it’s way more than 2, and, even if we love each other (in the non-marrying way), it’s harder to get over the hump.
Any special Valentine’s Day plans?
She said: Jed will be flying back from a meeting that night, so I'm anticipating a call around 8 p.m. from the Atlanta airport, letting me know that he missed his connection and won't be in until the next morning. At which point, I will turn on Lifetime's Hit Series "Dance Moms," and let Huck the Dog up on the couch with me.
Does your husband/wife critique your wardrobe choices before work?
He said: Yes. Luckily most of our conversations are supportive and constructive. I have to acknowledge Kristen has really helped me move the ball down the field, fashion-wise. But we did not get there overnight. It’s been the result of little decisions day in, day out. Every damn day.
Does any Martin Agency character share the same traits as your spouse?
He said: Terri is a lot like the Gecko in that she looks good naked.
Have you ever made out in the office?
He said: Yes. I have always had access to all the back rooms and secret places. That's all I'm going to (allowed) to say.
She said: Ummmmmmm. Yep! Well, actually, it was at the North Allen location. Tom Layman caught us kissing in the A/V booth! Ha! We also stole kisses in the elevator.
Anything else you’d like to share:
She said: Our marriage has been amazing (almost 23 years now) and we're the best team. We had to be in order to survive and be friends at the end of the day. Having four kids ages five and younger (twins included) made life very busy for a very long time. In fact, it is still very busy. Thank goodness Jim was and still is my support, my best friend and comforter.
He said: Terri LOVES fart jokes. She gets tears in her eyes from laughing so hard at this clip.
Who's better at his/her job?
He said: Currently Julie is chief assistant to Elliott Peel, our boss and child. Previously assistant to our other boss, JNo. Not sure which is more challenging but I'm sure either is harder than mine. I draw pictures all day.
What tagline from a Martin Agency client, past or present, best sums up your relationship?
He said: Virginia is for lovers, innit!
Which is harder, marriage or advertising?
He said: Advertising. It's like you are married to a whole bunch of people.
Does your spouse ever critique your wardrobe choices before work?
I often ask things like, "Can I wear cowboy boots with this" and "is this too creased to wear" (which the reply is nearly always yes). Julie needs such affirmations.
Other than your Julia, who's your work crush?
Hmm, I have a bit of a crush on Todd Hippensteel's finely tuned beard.
Last week, strategic planner Malcolm Venable was interviewed on The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU – the leading public radio station for NPR news and information in the greater Washington, D.C., area. Malcolm joined guests Jack Neff (Advertising Age) and Linda Holmes (NPR's "Monkey See" blog) to talk about advertising aimed at men.
I’m a Texan, by God. And although there is plenty for us to be embarrassed about, we are rightfully proud of a few things. Willie Nelson, for one. And chili. And guys in heels. And don’t forget art cars.
Yes, art cars. They’re all over the place. Houston has a museum, Amarillo has Cadillac Ranch and Austin has a parade that culminates in a party across the street from where I used to live.
I’ve always been fascinated by customization. It seems all the rage these days thanks to the Internets. But for someone to so roundly reject the stories, images and symbols emblazoned onto their car only to personalize it with their own is a testament to the individualization of the Texas spirit. It’s branding...car instead of cow.
By 2004, I was ready to create my own but found it unnerving, confusing and almost sacrilegious to strip any car — in this case a Jeep — of its original meaning. Just the thought of it seemed equal to raising my middle finger, only I didn’t know who or what it was directed toward.
Rather than dive in head first, I dipped a toe and chose the most temporary of automotive mediums: the bumper sticker. And to mess with anyone who sought out deeper meaning, I used stickers from every possible political viewpoint. The final product looked pretty badass, if I do say so myself, but I never felt compelled to turn the Jeep into something entirely new. Jeeps don’t have good art car “lines.” They’re clunky. I needed a smooth and clean slate.
That came in the form of a decade old, Champaign gold, three-hubcapped Camry valued at $500. It needed love. It needed rebranding.
Conveniently, I had a gallon of exterior latex in the garage. Semi-gloss. After a moment of hesitation, I flipped on the belt sander and got to work on the body panels. Hours later, and with two coats, I had my canvas but felt a strange sense of disloyalty to something greater than myself. Maybe just ad guys get this sense...not sure. I’m sure the Colombians and Indians who paint their buses would think I’m a nutter. But this is America, damn it. We treat our cars like Gollum treats his “precious.”
At this point I was in need of inspiration. Gluing junk to the hood was out...too much hassle. Then one night I noticed something ironic: the United Nations doesn’t have global brand standards. It’s almost as if their fleet-ordering process includes rounding up a few dozen white cars wherever they’re deployed, some hack finds a brush and some baby blue and...boom! UN vehicles.
Unlike the Jeep, the cops noticed this one. So did the papers. It was only a matter of weeks before international news bureaus were calling me to ask why I did it. I never gave a straight answer because there were so many to start with. It’s my response to the “war” in Iraq. It’s my postmodern non-place on wheels. Blah blah blah...I realized it’s much easier to simply go with the story sold to you (e.g., Volvo stands for safety and Toyota for reliability) than to make your own stance.
But the whole experience did give me a laugh. The United Nations went as far to inform my friend at the American-Statesman that, although they discovered it is legal to impersonate a UN official on American soil, my use of their logo was copyright infringement and I would receive a cease and desist order if they ever found me.
They didn’t, and eventually I grew tired of “UNcar” and migrated back to bumper sticker art. Enter Mayamobile. It was a safe alternative to its politically-charged predecessor (and I could finally drive out of my liberal Austin oasis without fear of being shot by rednecks).
Landing in Richmond in 2007 meant it was time for a change. This is NASCAR country, and I needed racing stripes. I was also inspired by Dwight Schrute. But I got lazy or, what’s more likely, the two toddlers in my home didn’t match up with late nights cutting into vinyl paper with X-ACTO knives. I defaulted to a few stencils and pints of gaudy color.
More recently I’ve handed over the creative reigns to my daughters. Their first request was, not surprisingly, a unicorn. Perfect.
So there you have it. In line with the rest of my parenting — teaching them the value of Tabasco on eggs, stressing the importance of referencing one’s butt as a “tuchus,” using tickle torture as an effective form of discipline, etc. — I’m teaching my girls to take some ownership over the brands in their lives. And I’m not alone.
It used to be our ability to customize was constrained by mass production. Most material possessions were built in one size to fit all. But as technology becomes faster and cheaper, consumers will be able to customize what they buy to better express who they are. It’s still largely foreign territory, but I’d like to think we’re entering a world where we define brands as much as they define us. No middle finger necessary.
After days of interviewing our employees for the People section of the website, we gave the editors free reign with the footage.
Background music courtesy of hum.
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we asked everyone how Martin Luther King's legacy has impacted them or their families. Our president, Mike Hughes, gave us all something to think about:
When my son was in high school, he was assigned to write an essay about the person in history he'd most like to have dinner with. He wrote about Martin Luther King, Jr. Normally an outstanding student, Jason didn't get a good grade on this paper. The teacher said he'd turned in a very good paper, but his selection of dinner companion was too easy and obvious. Apparently a number of students in this predominantly white school had chosen King.
You can argue with the teacher's reasoning (my son certainly did), but there's a point to be made here. King has been so canonized over the past 40 years that it's sometimes hard to see past the myth. That's not all bad, of course: we need mythic heroes — and King is a pretty good one. But he was also (like all of us) a flawed human being who made mistakes. Still, that astonishingly young flesh-and-blood man was able to change the world not with explosives or violence, but with the force of his thinking and the power of his words.
At a time when we're all feeling pretty hopeless about making policy change happen in Washington, maybe we should see past St. Martin. Maybe we should be inspired by the real man and what he accomplished.
Mike
Photo via Pingnews.
I got the email in November. I had made it into the Martin Agency Student Workshop. Per the application, I had spent months creating the dialogue for a nutcracker cartoon, explaining the fruithood of a tomato, and making a clown lawyer’s license plate, all while my friends were studying for their science tests or something like that. And it worked!
With a month and a half before my trek to Richmond, my mind forgot rationality. In my head, the insides of Martin were filled with instant problem solvers who, after years of experience, could create a UNC-Chapel Hill case study campaign at lunch after an 11:30 briefing. Anyone who touched the agency turned to gold, so how could a bunch of students fit in? And then, in a good way, things got real…
The agency became “real,” and the first-day nerves seemed to disappear. It wasn’t some mystery agency with an idea fountain. No, instead, normal people actually work here. We met the guy behind the freecreditreport.com music and then listened to his band. We talked to CEO John Adams, who proceeded to tell us he used to throw up before every presentation he gave in school. And, I’ve ridden the elevator with tens of people who truly are interested in talking to some senior from North Carolina.
Also, this past Thursday, the work became real. We changed from cartoonists, fruit philosophers and creative clown lawyers to real agency teams working on a new business pitch. Sure, we had worked on projects in class or at agencies before, but now, that Account Coordinator who could fix everything wasn’t there and grades didn’t matter anymore. Everything from the dense MRI research, to the insight finding, to the competitive analysis, to the creative brief, to the creative media planning and copywriting was on us. It has been as close to a real agency experience as you’ll find anywhere as a student.
Of course I’ve felt overwhelmed at times, but finally, this place I read about at school has become real to me and it’s been a thrill to become comfortable here. I’ve learned that it might be worth it to spend four hours on a single word in a key message, that clear communication saves teams, that a production budget disappears the second someone thinks the word “television,” and that no matter how ”real” and “comfortable” the agency becomes, I might still get chills each time I walk through the atrium.
In the spirit of the season, a few of us thought it would be fun to create an open-source holiday card...on a whiteboard. We drew the frame and a simple message, but we left the fate of the masterpiece in the hands of interested passers-by.
From traditional characters like Santa, Frosty and Kevin from Home Alone, to the not-so-traditional antlered pizza and flying squirrel, we think it turned out pretty great.
The Martin Agency has a strong history of giving back to its community and a variety of worthy causes. But this year we decided to do something different. We combined all our charitable campaign efforts into one unified platform – Martin Makes a Difference (MMaD) – in hopes of raising more money than ever before. MMaD is internally run by volunteers within the agency and benefits the United Way, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.
While we wanted to raise money, we also wanted to provide some fun for our employees so we hosted events over the holiday season.
We hosted a cookout where the purchase of a custom MMaD wristband got you into an event full of food, games and a decoration auction.
Our ITS crew offered their services at the ITS Genius Bar, where employees received technical help on personal equipment in exchange for small donations. These geniuses were even able to bring a Compaq Presario with Windows 98 back to life.
The bake sale before Thanksgiving was a huge hit too.
We also held an Accesory Exchange where donated handbags, scarves, belts, wallets and other items were resold.
The annual auction was a great success once again, bringing in over $15,000 alone.
And we put our thinking caps on as Martin hosted its first ever Trivia Night, which pitted employee teams against an Executive Dream Team.
Finally, since the plaza in front of our office has a captive audience of pet lovers during the Blessing of the Animals, we had a pet photographer come take pictures of pets and their owners for a donation.
All told, we hit our goal and raised nearly $45,000. We can’t wait to see what 2012 holds for MMaD.
When The Martin Agency’s Christmas tree was delivered this week, our operations team was amazed. Not only was the 18-foot spruce we ordered for our patio gorgeous, it turned out to be more than 24-feet high and so massive at the base that decorating would become a test of physics.
As our team stood and pondered our ornamentation predicament, four members of Richmond’s Fire Department happened by on Hook and Ladder Truck #1 on their way to Shockoe Espresso for one of the local coffee house’s renowned milkshakes.
“Do you all need some help?” they asked.
In no time, Lieutenant Mike Oprandy and firefighters Shaun Whiteley, Adam Mesco and Courtland Lambert positioned their massive, gleaming truck and extended the ladder allowing the firemen to effortlessly and precisely drape lights and hang ornaments all the way to the top of the festive tree. In less than 20 minutes they had saved the day.
To thank our Christmas tree heroes, Melissa Miller from our operations crew presented the firemen with the four milkshakes that brought them to Shockoe Slip in the first place.
For the rest of the season, as our 580+ employees come and go from the agency, we’ll be reminded of the generosity and ingenuity from four of Richmond’s finest first responders.
Photo by Miranda Morgan.
We asked our fellow Martinites what they were thankful for. Many were thankful for their jobs, their families, their health and a surprising number of people were even thankful for Hot Pockets. But one response from our beloved Cheryl Lage blew us away and we felt compelled to share:
What are we NOT thankful for? We have such incredible blessings in our lives.
Yes, my man had (note the past tense!) Stage 3c melanoma – yes it was stressful and unnerving – and every three months we continue have the held-breath of check-up scans--but through it comes crystal clarity of priorities and a keen knowledge of what truly matters in life. He's currently 20 months cancer-free. For that, I am abundantly, inexplicably, thankful.
Yes, a tree blown by Hurricane Irene decimated our home and we've relocated for upwards of a year. My husband, our ten-year-old twins, our dog and I were all IN the house at the time – not a scratch on a one of us. Neighbors came out in hurricane force rain and wind to help pull sentimental items as we could from our compromised house. Friends gave us lodging until we could get long-term, temporary housing. Sure "things" were lost, but they're exactly that – things. For that, I am abundantly, overwhelmingly, thankful.
For a workplace that's a genuinely fun place, for co-workers who are more aptly described as friends, for a church that welcomes discussion and questions in the pursuit of spiritual growth, for the ability to offer assistance and love to others in the way we've so often been recipients...for that I am truly grateful.
Thank you for the chance to opine on the gratefulness I feel so passionately!
Peace,
Cheryl
This past Wednesday, a Richmond community of bloggers, artists, DIYers and creative types gathered at the Plant Zero art gallery for a day of design workshops and forums. And a ridiculously delicious lunch from Homemades by Suzanne. With apple cider.
The highlight of the day was a presentation by Design*Sponge founder, Grace Bonney. She’s one of those women who makes you feel entirely unaccomplished. At 30 years old, she’s already turned her personal blog into a successful international business, given young designers a voice, funded a design scholarship, developed a business series for craftswomen, and written a book.
I immediately went home, wrote a radio spot, did three loads of laundry and put my shoes away so that I could feel accomplished too.
In all seriousness, Grace was inspirational. Not in a cheesy way, but in a creativity-reigniting way. She spoke about her desire to save print. To make print pieces that are so beautiful, different or interesting that people will want to pay $10 for them. She made a compelling case for publishers to slash budgets, not titles, in hopes that rigid budget standards will lead to unexpected creativity in the medium. Her specific recommendation was for all of us to read Lucky Peach, a food journal created by Momofuku’s David Chang and published by McSweeney's. There’s a whole issue about ramen. And it’s beautiful.
I would be remiss not to include a link for where you can buy Bonney’s own book, Design*Sponge at Home. It’s a 400-page lifesaver that includes astounding before-and-afters, step-by-step projects (with budget, time, and difficulty guides), and an essential tutorial section with directions to do everything from stripping paint off furniture to hanging wallpaper.
Thank you, Grace, for sharing with all of us. And thank you, Richmond Magazine, for creating this event.
Oh, and check out Design*Sponge's guide to Richmond here.
We filled the Atrium and patio with carnival games, cotton candy, face painting, ghastly cobwebs — you know, just another day at the office. Friends and family were invited, and everyone who is anyone was there.