Aldo Shoes For Life – Video / Interactive / Social
I saw this site circulating around the web over the last couple of days but havent had a chance to check it out until this morning when it was presented as a FWA hopeful recipient of “site of the day”.
Read More »The CNN Challenge
AGENCY: RED Interactive | Role: Producer, Interactive
The final project I worked on with my time at RED Interactive, and a project I was very proud of. The CNN Challenge (no longer alive – RIP) was a flash-based, video rich interactive game that dealt with real-time news stories/topics administered via a custom Django/Python CMS. This was the first project at RED that utilized a team of hardcore back-end development, rich media, high-end flash front & back-end development, as well as several green-screen shots that occurred at various Turner Broadcast locations across the US.
I inherited the project and did everything I can to work with a team and motivate them to continue to push the edge and come up with the best creative and technical achievements possible. It was a huge success for CNN and the first interactive experience between their audience and favorite CNN personalities.
You select the host you want to lead you through a three round trivia game based on current news events. Depending on how well or not-so-well you do, the host will provide you alternate messages to either motivate or encourage you to do better. After three rounds you are given a final score which you can then review against folks in the network.
It was a challenging project, but a very satisfying project, the people we worked with at Turner/CNN where incredible & provided a ton of support. Custom ads were sold by the media team (which you are served in between each round via interstitials).
Spotter – Gold’s Gym iPhone App
AGENCY: McKinney | Role: Lead Producer, Interactive
The flagship digital component to the “Know Your Own Strength” work for Gold’s Gym was about more than pure muscle — though it does speak to that. It examines the inner strength that can be found in anyone. The strength that enables people to achieve their goals — whatever they may be. The app was to be a daily/weekly companion to Gold’s Gym members all over the world – to help them achieve their goals, learn about classes, and exchange challenges and achievements socially.
The process was intense – this was one of the most difficult projects I ever worked on because of a bad decision I made early on — I selected the wrong partner. The client (Gold’s) suggested a small mobile app developer with zero reputation in the industry based out of the Bay Area. I had a conversation with them & really liked the folks (and still like them as people, just not professionals). Although my mind told me otherwise – to go with the safer (more expensive, but tested & tried) vendor partner, I selected them.
Long story short – though they developed 1-2 award winning apps, the team that was a part of that success was no longer there & the team I had working on my application was comprised of freelancers who had no stake in the project. I forced myself on them when i wasn’t recieving the results I expected and flew out to San Francisco & insisted on sitting side-by-side with their crew for a week to finalize phase 1 of the project.
We pulled it off & launched it & quickly fired them (much to their happiness) and hired a different partner out of NY to clean up, optimize and publish phases 2 & 3 of the app (which i did not produce).
Overall I am very happy with the product that was developed - creatively it is very well done & easy to navigate through & understand the flow. It connected to their back-end web services to bring back class schedules, gym information and other important pieces of information.
I also learned a lot – do your research – ask questions, make sure the team at a vendor partner who may have worked on a flagship product is the same team (full time, on staff, not freelance) that will work on your project.
W+K’s CCO – John Jay
W+K in my opinion is the best Advertising Agency in the world hands down. I had the pleasure of interviewing & meeting a lot of people there & couldn’t have more respect for the organization. I unfortunately wasn’t given an offer but remain a loyal friend and fan of the work they produce.
John Jay is W+K’s Chief Creative Office – he is a legend, the main has a vision & he is who he is because of the way he thinks. I love this video – caught it today on Crowsnest and wanted to share it with everyone. Here are a couple lines I love:
- “There is no singular process… You don’t hire an architect to have his style imposed upon you… you don’t hire an agency to have their thinking totally imposed upon you.”
- “We can be great listeners and have empathy for your culture”
- “Understand their soul… and make that soul relevant to more people”
- “Put yourself in unusual culture where you dont belong… out of your comfort zone… that’s very very important”
- “Sometimes in our industry we get silo’ed to death… He’s an Art Director…Maybe, I would like him to write some words & lets see if he can write a little.
- “It should be our goal to break out of those silos”
Innovation Pillars
I came accross an article that outlines at a high-level mantra that Google claims to employ with how they do business.
Read More »Designers, Developers, PMs
An image has been circulating the web lately that I got a kick out of. I am a Producer, not a Project Manager – but there are several elements within my role that require strong PM skills & I utilize…
I love it – so many reasons why – but behind comedy and criticism lies some truths… So Developers see themselves as scientists, designers as babies and PM’s are lazy. Designers look at themselves as beauty queens, developers as fat sloppy nerds with no life and PMs as those who like to destroy things. Finally a PM seems him or herself as a peace negotiator, a designer as simply someone who fills in the lines with colors and developers a dime a dozen – robots who do what they are told.
Standing up for Designers – we have seen all kinds, babies, queens, and those who just go with the flow with minimal Photoshop skills. I like the designer who works with the developer and producer/project manager to come up with not only the most creative product, but a product that is technicaly sound and creatively unique and exciting (all while meeting that important “it can be done” mantra within the given time-frame/budget).
As a former developer = we aren’t all losers (at least we don’t think we are) – and yes there are developers who are obsessed with showing off that they are smarter then everyone else involved with a project & any idea that is brought up can quickly be shot down with technical jargon. I prefer the developer who can bring it down a notch & talk the talk, not say no right away & listen and bring up alternatives that entertain the idea of compromise.
As a former PM, they do not like to break good ideas down – they aren’t lazy for sure… that’s a horrible misconception. A good PM is one who also can work with a designer & developer – help them quickly the logistics related to the project, can offer creative feedback and bridge the gaps between silo’ed teams.
It is imperative that these three unique roles work together in Advertising, in Marketing, in Software Development. Can’t we all just get along?
Read More »My Childhood…
Its one of those slow days at work (or maybe I am just kinda’ slow today) but I have been catching up on some web links… don’t know how I eventually got to this, but I reached a point where I was reading about the top 100 games that ever came out on the NES…
Read More »Porsche “Engineered For Magic”
AGENCY: Cramer-Krasselt | Role: Lead Producer, Interactive
The first major site I produced when I joined C-K, I was proud and excited to be on the Porsche account as Lead Digital Producer. The idea was simple – help try & erase the ingrained myths about Porsche vehicles with consumers who were on the fence about buying or moving on to another vehicle.
Walking Away From A Project
I have been dealing with web design & development for well over 12 years. Needless to say in that time, regardless of the position I held within the project team structure, I have encountered all types of clients. There are those clients who respect and understand the reason they hired you – therefore give you the opportunity to play your part in helping them succeed. Then there are those “fun” clients who hire you because they want a new spark or creativity & excitement ignited within their brand – but don’t know how to let go & lead you down the same path they had been traveling and getting no where for years. Think Jerry Jones (Cowboys) as opposed to Robert Kraft (Pats)… Need I say more?
This morning I read a great article about saying “No” to a client/project written by Greg Hoy on A List Apart – one of my favorite web sites & I feel it is a must-read for anyone involved in the process… Hope you enjoy!
Read More »Mad Men & Vintage Ads
I am about 1/2 way through the first season of Mad Men… Crazy that I have been back in the Advertising/Marketing world
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