Sure its a recession but...

...there are people still out there that want to spend money. I walked into Target today willing and checking account cleared willing to buy a newly reduced priced Xbox 360 and Tiger Woods 09 video game. I have spent the last 5 months deep in work and I needed to spend some hard earned cash on myself. Simple enough.

The problem is I didn't spend a dime today.

After wandering around for 25 minutes looking for any, I repeat, any employee, I gave up with the mindset that Target missed out on close to $400 dollars of sales simply because of lack of staff.

Hell i understand. Times are tough. Profits are slim. Hiring freezings, corporate reductions. Its all standard in times like these, but there is ONE thing you can't ignore. SALES.

You cannot, I repeat CANNOT, reduce sales force and hope to increase or keep existing sales. There are so much better ways to cut costs, but now when Targets sales numbers come out soon, they will be $400 lower, and while its not much, I guarantee I'm not the only customer who will never go back to Target again. Enjoy the recession Target.

Driving Mr Hegarty

So I signed up to drive John Hegarty of BBH fame from the airport to his room at the Jefferson. In case you don't know John Hegarty is the H in BBH. And just in case you don't know. Its Sir John Hegarty. And just in case I worked for BBH this summer.

So this is a pretty big deal. I get 20 minutes with him in the car one on one and I need some suggestions for questions for him. Advertising related, non-advertising, crazy. Bring some questions on. Ill ask him the best.

McCain Wassssup.

Worlds collide.

Busy Busy Busy

Whoo..

It was supposed to be easier this year. They lied. I work harder this year than last hands down, and I know why. The first year is filled with "make me three print executions."

This year is filled with "make me":
Print, radio, OOH, ambient, Point of sale, web, website, minisite, logo design, brand integrity, business plan, strategy, banners, and a great deck, and go present it.

In two weeks. For three classes.

Oh and top of that do some freelance projects. The thing is, its addicitng. At some point you start to lose track of days, hours, and weeks. It all becomes one long blurry day with short interruptions of an hour of TV here and there, but the pile of completed work starts to pile up next to you.

But its not all work here in the 804. I've been to some pretty cool events here. A awesome folk festival where I had my first deep fried oreo and soft serve root beer float, oh yeah and some music. I even got a chance to see Bill Clinton speak at our school to rally for Obama. Pretty awesome to see one of the world's best speakers in action. So back to work. Wish me well.

Profit tips in a depression.

With the stock market crashing every day, companies in free fall and stock values being decapitated daily, its important to choose wisely during these strained economic times. But the good news is that there are a few stocks out there that are doing well, and will turn you a tidy depression profit.

1. Bindles Inc. (BIND)

"Keeping your last worldly possessions safe from competing hobos since 1932."

Quite possibly the worlds finest bindles. At over 400 thread count these bindles will keep your remaining possessions safe and away from the dirty clutches of your neighbor hobos as you cris-cross the rails of America aimlessly until the next world war.


2. Bean Time. (FART)

"Don't be so sad about a depression. Its bean time!"

What other meal quite fills you up more after watching your daughter feed an old malnourished man with her breast milk in an abandoned flooded barn? Beans of course, silly! Packed with protein, and syrup its bound to pick you up and fill you with that wholesome treat from yester year, most likely because our cans are still left over from the last depression.


3. Louisville Slugger (LSS)

"America's rioters choice."

What better way to show your appreciation to Wall street, corporate head, lobbyists, and the government than with a Louisville Slugger? Everyone knows that authentic sound of a slugger pinging off the skulls of greedy old white men. And while it might not make your bank give your money back, breaking and burning it down might make you sleep a little better.

So enjoy these free tips to help you ride the depression in style and with a little luck a few extra coins in your pocket!

Want to know how to be a success in advertising?

Read this.

A great post from a succesful man hopping the pond to Europe.

In honor of my dad.

Chi&Partners London

Choose your words wisely.

The pope says advertising is killing religion. Well kinda. In a recent interview he says that modern culture is killing faith. He said:

"nations once rich in faith and vocations are losing their own identity under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture."

Its probably a tough time for the pope right now. Religion is on the decline in most of the western world. With increasing war, depression, human rights violations, and evil all under the name of leaders who claim to believe in god, its not surprising for this decline.

So I don't blame the pope for lashing out at what he doesn't understand. The only problem is that he's attacking himself. Religion is the original culture. Its more modern than any fad or trend. Its always changing, whether for better or worse.

More human culture has come from religion than anywhere else. He is missing a huge opportunity to use religion as the center of culture. Instead it sticks to what its good at. History and fear.

As a non-religious person I have a healthy bit of contempt for it. However, I believe that the best parts of humanity are also represented in religion. If I was in charge of rebranding religion I would build it around culture and the fact that it is the original seed of culture.

So Pope Leo, its time for a rebrand of religion. You can do this. The world needs you to do it cause lets be honest, condoms arent that bad.

Almost there....Come on.....

So admittedly It's been hard being back. Not that its tougher or confusing or new. No its all me. My lazy ass has been unmotivated, as I've blogged about before. But I've finally turned a corner and now feel like I'm back in school again.

Sure it took 6 weeks but who's counting. Well the teachers are. There definitely feels like a little bit of the: "Come on guys, time to get moving" feeling coming from the school. But im definitely not the only one to feel a little lack of motivation.

It is a good feeling to be getting work done again then staring at blank screens. Hopefully this won't stop.

So I look as today as the beginning of school. With only 26 weeks left until I'm done. Its time to get this shit rolling and get out of Richmond!

My little red headed child.

I'm sorry blog and readers. I've treated this space badly. No updates. No culture. No nothing. I promise I'm here. Alive.

This blog has transformed over the year(s) and has changed from a how Brandcenter works into a how advertising works into a diary. It's a little wishy washy right now. Time to tighten it up. So I've decided to pick a format for the final push out of Richmond VA.

More updates to come on work here. I want to leave this a resource for students thinking about coming here, to have an inside view, one I didn't have.

Oh and don't worry Kelly. More culture to come.