A few weeks ago, an art director friend of mine called. He's been out of work for nearly a year. He called to let me know he had an interview, breaking a four-month dry spell. Apparently, it went well.

"Did you follow up with a thank you note?" I asked.

"Should I?" he responded.

Uh, yeah.
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According the SXSW website, all of the SXSW hotels are booked, but I'm sure there's room at an  inn somewhere in Austin. You going?

If you didn't know, SXSW is an annual don't-miss event that showcases all things happening interactively, musically, theatrically and more. It takes place March 9-18 in Austin, TX. Here's what you can expect. 

Last month, someone posted my first commercial on YouTube.

It was like seeing an old friend.

I was an intern at D'Arcy Massius Benton & Bowles during summer of '88 when I pitched the campaign "It's not just your car, it's your freedom" (later changed to "It's not just a car") and this spot about a kid leaving home.

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to see it produced, because it happened after my internship ended. And one of the copywriters who befriended that summer called to let me know it was airing. I was never "officially" credited for the work. I think because I bruised a few egos with that presentation. After all, I was only a sophomore in college and my idea was chosen by the client.

When I saw the spot on TV for the first time, I was angry and felt cheated that I wasn't part of the production, but it quickly changed when I came to the realization that this was what I wanted do when I grew up.

Well into my career, it turned out it wouldn't be the last time I wasn't credited for taglines and other campaign ideas. You do your best to fight for the recognition you deserve, but there will be times when you'll have to live with being the unsung hero.

On a positive note, that commercial gave me the validation that I was good enough to work in this business.

Seeing that commercial again was a nice reminder.

March. That's a deadline for a lot of scholarship money.

Have you applied for your money? (It's yours for the taking.) Have you looked into what free money is available?

You saw the word "free," right?

My undergrad degree was paid in full with scholarships. (Notice the plural.)

I won one scholarship due to the fact that NO ONE else applied for it. For two years, they sent me a check just for filling out the application.

Imagine that. Some scholarship programs can't give money away.

And not all scholarships are academic. My college roommate got $500 once just for being left-handed.

Do your homework. Check with your school and check online to see what's still available. Then apply while there's still time.

I ran across this social media earning chart by Onward Search. Check it out and see where you stand or where you can be.


© 2012 Onward Search

ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and Forrester Research, Inc. just published a report about a renewed belief in the effectiveness of television advertising. In the last two years, the number of surveyed respondents has tripled of those who believe TV ads have become more effective.

I often talked to several readers who are trying to make the move to digital and other mediums, because of their difficulty starting a career or getting back into a traditional marketing gig.

It doesn't sound like you have to give up on TV. Our thinking has to change about how we interact with it. Since the Super Bowl, marketers are paying even more attention to the "second screen."

Audiences are multitasking. The mobile phone and/or computer screens now work simultaneously with the television screen, creating a new level of message delivery beyond the :30 and :60.

You can read more about the report here.

Image courtesy of stock.xchng.

I'm having a geek moment. My T-shirt just arrived from TeeFury.



TeeFury is a site where artists can submit a T-shirt design to be sold for $10. It has a great call-to-action – the shirt design is only on sale for one day only. "Tee today, gone tomorrow," as the site says. So if you love it, you've got to buy it now. Being a Doctor Who fan, I jumped on this "Merry Melodies" interpretation of the three doctors by artist Zerobriant.

If you're looking for a creative outlet, some exposure, and a chance to earn a few bucks, why not submit something to TeeFury? They pay $1 per shirt sold and the artist retains full rights to their design.

In fact, here's a list of their top earning artists:

Ian Leino $31,879 USD

Zerobriant $29,007 USD

WinterArtwork $28,973 USD

Captain RibMan $24,295 USD

RudyRed $23,757 USD

Not bad for a series of one-day sales. And by the way, I was happily surprised by the high quality of the shirt for the $10 price tag.

When you're 15 years old, your future is wide open. Chicago resident Herbert Pulger, a freshman at Lawrence Hall Youth Services, may see his future in art. He could have a career as an art director, illustrator, animator etc. It looked like he was off to a promising start when he recently won the city vehicle sticker design contest.
Then it was taken from him.

According to Chicago Sun-Times reports, Pulger was stripped of his win by Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza because the extending hands in his design "could be 'misconstrued' as including gang signs."

Pulger denies any affiliation. Regardless, his art teacher provided hand images from a flyer Pulger apparently used as inspiration for his entry as seen in this Sun-Times photo with Pulger's mother Jessica Loor holding up the comparisons.
So if the committee had issues with Pulger's work, why couldn't they be addressed before humiliating the kid? Why not give him a chance to make adjustments to his entry?

Doing work you're proud of, only to have it go away or altered for reasons beyond your control is, as we all know, part of the business.

Our business.

Adult business.

This is a kid.

He has plenty of time to deal with realities later.

You're invited to McDonald's Flavor Battle, a nationwide DJ competition I worked on.

Hosted by Doug E. Fresh, the finale will air live online 9pm ET on flavorbattle.com. If you live in the Miami area, go to the site now to RSVP and check out the event at CAMEO.

Did any of you pick up a mobile phone during game time? I don't mean to call or text trash talk to your friends during the Super Bowl. All eyes were on the commercials of course, but I looked forward to what many brands planned for smartphones  – or the second screen.

Best Buy, Chevy, Toyota, Pepsi, Go Daddy and Subway made the digital jump and had people spending time with their brands beyond any :60 spot.

The most engaging for me was Chevy's Game Time, an app that was pushed days before the game. It was basically an interactive quiz for a chance to win cars and prizes.
Toyota Camry also hosted a mobile contest that encouraged people to write their own Toyota stories.