Back in Action

I haven’t posted in a while because I just got back to school; well actually, last Monday, but things have been crazy hectic and my final welcome week certainly did its job. Anyways, I’m back and hope to make blogging part of my schedule during the year. We’ll see how that goes.

So, getting back to it, I have a few things to talk about:

First – I think it officially means I’m a grown-up when I’m purchasing books that fall under the “textbook” category on the Barnes & Noble website for pleasure. Well, I guess we’ll call it that. My first “professional development” book purchase was Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet by James P. Othmer. It’s actually been a very entertaining read so far – so if you’re also into advertising I’d definitely give it a read!

Second – I got the best mailer, IMO in the history of mailers, from VCU’s Brandcenter a few weeks ago. People look at me cross-eyed when I tell them I want to go to VCU for grad school; but if you know anything about advertising, you’ve likely heard of the Brandcenter (formerly AdCenter) in Richmond. After talking to an account planning professional, I knew that VCU and Miami Ad School were the  programs I should be looking into, and this only cemented why.

I’m a sucker for packaging, design, creative messaging, and really anything memorable. Brandcenter’s Sixty definitely fits that description. Even if you aren’t thinking about VCU as a destination, it’s worth a look to really see where the future of advertising is getting its start. Essentially, it showcases student work and emphasizes just how closely the disciplines work together – art direction, copywriting, creative technology, creative brand management, and the program I’ll be applying to, communication strategy.

There’s some seriously awesome creative work in the magazine – a great deal of which I wouldn’t have been able to tell you was produced by students, and a pretty hilarious spread featuring the “Junior Art Director” meme.

You can request a copy of Sixty here. The magazine definitely proved to me why agencies love to hire out of the Brandcenter, and motivated me even further to learn about the work that’s being done at VCU and Miami Ad School.

I also think it’s pretty awesome that someone at VCU replied to me on Twitter, and I can’t wait to visit over fall break!

Finally – This article in Adweek is the story of my life, and my last piece of “if you love advertising, do x” advice for the day.

Behold the ad nerd, a new breed of ad professional who grew up admiring the industry as much for its ability to entertain as to sell. Long before Mad Men unleashed a new era of Madison Avenue retro cool, these millennials were being influenced by campaigns such as Budweiser’s “Wassup?” spots, which became a cultural phenomenon. As kindergarteners, they watched TV for the commercials. In high school, they joined newly formed ad clubs, and many studied advertising in college and graduate programs. They eat, breathe and tweet advertising, possessing the natural 24/7 Web habits of their generation. Addicted? Definitely.

To finally find something that you’re truly passionate about is the best feeling in the world – and to know that you’re working along side others who feel the same way is even better. So much of my time is about to be spent with graduate school applications and job hunting – which are tedious activities to be sure – but I’m so excited to embark upon a journey where I’ll (fingers crossed) join fellow “Ad Nerds” in shaping brands of the future.