It is my pleasure to recommend and endorse Andrew Santos-Johnson for Designer of the Year. Andy joined the Mustang Daily in the Fall of 2006 as the person responsible for dummying the newspaper. But before long his talents made it evident that he needed to be designing ads instead of deciding on what page to place those ads. At the end of the 2006-07 school year he was promoted to the position of lead designer and coordinated the summer staff. During the summer our primary focus is selling and creating ads for the Freshman Orientation and Back to School editions. These two editions have become our biggest and more successful special sections of the school year. To demonstrate the magnitude of these editions, they traditionally account for almost one-fifth of our total annual revenue and this year were 80 and 72 pages respectively. That included more than 300 ads, many of those had to created by our designers and others have to be converted to meet our print specifications. As the summer progresses, the workload continues to increase resulting in a flurry of activity the final two weeks before going to press. When compared to regular daily newspapers, a project of this magnitude might not be considered that overwhelming, however for a college newspaper staff that has no full time graphic designers, only students that work part time, if can be exactly that. Andy was very effective at making sure all of the ads were completed and ready for publication. Andy has since designed several covers for special sections including the Freshman Orientation and two Back to School editions. He has shown a lot of ingenuity and creativity in designing new ads for our local customers. He has demonstrated his leadership ability by working with the Advertising Coordinator to set up and monitor the work schedules of the other four ad designers. Creativity is always a great measuring tool of ad designers but equally important is ability to work under pressure and make the deadline. Combining the two makes a great ad designer and Andy has already shown both qualities despite his lack of prior ad design experience. As Andy gains more experience in ad design, I am sure various newspapers will pursue him as his type of talent is rarely found in the newspaper industry. Sincerely,
Paul Bittick General Manager Mustang Daily Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
To whom it may concern: My name is Charlotte Lilley and I am an account executive at the Mustang Daily at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California. I have been working with the Daily for almost a year now and for that entire time, I have worked closely with Andrew Santos-Johnson. Not only is Andy easy going which makes him easy to get along with, he bears a considerable amount of work and makes no complaint of special requests or staying after for extended hours to finish an ad in order to make a deadline. Peers are always asking him to do tasks left and right, and they all end up completed and on time. I couldn’t be happier to have Andy as our Design Manager! Andy has a true passion for design, made evident by his willingness to put serious energy and concentration into any task, large or small. This allows him to come up with design ideas that are both challenging and creative. All of Andy’s hard work makes my job of presenting an ad to a client much easier. Therefore, making it easier to sell to a client in turn, creates more revenue for the Mustang Daily. A great example of this is when I was having trouble creating an ad that my client, La Palapa, a Mexican restaurant, found eyecatching. I was telling Andy my predicament about how the graphics were not meeting the caliber of the ad that I wanted to present. Andy brought up the idea to go out to the client and take pictures of the restaurant to catch its excellent ambiance. So we scheduled a time that worked for both of us to go out. Needless to say, the owners of La Palapa were flattered that we came by to take pictures of their restaurant. The change of design and creativity excited them and I was able to schedule them to advertise. During the picture taking process I was very impressed that Andy was able to get interesting angles, making the pictures unique. This not only makes him an excellent designer, but an amazing photographer as well. To date, this ad has been the client’s and my personal favorite. Andy’s idea to take original pictures and use them in ads inspired us both to take more pictures of other businesses. Andy is constantly looking for new ideas to make the ads in the Mustang Daily more appealing, not only to the readers but most importantly the clients. This makes presenting and selling the ad much easier and the Mustang Daily has the sales increase to prove it. Andy is an unbelievable asset to the Mustang Daily. He is very dedicated to all of the account executives and clients needs. In closing, Andy has been an inspiration to the entire ad staff at the Mustang Daily. He is a respected leader, co-worker and friend. I just hope the Daily always has an “Andy” around to keep the creative juices running! Sincerely,
Charlotte Lilley Account Executive Mustang Daily Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Central Michigan Life
Graphic Designer OF THE YEAR
Kara McNabb
NOMINATION
CNBAM 2007 436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 PHONE: (989) 774-3493 FAX: (989) 774-7804 EMAIL: advertising@cm-life.com
L E T T E R O F R E C O M M E N D AT I O N January 7, 2008 Dear CNBAM Judges: I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Kara McNabb for CNBAM’s Graphic Designer of the Year. Kara has worked as a graphic designer for Central Michigan Life for more than two years. I was immediately struck with her abilities to not only create effective advertising for a broad spectrum of advertisers, but to do so under the pressure of daily deadlines and the demands of 15 account executives.
cm-life.com
I think this is one of the things that truly sets Kara apart in my mind from the many good designers we’ve had over the years. Kara has always approached her role here at Central Michigan Life with the complete understanding of her responsibilities to the advertising department’s success. Kara is a true team player in every sense of the word. With our bonus structure of paying for spec ads created, it would have been easy for Kara to simply have just cranked out average, effortless designs. But Kara understands the greater purpose of her work. She understands the investment that the advertiser is making in Central Michigan Life, she understands the credibility of our staff to produce designs that the customer cannot get elsewhere, and the longevity of the relationships we are trying to build with our customers. Kara never backs down from taking the time to do the ads beyond the customers expectations. She took the time to find the “right” art, the “right” font, the “right” design. Kara also expected back what she gave. And, I mean that in a positive way. She earned the respect of our advertising staff and management by taking on the role of team leader among the graphic designers. Kara created a more active interaction between the designers and sales staff. She participated in weekly advertising sales meetings and developed a better team relationship between the staffs. She helped all of us understand the important responsibilities the designers have in the advertising department’s success. It isn’t about who is the best sales person...it is about the team. It is with complete respect that I recommend Kara for this award. Sincerely,
Kathleen Simon Assistant Director, Student Publications Central Michigan Life
436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 PHONE: (989) 774-3493 FAX: (989) 774-7804 EMAIL: advertising@cm-life.com
L E T T E R O F R E C O M M E N D AT I O N December 15, 2007
To the CNBAM Selection Committee: This letter is in recommendation of Kara McNabb for Graphic Designer of the Year. When I first worked with Kara as one of my students in Visual Communications and Graphic Design (JRN 302). I was impressed with her talent as someone who was a PR major, and new to the task of graphic design. Her enthusiasm in which she tackled each new project was reflected in her work – going above and beyond what was required of the class. Since I am also the manager of the graphic design staff of Central Michigan Life, I hired Kara as a graphic designer, where she has developed and flourished over the past few years. As you would expect of a nominee, Kara is diligent, considerate and professional. As a designer, she is intrinsically dedicated to embracing new programs and techniques in design. She is able to harness the most chaotic but edgy messages with clear vision, and in the next moment, execute a sleek contemporary classic for a different client. Of course, she manages this with all the focus and calm that endures the insanity of our increasingly deadline driven world of news.
cm-life.com
That’s only part of what makes her a good at graphic design. When it gets right down to the reality of print production and deadlines, there is also a monetary issue that any manager has to consider. I see designers all of the time who are able to really create dynamic pieces. But when it gets right down to it, and we’re facing a late night call with problems of color separation, low resolution, or fonts not embedded properly, the end result can be a very costly bottom line. Kara is not just a phenomenal designer. She is also diligent in her accuracy in all technical areas of her craft, which makes her an exceptional asset to future employers, and is a core value in my nomination of her as Graphic Designer of the Year.
Dawn Paine Sincerely,
Dawn Paine
436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 PHONE: (989) 774-3493 FAX: (989) 774-7804 EMAIL: advertising@cm-life.com
Central Michigan Life
Personal Statement
436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 PHONE: (989) 774-3493 FAX: (989) 774-7804 EMAIL: advertising@cm-life.com
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January 10, 2008 To: CNBAM From: Robert Sage Adviser and Business Manager for Daily Titan, Cal State Fullerton Re: Designer of the Year I nominate Keith Hansen for CNBAM Designer of the Year. Achievement: How do you spell achievement? In my opinion, achievement can be measured in three ways: First, there is the personal satisfaction a designer gets when they know they’ve done their best work. I often hear Keith exclaim (mind you he almost never talks) “wow that’s cool!” He loves what he does! Second, there is additional pride when someone else in the newsroom recognizes the value and quality of the designer’s work. This is evidenced when all the ad executives “fight” with one another in order to get Keith to do their ads rather than another designer. Finally, when a designer receives national honors in 2007 from CNBAM, CCMA, and the Orange County Ad Club (ADDY), this completes the trifecta. Keith has won the following awards: CNBAM:
FIRST, Best Electronic Banner Ad - Display FIRST, Best Electronic Banner Ad - House
Orange County Ad Club (ADDY): Silver Award: Element of Advertising, Animation Merit Award: Interactive Media Web Site (Titan Yearbook) Merit Award: Interactive Media Web Site (Daily Titan History) California College Media Association (CCMA): Second Place: Best B/W Advertisement Second Place: Best Color Advertisement Second Place Best Sales Promotion Materials Creative Strategy: In my opinion, the Daily Titan Media Kit is one of the most attractively designed media kits I’ve ever seen. Both the banner ads were extremely effective. The Best of Fullerton banner generated over 100 fully completed questionnaires and the 50th anniversary banner ad produced increased traffic to our separate 50th anniversary website. The remaining ads all effectively target the student audience. They fully achieved the goal in mind, either by generating significant awareness and/or motivating the reader to take a specific action. Keith always creates clever headlines that gain students interest.
Advertising Design: Each ad has an individual quality through the use of repetition as well as complimentary elements. As a result of the individual quality each ad stands out on its own in the newspaper. For example, Keith uses illustrative lines to lead the viewer’s attention from the main headline to the sub head and then to the body copy. The overall composition of each ad is well balanced through the use of intentionally shaped black, white, or grey spaces. For example, the Teeze Boutique advertisement leaves ample white space to make sure the body copy is legible and the photograph of the legs points up to the location of the store as well as the special 10% offer. Keith further uses subtleties to guide the viewer in The Erogenous Zone advertisement. The client was most concerned about letting students know they would receive 25% off any item with their student I.D. Keith made the dominant photograph work to his advantage by having the girl point her arrow to the special offer while keeping the most important information in the top left corner. Sales & Marketing Material Design: This semester Keith designed the illustration of our mascot “Gus” the paperboy. Keith made a six foot tall replica of the paper boy for us to use at all of our events for photo opportunities. Furthermore, Keith uses catchy headlines in all of the internal promotional ads. For example, to promote the 50th Anniversary Special Section Keith went above and beyond his normal expectations by doing research and reading through the entire special section. Through his research he found that our school colors are contrary to what most students believe. Keith used this fact as a major selling point and headline for the 50th advertisement campaign. Students can relate to Keith’s ads through familiarity of design concepts. The range of grayscale helps balance the stark white and black elements. The varying amounts of black, white, and grey further separate each ad as a distinctive element. Interaction: Keith, in addition to his design responsibilities, is the Production Department Manager. He has several designers who report to him. His management/leadership skills are outstanding. He is especially gifted at training the new designers so they integrate quickly into our system. Keith uses Ad Force to dummy the paper and works closely with editorial to make sure the templates are clean (e.g., no RGB/CYMK issues), photos are properly resolved and is always available any time day or night should issues develop. Keith never complains and is always cheerful. He helps the sales team communicate with their clients about the design of their ads and is always gracious enough to finish ads ahead of schedule so clients may view multiple proofs.
January 18, 2008 To: CNBAM Re: Designer of the Year Keith Hansen is the most senior student staffer on The Daily Titan and for good reason. He works quickly and effectively with nothing less than a professional attitude. Account Executives feel completely at ease when speaking to Keith about the design of an ad. Keith constantly shares his knowledge with the rest of our staff on how to create an effective ad. Keith brings a positive attitude to the office everyday and can always be counted on when deadlines get tight. Many times Keith would make mock ads for clients and these designs would convince the client that they should advertise. I could not imagine the Daily Titan without Keith because of all of the countless awards and praise we have received due to his hard work and amazing effort. As a production manager, Keith is able to work effectively with the design staff under him. He allows our other production people total creative freedom for their projects, while offering them helpful wisdom along the way. Keith is always a positive force in our office and never complains about deadlines. Keith is a fixture here at The Daily Titan and I appreciate his hard work and constant creative support. Thank you for your consideration, Stephanie Birditt Advertising Manager, The Daily Titan
January 23, 2008
Esteemed CNBAM Judges, Mike Brown has asked me to write a letter of nomination for the Designer of the Year Award for CNBAM 2008. It is with great pleasure that I do so. Mike is the Advertising Production Manager at the Daily Vidette, Illinois State University’s student newspaper. I am the Business Adviser for the advertising and business department and I have known Mike since January 2006, when he was hired as a Production Artist. As the Production Manager for the newspaper, Mike is constantly working under a stressful environment. He has to have all his tasks completed by a set time every day so the newspaper can get to the printer. Mike has shown he can flourish under a rigorous schedule and the hectic pace has made him more efficient as he converts his pages to a PDF format and sends each page to the printer. While Mike was designing creative advertisements as a Production Artist, he never missed a deadline for getting his proof back to his sales representative. This conveyed to the management staff that he was able to perform under tight deadlines and was ready to be promoted to Production Manager. Mike has continually shown a strong desire for only the highest quality from himself and his staff. He keeps a close eye on all advertisements placed in the newspaper which is a nice quality and helps all the other managers. While Mike was creating and designing advertisements, all of the clients he worked with and for were very happy with his quality workmanship. In fact, one of his clients, Junction Place apartments, sent several of his ads to the corporate office, which then proceeded to use his ideas for a national campaign! Thanks in part to Mike’s campaign, they were completely sold out of apartments in two weeks! Mike has demonstrated very strong communication skills while working at the Daily Vidette with his sales representatives and his production artists. He is very capable of generating new ideas and then communicating them clearly. Mike won Advertising Production Employee of the Month in January and October 2007. Designers earn this award by having the most spec ads sold and most ads of the week for the month. In addition to his responsibilities here, Mike is also a Design Intern with Design Streak Studio and Place Properties. These other opportunities have informed his work and added to his abilities as an artist. Hopefully, I have given you a clear impression of Mike’s qualities and his ambition to be the best in whatever he undertakes. Mike is a very busy individual and has managed to succeed in whatever he puts his mind to. These qualities and more make him deserving of the CNBAM Designer of the Year Award. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Christy Harrison 309.438.2689
January 25, 2008 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing regarding Mike Brown. He has asked me to write a letter of recommendation, and I am more than happy to do it. Mike joined the Vidette in January of 2006 as an ad designer. It did not take long for Mike to establish himself as the most talented artist on our staff. Every time someone on the staff mentioned how much they liked an ad, it always turned out that Mike had made it. Not only was he an extremely talented artist, but he got along with the sales representatives better than anyone else. This ability to get along with people was never more evident then when I had roughly half of my staff ask me if they could have Mike as their artist. To me, this is the ultimate compliment, when you are so well liked and well respected, that people beg to work with you. Not only is Mike good with his peers, he is fantastic with his clients. In general, artists don’t like to talk to clients; they almost seem to have a phobia against it. Of course, I have no problem with this, since I pay sales reps to handle the whole talking thing. Mike, however, never had any problem getting on a phone and talking to a customer and even in some cases, he would actually meet with the customers. One client in particular really had a thing for Mike. He loved his work so much, that he actually told us that the only way that he would consider running a lot of ads with us was if he had Mike as his designer. I told him that would be fine, and he committed to running the second largest contract that we offered. Whether it was coincidence or not, but with Mike as his artist and having full creative control, this real estate company filled up faster than they ever have. In fact, by the beginning of December, they already had 98% of apartments leased. The great thing about this is that even though they were 98% leased, they agreed to continue to run at a large volume just because they loved their ads. At the start of the spring semester in 2008, we needed a new ad production manager. Since we had Mike on staff already, the choice couldn’t have been easier. I hired him as the ad production manager and he has taken the extra responsibility with a go getter attitude. The best part about having Mike as the ad production manager is that I don’t have to worry about any artwork or deadlines for the artwork anymore. I get to come to work, concentrate on my sales team and let the artists be artists. If I need something to get done, it gets done with no objections and very few questions. I personally feel very lucky to have the chance to work with someone like Mike, and I know that the rest of my time working with him will be just as enjoyable.
Mike Kinane Advertising Sales Manager