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he Importance of Dogs at Miami Ad School and My Most Memorable Moment
Pippa’s ears are quite beautiful. However, I would love her more if she had ears like a labrador retriever. She knows this. She knows I believe there’s nothing more relaxing and reassuring than rubbing those leathery flaps and having a few long, lingering licks from an adoring lab’s tongue. They say you live longer if you own a dog. Must be true. I’m 77 and still playing soccer with the student’s every sunday. Dogs have always been in my life and they have been a part of Miami Ad School since the beginning. Our original school dog was a chocolate lab called “Fudge”. A remarkable dog who had his own schedule of visiting all the classrooms, wandering in and out. He knew he was welcome and besides––he knew the patsies who shared their bagels with him. Fudge and Applesauce, our Golden Retriever, waited every day by the front door when I came back from my Japanese lunch with takeout bag. They sat in a line, along with any other dogs as well as a few students, while I doled
out with chopsticks my leftover California rolls. I loved Fudge. So did the whole school as I sadly found out in his tenth year. With lightning speed Fudge went from acting a little dizzy to knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s Door. He had an incurable brain tumor. When he died I took his body to our farm in the north Georgia mountains and buried him on a hillside overlooking our pasture, so he could see his horses grazing where he run under their legs as a puppy. I was devastated. I stayed at the farm for two weeks grieving; I wouldn’t take phone calls, not even from Pippa. I was angry and sad beyond description. I never wanted another dog; I couldn’t replace this one who was so important to me. Eventually, I came back to South Beach and started my routine. But that didn’t last long. Without my knowledge, the students, staff, and graduates had all pitched in and found another chocolate lab puppy. He came with a card that had a drawing of a flamingo carrying a puppy in a sling from his beak, as storks do with babies. The inscription read, “Miami Ad School would not be the same without a chocolate lab.” We named the puppy, “Smudge” and he is the inspiration for the trademark of Miami Ad School. On the walnut door to my office, I’ve carved the following: “Spelled backwards...DOG is GOD.” Ron and Pippa Seichrist cofounded Miami Ad School
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msterdam may be a place of century old buildings sloping gracefully into mysterious canals, but it was actually a place of new awakenings for team AdverBarbie, aka Michelle Pokorny and Alicia Benz. For our first Quarter Away we learned more about ourselves than anyone could put into words. We spent our days working at Bureau Pindakaas, a small ad agency on the Herengracht, and our nights exploring the city. One afternoon, while visiting Antwerp, Belgium we decided to have lunch at a quaint café. A large robust, red-faced Belgian man took our order for vegetable soup, promising it would be the perfect remedy to warm us up, on a cold autumn’s day. When the soup arrived, we took one look into the bowl, and saw the biggest hunks of sausage we’ve ever seen. “We’re so sorry sir,” we said “But we’re vegetarian, and we can’t eat the soup because there’s a bunch of meat in it.” “Vell, vust eat avound ze sausage. It von’t bite!” “Thanks but no thanks, we will just order something else.” “Avsolutely not. You pay me now, and zen, get out of my café!” Pay for soup that we didn’t even take one bite of, and then kick us out? I don’t think so! We demanded to speak to the manager, and of course, he was the manager. The man grew even redder, and started waving his butcher knife at us, while cursing in Flemish. We protested back just as loud, furious for being taken advantage of. It was only until he came from around the other side of the counter, knife still in hand, that we decided it was time to high-tail it out of there. That taught us to never order vegetable soup unless we were 100% sure there was no mystery meat involved. We learned many lessons in Europe, and many of them much more positive! We put American ways aside, and took the Euro approach to daily living. Driving to work? Unnecessary. Amsterdam has twice as many bikes as people. We commuted via bike amongst hundreds of fast, unforgiving Dutch cyclists on a daily basis. And guess what? It’s
not that bad! It’s actually enjoyable to burn off steam after a busy day at work. Instead of being trapped in your car, you’re breathing fresh air. We were flying through cobblestone streets, lined with the aromas of bakeries, charming antique shops, experiencing all the sights and sounds this age-old culture had to offer. Not to mention, we saved tons of money on transport, gas, and parking. Another foreign concept Adverbarbie was introduced to; reusing your grocery bags. The Dutch charge an extra 20-EURO cents (aka 50 USD cents) per plastic grocery bag. At first this seemed like an act against freedom, but turns out, they are totally correct. Bags can be used 10 times before they break, and at that point, might as well just buy cute reusable canvas bags and never deal with it again. It was a great habit to incorporate into our lives. After a whole lot of kicking and screaming to change our American ways, something totally unexpected occurred. We actually emerged from Europe with new perspectives on our own culture, on our journey to becoming independent women. Turns out, we eat, drink, and stress ourselves out way too often in the States. We adapted the European value of “living in moderation.” Small refrigerators mean using less energy. Buying at mom n’ pop shops means supporting the local industry and cutting shipping costs. For the first time ever we took a close look in the mirror and realized that we weren’t happy with the childish way we had previously been living our lives. It was time to start respecting our bodies, be mindful of our surroundings, help our planet, and grow up. If it weren’t for our Amsterdam experience, we would have never been able to “Americanness” into check, and actually think about other cultures from a different standpoint. Next, we traveled to Sydney, Sao Paulo, New York, and are currently located in LA. If anyone wants to read more about the whole adventure, be sure to hit up our travel blog at www.adverbarbieworldtour.blogspot.com We are forever grateful to Miami Ad School for giving us this crazy experience of a lifetime. THANK YOU!
Michelle & Alicia (A dverBarbie) are no w an art director/c opywriter team at Kastner and Part ners working on R ed Bull. The office is one block from th e beach (just the w ay they like it!)
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ell, there isn’t an exact date that I will remember most about Miami Ad School, it’s more like a succession, maybe that is not the word, but I´ll try to explain myself. I arrived in Miami at night, and from the window of the taxi I could see broken streets with dark shadows. It looked very threatening to me. A town with loads of crime, a dangerous place. So the days went by, I arrived at the school on the first day where loads of nice smiling faces came to meet me. I felt warm and welcome and all that fear dissipated. The streets that looked so broken and dark at night, I came to know their names, and as that happened they weren’t unknown anymore. They became part of my life, a part of me. The city of crime, the dangerous place to walk alone at night, wasn’t like I had pictured it. It had now become my home, the place I live, where I know what is, and what isn’t. So for me transitions are very important. It’s always sad to leave behind what you love, It’s hard and also very scary to come to know new things like unknown places and people you couldn’t even imagine exsisted before. But with courage, those things also become the ones you love. There is now a name and a history behind each one of those people you meet along the way. They will come to be part of you to. Alba García-Castrillo
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y most memorable day at Miami Ad School happened in October of 2004. I was on Quarter Away in Minneapolis, Niklas and Oliver had recommended I go there because the school is known as one of the best for Copywriters. They were right... we took our first class at Fallon Minneapolis, a bad ass agency still. We entered the building and took the elevator up to the 23rd floor. The elevator went so fast my ears ears popped like in an airplane. Wow. Not more than 5 seconds and there we were. The door opened and U2 rushed through the loudspeakers forcing my ears to recover. After a few steps a huge, Steinway & Sons piano said, “Welcome� to us. We were then greeted by a secretary on the way to class. It was amazing. Since that day, I started chewing gum before entering Fallon. Bastian Fuhrmann
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ake Me Laugh.
That was the assignment. No client, no format, no guidelines whatsoever. All I had to do was walk into a room of forty people and make them laugh. Sounds simple enough, people laugh all the time. People laugh when they’re nervous, when they’re scared, when they’re in a good mood. The problem is, humor almost always comes from something unexpected. Nobody laughs when the sun rises or the clock ticks because they know it’s going to happen. Forty people sitting in a room waiting to see something funny is arguably the toughest crowd there is. And no silence is as quiet as the one right after a flat joke. Much of what we do for brands follows the same principle. The brands that stand up and say, “I’m funny” or “I’m cool” are never either. Walking up to a girl and telling her that you’re good looking automatically makes you unattractive. I knew the only way I was ever going to make this crowd laugh was to do something totally unexpected. This ruled out skits, jokes, armpit farting, stand up, and disco wigs. The hour came. 9 am on a Tuesday. Unless you’ve ever been to a horrible comedy club, you have no way of knowing the butt-clenching, toe curling awkwardness that permeates a room of bad jokes. Even though we had empathy for each other since we knew we had to suffer the same way, it is impossible to laugh at a joke in such a loaded room. The teacher nodded to me. I stood up from my seat and walked out of the room. Ten seconds later, I re-entered carrying two screeching, squawking, exploding live chickens. My plan was simple. Instead of standing in front of two instructors and let-
ting them judge my creativity and talent, I wanted to sit in my comfortable chair and judge them. I walked over, handed them each a chicken and explained (over the roar of the chickens and my classmates) that we were going to have a chicken race and each of them was a driver. Without physical contact, hey had to somehow coax the chickens across the classroom. The winner got to keep both chickens.
Brig White and his partner Taran have just finished up their “Reality Video Game” called Prank House. They ended up licensing the concept and technology they created to Endemol, the largest independent television production company and are now working with Microsoft to make it into a XBox Kinect game. You can read more about it here: http://brighamwhite. com/?portfolio=prankhouse While they are waiting for that to go through, Taran is in Canada working on a novel and Brig just took a position at Mono in Minneapolis. Mono is an amazing little shop started about 6 years ago by some Fallon guys. It’s an awesome place that believes, more than anything, in the simplicity of communication and ideas. He is loving it.
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ser Experiences BILLIE The assignment was to create a YouTube annotation video explaining to the world why Miami is the ideal location to host Art Basel. As the class was entitled, User Experience, my partner, Samantha Wilco, and I decided to film on the streets and literally explore where Art Basel takes place. We wanted to enjoy the experience. We also wanted to show the diversity, the beauty and the glamour of Miami Beach. And then we met Billie. Billie is 6ft tall, very shiny, black and bald. We needed a spokesperson to guide us through Miami and so we asked Billie to do us this honor. Billie is a mannequin and she is beautiful. Sam and I just went for it. We planned the route, loaded her into the car along with a cart, bungee cords, a wardrobe and we were off. We stopped first at Lincoln Road, unloaded Billie, strapped her to the cart and wheeled her down. As we filmed, we were stopped by people wanting to be in the movie and wanting photos with Billie. After hours, we loaded her up and went to shoot on the beach. Dragging Billie and her cart through the sand was sweaty work. After the beach, the three of us headed to Midtown. We walked the grounds and were stared at again. We went everywhere with Billie for 1 week. Everyday would be more locations showing the beauty and charm of Miami Beach. We carted her around, we talked about her, we dressed her and cleaned her. She became part of the crew. And when we were finished and editing the film, we pulled all-nighters and reminisced about the hilarious, trying and interesting ways that Billie helped shape the movie. We received great reviews for the youtube annotation and to this day we will never see a mannequin without a little smile spreading across our faces. Thanks Billie for all of your hard work. The video is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCGTywP4D5Q Danielle Pricken - Digital Graphic Design - Miami Ad School | Miami, FL
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e were taking Ralph Budd’s vid eo storytelling class in Miami and it so happened that there was a video contest for Post-it Sticky Notes at the time. My partner, Illiett Ojeda and I won the video contes t along with $10,000. It was pretty nuts. The reason why the win was so special was because we didn’t use fancy equ ipment to film the spot, no HD cameras, no special microphon es, just an old digital camera we taped onto a tripod. It was motivating to learn as young creatives the power of a good idea and good storytelling. Its what really moves people still tod ay. Eliana Perez de Gracia YOU STUCK IT WHERE? HERE’S US$10K The video can be viewed at: htt p://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CSj-62vT1Q0 Junior Art Director at Mullen
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o talk about my most memorable day at the Miami Ad School, I have to start at an unpleasant point. Two years ago, I learned I had cancer and subsequently got depressed. My creative director suggested I should make a list of things I was thankful for: achievements, personal qualities, etc.. As I wrote the list I remembered “HOLY SHIT! I photographed a male model!�. It was while taking a photography class at MAS that I was able to realize one of the dreams I had had as a pimply teenage girl. I never thought I would actually realize this dream but thanks to my amazing teacher Darryl Strawser (Photo instructor at Miami Ad School, Miami), I accomplished one of my silly life-goals...which after facing cancer, means a lot.
Estrella Vega Art Direction & Design: http://www.estrellavega.com/design/ Illustration: http://www.estrellavega.com/ Cancer survivor
#1.
My most memorable day at Miami Ad School was in my 4th Quarter. Ralph Budd (the Video Story Telling instructor at Miami Ad School, Miami) and I set up the Voom Portraits with the incoming 1st Quarters. They have to think of something with a prop & stand there for 30 seconds in a still movie. Armed with Starbucks and our muffin tops, Ralph and I art directed everyone’s Voom Portraits. But it wouldn’t be just another day at Miami Ad School without some shenanigans. As each new student came into the room, bug-eyed & nervous their first week, they told us their idea. I know it’s normal to be shy when you first move to a new city & meet new people. But let’s face it, with Miami Ad School you just have to jump right into any situation & be yourself always. So I encouraged everyone to think bigger & do crazier. A boy came in with an apple and a pole, he wanted to hang like a pig. 10 minutes later I had him naked like a little roasting piggie hanging on a pole. Two people came in with the same idea about holding their camera. This opened up a blank canvas of creativity and somehow, 20 minutes later he was holding the yellow bird from the lobby and spitting yellow feathers out of his mouth from Josh’s boa. As the day went on, more people from the school made their way into the studio. We all brainstormed with each new student that came in & made their ideas hilarious and memorable. I think that’s what Miami Ad School is all about: collaboration, spontaneous brainstorming where you feed off of one another’s energy. I think the Voom Portraits are a great ice breaker for the new students and a day I will never forget. I’m here now on my Quarter Away in Hamburg Germany, and when the Vooms were being shot the first week, I got to Skype in & brainstorm with the newbies all the way from Germany.
#2.
I found myself on Ocean Drive in a cow head mask, a hoola hoop & a beach ball. I’ve only been in Miami for 3 weeks, this seems like a good strategy to make some friends. But actually, it was for Florian Weckert (The Ideas First instructor at Miami Ad School, Miami). The assignment was to do something awkward in public and film it. So we went to Ocean Drive armed with all our goodies. We played volleyball and hoola-hooped with the locals. But I knew Florian wouldn’t think it was awkward enough. So I turned to David (my friend and also another AD from the school. We worked on almost all our projects together) and I said, “Listen, we’re going to have to hump, let’s just get it over with.” So without further ado, we went up on the grass, sat down next to a family eating their lunch and David mounted me from behind. With the Discovery Channel song playing in the background of our movie, Florian actually liked one of our assignments for once.
#3.
I was sitting in Typography class watching the Helvetica Movie. Actually, I wasn’t watching it at all. My a.d.d. is to another level I can’t even be lured in with some awesome moving type. So just when I thought staring at the wall could’t get any more fun, my roommate texts me: “I just got my assignment from Florian (The Ideas First instructor at Miami Ad School, Miami), I’m going to the store to pick up a needle, tubing, & fake blood, I’ll meet you in the studio in 30 minutes, you’re going to be naked .... and in the dog cage.” Let me give you a little background about Frances (my best friend, old room mate, and copywriter partner) & I: somehow most of our assignments involve fake blood. And we already had the dog cage on hand seeing as we used it for two other shoots. I seem to think these things are normal but anyone outside the Miami Ad School family seems to think it’s odd that we have a dog cage on hand. So just as the Helvetica movie was getting riveting, I met Frances in the studio. And for about the fifth time I got naked in the studio at Miami Ad School, with a dog cage, and a bucket of fake blood. Just another day at Miami Ad School. Felicia Carr is a 6th Quarter AD who just finished her QA in Hamburg and next month she’ll be at Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm. She and her best friend, old room mate, and copywriter partner Frances just started their own freelance company together called FC Squared.
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est moment at MAS mini screenplay Setting: Taxi cab on the way home from the bar Felicia: Ooh, Fran let’s make pizza when we get back. Frances: Yea chica! Casey: I bet you twenty bucks you won’t stay awake long enough to make a pizza. Frances: Are you serious? Casey: Seriously, it’s like 3:30 in the morning. You’re never gonna stay awake long enough. Frances: You’d better pay up girl. And you’re not getting any, either. Felicia: It’s true, we do it like every weekend. Fran’s a pro. Casey: We’re gonna get inside and you two are going to pass out halfway through baking and I’m gonna have to turn the oven off to keep your place from
burning down. That’s what’s going to happen. And you’re gonna be out 20 bucks in the morning. Frances: Just you wait. You’re gonna be eating those words in a few. Eating words, not pizza! Setting: Arrive at apartment. Pizza has just finished baking and everyone is still awake. Sitting on the couch while everyone takes a slice. Frances: How those words taste, Case? Casey: Just so you know I don’t have 20 dollars. Frances: I wouldn’t have paid you either. Casey: So can I have a slice? Frances: No. Felicia Carr is a 6th Quarter AD who just finished her QA in Hamburg and next month she’ll be at Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm. She and her best friend, old room mate, and copywriter partner Frances just started their own freelance company together called FC Squared.
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had many amazing moments at Miami Ad School, Sao Paulo. Of course I got the opportunity to make friends, find inspiration, sip delicious coffee, attend happy hours, extra meetings and BBQ parties... But I also got the chance to plan a media campaign with a real client! We had professional teachers and creative brainstorming sessions and all of the tools neccessary to research and study the target audience. We planned, planned and still planned. There were so many greats moments that I will never forget! Felipe Spina Top Dog @ Bootcamp Communication Planning 2010 http://www.fspina.com
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e were in New York, the quarter had just started so we felt that every second mattered, so we went outside to enjoy the city. It was cold, one of the coldest days that I remember in Manhattan, so we ended up in a toy shop, where we tried -on every single costume and took about 500 photos. We didn´t see the city that day, but will remember that day forever. Gonzalo Muiùo
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he only problem I ever had With Miami Ad School was its location. And only because everyone in South Beach is so horribly attractive. There is a never-ending stream of near naked dandies wondering about sunning themselves, untroubled by the rules of polite society. Rules that require shirts or socks or underwear. They have long ago lost the decent sense of shame that keeps the rest of us in loose fitting clothing. So when I first saw Richard Ardito walk into the Alton Road building, I wasn’t surprised. He was just another appalling Adonis: Unreasonably pretty, tan and fit, with shining blue eyes and long flowing brown hair. He had an irritatingly contagious smile and an inane, childlike optimism shared by all attractive people. He was, in every manner, charming and charismatic and just fucking awful to behold. Every last shiny hair on his ridiculously full mane was horrifying. And, as he walked into the school with his white linen shirt and his fashionable Italian sunglasses, I knew that he had to be stopped. Killing him wasn’t a realistic option. I would never get away with it. Crockett and Tubs would take one look at my bloody 1987 Nissan Stanza and start asking me obvious questions. And I would crumble immediately. No, I couldn’t kill him. But I could ruin him. All I needed was a plan. First, I needed to become his friend. Which was difficult. It’s a hard thing being Captain Awesome’s leper friend. The problem is that all the other beautiful people consistently fail to ignore you. To them you’re an oddity, a curiosity. The freak show has come to Prettytown and everyone wants to ask Dogboy a question: “What’s it like to have to wait in line? “Do you feel sad when you have to pay for your own drinks?” “Do you shop for clothes at normal stores or a special ugly people’s store?” To which I would just smile and say. “Oh, it’s not so bad. I try to enjoy the simple things, like sunsets or the laughter of children.” And then the pretty people would look at me with their sad doughy eyes and say, “You’re so brave.”
And even though he caused me significant hardships I somehow managed to stay his friend. Even when he had the city condemn my building. Even when he got me evicted. Even when he burned down my car. And I stayed his friend even though he tended to piss off Ron. A lot. Through it all, I stuck to the plan. Next I needed to become his writer. Despite his better judgment, Ron let us work together. In four weeks we made more than 32 TV spots. Three of which were only slightly awful. By the time we graduated from Miami Ad School, I convinced him to remain my partner. Together we found jobs at an agency where we worked ridiculously long hours. It was here that I’d spend up to 18 hours a day poisoning him with sweet acrimony, glorious failures,
and happily shattered dreams. And gradually, over the years, I began to wear him down. His sunny outlook gave way to bitter cynicism. He took to yelling at people who improperly parked their cars and shouting at shabby groups of loitering teenagers. He wasn’t all smiles anymore and every day he wore more and more clothing. All of it dark and none of it linen. Then I publicly credited him for his ideas, exposing him for being the talented creative that he is. Which completely undermined his credibility as a pretty boy beach toy. He was out of the dream date fantasy league. No longer could he rely on his good looks and charm. People were going to expect him to work. Just like everyone else. Now, I believe that life is measured in the small but significant victories. And in only 13 short years I have helped Richard Ardito ruin his happy-go-lucky life as south beach man candy to become an acerbic, needy, creative genius. Which I have benefitted from enormously. And that’s how south beach has one less linen-wearing tit and I have an awesome art director. Ugly Writer: 1 Beach Meat: 0 Thank you Richard, Ron, and Pippa. And thank you stupid ridiculous South Beach. www.handsomeadvertising.com Grant Smith and his wife just welcomed their new baby, Pepper Fox Smith, into the world and so far she has red hair and gas. Grant and Rick have worked together for the past 11 years. They met at Miami Ad School where their work never won a single student award. Later they worked at Cliff Freeman and Partners and BBDO NY and now they are freelance and get to work with lots of very nice people. They have done some very fun things for FedEx, Toyota, Direct TV, Red Stripe, Guinness, and Fox Sports. And yes, they won some awards but they are pretty classy about it so don’t expect them to make a list or anything. Except when they’re drunk.
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UMMER IN AMSTERDAM.
My team partner and I were finishing our 8th and last Quarter in Amsterdam and we were doing the Portfolio Program at One Big Agency. It was an amazing summer that we spent hanging around the canals. We had just completed our books, which we were both excited and nervous about as we had taken a different approach and didn’t include any traditional campaigns. Instead of TV Scripts, microsites and print executions of three we had filled our portfolio with different solutions to problems that we really believed in. Knowing it was kind of bold of us, but also knowing that this was what a business in deep crisis was in need of right now, we were a bit nervous about the reception of our work. Eager to get it out there, we uploaded our campaigns on a Tumblr blog and sent it out to a few of our favorite agencies. One day we received an e-mail from the ECD of Forsman & Bodenfors, the agency that had just created the IKEA Facebook Showroom and that would soon be titled #1 Interactive Agency Of The Year in Cannes. He asked us if we wanted to come over to Sweden for a coffee, we agreed to and hopped a flight just a couple of days before our graduation. Entering their completely orange office (and by completely orange I mean both floor and walls) and passing by the biggest collection of award trophies I’d ever seen gave a great first impression. An hour later we walked out of their office and had agreed to start working just two weeks later. Right at that moment, as we were having a coffee outside contemplating what just had happened, the typography classes with Sergey Sidorov in 1st Quarter had never seemed more far away. Henrik Dufke cargocollective.com/henrikdufke Copywriter at BBH New York
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can’t simply pull one story, only one moment from my adventures at Miami Ad School. So, I have decided to tell you about my first trip abroad on quarter away in Amsterdam. I couldn’t wait to see where they were going to send me. My top three picks for quarter away were all in Europe. And Amsterdam was my number one choice, so you can imagine the excitement that tickled every freckle on my body when I got the news. I WAS GOING TO AMSTERDAM - FOR THREE MONTHS! And then I saw the list; the complete list that indicated where everyone was going, including my soon-to-be roomies. Carlo, Carlos, Ashton, Ahbi, Elias, Kurt, Jose, and me. Yep, that’s right seven guys and lil ole me, the only female in the house. Luckily I lived with guys in college and was currently rooming with a guy in Miami, so I’d be fine - how bad could six more be? So, I booked a flight and took off for a few days backpacking through London and Paris with my writing partner Tyler. When we arrived in Amsterdam he stayed for a few days to check out the city before hopping a train to Hamburg. Our f irst day of sightseeing with all of the roomies included your typical sites: walking along all of the canal streets, Dam Square, the Anne Frank House, and of course The Pancake Bakery where for the first time I ate a pancake with ham and cheese in the middle - yum! The next day Kurt and I grabbed our cameras and went on a different kind of sightseeing adventure. This was the day that I fell completely in love with Amsterdam. Vondelpark, one of the biggest and most beautiful parks I had ever been to was a perfect place to capture the true local vibe. Everyone walked or biked in Amsterdam and I was obsessed with those bikes. I had to have one! And, luckily for me I did in fact get one a few months later. But on this day my goal was to capture their charm. I shot bikes of every make, model, color and size. Bikes that folded up and stowed away while their owners were sipping on some coffee at the cafe. Or others that hauled f ive kids
around at once! I decided I would do a photo series on The Bikes of Amsterdam, and so over the next few months, I did just that! But I loved more than the bikes that I saw on that second day in the city. I loved the graffiti. Before then I had never seen graffiti so bright and vibrant and so perfect placed within it’s surroundings. Taking pictures of the art was very inspiring. It was exactly what I needed before those very tough classes started a few days later. Classes in Amsterdam were much different than classes at any other quarter away school. Our teachers came to the house to teach. Four teachers, including Clare McNally - one of the most awarded copywriters to date. To say that her class was tough would be an understatement; it was brutal! But, without her guidance I never would have become the strong, confident creative that I am today. She taught me to believe in myself, a quality that I now rely on everyday. Besides learning everything I could possibly learn from our teachers, I also learned a lot about myself. I felt like this was the first place I had ever lived where I truly f it in; a place where I felt free to just be me. There were 70 yr old ladies walking down the street in orange furry coats with purple hair! What’s not to love? And speaking of hair color, I went through three different colors while I was there (identity crisis? I think not - just needed some girl time - a break away from my 7 guy roomies to express this new found freedom - and besides what girl doesn’t love a day at the salon?). I also sported a brand new very girlie bright pink leather coat everywhere I went (not something I would have been caught dead wearing in the states). I really got into my photography - taking pictures everywhere I went. My favorite
photo is a close up of a stack of tires that had been driven through white paint and thrown into a dumpster - come to think of it, I think that photo is still hanging on a wall in the Amsterdam house, not to mention the house that I currently live in! The only thing I missed from home was the beach, but then much to my surprise we discovered that there was a beach not far from the city. A 30 min trip at 3am one night had us there in no time. That night I wrote in the sand that one day I would retire right there in this little beach town right outside of Amsterdam. Between the city, the school, the local people, the art and culture and the museums (Museum Night!) my experience in Amsterdam is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. A time and place that I want to go back to one day and you never know, perhaps retire. Jennifer Handline Associate Creative Director
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raduating from Miami Ad School you are guaranteed two things. One, a polished portfolio that will probably land you a job. And two, more experiences and odd stories than a Bukowski book. Below is just one of many ordeals that helped shape the creative person that I am today. Enjoy. I was living in San Francisco at the time and needed to Find a place that could be rented for my pauper’s salary as an intern. So like many of my peers, I turned to my friend Craig for some assistance in f inding a low rent apartment. The ad was pretty cut and dry: Cheap Room for Rent. Naturally I was head over heels. So I set up a meeting and began my 45-minute bus ride to the neighborhood. Surprisingly, I arrived on time and was greeted at the door with little if any eye contact from the landlord. She was no taller than a small stack of phone books and emitted a faint scent of cheap wine. Home sweet home. Without haste, I was shown the room listed, as well as a bathroom the size of a litter box and a common area kitchen, which was to be shared with another roommate. I decided that the price was right, so I signed on the dotted line and handed over the specified first, last and security deposit. There was just one question I had for my new landlord. Who was my roommate? She said it was another guy around my age who was going to school as well. I thought this to be plausible since the only people that seem to rent via Craigslist other than registered sex offenders are poor students. So naturally I moved in. About a week or so passed before I came home and noticed that the second bedroom door was shut and there were a few empty boxes strewn about the kitchen. My roommate must have moved in while I was at school. I approached the bedroom door and gave it a knock. Some rusting went on
for a few seconds before someone answered. “Who is it?” With a smile in my voice I said, “Hey, my name’s Johnny…I’m the other guy in the place.” There was an awkward pause. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to the apartment.” More awkward silence. Finally a muffled voice answered back. “Hey man, I’ll meet you tomorrow. I’m really tired.” Kind of an odd response, but I figured whatever, to each his own. “Ok, see you tomorrow then.” The next two days came and went without any interaction between the two of us. I just f igured the guy to be a huge recluse or a giant bookworm, so I let it be. Finally on the third night as I was cooking my nightly Ramen, his door jolted open. “Hey man, name’s Brian. Good to meet you.” I turned around to see two bloodshot eyes and an outstretched hand. “Hey Brian, good to meet you as well.” We quickly shook hands and were left staring at one another. My mind raced for something to say. “So, you’re a student too, right?” “Yeah man, I’m in dental school right now.” His beady eyes darted around the room. “That’s cool. How long you been—“ Brian cut me off. “Hey, I actually gotta get back to a few things, but nice to meet you. We should get a beer soon or something.” But before I could answer Brian pivoted on his back foot and disappeared to his room before you could say hocus-pocus. Pretty odd little encounter I thought as I poured the packet of seasoning into my bowl and locked the bedroom door. Clearly he was dedicated to his studies. The following weeks were sprinkled with strange encounters. Weird sounds coming from the bathroom. Strange odors lingering in the hallway. Garbage bags with duct tape jammed into the crisper in the fridge. I tried to share this with some of my peers at school. A few laughed, some chuckled and one tried to outline a scenario that revolved around my dental roommate as some sort of sick, satanic cultleader. I pressed on.
The f inal encounter came on a Wednesday following a late night concepting session with my Art Director. I came home to Find blood in the hallway and the apartment door ajar. I peeked my head in and saw a plate of pasta dumped on the Floor. A million thoughts rushed through my head. A break in? An injury, someone trying to reenact the album cover from Guns ‘N Roses, The Spaghetti Incident. I entered the apartment with my heart beating in my ears. The f irst thing I could see was a mangled bicycle on the f loor as well as more blood strewn about the apartment. What the hell is going on here I thought. I ran over to the stove and shut off the 4 gas burners that were running with no pots or pans. I closed the fridge, microwave and oven and hurriedly ran to my roommate’s door. “Hey Brian, what’s going on man?” The door burst open and I was met with two crazily lit eyes. Brian began to tell me a tale that could rival any David Sedaris essay. It included drug dealers from Oakland, bicycle theft in the Tenderloin, and a mugging that either took place in the Haight-Ashbury or a Nick Nolte movie. I couldn’t be sure. I took this all in and then asked if he phoned the police. This seemed like an obvious question to me but an outlandish question in Brian’s world. That’s when things really escalated. Brian began accusing me of working for the FBI. He stated that I must be an agent for them and that my cover was blown. I was speechless. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I barricaded myself in my room and began packing my things. The next day I hopped a bus two suitcases in hand and rented a room downtown until I could f ind a new place that was a little less conducive to craziness. As I sat on the graff iti riddled seat of the bus, I only had one question on my mind…I wonder if FBI agents make more than copywriters? Johnny Pinelli Freelance Copywriter Minneapolis, MN
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y most memorable day at Miami Ad School was the day that I re-met my wife. It was Spring of 2003 and I was on quarter away in Hamburg, Germany. Ron, Pippa and Nicholas invited current/past students who lived in the area to lunch at the new Miami Ad School Hamburg location. The four of us who were interning in Hamburg -- Lukasz Brzozski, Andrea Hasselager, Phil Hertel and myself -- showed up, as well as one student who had graduated and was working in Berlin, Jana Folmert. A couple of us had known Jana from Miami but none of us were close. Jana and I got to talking over pizza about Germany and life, and she invited us all down to Berlin for a visit. The afternoon ended and as we were hugging Ron and Pippa goodbye, I bumped into her. She gave me “a look,” then shoved me back. From that point on, I somehow, someway, knew that she was someone special. I didn’t know why, but I was going to f ind out. Later in the week as Jana and I emailed about our trip to Berlin, my friends decided to bail on me. I said it was cool, but there’s something strange about this girl and I’m going to find out what it is. After spending a few days together in Berlin, and a few weekends between Berlin and Hamburg, our bond grew. Too bad I had to leave for the States to finish school. Fast-forward to the end of the summer, and after staying in touch the whole time, we reunited at my graduation in San Francisco. I asked her to marry me while on a weekend trip in the wine country, three days prior to graduation day. And a month or so later, we eloped to Maui to “tie the knot”. Now, after seven and something years have passed, we’re happy as can be and just welcomed our son, Jaden, into the world. All I can say, is thanks Ron and Pippa. If it wasn’t for you sneaking me into Hamburg for my internship at Jung von Matt (Americans were not supposed to be doing internships at the time) I’m not sure where I’d be right now. Jon, Jana and Jaden Folmert-Klein Jon is a Sr. Freelance Copywriter for Time Warner Cable and Jana is a Sr. Art Director for EURO RSCG 4D in NY.
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m about to graduate. It’s a great feeling mixed with anxiety, caffeine and lack of sleep. Looking back, the secret ingredient that made the Miami Ad School recipe incredible was connecting with people from all over the world. As important as knowing which tagline, media or tone works best in an ad is learning and respecting other cultures. The best Miami Ad moment was the mid-quarter potluck at our apartment in NYC. It was a fun night in which many different cultures got together to eat, drink, dance and laugh. We are not that different after all. Juliana Pastoriza is a recent Art Director graduate.
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d School Ties - An Original Screenplay by Kelly Mahon.
INT. - Miami ad school during the middle of one day during Week 8 Open to KELLY sitting nervously in the gallery with ALISON, who is amused by KELLY’S dilemma. KELLY: Fuck. What if this is awkward? ALISON: Just go do it you idiot. KELLY: I’m going to. I just need to think of the right words to say. ALISON: (rolling her eyes) Just ask. INT. - PIPPA’S OFFICE. Kelly walks through the glass door and knocks twice on her office door. PIPPA looks up from her desk smiling. PIPPA: Hi KELLY: Hey, so before I told you I wanted to talk to you about something... PIPPA: (Still smiling, nodds) KELLY: Well, you see, Ralph has us doing these grade pitches, as you know, and for my video I wanted to film some sort of hostage situation. (pauses) And well, I was sort of hoping it could be you. PIPPA: (raises her eyebrows) Oh you want me to do it! KELLY: (nervously) I was hoping. PIPPA: Ok, so what exactly would I have to do? KELLY: Well, I would tie you up...and really you’d just have to put up some sort of a struggle as I’m doing it. PIPPA: Well this is a new one. KELLY: (Lets out a relieved laugh.) You’ve never been tied up by a student before? PIPPA: Nope. You’d be the first. I’ll tell you what, I’ll do it. Just let me finish up doing some paperwork in here. They lost some of our paperwork in New York...twice. Or would you rather come back tomorrow? KELLY: Oh wow, yeah tomorrow would be better. I still need to go buy rope and all... PIPPA: Ok, so what time? KELLY: Pippa, I’m tying you up. What time works for you? PIPPA: Let’s say 11. KELLY: Ok perfect. I’ll see you then! (turns to leave, then pauses and turns back around) Thank you for letting me do this to you...
The video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1IjQfTQTco Kelly Mahon is a Copywriter currently in her second quarter at Miami Ad School, Ralph gave her the A (she earned it!)
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i Kristy, this is Luke Sullivan. I found your portfolio in a room full of potfolios here at GSD&M and I’d like to talk to you about a job.” I stood there, slightly confused, cell phone in hand. He might has well have said, “Hi Kristy, this is God.” (For any of you that don’t know who Luke Sullivan is, he wrote the book on advertising... literally.) It was the call any Miami Ad School graduate would have died for. And there I was, standing in someone else’s office, having just accepted another job. Even more surreal: this someone else who just gave me a job was Luke’s former partner. I said the only thing that came to mind, given the circumstances: “Is this a joke?!” It wasn’t. Kristy Furgiuele Photo Art Director and Photograher www.kristyfurg.com
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t was October 2005, the end of the first week of my third quarter at Miami Ad School. Pippa and Ron were hosting a welcome shindig at their house for new students. Six months into my time at MAS I felt like an old pro so I decided to show up and help out with orientation (and for the free beer.) My friend Ana Maria joined me, who was all excited because her best friends from London were coming to Miami that night and would meet us at the party. I remember it so clearly: standing with Pippa discussing the beautiful art pieces in her living room and the front door opened. Rob walked in with his British cool and crinkly eyes and BOOM! I was in Major Lust. Ana introduced us. He was a graphic designer in London here on holiday. I offered him a can of Miller Lite. We ended up spending most of the week together, dancing and snogging and exploring South Beach. He helped me brainstorm for homework assignments. It was a classic fantastic vacation hook-up. Then he left and went back to the UK. It took me a few days to realize what had hit me. I couldn’t stop thinking about this guy. We started emailing, sharing work and funny stories. My crush developed into something Far More Serious. I was having way too much fun at school to get overly concerned, although I did check my email about six hundred times a day. My mom bought me a ticket to London for Christmas after I let some comment slip about “the future father of my children” during Thanksgiving. (I had emphatically never wanted to get married, much less have kids. She saw a glimmer of hope.) I visited him in January. By the end of that week, we were In Love. We also had no idea how
we were going to make this work. I had the amazing opportunity to study in Hamburg that spring and we visited each other every few weeks. Then I was accepted for the Saatchi internship in London. It was the best summer of my life, full of excitement and new experiences and learning. When it came time to return to the States to study in San Francisco for my final 2 quarters, we knew that somehow we were going to have a future together. We fantasized about becoming partners someday. We booked international flights and learned how to work the new iChat cameras. Six months later, when I graduated Miami Ad School, we decided to be crazy and start our own agency. My brother and his friend were starting a web company and agreed to sponsor Rob’s American work visa. We had no experience running a business. In the past three and a half years, we’ve built a small but successful design shop called Playground Creative. We founded a non-profit and developed a web application. Rob was recently hired as the Creative Director of a large fashion company. We made it work – beyond our wildest expectations. I am grateful for so many things that I learned at Miami Ad School. A lot of it was about the skills involved in making great ads, but an even bigger part of it was developing the creativity, strength of character and courage to take big leaps into the unknown and trust that you’ll come up with a great solution. Lee Robinson P.S. Our wedding is October 22, 2011. We’ll raise a glass to Pippa, Ron and the entire MAS family.
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come from Brazil and when I first got to the States I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I was always interested in fashion, photography and arts. I visited Miami on 2004 and saw Miami Ad School while I was walking on Alton Road. I saw the school but could never imagine I would end up studying there. When I first came to school I did not even know how to handle a camera, I never had any contact with photography before. After enjoying the school for a year I finally got to do my quarter away in NY. I was supposed to assist a photographer but apparently she was to busy to set up a time to meet me. Mehera the director of the school started to worry about me and another photo student that had been at school for 2 weeks still without an internship. She started calling everyone in the city and she amazingly told me on a monday afternoon that I would go for an interview at Splash Light (one of the most famous studios in the city) Wednesday morning we were there at 8 AM to try and get in and finally I was set up with an amazing internship. Two weeks later everybody at the studio got the news that Steven Meisel was going to shoot the Calvin Klein ad campaign and we were going to assist the shoot and support the Meisel team with equipment. I was in shock over the news. Oh My God... I will see Meisel shooting... unbelievable!!! The shoot started on Friday and lasted until Sunday afternoon. when I got to the set, everybody was directing me and telling me to not speak, look or get near him and the crew. Everyone
looked very sharp and busy doing whatever needed to be done, and I kept my distance. Saturday night at the end of the shoot I was smoking a cigarett outside and I saw him (Steven Meisel) leaving the building. I could not help myself, I walked up to him smiling and I said “ Excuse me Steven, they told me to don’t talk, look, or get near you, but since you are so close to me, that’s a hard direction to follow. I am bad at following directions and I just want to say “HI”. He looked at me and laughed out loud and said “Really? They told you that? Then he laughed some more, shook my hand and said “Nice to meet you”. I was looking around to see if anyone caught me breaking the rules but luckily I was fine. No one was around and I went back inside, acting nothing happened. But it did happen, I met Meisel. That was by far my most unforgettable moment at Miami Ad School. I can’t finish my story without mentioning another unforgettable thing at Miami Ad School and that is Darryl Strawser. He is a teacher that taught me beyond photography. He taught me how to appreciate life and never give up. That’s priceless. Strawser you are priceless ! Leonardo de Angelis is a photography student at Miami Ad School currently interning in New York.
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s I walk into the kitchen my girlfriend is preparing lunch.
ME: I need to know... I quit my job and still have no answer from the school. When are they going to tell me something. GIRLFRIEND: (While she chops some onions) Soon, but you don’t have to worry...I know that you got in. ME: (I turn on the computer and walk to the fridge to get a beer) Do you want one? oh, sorry, there’s only one left... We’ll share it. GIRLFRIEND: (Cleaning the tears in her eyes) Ok, we’ll share it. GIRLFRIEND: (As I walk to get two beer mugs I check the onions) This onion is killing me. Is this enough for the sauce? ME: Yes, they’re perfect. (I sit down again to check my emails. I log in in my account and the first mail in the in box is from Katie. You can just see “Hi Luis After reviewing your assignment...” I jump away from the computer.) ME: I got an answer... but I’m to nervous to open it. Please, you do it. GIRLFRIEND: (Washing her hands in the kitchen sink.) Coming, coming... I know that is a Yes! (I was siting on the floor, rocking back and forward like a crazy person, waiting for her to read the mail.) ME: So, what does it says... tell me please! GIRLFRIEND: (clicking as if like her life depended on it) Nothing yet... Internet is so slow. This always happens when you really need it. (I still was on the floor
rocking back and forth) ME: Come on, come on... hurry up please!! GIRLFRIEND: (She turns around slowly, looks me in the eyes. At that moment I stop rocking) You are in... it’s a yes... congratulations!! ME: What?? Really? Is it true? Please, please let me see, let me see. (I get up in a second, jump to the computer, almost pushing my girlfriend out of the way and read the mail out loud) THE EMAIL: Hi Luis - After reviewing your assignment, essays and creative samples, I am pleased to congratulate you on your acceptance to Miami Ad School. I attached a form that I need you to fill out and send back to me. We will be able to produce the I-20 in August. When it is done, I will FedEx it to the address you provided. I start jumping from one place to the other, give my girlfriend a big kiss and grab the phone to call my dad. ME: Dad, guess what... I just got the mail and its a YES! DAD: Hey!! congratulations... you really deserve it. You worked hard for it. (I turn off whatever we were cooking, grab the keys to the car and walk to the door) ME: We are going out to eat... I’m to happy to cook. Lets celebrate. GIRLFRIEND: Ok... I want Chinese. (We walk out the room) Luis Perez-Duran is a copywriter currently in his second quarter at Miami Ad School.
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n account planner’s memoir
Most memories from my quarter at MAS’s Bootcamp for Account Planners are school related. But the ones that are stuck in my heart actually happened the moment I stepped out from our cozy basement into the wild of San Francisco’s neighborhoods. My “memory” happened during the Thanksgiving long weekend. I was so grateful to have free time from school that I decided to play a tourist and visit Alcatraz. (Later I would joke that I felt I was just transfering from one prison to another, the only difference being that in Alcatraz I wouldn’t have weekend workshops.) In any case, after my visit ended, I planned to continue on in tourist mode and walk from Alcatraz’s pier to Tower Hill. On the way there a rather shy Asian guy asked me, in non-existent english, if I knew how to get to Tower Hill (I didn’t). We ended up walking together, trying to communicate through a mix of sign language and pictionary-style doodles all while managing to keep alive as we climbed up about 1,000 steps. His name was Shih-yung Ho, and he was visiting from Taiwan. So naturally, I had to get a picture with him so I could tag him as the “made-in-taiwan” guy (I know, I could hear the rimshots back then). We spent a couple more hours together, exploring Chinatown and having coffee near Union Square. I still wonder how we managed to have a pretty decent conversation, using only napkins and a made-in-taiwan electronic translator. Mafe Padrón Venezuela Eliaschev Publicidad
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started in Hamburg and have had a lot of great experiences while working on some awesome briefs and creating some great concepts and campaigns. But my most memorable day started at 6:50 AM with the simple words; “Honey, I think my water broke!” Its the 30th of March 2010, right before the start of my 2nd Quarter. I grabbed our pre packaged luggage and hit the road to drive to the hospital. I was glad that it was between quarters because I would be able to be there for the birth of my son. The clock ticked to 3 PM and were on our way to the delivery room. You feel pretty helpless as you stand and watch everything going on in front of you. I did the only thing I could think of and grabbed her hand and talked with her softly telling her that she was doing great and that I was very proud of her. Things started getting wierd pretty fast as the nurse ran out and came back with 2 doctors and the head doctor of the hospital. What I was seeing and experiencing was the result of a 70% risk birth. I could hear the doctors speaking and checking if my son would be born naturally or they’d have to operate. Thankfully it worked out the natural way and at 3:53 PM, Myles Aiden was born. I cut the umbilical cord and then it was me my girlfriend and my son all alone in this memorable moment. Its one of those things you never forget, and I’m glad to have experienced it. At school everyone was exited and kept asking to see the little guy. So soon after, Myles and I paid everyone at school a small visit. The managers of the Hamburg school were so amazed and gave him what must be the smallest Top Dog shirt in the world! This was and will be my most memorable moment during my Miami Ad School life. Marc Lauckhardt is currently in his 5th Quarter at Miami Ad School.
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t wasn’t a class or an assignment or a teacher that stands out most to me from my days at Miami Ad School…it was when I ate an egg that had been preserved for months, when it all became clear to me this is the experience of a lifetime. I ate a Century Egg. Through the preservation process, the yolk becomes a dark green to grey color, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulfur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavor. Sound horrifying? It was. I was an intern in Singapore, where a few of the locals took me out to lunch. They wanted me to try some of the traditional Singaporean and Chinese dishes. Most of the dishes were fine. Bad at worst. Then came the Century Egg. I thought it was a joke. I had to get confirmation from another westerner that it was, indeed, very real. I was in Singapore for one reason, exploration, so I gave it a shot. Half a Century Egg later I felt like the king of the world. My hosts were impressed and explained that I was the first American to try it. Even as I write this now, I can feel the uncomfortable texture in my mouth and taste the horrible-grossdisgustingness on my tongue. Despite all that, I’m glad I did it and I never would have had the chance if it weren’t for Miami Ad School. I learned a lot at MAS, made some cool ads, even got a job because of it, but all of that pales in comparison to the fact that I ate a Century Egg. Now if only they gave advertising awards for bravery... Matthew Weiner is currently at Draftfcb in chicago. Just a few of the clients he has worked on: Heat Tracker App, Taco Bell, Tombstone, T-Mobile, HomeAway.com, Johnnie Walker, Sony Ericsson, Burger King, Volkswagen, Microsoft http://bigween.com/
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iami Ad School Most memorable moment By: Melanie C. Jordan Int. School. Day. MELANIE a woman in her late thirties, fair skin, blonde hair, thin structure, dressed in a white sundress scans the faces of students as she enters the door to the school’s auditorium. Dissolve to Int. Auditorium. Day MELANIE sits in a chair as she waits along-side a sea of students to introduce herself and say where she is originally from. The SOUND GUY less than six feet tall weighing around 200 pounds wearing a t-shirt and jeans approachs her with a microphone. SOUND GUY: Here you go. MELANIE: Well, my...(She shifts her feet nervously)...my name is Melanie. I’m from Brooklyn however I’ve been living in Miami for 11 years...I am a copywriter and thrilled to be here. MELANIE: (hands the microphone back to SOUND GUY) MELANIE: (Smiling) Thank you. Dissolve to Ext. School. Day MELANIE: rushes out of the building, a cell phone to her ear. MELANIE: (Anxiously) Mark, I don’t think I can do this. Baby, I felt like an asshole I mean… can I do this? MARK: (Comforting) Relax; you are going to be fine. Reset yourself. Come home I have dinner waiting. MELANIE: (adjusted her shoulder bag and began to walk home) MELANIE: (Anxious) I’m coming.. But what am I going to do about school? I’m telling you babe, I don’t think I am going to fit in.. What am I doing?
MARK: (Comforting) Baby, you really need to relax. It’s only your first day. You’ll be fine. Just come home. MELANIE: (Content) Ok, ok.. You’re right. I’m just a little over whelmed. I’m on my way I’ll see you in a bit babe. Dissolve to Int. Classroom. Day (two weeks later) The next day MELANIE is sitting at a wooden table woth six other students and an INSTRUCTOR. MELANIE is straight across from the instructor. Apple laptops cover the table as students hit their keyboards. The sound of the central air conditioner kicks on with a sudden CA-CHICK every fifteen minutes. INSTRUCTOR: Who wants to come to the front of the class and present their work first? MELANIE: I will. (Melanie walked to the front of the class with print ads in hand.) Dissolve to Ext. In front of school. Day (MELANIE is in front of Miami Ad School with cell phone to ear) MELANIE: (Happy) Hi Baby, you were right the whole time. I hate that you are always right (Laughs) MARK: I told you honey there was nothing to stress about. You just needed to adjust. I am so proud of you baby. MELANIE: (Excited) That print ad I was working on all week well, the teacher loved it. I also met this really nice girl today. I’m so excited baby everything is falling into place… just like you said it would. MARK: I’m happy for you hun. Come home Slugger misses his mommy. I told him you were on your way home. MELANIE: I’m on my way I’ll be home in ten min. Fade out Kelly Mahon is a copywriter currently in her second quarter at Miami Ad School.
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rainstorming
It’s the middle of the afternoon as David, Epiphany, and Michelle sit at a table in the central room at Miami Ad School. The table is covered with papers, book bags, water bottles, and three laptops. There are not many other people in the large room, and the group is obviously frustrated. They have been working on a project about sanitation for hours and are having a difficult time coming up with a solid idea. The group sits in silence looking at their computer screens. David is staring off into the distance. Michelle has a pencil in her hand, and Epiphany is adding a packet of Crystal Light to her water. Michelle sighs and turns to her friends. Michelle: So what if we show some kids playing in dirty water? David: We’ve been through this. That’s only showing the problem. Michelle: Damn it, you’re right Epiphany: We could do something with the ways it helps everything else. What do you think? Michelle: So the message would be “helping sanitation helps everything else”? Let’s read the brief again and see if that’ll work. All three turn to their computers and open the same document. After a few minutes they look at each other. Michelle: I think that Epi’s idea could work. We could show how sanitation is more important than other sources of aid ‘cause without it nothing else matters. David: But how do we show that? Michelle: Um… what if we do like education plus sanitation equals infinity or something like that? Epiphany: What about the different symbols? They have ‘em for education, doctors, a heart for love… David: And do what with that? I’m not sure where you’re trying to go with this. What’s our message going to be?
Michelle: Well, I wrote down that other line. “Without Sanitation nothing else matters.” David: Yea, but that’s putting down other things. I get what you mean, but doctors still matter even if the water is dirty. Michelle: Yea, but they can’t really do their job without clean water. David: So you’re saying without clean water doctors are pointless. Epiphany: Write that down right now. That might work. Michelle: What are you talking about? Epiphany: “Without clean water doctors are pointless.” Write that down. David: That’s really good. I think we can use that. Let me see if I can find an image that’ll go with it, like a dirty scalpel. David turns to his computer but Michelle is already typing on hers. Michelle: I think I found one. I’ll email you a link. (sighs) Oh thank God. Finally an idea that might actually work! Epiphany: Sounds good. (She stands) I’m going to go to Whole Foods real quick. Anyone want to go with? Michelle: I will. (She also stands) David: I don’t want to go but can you bring me back a cookie? Both girls nod as they gather their things and walk out of the room. David stays behind, mocking up their ad and waiting for his cookie. Michelle Bielecki
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lanner’s Plan B
Nearly a month into our Account Planning Boot Camp in San Francisco, Fall 2010, our group decided it was finally time to hit Napa Valley. The postponement of our favorite Wednesday class provided the perfect opportunity. The morning of our departure, we arrived at school, ready for a day of drinking under the sun. Unfortunately, we were so involved with actual account planning that little thought was devoted to how we’d get to Napa. A few, very, long walks and rental car quotes beyond our price range led to the conclusion that it was finally time for plan B. But we were all gunning for a little indulgence. I looked around the group, about half our program, and realized that despite being in the United States, I was the only American surrounded by Brazilians, Spaniards, an Argentinian and a Singaporean. It was quickly decided that we’d have a South Americanstyle outdoor BBQ. I say South American because apparently throwing a piece of lightly seasoned steak, and vegetables, covered in tin foil, on a grill, is standard practice in both Argentina and Brazil. We gathered our ingredients at a Whole Foods and headed to our classmate’s nearby apartment complex to grill. The Argentinian took the reigns at the grill, slowly cooking the most tasty, tender, well deserved Argentinian steak and fresh vegetables. We all drank copious amounts of alcohol – yes – at least that was part of our original plan, and I’m pretty sure we did not manage to discuss our current projects once. Instead, I learned who my classmates really were – how much they had given up to come to the program and how excited, yet confused they were about their futures after the program. I learned how they were treated as foreigners by our government and how hard it was to get a work visa. I learned about Spain’s universal healthcare but lack of opportunities and Brazil’s fast rising status
in the global economy. I learned about how kind and generous my classmates were and thought about how unique our experience in San Francisco was. As different as our backgrounds all were, we were all similar in that we had the courage to take a leap, travel across the country, to another country or even across the world, and as clichÊ as it sounds, pursue our dreams. 6 hours, one bottle of red wine and countless beers later, the sun set and we continued the conversation inside over hot tea. My friend and I provided the group with a little touch of America, Oreo Cookies, and we continued to learn more about our backgrounds. To be honest, I try not to think about how unlikely it is that we’ll all be in the same room together again. But I can only hope that it will be at an awards show, over wine, eating a celebratory steak. Molly Aaker Account Planning Boot Camp San Francisco Fall 2010
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i, I´m Ratko,
I graduate the Miami Ad School Europe in December 2008 and the most Memorable day was the first day in school. A lot of people from all over the world were meeting in a big classroom. I was nervous and curious at the same time. In my class were two people from India, a French girl, a Swiss guy, a Swedish guy and five people from Germany. In the whole school were people from all over the world! It was great to see how international this adventure will be for me. A lot of characters with different backgrounds were mixed together. It was a great start and a great day. Name: Ratko Cindric City: Berlin, Germany Agency: Art Director at Serviceplan Berlin Side Note: I´m former student from the Miami Ad School Europe “Hamburg” and i like to tell you about my memorable day in school. I´m not native English speaking and as well not a writer, so i hope you excuse my bad english :)
I
was running on top of the building of Saatchi New York, where I did my internship. There was a running track there around the fitness center on top of the huge building. I don’t know if it was the overwhelming view on the skyscrapers, the mild evening sun or the serotonine that did it, but all of a sudden I felt a rush of happiness that I never felt before. At that very moment, it was like all the good moments of that quarter entered my brain simultaneously. While I was running in a constant pace, I was reminded of all the good things that happened before. How I went to the Miami Ad School Hamburg as a last hope because my career in Holland was going nowhere. How I was now doing an internship at the Agency of the Year. Where I learned from the best creatives in the world: Icaro Doria, Menno Kluin, Jan Jacobs, Leo Premutico. What wonderful people I lived with in the school housing. The energetic vibe in the Big Apple. And especially...especially how I met Leila. The sweetest, most beautiful and interesting girl I’ve ever met. It was my 31st birthday, when I met her in a club in Brooklyn. From then on I spent all my spare time with her. She was my little princess, the proof that true love exists. Strange how, while I was sweating and running around the Saatchi fitness centre, all of these things came together. I was so happy, it brought tears in my eyes. I knew I had to treasure the moment, before I went back in the office again to start working. So I took a break. I held on to the fence that surrounded the rooftop and looked at the empire state building in the distance. I wasn’t just on top of the Saatchi building, I was on top of the world. Robin Stam
Hi Pippa, I presented this writing piece to Ron in Wordsmithing class. He laughed and said he would talk to you about it. Well, I don’t know if he mentioned it but here’s the story. I hope you like it. I wish I had more classes with him. p.s. Please remember this is fiction. I’m not really obsessed with you. I just thought it would be a funny story. – About the most memorable day at Miami Ad School. -
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skinny geek, using black Ray Ban Wayfarfers with huge prescription lenses and white tape in the middle, stands sweating in front of the Miami Ad School. From where he stands, the place looks gigantic. Slowly looking up the stone wall, reaching the pink neon logo right when the lights go on. He is stuck there, scared to death, cracking his: filled with callus, videogame addict, fingers. He gets the courage to make a move. The loyal doorman, who sees it all from his superspy cameras, opens the door with surgical precision at the exact moment the geek reaches for the knob. Thomas gets in. He looks at Alfonzo, the doorman, in his little office holding a guinea pig with one hand rubbing the little mammal against his check while with the other hand training his reflexes to push the door button as fast as he can. Thomas is a little freaked out, not only because of Alfonzo’s mutant supersonic speed, but because the man just keeps starring at him in a strange way. He turns around and feels humble in front of so many awards. The geek stands there, starring at the One Show Gold Pencil for a couple of minutes. His ego starts poisoning his mind. The montage moment begins. A movie goes by in his head. Camera flashes are coming from every direction, all of the press is here. Thomas gets out of the limo, dressed like a pimp, and a red carpet unfolds right beneath his feet. He waves to the fans who are going crazy behind the security trying to touch him as he smoothly walks towards the auditorium to receive his award. He stops to pose for some pictures with his date, a smoking hot Victoria’s Secret supermodel. The gorgeous woman grabs his head french-kisses him and starts going crazy, licking his nose, his chin and his cheeks in front of everybody. Suddenly, he wakes up lying on the ground and realizes that all of the
tongue action was actually coming from a chocolate Lab. There is a bunch of people around him, trying to understand what happened. As soon as Thomas comes back to his senses, he uses his asthma pump to breathe normally. A beautiful blonde kneels down and says, with the most caring voice: - Hey, you scared all of us here, you alright? Still dizzy, the geek replies: - Am I in heaven? Are you an Angel? - No, no, I’m just the cofounder and president of this school, Pippa. Nice to meet you. She reaches for his hand, to help him stand up, and says: - Let me take you to my office, so you can relax. At this moment, an image pops up in his mind. He sees Pippa dressed as a female warrior/amazon/horsewoman, saving him from a flying fire dragon. The geek doesn’t say a word and just keeps looking at her. He fell instantly in love. They’re sitting at Pippa’s office and she starts talking: - What happened back there, sweetie? He answers stuttering: - I, I, I, I have an emotional disorder, every time I feel too sad or too happy or too exited the oxygen level in my brain goes down and I faint. - Are you sure you want to be a creative? - I couldn’t be a game designer, so, so, so, so I think I’m almost sure. - So we will have to fix this disorder of yours. - How come? You, you, you won’t accept me here. - No, no. It’s just that this industry can be really tough. You will have to deal with all kinds of emotions on a daily basis. You’ll get sad and happy everyday. And we don’t want a cute little boy like you getting frustrated, right? Thomas falls back from his chair, again, he fainted. Thomas Davini is a copywriter currently in his second quarter at Miami Ad School.
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ne of my all time favorite moments from Miami Ad School had to be during my first quarter in the fall of 2009. We were given a brief to concept and shoot a television spot for the 2010 Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach. The eight of us, Brett Willis, Francis Charapata, Tyler Cornack, Arian White, Julie Eichoff, Paul Williams, Miryam Menendez and I gathered in my kitchen at around 5:30 in the morning to paint our bodies from head to toe so that we could blend into the Art Deco architecture and ultimately bring it to life. The shoot was quite an adventure. After the paint dried and a quick pep talk, we made our way to the beachfront. We paraded around Ocean Drive in nothing more than a coat of paint and a few yards of fabric. Our photographer Arian took over the street, stopping traffic in order to get the perfect shot. Some beeped, some honked, but everyone gawked. From Ocean Drive we marched onto the beach and commandeered a lifeguard tower. By this time the sun was overhead and the paint was beginning to run. We marched in unison to the newly renovated Art Deco Welcome Center for our final shot. By this time we picked up a straggling photographer who was captivated by our strange costumes and enthusiasm. He shot a few photos and thanked us for making his day. Once we had all the shots wrapped, we headed directly to the Miami Ad School photo studio. I’ll never forget the look on the students and teachers faces as we strutted in, one painted body after the other. After our impromptu photo shoot and a quick shower, it was time to celebrate. This was a day I will never forget, a day full excitement, bonding and creative flexibility. Travis Klausmeier
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his is my story of how studying at the school of Pop Culture Engineering got me an acquaintance with a pop culture icon - cartoonist Hugh Macleod. I’ve always been a big fan of Hugh Macleod. His work has a bold flair that brings out some of the best human truths, in its purest form. Infact, as an account planner, I’m fascinated with Hugh’s ability to pick up detailed nuances of human behavior and tell a compelling story in a few scribbles and a line or two. When I came down to Miami Ad School for the Account Planning Bootcamp, imagine my delight when Hugh’s twitter feed told me that he was in Miami Beach! I looked up his business partner Jason, and wrote him an email telling him what a crazy fan I am and how I’d love to meet Hugh! A few days later, I received a call...from Hugh Macleod himself! We met for coffee that weekend. He was excited to know I was a MAS student, and he even mentioned how he’d love to come give a talk at school. It was such a nice experience to meet not just the ‘cartoonist’, but the man himself - he’s absolutely down to earth, endearing to talk to - and keeps it real, just like his work. To add to my luck, he recently released his second book during my time here in Miami; I’m going to go get me a signed copy! Since he started off drawing cartoons on the back of business cards, I got him to draw on the back of my student ID. Now that’s a memory that can last a lifetime! Wesley-Anne Rodrigues. Account Planner, Miami Ad School http://beyondthemaple.wordpress.com/
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