Hope it's not jinxed.

Adweek just picked the 20 favorites to win at Cannes and Geico Unskippable is on the list. Let's hope that's not the kiss of death.  Either way, great company to be in.  http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/20-campaigns-will-win-lions-cannes-165316

The Martin Agency at 50.

The work of 50 years hangs on two giant walls at the agency. It could be double that - easy. I've been curating the wall with help of the team here and it's been fun looking back and forward at the best work of the last five decades. In the Fall we will celebrate with a book, site and party here at the agency. Going to be exciting - and emotional - to see it all come together.

Cannes is for lovers.

Headed to Cannes in a week for the Lions Festival. Our friends at McCann are throwing a beach party for us on Thursday night in honor of the agency's 50th year. Pretty cool stuff. Can't wait - hope a couple lions join us on the dance floor. 

Ace Scholarship winner #3.

Kennedy Xiong is the 3rd recipient of the Ace Scholarship. The gift was named in honor of my late dad, a life long educator, and goes to minority student in the St. Paul Public Schools who is headed to college to be a teacher. Kennedy is off to the University of Minnesota (My father's alma mater.) in the Fall. Here is an excerpt from Kennedy's application: "Although the income you receive as an educator isn't much, giving back to the community is enough for me. Becoming an educator is not about doing it for yourself but giving out to others instead. I want to be able to show students the importance of education. Even if it means only changing the life of one person, I would gladly do it."

The pre-roll roll continues.

Following 4 golds and a silver at The One Show, the Geico Unskippable campaign keeps rolling. I was in London for work and headed to the show to grab a Yellow and Graphite pencil from D&AD. Amazing. Fingers crossed for Cannes.

Unskippable is unstoppable.

The team for Geico - Neel and Mauricio - had a simple brief: make some pre-rolls. Thank God, they did much more. They re-invented probably the most hated ad buy in the world. The reaction has been a universal "10." Great idea, perfect execution. Congrats.

This staff.

This team of ours amaze me with their talent, but even more, with their hard work and resilience. Man, the demands we put on creatives these days. So when we can get out as a group and blow off some steam together, we do it. Not enough people could make it - working, of course - but a good size shot some stick at Greenleaf Hall. Can't thank you enough for everything.

Oreo global: PLAY.

This is our best work so far in 2015. Just breaking and breathtaking. Will be OOH around the globe. The theme for the year: Play with Oreo. So simple. Illustrated by some of the best artists working today, including McFetridge, Jeff Soto, Ryan Todd, Shotopop, Andy Rementer, Trochut and others.

Bad-ass ness.

Duvel is one fine beer. When we won the business earlier this year, we created a total redesign of their labels and packaging, highlighting the "virtues" the brewery has held in high regard since the first beer was brewed in 1871. The design is amazing, but the copy is even better.

A case for Mad Men.

For your consideration, judges. The Mad Men print we created for AMC. Love this campaign and hope the love is returned. Nice work by one of our best, Danny Robinson.

One Show ROI.

Been a blast to work with Pum and her Design Army creating the theme for the 2015 One Show. It's all about the huge return we all get when we enter the show. Sure, when you win a pencil, you win and the ROI is clear. But every penny of your entry goes right back into the creative community through mentoring, boot camps, leadership series, diversity programs and so much more. Here is just one of the animated films we've made with Magnus, Evan and our Hue&Cry dudes. Nice coverage in Creativity: http://creativity-online.com/work/the-one-show-call-for-entries-2015-jose-molla/38492

Some LGBT LOL.

It's great to see the LGBT community being embraced by brands. It's even better to see the work start a have of humor, even better, a self-deprecating sense of humor. Stoli Vodka has always had a great relationship with the community and I think the new work reflects a confidence that only comes with mutual trust. The videos are running online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2WRSftWB7g

It's the little things.

Craft is my new push for 2015. The attention to detail we put in the work is what makes a good idea a great one. Craft is one of the things that sets us apart from other agencies. It always has.  I also believe a well-crafted piece connects better than one that isn't. Shown here is the leave behind for the Tic Tac pitch. Whitney McCall, a young designer, put the entire deck inside a hand-made Tic-Tac box.  Great idea. Oh, we won the pitch, too.

 

Sir Williams.

Brian Williams has been one of the most award-winning creatives in the world since 2010. I think he's won 16 Lions, 10 One Show pencils and at least 3 of those cool Yellow Ones from that small London-based show - what's it called again? Anyway, with the office opening in London, we thought it smart to bring some of the RVA DNA to the office to help all our natives understand Martin a bit better. The downside of this move? BW will not be in the office here. The guy is just one of the good ones - smart, talented and a sweet man. He also does the best impression of Wade Alger and that leaves a gapping hole in our day. Good luck, my friend. See you soon.  (Below, Brian's latest for the JFK Library. Just one in a series that is awesome.)

Dropping category convention from 10,000 feet.

BFG tires has been doing breakthrough cool stuff that nobody ever sees for the last few years. Unless you are a gigantic tire nerd, you won't see this one either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2sMlUSPL9Y. Hopefully, the masses will pick it up because it's really well-done. Congrats, crazy people who jump out of planes.

J. Roddy in the house!

Making stuff happen. We do that by letting our teams create stuff outside their regular workload. But we also do it by providing the capabilities in-house to do great things without the expense of taking it to outside vendors. J. Roddy Walston, a local musician with a huge national following, is a good buddy of one of our young star producers, Heather Tanton. Tants grabbed a few co-workers, friends, strangers and crew and figured out how to make an awesome video for "Same Days Forever," J. Roddy's lead single for his new album. The entire film produced at Martin. Site produced in tandem with our friends New Object. FWA Site of the Day, June 24th, thefwa.com/site/same-days-forever. See the entire video here: http://samedaysforever.com/.

Partners in arms.

We didn't mean to all cross our arms at once. I guess that happens when you've known and worked together for over 20 years - you kinda start looking like one another. Matt Williams, CEO. Beth Rile-Kelley, COO. Grateful to be leading with you. Cheers.

Moore good ideas, #2.

Maybe my favorite idea of the 2014 at the agency. The Ben Moore client had a simple assignment for us: tell the world about their sponsorship of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. The Red Sox just happen to play in one of the most iconic stadiums in all of the sports because of The Green Monster, the famous left field wall that's over 37 feet tall. Guess who paints the Monster green? Yup. Ben Moore. BOOM! The team named the paint, designed the can and now it's for sale for Red Sox fans everywhere. Of course, we had to build a kick ass online experience here monstereverywhere.com and make some films. Maybe the coolest thing? For every can of paint sold, the brand is going to donate to have Little League fields upgraded across Boston. The press has gone gaga and there's more fun coming. Congrats to all.

Moore good ideas, #1.

Benjamin Moore is a very high end quality paint. The choice of the best contractors not because it's cheap but because it just performs like no other paint. Thankfully, their marketing folks and dealers believe that a brand that stands for quality has to convey quality in their brand communication. Hallelujah! We've done some special work the last couple years. Here is a website we created entirely in-house called designbywhatmatters.com, an amazing tool that helps match your paint choices to your personality. FWA Site and Mobile of the Day, August 22nd.

GEICO rolls on.

We're coming up on our 20th anniversary with GEICO. It's been a special relationship since day one. Why? I think mutual respect and trust. Like any great marriage. I know I speak for all of us here in saying how grateful we are for being suck a great client. Words just can't describe. Speaking of words....one of the latest spots.

Why I love my job.

It makes me happy. Happy about the work we do. Happy for the people who make it. Happy for the clients who put their names on it. Happy for the culture and community it supports and inspires. The other day, Ken Marcus, who writes some of our best GEICO spots - Hump Day, for one - stopped in with his two adorable kids. Their idea? Present to me a GEICO script they wrote in my office just like their dad does everyday. I mean, come on. This is why I love my job. The spot was hilarious, by the way. Look out, Dad!

This idea is not Mini.

The business is for doers, not talkers. If you're not making things happen, you're not doing your job. Brig White is exceptionally good at being a MAKER. He's an art director but he's also a director, prop maker, writer, visual artist, illustrator, designer, carpenter, there is simply not enough time in the day for the idea machine called Brig. The attached spot called Mel's Mini Mart for Oreo started when he went into his garage on a weekend and built a Mel's Mini Mart with his own hands. Then, working with writer Danny Robinson and our crew downstairs at RWS and Hue&Cry, made a film the following weekend. Check it. The finished film is close to what we presented to our amazing client, who approved the concept on the spot. Bottom line, if Brig doesn't make Mel's, Mel's doesn't get made.

Bringing us together one light at a time.

Martin Labs is filled with our mad scientists, the square pegs in round holes, the "crazy ones" as Apple so famously put it. Voggy and Mac and John are always tinkering and when they attach their brains to a big idea, surprising stuff happens. Like this. Check it. Finalist at One Show.            

Jingles? No. Brand melodies? Yes.

The Oreo campaign this year proved that music is back in full force. Of course, it's always been around as an important part of advertising, but more and more brands like Oreo are using it as a central pillar of the way a brand behaves and connects with consumers. That was the central theme of our panel at Cannes that included David Muhlenfeld of Martin, the writer and composer of all the Oreo music. And David Leinhardt from Duotone, the producer of the multi-Grand Prix winning Chipolte campaign. We spoke in the 10:00 am slot and had a big crowd considering the Gutter Bar probably closed right before. Thanks for having us, Cannes!

Cannes!

Fun to be back and serving for the first time on the Cyber jury. I look around the room and see so much talent. It reinforces the honor it is to be selected to judge at Cannes. Thank you. After two days, I've seen so much good work, especially in video. Websites are impressive, too. You get a new appreciation for the gauntlet a piece has to go through to get shortlisted, not to mention receive a Lion.

The 2nd Ace Scholarship goes to...Yemi!

Yemi Fadahunsi of Harding High in St. Paul is the 2014 winner of the Ace Scholarship. The Ace goes every year to a graduating minority senior who plans to major in education. The award is named after my father, Ace Alexander, a life-long educator in the St. Paul public school system. Yemi is an incredible young woman who dreams to "use teaching to make a difference in the lives of young people." We wish you the best of luck, Yemi. Go get it.

A Wonderfilled award season.

The Oreo campaign has enjoyed a great run so far and for good reason. Everything about it - the animation, storytelling, craftsmanship and music - all are world-class. It's tough to shortlist, let alone place in the best shows because you are competing against the very best. The campaign has been in CA, in-book in D&AD, shortlisted at AICP, bronze in ADC and 2 silvers pencils at One Club. High hopes for Cannes, especially in design and craft. Congrats Jorge and team.

Mad love.

A series of "For your consideration" ads for AMC and "Mad Men." Just love the art direction and writing, a perfect example of how craft can raise a campaign from good to great. One of my favorite campaigns from the agency so far in 2014. Congrats to the cooks in the Kitchen and Danny and Brig for their leadership.

His last ad may have been his best.

It's been 4 months since Mike Hughes passed away. A few weeks before he died, he had an idea and the video here is based on the email he sent me. We love you and miss you.

Poo.

Earth University is a special place where young people from all of the globe learn sustainable practices that they then bring back to their communities. We just completed a viral campaign starring a graduate named Susanna. The making of video is amazing.

JFK lives on.

The site went live on the anniversary of his death, but the content keeps coming in. Here is a short on the Brooks Brothers Fitzgerald suit. Also, see the beautiful tribute from presidential poet Richard Blanco. The site was just shortlisted at SXSW. anidealiveson.org

The Brooks Brothers piece.

It's just wonderfilled.

The campaign for Oreo is my favorite thing of 2013 at the agency, beating out Hump Day and not counting the Emmy for Clouds. Here's the case study. Kick-ass.

What you did for me.

You gave me a career I am proud of.
You gave my family a wonderful life.
You taught me humility.
You gave me opportunity.
You never penned me in.
You never let me get away with shit.
You never let me take myself too seriously.
You let me find my way.
You let me be me.
What else does anyone need?
To know that a person like you has my back.
I can't tell you how much that has meant to me.
How could I ever find the right words?
I miss you already.
It's a void I will never ever fill.
I am a little scared, I will admit.
But I will carry on and do my best.
I know you will always be there.
I just will miss all our conversations. So many.
I know I will continue to ask for help.
I know you will be there to listen.
Keep your ears open.
I love you
(An email I sent to Mike a few months ago.)

The most shared ad of 2013.

Guess what commercial it is? Hump day for GEICO just surpassed Dove Sketches as the most viral ad of 2013. Mike, Mike, Mike Hughes is even impressed by that. Congrats to the team and our incredible client.

And the Emmy goes to.....

Crazy to think we won an Emmy for Clouds over Cuba. Still pinching myself. I think the most gratifying thing of all is that the agency is now officially making much more than ads. I knew it was always true, but the Emmy puts the Housekeeping Stamp of Approval on it. So cool. Thanks to all, but especially my partners at the top who put their faith in us: Mike, John, Rene, Beth and Matt.

Here are all the young people.

The One Club is an amazing force in the business and I'm not just saying that because I'm on the board. Mary and Kevin and crew have at the core of their mission raising the ranks of minorities in this very white business. I was happy to join Jimmy Smith and others for a day of mentoring. As usual, I felt like the one being mentored. I met so many great kids, full of talent and optimism - extremely uplifting day. Can't wait to hire more than one of these kids.

Hue & Cry.

Exciting to see our very own in-house motion graphics capability taking off. Lead by the extremely talented Magnus Hierta, this crew has done a bad ass job on Oreo, Pizza Hut, Morgan Stanley, Exxon and is starting to get bids from all over the world.

11 Lions. Are you serious?

Still hasn't sunk in. Clouds over Cuba won 11 Lions at Cannes, including three Golds. Bummed we missed out on at least one Grand Prix because the rules bar charities from winning the Big Cat. Hmmmm. Still, a great show for the team and Martin. We also were shortlisted for Geico and were a finalist for The Grand Prix for Good. Can't say enough about our partners at Tool, especially Ben, who without question made Clouds as good as it could be. Thank you. See it all here: http://cloudsovercuba.com/casestudy/  On the carpet with Brian:

Art meets commerce.

The latest for Morgan Stanley. It's amazes me still that there are people in our business who think what we do is a science. I'm glad we believe it's just not that easy. Print: Nadav. TV: Tarsem. Great write up here: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/spirit-1930s-new-deal-murals-lives-morgan-stanley-campaign-151067 Thank you, Darcy, Neel, Alon, the Rebeccas and Fritz. Your hard work turned out beautifully.

Forecast: Clouds giving way to sunshine.

Another big night at One Show Interactive for Martin and the JFK Clouds team. Clouds over Cuba won a gold and two silver pencils, while the agency finished 4th in the global rankings for work for BFG and the JFK Library. Congrats to Brian, Wade, Kirstin and Nicole. And special thanks to Ben and the Tool team. An all-round team effort. On to Cannes.

The first Ace winner.

Introducing Chidyaonga Shalita, the first winner of the The Ace Scholarship. The Ace is given to a male, minority graduating senior in the St. Paul School System who is headed to college to become a teacher. Y'onga is off to Macalester, one of the best liberal arts schools in the nation. We started the gift in honor of my late father Ace, a teacher and educator in St. Paul for over 40 years. (This blog is dedicated to him, too.) It was great to meet Y'onga, along with my mom Jan and my sisters, Mary and Ellen. And it will be fun to watch him grow into the great teacher I know he will become. Congrats.

Wonderful.

There's a lot to love about the new Oreo work. What I love most? It's one of our first truly global campaigns. Couldn't be prouder of the team that crafted this for almost a year, working side by side with an incredible client. Congrats, Jorge, Magnus, David, John, Heather, Steve, Matt, brig - to just name a few. I'm wonderfilled.  Here's a link to the work: http://creativity-online.com/news/oreos-new-wonderfilled-campaign-wants-to-sap-the-cynicism-out-of-your-day/241459