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

Simple is always the best way to go.

Too often, we get caught up in our own underwear and forget the power of a simple, truthful insight coupled with a simple, truthful execution. The new work for Colonial Williamsburg harkens back to the  good old days. Nice job, Bob, Pat and Trent.

Look out, Norman Mailer.

GEICO has been a trailblazer on so many fronts. How to buy insurance. How to sell it. How to advertise it. Basically, turning a once completely invisible product into one coveted by just about any creative in the business. Way before Mayhem, there was a Gecko turning the insurance world upside down. That little lizard has learned a lot along the way. And in keeping with the brand's zig when everyone else is zagging approach, our creative team saw an opportunity. If the Gecko can sell car insurance, certainly he can teach us about anything. Maybe he can even write about it. And so, Adam Stockton, art director, and Anne Marie Hite, copywriter, present "You're only human, a guide to life," written and illustrated by the Gecko. (With a little help from his human friends at Martin and Workman Press.) Congrats, team. Cannes? Sure. Pulitizer? Now we're talking.

The golf buddies are back.

Bubba, Hunter and Lee Westwood are back for PING in a new series of spots. A small crew spent the day cranking out four in 10 hours. And it was freezing. The guys are real pros, having fun while still delivering their lines. The acting isn't pretty but that's kinda why it works, too. See all the spots here: http://ping.com/video/videos.aspx?id=14431 Thanks for the solid: Neel, Darcy, Steve, Heather.

Good and Tough. And pretty cool.

We are famous for our ads. But what most people don't know is our staff is so much more creative than that. 500 people strong who surprise me everyday with their imagination and resourcefulness. Check out the attached post about our recent fashion show. Every idea, detail, construction, presentation - created by a Martinite. http://www.martinagency.com/blog/the_martin_fashion_show Kudos to all.

If you haven't told Mike lately....

How much you love him, here's your chance: http://wealllovemike.martinagency.com/ Thanks, Martin team, for putting this one up so fast. UX and design tweaks on the fly and coming, but a huge tribute to the big man. 

An Angry Effie finalist.

I just love this campaign for Kraft and Stove Top. Just starting to hit the award circuit. Funny idea. Funnier case study video. Nice job, Bob, Pat and Andy.

When love and hate collide with an idea.

Cool album cover design and concept for the release of Def Leppard's latest single. Came through the doors via EP John McAdorey, buddies with the band's manager. The Design Princes in the NYC office - Charles, William and Jason - nailed the winning concept. Kick-ass.

Our heart and soul.

Mike Hughes, the long time heart and soul of The Martin Agency, has been fighting lung cancer for almost a dozen years. Mike is probably the most amazing person I have ever known. An incredible leader, but more importantly, a great person. I can't even begin to list the things he's taught me. "Find joy not in the end result and the accolades but in the long, hard, messy climb getting there." Mike, you are my inspiration. You are my hero. Thank you.

Hu, Hut, Hut.

Pizza Hut has a big presence in the run-up to the Super Bowl. Andy and team created this video and it's up, calling for "hut, hut, hut" clips that, hopefully, we'll add to this and make a great UG version to run right before the big game. Henry Lu did a crack job with no money and time. And the track from Human rocks. A big step in the right direction of PH. https://www.facebook.com/PizzaHut

Blowing up Chihuly.

Dale Chihuly is here at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and we made something pretty fun to promote not only the show, but his craft, as well. Chihuly, the App. Just blow into your phone, shape, color and sculpt your art, then post on Facebook. One of my favorite things we've done all year. Thanks to Travis, Lionel, Will, David, Zack, Caroline, the Chihuly team and our awesome client, the VMFA.

Lincoln hair comes to RVA.

This past year, Steven Spielberg came to our little town and shot a big movie called Lincoln. Pretty cool stuff. A lot of friends and co-workers grew out their hair - beards, side-burns, you name it - for a shot at being an extra. Lincoln cast member. Nice thing to put on the resume. Martin art producer Anya Mills had the idea to document it all with Matthew Brady-style portraits and enlisted local photographer Adam Ewing. They put it all together for "Lincoln Hair," at The Martin Agency Gallery. The big opening was the night before the movie premiered nationwide. Good press coverage here: http://creativity-online.com/work/martin-agency-lincoln-hair-gallery/29961 Thanks to all, but especially Anya and Adam for the inspiration. Can't wait to see movie.

We did it again.

We finished the job. Obama winning Virginia again in 2012. Not the same feeling as 2008, but still something we will never forget. About a week ago, we sent out this video with the help of Magnus and his crew, Trav and Darb and the kids from SVA. Nice job. We did it.

What if?

50 years ago, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. Thanks to the diplomacy of our president, John F. Kennedy, the worst never happened. But what if? That's what our new interactive documentary  "Clouds over Cuba" explores in detail. Just go to cloudsovercuba.com. The site has already been visited by thousands around the world with an average stay of over 14 minutes - amazing. Special thanks to Tool of North America and our dear partner Ben Tricklebank, the creative force behind this and another big effort for the JFK Library, wechoosethemoon.org.

One small tweet feat.

A timely tribute to Neil Armstrong and another testament to our growing in-house digital creds. Everything done at Martin. Launched three weeks ago, we're just 30 tweets away from landing on the moon. Let's get there. Wouldn't it be cool to be the last tweet that steps on the moon? onesmalltweet.com

Dave Martin lives on.

He started The Martin Agency in 1965. He believed in the power of creativity to transform a brand. He was a big guy with a big heart. I never worked with Dave Martin, but now feel like I work for him. I work everyday at the agency with his name on the door. And my mission is the same as his was five decades ago: bring ideas to clients that jump the category and make them successful beyond their wildest ambitions. Thank you. Without your courage to hang your shingle, I wouldn't be here today.

Bell Labs. At Martin.

Been reading an incredible book "The Idea Factory: The history of Bell Labs."An amazing look at innovation and how it happened systematically for over 70 years. The phone, the transistor, the information age, solar power, satellite communication - just some of the Bell breakthroughs. Basically, every important tool we use came out of Bell.  In a recent talk to the staff, I mentioned the book and sure enough, Bell Labs is alive and well at Martin. Steve Sage's parents met at Bell in the 50s and Tommy Brichett's grandfather George Pullis worked at Bell for 40 years. Check out the poster Tommy has hanging in his living room - a retirement gift to George from Bell. Even their gifts were cool as shit.

Want a million followers?

Who wouldn't? Twitter followers are the new currency. That was the inspiration behind Twitterich, a social media experiment cooked up by two Martinites, Neel Williams and Mauricio Mazzariol. No reason to do it except to do it and see what happens. So chill out, ok? http://www.twitterich.com

Pencil love.

A special night in NYC for the Walmart team. A bronze pencil for Younger Skin for Walmart. And a silver for the Conveyor TV campaign. Fitting recognition to an incredible team effort, moving mountains for the world's biggest company. Congrats Trent, Matt, V, Deric and John. You make us proud.

Cannonball coming.

The Walmart team cleaned up at the local Addy Awards last week, winning 15 cannonballs. "Younger Skin" was the big winner, taking home Best of Show. Ok, so it's not a Lion, but you have to admit, the cannonball is a kick ass looking trophy. Good start to the award season. Congrats to the whole team. You deserve all the credit.

Robin will always be with us.

You were everything to all of us. Friend. Audience. Mentor. Teacher. Parent. You knew our ticks, habits and moods. And you always had the right thing to say. We know you are gone. But we also know you live on. In us. In how we work. In how we treat each other. Even in an app called Robin's Egg which we were so very fortunate to give you early this year. We love you. Please don't worry a second. We will look after John, Ben and Gretchen, just like you looked after us all these years.

Print. Yes, we still do it.

It's been a long time since I posted any print here. These posters were created by Brian Williams and Matt Wojtysiak using Matt's original woodcuts. Created to commemorate the big issues in JFK's first year in office in 1961.

Meet Robin's Egg.

We are so proud to announce a new app created entirely at Martin. It was inspired by a close friend, Robin, who was diagnosed with cancer a couple years ago. We missed her at the office and were looking for an easy and fun way for all of us to send our love. Watch the video and download the app in the App Store. All art, design, dev, etc. by TMA.

January in the books. Really?

Crazy start to 2012. Here's a few posts right in a row to catch up. Had the great honor to be invited to the One Club for the latest Hall of Fame induction. The highlight of the night: Steve Jobs entrance, via a stirring speech by a former boss, Lee Clow. It was great to see Duncan Milner, an old partner at Chiat/Toronto, who has lead Media Arts and Apple for years. And it was perfect to be there with John, Mike and Fabio.

Merry Christmas.

The wall below is outside my office at Martin. When we re-imagined our workspace and moved in a year ago, we changed much more than the desks and chairs. The new open space is the perfect metaphor for how we work now. Collaborative, free, a living canvas for all of us to easily interact with. (The impromptu mural here was started and added to by agency staff over the past week.) The space has changed how we work and best of all, what the work has become. The past year, I've seen more truly integrated work than ever. We've added talented people to an environment designed to bring out the best work of their careers. Here's to a strong 2011 and even better 2012.

Frank. The gift no one wants.

Our first "planned" viral for WM: frankthefruitcake.com. He's part fruit, part nuts, all annoying. Frank is voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait and sits on your Facebook wall just begging to hang around for the holiday. But like all fruitcakes - real and digital - he just isn't very likeable and eventually you send him away to annoy friends. Thanks to Unit9 for making Frank so, well, charming. Case study attached.

Our tribute to simplicity.

When Steve Jobs passed away, all of us Apple devotees felt a huge loss. A strangely personal loss. Most of us never meet him. But that was the power of his products. They are "personal." Like no other machines before them, they are an extension of our loves, dreams, hopes, fears. Jobs brought a simplicity and elegance to our lives through his thinking that we don't have in most every other aspect of our lives. So that's what inspired to create whatwouldstevedo.com. A simple link shortening of crowd-sourced submissions, aggregated on a Twitter feed, for things that need to be simplified. Submit your own at: wws.do

Welcome home.

Troops are coming home from Iraq and that's good news. For Veteran's Day, we created this tribute for Walmart. For me personally, even though the war was fought under false premises, the sacrifice of the troops and their families will never, ever be questioned. Thank you.

Wild about Harry.

Every few months I have lunch with Harry Jacobs, One Show Hall of Fame member and the guy who basically put Richmond and Martin on the ad map. Harry is in his eighties, but more passionate about this business than a lot of ad people I know in their twenties. Every time we get together, he talks and I listen. My favorite from this lunch: It's the early 60's. Harry's agency Cargill Wilson and Acree, a precursor to Martin, is being courted by DDB. Harry is invited to NYC to meet one on one with Bill Bernbach. Yikes. Imagine having to show your book to Bernbach with the agency purchase in the balance. Well, it worked out and Cargill was bought by DDB. I'm blessed to have Harry in my life. Who knows. Maybe I wouldn't be here if Bernbach had hated Harry's work.

11 in 2011.

"Dance" is the 11th Walmart conveyor spot to be posted on the respected site creativity.com. An amazing achievement. Congrats to the team.

They keep coming.

A couple new favorites in the "Every cart tells a story" campaign. More in the works.

50 years ago.

Class differences. Race tension. Multiple wars. Economic woes. Political battles on the left and right. 1961 looks a lot like 2011. We're looking back at how JFK handled it all in a new series for the Presidential LIbrary and Museum in Boston. Art Director: Brian Williams.