From Creativity to Reality?

As I'm sitting here watching The Hills with 11 other twenty-something girls, the hour is filled with continuous "oohs" and "ahhs". What is it that makes reality shows so entertaining? If you really think about it, there's very minimal creativity put into making the series. People are followed around, told what to do and say and the footage is sliced and edited, music added, and played in such a way that every episode leaves the audience wanting more. It's a very simple concept and people just eat it up. I can even admit that I am a loyal Hill's watcher and I can't even pin point what exactly it is that intrigues me so much. Is it that watching other peoples' lives and problems distracts us from our own? Or is it that society has taught us to become infatuated with it because that "reality" is also what fills the media? Now that I think about it, I actually despise the lives of some of these girls.Heidi for instance, might as well be a plastic Barbie with the amount of plastic surgery she has had. She says that she loves her "fans" and wants to be a role model for younger girls, but what is she teaching these tween/teen girls by getting a boob job, nose job, and collagen injections? That in "reality" it's okay to change everything about your body that you hate and turn it into what society thinks is "beautiful" or "hot"? Please. I think these reality show girls need a little dose of reality themselves. As well as a cheeseburger.

Chick-fil-A Email/Driving game

Here is a little fun for you all on a Tuesday morning. Chick-fil-A (my favorite) is having a little contest or game to encourage people to come to their website. I got in in my inbox because I had previously signed up for something with them as some promotion getting free Dr. Pepper and a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. Little games like this seem to boost the morale of customers and make people like your company better. It is an interesting and a more untraditional way to keep your brand in front of the consumer.

http://www.chickenforbreakfast.com/

Second to last of the story

For some reason nothing was coming together as planned. Clients started jumping from buildings and we all thought they were going to die. But then something strange happened. Steven had that great idea. And took it all the way to the house. Find out next time what happens when you don't work well in groups.

Tochi's post.
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"I'd like to offer you my bald cat for that television there..."

So apparently it wasn't a good idea to tell Melissa why I didn't right on the blog. Haha. I was talking to my friend the other day and he was telling me about a tv he was trying to sell on craigslist. So we were talking about the offers he got for the tv and he told me some lady offered him one of those bald cats. You know, like Dr. Evil's cat. First off, I didn't know anyone actually took pride in owning a bald cat. But I guess nobody really does since the lady was willing to offer the cat for a tv. Who does that!?! "Hi, I'd like to offer you this charming bald cat for you television." Couldn't you just imagine how hilarious it would be to actually witness someone trade a bald cat for a TV.

The Ending of the Story

The presentation was a success. The clients were going crazy. Especially Mr. Robinson. He was so ecstatic that he was crying and jumping up and down. Allisson rushed over to Adam and patted Amber on her back. However, Steven was still on the floor crying. Losing sucks.

Harry Potter at FSU this is a little crazy

Did you know that now FSU is offering a HARRY POTTER RELIGION COURSE next semester?
ha I just found this out after talking to some students at the computer store.
It is to find all the hidden religious messages in the books.

I not only found this out, but also that there is a group that plays Quidditch (the game that he plays in the books) every Sunday on Landis Green!
They play on the ground (ha obviously) on broomsticks, they have pipes and hula hoops as the goals, all of the balls are utilized, AND they even have someone from the track team run around with the Snitch!!!!!!! He runs around campus and has to come back ever 15 minutes back to the field.
This was really intensely thought out!
ha this crack me up! I am not an intense Harry Potter fan, I haven't read all the books, and I haven't seen all the movies; but I do understand the obsession that some people have.

I think this is so great and I am going to try and see it first hand this Sunday.
Who knows maybe I will join in!

Unexpected but Relevant!

So my blog this week is about seeing the unexpected in people. I love how everyone is coming out of their shell and we all get to see how fun and unexpected they can be. Case in point: Joe Rector...he's a dancing machine. But he's not the only one. There's a lot of ppl in this class that are being unexpected but relevant too.

Enjoy.
PS if you want to see more fun, click on the link in Vanessa's blog. ;-)

He did it again...

Please.... if you love life. If you get any pleasure out of laughing. Please check out this video from Atlanta. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=600226094983&ref=share

Cheerwine

Who is excited about cheerwine?

It's April Already?

It feels like just yesterday we were blindfolded crawling around the room attempting to put a puzzle together without speaking. Where did the last three months go? We now only have 22 days until our client comes! Spring semester seems to go by so quickly. I no doubt am experiencing Spring Fever. One more month till summer school!!

Am I ready for the real world?

So with the current registration of classes going on...I realized I am almost done with college. I am set up to graduate in the Fall but probably will push it to the Spring in hopes of being on the Ad Team. Anyways, I am in shock that college flew by so fast. I am in depression. I always feel like I am trying to move on the the next best thing, and I never really stop and enjoy what I am experiencing right now. In exactly one year I will be cut off from the life support of being a "college student." Things that I do now and attribute to being a "college student" won't fly when I am an "adult." As I was walking to class today, University Center B was flooded with aspiring FSU students and their overwhelmingly proud parents. That was me many moons ago, and I still to this day remember touring the school for the first time. I was more excited about coming here than I had ever been about anything ever. I feel in the three years I have been here I have learned so much, so much that I would have done different, but I would never go back and do it over. I just wanted to stop and give these students all the knowledge they need to know to survive on their own, but learning it on your own is so much more beneficial. I am however excited to move on the my next stage of life, and excited in the fact that it is totally up in the air. Point of me rambling, college flew by and excitement for the future!

Sharing Time: Rythm Games

OK, So what is up with American's and rhythm games? Dance Dance Revolution and Parappa the rapper are all super cool right? Or is there something seriously wrong with me...well that may really be the case but for a time, all of my fellow button mashers out there at least gave rhythm games a chance. Now, however, the newest rhythm game title, Elite Beat Agents, has ended up in the bargain bin at Wal-mart. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that I didn't have to pay full price for it, but even golf games for the Nintendo DS sell better than rhythm games. That raises an even bigger question in my mind. Do Americans have no rhythm? Scary thought...

Gourmet Burger Bar

So apparently Chez Pierre has late hours on the weekend serving gourmet burgers. I have never been but some friends were telling me about it and said to check it out. The menu sounds interesting and its affordable....

2Chez:

Sun-Thurs

11am-midnight

Fri-Sat

11am-1:45am

No Glass means... NO GLASS???

As most of you know, the weather on Saturday was pretty nice. I was supposed to work the whole day, so I was a little disappointed I was missing out. However, I go into work and am told we had too many servers and that I could go home if I wanted. Of course, I did. I figured I could have a relaxing day by the pool. WRONG! I get home to find out that the pool is closed ONCE AGAIN due to glass. No, it is not closed due to dangerous broken glass in the pool, but due to stupid, ignorant people who insist on bringing beer to the pool in glass bottles. There are a number of HUGE signs that clearly say "Absolutely NO GLASS," yet people insist on doing so. This really annoys the rest of the residents who do have the ability to read and follow instructions. Now, the whole apartment complex is being punished for (underage, no less) people who haven't been introduced to this little thing called the solo cup.

Stoked for TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles!

Well, its crazy how things work out. Chiat L.A. is my dream agency for a summer internship and I found out last Tuesday that I got it!

They currently have the NISSAN MOTOR CORP account!

Nissan Motor Corp is actually made up of two brands; Nissan and Infiniti.

If you haven’t been living under a rock you might have noticed that I’m slightly obsessed with advertising for the automotive industry. These are some of the toughest and most demanding accounts to work on. I’m in the process of trying to be placed on the Infiniti account so wish me luck!

The entire experience, including the cross-country road trip with my friends will be documented in a blog over the summer so look out!

Connection Between Alcohol & Creativity!

So my creative group was having trouble really narrowing down and finalizing our BIG idea for White House Black Market...we had brainstormed for days, we even went into Catch Your Limit to try and find our creativity...However, nothing seemed to be working...

Finally we decided to bring some outside influences to our next meeting that might assist us in our creativity. Smirnoff Vodka, Natty Light, and Yellow Tail all made an appearance that night. And what do you know...In no time we had the alcohol and creativity flowing...

Little did we know there have actually been studies done on the connection between creativity and alcohol...Here's a whole website dedicated to exploring the connection between alcohol and creativity...

Drinking & Writing Brewery

I've been real all my life and they confused it with conceit.

I've been a fan of hip-hop music since I was a kid. Every now and again I'm surprised by how much I've learned from America's most criticized music genre. Little nuances and personality traits that I have were shaped by the music I listen to. I think it has helped me creatively and academically. The main goal of the music is to take complex ideas and emotions then simplify them to fit the beat. Not only do you have the challenge of expressing complex ideas in rhyme but also your word selection is limited based upon the amount of syllables in different phrases. A lot of artists create analogies in order to reiterate a point, simplify that idea, or just to show relevant brilliance. I think writing taglines, headlines, or any copy is a lot like writing a song. You have to be clever and fit the page at the same time. I say that to say this, CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE CAREFULLY.
Antonio

GREAT Summer Sub-Lease $375

Hey Guys!
I am looking for a roommate this summer from May 1st through July 30th. I live in a cute townhouse in Richview Park Circle, off of Park Avenue near the Governor Square mall. 2 bedroom, 2 bath, walk in closets, fireplace, completely furnished, plenty of parking, and a nice big backyard. It's only 3 1/2 miles from campus! I will be gone May and June so you would have the place all to yourself for 2 months! Rent is only $375 + utilities and cable. Give me a call if you or someone you know is interested! Monica at 850-556-2811. Or facebook me! :)

Hempfest

Yesterday FSU hosted the fifth annual Hempfest at the Rez. It was fun and informative! The festival was filled with loads of activities from canoeing, sailing, swimming, volleyball, rock climbing, ROPE course, arts and crafts and many more. A stage was set up by the lake and bands played all day until eight o'clock when the festival was over. Hemp enthusiasts were selling jewelry and clothes completely made from hemp and for a very low price. Information huts were constructed to house projects put together by FSU students about the uses of hemp and its history. After a long day of hemp filled fun this is what i learned...

did u know that the declaration of independence and the constitution is written on hemp.

If the US used 6% of its land to grow and process hemp we would be a self sustaining country.

Hemp is stronger and longer then cotton, its 5 times easier to grow and process, it requires no pesticides or insecticides, it can grow pretty much anywhere, and is 10 times more resistant to mildew than cotton.

Leading researchers and nutritionists say that hemp seed is among the healthiest and nutritious foods on the planet.

You can make anything and everything from hemp except glass and metal products.

hope to see you guys there next year!

Nieces

Baby Vee


Soo I have two beautiful nieces names Kathryn and Victoria so as we call them Kat and Vee. Kat is about to turn two in a couple of weeks and Vee is eights months old. So I went home again this weekend because Vee was baptised. Well Vee's godparents are my older brother and younger sister and Kat's are my brother-in-law and me. It really made me thinking of how great it feels to be a godparent. I didn't have any godparent so its very new to me, but the only thing that really sucks is that since I go to school 6 hours away I don't get to see them very often. I'm pretty sure that Vee has no idea who I am and I wasn't sure if Kat did until this weekend. I mean whenever I go home they smile at me and get a little excited, but it was just because I would immediately start playing with them. Well this weekend I walked into my sisters house and saw Kat in the fridge and she looks at me, smiles, and says "Hi, Brittany!" My heart melted not only cause she remembers my name but that she can only say a few words and Brittany isn't the easiest. It was the best feeling in the world. Well I already miss them and can't wait to see them in a month!!! Well i hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Kat & Me

a RANT & then some...

So first things first... LAMAR Advertising. That's not me. We'll not really. It's my family, but very distant. So I don't really count it, nor attribute them to the reason I chose to do advertising. BUT nonetheless I have to vent about a HORRIBLE idea for a billboard they decided to place on Tennessee Street. 

If any of you drive past Ocala heading towards Capital Circle near Wal-Mart, PLEASE check out the UPSIDE DOWN billboard that says, "The best thing to hit town since Elvis."

Maybe I don't get it and that's the problem and you all are laughing at me... but for starters,

[1] There's way too much text on the billboard. Whatever happened to keeping your copy short? AND it's upside down? I had to drive past it twice to even read the whole thing.

[2] If they really expect drivers to read the entire billboard taking the curve on Ocala, they are crazy.

[3] It doesn't make sense.

Someone please check this thing out. I want to know what you all think about it.

___________________________________

And then some... but this isn't venting. Or if it is considered venting, it's good venting :)

I went to dinner with Joe and Kelsey tonight and just talked and talked and ate and ate and drank and drank. During our outing I realized something - that it's just really cool how much I've learned about advertising in the past year or so. I use terminology without giving it a second thought. During my whole process of applying to internships, I feel like I know what I'm talking about and I've really been able to apply what I know to questions I'm asked. AND I've been able to help people in AD Club which has been one of the greatest things. :)

So that's that. Pretty coool if I do say so myself.

And hey we have a speaker coming from Creative Circus to speak at AD Club Tuesday night at 7:30 P.M. in HCB 215. Come out... you too Tom and Melissa!

Free 411!!!

Many people still don't know about this, but it's FREE 411! That's right, it's Google's free 411 service. I have no idea how they make money through this, but it's pretty neat. The number is 1-800-GOOG-411, everyone use it.

Watch Out for that Hole!!!!

A Warning to all of my classmates who frequent the Tennessee strip:

There is a huge hole in the sidewalk in front of Yianni's!

Last night, I was walking from the Macomb/Call St. parking garage to meet some friends at the strip. I happened to receive 3 calls on my cell phone simultaneously as I was walking past Yianni's. As I looked down to attend to the calls, my foot took a trip to China via the giant pothole in the sidewalk! I was sent careening forward, causing me to grab an innocent by-stander who was walking in front of me. I took a cute little spill in front of the many bar-hoppers, and as an added bonus, I was left with a rather large road rash burn on my leg and ankle. My phone was also victimized during the fall, as I was attempting to answer it when I fell. When I got home, I noticed my cute new shoes were damaged as well. I think the city of Tallahassee owes me some money!

The moral of the story: Don't pay more attention to your phone than to where you're stepping while walking down the sidewalk...

Cheesy Ad

Ok so I came across this early 90's tv ad for KFC and it cracked me up! The entire family singing a jingle while dancing and eating chicken! It is amazing how some good ideas become bad ideas over time. I'm sure in the future, ads from this decade will seem dated, cliche and cheesy. The goal seems to be to create advertising that is timeless and always has an impact like the first Apple ad for example. Check it out and see how different television ads are today.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rmlQP7pSgpA&feature=related

The Myth of "Having it All"

Today I got back from a 3 day weekend in Atlanta for the South Eastern Panhellenic Conference. For those of you who don't know, that is a conference that consists of all sorority women from states in the South Eastern US. Basically the weekend was filled with educational sessions put on by different inspirational speakers, most of who are employed by Campus Speak. Not only were these sessions geared towards Sororities and how to strengthen our chapters, but they also consisted of really helpful personally motivating presentations. For example, one lady name Christine Hassler did a presentation called The Myth of "Having it All". Christine was an over achiever from day 1. She was never the pretty, popular girl in school, so she focused all of her attention on academics. By the time she was 25, Christine was one of the youngest television agents in Hollywood, and she hated every minute of it. To some, she had it all. Success, money, a career, but none of it was making her happy. So, she quit her job, was dumped by her fiance, and had 7 more jobs until she found a career that really made her feel "successful". Throughout her presentation she talked about how 20 something women these days are forced to believe that by the age of 26 they need to be married starting a family with a career. But the truth is, all any of us need to do in order to be happy and "have it all" is to do what makes us happy. Just because we're all studying Advertising right now, doesn't mean that's what is going to make us happy 10 years from now. Hopefully for some of us it does, but if it doesn't, maybe try chasing that one dream that everyone said was a bad career move. It might just be the one thing that makes you happy.

Being sick is lame!

So I had all of these great plans this weekend that I was really looking forward to except life had other plans for me - and it sucked! I ended up sick with the flu or some sort of stomach virus all weekend! I couldn't make it to work, and I could barely get out of bed because I was so dehydrated since I couldn't even keep water down! So I have no fun stories to tell from my weekend :-(

Anyways, this is a semi-new commercial from Burger King that is aimed perfectly at their target market. It makes me laugh because of its reference to another morning problem that many guys face.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tAoYQzkW4Gw

Dirty Dick's Crab House

I spent all day yesterday at Panama City Beach. My friends and I originally wanted to go because we had never been before, and because that’s where the closest Coldstone Creamery is. But then our other friends found out that there was an air show in Panama City that same day, so they dragged us to Tyndall Air Force Base. I completely forgot about the time warp that occurs when you cross time zones, so that threw me off throughout the day. After spending a few hours at the air show ( I don’t care much for planes) we headed to the beach ( I don’t like sand either). It sounds likes I’m complaining, but I’m really not. I had so much fun with the people I was there with! There were spring-breakers at the beach, and they were all strange and creepy. We had dinner at Dirty Dick’s Crab House (the name is what caught our attention, I wonder if the name was intentional) which, surprisingly, wasn’t bad at all. I expected it to be a run-down crab shack because of the sign on the billboard, but the place looked inviting. After dinner, we asked the waitress for directions to Coldstone, and she sent us 20 minutes in one direction. When we got to the mall she told us it was in, we realized she had mistaken Coldstone for Marble Slab. We asked a security officer where it was, and he told us it was on the other side of town, in a different mall. I was almost ready to give up, but we went anyways one of the reasons we came to Panama City was for Coldstone. It was completely worth it, cause Strawberry Serenade is the best! After stuffing our faces, we drove back to Tally. We kept checking the time cause we wanted to see exactly when the time warp occurred, but we missed it! We made it home safely.

flying high: a new low....

Being an ad major I have more tolerance for adv then most… but when I was on my flight to DC last week, I think advertising has hit a new low.

First off, let me say, that I was not exactly in a good mood on the flight… my grandma had just died, I was kinda hung over, and stuck on a flight with the worlds most kids…

I had finally been able to start to fall asleep when the captain came on over the loud speaker. “Ladies and gentleman I just want to let you know about US Airway’s promotion with bank of America…” he proceeded into a 7 min pitch about their newest credit card promotion… um A: shouldn’t you be driving the plane! B: I’m officially being held hostage and advertised too 20,000 ft above ground! C: this is an embarrassment to the advertising profession.

The flight attendants then walked up and down the isle with brochures and applications. When one person showed some interest, the attendant this went into a 5 minute (obviously coached) pitch about how great the card was and was literally pushing it, while the rest of us sitting in the vicinity were forced to listen.

I can’t believe that US airways or Bank of America has stooped this low. It makes them look tasteless and desperate… what’s next, being advertised to the entire flight?

Interesting Ads...

I ended up going home this weekend because my Dad came home to visit. About one month ago my Dad moved to Oklahoma to start a new job. For now, my Mom stays in Jacksonville for a month and then she stays with my Dad for a month. So, since my dad was home I definitely wanted to visit. One night while I was home, my dad decided to bring out all of his photo albums and other memorabilia from when he was younger. 

In his box he had magazines from 1979 and right away I was interested to see the advertisements. Not only was I surprised by the design, but by the products that were being advertised as well. I don't know if surprised is the right word... I suppose that I had never thought about how different older advertisements would be. I'm sure that anyone would guess that the design of ads today is much more advanced. Many of the ads were black and white (when it was clear that they should have been in color) and if they were in color, it was faded or too bright. But, what I found most interesting was the products that were in the advertisements. I kid you not, every ad was either a cigarette ad, airline ad or an alcohol ad. Now, this magazine came out right around the time when doctors were starting to figure out that cigarette's are in fact very bad for people. The copy on every cigarette ad would state something along the lines of, "Finally, less tar without less taste." The alcohol ads were similar to the alcohol ads that we see today, except for the lack of interesting design. Seeing airline ads was very strange since I honestly do not believe I've ever seen an airline ad in my life. It does make sense to me though since gas prices were so low in the 70s that airlines had to advertise in order to bring in consumers. Since gas prices are outrageously high today, airlines know that they will have consumers whether they advertise or not. 

I had a great time looking through these magazines  and seeing all of the older ads. I have two more magazines that my dad kept and I am looking forward to reading them as well. 

The Color Purple

Ok, so I just saw the movie The Color Purple, and I cried my eyes out. Seriously, is one the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.  It was directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Alice Walker's Pulitzer price novel, it got 11 Academy awards nominations, and even Oprah's in it.

Im not going to explain it or anything.. you just really need to watch it.. is a MUST!

How strong are you?

My friend sent me this link. I'm pretty small but its good to know that if I ever had to take down a bunch of first graders I could...well at least 17 of them.


17

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I have a picture of a pig inside a classroom on my phone.

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So I just finished reading "Made to Stick"...

And I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by the contents of Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. The thesis of the book is that any effective, convincing message communicated either through an organization or to consumers much share one or more of the following six characteristics:

Simplicity
Unexpectedness
Concreteness
Credibility
Emotional
Stories

Simplicity is basically stripping an idea down to its core, without making it sound like a cheesy PSA slogan. The key is to center an organizational philosophy or marketing message around a simple concept that is easy for your co-workers and management to remember at all times. The book talks about how the military uses the concept of Simplicity in managing large-scale operations involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Unexpectedness basically deals with breaking people's schema- their pre-constructed generalizations of the world around them - and making an idea seem novel and interesting. The idea is that people have categorized everything in the world around them into certain patterns of thought. For instance when you think of luxury cars you think of Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, etc. For soft drinks it might be Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc. Being unexpected and unpredictable breaks people's generalizations and prevents you from being generalized like every other communicator.

Concreteness is the concept that takes the idea of Simplicity and makes it relevant to your audience. The key is that you can't just have a simple idea - it has to have salient meaning to connect with your constituents and customers. It must relate to their lives, experiences and higher patterns of thought. When an idea is concrete, people remember it much easier because they already have some sort of relevance to the topic, to an extent where they'll say "aha! I know where this guy is coming from!" When an idea is concrete, people connect.

Credibility is how you get people to believe in your idea. It is pretty self-explanatory - basically the more your audience respects and confides in the source, the greater meaning the message has. The book talks about how both celebrity and average joe alike can promote a message and you might be very surprised as to which source holds the most weight. Let's just say that the guy who convinced an entire nation that movie theatre popcorn is as unhealthy as three Big Macs didn't play basketball for the Chicago Bulls.

Emotional is all about getting people to care for your message on deep, subconscious level. It's pretty simple - if people are going to care for your message they must hold personal feelings for it, whether it be anger, humor, melancholy, shock, etc. The book also notes other strategies such as how you must appeal to self-interest (since most humans by nature are interested in themselves before anything else), create association between a consumer and product, and develop an identity for an entire consumer base. The State of Texas did just the latter to influence the largest litter-disposal movement in the history of the state.

Finally, telling Stories is he art of communicating a core message thorugh the experiences of other people. The logic behind this strategy is that people are more inclined to act on an issue when they see one of their very own endure that same hardship or experience. Consumers are often reluctant to attempt a new lifestyle or purchase a new product based on a sales pitch alone. But by recounting the experience of just an average joe going through the trial and error before them, it makes the experiment safe, reliable and realistic. The chapter cites the Jared Subway campain as its primary example, and it is probably the greatest example in the entire book since this single campaign incorporated ALL SIX concepts, including Stories, talked about in the book.


Now that I've given a pretty good synopsis of what the book has to say, I hope that you make the time to check it out yourself. It's a very easy, non-challenging read for those of you that hate reading to begin with and it gives some incredible insight on not just how to run an advertising campaign but just how to communicate with people around you in general. The concepts are incredibly succinct and logical and are easily applicable to nearly all forms of communication. I'll definitely try to apply some of these teachings to my very own project, and will continue to do so in the rest of my life and career.

We can all learn a thing or two from this guide, so if you have the free time to pick up a book check it out.

The Future of Television

This week I attended the future of television conference in Hollywood. With fragmented audiences, traditional revenues are flat or in steady decline. In order to compete with new distribution models and new media, traditional media and entertainment companies must change their platforms, either by embracing multiple distrubution platforms or evolving their business model. Advertisers and marketers have been struggling to keep up with changing consumer behavior, and are expected to spend more than 160.8 billion on new media in 2012. That is an 82% increase from 2008's ad spend on new media (USA TODAY, March 26 2008). Concerned, traditional media are trying to figure out ways to monetize on online audiences.

To be honest, big hollywood is close but still missing what their audiences want. If they are going to survive they will have to give audiences quality both in content and experience when and wherever the audience wants.

During panels there was a digital discussion board where questions could be sent in via text messaging. Along with the archaic technology that took questions nearly 5-7 min before appearing on the board, I was extremely frustrated with the blank stares I got from the simple questions posed about new media and their audiences. Instead they launched in depth discussions that danced around the subject but were no where close to being answered. I guess they seemed simple because as part of the audience that no longer watches traditional television, I knew the answers.

I believe the future of television depends on gaining a better perspective of what the audience wants and creating two-way intereactive viewing experiences. Advertisers and marketers will turn away from traditional media in search of narrowcast platforms that have a rifle approach. An audience will no longer be in terms of demographics, but will be profiles with messages specifically targeted to bobby and susy.

Now what kind of platform can do all this... there are several, but I believe IPTV will revive the fortunes of the TV industry as it combines online interactive content with the television experience. Unfortunatly for big hollywood, it will take awhile for them to realize this or even want to embrace the platform.

Watching Movies

So its been a long time since I've sat down and really watched a movie. Movie theaters, sad as it is, are too expensive, and watching movies in the room require time I generally do not have. but last night, with nothing else really on the agenda I finally chilled and watched a movie. An old movie, Peter Pan. It was FANTASTIC. Like the movie itself was good, but the actual just doing nothing was amazing. Like having that feeling that you have nothing else you need to be doing at that time was so liberating. And I had to share this liberating feeling with all of you.

The glove compartment was inaccurately named...

One of my favorite songs/music videos in terms of creativity... enjoy!



Best,
April

on the internship hunt?

Its almost summer and I know many of us are trying to get that interview and finalize our internships for the summer. So I just wanted to let you know of two great opportunities. Elena and I are both leaving this summer so you can literally have our jobs! The FSView is now looking for people to work in the Ad Sales Department. Its a lot of fun and you can either get paid part time or earn internship credit. Also, I was speaking to the manager of Po' Boys today and they are looking for someone to do the creative for Po' Boys. This could be nonprofit or for internship credit. If you are interested in any of these opportunities feel free to e-mail me at reh05e@fsu.edu.

It must have been a typo...

I'm not too sure how I feel about the new truth ads. They are quite animated but kind of out there. I see how in "The Sunny side of Truth" they are going for more of a sarcastic and animated approach but wow. Dancing rabbits, horses, dragons and high school musical style singing... I prefer the old campaign.

It is however very creative, giving tobacco the 'benefit of doubt'. It is so over the top that it makes fun of smokers habits and justifications for using the products. I guess the blunt truth was not enough to get smokers to put out their fire.

http://www.thetruth.com/videos/magicalAmount.cfm

Relax

Here are some relaxation tips for all those of you starting to feel the heat. Yes, finals are just about four weeks away but just take it one day at a time guys. Don't procrastinate; start studying now!

• All you need to start a relaxation practice are:
  
• A quiet environment – Choose a secluded place in your home, office, garden, place of worship, or in the great outdoors where you can relax without distractions or interruptions.

A comfortable position – Get comfortable, but avoid lying down as this may lead to you falling asleep. Sit up with your spine straight, either in a chair or on the floor. You can also try a cross-legged or lotus position.

A point of focus – Pick a meaningful word or phrase and repeat it throughout your session. You may also to focus on an object in your surroundings to enhance your concentration, or alternately, you can close your eyes.

A passive attitude – Don’t worry about distracting thoughts that go through your mind or about how well you’re doing. If thoughts intrude during your relaxation session, don’t fight them. Instead, gently turn your attention back to your point of focus.

Just Blogging!

Well, tonite was our creative II party :) It was fun to see everyone, and receive some of Tom's wisdom! haha.. but yes, Thanks for having us over!  I loved the food :)

So, on less important news, tonight was the season premiere of The Hills (guilty pleasure, what can I say), and it was kind of disappointing.. not as entertaining as I thought it would be... I know a good couple of people in creative II were also waiting for it... what did you think?

I've been waiting a long time for the premiere of Gossip Girl, soo.. I really hope it doesn't disappoint me as well.. 

On more advertising-related things, here's a print ad I found really clever and fun.

Easter!

Well I didn't get to go home this weekend for Easter or my nieces baptism, but Easter did end up being pretty great! Yesterday morning my roommate and I went to the madhouse place of Albertsons to get food. On Friday all of our friends thought it would be nice to do an Easter dinner where everyone brings some type of food. Well I had to work all day Friday and Saturday so we had to go to Albertsons on Sunday. The best part of it was that we actually found a turkey and the second was that I got to buy wine myself! (even though the guy didn't even card me) Well then we weren't sure how to even begin to bake a turkey so we were on the phone with our mothers, fathers, and grandmas trying to figure out how we do this. Well it cooked for 4 1/2 hours and it ended up being a hit! I still can't believe that we baked a turkey, I feel a great accomplish after doing this and feel a bit wiser and older. I mean how many people our age can actually say they know how to bake a turkey! I don't think too many. Well the dinner ended up being a feast and felt like Thanksgiving day, it was great! Sooo I hope everyone else had a great Easter tooo!!!

Halo Hell

Can someone please explain the halo craze to me? I'm sitting here blogging while my boyfriend is yelling at a screen and the people through his headset. It seems pointless. Where is the attraction here?

New Nike Ads

Has anyone seen the new Nike ads? They are pretty cool. They have a bunch of different athletes in them (of course). If you haven't seen them, you should check them out.

My family left me home alone on Easter, i lost my phone, and i stubbed my toe really bad!  The Easter Bunny hates me!

Bunny

The Easter Bunny vs. Jesus

Happy Easter Everyone! (sorry, it's a day late... but whatever)

And yes, this is an actual ad from a church for Easter. Don't ask me how I found it, I just did, ok. Check out the whole article here: http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/archives/2005/03/easter_advertis.html

Google Memory (aprosexia)

The other day I had an interesting idea or at least one that I feel to be interesting. This idea was in some ways inspired by Vanessa's aprosexia. Imagine if you could google search your own memory for images of people's faces, or notes from class, or just anything you can't quite recall (movies, songs, actresses’ names, appointments) all at the tip of your neurons. I don't know how this would work, but it's a neat concept. But then there's one problem... somebody will learn how to hack your memory, post spam, and all your dreams will be advertisements which isn't cool unless I'm the one designing them. Or maybe it would just make a cool google ad, " Google search engines, for everything that doesn't fit into memory". I don't know you run with it. Adios.

Stressed with a capital S?

I hope everyone had a great Easter! I know not everyone was able to make it back home, so I hope the weekend was still great. I am so ready for summer, yet so stressed about everything that is due before then! The good thing is, I know I am not the only one feeling this way (which only gives me a little bit of comfort, but I guess it's more than nothing.) I wish everyone luck on successfully completing everything before the semester ends. And to anyone else who's super stressed out there, just know you're not alone! :)

Sharing Time: My fave bands

Ok so I'll come clean and admit that I have this weird "fetish" for bands that begin with the word
"the." I know its sort of passe to still have a band name like that but I appreciate those who love the randomness of naming themselves something like "The Beat Crusaders." The fad of the "the" naming convention caught on in Japan some how (not that I'm complaining) and so now my iTunes playlists look something like this

The Gazzette
The PenPals
The Sex Machineguns (a weird tribute to the sex pistols...they don't really sound the same)
The Pillows
The Dears
The Magnetic Fields
The Postal Service
The Strokes
The White Stripes
The Hives
...ok...I guess you get the point by now :P
Since The Pillows are one of my fave Japanese bands, I wanted to post a picture of them. Its not the best one but you can plainly see that they are super cute :9 They were responsible for the rock music of Furi Kuri (Fooly Cooly in english). You can hear some of the music from that show here. Here's a FLCL (Fooly Cooly) pic. I don't think that anything can explain what this Anime is supposed to be about so even if you listen to the song and look at the image--don't feel bad if you're still thinking WTF...

Dear Jerkface

Hi,
You probably don't know who I am... Because I don't know you are. But the smashed passenger window in my car saw you coming. Luckily for you, windows can't talk or I would hunt you down like the dog you are.

I hope you're enjoying the text books. There was a lot of vital information in there. Sure, I needed them to write some papers... Or study here and there... But you obviously needed them more. Hey- I'm happy that I could help! I'll just shell out another $200 for books. No biggie.

Are you in my Macroeconomics class? I'm asking only because my PRS clicker is missing, too. Make sure you register it in your name though. I wouldn't want you to get any of you points messed up because it's still registered in my name.

Hopefully you're buddies won't give you too much grief for carrying around an iPod Mini. Yeah, it works great and I've got a lot of great music on there but those were in style like 4 years ago. Perhaps you should have robbed somebody who has the iPod Touch. Those things are baller.

And all of my change is gone; well almost all of it. The quarters, dimes and nickels are history But did you really have to leave my all of the pennies? You REALLY took all that time to sift through the one-centers? Wow, I'm speechless... I didn't know someone could be so thoughtful.



I hope that you got enough crap out of me so you don't have to put anyone else through this crap. But if not, I'll leave my car unlocked from now on. That way I won't have to clean up broken glass everywhere.

You know where I live, we'll be in touch.

Yours Truly,
Ryan N.

Nashville

So I auditioned for Nashville Star a few weeks back and I was chosen as a regional finalist. So I spent this past weekend in Nashville for the callbacks. It was crazy! There were 6,000 people there for the open calls portion and who knows how many regional winners were in line with me. It was at the Opryland Resort and John Rich from the duo "Big and Rich" was there. They did American Idol style and cut us in groups. Everyone I heard was extremely talented and it was sad to see everyone get cut. However it ended up being a great weekend - since I was cut, I had the whole rest of the weekend to explore Nashville. I went to the Botanical Gardens and art museum and to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Then I went out to experience the nightlife and ended up singing and dancing on the Coyote Ugly bar. I also sang karaoke with a bunch of other Nashville Star rejects at a local karaoke bar. It was a good time. I'm bummed that I didn't make it onto tv but I keep hoping my big break will come soon. Now its back to homework and my crappy part-time, minimum-wage retail job! yuck!

Taboo

This past week I've played the game Taboo three times. I'm not even sure where I found the time to either, because I had three presentations/projects to stress about. That game is seriously the best. Prettymuch, there's a card with a word that you need your teammates to guess, and you need to describe it to them without saying the word, or the other 5 words on the card. You can't do gestures either. It's really fun when your partner is a close friend, because you have inside jokes to fall back on that sound crazy to everyone else playing. That game has been sitting on our coffee table so it's always a topic for conversation. If anyone's ever up for playing taboo, let me know! That game ties with Connect Four for the title of "Best Game".

Sarah Hearts Premiere PARTY!

So my very talented roommate is having a PARTY to release her new line of clothing and accessories! Everything is handmade and so chic. It's like the next line of (a cuter) Vera Bradley!

Sarah Hearts Premiere Party is this Thursday (3/27) at Textures Handmade Market (825 railroad ave, in the same building as fat sandwich). The party is from 7pm - 9 pm so stop by and see the new line. Light refreshments will be served. All items will be available for purchase. A men's t-shirt has been added! It is hand screen printed on sweatshop free comfy cotton t's. Also, there will be two women's t-shirts, women's cotton jersey scarves, and three handmade and hand printed new bags, including an extra large grocery tote.

Visit the website at http://www.sarahhearts.com/. There will be food and refreshments so everyone should come out and support a local artist!! If you're interested and just want more information, just ask me in class.

So here is something I asked myself this morning when I couldn't bare to pry myself out of bed this morning to go to my first class...

Why is it that I can wake up at the crack of dawn on the weekends after a long night of partying till the wee hours of the morning; however, after a long night of simply working on presentations, media flight plan and all the other last minute assignments that are due for class on Monday I can not seem to function?

It really is a curse. I can not even bare to stay up past 12am trying to do homework. If school was a party I think we all would ace it... Naturally.

Another question similiar to this is how we can all remember that song lyric from way back in the 8th grade. Every girl can sing any spice girls song at the top of their lungs years after they first learned it. However, I can not seem to remember anything that I learned in school last week for a test on Wednesday. It has to be something to do with our brains.

All this is soo frustrating to me. Like I said, if school came in the form of a crazy party or a song lyric I know we would all be so interested we'd stay up all night and remember every detail!

a piece of me

I want to be loved but much more
I want to find the Ability within myself to fully love another.
The thought of this haunts me.
I don't want to be old and alone
I want to fully love and fully be loved (how can I be fully loved if I can't give my love in return?)

I hate being vulnerable.
It's hard for me to love. This makes me question what went wrong in my past.

Inspiration

When thinking about projects and inspiration for projects and especially looking at others' projects, it is intriguing to examine where the ideas came from. I was just watching a short film that a student had done last year, and I was wondering where the entire story line came from. It is hard to fathom, but I think that sometimes these things just come to us. We sit long enough and think hard enough and then from within, good stuff comes out. It is the same for us and our projects. I never know exactly how we get to the end of our projects, but we do, and they usually aren't too bad.

So good luck on your projects. (I typed "inspiration" into google, and got this video) :)

isn't it funny...

So I just want to say that I am really glad we were asked, well, sort of forced to read chapters 6-9. this week to be ready for a quiz tomorrow. I wish I had more time to read because I definitely would. I made time for it today though and just from covering those few chapters I realized how much I learned and the creative insights I took from it.

It put me in the mood to brainstorm and helped me start thinking more freely about where I wanted to go with my group's campaign and all.

It was really great to not have a "writer's block," as well as a creative block.

So, thanks Melissssssa.

Easter Already?!?!?!?!!?? :/

I hope everyone had a very enjoyable and happy Easter!! I personally was shocked at how quick it came this year!! and how uneventful it was for me :( I remember being little and looking forward to Easter egg hunting or seeing the Easter rabbit, or even just going to church and eating a big dinner.

But as I got older its no longer been a holiday :( I spent my Easter Sunday at an Eboard meeting, working on a tandem speech with a partner, and then working with my Creative group for Whipple. There was nothing Easterish about today. Hopefully this will all change when I get out of college, and don't have to work and be in activities and go to school. Then maybe holidays won't creep up so fast.

Speaking of which......since when is Easter in March??!!!!???! Its crazy to me cuz I only remember Easter being in April! That was the April holiday. So why did it change? And who determines when Easter is? And so when this person or panel or whoever decides the day for Easter, how do they send out the memo to all the calendar companies? And then when is the deadline to tell the calendar people cuz I know they make those next year calendars pretty early! Is there any method to figuring out when Easter will be... like having to to with the time change or something?? I really want to know!!!

Take that, Hillary!

Hillary Clinton put out an ad for her Senate campaign run several years ago, which featured a young girl lying in bed with a voice-over narrating a message of smear. Well that girl has returned, eight years later, to throw Hillary under the buss and put her support behind Barack Obama. Hillary, it looks like some of your own people don't even like your game of dirty politics:

This is so frustrating!

So my friend turned me onto this online game-and don't worry at first I was like "uhhh who plays online games" but this thing is so frustrating and addicting that now I can't stop. You can become addicted yourself here- http://www.addictinggames.com/theimpossiblequiz.html

Some of the questions make you think in creative ways-outside the box....aaaand other questions have no logic to them at all! have fun :)

Happy Easter....NOT

So I had a great day yesterday. My Mom came in town to visit me for Easter. We went shopping, out to dinner at Bonefish, and then got some cocktails. As we come home my front door is PLASTERED in eggs...gross. I was livid. My upstairs neighbors are literally the nastiest, most obnoxious pigs to walk this earth. They party non stop, liter the back of our complex with their trash, cigarrete butts, beer cans, ect. They have no consideration for anyone but themselves. On top of all that they stole a 400 dollar check out of my mail box. I am with out a doubt certian it was them. I just don't know what to do about it. I really want to knock on their door and give them a HUGE piece of my mind but that won't do anything. I don't want to egg them back because it will only fuel their fire, plus I would rather eat eggs that I pay for rather than throwing them away. I am just sick and tired of these guys, they are ridiculous. They must have the easiest classes and all of their parents money because that is the lifestyle they lead. I like to party and all that goes with college, but a least I consider other people besides myself, and don't do it in a reckless fashion. So I guess I will just not react for now. Anyways I hope everyone else has a great Easter:-)

The Country's Best Cupcakes

The Country's Best Cupcakes
With cupcake frenzy on the rise, it’s clear this treat isn’t just for kids and birthdays anymore. Here’s our list of where to find the country’s best and boldest cupcakes.

By Amanda Petrusich for MSN City GuidesEver since 2000, when Magnolia Bakery’s pastel cupcakes upstaged Sarah Jessica Parker’s knee-socks on an episode of ‘Sex and the City’, cupcakes have undergone an unexpected (and well-chronicled) renaissance. Over the last eight years, cupcakes have been celebrated and re-imagined in countless ways, with new, cupcake-only bakeshops – inspired by Magnolia and Los Angeles’ Sprinkles Bakery – popping up all across the country. Rachel Kramer Bussel, co-author of cupcake blog Cupcake Takes the Cake, admits that the glut of new cupcake boutiques means bakers have to work harder to stand out. “I think personalizing the cupcake with a unique flavor or flavors in addition to the usual ones is always nice,” Bussel says. “Increasingly, cities are seeing more than one bakery open so they have to do something to differentiate.” So, here are 11 of the most original (and delicious!) new cupcakes in America.

Saint Cupcake - Portland, Ore. The Fat Elvis (Sweet banana and chocolate chip cake, smeared with peanut butter fudge frosting and topped with a fried banana chip)In November 2005, Jami Curl quit her day job as a marketer for the Oregon State Bar, dropped out of graduate school, and opened Saint Cupcake with her husband, Matthew. The (now-thriving) Portland bakery’s Fat Elvis cupcake is a delectable homage to the King’s favorite snack. “The cupcake started out as a simple banana chocolate chip cupcake with a peanut butter and hot fudge topping, but then our true love of Elvis took over and Matthew decided we should call it The Fat Elvis, given Elvis’ love of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” Curl explains. “So, it’s true. We love Elvis. Not only did we name a cupcake after him, but we also celebrate the days of his birth and death at the bakery,” Curl laughs. “And just in case you’re wondering, ‘Suspicious Minds’ is my favorite Elvis song,” she adds. “I actually sing it as a lullaby to get my 10-month-old son to fall asleep at night.”

Baked - Brooklyn, N.Y.Sweet and Salty Cupcake (Dark chocolate cake infused with salty caramel, topped with caramel chocolate ganache and fleur de sel)Baked opened in Brooklyn’s waterfront Red Hook neighborhood in January 2005, and before long, googly-eyed customers were flocking to the converted storefront-church space, eager to sample the bakery’s luscious cakes, brownies, cookies, granolas, and coffee. Baked’s Sweet and Salty cupcake was born from their popular full-sized cake of the same name. “I was talking to a customer about the glory of sweet and salty together,” Baked co-owner Ronalto Poliafito says. “So we started with a dark chocolate base and then added the salted caramel. There’s something satisfying about the combination of salty and sweet.” Like a honey-roasted peanut? “Exactly!” Poliafito smiles.

Cupcakes - Hudson, Ohio Half-Baked (Dark chocolate cake stuffed with chocolate chips and chocolate chip cookie dough, then finished with chocolate buttercream)It’s been just over a year since Kimberly Martin and her husband Sean Nock left their jobs running a hotel to launch this Cleveland-area bakeshop. “We had read all about the shops in New York and Los Angeles, but Ohio had never had a cupcake bakery. We thought it would be perfect. And it kind of just took off,” Martin says. Main Street boasts an impressive roster of flavors, from the cocktail-inspired (Mojito, Margarita, Bellini, Champagne and Strawberries) to the downright decadent (Half-Baked, one of their most popular offerings, is at least as satisfying as digging into a tube of chocolate chip cookie dough, and way more elegant.) Martin and Nock are constantly brainstorming new flavor combinations and testing cupcakes out on customers. “When we opened, we had 15 flavors. Now, we’re at 90. We try to release two new ones a month,” Martin explains. “People will come in and say ‘How about this?’ and we’ll say “Done it.’”

Cupcakes - Chicago Peanut Butter & Jelly (Peanut butter cake with mixed berry buttercream topped with a chocolate-covered potato chip)Chicago’s Cupcakes changes its featured flavors every week, and while plenty of their gourmet offerings are drool-worthy (the shop’s Salted Caramel cupcake consists of yellow cake soaked in caramel, a caramel buttercream frosting, and a sprinkle of Imported Rose sea salt, while their Chocolate Merlot cupcake pairs dark chocolate cake with a Merlot buttercream), the Peanut Butter & Jelly best encapsulates why America loves cupcakes: They remind us of being a kid. Cupcakes’ PB&J cupcake embraces the classic peanut butter and jelly pairing, but manages to take it one step further by topping the treat with a chocolate covered potato chip – it’s enough to make you want to permanently ditch work for the sandbox.

Cupcake Royale ­- Seattle Lavender (Lavender-infused vanilla cake with lavender buttercream frosting)With taglines like “Legalize Frostitution” and “Rock Out With Your Cupcake Out” it’s hard not to be charmed by Seattle’s quirky Cupcake Royale. The shop’s three locations also serve Verité Coffee (brewed from Portland’s Stumptown beans) which goes remarkably well with the bakery’s fragrant lavender cupcake, the favorite of owner Jody Hall. “We start with our vanilla buttercake and bake it with a bit of a crown to carmelize the butter and sugars,” Hall explains. “We top this off by hand-frosting a delicious swirl of our lavender buttercream, [which is] basically lavender flower mixed into our vanilla buttercream. Pair that with a delicious doppio espresso and you're in heaven,” Hall adds. Cupcake Royale is also active in the community, donating cupcakes to local schools, non-profits, arts organizations, and other worthy causes. “We donate about 2,000 cupcakes a month,” Hall says. “It feels so great to give back to the great folks that have supported our business for so many years.”

Dozen Cupcakes - Pittsburgh East End Chocolate Stout (Dark chocolate cake made with East End Brewing Co.’s Black Strap Stout, covered with dark chocolate ganache and topped with Irish cream buttercream)“The East End Chocolate Stout is a total Pittsburgh favorite,” promises Michelle Horton, general manager of Pittsburgh’s popular Dozen Cupcakes bakeshop. The cupcake’s dark chocolate batter is infused with a molasses stout beer from Pittsburgh’s East End Brewery; the cake is then dipped in dark chocolate ganache, sprinkled with dark cocoa powder, and finished with an Irish Cream buttercream. “The idea for the Stout cupcake was sparked by the bitter-sweet-chocolaty-richness of the East End Brewery’s Black Strap Stout,” Horton explains. “It even looks like a beer, with the Irish Cream buttercream symbolizing the lighter colored foam on top.”

Love at First Bite - Berkeley, Calif. Ginger Babycake (Gingerbread cake with Limoncello-cream cheese frosting)This Bay-area favorite prides itself on its use of fresh, high-quality ingredients, including butter, eggs, and milk culled from local dairies and farms, fresh fruit, Madagascar bourbon and Mexican vanillas, Saigon cinnamon, and fine, small-batch chocolates. All cupcakes are made from scratch daily, and while Love at First Bite’s menu offers plenty of innovative, temping combinations – the Hummingbird mixes pineapple, pecans, and bananas, while the Pretty in Pink pairs luscious strawberry cake with a light strawberry buttercream – their Ginger Babycake is a perfect balance of sweet and spice.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine - New York Pistachio Cupcake (Pistachio cake with “The Moose,” a satin buttercream frosting)In late 2002, before the cupcake craze reached its peak, old pals Peg Williams and Deb Weiner opened this little shop on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. “We wanted to create an atmosphere that allowed us to share a piece of who we are and invite people in to our comfort zone,” Weiner says. “We didn’t want to create another generic looking/feeling bakery. We knew the Power of the Cupcake – that little bit of happiness and nostalgia that people associate with purchasing a cupcake. It is awesome to be able to share that with people.” Aside from their stellar banana pudding and too-cute-to-eat birthday cakes, Sugar Sweet also serves up a perfectly nutty Pistachio-flavored cupcake. “When Peg and I were discussing what items to have on our menu, I had two that I knew I wanted to serve in the store, and my mom’s Pistachio bundt cake was one of them,” Weiner says. “I asked her to send me the recipe, and to my surprise it was a cake mix. Heck, what did I know – I was a kid when she made that cake. We couldn’t use [a mix] – we make everything from scratch. So from scratch I started recreating the cake,” Weiner explains. “No one does Pistachio. We couldn’t give that little fella away when we first opened,” she jokes. “It is my unsung hero of cupcakes."

Cake Fetish - Albuquerque, N.M.Fluffer Nutter (Vanilla cake stuffed with marshmallow filling and topped with peanut butter buttercream and a marshmallow)Caryn Koerner took over Albuquerque’s Cake Fetish in August 2007, launched a second location this past December, and is already plotting a third installment of the cupcake-focused café. Cake Fetish, which rotates its specialty flavors according to the day of the week (Creamsicle on Wednesday, Hot Chocolate on Saturday, Cherry Bomb on Monday), rolls out its delectable Fluffer Nutter cupcake – a vanilla cake stuffed with marshmallow, topped with peanut butter buttercream frosting, and finished with a marshmallow – each Thursday. “The Fluffer Nutter is a take on the Nutter Butter Cookie. It’s one of our staff favorites,” shares Koerner.

Lilly Jane’s Cupcakes - Eagle, IdahoOrange Ginger (Zesty orange cupcake, topped with a citrus-infused cream cheese frosting)Lilly Jane’s Caramel Apple cupcake (an apple cinnamon cake topped with caramel, vanilla buttercream, and more caramel) has been featured on 'Ellen', but it’s the Idaho bakeshop’s Orange Ginger cake that caught our attention: pairing a zesty orange base with a citrus-infused cream cheese frosting, it’s tart and full of zing, a welcome respite from the cupcake’s standard super-sweetness.

Back in the Day Bakery - Savannah, Ga.Lemon Coconut (Lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting and topped with fresh coconut)Owner Cheryl Day opened this Savannah storefront with her husband in 2003, as a way of spreading a little cheer to the community. “The bakery began at a time when people needed a little more happiness,” Day explains. “And cupcakes give you that little bit of pleasure when you need a pick me up.” The batter for Back in the Day’s deliciously fluffy lemon-coconut cupcake is made with lots of butter and fresh lemon zest, and the cake is dipped in lemon syrup before being slathered with lemon buttercream frosting and finished with shards of fresh coconut. “It’s reminiscent of my favorite birthday cake as a child,” Day admits. “Icing running down the side, not quite perfect, and made with loving hands.”

Relaxation

I am having a great weekend so far. Many of my friends went home for Easter while I stayed here in Tallahassee to work on my Whipple project with my group. I love being with my friends but it is definitely nice to have a weekend all to myself. I still can't believe how much I've accomplished today. I've accomplished many assignments today that I know for a fact I would have saved until the last minute were my friends here. I even had the friends that are still in Tallahassee beg me to go out tonight and I forced myself to stay in so that I can just relax... I am having a great time though.

Another reason I am having such a great weekend is because the last two times that I met up with my group in creative I have had a great time. Unfortunately, Carrie is out of town, but hanging out with Craig and Brittany has been awesome. I can honestly say that I have made 3 new friends out of this project. Somehow the three of us accomplished a lot, but we were laughing the entire time. I guess Jeff was right when he referred to us as the 'laughing group' last class. Basically, I am very happy right now. I'm going to continue finishing up assignments though. I look forward to seeing all of you on Monday!

Say whaaa?

I'm in the oddest state right now, emotionally speaking. I almost feel overwhelmed by trying to find an internship. Yet, I find myself enjoying the process. It's kind of sick really. Everyday that goes by brings us closer and closer to summer, my deadline is approaching and that is ALWAYS in the back of my head. It's not like I don't think I can get an internship, the opportunities out there are endless. The part that is scary to me is just trying to make the right decision.

I think a lot of what I am dealing with/ feeling right now had to do with my high school. I went to Suncoast and completed the IB program. It is a top five school in the nation. Meaning high school was hell. We always had a million things to do at once, and our teachers really instilled in us the desire to do everything well. No matter how much other stuff we still had to do when it was over. I never really understood the life of a real high school student. Every minute of every day was dedicated to homework, papers, projects, speeches, and studying. The average night of sleep was about four hours, for those who learned time management. Teachers always complained when we skipped, up until they realized that nine times out of ten, we were skipping class to do homework or hold study sessions. I actually had one teacher email me the year after we graduated saying that he realized our skipping was for good reason. (We proved it after our test scores got them ranked #5 in the nation).

Needless to say, I came to college with a butt load of credits, so really, I never really had a sophomore year here. The first time I met with my adviser, she told me to get straight A's and join AD Club if I wanted to make it into the major. I did one of those things. For some reason, I convinced myself that I would not be able to do both. So I didn't bother to join AD Club. BIG MISTAKE. I can barely remember the classes I took in freshman year. Thank god I got into this major. I remember last semester going to my first meeting. I was a junior by credits and I didn't even know what a cover letter was. Pitiful.

I honestly think AD Club is the best thing that happened to me this year. I remember seeing Eboard and being so impressed by how much they knew. Talking to them and going to meetings and on trips has sparked a passion for me. It took away any doubt that this is exactly what I want to do with my life. After this year in AD Club, I kind of have a new outlook on the influences in my life. Before now, it only made sense to me that school was the only thing that would be successful in my career. Now I know for a fact that that is not true. The things that I have learned from AD Club are priceless. Sometimes I don't even realize how much more I know just because I went to some certain meeting or because I talked to a member who has been there for a while. That's really the reason why I ran for exec. I really do hope that I can help someone love AD Club the way that most of us do.

I almost feel like I would have been better off if I didn't come to college with so many credits. That sophomore year I feel could have been integral for me. I would have known so much so early. It's my own fault though, I really should have listen to all of my adviser's advice. Now my consequence, I have to take some risk. I can either take a job a small outdoor agency in Orlando, or I can hold out and see if I might be able to get one at a bigger advertising agency. I'll let you know what I decide. Good luck with your quests for internships.

Wanted: Beach bum

It is just NOW starting to feel like school again having had one of the best Spring Breaks EVER! With graduation right around the corner it is hard not to think about all the opportunities life will bring along. One day I'd like to move somewhere like Key West and become a professional beach goer. We need more people like that. It was just cool to see how simple these people live while still in America. I suppose if you work really hard for the first part of life the rest is all one big vacation...I met a couple that had been vacationing for the last 8 months there. 8 months! That is awesome. One day.

Its Really Almost Friday?

You know the old joke "why did the pig throw the clock out the window.......because he wanted to see time fly"? Well he also could have just gone to college I'm not sure I've ever seen time fly so fast. I never remember what day or week it is and I always think I have more time than I do. It's crazy! When I went home for spring break I babysat this girl and to her everything was new and exciting but time went so slow. She couldn't wait to grow up. I remember feeling like that and I'm so glad I don't anymore. The whole growing-up thing is overrated. I guess you could say Peter Pan syndrome is relevant here. Sometimes when I get all caught up in the whole moving on in life thing I have to take a step backwards. So I went out and got a coloring book. IT WAS THE BEST IDEA EVER!!! I sat around and colored with my roommate all night and I'm not sure there is a better therapeutic tactic available. Acting like a little kid again really made all the stress kind of melt away. So especially in the next 5 weeks when we're going nuts finishing everything...take a break and put some crayons in your life. : )

I need to work on my attention to detail

This is what helped me realize this.

GO Green

I can't wait until everything goes green. Not like St. Patricks day but environmentally friendly. I especially want a gas efficient car. Unfortunately, hybrid cars only go 30-60 miles per gallon. However, I love incentives. X-Prize foundation now has a competition for $10 million dollars for teams to come up with cars that go at least 100 mpg. That's a wonderful idea. One team already has a car that they believe by turning it into a hybrid it can go 400 mpg. A car like that you can go up and down florida without having to feel up your tank. Can you say, "Good bye gas money! Hello Road trips!"

Welcome back everyone! Hope you all relaxed during Spring Break and that you enjoyed St. Patrick's Day. I know I wish I was back home at the beach right about now :o).

new ways to give...

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had an amazing Spring Break! My was awesome but I find myself trying to catch up with everything in school and work. I can't believe we only have one more month of school! I found this really cool website. It's called freerice.com It's vocab words and everytime you answer a question right 20 grains of rice is donated through the UN World Food Program to stop world hunger! So next time you are sitting at work or home bored on the internet check it out and contribute to a great cause!

Somebody Cover My Letter

Dear Blog Gods,
I have been trying to deal with the stress of writing cover letters for my search for a summer internship and it has not been fun. It is a very boring process. I hate having to try and balance professional writing restraints (proper format and everything else that goes along with it such as the lack of personal descriptiveness) with creative writing. I want to come across as a person not just a robot following the ones and twos of cover letter writing while at the same time demonstrating that I actually know what a cover leader should look and sound like. Then there is the balancing act between being too enthusiastic or sounding disenchanted. My goal was to write as many great letters as I could to as many agencies in Jax, Fl as I could during spring break, but since all the lucky people get to go out of town for spring break I was scheduled at work 10 hrs. atleast every single day. Inevitably this has left me with one half completed cover letter. So will somebody just cover my letter, bury it, and write the eulogy so I can get on with the fun things like.... I'm not that fun.
Antonio Luciano

Long Island. New York?

Unlike what I have seen so far in the blog, my Spring Break was pretty much wasted. I live in beautiful West Palm Beach, but unfortunately I was the sickest I have been in a long time EVERY day that I was home. Oh well, I'll try again in six weeks :D.

I work for a marketing company and I travel to different car dealerships and do promotions on weekends. This time they sent me to Long Island, New York. I was so happy when she told me that I would be going there because that is where I was born (Hempstead to be exact). Little did I know, Long Island is HUGE. They sent me all the way over to Smithtown, I didn't see not one tall building. Know that I think about it, I don't even remember seeing any neon lights. I might as well had been in Homosassa, FL. Point of my story, I need to go back to the city. AD Club, my vote for fall.... NYC BABY!! AWNY conference, 50th Anniversary, city lights, lovely people, I'm in!


Come to AD Club tomorrow night! HCB 215 at 8:00pm

i have a limp

So after an amazing and much needed vacation, i returned to tallahassee with a limp. Friday night I managed to sprain my foot, not my ankle, my foot. How? Not sure. It was just a result of a terrificly fun friday night. So feel free to stare as I hobble from class to class. Its kinda funny and its getting better. Oh and Happy St. Patty's Day! I assume most will be joining in on the festivities of tonight. If thats the case please be careful of your feet!!!

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin.

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone! As we all know by now, this is a very important national holiday honoring St. Patrick, the man believed to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland, and is in no way an excuse to drink copious amounts of beer. Green beer. Lots and lots and lots of green beer.

People who actually worry about these things have suspected that drinking alcohol was good for your heart. Just how good and why it was beneficial, well, they weren't sure. To date, over sixty studies throughout the world have investigated in detail if drinking alcohol did indeed lead to more healthy hearts... see, everyone is looking for an excuse for partying, don't feel so guilty.

Dutch researchers in 2000 found evidence to counter the widely held belief that red wine was better for the heart than beer. The Dutch study, led by Dr. Henk Hendriks of the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, studied 11 healthy men who drank four glasses of either beer, red wine, spirits or water with dinner for three months. They switched beverages every three weeks. Despite the small number of subjects in the study, the results were striking.

The men showed a 30 percent increase in vitamin B6 in their blood plasma after three weeks on beer. Drinkers of red wine and Dutch gin received only one-half the increase in the vitamin. B6 prevents the body from building up high levels of homocysteine, a chemical linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Homocysteine levels did not increase in the beer drinkers, but rose for those who drank wine or spirits

A somewhat similar study in Denmark also addressed the "red wine v. beer is better for your heart" debate. The Danish Brewers Association reported that beer works as well as wine in preventing heart disease. "It cannot be proved that there is any health advantage to drinking red wine, for example, rather than beer," according to the study by the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Muenster. "Studies indicate that light to moderate alcohol consumption from beer, wine or spirits is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality, owing primarily to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease."
(More info is at www.allaboutbeer.com)



So there you have it. Drink that green beer... but not too much that you miss class tonight.

Busy Busy Busy

Hey Kids!

So, I thought I would share my experiences of the last week and a half....

My spring break started on Fri, March 7th - which was my birthday btw..22..whoo! I drove to Gainesville, went shopping, had dinner with the family, decorated for a Bachelorette party, threw the Bachelorette party, and took care of a drunken bride until 4am. P.S. some words of wisdom for anyone who has a wedding in their future: Do Not throw your bachelorette/ bachelor party the night before your wedding....

Anyways, Sat I went to the wedding, left around 10:30, drove to Ocala, partied till 5 am, got up Sun and went to my nephew's b-day party.

The rest of my break was about as hurried and busy as that first weekend, but not as interesting.

So, as we come back to school and try to make it through the rest of this semester, I am renewing my resolve to blog. I haven't been so great at keeping up with it thus far, but it's a new week, and a fresh start!!!

Oh, and of course... Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!!