Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge

• About Us
• Events Calendar
• Membership
• Member Login
• Committees
• Newsletter
• Jobs
• Message Board
• RSVP

Aug 16, 2008

Why I am a member of the American Advertising Federation - Baton Rouge

Advertising people are weird. Thank God. Somewhere along the way in life I never really fit in. Things that are important to me -- too many to name here -- are somehow very important to this strange group of people. I've found a home.

As an intern I read an article about the board of directors going on a trip to a conference in a not-too-distant Southern city, and my sights were set. I thought to myself, "Self, that looks like fun." The people in the newsletter picture were having a ball. After some gentle encouragement from members of the board, I threw my hat in the ring. And what a ring it was. From that moment on, I've been a huge supporter and downright fan of the club, meeting so many great folks along the way. There have been many challenges, lots of obstacles and a great deal of personal growth. I can't thank former board members, presidents and members enough.

If you're new to the club (or not very involved), I wish only the same for you -- to expand your comfort zone and take advantage of the many opportunities we offer. I can almost guarantee you a great rate of return.

 

Ace

 

Jun 13, 2008

It Ain’t Over ‘till the Fat Lady Sings

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the national AAF convention in Atlanta this past week. I attended several round table discussions and club achievement sessions and came back with some great ideas that I plan to pass on to Ace. I guess it finally hit me that the end of the year is drawing to a close when I had to parade in front of about 500 people with a Rocky style song playing in the background. It would have been a glory moment if I hadn’t looked up to see myself plastered on two huge movie size screens for all the world to see. I don’t know if it was the angle or the truth, but I suddenly had an aha moment – GYM! While I’ve been busy strategizing and running Ad Fed this year, 30 (at least) pounds have snuck up on me. All right, I confess I knew it was happening, but I have to blame something and at the end of the day, it’s the best 30 pounds I’ve ever gained, because along with those pounds came much more. I will always treasure the experience, friendship, loyalty and sky miles that I’ve also gained!

I recently heard a quote from another past president that “The next best thing to being president of Ad Fed is being past president.”  I am very glad to have both titles and I plan to put my next year as Immediate Past President to good use. Watch out people. I’m in charge of the Nominations Committee and I’ll be looking for a few good men and women for the 2010 board! I’ll also be co-chairing the “09 Spring District Convention so I’m not going out to pasture yet. However, if you need to find me in the next couple of months, try Spectrum.

Thank-you AAF-Baton Rouge. This has been an awesome year. It’s been a “heavy load”, but it’s been a pleasure to serve as your president.

Have a great summer!

Carol

 

May 21, 2008

Out with a Big Splash

Last week I shared my experience of creating the iPond Coffee Table that I entered in Bizarre Bazaar. When I came up with the idea of creating a table top with a pond theme, little did I know how much that theme would carry over into my life for the rest of the week. I dropped off my table around noon on Wednesday with a sigh of relief. I was so happy that it was finished and relatively happy with it. The end of my year as president was in sight as the Bizarre Bazaar is the final big project for Ad Fed. Thank goodness I dropped it off at lunch before the great deluge of the year began around 2 p.m. The rain came down in sheets and soon my parking lot looked like a lake. I didn’t worry about it too much because it never got very deep, but when I looked out the window again around 6 p.m., the water was getting close to the bottom of my car door. I took this as a sign that it was time to wrap things up and go home. My office is not far from my house, but I made a huge mistake and turned down a street that I NEVER take. Everything was going fine until I hit what I thought was just a patch of water. NOT! Soon I was blinded by a green tsunami that hit my windshield and the motor stopped. I was in a foot of water and the rain was still coming down. Talk about an iPond. I was in one all right. Seventeen hours later, my car was towed to the dealership and the damage is in five figures. You just never know what your day will bring!

The Bizarre Bazaar went out with a big splash also, but in a good way! It was a big success. I think we had some wonderful, interesting entries. Thom Harris and his committee did a fantastic job. Thank you so much Thom, for all of your hard work. Your diligence and attention to detail really paid off. Thanks also to all of the artists and members who donated items, helped the night of the event, bid on items, promoted the event and helped with planning and vision to make this year’s Biz Baz a night to remember.  Too bad Wednesday is a night I’d like to forget. Oh well. What can you do? I think I’ll move on. I’m pondering an ark theme for next year.

Thanks for everything AAF-Baton Rouge!

Carol

May 9, 2008

A Good Fish Story

I love fish stories. My dad was an avid fisherman. It was typical of him to “knock off” work at 2 p.m. and head over to Henderson or Alligator Bayou, trailing his trusty (sometimes not so trusty) bass boat. When I was in college he knew the days that I didn’t have afternoon classes and would call me at the spur of the moment, to swing by and pick me up. Packed with a cooler full of “bologney” sandwiches (as he called them) and cokes, we would cruise the water looking for just the right spot. Some days we got lucky, other days we did not. Now that I think back about it, it wasn’t really the fish we were after, it was the experience of fishing that kept us coming back for more. As I got older, the fun of bugs, bologney sandwiches and the threat of snakes falling in a boat lost its appeal. I was replaced by my son, Kyle to continue the tradition until Dad passed away in 1999.

You’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with Ad Fed. In honor of my dad and our trips, I am using a fish theme for my Funkadelic Relic. Every evening I sand, paint, sand, paint, glue and sand again on my “ipond" coffee table. I found some really cool fish wallpaper and am using a glazing technique to give the appearance of a muddy Louisiana waterway. It’s tedious, but mindless work and actually reminds me of an afternoon of fishing in a way. I have the heat and humidity in my garage, the mosquitoes buzzing around my head and I’m able to zone out in another world as I pass the time. I don’t know if I’ll get lucky with a buyer or not. I hope so — Biz Baz needs the money or I may have to buy it back myself.  It’s been a great experience, even if there aren’t any bologney sandwiches.

Hope to see everyone at the Funkadelic Relics auction on Thursday.

Carol

 

May 5, 2008

Out with a Bang!

Friday was the final Ad Fed luncheon for the 2007-2008 year, and what a great last luncheon. We finally met the hundred chair challenge that I issued at the beginning of the year. Honors were given to students scholarship recipients, District 7 ADDY® winners, District 7 Club Achievement winners, student portfolio reviews, the winning LSU NSAF team, 2007-08 Bolton MacVicker award winner Gerald Bower. A special new award was given to Ralph Sims - the Ralph Sims Advertising Education Award of Excellence. As I looked out over the crowd on Friday, I was reminded of how much talent and how many jewels we have in our club. I would like to extend special thanks to Juban’s for another great year of luncheons and for providing the martinis to toast Ralph. That was a fun and unexpected touch suggested by Miriam Juban.

It’s not too late to start working on a piece of furniture for the Funkadelic Relics auction. The event will be held in ten days. I started my coffee table and I’m determined to turn it in to Bridgett at The Lane Agency without a “wet paint” sign taped to it. It’s coming along well. Please let Thom Harris know if you will be dropping off an auction item so that he can put it on the bid list. Right now he only has two registration forms turned in-mine and his own. I don’t have to tell you how nervous that can make a committee chairman, even though he has tons of verbal commitments! If you don’t want to donate an auction item, you can still participate by making a monetary donation or attending the event and buying an item. The money raised will be used to help fund student scholarships, off-set expenses for trips like the NSAC team trip to Atlanta, future conferences and other student events. If you attended the luncheon Friday, you saw first-hand what a treasure we have in our students. This is the final fundraiser of the year for AAF-BR. Let’s make it a dynamite event!

See you at the Bizarre Bazaar!

Carol

Apr 28, 2008

Team AAF-BR gets Checkered Flag in Chattanooga!

 

This year has been incredible year for AAF-Baton Rouge. On July 1, 2007, your Board of Directors started their engines with one goal in mind- get to the finish line and bring out the best in all committees in order to provide value to the membership. At the summer board retreat, the board discussed ways to work together to create a “well-oiled machine” that worked together for excellence as a club. Well, I’m happy to report that this weekend in Chattanooga, all of the hard work paid off. American Advertising Federation – Baton Rouge came in first in seven of the eight categories in District 7 Club Achievement – Advertising Education, Communications, Diversity, Government Relations, Membership, Programs and Public Service. We placed second in Club Management. But the club accolades didn’t stop at the District level. AAF-BR placed first in Advertising Education and second in Government Relations in the AAF competition. We now have the distinction of being 2007-08 District 7 Club of the Year!

I can’t tell you how proud I am of everyone that made this happen. It doesn’t stop at the Board level. Many of you have stepped up to make this a productive and winning year. I want to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. I’ve mentioned several times that being President of Ad Fed is like driving a car. You can have smooth sailing at 70 miles an hour, but you’re going to always have bumps in the road. This weekend I felt like Danica Patrick when she won her first Indy race. She could not have won without her top notch pit crew and believe me I know I have the best there is. I even cried like Danica. I swore I wouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. The pride and appreciation I felt was overwhelming. Great job Ad Fed team! Thanks for getting us to the finish line.

Carol

PS. We may have crossed the finish line at District Convention, but there is still another race. Please be on hand at the May 2 luncheon to see the winning NSAC team –LSU present their AOL campaign and to honor Ralph Sims. Also, on May 15, we need to support Thom Harris by attending Biz Baz and/or making a contribution to the fundraising efforts or donating funky furniture. Proceeds will be used to help fund student scholarships, student conferences and help off-set costs for trips like sending the NSAC LSU team to Atlanta and future conferences.

Apr 21, 2008

Get this Junk out of MY trunk!

A few weeks ago about a dozen people dropped off various pieces of furniture, lamps and other weird items. The intent of the garage sale day was to get items for artists to reinvent into marvelous pieces of art that only a mother could love for the Bizarre Bazaar, which is just around the corner. (May 15 to be exact!)  Well, 22 days later, I’m still looking at several UNmarvelous pieces that need some work. Everybody dropped off their junk, but only one person put stuff back in their trunk.

I had grand plans to turn some of my own junk into some weird, but clever one-of-a-kind works of funk. I have a piano bench at home that needs some work and it was going to be a Bach Bench. Then there was the birdbath that was going to be magically transformed into a side table. After all, who could resist such treasures? I decided those ideas would have to go if I wanted to get rid of some of the stuff cluttering my office. This weekend,  I re-evaluated the remaining junk and decided I don’t have time to paint the two wing-back Queen Anne chairs, so I chose the 100 pound table top that will now be transformed into an iPond Coffee Table. My husband and I made three trips to two Lowe’s to get all the hardware, legs and paint that I need. He’s actually all over the idea, with several bizarre ideas of his own, but it’s my table and I’m doing it my way!

If you’re wondering what an iPond is, you need to mosey on over to the Bizarre Bazaar on May 15 at 6 p.m. at Gerry Lane Business Central. Please note that the location and time has changed. If I’ve inspired you to paint the matching Queen Anne chairs, they can be found at 5055 Capital Heights. Can’t you just picture one as the American Gothic man and the other as the American Gothic lady? Don’t everyone come at once. My junk yard formerly known as an office is not that big!

Carol

Apr 7, 2008

A Jolly Good Crowd.

I was fired up to see so many people at the April Luncheon. It is just the beginning of several networking opportunities that will be offered to you this month. Unfortunately, we have two great events scheduled for April 10 –a networking social at The Lane Agency at 5:30 and the Diversity Committee is assisting with Baton Rouge’s First Annual Business of Film and Entertainment Seminar to be held at 6pm. As we always say, there is something for everyone in Ad Fed, so visit the homepage or check out your E-news for more information on each event.

On Thursday, April 17 you will have the opportunity to take part in the Photoshop Power Techniques workshop to be held at LSU Athletic Building from 1-5 p.m.

I was thrilled when the membership voted to change Article 1 of the By-Laws and follow the lead of other District 7 clubs by changing the name of our organization to American Advertising Federation-Baton Rouge. This change should give us stronger branding with AAF. It will be great to announce ourselves as AAF-Baton Rouge at the 2008 Spring Convention that will be held April 24-27.

Have a great April, enjoy these wonderful events and get ready for the grand finale in May-the Salute to Students luncheon on May 2. More about that in next week’s blog. See you then.

Carol

Mar 31, 2008

Marketing Medics, Past Presidents, Photoshop Experts! What more could you want?

It’s hard to believe there are only two more luncheon’s scheduled for my year as president. It’s been a great year and I think we’ve accomplished some amazing things, but it’s not over yet. April and May are filled with some great events that I think will bring extra value to your membership. This Friday, we welcome John Moore, who will give a fun and eye-opening presentation about his experiences as a “Marketing  Medic” for Starbucks and other nationally known brands. This should be one of our best speakers yet, so you won’t want to miss it. In addition to a great speaker, we’ll also give out the Rising Star award which is presented each April to the first year member who has made outstanding contributions to AFGBR. If that’s not enough to peak your interest, our past prez, Hector Gonzalez will be in town to announce the new board nominees. Now I know you’ll want to be there!

Also on tap for April is a Photoshop workshop presented by Justin Seeley, Adobe-Certified Photoshop exert. AFGBR is bringing this workshop to it’s members and students at a great rate. A workshop of this caliber would normally cost hundreds of dollars. For $25 for members and $15 for students, you will learn techniques on how to optimize settings, multi-image process, organize Adobe Bridge, retouch and restore images and more. Non-members may also attend for $40. Contact Jason Feirman for more information or to register.

More to come in May – Bizarre Bazaar, Salute to Students luncheon – but I’ll cover that in another blog! Speaking of Bizarre Bazaar, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with all of the “potential pieces of art” strewn around my office after the Garage Sale day on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who dropped stuff off. Now if I could just get a few people to come pick stuff up.

Mar 24, 2008

Shop ‘til You Drop!

When I was young, my mother and grandmother were die-hard garage sale women –dragging me from house to house in the wee hours of the morning, looking for goodness knows what. I actually thought it was fun, once I had a chance to wake up, and sometimes I would find a treasure or two by myself. Sometimes I might even run across a new friend, the son or daughter of the garage sale host, who would join me on the swing set or play a game of jacks. My brother hated these little jaunts. The most fun garage sales of all were the ones we orchestrated ourselves. I loved playing store and making cute tags for the items, hanging clotheslines between trees to fill with used clothing and making signs to hang on telephone poles around the neighborhood. Ah, the memories. My first leap into graphic design – the old telephone pole signs.

Saturday, March 29th, Ad Fed garage sale fanatics have a chance to shop for that special piece of furniture or item that you can transform or have another artist funkify for the Bizarre Bazaar, Funkadelic Relics auction. Whether you’re a digger of rare treasure or not, there is something for everyone on Saturday. From 9 a.m. until 12 noon we will be accepting your finds at my office at 5055 Capital Heights. If you’d rather leave the digging to others, you can pick up the treasures that have been deposited at the drop off location between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. This may be my first appearance in the garage sale arena in many years. I’m looking for a bird bath on a pedestal. As my now 99 year old grandmother use to say, “Heavens to Betsy child! What in the tarnation will you do with that?” Come to the Bizarre Bazaar on May 15 and find out.

Happy shopping!

Carol

Mar 17, 2008

All things Lucky. Happy St. Patrick’s Day

As we move closer to the end of the Ad Fed fiscal year, I can truly look back and say that I have been pretty lucky. Driving the Ad Fed car as the president of AFGBR is not always a smooth road. More than once this year, I’ve had to dodge a few obstacles but have come out OK. We’ve had a pretty successful year so far. All of our fundraisers have been successful and we’ve had tremendous support and growth of membership. My own lucky charm has been the wonderful board of directors. They are a great team of individuals who make everything in AFGBR happen. As you know, a board term is two years and unfortunately, some of our directors will be rolling off or running for re-election. I remember when the words “board of directors” seemed very intimidating to me. I couldn’t imagine taking on the responsibility of planning all of the programs for the year, coordinating membership communication or organizing a successful ADDY® Awards. Lucky for me, I was asked to step up and become a board member. Through my greater involvement in the club, I have developed leadership skills, met wonderful people, developed relationships with other community volunteers and increased my networking opportunities through relationships with other AAF members in other states.

I encourage you to consider becoming a board member. The nominating committee is currently recruiting potential candidates who will be announced at the April 4 meeting. I’m not saying there it’s not hard work, but the rewards from the hard work pay off. Let Hector Gonzalez and his nominating committee know if you are interested. We’ll count our lucky stars when you do.

Carol

Mar 12, 2008

Extreme Makeover: The Funky Edition

A couple of days ago I entered all of my checking account data in Quick Books Pro. My husband has been on me about giving him all of my stuff for taxes. He’s a CPA and a real stickler for having accurate records, so I thought I’d hand him a spiffy little print out of all of my account data. Unfortunately or fortunately–however you want to look at it–it revealed more than I wanted to know about how much money I spend in Barnes and Noble each week. (Whatever happened to going to the library?) Among my purchases was a huge book by Martha Stewart on how to clean your house! Imagine that. A book about cleaning.  Hopefully, when I begin my spring cleaning, I’ll find some items I can recycle for the Funkadelic Relics Furniture Auction that will be held May 15.

Funkadelic Relics is a great opportunity for local artists and designers to showcase their original work and reinvented pieces of furniture. Each year we have an array of funky furniture from tables, chairs and more. I’m actually thinking of taking an old piano bench with bad hinges and decoupaging it with old sheet music to make a Bach Bench. Well, maybe not. But you get the idea. Who knows? Maybe when it’s all over, I’ll write the book on what to do with all of the stuff you just cleaned out?

I’d love for you to start sending me your most outrageous ideas. We’ll post them in my future blogs and maybe someone will run with your idea!

Mar 3, 2008

Creative Hats for Spring

Creativity is the word to sum up the next two months of speakers for the Ad Fed luncheons. You will have two chances this spring to renew your creative juices. This week we welcome Robert Campbell. Robert Campbell is Partner and Creative Director of 808inc., a Houston-based creative and production studio. Formerly a senior writer with BBDO Houston, Robert has created memorable, award-winning advertising for a variety of national and regional clients. He's written for print, web, broadcast, outdoor, bathroom walls-and has directed numerous commercials. In addition to receiving a Cannes Lion, his work has been featured in Ad Age, Creativity, Adweek, AdCritic.com's Top 10, TBS's Funniest Commercials on Television and a BBC Documentary on Advertising, which he hasn't seen.

Coming up in April is John Moore, “Marketing Medic” for Brand Autopsy. John Moore made his mark in the marketing world by spending ten years working deep inside the marketing departments of Whole Foods Market and Starbucks Coffee. Today, through his Brand Autopsy Marketing Practice, John shares marketing and business advice with companies aspiring to become the next Whole Foods or Starbucks. John is also the author of the well-read Brand Autopsy blog and the author of TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE: Business Wisdom Brewed from the Grounds of Starbucks Corporate Culture.

Don’t miss these idea filled opportunities. See you Friday.

Carol

Feb 24, 2008

Mild Mannered March

Things got a little crazy in January and February for AFGBR, with all of the activities leading up to the ADDY^® Awards. I’m happy to report, that March looks like it will be a more laid back month, so I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of you at the March Luncheon on March 7 at Juban’s. Our speaker is Robert Campbell, Creative Director of  808inc in Houston. He has spoken to American Advertising Federation - Lake Charles and comes highly recommended by their Programs chairman.

Did you notice I called the Lake Charles club, AAF-Lake Charles? This is the new initiative that AAF is recommending to all of the local organizations. The theory is that by branding all of the local clubs as an AAF brand will bring them instant recognition as an affiliate of the only unifying voice of advertising – American Advertising Federation. The Board of Directors is recommending a By Laws change to Article I of the AFGBR  By Laws to rename our club, American Advertising Federation – Baton Rouge. The By Laws change will be presented at the March luncheon and voted on at the April luncheon so it’s very important that everyone be there to have questions answered and learn more about the name change. Your vote counts!

See you at the March Luncheon.

Carol

 

Feb 20, 2008

Wanted: Hamburglar’s Head
or Hamburger Helper Pez!
Update: He's back!

Well, the ADDY® Awards are over. It was a wonderful show and was well attended. Aimee Shultz and her committee did a fabulous job! Thanks to everyone who helped make it a reality and also all of you who attended and submitted entries. It’s a huge fundraiser for AFGBR, but there are a lot of expenses, so it helps to have such enthusiastic participation. Every Gold that is given is automatically forwarded to District, which is being held in Birmingham, Alabama this year.  It costs $75 to enter your Gold entry in the District level, which AFGBR pays for. That’s why we ask for two samples of your entry each year so we can display one and ship the other. We don’t usually make an exception and show a piece that doesn’t have a spare, but we made an exception and boy were we wrong.

I planned to end my homage to old commercials that nobody has ever heard of, but I couldn’t resist. McDonald’s had a commercial in the ‘80s in which a masked fellow, named The Hamburglar,  ran around stealing McDonald’s hamburgers because he loved them so much. Well, low and behold we had our own Hamburglar in attendance at the 2008 Ad TV ADDY® Awards. Our Hamburglar loved the Hamburger Helper Pez Dispenser entry so much, that he decided to make it a part of his permanent collection. The only problem with that is we need the Hamburger Helper Pez back so we can ship him to Birmingham for the District ADDY® competition. So Hamburglar, if you’re reading this, you can ship him back to me and I’ll never know your true identity. AFGBR will certainly appreciate and I’m sure BR Zoom will, too, since it their entry. Thanks!

Thanks again to everyone for a great ADDY® evening.

Carol

 Just in! The Hamburger Helper Pez has been returned. Thank you Hamburglar. I loved your little ransom note and the update of his week's adventures.

Feb 11, 2008

We’re going to have a really big show!

The pinnacle of the AFGBR year is finally here. And in the words of Ed Sullivan, “We’re going to have a really big show!” Saturday, February 16, is the date that everyone has been waiting for – ADDY^® Awards. Sunday was the last day to vote for The People’s Choice award.  A total of 339 people voted for their favorite print, web and tv/radio entries. Don’t forget to buy your tickets this week. Tickets can be purchased by calling Julie Arinder at The Lane Agency at 926-6015. Tickets are $60 for professionals and $30 for students.

The ADDY^® committee is to be commended for their hard work and tenacity this year. It takes a lot of hard work and many hours to pull off an event of this magnitude. Long after the event is over, the committee is still hard at work preparing the entries for District judging. District judging will be held in Birmingham, AL this year and the awards will be presented in Chatanooga, TN. All gold winners are automatically forwarded, but you have the option of paying the fee of $70 to forward a Silver winner. Many local silver entries have been known to go on to win Golds at the District level and National level.

Congratulations in advance to all of the winners. Don’t miss the Ad Fed event of the year. Buy your tickets NOW!

Carol

Feb 4, 2008

Snap, Crackle, Pop

For those of you have been following this blog during the last few weeks, you’ve probably noticed that I have a vintage tv commercial theme going. Each week, I’ve tried to find an old commercial that represents the week for AFGBR, since our theme for the ADDY® Awards is Ad TV.  I thought that the old Rice Krispies commercials with the little elves was perfect for this week. You can’t have the Snap without the Crackle or the Crackle without the Pop, etc. and that’s certainly true for The ADDY® Awards also.

As some of you know, there are quite a few elves out there making sure that this awards show is pulled off without a hitch and here are just a few who have been very busy this week. Special thanks to Katie Swetman and the elves at Cane’s for photographing and scanning all of the entries; Rick Dobbs, who is feverishly laying out the Winner’s Book; Aaron Michel, David Conor and the gang at Digital FX, who are busy working on the video; Bruce Kelfstrom, Jennifer Duvieilh and everyone at Kfx2 for all they have done to make The People’s Choice website a reality;  Julie Arinder, Bridget Riley and Saundra Lane of The Lane Agency for handling ticket sales and of course, last but certainly not least, Aimee Shultz and everyone at Lee Michael’s who has helped. Aimee is doing an awesome job!

Let’s hope some of us don’t really snap before it’s all over!

Carol

    

P.S. In the spirit of commercials, LSU Ad Fed needs advertising professionals for a viewing and panel discussion of the commercials run during the Superbowl on February 7th at 5:30 p.m. in the Forum of the Manship Journalism Building

Jan 29, 2008

I heard it through the grapevine…

Some of you may or may not remember the California Raisins ads from the 80s in which a line of animated raisins with arms and legs danced in a conga line to “Heard it through the Grapevine”. There is even a version with a Ray Charles raisin singing the song.

I heard it through the grapevine that everything is in full swing for the 2008 ADDY^® Awards on February 16. Mark your calendars and get ready for a fun with tv treats and spirits beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the awards show starting at 7:30 p.m. The Ad Fed of GBR will host an ADDY After-Party at Lod Cook immediately following the awards ceremony, including a cash bar and snacks. Partygoers can also take advantage of discounted rooms at the Lod Cook Hotel.  ADDY^®www.thecookhotel.com to make your reservation early. 

Tickets will be on sale soon. Watch for details.

If you haven’t already voted for your favorites at the People’s Choice website, you have until February 10 to cast your vote, but don’t wait. Visit the  new wonderful made possible by our talented friends at Kfx².

See you at the ADDY® Awards!

Carol 

Jan 23, 2008

Plop, Plop, Fiz, Fiz... oh what a relief it is!

This year we had 659 ADDY Award entries. The judging process took place Friday and Saturday at Gerry Lane Hummer. This year the judges were Stinson Lyles from Memphis, Tennessee; Tracey Bristol from Dallas, Texas and Angela Wires from Knoxville, Tenneesee.

Our ADDY Committee is so awesome this year. Committee is the key word here. The ADDY Awards Event cannot be a reality without a TEAM of talented people who come together to make everything happen from logos, websites to events and a menu! Thanks to everyone who has helped to make it happen.

Thank you to Kfx2 who made the People’s Choice Website a reality. They are truly awesome. I don’t know how to thank you. It looks great!

Also thanks to Aimee Schultz and her wonderful committee who helped make Judging Weekend happen and are busy taking care of business to make the ADDY event a reality.

In the spirit of the Ad TV that I remember – “Plop, plopl fiz, fiz. Oh, what a relief it is. Judging is behind us.
 

Jan 11, 2008

Ad TV: Entries, People’s Choice, Pizza Pie and Chevrolet

This year’s ADDY® theme is so much fun. AD TV ADDY® Awards is bringing back memories of my favorite ads of the past. When I was a little girl, everyone remembered all of the words to their favorite jingles. Some of my favorite jingles were Chevy ads — See the USA in your Chevrolet;  Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet. They were great slogans and jingles. That’s why it is so fitting that one of our most successful Call for Entries was held at Gerry Lane Business Central right next door to Gerry Lane Chevrolet. It was one of the smoothest Call for Entries we’ve ever had and also the most entries  ever submitted. Thank you to all the members and students who volunteered to help with Call for Entries. Free Pizza can’t repay you for all of your hard work.

Lots of things are going to happen in the next few weeks — ADDY® judging, ADDY event, ADDY® People’s Choice Award. The People’s Choice Award is new and should be a lot of fun. If you turned in your entries and still would like to enter, please send a disk with a jpg of each of your entries to Aimee Schultz or Michael Kraxenberger.  The more the merrier. Voting will begin January 17. This gives the committee time to receive all of the late Call for Entries and upload everything to the site. After January 17 you will be able to go to the site and vote for your favorite Print, Web, Broadcast and Radio Entries.

See you February 16 for the ADDY®  AD TV Event!

Carol

Dec 28, 2007

Top Ten Ad Fed New Year's Resolutions

When I decided to write this week’s blog about the New Year, I Googled “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions” and came up with several pages of your typical resolutions – fit in fitness, tame the bulge, get organized, help others, quit smoking… Needless to say, all but one of my resolutions made the top ten list. Since I don’t smoke, I didn’t have to list that one, but I can tell you that on more than one occasion I’ve felt the need to take up that vice this year.

I would like to raise a toast and declare a happy new year to the two people who read this blog every week. I hope everyone had a happy holiday. It’s the calm before the storm as we brace for a very busy month. Friday, January 4 is our first meeting of 2008,  January 9 is Call for Entries for the ADDY^® Awards and January 24 is Ad Fed 101. With so many opportunities to get involved in Ad Fed in the next few months, I thought I would come up with my list of Top Ten Ad Fed Resolutions that I hope the Ad Fed membership will choose. If you just choose one you will receive so much more from your membership dues.  

1. Enter the 2008 ADDY^® Awards

2. Attend an Ad Fed luncheon & network with some cool advertising people

3. Join a committee. You’ll meet new members and expand your comfort zone

4. Bring a guest to a luncheon

5. Sponsor a student to a luncheon

6. Buy tickets to the ADDY^® Awards and attend. It’s fun!

7. Nominate someone in the advertising community for the E. A. Pete Goldsby Award

8. Attend a workshop

9. Volunteer to help with the ADDY^® Awards

10. Become a member of the board

 
Thanks for your support in the year of 2007. Choose a resolution and get your money’s worth in 2008!

See you in '08!
Carol

 

Dec 17, 2007

Sip some Holiday Egg Nog and check out the President's Blog!

We had a great turnout at the Holiday Party last week. Thanks to everyone who attended and especially for your generosity to the Toys for Tots program. We filled three huge bags with great toys that we presented to Staff Sergeant Hernandez of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserves. Along with the toys, Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge also presented a check for $500 to help purchase bicycles and other items. Thanks to board members Curtis Vann, Lisa Stansbury and Jeremy White for joining us at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. I missed my Saturday morning of Paula Dean on the Food Network, but it was so worth it! I’m so proud of the spirit and support the membership has shown for this AFGBR Public Service project. Also, thanks to Aimee Shultz for organizing a toy drive at Lee Michael's. Thanks to everyone from Lee Michael's for your generous support.

I won’t publish the President’s Blog next Monday as it is Christmas Eve, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a very merry and safe holiday. The next time you hear from me it will be 2008 and we will be gearing up for the ADDY^®  Awards and Call for Entries. Don’t forget to check the website for the new ADDY^® pages coming soon. http://www.adfedgbr.com/content/committees/committees_addy_awards

Happy Holidays!

Carol

 

Dec 3, 2007

Season’s Meetings

Ho, Ho, Ho! The season of glad tidings and good cheer is here at last. December through February is always a very hectic and busy time for Ad Fed members. Not only are we all busy with our own personal holiday goals and celebrations, but Ad Fed activities are in full throttle also. The ADDY® elves are busy putting the final touches on their design and website and getting ready for Call for Entries and Judging. The Membership elves are frantically getting word out about the Membership Drive and the private fiesta. The Holiday Party committee is gearing up for the December 12 party and by now you should have received your invitation that I cheerfully hand-assembled for each and every one of you. (Whew! I now how arthritis in my fingers from the 200 knots.) Public Service elves are coordinating the Toys for Tots Toy Drive and is working with Hands On Baton Rouge to help sort the toys for the Marines. I am so thankful for the members who help make all of these events such a success. They are shining examples of dedicated professionals. Let it glow, let it glow, let it glow!

Don’t forget to RSVP for the December 6 Luncheon. Please RSVP by noon Tuesday.

Carol

Nov 26, 2007

From Scrooge to Martha in 60 seconds

Am I the only one that feels like we’ve been celebrating the holidays since September? With holiday gear out for so many months, you would think I’d have all of my ducks in a row and be well prepared. I woke up this morning, after a long Thanksgiving weekend with a horrible cold, and realized it’s here. The holiday season is upon me and it’s also time to write this blog! I pondered all of the ways I could make things easier for myself – write a shorter blog; don’t write a blog (Would anyone notice? Maybe I’ll test it and see!); get a dinky little tabletop tree so I don’t have to put up all of those lights; bite the bullet and get the fake tree this year. My Scrooge thinking was so removed from my usual Martha Stewart holiday self. Bah Humbug! Maybe it’s just the cold that has my head so full of Scrooge thoughts! I started rummaging through my Ad Fed notes to find a topic for the blog and it hit me – the Toys for Tots toy drive. How could I be so worried about all of these trivial little things when there are so many ways I can celebrate the true holiday spirit? Martha is back, but with a different strategy!

Ad Fed has adopted the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program as our holiday Public Service project. Local Marines need our help in making Christmas real for 100 Baton Rouge-area children.  Since most local Marines have been deployed overseas and cannot help collect Toys for Tots this Christmas, they need our help: if we can collect 210 toys, then we can do the work of one Marine during one day of the holiday collection season. Each soldier in the Capital Area collects approximately 3,000 toys each year. Please donate one or two toys with a minimal $10 value and bring them to the Ad Fed holiday social, December 6 luncheon or call Lisa Stansbury at 225-248-7023 to arrange a collection time and locale. Let’s all do our part to fulfill this mission and bring a little joy to Baton Rouge children! It's a "good thing"!

Carol 

Nov 16, 2007

You Say Monjuni’s, I say Monjuni’s of Highland.

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting with some of the most creative and knowledgeable professionals in the business – the past presidents of Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge. It was great meeting everyone and sharing stories and ideas. Twenty of our past leaders attended the Past Presidents Reception at Monjuni’s of Highland. (Yes that’s right! There is a Monjuni’s on Highland, as several of the attendees discovered when they went to the Jefferson Highway location.)

Many ideas were circulated last night about the club’s projects, luncheon speakers, socials and professional development. The most notable topic was how to stimulate interest and growth of our membership. The board members in attendance took several notes about what has worked in the past and what hasn’t. We hope to apply some of the suggestions that were made and have already started a dialogue about implementing these ideas. We are very excited about moving into the second half of the Ad Fed year with a positive plan to give members more value to their membership. The greatest resource of leadership for this organization has been under my nose all along. Thanks, Past Presidents for a memorable evening and for paving the way to a successful Ad Fed.

Carol

Nov 8, 2007

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Forum

You may have noticed an article about possible workshop forums in the November newsletter. Or maybe you didn’t, since not a soul has mentioned it. That’s very curious, since one of the valuable benefits of your Ad Fed membership is professional development and several workshops a year are included in your membership. The Workshop Committee wants to bring topics of interest to promote personal and professional growth among our members. Possible topics include:

• Organizing Fantastic Photo Shoots

• Public Business — How to Gain Access to State Bid Contracts
• Design Talk with Dee Zyner
• Branding Yourself Online — Website, Blog, Portfolio, Resume
• Warning: MySpace and Facebook Can Prevent You from that Next Great Job!
• Writing the Perfect Freelance Contract

 

Cash in on Ad Fed and email your top three picks (or additional suggestions) to Workshops Chair, Jason Feirman at jfeirma@lsu.edu. Your input will help the committee organize effective and successful workshops to benefit our membership as a whole. Members interested in participating on the committee or serving on a panel should also contact Jason Feirman at jfeirma@lsu.edu.

Carol

Oct 29, 2007

These are a few of my scariest things! Don’t forget to RSVP!

Halloween approaches and as many of you who attended the 13th Gate Social know, I’m not a very brave person. I screamed so much I couldn’t talk for days! Since I’m running out of things to include in my Blog and just to see if anybody reads this, I thought I’d include my “Scare List”.

These are a few of my scariest things: Falling off of stiletto heals, mannequins without wigs, lizards, computer crashes, fake eye lashes, Darth Vader, math equations, trial and error, family buffet restaurants, ant beds, road rage, microwave meals, boring conversation, double black diamond slopes, vintage clothing, plastic stem ware, Beetle Juice, Rachel Ray, Oops, I missed a test in college! dreams, Oops, I forgot a design deadline! dreams, adult diapers, printer ink cartridges, family reunions, sleep walking, sleep talking, designing my own logo, not having any clients, being president of Ad Fed for 10 years!. I could go on, but I think you get the idea…?

Thanks for your support and I hope to see you at the luncheon on Friday. Don’t miss Jeff Pedigo and The Science of the Meme: Marketing Meets Memetics, a thought-provoking, paradigm-shifting presentation about the nature of information and how it evolves and spreads from person to person, often like a virus. But not always.

Pedigo’s presentation begins as an introduction to memetics, a scientific theory that seeks to explain how human cultures evolve, develop and change via the spread of information. It then applies the science of memetics to the practice of advertising, a major contributor to the development of consumer culture.

 

The deadline to RSVP is Wednesday, October 31 (Halloween). Don’t forget. I’m very scared we won’t have 100 seats filled and that’s my goal. Please RSVP if you will be attending and please, please attend!!!! It would be scary without you! Have a fun & safe Halloween! See you Friday!

Carol 

Oct 22, 2007

Media, Ghouls and James Brown… oh my!

The last two weeks have been such a whirlwind of activity for Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge that everything has gone by in a blur. Congratulations to Saundra Lane and her Media Auction team for record media sales of $33,500. Funds raised will be used to support AFGBR. Thanks to all the donors and bidders that helped make this annual event another huge success!  

As if that wasn’t enough fun and excitement, we had a record 62 people attend the annual 13th Gate social at the 13th Gate haunted house. After meeting at the Pastime for cocktails and a social hour, we followed an unusual character across the street to the haunted house. He was An American Werewolf in London in a jump suit. Anyway, he was insulted when I called him a “ghoul”, so I’ll leave it at that. I must say I have never screamed so much in my life. It was a fun night. Thanks to Dwayne Sanburn, owner of 13th Gate, and Gerry Lane Enterprises for sponsoring the event.

Early the next morning, with an extremely sore throat from screaming like a little girl, it was off to the airport to catch a flight to Augusta, Georgia for District 7 Fall Board. Augusta is the home of the famous James Brown and the conference theme was all about James. Even though James brought a bit of fun to the conference, the main focus of the meeting is all about ADDY^® Awards. This is the conference where the new ADDY^® rules are unveiled and chairmen from across the district are instructed in the latest software features. Michael Kraxenberger attended as the ADDY^® representative for AFGBR. Be on the look out for Call for Entries and rules and regulations. The ADDY^® Awards will be held on February 16, 2008 and Call for Entries will be January 9, 2008. It’s just around the corner so start thinking about all of the great work you have done this year and what you will enter.

Thanks to all who have supported the activities supported by the club this month. It’s been a fun and rewarding October!

Carol 

Oct 10, 2007

Watch out for a November Virus!

Thanks to all who attended the luncheon last Friday. I was so focused on getting everyone out on time, I forgot to announce our speaker for November – Jeff Pedigo, Senior Writer/Producer of Godwin Group. He will give a thought provoking presentation on The Science of the Meme: Marketing Meets Memetics. The presentation examines the nature of information and how it evolves and spreads from person to person, often like a virus. But not always.

Let’s put that theory to the test and spread the word to members and potential members alike to get on board with Ad Fed. Earlier this year, the membership committee divided the membership into teams with a board member as leader. The team that brings in the most new members before the end of this year will receive a fiesta at On the Border! I challenge each of you to RSVP and attend our November luncheon and bring a guest. The luncheon is FREE to members and $25 per guest I still would like to have a luncheon with 100 chairs filled.

Also, don’t forget to RSVP for the 13th Gate Social. We will meet at The Pastime at 5:45 and a ghoul will escort us to the 13th Gate at 6:55.

Thanks for continuing to read my blog and for giving me some great ideas. You can send me any ideas or information that you would like for me to include to carolshirley@mac.com.

Till next Wednesday!

Carol

Oct 3, 2007

Move Over Boston Legal!

By now you should have received your newsletter and have the latest and greatest scoop on all that is going on in Ad Fed. Our communications committee is doing a terrific job of finding as many ways as possible to keep you informed and in the loop. The story on the front cover, “Covering your Assets” gives a great preview of the speaker this Friday. I love the line that says, “Andersen also manages to find humor in law (now that’s a laugh)…” I watched Boston Legal last night, and they keep me laughing every week, so it will be interesting to have a real live humorous attorney at our very own Ad Fed meeting. (I know I promised not to share my television schedule with you all the time, but I had to come up with something clever for this column.)
Please join us Friday at Juban’s at 11:30 as Jon Lee Andersen, Esq. entertains and enlightens us with easy to follow rules to keep you out of legal hot water. rsvp@adfedgbr.com.

I want to thank everyone who continues to read my blog. I’ve had some great feedback. If you have anything you want me to mention or if you have any juicy ideas that you think will help me make it better, please contact me at carolshirley@mac.com.

Hope to see you Friday! I'm still determined to have 100 chairs filled.

Carol

Sep 26, 2007

100 Chairs Challenge: Let’s make it the largest meeting so far!

Although the weather doesn’t give a hint of the Fall season, the pace of life certainly does. It seems like yesterday I was preparing for the September meeting and now it’s time for the October 5 meeting next week. Time has a way of sneaking up on you.  October is going to be full of opportunities for fun and professional growth.

Jon Lee Andersen, Esq. will be our speaker for the October 5 meeting and he will give a presentation that looks at some of the tricky issues involving claims, copyrights, trademarks, unique products or customers and other issues affecting the advertising industry. The meeting will be at 11:30 at Juban’s and I look forward to seeing you there. I would love to see 100 people in attendance and I challenge everyone to make an effort to make it. I know we all have great intentions of going to the meetings when suddenly things come up at the last minute. That’s the industry! However, we ask for your help by sending accurate RSVPs  and guest counts so we can give the restaurant staff the proper number of people to expect. If you RSVP and find out you can’t make it at the last minute, please adjust your attendance by informing Kelley Criscoe. To RSVP for the October 5 meeting click here: rsvp@adfedgbr.com

The Membership Drive is still in full swing and we have some leading teams. Remember to bring a guest and join in the competition for a private party, fiesta style, at On the Border. The current drive will be held through the December meeting. Speaking of membership, the committee needs volunteers to help update member’s contact information. Committee sign-up sheets will be at the October meeting and also the update cards that were attached to your badges at the September meeting. The purpose of the update cards is to have accurate information in the upcoming NEW directory. New to the directory is a listing of birthdays and the year you originally joined the club.  So, even if your information is current, we’d still like you to turn in a card. Membership chairmen, Kelley Criscoe and Toni Shinabery are working very hard to keep your information up to date, so please help!

On another note, I am looking for individuals from our membership to join our board. We have an opening for Public Service chair and Diversity chair. The groundwork is done, you would just need to fill in for the rest of this year only. This board appointment is not a two year commitment. The board is a great place to learn more about the organization, develop professional skills, and even enjoy some fun. If you are interested in either one of these board appointments, please email Carol Shirley@mac.com. Past board members welcome!

 

Sep 20, 2007

When it was suggested that AFGBR have a President Blog, I was a little nervous. What would I say and would anything that I say be worth reading? Absolutely! There is so much happening in the organization right now that I could write a new article every day if I had the time.

Wednesday was a very busy day in the Ad Fed world. I started the morning by attending an interview by Jim Engster of Blythe Daigle, director of Hands On Baton Rouge, our Public Service project. Then it was on to the first official board meeting of the year. It was a packed house and the enthusiasm was contagious. I must tell you that this is one of the most enthusiastic boards I have ever seen. The year should be a very interesting one. Then it was on to the ADDY Kick-Off Party, where ideas were generated about everything - from venue to themes. It was fun and attendance was great.

Unfortunately, we are losing three board members in the next two weeks. Hector Gonzalez, past president, is moving to Baltimore this weekend, Also, we are losing two new board members, Emily and Kevin Burke, our Public Service and Diversity chairs. They are moving to Atlanta, where Kevin has accepted a position with the Atlanta Falcons. While I am sorry to see everyone leave, I am thrilled about the opportunities that are opening for them.

That brings me to a point that I think is very important. At the September meeting the Membership committee asked attendees to fill out committee forms and join a committee. Only four forms were returned on that day. I'd like to open a dialogue and get your ideas about why becoming active in Ad Fed is not an option for you and explore ways that the organization can be a better tool that you can use in your professional development to open doors for you.

I hope to hear from you!
Carol