One Show: Design Student

I entered two logo designs.  One was the design I had chosen, and the other was my instructor's favorite pick.  They were both in the final, the one I chose won the pencil.  At the ceremony my instructor told me that I should always listen to my instincts when it comes to representing my work.

"I entered the One Show Competition as part of an assignment, not really knowing the significance of receiving a One Show Pencil or even thinking that I could win.  For the competition i had designed six logos from which two were really strong.  After discussing with Nancy Rice (my instructor and mentor) which one to send, she encouraged me to enter both since we each had our favorite one.  Getting the first email that both entries were in the final was exciting, but receiving the pencil for the one I felt most strongly about was something I'll never forget.  At the ceremony Nancy's words to me were, "Aren't you glad you listened to your instincts and sent both?!"  Yes, I am... only that sometimes it takes a pencil to know that for sure.  As creatives we are used to being extremely critical of work, thinking we can always do better.  Receiving my first ONE was like doing everything you've ever done or learned for the first time, only all at once. 

-Boriana Mintcheva-Strzok

Best of Show: Volkswagen's Turbonium.com

"We didn't win Bronze, silver, or Gold first time out. We won Best of
Show. Suddenly, building a car web site didn't feel all that dorky
anymore."
-Tim Brunelle (Creative Director at Hello Viking) on Volkswagen's
turbonium.com

The story behind the award (as told by Tim Brunelle): "In 1999, we
were tasked with introducing the Turbo New Beetle, following the big
launch of the new New Beetle the year before. The creative direction
for Turbo was focused on a make-believe new element: Turbonium. About
two weeks prior to airing the TV spot, our creative director, Alan
Pafenbach, asked if maybe we could also develop a website—such a novel
idea at the time—to act as a companion marketing vehicle. Could we
build Turbonium.com? And wouldn't it be clever if we ended the TV spot
with the URL.

(Remember, this is 1999. Al Gore had only recently invented the
Internet.)

So, we've got two weeks. And there's this nifty new technology coming
of age: Flash. Our team consisted of myself, my creative partner Bill
Wehlan, Flash designer Robert Hodgin and developer Jon Groves. Go!

We presented the completed site to the client a day before the spot is
scheduled to traffic, along with the "end the spot with the URL" idea.
Fortunately, the client thinks this is nifty. The spot gets trafficked
to the networks, and the site gets loaded onto VW's servers.

A few months later, we get notice from the One Club that the Turbonium
campaign is a finalist—including the website in the very new One Show
Interactive competition. Cool!

We head down to the second annual One Show Interactive ceremony. We
win some pencils for other VW interactive work, including a Gold for
Turbonium.com. Then it's the end of the evening, and they announce
Best of Show: Turbonium.com. Suddenly, all the oxygen appears to have
left the room. It was like hitting a hole-in-one the first time you
play golf. Our team was stunned.

Back in Boston, the ad agency seemed stunned, too. Alan and our Chief
Creative Officer Ron Lawner were thrilled. But I recall a couple of
creatives questioning the victory. "It's just an interactive award."
As if Best of Show for Interactive wasn't the same achievement as Best
of Show for traditional work.

(Remember, this was 2000.)

I still get positive comments from people about Turbonium.com. It's
nice to know that site had such an effect on the industry. And it was
an honor to receive one of the very first One Show Interactive Best of
Show awards."

Tim Brunelle is CEO of Hello Viking, a new kind of advertising entity.
Hello Viking's work is a perfect example of how it takes truly 'new'
ideas to make innovative campaigns take off. Being a newer agency,
Hello Viking takes a vital role in growing the industry towards the
the possibilities of new media, and growing towards trends in
international markets as well.

Since Swanepoel is coming to speak about 'what it takes', there will
be a huge commentary on the development of the One Club's interactive
category, and the upcoming award category devoted to entertainment.

Say "Hello" to Hello Viking.

ONE Show: Design Pencil-Islands of the Bahamas

The Islands of the Bahamas.  Gold, One Show Design.  

"de plane, de plane...take me to de islands, mon!"

-Joe Duffy (Duffy and Partners)

Joe's  experience for his first pencil takes on a classic image that is immediately associated with the Bahamas and reinstates it with good design.

 Aside from being an outstanding force in the advertising and design industry, he's managed to carry his partnered company through the ups and downs of the industry's economy.  Joe's creative experience, as well as his creative forecast makes him an interesting feature for the topic of Kevin Swanepoel's discussion on Sept. 10.  It's all about the idea of innovative thinking outliving design obstacles, and what it takes to make it in the current market.

See Joe in action: Duffy + Partners

First ONE: Davanni's

When I stepped up to the stage, I lost feeling in my legs.  I'd seen NY in pictures, but this was the first time I smelled it.  Age 23.  First time in NY.  Amazed a pizza as could make it all happen.

-Mike Lescarbeau (Carmichael Lynch)

Another former Fallon great, Mike comes from an impressive background of top agencies with top clients: Wieden +Kennedy, One and All, Saatchi and Saatchi, and now on the board with Carmichael Lynch.

Mike's experience and commentary is one that can appeal to the professional and student body alike.  The topic at hand, what does it take to make it today, involves everybody in the industry, new, old, or otherwise.  Mike's love for the brand shows that it doesn't matter what your working on, it takes an innovative idea.

See where Mike works now: Carmichael Lynch

First ONE: "the train it is,..."

"Should we go with the gruesome farm accident, semi-truck/car pileup, or the 12-yr-old run over by the train?  The train it is."

It was an ad for North Memorial trauma center featuring a little boy, Brian, who's legs were reattached after he was hit by a train.  We started with a photo that is hard to look at and harder still to look away from, and the line, "This is a true story."  Our first Gold Pencil.

-Jac Coverdale(Clarity Coverdale Fury) 

Jac represents work that gets right to the point, stays in your mind, and makes you think. Representing Clarity Coverdale Fury with strong work, he remains a classic example of winning by reinventing ideas that are generally difficult to think about.

Jac at work: Clarity Coverdale Fury

First Pencil: Bloomingdale's

Here goes:

McElligott hands me HIS campaign to extend.  The client is John Jay.  The brand is Bloomingdales.  Failure is not an option.

-Bruce Bildsten(Brew)

Bruce is a founder of Brew, a creative agency in Minneapolis who has recently devoted the opening page of Brew's site to their 'Minnesota Helps: Bridge disaster fund' campaign.  Formerly an Executive Creative Director at Fallon Worldwide and a Writer at Duffy and Partners, he left to form Brew with partner Michelle Fitzgerald.

What makes Bruce's view on winning the pencil so interesting?  He's one of the pioneers to working in Minneapolis with big name clients that expect the best.  His view is one that shows that drive for making great, new ideas that is being questioned in the industry today.

Brew with Bruce