On the eve of 2011, I feel it necessary to be nostalgic and look back. Not just back at the past year - a year filled with incomplete resolutions and failures, coupled with successes and joyous moments - but at a more broad scope of what defines us. It came to me in a dream last night and after I woke up, I had an "ah ha" moment. The type of moment where you feel like what you're sharing with the world will move mountains & solve conflicts; when in reality, it's just another thought, shared with the world wide web, possibly lost in the shuffle of headline news and celebrity gossip.
Social Media is the lifeblood of many. It's a place to collaborate, connect and procrastinate. We use it in every aspects of our lives and as it creeps into our work environment, rules and regulations become more apparent and important. There is much banter about the right things to do on social media and the wrong things. Things that can get you fired, divorced or reprimanded by family/friends. A simple picture of you dancing on a bar four years ago with your BFF's boyfriend could get you all of the repercussions mentioned above.
For instance, you head to the bar and you're on the hunt for the next person to fall in love with. You meet her and have a great time. Whether you woke up alone or with her, you begin the process of adding or figuring out who she is via Facebook. The days of asking for phone numbers have disappeared, much like the land-line phone has. Is it sad? I think it's smart. But there will always be naysayers swearing Facebook isn't that interesting or cool. Sounds like a personal problem to me.
20 years ago, what defined us relied heavily on our work, family and friends. Now, we are defined by our posts, likes and tweets...and I think it's great. Posted pictures define us. Friends we're connected to, define us. Followers and retweets, define us. It has nothing to do with who we are in person and everything to do with who we are online. You hear stories of people who are type A in person, yet type B online. Guys and Gals who have online relationships and real-life relationships that never cross paths. Do I think that last part is great? Absolutely not...but I think it's amazing to see the ways people are using it to benefit themselves.
I had a dream about Social Media. I know, i'm a huge nerd; but, it made me realize, more than ever, that what i'm saying on here or my wall, will define the type of people I can meet, the jobs I could be offered and the places I can live. I'm excited for the changes social media will incorporate in 2011. Finding new ways to help increase our online persona.
What all this means...don't be a naysayer. We'll just talk about you so much on Facebook or Twitter, that by the time you're ready to create a profile, we've already created our own.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Mad for Mad Men...
For someone like me to blog about advertising and not post about the series is beyond inexcusable.
The show is the shit. It's one of the most entertaining, shocking and angering shows around. The characters have been gradually built up and cut down. If you're going to try and jump into season 4 without knowing the past, stop reading this blog entry and talking to me in general.
Secretly (not so secret now) I idolize Don Draper - minus all the cheating and constant alcohol abuse, which I know, strips him down to just a simple, boring, adulterous man. However, his demeanour, attire and ability to command a room, are the true reasons I idolize him. He's the king of the combover, the power suit and driving while drunk. Would you say I have a slight man-crush...yeah, i'm comfortable enough to say I've got one. Sue me.
I got a late start with Mad Men. I used the power of iTunes to catch me up by buying season's one and two. Seventy dollars later (i'm an HD snob) I was immersed in the beautiful world of 50's and 60's advertising. Complete with big hairdo's, typewriters with typists and when train travel outweighed flights. So it's safe to say for a Generation Y'er like myself, it garnered a few snickers and a few reality checks too. Or is it cheques...ah who cares.
When it became apparent this show would now consume my thoughts, time and apparently my iTunes credits, I was only half way thru episode 1 of season 1. It's true, I fall in love that easily. Good thing I'm not a gambler.
Everything about the show paints a vivid picture of the glory days for agencies. The drinking, constant secretary affairs and of course, the importance of holding a generational brand, such as, Lucky Strike. I'm not a smoker - never have, never will - but the only thing missing from the client list at Sterling, Cooper was a liquor account. However, I see a similar situation as Lucky Strike happening by having Roger handle the account and watch as it slowly dissolves in his hands. The guy is a cunning linguist, fantastic adulterer; yet he lacks the understanding to look beyond his nose and at a bigger picture.
Once season 3 ended, I longed for more. I was shocked at the revelations that occurred, yet I was completely satisfied with Don's choice in women, and new found attitude.
Betty is still a super bitch and even when I see her on awards shows, or ad's for other movies/brands in real life, I want to just give her a good shake. Nothing too hard, just something to jiggle the loose piece in her brain back into place. Yeah Don was not the greatest of men to her, but I know I dated more mature girls in high school. Regardless, I would never hit a woman, but Betty could be the acception.
The show has given me more than roughly forty-eight minutes of entertainment on Sundays. It's given me a new perspective on the way it was done. The real beginning of advertising. I have a new found respect for the veterans in the industry. They lived parts of it and evolved with the times to continue and support the greatness that advertising is today.
What all this means...
If you don't watch the show already, you need to. It's not just another boring, detailed time-piece with no action. It has heart, character and accurate portrayals of everything our grandparents knew. Also, it's got the occasional side-boob, which is a pleasant treat for everyone.
The show is the shit. It's one of the most entertaining, shocking and angering shows around. The characters have been gradually built up and cut down. If you're going to try and jump into season 4 without knowing the past, stop reading this blog entry and talking to me in general.
Secretly (not so secret now) I idolize Don Draper - minus all the cheating and constant alcohol abuse, which I know, strips him down to just a simple, boring, adulterous man. However, his demeanour, attire and ability to command a room, are the true reasons I idolize him. He's the king of the combover, the power suit and driving while drunk. Would you say I have a slight man-crush...yeah, i'm comfortable enough to say I've got one. Sue me.
I got a late start with Mad Men. I used the power of iTunes to catch me up by buying season's one and two. Seventy dollars later (i'm an HD snob) I was immersed in the beautiful world of 50's and 60's advertising. Complete with big hairdo's, typewriters with typists and when train travel outweighed flights. So it's safe to say for a Generation Y'er like myself, it garnered a few snickers and a few reality checks too. Or is it cheques...ah who cares.
When it became apparent this show would now consume my thoughts, time and apparently my iTunes credits, I was only half way thru episode 1 of season 1. It's true, I fall in love that easily. Good thing I'm not a gambler.
Everything about the show paints a vivid picture of the glory days for agencies. The drinking, constant secretary affairs and of course, the importance of holding a generational brand, such as, Lucky Strike. I'm not a smoker - never have, never will - but the only thing missing from the client list at Sterling, Cooper was a liquor account. However, I see a similar situation as Lucky Strike happening by having Roger handle the account and watch as it slowly dissolves in his hands. The guy is a cunning linguist, fantastic adulterer; yet he lacks the understanding to look beyond his nose and at a bigger picture.
Once season 3 ended, I longed for more. I was shocked at the revelations that occurred, yet I was completely satisfied with Don's choice in women, and new found attitude.
Betty is still a super bitch and even when I see her on awards shows, or ad's for other movies/brands in real life, I want to just give her a good shake. Nothing too hard, just something to jiggle the loose piece in her brain back into place. Yeah Don was not the greatest of men to her, but I know I dated more mature girls in high school. Regardless, I would never hit a woman, but Betty could be the acception.
The show has given me more than roughly forty-eight minutes of entertainment on Sundays. It's given me a new perspective on the way it was done. The real beginning of advertising. I have a new found respect for the veterans in the industry. They lived parts of it and evolved with the times to continue and support the greatness that advertising is today.
What all this means...
If you don't watch the show already, you need to. It's not just another boring, detailed time-piece with no action. It has heart, character and accurate portrayals of everything our grandparents knew. Also, it's got the occasional side-boob, which is a pleasant treat for everyone.
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