The Fifty 2023 Winners

“I find Votex to be my favourite. It sheds light on the issue in an interesting and unexpected way. Votex cleverly connects the issue back to the public’s mind and emotionally illustrates a large political issue in a way that feels close to home. It’s also very engaging and memorable, making it a great way to raise awareness, start a conversation and provide a solid reason for the audience to vote.” - Andy

“Of the many great entries this year, my favorite and selection for Judge’s Choice is the “Votex” campaign. It addresses the very serious issue of women’s reproductive rights while driving home its message in a very smart, fun, fast, and engaging way. Not only is it an effective piece of communication, but the kind of thing that organically spreads on its own like wildfire. Congratulations.” - Jack

Like many others, Steph Strange and Martha Murphy were enraged and depressed at the reversal of Roe V. Wade. They knew they had to do something. After a ton of research, we found the usual answer - it’s all about voting. So they took a product everyone with a vagina knows very well and designed it for a heavy flow to the polls.




CREDITS

Andy Nathan Founder/CEO, Devin Reiiter President/Partner, Jen Jaffe Partner/CFO, Erin Hoffman Director of Talent and Culture, Adam Chasnow Partner & CCO

Becca Schepps Creative Director, Mona Hasan Creative Director, Steph (Langan) Strange Associate Creative Director (Art), Martha (Murphy) Crompton Associate Creative Director (Copy), Anna Delaney Art Director, Kelly Yach Senior Brand Director/Producer, Trevor Blum Senior Brand Manager/Producer

Ronn Lueang 3D Render/Animation, Chet Stange Photography, Ashley Albert Voiceover, Soundspace, Sound Design, Matthew Polis Supervising Sound Editor/Re-recording Mixer, JSM Music Music


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Judge’s Choice

Colorado Lottery - As Good as Gold

OPEN ON TYPICAL SITCOM LIVING ROOM WHERE AN 1800s PROSPECTOR SITS ON THE COUCH. A SHOW TITLE APPEARS ON SCREEN: FOOL’S GOLD

ANOTHER PROSPECTOR BARGES IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR HOLDING A GOLD RUSH SCRATCH GAME. AN AUDIENCE CHEERS. Jeremiah: Elijah, we struck gold. Eureka!

ELIJAH LOOKS PERPLEXED AND SMELLS HIS SHIRT.

Elijah: I do? I just showered.

SFX: LAUGH TRACK

JEREMIAH SITS DOWN BY ELIJAH AND SHOWS HIM THE TICKET.

Jeremiah: No, ya muttonhead! We won on Gold Rush Scratch!

AT THIS MOMENT, THEIR PET MULE GRABS THE TICKET BETWEEN ITS TEETH AND TROTS OUT THE DOOR.

THE PROSPECTORS LOCK EYES WITH THE CAMERA AND SIMULTANEOUSLY YELL.

E & J: Eugene!

WE HEAR A BANJO RIFF AS THE TWO SCRAMBLE OUT THE DOOR.

J (off screen): Don’t you get in that taxi, Eugene!

CUT TO THE ENDCARD.

VO: Play Gold Rush Scratch games from the Colorado Lottery.

“To prompt a modern-day gold rush on new Gold Rush Scratch games, we leaned into the golden era of television: the sitcom. Our show, As Good As Gold, followed two miners (and their trusty mule, Eugene) on a quest to strike it rich in a whole new way.”






CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder/CEO, Ethan Nosky Account Director, Leah Taylor Account Supervisor, Patrick Campbell Creative Director, Spencer Beuerle Senior Art Director, Joey Spearman Senior Copywriter, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Torrie Eberhard Senior Project Manager, Stacey Trunnell Brand Strategy Director, Paul Watson Sr. Producer, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Raven Checkush Print Producer, Scott Chavkin (Client) Marketing Director, Christian Hawley (Client) Advertising & Marketing Manager, Todd Greco (Client) Scratch Product Manager, Five To Sixty Production Company, Krista Liney Director, Ryan Mclemore Director of Photography, Danny Taff Line Producer, Juan Sebastian Baron Executive Producer, Jack Rosman Head of Production, Pamela Chavez Production Designer, Clockwork Post Post Production, Jeff Watterson Editor, Jared Potter VFX & GFX Animator, Stephen Derluguian Colorist, Jay Pellizzi Sound Mixer, Jeremiah Zimmerman Composer, Sam Sandweiss Post EP, Shobana Rao Sr. Post Producer, Carli Sandweiss Post Coordinator, Sam Bongiorno Assistant Editor, Jordan Leigh Voice Over


BARKLEY - www.barkleyus.com

Judge’s Choice

Justin’s - Justin’s Helps Save the Bees

“This idea manages to turn a shocking statistic into a shocking experience; something that sticks with you long after viewing it (or living it). It is bold, memorable and turned a complex issue into a clear, simple message. It’s the kind of idea that people may think of again, perhaps next time they’re at a restaurant or after seeing a bee. It has staying power. Well done.” - Tess

One-third of all food we eat is brought to us by pollinators like bees. But with bees dying at an alarming rate, this could soon have a devastating impact on our food systems, and in turn, what’s on our plates. We needed to turn this alarming stat into an alarming reality connecting Justin’s Pollinator efforts to consumer action and show people what a world without bees would look, and taste like. We partnered with Jackass director and king of pranks, Jeff Tremaine, to take over a restaurant with scores of hidden cameras and hired actors to see how real diners would react when we removed one-third of the food from their plates. We shared the videos on paid social and YouTube driving to a microsite with information, giveaways, and a place for consumers to take the Justin’s Pollinator Pledge. We garnered over 62 MILLION impressions and nearly 200,000 site visits.


CREDITS

Katy Hornaday Chief Creative Officer, Tom Demetriou Executive Creative Director, Miller Jones Creative Director, Stuart Confer Creative Director, Deepak George Associate Creative Director, Abbie Smith Associate Creative Director, Alexia Korte Art Director, Greg Lewis Senior Copywriter, Jenny Thayer VP Brand Leadership, Madelaine Shipley Brand Director, Melanie Lopez Associate Brand Manager, Liz Skretkowicz Associate Strategy Director, Andy Woolard SVP Strategy Director, Kris Solberg Senior Project Manager, Anne Thomasson SVP Business Affairs, Talent Management, Laura Johnson Director of Production, Daniel Marc Director of Media Planning, Said Acevedo Media Planner, Greyson Scudder Media Buying Supervisor, Maya Dubrey Media Buyer, Abby Rabenold Media Buyer, David White Principal UI Developer, Scott Lewis Director of Digital Development, Heather Morrison Director of User Experience, Benny Pinto Director of Experience Design, Aitya Williams User Experience Designer, Anna Joseph Associate Director of Project Management, Penny Andino VP of Marketing, Justin’s, Leah Swalling Senior Brand Manager, Justin’s, Pulse Films Production, Post Haus Mix/Sound Design


LUMENATI PRODUCTIONS - lumenati.com

Brunt Workwear - Brunt Workwear

When Brunt Workwear outgrew its humble beginnings, it faced a unique challenge. The company had scaled rapidly, and its founder had always been the charismatic face of the brand. However, as Brunt grew into an industry heavyweight, it was time for a change. That’s when they turned to Lumenati Productions to look at the brand from a different lens. Breaking away from the stereotypical workboot ads, they crafted a commercial that’s as distinctive as Brunt’s products themselves.

What if these boots were so good that people just don’t take them off?



CREDITS

LUMENATI PRODUCTIONS

Daniel Cummings Director, Alex Dean Rodriguez Head of Production & Creative Services, Cameron Grimes Executive Producer, Maureen McCauley Producer, Brad Conner Director of Photography, Allie O’ Neill Post Producer, Jeff Wilson Editor, Kevin Andrews 1st AC, Ben Zuckerman 2nd AC, Dylan Rumney Key Grip, Jason Tahara Gaffer, Lillian Marsh H&MU, Lincoln Terhark Audio, Keith White Post Audio, Megan Sinnock Motion Graphics


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Wyoming Dept. of Health - Hairy Times

SFX: [melancholic banjo, wind, sobbing]

Pastor: Wyatt…was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die.

Boy: Dad, how did he die?

Dad: He shaved.

Pastor: It is with great sadness…

SFX: [ominous crow, pastor rambles on, sobbing intensifies]

Dad: Don’t ever shave, my boy.

SFX: [even more sobbing]

Wyoming was already one of the least-vaccinated states in the country. Then the controversy and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 began decreasing vaccination rates for other diseases. The Wyoming Department of Health needed to reverse that trend. This film is based on a real story from Wyoming’s wild west days and shows how grateful we should all be for vaccines. It was executed in a way that is beautifully cinematic and oddly disarming.





CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli Associate Creative Director, Brian Denison Copywriter, Michon Schmidt Production Director, Amy Taylor Director of Account Services, Natalie Ross Brand Director, The Sweet Shop Production Company, Tore Frandsen Director, Logan Triplett Director of Photography, Ryan Smith Production Designer, Lis Bothwell Wardrobe, Matthew Wood, Whitehouse Post Editor, Daniel de Vue, The Traffik Colorist, Greg McRae, Coupe Studios Sound Design/Mix, Matthew Wood, Whitehouse Post Sound Design/Mix


KARSH HAGAN - karshhagan.com

The Mountain Collective - The Mountain You Dream of

How could we show people that the Mountain Collective isn’t just another ski and snowboard pass? By turning it into a passport to dream-like places.

That’s what this art direction brings to the forefront — the dreamy state you aspire to achieve through skiing and riding. With ethereal light, design, & color, and an element of surrealism within the mountainscapes, we’re channeling the dream-like qualities of the Mountain Collective’s 24 resorts. The photography also hones in on the aspirational experiences that skiers and riders will have while navigating the runs, provoking a sense of “This is where I want to be.” It turns out the mountains you dream of exist in more than dreams.


CREDITS

Jeff Martin Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cook Executive Creative Director, Greg Ryan Design Director, Justin Levin Senior Art Director, Jacob Farwell Senior Art Director, Eleeza Palmer Designer, Emily Puder Copywriter, Alex Jaumann Copywriter, Renae Newman Account Director, Erika Donaldson Account Manager, Brett Schaaf Project Manager


ENSTROM CANDIES: IN-HOUSE - www.enstrom.com

Enstrom Candies - Traditions

The holidays are loaded with time-honored traditions. When you think about them, like REALLY think about them, they are quite unusual. We hide a pickle in a tree. We hang a dead plant above a hallway and expect a kiss. We hide oranges and gold coins in somebody’s used sock. A sock. In a season brimming with quirky and unusual customs, Enstrom Almond Toffee has been a consistent delight for over 60 years. We believe it’s high time you embraced an absolutely irresistible tradition. Almondy and buttery. Crunchy and chocolaty. Enstrom for the holidays. Makes perfect sense.



CREDITS

Stephanie Hall Creative Director / Producer, Candace Massey Designer / Producer / Prop Stylist, Breanna Meininger Designer / Producer / Prop Stylist, Jay Roth Copywriter - Jay Roth Creative, Matt Scofield Director / Producer - 14K Media, Logan McLennan Director of Photography / Editor - 14K Media, Torey Travis Assistant Director / Editor - 14K Media, Levi Kramer Lighting Assistant, Jennifer Olson Photographer - Jennifer Olson Photography, Bobby Baird Photo Assistant, Eric Leskovar Food Stylist, Erika Engstrom Prop Stylist, Growth Marketing Werks Media Services, Bob Voice Talent, Ella Scofield On-Camera Talent


MADWELL - www.madwell.com

Visible - No Straight Answers

HOST: Hello! Welcome to… No Straight Answers, presented by Visible wireless. I’m your host, Brock Stockton putting the gay in game show. A straight man wrote that! Fabulous! [Wink.]

HOST: Let’s meet our teams! On one side we have the Old Gays. (They’ve told me to call them that. We’re not ageist. Aging is a blessing, so I’ve been told!) Their opponents? The Young Slays! Precious little ones who have never known a world without the sum total of human knowledge available in their pocket. I’m so scared of them. HEY!! Our first Old Gay is [Old Gay 1] from _____. They like to ____ and ____.

Host introduces the rest of the Old Gays. Maybe has some fun improv interactions with each.

HOST: Now let’s meet the Young Slays! [Introduces them.]

Host introduces the rest of the Young Slays. Maybe has some fun improv interactions with each.

HOST: Welcome, teams! Are you ready for a wildly fun and extremely un-straight generational showdown!? You better be, because round one of No Straight Answers begins… now.

ALL: [Cheers, “Yay,” etc.]

In a year marked by increased homophobia, Visible wanted to show up big for Pride. But how can a wireless company do that in an authentic way? An intergenerational Pride game show, of course! We partnered with queer elder advocates SAGE to create a hilariously campy game show bringing generations together to celebrate the history of Pride and highlight the experiences of LGBTQ+ elders who were there when it began. “No Straight Answers” saw senior social media darlings The Old Gays listing neopronouns while their 20-something counterparts (dubbed the The Young Slays) pondered the origins of the Pride flag. Hosted by a prosthetic-chinned Benny Drama, our one-of-a-kind, social-first game show was also a history lesson and a big party. Our influencer talent helped the campaign exceed brand-awareness goals (15.2M+ reached). The hero video had the highest engagement rate in Visible’s history on Instagram (benchmark +61%) and TikTok (benchmark +28%).


CREDITS

Vin Balducci Head of Social, Visible, Megan Skari Sr. Manager Creative Marketing, Visible, Lindsey Cohen Head of Communications, Visible, Dalisbeth Galvez PR Manager, Visible, Chris Sojka Chief Creative Officer, Jeff Gillette Executive Creative Director, Alex Rhubart Associate Creative Director, Alex Kaufman Associate Creative Director, Sam Dickson Senior Copywriter, Jake Whilhemsen Senior Copywriter, Anna Lindell Senior Designer, Laura De La Cruz Designer, Steve Barry Managing Director, Charlie Smith Account Director, Nicki Stuttman Account Supervisor, Sarah Korner Account Supervisor, Brigid McEntee VP Production, Jessi Dana Executive Producer, Julia Goldsmith Production Director, Meg de Recat Senior Creative Producer, Darren Allison Comms Director, Madison Allen Social Strategist, Weber Shandwick PR Communications


HUMAN - humandesign.com

Converse - Made From

Converse has been experimenting, designing, developing and creating ways to transform what we know as waste. It began with developing the “Made From” concept that would be the life force behind three launch films, a media exclusive event and seeding kit packaging for each of the newly launched products, in a mere four weeks. We put our heads together with Converse and began dreaming how to combine the existing spirit of Converse’s C4 Innovation Lab with the actual processes being utilized in their factories throughout Asia. We researched/analyzed the manufacturing processes of three distinct material processes and developed a media exclusive event to educate the world on these processes and also to launch the newly created films prior to the films debuting on various Converse channels. This select group of media was invited to the Converse C4 Innovation lab for a peak behind the curtain and an unforgettable experience.


CREDITS

John Weiss Chief Creative Officer, Dru Smith Creative Director, Design, Mimi McCormick Producer (Agency, Line, Post), Crush Studio Props + Set Design, Fons Shiedon Director + VFX, Daniel Routh Director of Photography, Josiah Jones DIT, Jonnie Sirotek Color, Jeremiah Dunlap SFX/Mix, Nikki Malloy Wardrobe, Katelyn Simkins Hair/Make-up


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

North Carolina Education Lottery - Winners Club World

To support a scratch-off launch, North Carolina Education Lottery brought the Winners Club TV concept to life in a Where’s Waldo style ticket search. This custom illustration of the Winners Club hides 15 scratch-offs in an elaborate world that ecompasses the stories told throughout the campaign’s run. Play for yourself at winnersclubworld.com



CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder & CEO, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Brian Watson Executive Creative Director, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Andy Bartocsh Associate Creative Director / Writer, Rachel Hickey Associate Creative Director / Art Director, Raven Checkush Print Producer, John Dobson Account Director, Rian Rosado Account Manager, Helen Rudolph-Shabinsky Project Management Director, Shun-Luoi Fong Digital Experience Director, Austin Llitera Senior Front End Developer, Eric Beckman Senior Digital Designer


Harry Mack is the greatest freestyle rapper in the world. Galaxy. Fuck it: UNIVERSE. If you aren’t familiar, you can spend a year going down a YouTube rabbit hole with him. But first, watch our collab with him. We put Harry in a studio and brought in real UCHealth patients to sit in with him. They’d never met, and the only thing Harry knew ahead of time was the patient’s name. He got to know them a bit, learned why they came to UCHealth, asked for some words to inspire his freestyle, started a beat, and then WENT OFF. Made up a completely fresh, completely improvised rap for and about the patient right then. He did this 20 times in 4 hours, and every time, it was the best therapy they’d ever had. We’re releasing a new one every week. Turn. It. Up.


CREDITS

Michael Mazzanti Director, Matt Trainor Editor/Camera, Julia Berthet Director of Production, Juan Cabrera Creative Director, Kyle Siderius Art Director, Kay Wynarsky Copywriter, Jeff Kosloski Executive Creative Director, Brad Stabio Director of Photography, Rocky Mountain Recorders Audio Recording and Post, Kim Vecchio Senior Director of Brand and Advertising, Manny Rodriguez CMO, James Sawyer Social Media Strategist, Brad Fixler VP Marketing and Advertising


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Great Outdoors Colorado - Generation Wild

Generation Wild is a movement designed to connect a generation of screen obsessed kids with nature. This out of home campaign brought elements of nature into urban environments. One board attracted real birds. Others leveraged the sun to create shadows that moved across the board. A digital board featuring twinkling stars reminded parents that sharing the wonder of nature can be as simple as looking up.



CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Katie Dondale Associate Creative Director, Curtis Smith Associate Creative Director / Copywriter, Matt Carpenter Retoucher / Digital Artist, Danielle Bryan Sr. Integrated Producer, Michon Schmidt Director of Production, John Johnston, Flux Collective Fabricator & Photographer (Bird Tree only), Amy Taylor Director of Account Services, Leigh Ann Bauer Account Director, Alexis Supangan Account Coordinator


ELLEN BRUSS DESIGN - ebd.com

Lone Mountain Land Company - 3 Forks Restaurant and Bar

3 Forks is a restaurant and bar in Moonlight Basin, Big Sky, Montana. It was named after the Three Forks ski run at the resort, which it overlooks. One of the steepest runs at the resort, our brand celebrated the stunning scenery and the heart pumping adventure that the run offers. A palette of black, cream and red alongside vintage ski images and current images of the run staged the brand in the early history of skiing. Spirited merchandise, collateral and signage were created, including bar dice, coasters, winter and summer menus, custom paper clips, check presenters, postcards, cocktail glasses and even 3 Forks branded 3D signage.





CREDITS

Ellen Bruss Creative Director, Ken Garcia Art Director, Ken Garcia Designer


KARSH HAGAN - karshhagan.com

Travel South Dakota - So Much South Dakota, So Little Time

-

South Dakota. Home to… a single landmark? How could we tell the story of a destination that’s so much more than a few pretty carved faces and transform it into a place people want to know? Unlike your cliche vacation spot, South Dakota still has the rare element of surprise that used to go hand-in-hand with travel. By recognizing that the state’s perceived weakness is actually its greatest strength, we positioned South Dakota as a haven for jaded, mystery-starved travelers. “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” celebrates an undiscovered destination that’s rich in spirit, freedom, and optimism. It’s a promise that visitors will leave transformed, fulfilled, and as a more whole person than upon arrival with restored mystery. With refined audience segmentation, alluring messaging, pops of modern design with an element of nostalgia, a fresh color palette, and epic photography, the takeaway is loud and clear: Visit South Dakota!


CREDITS

Jeff Martin Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cook Executive Creative Director, Camille King Creative Director, Jacob Farwell Senior Art Director, Anniston Craddock Art Director/Illustrator, Ben Rindels Senior Copywriter, Nate Gendler Copywriter, Alex Jaumann Copywriter, Nick Marranzino Video Editor, Becky Ferguson VP Director of Broadcast/Video, Honest Films Production Company Honest Films, Andy Anderson Production Company & Photography, Sam Schrag Producer, Dahlia Weidmann Producer, Julie Wechsler Producer, Byron Banasiak Photography, Kate Rolston Photography, Andy Anderson Photography, Lauren Corna VP of Account Service


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Miami Herbert Business School - The Best Graduate Programs Under the Sun

Higher education is struggling. As more and more institutions are offering graduate programs, students are beginning to question the value of these degrees altogether. Moreover, schools are indistinguishable from one another as many of them are using cliche copy, stock photography and, somewhat arbitrary, badges and rankings. We took this well-worn look as inspiration to do something completely different. Writing smart copy and working with an incredibly talented artist, we created three illustrations that reflect 13 different programs and allow us to tell the larger story of Miami as a global financial and cultural hub with year-round sunshine, making it an ideal place for higher education. This strategy acknowledges that the city you attend school in can be as influential as the school itself, and shifts the focus from rankings to the holistic educational experience, ultimately making Miami Herbert Business School stand out in the immensely competitive higher education.


CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder/CEO, Norm Shearer Partner/CCO, Jeff Strahl Senior Creative Director, Sammie O’Sullivan Senior Art Director, Dan Hawes Senior Copywriter, Raven Checkush Print Producer, Jackson Smith Editor / Video Content Specialist, Ainslie Fortune VP, Account Leadership, Mikela Parker Senior Account Manager, Chris Shewmake VP, Comms Strategy & Media, Tara McKinnon Media Supervisor, Rob Troller Brand Strategy Associate Director, Helen Rudolph-Shabinsky Project Manager Director, Darby Gertsema Project Manager, Matt Taylor Illustrator


CONSUME & CREATE - www.consumeandcreate.co

New Belgium - Active Mountain Time

A cold beer is the perfect reward after a ridiculously menial task. In this cross promo with the Colorado Avs, a lean, mean lawn mowing machine and a dynamic coworker duo plow through their tasks in style to get to the good stuff. Our team was involved from creative concepting through post, from co-writing the scripts, casting a mix of local improv talent and real employees, to transforming the New Belgium campus in Fort Collins into a film set.



CREDITS

Futuristic Films Production and Post, Jasper Gray Director, Will Gardner Director of Photography, Christian Silberbauer Executive Producer, Brittany Horwege Post Producer, Mathison Davis Editor / Colorist, Jared Spagnola New Belgium Brand Manager, Kendall Smit New Belgium Digital Marketing Manager, Matt Wiggins Consume & Create Partner / Interactive, Amanda Lezan Consume & Create Project Manager, Chris Nguyen Consume & Create Creative Director


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Wyoming Dept. of Health - Diphtheria Full Page Ad

It just seemed appropriate that an ad promoting the lifesaving benefits of vaccines should be seen next to the obituaries in small town Wyoming newspapers.






CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli ACD / Art Director, Brian Denison Sr. Copywriter, Michon Schmidt Director of Production, Natalie Ross Brand Director, Amy Taylor Director of Account Services


LA STORIA PRODUCTIONS - lastoriaproductions.com

Altra Running - Voila The Great Outdoors

Altra’s latest shoes line up is built to take you over the gravel, rocks, and pine-needle-covered trails that meander outward, upward, and eventually – to the secret relief of hikers everywhere – also downward. So we decided to take the shoes they made for the outside, inside. And film them in their natural habitat by projecting the vast terrain they can cover, without the travel or carbon footprint. We built our own river crossing inside our studio with real flowing water, inside ironically enough, a tent of grip gear. Add to that setup an array of projected footage, a probe lens, a shop vac set on reverse, and voilà - the great outdoors from the inside out.






CREDITS

Steve Paschall Director, RC Walker Director of Photography, Chris Svoboda Senior Editor & Animation, Molly McKinney Walker Executive Producer


FORTNIGHT COLLECTIVE - fortnightcollective.com

Noodles & Company - Uncommon Lunch Hour

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? We helped fast-casual dining chain Noodles market the Uncommon Lunch Hour, a promotion that offered workers from competing restaurants a free meal. With a 144% turnover rate, restaurant workers suffer from low morale, and Noodles felt they needed some cheer. When eateries are low on staff, service is slower. Workers who remain are targets of increased customers’ ire. Two-thirds say they feel disrespected. Throughout the day, our cheeky social media messages on Tik Tok, Twitter, and Instagram tagged specific eateries to inform workers that lunch was on Noodles if they showed up at a location in uniform between 1 and 5. The posts called out Chipotle, Panera, Subway, and others by name. “Hey @dominos, We did offer all your employees free lunch today,” one post read. Over the day, 1,000 workers were served. The campaign received 281 million impressions.



CREDITS

FORTNIGHT COLLECTIVE

Andy Nathan Founder & CEO, Devin Reiter President, Adam Chasnow Chief Creative Officer, Brian O’Connel Strategy Director, Matt Kubis Creative Director, Mona Hassan Creative Director, Steph Strange Art Director, Martha Murphy Copywriter, Jen Kubis Senior Brand Director, Jessica Welander Senior Brand Director, Trevor Blum Senior Brand Manager / Producer


URBAN CANVAS - urbancanvas.com

Breckenridge Brewery - Drink In The Great Outdoors

To grow Breckenridge Brewery’s local market, Urban Canvas set out to create a unique campaign tailored to those who share a passion for adventure, sustainability, and incredible beer. “Drink In the Great Outdoors” did just that by capturing the crisp, refreshing taste of Breckenridge Brewery’s Amber Ale with the untouched majesty of Colorado’s backcountry. The campaign focuses on a series of single-shot drone videos that invite consumers to savor a tasty brew with friends around a cozy fire while becoming stewards of the pristine landscapes that inspire every sip. “Drink in the Great Outdoors” becomes more than a tagline—it’s an invitation to embrace nature’s grandeur with a sustainable brew in hand.



CREDITS

Dave Blauvelt Creative Director, Chad Cabonor Director of Client Services, Kyle Saxton Art Director, Heidi Nichols Designer, Jessie Broom Stylist, Troy Fairbanks FPV Drone Pilot, Ryan Workman Client


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Colorado Lottery - Crossword Speak

Open on two crossword editors in their office. They are surrounded by pinned up crosswords, dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses. They speak only in crossword clues to each other, and the answers appear as subtitles below them.

MIKE: Have you heard about the new ten-letter word for brain puzzle from the Colorado Lottery?

[SUBTITLE: CROSSWORDS]

LINDA: Playful 4 letter expression for opposite of yes.

[SUBTITLE: NOPE]

Mike holds up the crossword scratch family of games.

MIKE: Crosswords that can win you two-word phrase for a considerable volume of money.

[SUBTITLE: BIG BUCKS]

LINDA: Up to five hundred thousand dollars? Exclamation featuring common farm animal!

[SUBTITLE: HOLY COW!]

MIKE: That’s a lot of flour and water!

[SUBTITLE: DOUGH]

ART CARD/VO: Uncover a world of words and winnings with Crossword Scratch.

LINDA: Gesture of triumph!

[SUBTITLE: FIRST PUMP]

Crossword fans are a very passionate group and come in all shapes and sizes. So to promote our latest Crossword Scratch games, we had to find a way to speak their universal language.







CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder & CEO, Ethan Nosky Account Director, Leah Taylor Account Supervisor, Patrick Campbell Creative Director, Andy Bartosch Associate Creative Director, Rachel Hickey Associate Creative Director, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Torrie Eberhard Senior Project Manager, Stacey Trunnell Brand Strategy Director, Martha Douglas Production Director, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Darby Gertsema Project Manager, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Gravy Production Company, Crobin Leo Director, Brent Stoller Executive Producer, Ally Gnesin Staff Producer, Erin Malloy Line Producer, Zachary Galler Director of Photography, Pamela Chavez Production Designer, Denise Strong 1st AD, 11 Dollar Bill Post Production, Wayde Samuel Editor, Herman Nieuwoudt Colorist, Mike Negri Producer, Coupe Studios Audio Post, Alex Hawley Engineer


GROUNDS FOR PROMOTION - groundsforpromotion.com

The Postman’s Knock - Calligraphy Campaign

The Postman’s Knock is on a mission to teach the world how to create stunning calligraphy and watercolor art. But how do you compete in a right click, voice activated, AI generated world? By not losing sight of the fact that for those creating this very personal form of art, the process is the product.






CREDITS

Mark Cohen Creative Director/Writer, Kimberly Inman Designer, Lindsey Bugbee Calligraphy Artist


MADWELL - www.madwell.com

Visible - Youpid

[YOUPID TAKES A SELFIE WITH A BEJEWELED SELFIE STICK, THEN TALKS TO US WHILE STILL LOOKING AT THEIR PHONE]

YOUPID: Hey. I’m Youpid, champion of self-love and Visible’s newest spokesdeity (we’re talking wireless..so listen up!) [YOUPID LOOKS AT US WITH AN EYE ROLL]

You know my brother, Cupid.

He thinks you need someone else to be fulfilled. Well, I know You only need YOU. [YOUPID SITS IN DOWN, HOLDING UP PHONE WITH VISIBLE BRANDING]

YOUPID: And so does Visible. That’s why they have unlimited data for just thirty dollars a month, taxes and fees included, all on ONE line (because who wants to share?) Just like my den of self love, Visible’s wireless plans are built for one—so you only need you. Go check out Visible’s website Which is....

VISIBLE.COM APPEARS ON SCREEN

...ah..(surprised on seeing it appear on screen) Visible dot com. Checks out.

Just in time for Singles Awareness Day (the day right after Valentine’s Day), we unveiled Visible’s brand new spokes-deity, Youpid, to help people celebrate their individuality. Unlike his brother, Cupid, who believes you need someone else to be fulfilled, Youpid knows you only need you—in life and in wireless. Just like Visible’s one-line wireless plan, Youpid empowered people to live their best life and embrace their independence. To bring Youpid to life, we found someone who could both embody our supernatural character and who had an online presence we could leverage to amplify our message. As an influencer known for his larger-than-life character work, Benny Drama was perfect. The campaign reached 33% of its audience within four days and our Meta ads drove the highest click-through rate for Singles’Day. Youpid also garnered media coverage from publications like Yahoo and E!News.

CREDITS

Vin Balducci Head of Social, Visible, Megan Skari Sr. Manager Creative Marketing, Visible, Lindsey Cohen Head of Communications, Visible, Dalisbeth Galvez PR Manager, Visible, Chris Sojka Chief Creative Officer, Jeff Gillette Executive Creative Director, Alex Rhubart Associate Creative Director, Alex Kaufman Associate Creative Director, Sam Dickson Senior Copywriter, Jake Whilhemsen Senior Copywriter, Anna Lindell Senior Designer, Laura De La Cruz Designer, Steve Barry Managing Director, Charlie Smith Account Director, Nicki Stuttman Account Supervisor, Sarah Korner Account Supervisor, Brigid McEntee VP Production, Jessi Dana Executive Producer, Julia Goldsmith Production Director, Meg de Recat Senior Creative Producer, Darren Allison Comms Director, Madison Allen Social Strategist, Hannah Binder Associate Media Director, VM1, Cassidy Jeglum Associate Media Director, VM1, Angela Bobo Senior Manager, Brand Strategy + Head of DEI, Anchor, Lulu Burns Head of Influencer Partnerships, Anchor, Victoria Calvert Founder and CEO, Anchor, Steve Barry Managing Director, Angie Klein CEO, Visible, Cheryl Gresham CMO, Visible, Megan Skari Sr. Manager Creative Marketing, Visible, Vin Balducci Head of Social, Visible, Olga Bermudez Paiva Director of Marketing, Visible, Lindsey Cohen Head of Communications, Visible


STANDARD PRACTICE - www.standardpractice.us

Under Armour + Project Rock - Real Strength

“REAL STRENGTH”

VO:

Where do you find real strength?

For Marine Corps Major Brian Chontosh, it wasn’t only through acts of valor, or the unbreakable will to win.

He found it where you’d least expect it.

He made himself vulnerable.

Instead of certain, he tried being unsure.

In order to save others, he let others save him.

What he got back was strength beyond measure.

The strength that comes with belonging and moving forward together.

Project Rock is proud to support Marine Corps Major Brian Chontosh and the Travis Manion Foundation.

Join the mission at TravisManion.org

Under Armour Freedom is about empowering communities of veterans and families of the fallen. For this Veterans Day initiative, we set out to prove that the service members Under Armour supports are just as inspiring as the athletes on their roster. We partnered with Dwayne Johnson, Project Rock, and Travis Manion Foundation to lift up the story of Marine Corps Major Brian Chontosh, a decorated veteran who recognized that to become stronger you have to open up – breaking with traditional military stoicism. In this spot, we question masculinity as the source of strength for veterans. And answer it by proving vulnerability and community are more powerful than you could ever imagine.


CREDITS

Matt Alexander Creative Director, Myles Rigg Creative Director, Nate Bruning Creative Director, Steve Dolan Creative Director, Dave Schiff Creative Director, Liam Mitchell Director & DP, Andrew Campbell Producer, Sam Barringer 1st AC, Jonathan Mayfield DP (2nd unit), Lincoln Terhark Sound, Monty Montgomery Post Producer, Nick Wurz Editor, Will Renton Color, Keeley Davis VFX, Dwayne Johnson VO, Tiny Lion - Andrew Everding, Jonathan Fuller Music + Sound


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Wyoming Dept. of Health - Flu Hunting OLV

In Wyoming, hunting season is eagerly anticipated. It’s the one time of year when you have a chance to bag that trophy elk.

Unfortunately, it also coincides with flu season. We figured there was no better motivation for Wyomingites to get a flu shot.






CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli ACD / Art Director, Brian Denison Sr. Copywriter, Michon Schmidt Director of Production, Natalie Ross Brand Director, Amy Taylor Director of Account Services, Frost Motion Production Company, Curtis Cooper Creative Director, Tatiana Grezeszak Sr. Producer, Beth Cooper Executive Producer, Coupe Studios Sound Studio


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Moonshot for Mankind - Moonshot for Mankind

It’s not easy to make the argument that it can be difficult to be a man in today’s world. Clearly, men hold inherent advantages in most societies, however, the facts are the facts. No matter where in the world you live, if you’re a man, you will live sicker and die younger than the women in your life. And you will be 3-4 times more likely than a woman to have died by suicide. So despite the societal advantages men often live with, men across the globe are struggling with their physical, mental, and emotional health. The Moonshot for Mankind initiative exists to raise awareness about these issues, and to inspire millions of men to commit to taking better care of themselves — so they can, in turn, take better care of their loved ones and the world we live in.





CREDITS

Jed Diamond Founder/Author, Joe Conrad Founder & CEO / Copywriter, Norm Shearer CCO, Brian Watson ECD / Copywriter, Jeff Strahl Senior Creative Director / Designer, Shun-Luoi Fong Director of Digital Experience, Austin Lliteras Senior Front End Developer / Designer, Michaella Hader Digital Producer, Lisa Van Someren VP, Creative Operations, Martha Douglas Production Director, Jackson Smith Video Content Specialist, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager


INGWALSON - www.ingwalson.com

Snowmass Tourism - Snowmass Ice Age Discovery

In 2011, a bulldozer plowed into a mammoth fossil, and soon many of the world’s top paleontologists were neck deep in one of the most important Ice Age discoveries of all time. Snowmass Tourism asked us to bring that story to life with a new logo, design system, website, artist collaborations, and educational opportunities all over the mountain. Of course, it’s pretty hard to get a well-lit photo of a Columbian Mammoth. So we designed a system that emphasized earthen patterns and sunset hues. Dreamed up ideas for art installations. And wrote copy that was fun for kids (and their parents) to read on-mountain and online.

As a side note, we all have honorary degrees in Late Pleistocene Flora & Fauna now, which is not something we expected when we got into advertising.



CREDITS

Matt Ingwalson CD/CW, Nathan Downey CD/AD, BLKDG Website and AR Experience


KARSH HAGAN - karshhagan.com

Karsh Hagan - Moment Maker Collateral

We all have defining moments in our lives. And so do brands. But what if we didn’t have to wait for those moments to happen? What if we could make them happen ourselves and tap into their power? The design for our rebrand and new collateral reflects this attitude. It’s a dynamic blend of our 1970s Colorado roots and our footsteps into the future of creative media. Vintage rainbow-striped ski jackets, epic snow-capped Rocky Mountains, Colorado wildlife, notes of Western heritage, AI, and futuristic graphics & flairs are just some of the design elements that cohesively bleed together. Every piece of the new collateral including screen-printed tees, stickers, phone & laptop wallpapers, letterhead, and even a snowboard was created to inspire employees and partners to find unique moments of their own.



CREDITS

Jeff Martin Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cook Executive Creative Director, Greg Ryan Design Director, Camille King Creative Director, Justin Levin Senior Digital Art Director, Dave Cook Copywriter, Kody Pedersen Copywriter


LUMENATI PRODUCTIONS - lumenati.com

Ekster Wallets - Ekster The Minimalist

Ekster Wallets, renowned for sleek sophistication, wanted to test a different positioning of its brand in the US. Lumenati decided to go the complete opposite approach of attractive dudes in suits and fancy cars and make our character embrace minimalism in the most unexpected way. Stripping away the seriousness in a daring comedic commercial we were able to showcase all of the wallet’s value props while making something entertaining for the audience to remember.


CREDITS

LUMENATI PRODUCTIONS

Evan Swinehart Director, Alex Dean Rodriguez Head of Production & Creative Services, Cameron Grimes Executive Producer, Cyndi Ortiz Line Producer, Brad Conner Director of Photography, Tom Farnsworth 1st Assistant Director, Todd Boyle 1st AC, Travis Hubbard 2nd AC/ DIT, Kevin Andrews Steadicam Operator, Tyler Kaschke Gaffer, Justin LeValley Key Grip, Lincoln Terhark Audio, Jessica Jeane Art Department, Emily Smoot Park Props, Tymla Welch Props, Jess Parsons Props, Dustin Millard Hot Dog Cart Driver, Jenny Milne-Wright Wardrobe, Lillian Marsh Hair and Makeup, Julia Castaneda Production Assistant, Allie O’Neill Post Producer, B Stover Editor, Megan Sinnock Motion Graphics, Post Haus Post Audio


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Wyoming Dept. of Health - Landscape Posters

The logic goes something like this. Horrible diseases killed a ton of people. Then vaccines were invented. Now hardly anyone dies. And for that we should all be thankful. The message was delivered to the Wyoming audience using the state’s iconic imagery.




CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli ACD / Art Director, Brian Denison Sr. Copywriter, Michon Schmidt Director of Production, Natalie Ross Brand Director, Amy Taylor Director of Account Services, Natalie Ross Brand Director, Matt Carpenter Retoucher / Digital Artist


CIG PUBLIC RELATIONS - www.cig-pr.com AND LOOKWELL MEDIA - www.lookwellmedia.com

Colorado Department of Transportation - We do more than you think

CDOT faces a dilemma. Limited public awareness about the variety of tasks the agency is responsible for has added to difficulties in addressing a workforce shortage to complete those tasks. To address the dilemma, CDOT created a captivating video series sharing the untold stories of the agency’s people and work. The videos delve into the lesser-known territory of fiber network installation, the orchestration of traffic incident management, and the adrenaline-inducing world of avalanche mitigation. Viewers enjoy a riveting behind-the-scenes journey where unsung highway heroes relentlessly ensure the safety of Colorado’s roadway users. From helicopter-launched avalanche control missions on Independence Pass to the rescue of a vehicle stranded on US Highway 6 during rush hour, the videos unveil the exciting and remarkable breadth of work. The series expands perception, highlighting CDOT’s pivotal role in the community and the department’s commitment to the people of Colorado.


CREDITS

CIG Public Relations Video planning and production coordination, Sam Aspnes Senior Producer, Sam Stavish Producer, Oguer Pienado Associate Creative Director, Lookwell Media Video, Kyle Johnston Director & DP, Autry Jones Lead Editor


MOXI - moxi.studio

Gaggle - It’s been a week

How do you convince people of the value that can be gained by monitoring a child’s digital world? The concept began with a real call from a high school principal. The team at Moxi then brought the true story back to life in a way that places potential customers and users of Gaggle into the reality of what educators, parents, and students face on a daily basis.

“It’s Been A Week,” allowed us to show, not tell what the Gaggle service can achieve - saving real lives.





CREDITS

Kaleb Kohart Director & Cinematographer, Bill Foster Executive Producer, Cam Harder Producer, Carl Rettinger Associate Producer


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Colorado Lottery - Coffee

In a world of hustle and bustle, it’s often the little things that can help us slow down and connect. In our latest spot for Holiday Scratch games we celebrate how a shared playful gesture can lead to just the moment we need.


CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder & CEO, Ethan Nosky Account Director, Leah Taylor Account Supervisor, Patrick Campbell Creative Director, Andy Bartosch Associate Creative Director, Rachel Hickey Associate Creative Director, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Torrie Eberhard Senior Project Manager, Stacey Trunnell Brand Strategy Director, Martha Douglas Production Director, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Darby Gertsema Project Manager, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Gravy Production Company, Crobin Leo Director, Brent Stoller Executive Producer, Ally Gnesin Staff Producer, Erin Malloy Line Producer, Zachary Galler Director of Photography, Pamela Chavez Production Designer, Denise Strong 1st AD, 11 Dollar Bill Post Production, Wayde Samuel Editor, Herman Nieuwoudt Colorist, Mike Negri Producer, Coupe Studios Audio Post, Alex Hawley Engineer


KARSH HAGAN - karshhagan.com

Travel South Dakota - Forever 605

Saying you care for a place is one thing, but walking the walk is another. How could we turn state stewardship into a source of real pride that people actually want to be a part of? Named after South Dakota’s single area code, a local point of pride, Forever 605 is a program that provides simple yet impactful ways to be a better state steward — from supporting local businesses to practicing responsible travel. Whether you’re a local of 30 years or a visitor of 30 hours, Forever 605 is a program that anyone can get behind with ease.




CREDITS

Jeff Martin Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cook Executive Creative Director, Camille King Creative Director, Jacob Farwell Senior Art Director, Anniston Craddock Art Director/Illustrator, Ben Rindels Senior Copywriter, Nate Gendler Copywriter, Alex Jaumann Copywriter, Nick Marranzino Video Editor, Becky Ferguson VP Director of Broadcast/Video, Lauren Corna VP of Account Service


HUMAN - humandesign.com

Kitman Labs - Kitman Labs Website Redesign

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We created a new website for Kitman Labs to better articulate its unique services and value proposition for each target audience. Kitman is revolutionizing how sports organizations leverage data/analytics to advance human performance. The goal was to drive sales visits and consultation requests. The redesigned site helps Kitman refine its strategy, identity, brand assets, imagery, and copy. Website content—which includes an anthem, :15- and :30-second cutdowns, 500+ images and brand guidelines—was all created by our agency. The communication is divided into three phases of the athlete’s journey—the planning, the preparation and the performance. The film/website were designed to convey how Kitman supports performance at every level and showcase how their product helps unlock human potential. Focusing on their desire to drive true outcomes was a key theme, and creating a bold experience that helps the audience quickly and intuitively find exactly what information pertains directly to them.

CREDITS

KITMAN LABS

Kirk Iwanowski, Stephen Smith, Sheila Prevaly, Willian Mendes

HUMAN

John Weiss Chief Creative Officer, Dru Smith Creative Director Design, Peter Knierim Creative Director Copywriting, Allie Kidd Designer, Rob Hofferman, AnneMarie Ahrendt, Megan Ward Sheridan Account Team, Ali Fredericksen Integrated Marketing Specialist, Tori Hutchins Senior Production Designer, Greg Halbreich Copywriter, Dan Buyanovsky Director, Eric Sadovnick Producer, Haley Kreofsky Director of Photography, Kennett Mohrman Photographer, Justin Lin 1st AC, Adam Lee 1st AC (B Cam), Ai Kojima 2nd AC / DIT, Aaron Jackson Gaffer, Nam Le Electric, Charles Tae, Garrett Dorin Grip, Sharon Quezada HMU / Wardrobe, Nicholas Diaz PA, Andrew Moorehead Editor, Andrew Francis Colorist, Nikolay Antonov Audio

WITHOAK

Design Firm


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Staunton State Park - Bike Bell Posters

Every summer, the tension between hikers and mountain bikers boils over at Staunton State Park. To calm nerves and reduce accidents we encouraged visitors to bike with a bell.

Problem solved.






CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli Associate Creative Director, Brian Denison Sr. Copywriter


GROUNDWRK - www.groundwrk.com

KTM Restaurant Group - Tacos Tequila Whiskey Rebrand

Tacos Tequila Whiskey, formerly known as Pinche Tacos, stood at a crossroads. Years had elapsed since their rebranding, necessitated by legal constraints, and owner Kevin Taylor remained discontent with how the brand portrayed their gritty, inclusive, urban dining philosophy. Our journey of transformation commenced with the logo. We scoured the typographical landscape, unearthing a fusion of iconic 1970s typefaces, adorned with angular strokes. The result? A visual homage to their mission: “Creating joy through food.” This newfound inspiration wasn’t crafted but discovered. It radiated across every facet of their identity. Whether it was the charismatic food truck named Tina, the menus adorning their tables, or the digital realm through a groovy yet navigable website, we ensured that the brand’s unique spirit shone through. In essence, we harnessed the essence of Tacos Tequilla Whiskey, a place where flavors, stories, and people coalesce to create an urban dining experience like no other.





CREDITS

Taylor Selgas Art Director (Digital), Court Ruoff Art Director (Print), Randall Hartman Creative Director


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

North Carolina Education Lottery - Happy Crier

The North Carolina Education Lottery Winners Club is a not-so-exclusive club where lottery winners of all kinds come together to celebrate their wins. With new scratch-offs out every month, there’s always something new to talk about.





CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder & CEO, Ethan Nosky Account Director, Leah Taylor Account Supervisor, Patrick Campbell Creative Director, Andy Bartosch Associate Creative Director, Rachel Hickey Associate Creative Director, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Torrie Eberhard Senior Project Manager, Stacey Trunnell Brand Strategy Director, Martha Douglas Production Director, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Darby Gertsema Project Manager, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Gravy Production Company, Crobin Leo Director, Brent Stoller Executive Producer, Ally Gnesin Staff Producer, Erin Malloy Line Producer, Zachary Galler Director of Photography, Pamela Chavez Production Designer, Denise Strong 1st AD, 11 Dollar Bill Post Production, Wayde Samuel Editor, Herman Nieuwoudt Colorist, Mike Negri Producer, Coupe Studios Audio Post, Alex Hawley Engineer


ELLEN BRUSS DESIGN - ebd.com

Continued by Continuum Partners - The Frontier Drive-Inn

Welcome to the Frontier, a project that encompasses both the visual and physical articulation of a brand – placemaking. The Frontier is a drive-in that opened in 1955 in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, near the Great Sand Dunes. It operated for over 30 years and served people from all over the valley but was closed for about the same amount of time before it was given a second chance. EBD was intent on both honoring the valley’s farming and ranching tradition while showcasing the movie and modern architecture components, so a ‘ranch meets movie’ brand was born. We channeled the dark night skies in the use of black, the earth tones of the land with a wheat color, and the neon of the sign in a palette that included bright colors. A star submark was created to represent the movie component.




CREDITS

Ellen Bruss Creative Director, Ken Garcia Art Director, Ken Garcia Designer


MADWELL - www.madwell.com

Visible by Verizon - Visible Yada Yada

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Visible is the wireless brand obsessed with transparency. So when Metro by T-Mobile claimed to have no gotchas or ‘yada yada’ — while glossing over important details like hidden fees — Visible just had to call BS. And who better to point out how Metro was yada yada-ing their fine print, than the man who made yada yada famous — Jason Alexander. This exposé on the true meaning of yada, yada (and true state of Metro’s pricy wireless) ran on TV as a cheeky clap back to Metro’s spot. However the campaign came into its own online. Spurred by Jason sharing the extended cut, online commentators couldn’t get enough of Visible teasing Metro. And they noticed. Hurried responses flew out of Metro’s PR department while Visible’s channels were pestered by their social team. And even then they couldn’t help yada-yada-ing over the facts. So, Visible (being visible) called them out… again.

CREDITS

Vin Balducci Head of Social, Visible, Megan Skari Sr. Manager Creative Marketing, Visible, Lindsey Cohen Head of Communications, Visible, Dalisbeth Galvez PR Manager, Visible, Chris Sojka Chief Creative Officer, Jeff Gillette Executive Creative Director, Alex Rhubart Associate Creative Director, Alex Kaufman Associate Creative Director, Sam Dickson Senior Copywriter, Jake Whilhemsen Senior Copywriter, Anna Lindell Senior Designer, Laura De La Cruz Designer, Steve Barry Managing Director, Charlie Smith Account Director, Nicki Stuttman Account Supervisor, Sarah Korner Account Supervisor, Brigid McEntee VP Production, Jessi Dana Executive Producer, Julia Goldsmith Production Director, Meg de Recat Senior Creative Producer, Darren Allison Comms Director, Madison Allen Social Strategist, Hannah Binder Associate Media Director, VM1, Cassidy Jeglum Associate Media Director, VM1, Angela Bobo Senior Manager, Brand Strategy + Head of DEI, Anchor, Lulu Burns Head of Influencer Partnerships, Anchor, Victoria Calvert Founder and CEO, Anchor, Steve Barry Managing Director, Angie Klein CEO, Visible, Cheryl Gresham CMO, Visible, Megan Skari Sr. Manager Creative Marketing, Visible, Vin Balducci Head of Social, Visible, Olga Bermudez Paiva Director of Marketing, Visible, Lindsey Cohen Head of Communications, Visible


JESSE TAYLOR CREATIVE - www.jessetaylorcreative.com

Soul Pilgrim - Your Mind is a Garden Plantable Print

A hand-lettered, typographic print created for an outdoor and exploration lifestyle brand. The quote by William Wordsworth reflects the brand’s values promoting a positive outlook, connecting to the earth and constantly growing. The interlocking, organic letterforms match the quote’s sentiment and the deep-green ink represents the earth. The design was letterpressed onto wildflower seed paper that can be torn apart, planted, and enjoyed in the form of flowers. The letterpress printing process and hand-made paper make each print unique, with an array of colored seeds scattered throughout. The opportunity and encouragement to “destroy” this piece asks a bigger question about art and pushes the owner to reflect on what they value.






CREDITS

Jesse Taylor Creative Director, M.C. Pressure, Letterpress Studio Punchbowl Studios Content Production


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

Arapahoe Basin - A-Basin Ambush

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We brought in Olympic skier and reality TV show personality, Gus Kenworthy, to help Arapahoe Basin surprise skiers who were headed to other resorts and divert them to A-Basin for a legendary day on the mountain – capturing the action in real-time on social channels and on video for PR and future spots.


CREDITS

Alan Henceroth (Client) Chief Operating Officer, Jesse True (Client) Vice President of Marketing & Skier Services, Tony Cammarata (Client) Director of Development and Planning, Whitney Henceroth (Client) Senior Brand Manager, Katherine Fuller (Client) Senior Communications Manager, Ian Zinner (Client) Content Specialist / Photographer, Taylor Borst (Client) Marketing Coordinator, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Brian Watson Executive Creative Director, Jeff Strahl Sr Creative Director, Sarah Berkheimer Design Director, Andy Bartosch Associate Creative Director / Copywriter, Ainslie Fortune VP, Account Leadership, Heather Vazza Account Supervisor, Mayowa Adelugba Account Manager, Chris Shewmake VP, Communications Strategy, Rob Troller Associate Director of Strategy, Torrie Eberhard Sr. Project Manager, Herman Nieuwoudt Colorist, Coupe Studios Audio Post, Greg McRae Senior Engineer, Martha Douglas Production Director, Annie Carney Sr. Producer, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Lumenati Productions Production Company, Evan Swinehart Director, Austin Hopkins Director of Photography, Joey Schusler Director of Photography, Ian Glass Director of Photography, Gavin Anstey Executive Producer, Cyndi Ortiz Line Producer, Jessica Trimarco Experiential Producer, Allie O’Neill Post Producer, Tom Farnsworth Assistant Director, Matt Schmalz Editor, Jonnie Sirotek Color, Post Haus Audio House


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Wyoming Dept. of Health - Intercepts TV

Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements in the history of public health. They’ve prevented a horrendous list of diseases, saved millions of lives and doubled our lifespan. In fact, vaccines are so effective we take them for granted. As part of our Thank a Vaccine campaign, we went out on the Wyoming streets and asked real residents what they knew about various preventable diseases.

The results? Let’s just say you don’t know what you don’t know.




CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Dan Delli-Colli Associate Creative Director/Art Direction, Curtis Smith Associate Creative Director/Copywriting, John Heinsma van Arkel Senior Copywriter, Michon Schmidt Agency Producer, Amy Taylor Director of Account Service, Natalie Ross Brand Director, Futuristic Films Production Company, Will Gardner DP, Erin Lofstrom Line Producer, Christian Silberbauer Executive Producer, Ryan Brown Editor, Brittany Horwege Post Producer


FORTNIGHT COLLECTIVE - fortnightcollective.com

Steamboat Ski & Resort Company - The Steamboat Way, Part2

Fortnight Collective and partner Steamboat Ski & Resort Company evoke the parallels between Winter sports and the rugged Wild West to capture Steamboat’s unique, pioneering culture. Cowboy Poetry is a literary style rooted in ranching culture from the 1800s, and the campaign uses it to blend Western hospitality with the thrills, freedom and adventure of riding the slopes. Once again, Fortnight collaborated with cowboy poet Randy Reiman on verses that serve as the ads’ scripts. As they are recited, the screen switches between scenes of horses in open fields and resort activities to show that traits such as individualism, camaraderie, and the desire to brave new territory associated with the cowboy lifestyle align perfectly with the values of those who are passionate about Winter sports. The campaign aims to reclaim Steamboat’s top-of-mind brand awareness and build upon the resort’s legacy as a go-to destination for skiers, snowboarders and vacationers.

CREDITS

FORTNIGHT COLLECTIVE

Andy Nathan Founder & CEO, Devin Reiter President, Adam Chasnow Chief Creative Officer, Katie Dreke Collective Strategist, Matt Kubis Creative Director, Mona Hassan Creative Director, Dave Steinke Collective Creative Director / Art Director, Jeff Schuller Collective Creative Director / Copywriter, Randy Rieman Writer, Jessica Welander Senior Brand Director, Tucker Kavanagh Senior Brand Manager/ Producer, Jamie Slade Collective Executive Producer, Matthew Polis Sound Designer

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS RESORT COMPANY

Katie Brown VP of Marketing, MorganKatie Brown VP of Marketing, Morgan Bast Director of Marketing, Josh Froman Brand Manager, Heidi Barbee Advertising Manager

HUNGRYMAN PRODUCTIONS

Richard Bullock Director, Caleb Dewart Executive Producer, Christopher Hoggard Head of Production, Jack Beardsley Producer, Joseph Aquirre Director of Photography, Sam Hall 1st Assistant Camera, Dave Schaff Sound Mixer, Bryce Sullivan PA

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

Dave Steinke Photographer

REEL MOTION MEDIA

Jesse Levine Director

THE NOW CORPORATION

Jess Reisner Editor, Carrie Fleming Editorial Producer

JSM MUSIC

Joel Simon Chief Creative Officer/Co-Composer, Jeff Fiorello Executive Producer, Norm Felker Senior

Producer, Andrew Manning Senior Producer, Sharon Cha Producer, Nathan Kil Co-Composer

TRAFIK

Mark Gethin Colorist, Nate Seymour Colorist Assist, Angela Zappella Color Producer


BLONDE BEARD’S - blondebeards.com

Blonde Beard’s Buffalo Sauce - Brand Campaign

An all-star team of Denver creatives joined forces to create three new beard-tastic spots for local favorite Blonde Beard’s Wing Sauce. Blonde Beard’s was co-founded by former agency creatives and producers Adam and Cara Nelson, aka Mr. and Mrs. Blonde Beard. The couple decided to turn their mutual love for wings into crafting their own wing sauce made with real butter. We wrote and directed three quirky scripts featuring a bold beard with a mind of its own (and, of course, lots of wings!). We partnered with local audio house, The Post Haus / Primary Color Music, to compose the custom ‘wingle.’ The song channels some big beard energy into the campaign’s catchy tune (“Oh, what a beard!”) that describes its many talents.


CREDITS

Futuristic Films Production and Post, Mike & Ade Directors, Adam and Cara Nelson Blonde Beard’s Co-Founders/ Co-Creative Directors, Christian Silberbauer Executive Producer, Dylan Stephens Head of Development, Will Gardner Director of Photography, Sam Sigler Producer, Sam Billen Talent, Lindsey Ranz Talent, Brittany Horwege Post Producer, Matt Wade Editor, Mathison Davis Colorist, Practice Studios GFX, Practice Studios VFX, The Post Haus / Primary Color Music Sound Design and Original Composition


KARSH HAGAN - karshhagan.com

Travel South Dakota - Forever 605 Toolkit

It’s hard to put an entire marketing campaign into one perfect little box. But hey, we did it anyway! As an extension of Forever 605, Travel South Dakota’s state stewardship campaign for raising awareness on responsible travel practices, we created and distributed toolkits to campaign partners. Inside every toolkit are assets to help in the partner’s participation and dissemination of the Forever 605 efforts.





CREDITS

Jeff Martin Chief Creative Officer, Dave Cook Executive Creative Director, Camille King Creative Director, Jacob Farwell Senior Art Director, Anniston Craddock Art Director/Illustrator, Ben Rindels Senior Copywriter, Nancy Casey-Humphrey Director of Creative Services, Aaron Bitters Studio Manager, Lauren Corna VP of Account Service


TRI-STATE G&T - tristate.coop

Tri-State G&T - Co-Op Campus Campaign

This year’s electric cooperative conference was 50s pep rally themed, harkening back to our founding in 1952. Attendees received stickers and hoodies with a Thundercat mascot designed specifically for the conference. We wanted to recreate the tactile experience of school and branded a chalkboard, pennant flags, handed out composition notebooks, and created a letterman jacket and cheer megaphones for centerpieces. On the hoodies and chalkboard, we added our mission statement equivalent in Latin. The color palette is pulled from standard collegiate embroidery colors: cardinal, athletic gold and brown.

Thundercats, ho!



CREDITS

Melissa Swinehart Marketing and Brand Communications Manager, Julia Perry Brand and Design Program Manager, Kristal Boni Brand and Design Strategist, Reed Zimmerman Senior Multimedia Designer, Kristen Wurth Senior Marketing Communications and Brand Strategist, Brittany Willison Marketing Communications and Brand Strategist, Danielle Kling Communications Projects Manager


MADWELL - www.madwell.com

Denon - The PerL Experience

Denon PerL earbuds were poised to disrupt the category thanks to new technology that listens to how an individual’s ear hears then builds a custom profile to optimize audio playback to that hearing. It’s a truly personalized listening experience. And there lies the challenge--how do you launch a product when its main feature is personal to each ear on the planet? The answer: The PerL Experience, an app that demos the tech through the ears of sound-obsessed artists. First, we announced PerL in launch videos and social assets that simplified the tech story into a visual one. Then, we partnered with five musicians and built a one-of-a-kind web app that allows users to listen to these artists’ songs through their PerL profiles—so users hear the music as if listening with each artist’s ears. Our efforts deepened users’ understanding of PerL before they ever put them in their own ears.


CREDITS

Chris Sojka Chief Creative Officer, Jeff Gillette Executive Creative Director, Melanie Simonich Creative Director, Pedro Saldarriaga Creative Director, Sam Cohen Senior Designer, Charity Lombardo Senior Copywriter, Ryan Kurz Senior Designer, Anna Lindell Senior Designer, Sean Holland Head of Licensing and Partnerships, Brigid McEntee VP, Head of Production, Kyle Calian Creative Producer, Mike Cargian VP of Technology, Greg Rich Senior Developer, Steve Barry Managing Director, Hayden Zellers Account Director, JP Summers Brand Strategy Director, Darren Allison Group Comms Strategy Director, Ian Rubini Social Strategist, Sean Hogan Music Supervisor


SUKLE - www.sukle.com

Gleam Car Wash - Bubble Car

When this small, woman-owned, environmentally conscious business came to us for help, of course we said yes. Gleam Car Wash was opening their second location and needed something to create a buzz. With their tiny budget any form of paid media would have been gone in a hot second. Instead, we created a bubble-spouting, EV art car that pops up at farmers markets, sporting events, and neighborhood gatherings. The Gleam Bubble Car is quickly becoming the rockstar of their social presence.




CREDITS

Mike Sukle Creative Director, Amy Taylor Director of Account Service, Danielle Bryan Sr. Integrated Producer, Raptor House FX Fabricator & Makers of Magic, Chris Austin Photographer, Matt Carpenter Retoucher / Digital Artist, Evan Olea Visual Designer


CACTUS - www.cactusinc.com

North Carolina Education Lottery - Code Green

CODE GREEN

Open on a tight shot of a gurney being pushed through a hospital door. The patient is covered in money and frozen in a gleeful celebration holding a Multiply the Cash scratch-off.

PARAMEDIC: We’ve got another one!

The hospital is full of activity. Cut to two nurses fast walking through the halls with a clipboard.

NURSE KATHY: What’s happening?

NURSE LAURA: It’s those Multiply the Cash scratch-offs again.

Cut to a doctor examining a patient sitting on a bed frozen mid celebration. He lowers the patient’s celebrating arm and it springs right back up.

NURSE LAURA: You can multiply your win up to 100X AND there’s a bonus game on the back from more chances than ever to win.

Everyone’s going into celebration shock.

The nurses arrive at the waiting room. They open the door to reveal a room full of people frozen midcelebration, smiling brightly while holding Multiply the Cash tickets.

NURSE KATHY: I’m going on break.

She looks down at her clipboard. An over-the-shoulder shot shows that she’s playing the game. Cut to art card

VO: Excitement levels are off the charts with new Multiply the Cash.

If you keep making that face, it’s gonna freeze that way. We’ve all heard this sage advice from our mothers – and for the launch of North Carolina Education Lottery’s Multiply the Cash scratch-off game, we imagined a world where mom’s worst nightmare actually comes true. Code Green takes place in a hospital overrun with winners who are frozen in a moment of celebration.






CREDITS

Joe Conrad Founder & CEO, Ethan Nosky Account Director, Leah Taylor Account Supervisor, Patrick Campbell Creative Director, Andy Bartosch Associate Creative Director, Rachel Hickey Associate Creative Director, Shea Tullos Group Creative Director, Torrie Eberhard Senior Project Manager, Stacey Trunnell Brand Strategy Director, Martha Douglas Production Director, Stephen Hausrath Production Design Manager, Darby Gertsema Project Manager, Norm Shearer Partner & CCO, Gravy Production Company, Crobin Leo Director, Brent Stoller Executive Producer, Ally Gnesin Staff Producer, Erin Malloy Line Producer, Zachary Galler Director of Photography, Pamela Chavez Production Designer, Denise Strong 1st AD, 11 Dollar Bill Post Production, Wayde Samuel Editor, Herman Nieuwoudt Colorist, Mike Negri Producer, Coupe Studios Audio Post, Alex Hawley Engineer


THE FIFTY 2023 - adclubco.com/thefifty

Something For Everyone To Steal

Colorado’s creatives are acutely aware that nothing is new under the sun. They aren’t simply good artists who copy — they’re great ones who steal. Whenever a deadline is fast approaching and they need to quickly pocket some creativity, it only makes sense they seek the best. The Fifty is both a repository and a museum where the Centennial State’s great artists gather to find the idea that “inspires” their next idea. And the greatest artists — the ones who win — should be flattered that their ideas are steal-worthy.

A special thank you to Jamie Sullivan (art) and Samuel Podolsky (copy), our creative team from Denver Ad School, who worked alongside Jay Roth to ideate and execute this campaign.




CREDITS

Jamie Sullivan (jamiesully.com) Art Director, Sam Podolsky (sam-podolsky.com) Copywriter


Ad Club Colorado
What You Need to Know About Updating to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

What You Need to Know About Updating to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4

Executive Summary: 

What is GA4? 

  • Google Analytics 4 is the new property, introduced in October of 2020, that will replace the former Universal Analytics, also known as Google Analytics 3. 

Why GA4?

  • Google is phasing out Universal Analytics, so you must transition to GA4.

  • GA4 better promotes customer privacy controls such as cookieless measurement, and behavioral and conversion modeling. 

When Do I Need to Switch by? 

  • Universal Analytics (UA) is set to stop collecting new data on July 1, 2023.

  • To prevent any loss of data, is it recommended to get GA4 set up as soon as possible so that it can begin collecting data alongside Universal Analytics prior to the switch.  

Pros

  • New event based conversion tracking

  • New reporting and analysis tools

  • Improved insights and machine learning

Cons

  • Changes in how metrics are measured

  • Loss of historical data

  • Data thresholds (withholding) in reports

Details: 

New Event Based Conversion Tracking in GA4

  • Rather than measuring conversions by setting up goals and ecommerce transactions, you now measure all conversions via GA4 events. You can flag any event that contributes to the success of your campaign as conversions. A conversion will then be registered in your GA4 property when any of the flagged events are triggered.

    • Events now replace “hits” (ie. pageview hits, ecommerce hits, event tracking hits) and are sent differently from UA. The GA4 events have a flexible number of parameters compared to the 3 attributes they have in UA. 

    • Conversions events replace “Goals”. GA4 automatically marks 4 collected mobile app events as conversions, but you can mark up to 30 more app or website events as conversions.

    • To mark an event as a conversion you can navigate to Configure > All Events and then toggle the “Mark as Conversion” switch next to the chosen event. 

Marking Conversions

New Reporting and Analysis Tools

  • While GA4 offers a new array of reports and dashboards, it also allows you to create your own reports to easily reference the information that’s important to you. 

    • Explorations is a new tool that gives you access to data and analytical techniques that aren’t available in reports. It consists of three sections:

  1. Canvas - where you can have multiple tabs, letting you use multiple techniques in the same exploration. 

  2. Variables - gives you access to dimensions, metrics, and segments, as well as the timeframe. 

  3. Tab Settings - configures the currently selected tab. 

Explorations
  • There is also now a DebugView that enables you to see data as GA4 collects it. This report is good for troubleshooting issues as they rise when setting up data collection, and understanding the user’s behavior as they explore your website. 

Improved Insights and Machine Learnings

  • GA4 can track users more efficiently across mobile apps and websites, however protecting user privacy has poked holes in the data it can collect. GA4’s machine learnings can fill in these gaps, making tracking possible while still keeping users anonymous. Below are a few details on what GA4’s machine learnings can do: 

    • Customizable automated insights

    • Detecting anomalies in user behavior

    • Generate predictions about purchases, interests, probability of conversions, and Google Ad Campaigns

    • See trends on changing user behavior and to help make critical adjustments

Changes in How Metrics are Measured

  • When comparing metrics between UA and GA4 there are likely to be many differences in numbers. Here are some of the major differences between how metrics are measured between the two properties.

    • New User is now measured as the number of active users who had 0 previous sessions. In UA, new users were measured as the number of users who interacted with the site for the first time.

    • Sessions - In GA4, to determine the session that each event comes from, the session_start event generates a session ID and Analytics associates the session ID with each subsequent event in the session. Sessions also will no longer restart at midnight or when new campaign parameters are encountered.

    • Conversions - perhaps one of the biggest changes between metrics. While UA only counts one conversion per session, GA4 counts every instance of the conversion event. This means the same user can have multiple conversions during the same session.

Loss of Historical Data

  • Google has announced that sometime in December of 2023 you will no longer be able to access the historical data in UA. To combat this, you can go through and do some detailed exports of UA data. Another way to help lessen the effects from this, is to have GA4 running alongside UA for as long as possible to start building up a history of data. 

Thresholds in Standard Reports

  • In the standard reports it will sometimes remove the unique IDs and very low volume rows from the reports, not showing all of the complete data. This is applied to prevent the exploration of inferring the identity of individual users based on demographics, interest or other signals in the report. 

  • When are data thresholds applied: 

    • If there is a low user count in specified date range

    • If it includes demographic information combined with user identifiers

    • If there is too narrow of a date range

    • If you are exporting to BigQuery

  • If there is threshold applied, the data indicator has a yellow caution and you can hover over to get further information

Thresholding applied

Next Steps

  • If you haven’t already, it’s important to set up GA4 as soon as possible. You can continue to use Universal Analytics, but begin collecting data in GA4 to have historical data when you do make the switch. 

  • Set up the property with the help of Google here

  • UA will continue to collect data up until July 1, 2023

For a more detailed list of comprehensive changes from UA to GA4, you can reference this article from Google. 

Article contributed by digital advertising agency, Grounds for Promotion.



Death of Websites and Rise in Customer Experiential Communications (CEC)

The New Must-Have Customer Strategic Edge
By Thomas B. Cross CEO TECHtionary and SocialStreamingTV.com 3-Minute Read

When it comes to website design, layout, navigation, use, images, tracking and much more it seems like everyone is an "art critic." Like that other subject that one person said they can't tell you what it is, but they know it when they see it. No one likes their website, not even the designers because there is always someone who doesn't like something about it. Companies spend tens of millions on redesigns to reposition their products, solutions and if there is a brand expert on the team, the project could take years. Branding people seem to think that everything from a fire hydrant to a blimp or now spaceship should have the brand on it. People don't think of Walt Disney when they go to Disneyland or World, they think of the rides, fun, Mickey Mouse and all the other swag. Some of the key trends being batted around are: Horizontal scrolling aka carousels, 3D everywhere makes you feel like you are falling into a cave, Multimedia and Augmented reality experiences which is a great idea but as the saying goes "nice landing, wrong airport." Here's a few others that also seem to spend far too much on something that people aren't really looking for either such as graininess whatever that is, muted colors which is something that if you remember the imagery on the iPhone3 and look at it today, you will notice the difference. Whether you or anyone else really cares is immaterial to what Apple thinks you need to be looking at. There's a Gaussian blur which is yet another way of adding soft focus with shadow-borders and vapor or bubble-like experiences. Cartoons, geometric and asymmetric grids or both, dark mode, scrolling cards, audio, even retro to black-and-white are other tricks. No denying the effort that is spent on website design without regard to the content. Speaking of content is what designers forget the most. Yet that is not their fault they are designers not writers, they don't know what you sell and frankly most don't want to be bothered by that. Not saying that designers are not useful as we do like the "sizzle" in many things we do.

Content IS the Experience, Not the Website

Without content websites are just frankly just a waste of time and space. Yet thought leadership is the term used to describe what the role of the website should do, provide, lead, engage and be the experience the company wants the customer to know and understand. Thought leadership is hard work but it pays off in customer experience, engagement along with sales and support. Unless you are an ecommerce site from Amazon, Pinterest, Macy's, etc. viewers are there not to browse but to buy. There is a fine line between offering "generic" brands and being annoying. If you haven't noticed on the websites just mentioned and thousands of others they don't even trying to engage with the viewer. This isn't about "chatbots" which are more often not people on the other end at all. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and others are just online versions of newspapers or classic newsfeeds with advertising and the side. Here is my recommendation for website content in two forms. First is all the content you need to do in the key phases of the customer experience - gain-close-retain shown in Figure 1. People wonder why marketing is so hard is because they think they need to do all of them. No, just do a few of them very well.

Figure 1.

Second, once you have selected the types of thought leadership content from the gain-close-retain chart you need to build each one for all the different audiences such as by Title, Function, Customer Solution, Content/Context (this is more about the context), Technology (which could be a lot, but people don't buy technology they buy solutions) shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 2.

You are pulling your hair out by now or screaming that you can't do all of this or any of it. Yes, you can if you want to. Remember a confused mind always says NO. If customers are confused about your solutions, either UNconfuse them or wait, which could be a very long time before they will buy. The reason is simple that this approach works to reduce the sales cycle which could be a very long and you really need to sell everyone on the "evaluation team" before they will buy not just the person you are talking to who may not even but on the evaluation team or others who don't have the authority to approve your solution.

Customer Experiential Communications

The next generation of websites will be customer experience within the website as well as from and going to it. That’s a bit to unpack but what Viking.TV (and possibly others but for this article this is a great example) "takes you virtually to the experience, explores indepth in many ways all the experiences that could happen and then takes you there for real."

Image Courtesy Viking.TV

Most websites are about the website design, a few about the content and less about the design and most try but as mentioned earlier, don't do either and don't know what they are doing or where the viewer is there and where the viewer is going. Analytics is poppycock as one CMO said, they fill your head with numbers and don't tell you anything about what you should do about them.

Image Courtesy Viking.TV

Viking.TV has integrated both daily (yes daily) live video streaming with ondemand videos of expeditions, history, books, photography, art, music and more. One person said, "you literally want like Alice in Wonderland to jump into the website." Another said, "this is the most engaging website I have ever been on; you never want to leave and who would not want to go travel with them live and inperson." Another said, "travel is complex enough with the pandemic and it is not going to get any easier, what Viking.TV does is bring the destination to you so when you can literally go to the destination. One a personal note we built 3D websites 20 years ago (yes have proof) when dialup was the norm and so bad timing for the design and content. Today, when one gigabit access is increasingly available almost anywhere the "blending of here and there" or inside the device to outside the real world is increasingly available to not just travel, tourism, destinations, camps, parks and more, the Viking.TV approach is a competitive and strategic advantage and a must-have business and consumer websites alike. Viking.TV combines many of the critical gain-close-retain concepts from Figure 1 and the critical customer content approaches shown in Figure 2. We are now building complex custom experiential content (CEC) management systems (formerly known as websites) along the lines of Viking.TV and would be delighted to help you on your next content development adventure. To get started on your new experiential journey email me at cross@gocross.com.

Ad Club Colorado
COVID-19 Tips: 6 Simple Steps to Work Effectively from Home (and Stay Sane!)
 
Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash.

Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash.

Well, the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) is forcing America’s workforce to go remote en masse...overnight. 

Like many consultants, freelancers, and creatives, I’ve had flex work hours and a home office for about 20 years, so I thought this would be a good time to share some simple life hacks to help you work effectively from your house during this pandemic. 

It’s really not that bad! You can do it. Here are 6 strategies you can employ to stay productive (and sane) at home:

Get Dolled Up. OK, maybe not black-tie formalwear. But you really can’t sit around in your pajamas all day and not even brush your teeth and hair. Signal to your body and brain that it’s time to WORK. One of the easiest ways to do that is to put on some decent clothes, dab on some makeup, brush your hair, and try to remain human even though no one else will see or appreciate your fashion flair! Who knows? You may have a surprise visitor or a video call. And whether you do or not, you simply have to shower.

Stick to a Schedule. Long-time remote workers know that you have to create definition between work, chores, and play. Humans have adapted to the clock, and even when no one is looking over your shoulder or you don’t have meetings, starting and stopping work on time makes a lot of sense. Get up at your usual time. Keep an organized task list everyday so you can’t procrastinate or drift off into a movie or book. It’s easy to let work and life bleed together into a big mess without lines of demarcation. And making sure you wrap up each work day cleanly and move on to your home life will really, really help you keep your sanity.

Make Yourself Comfortable. If you haven’t been working at home for long, you tend to slump into the couch with your laptop and a blanket. But that is horrible for your posture – and your quality of output. Find a corner of the dining room table or a nook in your bedroom, and set up a little work center at home complete with electronics, supportive seating, a work surface that is the right height, etc. It’s a small thing, and doesn’t have to cost money. I promise that having a designated comfortable, uncluttered work space will make a huge difference in your ability to enjoy work and get things done.

Overcommunicate. Don’t be a cave creature! Keep up a steady stream of communication with your officemates, family, friends, and peers – whether work demands it or not. Experiencing full days of total isolation will quickly erode your productivity and turn your brain to mush. Solitary confinement is a punishment, remember? Sometimes work will drive your communication habits, but even when it’s not necessary, post a fun giphy on Slack, or jump on a video call, or pick up the phone and say hello to someone. We’re social! Stay in touch with your tribe.

Move Around. A couple of days motionless staring at a screen in your little home work space will make you nuts. If you’re literally on the computer all day, get up every hour for 5 or 10 minutes to walk around, stretch, or get a snack. Get out of your house every day. Talk a walk, read for a few minutes, workout, run (essential) errands, or sit outside in the sun. Movement, time with nature, mental timeouts, and breaks in your sedentary workflow will keep you healthy at home.

Step Away from the Snacks. Oh yes… I mentioned snacks above, but now I’m sorry I did! Don’t take too many snack breaks. Many remote workers have to fight the impulse to snack, or risk transforming into a land whale. Keep healthy food around your house, put treats out of sight, don’t succumb to alcohol before evening, and stick to regular meals. If you don’t manage your cravings and maintain a schedule for eating, you’ll regret it after a few months – and a few extra pounds.

For you veterans of remote work out there, feel free to weigh in with other suggestions. And if you’re working solo at home for the first time with little to no preparation, just know that you can do it! Millions of people work this way every day, and with a bit of organization and moderation, you’ll do just fine.

Good luck. I’m rooting for you. Let’s all be disciplined together and kick COVID-19 to the curb!


Trish Thomas is Managing Partner & CEO at TEEM, a marketing agency built on a best-in-class creative community. Change junkie. Innovator. Optimist. Protagonist. A true believer in the power of people to change the world.

 
Ad Club Colorado
Something to Believe In: The Benefits of Business With a Purpose
 
Photo by Clark Tibbs

Photo by Clark Tibbs

 

We are witnessing a fundamental transformation of purchasing behavior across consumer categories with consumers who view the world quite differently than they have in decades. They’re weighing a brand’s stance on social issues into their buying decisions and, quite literally, voting with their wallets. Constantly.

In a sea of similar brands with shared benefits, a company’s character can set it apart. It’s not a passing trend, but an evolutionary one. A seismic shift in the way society operates. Now is the time for brands to turn social responsibility into brand affinity, increased sales and happy stakeholders. The stars are aligning for an increasing number of belief-driven buyers to connect with brands that take a stand.

Belief-driven buyers: Consumers are buying with their hearts and minds

 
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Purpose-driven brands: Taking a stand makes dollars and sense

 
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Amelie Company Helps Brands Leverage the Power of Good

Consumers support brands with a conscience. They care less about the ‘what’ and more about the ‘why.’ You may have a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team that guides your brand ethos, but it’s vital to weave it into your brand’s broader story. That’s where Amélie Company comes in.

We want to bring out your brand’s inner goodness. Here’s how:

PURPOSE-DRIVEN ROADMAP

Is your category or brand ready for belief-driven buyers? What messages matter most to your consumers? Do people consider your brand to be purpose-driven? Can you get your stakeholders onboard? We’ll create an actionable roadmap, fueled by research, for your brand communications to change your consumers’ buying behavior.

BRAND PERCEPTION

Your brand is how consumers perceive it. If you aren’t currently perceived as making a positive impact, we’ll help you reframe your narrative. You’ve already defined your 4 P’s of product, price, place and promotion. We’ll show you how to add Purpose to your brand as a fifth dimension.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE

Consumer expectations of sustainable brands vary by category, demographics and many other factors. We’ll work to align your brand communications with those expectations. Moving your consumers from being unaware of your brand ethos to becoming a brand advocate is our forte.

ANALYSIS AND TRACKING

Doing the right thing is a long-term investment, and you should get the most out of it. We’ll track your brand’s perception over time and tie it to key metrics, proving that doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive.

Find more information, including sources for stats mentioned in this post here.

 
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Robin Ashmore is Principal at Amélie Company and Board of Directors President for Ad Club CO.

 
Ad Club Colorado
Cultivating Your Staying Power
 
D'Arcy completing a 20-mile, solo swim up the southwest coast of Lake Michigan in June, 2018.

D'Arcy completing a 20-mile, solo swim up the southwest coast of Lake Michigan in June, 2018.

 

A question came a few drinks into the Ad Club's annual holiday party a month or so ago: "How do you apply your experience of endurance racing to your work and career?" 

As it was my third drink, I can't recall my official response, but it was something to the effect of, "It's all relative: Ironman has made any challenge much easier to tackle. Knowing I've been able to battle the mental demons that inevitably come your way during an Ironman, I can come face to face with any other type of demon and more easily prevail." 

The response, though well-intentioned, wasn't 100% true. The countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears that go into training for an endurance race are grueling — they command and demand focus, dedication, and stamina. Race day presents its own set of challenges: you've put in the work, but now it's time to face the day and the many, many unforeseen circumstances that could hamper your optimal finish (or prevent it from happening altogether). Net net, there is unpredictability in both racing and in the workforce that make it hard to always apply my athletic pursuits to career challenges. 

What I've been able to glean from endurance racing is this: 

1) Act with integrity and commitment in everything you do. You learn a lot about yourself doing these races since there's a lot of time with just your thoughts. You must act with integrity and choose to commit every arm pull, pedal stroke, and foot strike you make. In business, it's completely fair to expect your team to act with integrity and commitment as you do. 

2) Hold firm to your authentic self. Not every challenge you face is worth fighting if, in the end, you are an altered or compromised version of yourself. To finish an Ironman is to be true to oneself. Race within yourself, focus on your own performance and doing your best versus worrying about how you stack up against your competition. In business, focus on what roles bring out your authenticity and fulfill you. If what you’re doing forces you to act otherwise, consider a move or shift within the organization.

3) Consider the other person's perspective when in a challenging conversation or situation. In short, be empathetic. Racing Ironman means you are on course with 1,700+ other athletes. It’s not just you out there. Consider what others are going through. Give high fives, stop to check on someone who is on the side of the road, shout an encouraging word. In business, recognize that everything is personal (despite the common conceit of "it's business, not personal"). Try to uncover what is fueling your colleague's perspective as a means of understanding it, and use that understanding to collaborate towards a positive outcome. 

 

D'Arcy Toffolo is an Executive Managing Director for the integrated agency, Moore. Toffolo leads the agency's Denver office as well as the advertising vertical.  A 20-year agency veteran, Toffolo's expertise spans business development and marketing functions for agencies including Digitas, CP+B, and Integer. Toffolo has competed in triathlons since 1998, including eight Ironmans and has completed a 20+ mile solo swim in Lake Michigan in 2018.

Ad Club Colorado
The Powerful Impact of Intoxication on Creativity
 
Photo by Justin Aikin

Photo by Justin Aikin

 

By Trish Thomas, CEO of TEEM and Ad Club CO board member

Creativity is an interesting animal.

Is creativity a quality of our baseline personality? Is it a simply a brain function? Can we turn it on or off or amplify our capabilities? Is our capacity for creativity in our DNA from birth?

Being in the business of providing “creative” deliverables, I think about these questions a great deal. Like most agency leaders, I am constantly seeking out open-minded team members with the ability to think abstractly, brainstorm effectively, solve problems and push the envelope.

Personally, my go-to for opening the creative floodgates is red wine. My husband laughs over my strange writing ritual which consists of this: two glasses of wine = great writing. No more, no less. I honestly find it's easier to craft a compelling story or sharp script with a little help from a fine Spanish Tempranillo.

A few weeks ago, this use of “creative augmentation” got me thinking about the strange and long-standing relationship between intoxication and creative thought. Artists, writers, philosophers, dancers and many other creatives have long relied on alcohol, cannabis, psychedelic drugs, and other psychoactive substances to ignite and release their creativity. My personal experience with red wine validates my belief that sometimes a little outside stimulation helps, so I decided to dig into the subject.

In 2017, a study published in Consciousness and Cognition reinforced the notion that cannabis smokers creatively outperformed non-smokers over the course of two scientific tests. And this article from Psychology Today (also summarizing a study originally published in Consciousness and Cognition) shares the link between moderate alcohol intoxication and the creative process.

Because of social stigma, the war on drugs, and limited study of intoxication through a positive lens, much evidence is self-reported and anecdotal as opposed to scientific. But everyone from Alanis Morisette to Louis Armstrong, Steve Jobs to Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald to Modigliani, and tribes of the Amazon to Carl Sagan have credited an altered mental state with some of their greatest ideas and mental breakthroughs. 

There must be something here. 

I’m not a scientist, psychologist or sage, but here are my arguments for controlled intoxication to spark creativity and unleash the mind:

  • Suspend Overload & Distraction. As humans, we are overloaded. Overloaded with tasks, worries, and expectations, not to mention visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Wonder depends on a fresh, focused experience of the thing in front of us. Wonder abides in the present. Our mind is naturally equipped with “reducing valves” of sorts that scan and dismiss a great deal of what we experience through our senses along with most of our random neural firings, which isn’t always a bad thing. But drugs remove these filters that stand between us and the world, allowing us to feel and to dream - and ultimately to create.

  • Remove Creative Blocks. Humans are full of pre-programming that makes us our own worst enemy (think guilt, fear, and social norms). Our programming must be quashed to open space for creation. Drugs lower our inhibitions, helping to quiet the inner critic and quell self-editing which in turn allows us to let our creativity shine and share our wildest ideas with the world. They remove creative blocks tied to our mood, duties, or preconceived notions of “self.” They spring us loose from the tyranny of responsibility and time. They allow brief moments of transcendence.

  • Create in the Present. Humans are creatively encumbered with the weight of past memories and future planning. As Nietzsche pointed out in his ground-breaking essay The Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life, we are our most joyful and confident when we “play in blissful blindness between the hedges of past and future.” He advocated for blocking out our consciousness through a process of radical editing that removes all concerns except the present moment, casting a magical vibrancy over whatever is left in our field of perception.

  • Return to Nature. Humans are not apart from nature - they are an integral part of nature. And plant-based intoxication has been around in both humans and animals from time immemorial. It’s the most natural thing in the world to seek an escape from our humdrum existence, an altered state of consciousness, where we can deeply relax and experience our senses in a new way. Whether through wine or weed (not substances that are too strong or addictive), we seek the release of something innately primal… simple, wise and pure. 

I’m going to be forgiving about my personal creative ritual. 

And maybe the next time I lift a glass of vino to my lips before cracking open my laptop I will have a greater appreciation for the sweetness of unfettered thought and the profound blessing of raw creation.

Trish Thomas is Managing Partner & CEO at TEEM, a marketing agency built on a best-in-class creative community. Change junkie. Innovator. Optimist. Protagonist. A true believer in the power of people to change the world.


*If you want to take a fascinating historical deep dive into intoxication and our complicated relationship with marijuana, I encourage you to read “The Botany of Desire” Chapter 3 by Michael Pollan.

**This article is not advocating for substance abuse or dependence. If you believe you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, please seek help immediately. The National Drug Helpline offers 24/7 drug and alcohol help to those struggling with addiction. Just call 1-844-289-0879 or visit http://drughelpline.org/.

Ad Club Colorado
Making the Match for Freelancers
 
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At the recent fall edition of Ad Club CO's Freelancer Fling in Boulder, the energy in the room and the volume of the conversations were early indicators that things were going well. This wasn't our first rodeo though – we brought a referee whistle to let folks know when it was time to rotate to the next station. 

So what is the event? We say it's "speed dating for networking," which isn't too far off, if speed dating was more awesome and less awkward.

Freelancer Fling is an opportunity for agencies looking for freelance talent and freelancers looking for gigs to sit down face-to-face for four minutes to meet and talk shop. And, sorta like with speed dating, they get straight to the point. It's a great chance for freelancers to show what they have to offer and for agencies to see if there's chemistry to bring them on for a project. This year, we had copywriters, art directors, photographers, a wardrobe stylist and other disciplines represented.

Of course, our gracious host Boulder Beer Company did not disappoint, serving up savory snacks to keep everyone's energy up and cold beers to break the ice.

 
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We got great feedback from folks at the event, and here are just a few hot takes on the experience:

"I've attended four Freelancer Fling events, and they're always a great way to meet with agencies and clients (and mingle with fellow freelancers). As a fairly new freelance copywriter to the Denver/Boulder market, they've been invaluable in helping me get on the radar of the right people and get some great projects. So thank you, Ad Club, for hosting these events. I think they help make our marketing community stronger as a whole."
– Jeff Schuller, Señor Copywriter LLC

"Freelancer Fling opens windows for agencies to see the vast talent of Colorado beyond their walls and ascertain the appropriate people to fulfill future needs. Likewise, ambitious freelancers get a glimpse of creative agencies and burgeoning companies. it's a unique networking venue that is mutually beneficial." 
– Jay Roth, freelance senior copywriter

 We also heard great feedback from our prior event in Denver:

“It was great getting to see Denver’s creative talent all in one place at the Freelancer Spring Fling. We found a great photographer we now use regularly for our photoshoots.”
– Dave Blauvelt, Urban Canvas

Taking part in Freelancer Fling is just one of the many benefits of Ad Club CO membership. Find out about all the other perks that come along with it.

Guest User
A Letter from Ad Club CO President, Robin Ashmore
 
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Greetings!

As I write to you today, I am humbled and honored to lead the Colorado Ad Club. The world of advertising has always been dynamic, forward-leaning and incredibly relevant to our time. That’s still true and now, more than ever, our world has expanded to an increasingly large and diverse set of players. For a long time, it seemed that our partners were a predictable set of artists, photographers, producers, directors, animators, retouchers and researchers. Now in the age of big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and social media, we are faced with the challenge of converging and integrating this expanding cast of characters. This is the age of inclusion.

Yet, the art of storytelling—that age old tradition and quintessential human bonder—has never been more important. It’s the very core of our métier. Video and other visual channels continue to rise as the new forums for this expression. We advertisers and all communications professionals find ourselves at the heart of brands, celebrities and pundits who seek authentic relationships with their audiences. We are tasked with satisfying people who seek something real, something that looks and feels genuine and that gives them a reason to believe. Our stories, our narratives and ourselves are conveyed around the digital campfire of our day. This is the age of interconnectedness.

Your Ad Club here in Colorado exists to help us all comprehend and thrive in this big, broad and ever-evolving world we work in. We are here to bring us together, raise the collective bar, and up our game as a broader community. I invite you to join us this year whether to listen and learn at Colorado Ad Day; to bask in the glory of our colossal collective creative talent at The Fifty; or to mix and mingle at a monthly Kegs with Legs event. We are all in this together, so come out and show your face! If I have any say at all, this will be the year of engagement. 


Yours truly,

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Robin Ashmore
President, Ad Club CO 
Principal, Amélie Company

 
Ad Club Colorado
Agency News: Movers and Shakers at Moore
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Exciting things are happening over at Moore. Our own Ad Club CO board member D’Arcy Toffolo—who joined the team at Moore earlier this year as the executive managing director—has been promoted to an expanded role to oversee their Denver office.

Moore also announced Wes Barker as a new hire at the Denver office in the role of Senior Director.

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Wes Has nearly two decades of of digital marketing strategy and brand consulting experience under his belt. He’s previously served as lead on product marketing and design for Plantronics (an international telecommunications company), an e-commerce marketing and merchandising strategist for Sierra Trading Post and an online advertising manager for Arrow.

See what else they’re up to at Moore on their blog.

Moore is an integrated communications agency with locations in Denver, Tallahassee, West Palm Beach and New Orleans. The firm boasts a multi-disciplined team of experts, skilled in branding, advertising, digital marketing, public relations, media relations, advocacy and crisis communications. Representing Fortune 500 companies and small organizations alike, Moore is known for getting results that matter. Moore has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S. six times since 2011. 

Ad Club Colorado
Ever wondered what it feels like to win an Emmy®?
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Did you know that Emmy® awards are given to local producers and media organizations of all sizes and varieties?

The 2019 Heartland Emmy® Awards competition opens December 14, 2018 for video produced for a regional audience, so start gathering your best work from 2018. And for first-time entrants, join us for "How to Win an Emmy® Award," a special information session to preview the entry process and answer your questions!

This event happens on December 18, 2018 at The Source Hotel in RiNo (3350 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216) in the Grand Ballroom. RSVP and see more details here.

For more info about the The Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and 2018 Call for Entry details, visit http://emmyawards.tv.

Ad Club Colorado
A Letter from Ad Club CO President, Jeff Graham
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I started my own journey in the advertising business 25 years ago, years before the Internet and all the ensuing technological innovation and disruption it has delivered to our industry. I feel lucky to have one foot in that craft era of advertising and another firmly planted in the digitally-driven business of today. Yet throughout my career, I’ve found myself saying the same thing whenever talking to a group of students, job-seekers or young ad professionals: “There’s never been a better time to work in advertising”

It might not seem that way from the drumbeat of industry news. Client-agency relationships have frayed, trust has eroded, pressure on budgets and compensation has never been greater, the AOR model of the past has been replaced with an increasingly project-driven future. And of course, technology continues to upend industries of every stripe, including ours – yes, the robots are coming to kill us and take our jobs (or is it the other way around?).

Yet we are, and I believe we always will be, in a growth industry. Because demand for creativity in business is inelastic. Creativity and innovation are the most disruptive weapons in business today. And that just happens to be our superpower. Yours. Mine. Every one of us in advertising. And it’s not just the writers, art directors and creative directors – it’s the strategists, account folks, media designers, front-end developers and data scientists. We are all creators. Ad pros have the innate ability to bring big, bold creative ideas and innovative thinking to solve client business problems in ways that help them transcend the transactional, and stand for an ideal that’s bigger than just making and selling stuff.

That’s a pretty awesome way to make a living. And we are doubly blessed to be able to do what we love in such a breathtakingly beautiful place. Colorado is every bit the category-of-one place to live and work as coastal cities like NYC, LA, San Francisco – surrounded by jaw-dropping natural wonders, robust economic momentum, and an entrepreneurial/startup energy that’s the envy of every other market in America.

Denver’s ad community has a proud history. Ours was the very first Ad Club established in the U.S., back in 1891. Fun fact: in those days we were known as the Alfalfa Club, we didn’t actually become the Advertising Club of Denver until 1911. Now, other clubs in the area are focused on vertical specialties like art direction, design, direct marketing and ad-tech. And that’s great. Ad Club CO is unique in its broad remit, one designed to energize and inspire every discipline in our industry - and in that sense Ad Club CO is the only club dedicated to truly bringing all ad professionals in Colorado together.

I’m honored to lead this club as we continue to roll out our new vision and brand for Ad Club CO. The new name is a nod to the symbiotic relationship between Denver and Boulder, and the tremendous community of creators, idea makers and innovators we have all along the Front Range. We are stronger as a unified Colorado ad community, and our name reflects that. Our new brand promise is clear and straightforward:

Ad Club CO cultivates Colorado ad ideas, and the people who bring them to life.

And we deliver on that promise in 4 distinct ways:

  • We champion the Colorado ad community, elevating the brightest homegrown ideas and highlighting the talented ad pros who bring them to life.

  • We empower fresh thinking though signature Ad Club events like The Fifty and Colorado Ad Day, featuring industry-leading judges and speakers.

  • We connect and strengthen our members and agencies through personal development programs like Food For Thought, Next, and the Freelance Spring Fling.

  • We celebrate one another, everyone belongs here. There’s true camaraderie among our member agencies. We genuinely like each other, root for CO agency wins. Our members feel a sense of inclusion and mutual support that’s emblematic of Colorado itself.

Like I always say, “there’s never been a better time to work in advertising.”

That’s especially true in Colorado today. I encourage you to dig in and learn more about Ad Club CO. Talk to our members, our agencies, our board members. If you’re not a member, we invite you to join this one-of-a kind ad community. And if you’re already a member, I challenge you to find a program that interests you and get involved, join a committee, and share your talents to move our club and the Colorado ad community forward. Here’s to another year of mind blowing, brand building, culture changing Colorado ad ideas.

 
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Jeff Graham
SVP/Managing Director, Barkley
President, Ad Club CO

Ad Club Colorado