The Goods According to Hoffman

Jonathan Hoffman shared a few of his favorite spots with the account team - here's a quick sample of what he likes:

McDonalds - Fresh Salad billboard










Starburst - Berries and Cream



HBO - Voyeur


*By far my favorite one - I actually teared up watching this, it's just that brilliant


HBO - Surprise



Adidas - Impossible is Nothing



Crest - You Can Say Anything with a Smile

The Raddest Guy at the Office I Don't Work With :(

This week's speaker was Lance Saunders - EVP, Director of Account Planning. It's no secret, I want to be a planner - just about everyone in the office I've come in contact with knows it. So you can say that I was way excited when I saw that he would be speaking with The 13.

Lance, just like my favorite professor at San Jose State, is Canadian. He had the unmistakable dialect of our friendly neighbors to the north which definitely brought a smile to my face.

Anyways, before I begin to embarrass myself, I just wanted to leave a list of brands whom Lance thought had great planning behind their campaigns - essential for any aspiring planner.

Innocent
Muji
MINI Cooper
(by Crispin Porter + Bogusky)
Altoids (Curiously Strong)

The Big Shots: Hello Steve, Hello Jonathan

Today, the Lucky 13 were treated to a chit-chat with Steve Wehrenberg, CEO and Jonathan Hoffman, CCO (both of Campbell Mithun). We all brought in our lunches (or whatever we could find lying around) and talked about what the agency is doing and where they want to go.

I was particularly impressed with their candor, and the tattoos Jonathan has on his arms - only in advertising. When all was said and done, I had a good impression of who the two are and can't wait to talk with them while I'm here.

My Wheels: Schwinn Baby

It's hard to be a California boy without a car in a new city. However, I noticed that there is a thriving bike culture in Minneapolis that I wasn't expecting. I'm not going to pretend to front - I don't ride a bike that often back home, but I figured this would be a great way for me to get around town and do a little exploring.

Here she is

Schooled: What the Lucky 13 Do

In a nutshell, The Lucky 13 is an internship program launched by Campbell Mithun in 2006. This year is the first that CM collaborated with three other Interpublic Group agencies in the Twin Cities - including Jack Morton, Carmichael Lynch Spong, and Weber Shandwick.

During our first day of orientation, we were introduced to the full scope of the program. Here's a taste:

Brown Bag Lunches - Weekly meetings with some of the agencies top reps from each division

Speaker Series - Notable speakers explain what it means to work their field; followed by an hour of Q&A with Debbie, our beautiful/fabulous/extraordinary HR rep (is my nose sufficiently browner?)

Social Activities - Including a BBQ with our Keepers (think mentors - I know, Keepers sounds creepy, but they're actually quite nice).

Weekly Testimonials - Interns are emailed a question weekly and asked to record their testimonial in the "Confession Room" (think The Real World). At the end of the program we're told it will be compiled into something extraordinary (I'm also sure it gives the agencies opportunities to understand who we are as individuals).

Speed Interviews - It's like speed dating but with resumes

NSAC-Style Competition - Interns were split into two teams and will be presenting a fictional pitch to six judges comprised of agencies reps. The "client" - Grain Belt. (And I thought NSAC was over!)

It sounds like a lot - but to be honest with you, we're all having so much fun working at our respective agencies that it hardly seems like ...well, work.

The Digs: Where I live

One of the best things about the MAIP program is the housing arrangements provided for the interns. By teaming up with the host agencies, the program significantly cuts the cost of housing/travel expenses (if you choose to) which makes interning throughout the U.S completely feasible.

Last year, I spent a month living in New York City and am embarrassed to say how much money I went through - almost$4k. It was one of the primary reasons why I sought out an internship outside of NYC.

The decision paid off - because both MAIP/Campbell Mithun hooked me (and the other 2 MAIP/Lucky 13 interns) UP.

Here's a list of what my studio came with:

Full Kitchen w/modern appliances
Walk-In closet
Hardwood floors
Central Air
Track lighting
Modern (clean) furniture
Television (yes, the agency put it out an email blast
and got someone from the agency to lend me a TV!)
Cafe downstairs
Cleaning supplies/dishes/utensils

Lets just put it this way - I'm going to have a hard time returning back to my studio in San Jose, CA

Duality: The Lucky 13/MAIP Love Story

What do you get when you mesh Interpublic's Lucky 13 and AAAA's Multicultural Advertising Internship Program? One extremely promising opportunity!

In a nutshell - this blog will chronicle what it's like to be an intern working at Campbell-Mithun in Minneapolis as part of two fantastic programs. What I hope you'll get out of the blog is an opportunity to experience what the ad business is like in the Twin Cities.

I know what you're saying to yourself:

Why would I consider Minneapolis when I graduate (or intern)?

The answer, well you'll just have to check back here often to find out what I discover over the next 10-Weeks.