It all Addys up

February 18, 2007


Nearly a year ago, I dropped everything I had built and switched gears completely. I had decided that I could be a writer. And, thanks to a relentless classified search spearheaded by my wife, Kerrie, I sought out a position in advertising.

I knew nothing about the field. But I applied and wowed them enough to convince HenkinSchultz to give me a chance. I had raw talent. It was a risk on both sides. They were hiring someone with no experience, no knowledge of the industry and no reliable portfolio – just a guy who could write, could think fast and would fit in well with the staff. I was leaving a management position – a very safe one, where I had great benefits and little stress. We both figured, “why not?”

And from that day forward, I was a copywriter. A writer.

Now, you’ll have to forgive me if I gush – if I seem a little more star-struck than usual. Teachers don’t have awards ceremonies. Neither do call center managers. This means I’ve never had the chance to go to an awards ceremony in any sense of the term – until last night.

Last night was my first Addys award ceremony. A who’s who of Sioux Falls advertising personalities joined together for a well-dressed celebration of the most creative advertising work.

I remember telling Kerrie that my goal for the year – my first year in advertising – was to win an Addy. I barely knew what that meant. I didn’t realize how easy it is to get a local Addy.

It’s not quite as selective as one might think. I didn’t fully realize that an Addy is the basic building block toward much larger awards, that a Silver Addy is the equivalent of an “Honorable Mention,” and that a Gold Addy was a bronze medal. Best of Class – silver medal. Best of Show – the coveted gold. Additionally, an Addy isn’t awarded to one person. It’s awarded to a team.

During the ceremony, I found myself developing was a heightened awareness of the great advertising work that is happening here in Sioux Falls. You wouldn’t expect this dusty little town to be a Mecca of promotion, but with at least six major agencies and a handful of smaller outfits, Sioux Falls cranks out a fair amount of worthwhile pieces.

In fact, I saw enough of those pieces to be, if I can admit this, really really jealous. And it lit a fire in me to be more creative. With everything. With everyone. I want to be a part of something special – something out of the ordinary that really wows the public. I want to have my name associated with success on a creative level.

Getting my start in advertising was more of a lesson in getting comfortable than a “all in at once, head first” type of forward thinking. Until recently, I found myself living the advertising life as safely as possible, thinking that I needed to learn the bare minimum in order to get by.

Now, I’m ready to make the next step. I know I can do this. My shackles are off. My insecurities are in the past. I can do copy, I can be creative, and it’s my job to do that for everyone I work with. I’m ready to take that leap – the same leap I took when I dropped everything for this often competitive, always changing world of advertising. I’m tired of being the usual, just trying to make a name for myself in the business.

After all, I can’t make a name for myself unless I create something that’s worth putting my name on.

Glory is all fine and good. And the most creative items don’t necessarily end up being the most effective items. Creativity has its place, and for the clients I work with, I find straight forward pieces work better and are more respected.

But every idea should be given a chance. The line should be toed, every day, with every project and every thought. Because if its not, I’m not doing my job. I’m not forcing people to think a different way – my way, the company’s way, the client’s way. And even more than the glory of an awards ceremony, a belief in personal worth – of feeling I gave the best at everything I’ve done – is even more valuable. And because it’s so easy to fall into the rut – to take someone’s vision and construct it exactly the way they say instead of expanding upon it and making it beautiful – it’s common to lose sight of that personal worth.

Yes. Technically, I won a Gold Addy in just my first year of advertising. But that doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. What matters is making sure that everything I do is special – that everything I do was given not just part of my brain, but the very top of it, the part that has helped me drive through three careers over five years, ultimately ending up at a place I could be proud of.

Now, I just need to live up to that pride. Come on, brain. Start creating.

Tags: Advertising and Marketing, Career, Vilhauer, Writing |

5 Comments

The Kids in the Hall

February 16, 2007


The Kids in the HallLooking back, I don’t know why I fell in love with The Kids in the Hall.

It was goofy. It was funny. It was the best television I had ever watched, and it’s still in the top three, with The Office and Deadwood.

Deconstructing the love, I find a few basic high points. First, I love sketch comedy. I remember watching Saturday Night Live way before anyone else I knew was watching it, I had built a love of all things British through Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and I embraced the short lived but highly funny The State on MTV.

Second, it was Canadian, which fit along with a personal joke of mine: I used to tell people who didn’t know me that I was Canadian, from the fictitious town of Three Sisters, Manitoba. It wasn’t funny in its own right, but the reactions were pretty humorous. It seems silly now. Trust me, it was awesome back in high school.

With these two simple factors, I’m surprised I didn’t find the show sooner.

It took me until my freshman year of college to start watching The Kids in the Hall. It turns out that, from 1998 through 2000, The Kids in the Hall was experiencing its high point - a renaissance of Canadian sketch comedy that resulted in a heavy rotation of Comedy Central syndication - an hour every weekday with occasional shows in the evening - and a reunion tour.

There was something edgy, something incredibly brilliant, about The Kids in the Hall. This wasn’t the typical sketch comedy - in the vein of SNL or Mad TV. There was no reliance upon current events or recurring characters. The characters that did recur were more fleshed out, not dependent upon a silly catch-phrase or a marketable image. This was smart television writing.

Today’s The Kids in the Hall fans are also Mr. Show fans. They fondly remember the weird, yet beyond funny sketches from The State. They miss what The Upright Citizens Brigade could have become. They latched onto Dave Foley’s News Radio and wondered aloud how the rest of the group could disappear so quickly.

These days, there wouldn’t be a reunion. The Kids in the Hall has passed its peak. But, for those of us who missed the original run, we were alive during the best era for The Kids in the Hall - an era where everyone realized what they had missed the first time around and sought out the show wherever they could. Those of us who saw the live show, who still have the t-shirt, who would buy the The Kids in the Hall DVD Box Set if it wasn’t so damned expensive, we have memories to tide us over.

Oh yeah, and this - the reason I wrote this post in the first place: The Kids in the Hall on YouTube. And lots of it.

(Thanks to Jess at HeatEatReview.com for making a quick mention of it during her review of Amy’s Kitchen Cheese Lasagna. Within seconds, I was frantically wasting my day.)

Tags: Random YouTube, Television |

3 Comments

Proof positive

February 14, 2007


Because I enjoy pointing out the mistakes of large, wildly successful and rich companies that seem to have fun in everything they do, putting a damper on the rest of us who really wish we could work in some capacity for said company, and because it is in my nature to notice spelling errors (though I didn’t notice this one — adgoodness did), I present to you the Google logo for Valentine’s Day.

Goole?

Notice anything missing?

This was on the site as of 4:07 PM CST. Either they’re not changing it, or no one has noticed it, or they’re saying that the stem on the strawberry is supposed to represent the “L.” I don’t buy it.

I don’t feel so bad about my proofing mistakes, all of a sudden.

Tags: Advertising and Marketing, Random |

2 Comments

Season Ticket Review - Voices, rejoice!

February 14, 2007


Skyforce

Game 15 – Austin Toros (14-16) at Sioux Falls Skyforce (16-14). February 13th, 2007.

Over a month and a half ago, the Austin Toros were experiencing one of the worst starts in NBA D-League history. They had begun the season 0-12. They were facing Sioux Falls, looking for their first win, at home, in Austin.

Sioux Falls was playing decently. They had won 8 of their last 9 (and 10 of 13). They were going into the game with every expectation of winning. After all, the Toros were horrible.

They didn’t win. They lost. By 12 points. The Toros were finally in the win column. And it came at the expense of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Fast forward to last night. The Skyforce have just gotten over a horrible five game losing streak. Their win just two nights before reminded the crowd of what the Skyforce could do – namely, defend. Before that, the Skyforce looked discombobulated, completely confused and unaware of what was going on around them.

Meanwhile, Austin had gone 14-4 since their 0-12 start, a run spurred by that win against Sioux Falls at the end of December. They had won 9 in a row coming into the game, and now the Toros were just one game behind Sioux Falls for the final Eastern Division playoff spot.

Fortunes had reversed, it seemed.

Or had they?

Can this be considered a revenge game in these circumstances?

For the first two quarters, the Skyforce played decent, if somewhat uninspired basketball. During the third quarter (Surprise!!) they played horribly stupid basketball.

Kerrie and I were in the HenkinSchultz season ticket seats. We were closer. We were used to this suckitude – we’ve been watching it over the past few weeks in person – and usually we just curse to ourselves and embarrass the people around us. Not tonight.

We were right in the action, it seemed. So we made ourselves heard.

I’d like to think that our yelling helped spur the fourth quarter comeback. I’d like to think that, through our impassioned critiquing, we lit a fire under the ass of the hometown team. We told them to stop playing stupidly – to start fighting for rebounds, to stop settling for bad jump shots, to drive into the lane and fight for the points.

And they did. As if they heard us.

Instead of resorting for bad 20-foot giveaways – a horrible idea for a team not shooting well – we drove to the basket. We didn’t make all of them at the beginning, but we sure drew a lot of fouls. At one point, we had already put the Toros into the penalty, without – surprisingly – committing a foul ourselves.

We won quite easily after this change of pace. I daresay I had more fun at this game than I have in months.

Regardless of how blasé the half time acts are getting (The Empire Mall Star Search, again, featuring a Cyndi Lauper cover and a knife juggler) or how ridiculous the refs are (one caught a rebound after a free throw, denying both teams the chance, leading to a jump ball… or so I think – the refs never let us know what’s going on), I find that a quick five-minute burst, a series of uncontested dunks and hot three-pointers, and a great seat will help alleviate the annoyance every time.

Let the frustration out, I say. Voice your displeasure. If the team doesn’t change it’s actions, at least you got the frustration out.

If they do improve, then bully for everyone involved.

Skyforce 94, Toros 85.

Tags: Basketball, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Sports |

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Save Our Books

February 12, 2007


What is a library?

It’s more than a building. It’s more than a depository. It’s more than its walls, more than its books – more than any physical description can explain.

A library is a holding place for knowledge – a protection of ideas, from ancient texts to modern fiction. It’s an always ready collection of thoughts and legends, prepared and organized for the public’s good. There’s no need to stock every known book in your home. That’s the job of the library.

To borrow a book from a library is to sign into an association with free speech in the most basic of terms – as in, a free exchange of thoughts, of theology and democracy and realism and whatever else it is that interests you. Everything you could want is at your fingertips. The power of information is filtered through your mind – you have the choice, now, to read what you like.

To complete your education. To enjoy a great story. To research a long discussed theory. To fight for your cause through well thought out arguments and a decade’s – if not century’s – worth of previously written dialog and discourse.

None of us can claim to know it all. In fact, we build our personal knowledge upon the shoulders of those who came before us, adding our own histories and devising our own theories based on their writings. Like a skyscraper, we must first build a solid foundation in order to prevent an unsteady structure.

Our libraries serve as this foundation. They collect all of that information.

And, in South Dakota, the State Library is in danger of being dispersed.

It is in danger of being closed to the public.

Overall, the South Dakota State Library will suffer the following setbacks:
• Disbursement of 80% of the current collection
• Disbursement of all large print books
• Discontinuation of the state inter-library loan program
• Canceling of direct services for citizens
• Transfer of all services from public to private, governmental only

In other words, the idea of a one-stop State Library will be history. Just like the books that currently line its shelves, the Library will be an ancient idea, a theory; though this time, it will no longer be available for us to peruse.

Those that live in rural towns, and those that live on Indian Reservations – including Tribal Colleges – will be shut out from interlibrary loans. The information flow throughout one of the best and biggest Midwestern library systems will be shut off from all of small-town South Dakota.

In reality, this has already happened – as of January 1st, 2007, the doors were closed to the public and the books have begun to trickle out. The only thing that can save the State Library from becoming yet another governmental, fully-exclusive building is House Bill 1215 – the Save Our Books bill.

And that bill has been deferred, to the 41st day.

Will there be anything left when that day comes?

Tom Van Norman, State Representative District 28A, sent out a Press Release with his thoughts:

Breaking up and removing one of the best library collections in the Midwest and replacing the book shelves with Government office space just doesn’t make sense to me.

Changing the mission of the South Dakota State Library is a policy decision and to my knowledge the legislature was not consulted in this rush to implement an out of state library consultant’s misguided plan.

I think we need to slow the process down, take a deep breath and see what the consequences of this plan will actually be to the citizens of this state before cutting public services even more. I believe a legislative interim study should be made before our State Library books are disbursed forever, making it more difficult and more costly for South Dakota citizens to use. It would be very costly to replace a great book collection such as what the State Library has made available to the citizens of South Dakota’s since 1913.

And where did all of the large print books get sent off too?

And why is there no money in the proposed State Budget to help the local libraries who are supposed to handle all interlibrary loans from now on?

And what are the hours of operation in our rural towns?

The Library Plan is replete with bad timing, bad policy and sends the wrong message.

I mirror the thoughts of “jpollock,” who commented on this matter over at S.D. Watch and also alerted me to this concern through e-mail.

“Years from now our children and grandchildren will look back and this will have been the legislative session that allowed the Department of Education by executive decision to disassemble this great single archives of books in South Dakota and close the doors of the State Library to ordinary citizens.

Anyone understands this, a library without books is no longer a library.”

And a library without a public no longer spurs thoughtful discussion, knowledge, or education. It’s just a building. It’s just another damned building.

Tags: Books, Journalism, Literature |

3 Comments

Season Ticket Review: A win, a blessed win

February 11, 2007


Skyforce

Game 14 – Los Angeles D-Fenders (15-14) at Sioux Falls Skyforce (15-14). February 10th, 2007.

Well, well, well.

Jeff Varem returned to the Skyforce on Friday. He looked horrible – unsure of himself, unable to connect on any shots and uncoordinated in collecting rebounds.

Last night – his second game since returning from injury – was a completely different story. 21 points, 10 rebounds. Just one foul. And a win. Finally. After five straight losses, a blessed, welcome win.

A win? I’m not even sure I know how to deal with a win anymore. It seems like it’s been so long.

Here’s the funny thing – the game wasn’t exciting at all. Where over the past four home games we’ve been shaking our head in disgust throughout the third quarter and yelling at the refs throughout the fourth, this game was spent watching the Skyforce take an early lead and keep it.

This wasn’t just any lead, either. This was a big lead. As in, we allowed only 31 points in the first half. The first half! For a team that is known to struggle in the 3rd quarter, having a 47-31 lead is rather comforting.

What happened? Was Varem’s comeback really as important as it seemed? Or were the players finally joined together in solidarity, ready to finally win and put this horrible five-game stretch in the past?

Or were the stars aligned just right? Stephen Graham had 25 points and 9 rebounds. Frank Williams had zero points, but 11 assists and 8 boards. Corey Williams filled in well off the bench with 11, 5 and 3. Best of all, we only turned the ball over 10 times, and allowed just 32% shooting. We may have just struck gold on a lucky day.

I’m not concerned about it, really. The halftime show was not as annoying as usual. My pizza was fresh from the oven, instead of baked under the heat lamps. We sat closer than we usually do, thanks to the lack of ushers in our section. The game wasn’t even close, no stress was created, and the ball boy had shed his shyness and was dancing to “Clap Your Hands” in front of the 4333 fans.

It was a good game. Let’s leave it at that and hope for another on Tuesday. After all, I can’t be vitriolic all the time.

Skyforce 91, D-Fenders 74.

Tags: Basketball, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Sports |

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Season Ticket Review: Deconstructing the third

February 10, 2007


Skyforce

Game 13 – Los Angeles D-Fenders (14-14) at Sioux Falls Skyforce (15-13). February 9th, 2007.

I misspoke during my recap last game. Our horrible loss to the Anaheim Arsenal wasn’t our fifth in a row. It was merely our fourth.

Now, last night — THAT was our fifth.

After winning four in a row, the Skyforce have streaked back to earth after losing their last five. Additionally, since Christmas, we’ve only won one game at home (not including the NBA D-League Showcase game, which season ticket holders were, for some reason, blacked out of). It’s been a rough patch. Kerrie didn’t even want to go to the game last night, because she was positive of the outcome.

Of course, we had troubles before the game even started. Yet another Skyforce star realized the dream and was called up to the NBA. This time it was starting center Jared Reiner, a former NBA star and one our two NBA D-League All-Star Game participants (along with Stephen Graham.)

So, over the past few months, we’ve lost Andre Brown (Seattle Sonics), Vincent Grier (somewhere overseas), Amir Johnson (back to the Pistons), Jared Reiner (Milwaukee Bucks), Jeff Varem and Joe Dabbert (both to injury). That’s a lot of players. That’s a lot of (D-League level) talent.

Now (with Jeff Varem back) we’ve only got one center, and even that’s a rough description. The players don’t gel like they did when Andre Brown was quietly pulling off double-double, 20/10 games. We need help.

Varem had a rough night back, showing he wasn’t cut out to be our savior. He couldn’t hit a shot and seemed afraid to get in a tangle. It’s understandable – after all, he was out with a knee injury and didn’t want it banged up again. But this means someone else needs to step up – soak up the fouls, throw the elbows, commit to being a presence down low.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team seemed to Varem’s lead. I’ve never seen so many people be so utterly surprised that the ball was coming toward them. We didn’t look like we even recognized the basketball, let alone knew how to successfully catch it. We didn’t react to rebounds until they were already in our face, leading to a barrage of flying hands, unsure catches, and missed rebound opportunities.

We looked like we were afraid to touch the ball. We committed 22 turnovers to LA’s 15. LA had 12 steals, we had 4.

“Eek, there’s the ball! Get away! Run!”

The third quarter started the way most of our third quarters have started lately: horribly. We’re tied to our third quarter performance. I thought I’d check out the stats, and I found there’s quite a correlation, actually.

When the Skyforce wins the 3rd quarter: 9-1.
When the Skyforce loses or ties the 3rd quarter: 6-13.

How’s THAT for the importance of the half-time talk? When we come out fired up – ready to play and rested and not dragging from watching the Empire Mall Star Search (which we did, suffering through a too loud Journey cover and a comedic magician who had been creatively dubbed “The Comedic Magician) – we win the quarter and, except for once, the entire game. When we fail to score more than the other team, we win just 31% of the time.

(Take that, ELIAS Sports Bureau.)

Of course, all of this could have been remedied in the fourth quarter. We came back, we looked good, and we had a little momentum. And then, this series of Skyforce possessions:

Possession 1: Whistled dead. Offensive Foul.
Possession 2: Whistled dead. Offensive Foul (Stephen Graham, who had four fouls just two plays ago, has now been fouled out with 8 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter.)
Possession 3: Whistled dead. Carrying.
Possession 4: Whistled dead. Offensive Foul.

These four possessions stopped our momentum. Completely. We were dead from then on. Our best player had been fouled out (through horrible officiating and picky calls that weren’t being made for the other team – and I’m not just being a homer by saying that… these calls were horrible.)

Your best player should not be fouled out with 8 minutes left in the game, especially on such incidental contact and horrible flopping.

These refs, though, were rather gullible. Several obvious flops were called for both teams all night. But this series of events made up the worst grouping of calls I’ve ever seen in a game. The crowd was flabbergasted after the first two. Now imagine another bogus call, followed by ANOTHER offensive foul. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles D-Fenders (who use the Lakers’ colors and have one of the worst names in the league) were getting away with murder at the other end. I mean, come on.

Here’s the worst part - Frank Williams broke out of his slump and had a great game with 30 points. He didn’t even get ejected (and, unfortunately, there were no player outbursts during the bogus run of sloppy officiating either - I was hoping for Mo McHone to come out swinging).

What a waste of a good game.

Oh well, it can’t be that bad tonight, when we play the D-Fenders again, can it?

Can it?

Skyforce 94, D-Fenders 104.

Tags: Basketball, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Sports, Steinbeck on Random, Travel |

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