A visit to Red Tettemer
We all know that joining TAC has many benefits. One of the main benefits is getting to visit real, and prominent ad agencies. Recently, TAC visited Red Tettemer, a mid-sized agency located right outside of Philadelphia. I got to talk about the visit with Michelle Dunst, 21, who actually set up the trip to the agency. Michelle is a TAC member studying advertising, and in the copywriting track.
DW: “So you organized the trip to Red Tettemer? How did you go about deciding upon Red Tettemer as an agency to visit?”
MD: “We decided to go there because they have a lot of interesting clients and have worked with many companies. We wanted to get the perspective of a medium-sized agency in Philly.”
DW: “Did a lot of students participate?”
MD: “We have many members in TAC, but we limited the tour to about 20 students. We did not want to overwhelm their offices with too many people. This was a good size because we felt comfortable talking and asking questions.”
DW: “What was the atmosphere of the agency like?”
MD: “It was awesome, they are a very eclectic group of people and their offices reflect that. The walls have a lot of art work and it seems like a very energetic place to work.”
DW: “Did you get to tour all departments of the agency?”
MD: “Yes, we walked through a lot of the departments and stopped to chat at with some of them. But the majority of our time we spent talking to Steve Red, the CEO in one of their conference rooms.”
DW: “Did you learn any interesting facts about Red Tettemer that sets them apart from other agencies?
MD: “One of the most insightful things Steve Red said to us was, “I’m not a lucky person, I make my own luck.” He said he heard this quote a few years ago and has kept him motivated. I think this is important for us as students to remember and I really enjoyed what he had to say.”
DW: “Did you get a chance to see some of the work they are currently doing for clients?”
MD: “Yes, actually instead of watching a reel of their work, Steve Red showed us a recent pitch for one of his clients. It was really interesting to see three campaigns for one product. It was really insightful to the ad industry. Not only do you need to have one good idea, you need three great ideas to present to a client.”
DW: “Overall, did you find the experience helpful? What useful information did you gain from the experience?”
MD: “I thought this tour was very helpful. From this experience I learned that you have to be able to take a risk. You have to be able to be criticized and you must learn from everyone and everything.”
DW: “Did you make any important contacts?”
MD: “Yes, so far many people in the advertising industry in Philadelphia are very energetic and happy to help students.”
DW: “Do you find that events such as this are a helpful resource for students in the advertising department? What can they get out of the experience?”
MD: “I think it is very helpful to visit ad agencies. You get to see their personalities, how they work and what it takes to make campaigns. It’s like snapshot of what you want to be doing someday and it is very helpful to find how these people got there and why they love advertising.”
