No longer “Just a Big iPhone”

The new world of mobile computing has definitely changed with the introduction of tablet PCs. In most cases these new devices bring a lot of the functionally of its more stationary counterparts to the palm of your hands. Two of the most anticipated tablets are those of smartphone giants Blackberry and Apple. The Blackberry Playbook, to be released in the coming months, seems to be an extremely popular option already to business individuals and companies that have decided to hold off on getting Apple’s iPad. But the iPad, first released in April of 2010, has already had a hand in…

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My child does not need a babysitter; He has his nintendo

I work part time as a waitress in a busy steak house, and it amazes me each and every time I see a child between the ages of 5 and 15 sitting at the table with their parents, completely entranced in their portable gaming system (whether it is a nintendo, an iPad, or a game on their parent’s cell phone– or their cell phone, in most cases. I remember when the average age for getting a cellular device was 12. Now it’s 7– But that’s for another blog.) The child walks into the restaurant without looking up from their game;…

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Tyler School of Art Exhibitions

Tyler School of Art is having its annual undergraduate student exhibition and Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition. Paintings, sculptures, graphic and interactive designs, photography, ceramics, and much more will be on display. Go get inspired! Annual Tyler Student Exhibition Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10 am – 5 pm @ All throughout the public spaces in the Tyler building Tyler School of Art MFA 2011 Thesis Exhibitions Wednesday, March 16, 2011 11am-6pm @ The Temple Gallery inside Tyler School of Art

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Behind the Bullseye No.2: Brand to Brand Mayhem

I’m back from hiatus and I’m going to continue where I left off with Behind the Bullseye. People are much like brands in that we have our own personal reputations to uphold. Sometimes pretentiousness can be unshakable no matter how subtle. Have you ever gone somewhere and felt suddenly that you shouldn’t have been there to begin with– not because you didn’t belong, but because you couldn’t personally justify it? Certain decades old high fashion designers felt just the same about their brands being sold at Target– a discount store. Did Target go behind the bullseye or behind their backs?…

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Kia: Korean or other Wie’s?

In the couple of weeks leading up to spring break, I was given the task of repositioning Kia for a portfolio (class) assignment. We first had to write a letter selling our idea (to the CEO… professor) and then follow that up with some print executions. I think the only rule is that we weren’t allowed to position on price– someone else can always undercut so it’s not a true position. Much of the challenge was finding out what Kia’s current position is. After all, it’s a Korean brand with a number of line extensions. When brainstorming, I thought selling…

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AdFreak: “66 Great Movie Taglines From The Past 30 Years”

The Truman Show: “On Air. Unaware.“ Movie taglines are a great writing exercise. They’ve gotta be intriguing, short, and most importantly: sum up the tone of the movie. AdFreak recently compiled their favorite taglines over the past 30 years. Some of them are great (pictured above) and some not so great (Volcano: “The Coast is Toast”). Click HERE to visit the article. What are some of your favorites? Any missed opportunities?

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Thursday, March 17: Philly Young Professionals Networking Happy Hour

Philly Ad Club Young Professionals Group Third Thursdays Happy Hour Join us at a new location each month to meet, network and socialize with Philadelphia Young Professionals. Date:  Thursday, March 17, 2011 Time:  6:00 – 8:00 pm Location: Triumph Brewery 117 Chestnut Street www.triumphbrewing.com/philadelphia Cost:  FREE – Please RSVP  

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99 Problems But A Brand Ain’t 1 *Lecture*

160 over 90 is a branding agency. Some of their clients include American Eagle Outfitters, And 1, Nike, Philadelphia History Museum and the City of Boston. 160 over 90 will present some of their print ads and talk about how the agency goes about making them. 99 Problems but a Brand Ain’t 1 Lecture Wednesday, March 9th 2011 7:00 pm @The Kanbar Performance Space in Philadelphia University 4201 Henry Ave, Philadelphia, PA Check out more of 160 over 90’s work here  

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Spring Break Reading Recommendation

Perhaps you didn’t get around to booking that trip to Florida.  Maybe you just didn’t feel like visiting your family. Your friends have vanished and you’re left with the dull chore of filling in an empty space allocated to you. Well, if you’re inclined to repose with a book over break, I have a recommendation for you: Creativity is not only expected from you as an advertising major–it’s a necessity. While it may not be a prerequisite for selecting advertising as a major, it is essential that by the time you graduate it’s intrinsically interwoven into your DNA. The question is: Can creativity be…

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sp11wherechildrensleep

Where Children Sleep Photo Project

James Mollison has developed an interesting project that really touches base with hearts across the world. James Mollison was born in Kenya in 1973 and grew up in England. After studying Art and Design at Oxford Brookes University, and later film and photography at Newport School of Art and Design, he moved to Italy to work at Benetton’s creative lab, Fabrica. His work has been widely published throughout the world including by Colors, The New York Times Magazine, the Guardian magazine, The Paris Review, The New Yorker and Le Monde.  

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Fonts for Copywriters

Hello all! One of my favorite ways to get started writing, is to pick out an interesting font. Most of the time, ads won’t use standard fonts like Times New Roman or Comic Sans. You know what- let’s just go ahead and delete Comic Sans from your computer right now. Just to be safe. Did it? Cool. There are TONS of great font databases online that are free. Downloading is easy and relatively straightforward. An interesting font can really drive home your message and overall tone. Click here for 30 Great Design fonts as well as 50 Professional Fonts. Enjoy!

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Behind the Scenes: Latest “Old Spice Man” Commercial

  Personally, I kind of hope this is the last Old Spice commercial in this style. Don’t get me wrong- the first appearance of the Old Spice Man was truly hilarious. I’ve quoted “I’m on a horse” mid-conversation many times. But remember how irritating those Mac vs PC commercials got? I still loathe Justin Long. There’s no use in beating a dead horse, people. Regardless, the production that goes into a commercial like this is pretty amazing. Reminds me of Inception.

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Interning at The Gabriel Institute

I’ve been interning at the Gabriel Institute and I can say that I have really learned a lot. The Gabriel Institute is a B-to-B company, although they are moving towards working with consumers, and I’m sure it is a little different from companies that work directly with consumers. TGI is a company focused on team building. They work with business to restructure or reorganize their teams to improver their productivity and efficiency. TGI is also small company, only four full time employees at the headquarters. So interning at a relatively small B-to-B company is an interesting experience. Since the company…

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