Friday, August 7, 2009

Great Article

Here is a great article from Edward Boches, the CCO of Mullen.

http://edwardboches.com/10-job-hunting-tips-for-this-year’s-graduating-class

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

My Credo

After presenting my website and work to a whole bunch of people. I have realized that my about me is a little off. It doesn't describe who I am. So I decided to write a new one for the hiring process, which may end up being the foundation to rebranding colinpaulmurphy.com. Here it is tell me what you think.

I was a 5'9", 200 pound Division 1 Swimmer.

Even though that statement has nothing to do with advertising, my technological capabilities or professional attributes, a lot of it describes why you should hire me.

I was not your average swimmer. I was fat, small, and weak. But what I brought to swimming wasn't my natural born talent, it was my passion, my ability to get up at 5:30 in the morning ready to work and my loud voice. And that is what I also bring to my art direction, design and, most importantly, ideas.

So even though I was better at algebra than writing in high school and I come from a public school rather than a portfolio school, I will work harder and set the bar higher because I love this business.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

M.I.A.

A round up since my last post has been a wild one. I got my book printed along with 60 take-aways and 60 post-it note pads with my website on it. I headed to New York City for the Art Directors Club National Portfolio Review ready to drink in the center of the advertising world. Then that night after I flew to Chicago for several interviews and flew back home in time for graduation. Then went back down to NYC for a one day excursion. Finished packing up my stuff and moved back home to keep the job/internship wheels grinding.

So I'm going to stop blaming my travels and just write.

After interviewing with different agencies and researching departments and different types of agencies, I have fell in love with small boutique agencies who are working above and beyond traditional media, print, tv, web banners. These are the places that are bringing the customer into the ad campaign and included them as an integral part of the storyline. These are the places that get customers to go from website to website to sign up, follow, tweet, play and watch a campaign develop. These are the places I want to work and be a part of.

I have realized that big shops won't look at me because I am not from a portfolio school or have the best book out there, but it has been a godsend because these shops, with a true love for creativity and a family atmosphere, are where I will be able to learn a crap load more and love every second.

So I'm writing this post because I have found out the hard way, that there are better jobs than being a junior at a global agency. Don't get me wrong that's still an amazing opportunity, but don't think it's the end all be all.

My goal, when I am looking for a job, is to work somewhere that cares as much about this industry as I do and loves every moment of it. I am finding it everywhere: big, small, interactive, traditional. So keep an open mind.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Getting on the Digital Bandwagon

Lately I have been finishing up my portfolio and basically have all of the campaigns closed to being "finished". (read earlier post "Messin with Fire" to understand the quotes)

So recently I have been on a hunt to upgrade my knowledge of the digital world, Social Networking Sites, SEM, RSS feeds to give myself a leg up on everyone else entering the job market. Thanks to Alex "The Boss" Munro (gotta give a little shout out), I have been tracking a few websites that have done wonders for me, but I'll get to those later. First I will start with the basics. Please get on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These are the basic social networking sites that are necessities. I repeat, NECESSITIES!

Then there are sites that organize information on the web to the most viewed, searched and commented.

Digg.com and Buzzfeed.com are both sites that update real time what is going on currently on the web. They organize what people are liking, disliking and "digging". Of course they also stream onto Facebook and Twitter so if you like something you can press a button and wham bam thank you ma'am, you can show everyone and your mother.

There are other sites coming out like Hookk.com that allow you to look at reader's comments on news articles before even reading the articles. So I get to see Carrie's reaction to the article on the new flu epidemic before I even look at the article. iMapWeather.com is doing the same thing with weather. It not only gives you impressive "weatherman" maps (got really technical there, sorry) but it also links user generated content to that area, like pictures from Peter in Boston and videos from Natalie in Cleveland. Weather just got a whole lot more interesting.

The next category starts getting a little more confusing. I am still researching this currently but it centers are RSS feeds, so try and stay with me. I won't go on defining what it is but whatisrss.com does a better job than I ever could.
RSS is becoming more and more common on sites because everything is becoming real time oriented. As we start getting attached to the internet through smart phones and constantly updating material, everyone is going to want the most recent info right now, like a screaming child demanding for frosted flakes (that used to be me, now I am more mature). So when you like a website you look to see if it has an RSS feed like this one http://www.ecogeek.org/ and boom you can follow it and your other favorite sites pain free. An RSS reader like googlereader.com accumulates these sites, receives all of the newest articles from your favorite sites and organizes them for your reading pleasure. Kind of like a daily newspaper for the internet.

There are tons of crazy sites coming out as we speak but this is where the internet and technology is going. The internet is becoming so vast that no one can keep up with it themselves so these sites will help you, along with other people.

What's funny is that this article is probably "so 5 years ago". But I feel it hasn't hit the mainstream yet so there is still time. While people are still getting acquainted with Facebook and LinkedIn, we have to be one step ahead.

To stay one step ahead I have been reading Mashable.com. They are the gods among mortals of social media and I would be living under a rock without their posts. I have also been following a lot of social media "masters" on Twitter who post in depth articles on new technology and the power of these sites, "Use the force Luke".

I'm still researching this stuff and half it maybe wrong but I'm still on the goose chase, trying to gather as much knowledge and understanding as possible, like a nerdy Rocky. Cue soundtrack.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Power of a Picture

So in my search through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and everything else on the web, I have realized that having a profile picture and avatar goes a long way.

(This is from my own accounts of going through these sites. I'm sure there are books on Neuroscience and statistics about this, but I am not aware of any of them.)

I enjoy a picture because there is something nice about seeing the person you are connecting with. When there is no picture the trust level plummets because a gray silhouette could be anybody, sometimes my imagination goes wild.

Going through LinkedIn, I would say over 80% of the profiles I viewed in a search didn't have a picture and I never clicked on them. Facebook doesn't have this problem because a lot of people have 1,000 pictures of them. I won't lecture about keeping Facebook safe because that's all I hear nowadays.

So being a student in search for a job, get a picture up. Who knows maybe someone will take a gander and hire you.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Brought a Portfolio to a Gun Fight

So in these past few weeks I have been getting anyone and everyone to look and comment on my portfolio. I have realized some interesting things and made some rules for myself to stay positive and stay productive.

Rule Number 1:
Don't take anything personal.
There are some harsh people out there who can say some harsh things about your book. And it hurts sometimes. That's your baby, they're slandering. But most of the time, it's truthful criticism. It probably is a hard pill to swallow, but you gotta do it. So keep your chin up and be ready.

Number 2:
Take everyone's comments to the bank, but don't deposit everything.
If you are given good honest feedback on your work. Take every word seriously and be genuine and thankful to person who gave it to you because you can buy a compliment but you can't buy honesty. There are a lot of subjective opinions in advertising, so someone may love a piece or campaign you did and another person may loathe it. You are the final decision maker when it comes to your work. Don't just blindly follow every comment and criticism.

Number 3:
Change your book!
There are tons of students out there that think once they're done with a campaign, they are done. This is the worst mentality anyone can have. The work should always be evolving. You can't just plant a bulb and expect it to grow, you gotta water it, mulch it and weed around it. And don't be afraid to go completely back to the drawing board. Although painful at first, it will put hair on your chest and prepare you for what really happens. It is also nice to show someone who gave you feedback, that you listened to them and took them seriously.

Now these 3 rules shouldn't be the end all be all of things to do, but they are my three cardinal rules. If anyone has another, I would love to hear it.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

If There is a Hand, Grab It and Don't Let Go.

Recently I have been trying to get my name out there in ad world, which is a lot like swimming across the Atlantic on an empty stomach (that doesn't make too much sense, but I'm keeping it).

Well it's safe to say it's tough, brutally tough. But I have come across a lot of helping hands. Some from my university, some from my family and friends and some from god knows where. LinkedIn has been an incredible resource. People on LinkedIn who comment on forums and blogs care about helping out others. Twitter is another great place to saddle up and beg from some criticism. It may not get me a job, but it gets me valuable comments that will help better my book and get my name out there.

You can't expect to just announce your name the day after graduation and have people come begging to have you come work at their shops. No. You gotta put some leg work into it and build your stuff to be the best it can be, which means to not only hear the opinions your classmates and your professors, but everyone in the industry. Then you will see if it will float or sink like the titanic, without the Celion Dion song.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Colin the Hipocrit

Advertising is my life right now. Looking for a job, emailing people I know, sending out my portfolio, fixing my website, fixing my portfolio, redoing my portfolio, creating new camapigns, writing a blog are all things I have been doing for the past couple months. Especially this past week, I have been chained to my desk. But that's who I am.

I am a huge dork and I thank my father for that.

But I also remind myself that all work and no play is not the person to be. I'm in college. These are the last few years of my life I can enjoy time off, drink on the weekdays and watch Jack Bauer save the world with my best friends. It also is important pertaining to advertising. It is the one industry that you need to be a people person. I need to know pop culture. I need to know who people are and how they act. I need to be a 21 year old kid in college because this is the one time I can be.

But I'll be the first one to say that I do work too hard. So in this blog I have been preaching "DO THIS, READ THAT, LOOK AT THIS..." But in this post I'm telling you to be a student and live it up, not only because you should, but also it will make you a better ad person, which is kind of dorky way to look at it.

There are a lot of people out there that don't relate to this post and already live it up. If so, then it's another excuse to have an extra beer.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

If you have any spare time.

List of the best Advertising books that I have read:

1. Where the Suckers Moon, by Randall Rothenberg
This book is probably the best book to read when entering the industry. It gives a full on look at how a campaign comes to be, from the new business pitches to finally seeing the spot on tv. It is very well rounded because it speaks from many different POV's, the account side, the creative side, the client side, the agency side. Truly, in my opinion, the best.

2. Hey Whipple Squeeze This, by Luke Sullivan
I have a soft spot for this book because it was one of the matches that lit the advertising fire for me. I feel it is the best book if you're just starting out. Learn how to think, how to write, how to design, how to get your name out there... I could go on.

3. The Advertising Concept Book, by Pete Barry
Pete Barry was one of my professors at Syracuse University, but from a non biased view this book is up there with Luke Sullivan's book. It is a great start-up guide to being a creative in the ad program or school. The best part about his book, is that he put in work, as examples, of what his students did. So as a beginner in the ad industry your not only looking at the best ads ever made, but your looking at great work that students made.

4. Lovemarks, by Kevin Roberts
Kevin is the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi and has had every prestigious job you possibly can in the ad industry, including the client side, but in his dialogue he doesn't preach. This book is chalked up with great stories of how campaigns came to be and what it is like to be a part of one of the biggest ad agencies in the world. I'm currently halfway through it right now.

5. Advertising Now. by Taschen
These books are my MUST BUY books. I have the print version. They are a collection of some of the best of the best in advertising. There is always the One Show and CA and all of the other annuals, but this one is a well rounded compilation of ads.

I do have biases when it comes to reading because I was never a heavy book worm as a kid. I actually hated reading. So take it from me, that every single one of these books is an easy and entertaining read.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Lego Their Ego

So last week I saw Nina DiSesa come speak.

A little background to her ascent up the Mt. Olympus of Advertising. Nina started at a small ad agency writing radio spots in Virginia and yadda yadda yadda she is now the first female chairman of McCann Erickson.

So now that you're caught up. Nina came to talk about survival in the ad industry. Specifically she spoke a lot about being a woman in an industry filled with men, but there were a lot of things that apply to everyone.

The biggest thing I took from her talk was how to deal with everyone's ego, because honestly there are a lot of people in the ad business who like to eat at their own buffet. And ironically she said the way to deal with these types of people is to not fight it but turn the other cheek. I find this interesting but it makes sense because the ad industry is a "relationship" industry and as long as your own image isn't affected it doesn't hurt to be supportive and smile even when it hurts.

So beware of the chest pounding, lords of the ad business.

I highly recommend seeing her speak or read her book "Seducing the Boys Club". I skipped over a lot of important things she said because you just have to here how she says it.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Finding a Full Time Job is a Full Time Job

Good god. It has been crazy recently.
My mum who is now my agent, has been talking to her friends left and right because she is AMAZING! She has recently put me in contact with her best friends' brothers and sisters and cousins best friends, etc. And I have been accumulating contacts left and right. But it has been so good on the networking front, that it has been really hard to keep up. Emailing these people, responding to emails, sending websites and follow ups. My head is spinning like Beetlejuice.

But it could be worse and I could have no one to contact or email or send follow ups to. So I am saying, let's keep this up. If you can't run the marathon don't enter the race.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Finding Water in the Desert

So I'm starting to churn the butter in the networking world, by looking for any sort of connections I can get my hands on. And I have to say I started off pretty pessimistic.

Why? Well off the top of my head I don't really know anyone that works in the advertising industry that is in my family or friends of our family. My father is a general manager for a labels manufacturer and my mother is an independent contractor, that works with a real estate agency. So at first my perspective was blique.

But I've recently become aware of the power of networking. It truely is a majestic thing. For instance my girlfriend has an aunt in Rhode Island, who is best friends with an Account Executive at an agency in Chicago. Or My mum and dad live down the street from a woman who's neice works for an shop in Chicago, who then forwarded my site onto her design friend. TRUELY AMAZING.

All I have to say is, don't underestimate networking. Because even though you may think you're in the desert, but it turns out you're really surrounded by water if you look hard anough.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Epic Journey to colinpaulmurphy.com

It is March 24, 2009 and now I can finally start networking.

But you think, "Wait a second mister, you should have been networking a long time ago." I would answer I have, but not "really" networking. I feel networking doesn't really happen once you face the inevitable monster, that is creating your own website. Once that happens you can send out your work as easy as JELL-O (because easy as pie, really isn't that easy).

And I have finally defeated that monster with an axe called Dreamweaver CS3 and an arrow called Flash CS3, because my website is up AND running smoothly.
(It's been up for about a week and a half or so, but it was not even close to being "ready". I had a whole bunch of small "detailed" problems that I became aware of every time someone had a complaint. But all of the major ones are fixed.)

So today is the GRAND OPENING of colinpaulmurphy.com.
If this were an actual, physical place there would be giant inflatable gorillas floating around with confetti and streamers filling the air while a professional marching band plays Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
But it's not, so I guess this post will have to do.

So now I can begin networking... Does anyone need a copywriter or art director?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Messin with Fire

My Redbull campaign was finally done.

I finished designing my final print component and I was ready to show the world my amazing campaign that would get everyone in the world to drink Redbull. So I posted it on this blog and ihaveanidea.org.

Just a side story about ihaveanidea. Ihaveanidea.com has an open forum where students post work and anyone, usually people in the industry, can make anonymous comments. This is a website that I have to say is a necessary evil. Even though a lot of people are ruthless and spare no sugar coating, they do know what they are saying. This is why I post everything I can on there. To see how my work fares against the hungry wolves.

So I go back to my first sentence, "My Redbull campaign was finally done" where there is a keyword that pains me to say but is true, "was".

My Redbull campaign is no longer done. Actually it is no longer even close to being done because I have to completely re-execute everything. After reading the comments on my work on how the style has been done 1000x and the line has been executed before, verbatim, I knew what was inevitable.

But I am not mad, sometimes you have to swallow the medicine now because it will make you better in the end. So now I am back to the sweatshop. But next time, it will be done...hopefully.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

RedBull






Special thanks to Chris Tschantz, who created the title procrastiNATION, and helped me throughout the brainstorm process. I owe you big time.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

My Mean Joe Greene

One of the most important things I learned in a lecture my junior year was to get a mentor. I took this to heart, heading into my internship as an Art Director at Doner Advertising. I had no idea how deep the jungle was or how to survive. Luckily there were two men at that agency that I luckily could follow in their tracks and learn as much as possible. These men may not have been Mean Joe Greene, but they defanitly gave me more than just some sweaty, old football jersey.

These two men were Kevin Delsanter and Chris Tschantz.
There were other AWESOME people at that agency but these two stick out because of how much advice I could possible consume still resonates with me.

I will start with Kevin.
He was my big brother. He taught me how to mess around without getting caught by mom and dad (the CD's and the agency heads). We went through battles together with Arby's and came out bleeding and came out captains of the ship. He taught me how to enjoy a 9 to 5/6/7/8, he taught me how to grease the wheels (i.e. do it again) and he taught me how to love advertising.

Chris was more of a Batman, if I were Robin.
He is my true mentor. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, pardon the clichés. But it is true. The best part about Chris is that he rarely ever taught me, he showed me. He showed me how to think, how to act and how to play the poker tables in Vegas. But what is best about Chris was not what he taught me but who he was. This man graduated in undergrad, graduated portfolio center and had a slew of opportunities to work at some of the best agencies, working on some of the best clients. But he traded it in, for his family.
That is a man, that I want to follow.

I apologize if this post is a little too much cheese, but it is the truth. These men have changed the way I look at working in any industry, with any people, in any city. And I thank them for that.

Monday, January 26, 2009

What is a Potty Mouth?

Where is the line in advertising?

It is like no other industry. Creatives wear t-shirts wrinkled and jeans with holes. Cubicles are filled with Nerf guns and creative briefs chaotically scattered across desks. I hear stories of swearing, drinking, and loligagging around the office till it's time to punch out.

I come from a father who has bored me with old school business ethics since I could pick up a fork. So hearing of a creative amusement park like the advertising industry has me excited like an old woman on The Price is Right. (It's not the same without Bob anymore)

But there has to be a line. You can't wander into work hungover and drunk swearing like a sailor shooting freethrows all day. No way.

This has recently interested me due to the many responses I received from my first post, where on multiple occasions I say the F-word and avoid saying words like hell and bull shit.

I feel as the author it was justifiable. I didn't just swear for swearing's sake. I swore to clarify how upset people are at this current juncture. I feel it adds attitude and truth to the topic that I was writing about. If I were to censor myself it would be boring and a pile of marshmallow fluff.

But I do follow my father's examples most of the time, when he says that there are somethings you don't pack into your briefcase, and swearing is one of them.

But as I enter and converse with people in the industry when is it okay?

I have heard CEO's come speak in front of a massive crowd and let loose some language that you only speak in the locker room. And I have also heard people that have probably bitten a few bars of soap in their childhood and would never swear in public.

Right now I have no answer. But In my opinion I like to test the waters first when choosing certain words to converse with.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

A Brand Called Colin Paul Murphy

Swimming, Sneakers, Menus, Beards, Viewfinders, 3-D Glasses, Shaky Hands, Martha Stewart, Glasses, Hybrids and Speech Bubbles.

These are all of the concepts I considered deeply when branding myself.
And I forgot to mention peanut butter and jelly.

My problem, was my ignorance.

I hear of these stories of people making incredible impacts on recruiters and CD's by showing their portfolio in AMAZING ways. A binder made of plastic bags, a portfolio shown on napkins, and all of the fixin's.

One awesome story I read in Luke Sullivan's Book "Hey Whipple Squeeze This". A kid put all of his work into a wallet made a fake license with the CEO's name on it and dropped it in the bathroom of the building where the agency was located. Then yadda, yadda, yadda, the kid got a job and Luke Sullivan is writing about him.

I went to bed that night concocting this brilliant scheme that I can put together, like the wallet, to get a job and eventually make millions, win 20 gold medals and be the president of the universe.

Well let's just say I'm still working on the job part.

I came back down to reality last semester when I told my professor all of my extravagant ideas of how I'm going to make a menu out of my portfolio and have all this interesting, food diction in my ad descriptions and blah, blah, blah.

My professor looked at my work with a reaction that I was not looking for. Content.
No remarks of pure genius, or singing from the heavens or kissing of my feet. Nothing.

That's when I realized, back to the sketchbook for me. So I slowly made more ideas come together. Ones that would express my humor and personality, ones that showed physical characteristics unique to me, ones that I loved and ones that I hated. I juiced it till there was only rhine.

Recently I came up with two ideas. Both were nothing special but showed some of the few things I wanted.
One was based around my glasses and one was based around my working style.

In the first concept I wanted to brand my glasses. I knew that this wasn't original, actually it is probably number 3 on most common things to make a personal logo out of next to animals and faces. But I thought of a great line that made it unique,
four eyes are better than two.
It gave off my style of advertising and writing; it said "I'm confident"; it said fuck you world make room for the bees knees.
But it didn't say who the hell is Colin Murphy. It just said I wear glasses.

So my second idea. One that has been the base of all of my concepts from start to finish: I am an idea man. Again not original. But it is something I'm standing by throughout this job process. I'm not the greatest Art Director and I'm not the greatest Copywriter. I'm a Thinker that can do both. When I was applying for internships they always told me to choose one, Art Director or Copywriter.

So from now on with this branding I will give agencies the honest truth. I'm a hybrid of both. I can write great copy and form a great design to boot. My professors have said that the industry is changing because the line between art director and copywriter is beginning to blur. To me, I am that line.

Here is my first attempt logo design:

Friday, January 16, 2009

Vitamin Shoppe Campaign





Copywriter: Kevin Delsanter
Art Director: Colin Murphy

Thursday, January 15, 2009

MLB Playoff Billboard

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

McDonald's Ad

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Walking an Unbeaten Path

I am fucked.

That is what everyone is saying,
I am fucked.

We are all second semester seniors at Syracuse University in Advertising. And what is on everyone's mind is,
What the H-E-Double Hockeysticks am I going to to do? We are going up against other seniors in art schools and other universities. We are up against people coming out of Portfolio Center, Miami Ad School, and other ridiculously awesome schools that none of us can afford right now. We are up against other creatives, juniors, and even seniors that have been in the industry for 5+ years. We are coming into an job market that looks like a gunfight in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (not including Junior). We have every right to say fuck.

But we can't.
And I want/have to figure out how.

I can only talk from my experience and future experiences so that is what I am going to do.

So to tie all of this BS together, is where I begin... How do I walk the unbeaten path.

I will write as much as possible on my epic Lord of the Rings journey through the dark, hot hell of getting my book out into the industry and trying to find a job in the most competitive, crazy and incredibly fun industry known as advertising.

Armed with my pride and joy (my portfolio), a thirst to aim high and an incredible, knee melting charm. I am ready to get this process going.

I will post my work,
Feel free to slash it, bash it and burn it, so I can make it better.
And I will describe everything and anything I encounter, when trying to enter the advertising world.
Enjoy.