Archive for March, 2012

Links You Should Give A S#*T About

Friday, March 30th, 2012

TGIF! To celebrate, here’s some great apps, an amazing tirade in the name of advertising and a charity worth looking into. Happy browsing . . .

WHAT MAKES YOU TOO GOOD FOR ADVERTISING?

Earlier this week, perhaps inspired by the post Mad Men season premier fervor, one of Gawker’s regular bloggers posted a rant urging creative types to stay far, FAR away from advertising. Later in the day Drew Magary posted a counterpoint to the argument that’s just priceless. Fair warning – not for those offended by “bad words.”

TWEEGRAM

Tweegram allows you to write all your thoughts into your social timeline with a lot of templates and your favorite photos. It’s a super simple idea but it’s a cool way to share a few words with your friends.

GIGWALK

Gigwalk is “the first ever mobile distributed work force.”  In short, it’s a local freelance-search machine that tells you where current gigs are and you get paid cash to do them!

PICFRAME

PicFrame helps you combine multiple photos into beautiful frames, then share them with your friends and family via Facebook, Email, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr. With 60 fully adjustable frames, rounded corners, photo effects, plenty of patterns and an easy color selector, you will always have a unique look.

RESTAURANTS AGAINST HUNGER

Restaurants Against Hunger is a charity worth checking out. Action Against Hunger’s annual Restaurants Against Hunger campaign partners with leaders from the food and beverage industry to call attention to global hunger. Each year, the campaign raises vital funds and support for ACF’s life-saving humanitarian programs. Take action by donating, fundraising and getting involved.

Category: Links

King St. Q&A w/ Neil Levin

Friday, March 30th, 2012

Neil Levin is a Creative Director here at Saatchi NY. He’s been with the agency for more than 10 (!) years and is all around pretty awesome.

WHAT DO YOU DO AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI?
Creative Director

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
Chick-Fil-A, including a stint as Doodles (the Chick-Fil-A Chicken).

WHAT LED YOU ON THE PATH YOU’RE ON TODAY?
Desperation to not work at Bennigan’s all my life. And a lucky break from a customer who was in advertising.

WHAT ARE YOUR LOVEMARKS?
Apple (how cliché), Playstation, Wegman’s

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE AD (ALL TIME OR CURRENTLY)?
“Toby Learns a New Trick” :15 for Stanley Steamer. It’s what my kids think I should aspire to.

IF YOU NEVER HAD TO WORK AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO DO?
Learn to play guitar.

FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE BEEN TO?
Italy

WHAT’S YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
Everything I once prized has been ruined by my kids.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEO?
This one:

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU MAKE REALLY WELL?
Chicken Soup

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WARM-WEATHER NYC ACTIVITY?
Walking around, people watching

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO KARAOKE SONG?
“Save a Prayer” by Duran Duran

WHAT’S THE BEST MEAL YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Fish sticks and peas, the first “home cooked” meal my wife and I had as young newlyweds.

IF YOU COULD BE THE WORLD RECORD HOLDER OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Whack-a-Mole

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CREATIVE PURSUIT?
Coming up with ads that confound testing.

WHAT BLOGS/MAGAZINES/BOOKS/PAPERS/WEBSITES CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT:
Entertainment Weekly, John Irving Books, CNN, Publicis GEARS

WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT EVENT YOU WENT TO?
My son’s 3rd grade Syracuse team winning a March Madness game at his school.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Your book really is not good. Take everything out and start over.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE STORY?
Having one of my TV spots referenced on David Letterman’s Top Ten.

Category: King St. Q&A

Get Socialized.

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

Feeling inspired by last week’s Spring-like weather, we thought it would be fun to do a regular post on random exciting things happening around the city that were great for warm weather. Unfortunately . . . it got cold again this week. Since we’re not sure what the weather has in store for the next five days, we took the same idea and removed the warm weather bit. In a nutshell – looking for something fun to do this weekend? Here are some ideas from the H/H team. Enjoy!

FOR HAPPY HOUR:  The Woods – Brooklyn

The Woodsis a Brooklyn staple – complete with a dance floor, lounge seats, a backyard of picnic tables with a greenhouse roof and… A TACO TRUCK! One stop in on the L train brings you to the Happy Hour place that has everything you could possibly want, drunchies included. While we know it’s a little presumptuous to assume you’re willing to go to Brooklyn for Happy Hour if you live in Manhattan, we aren’t afraid to admit that we’ve done it because it’s worth it!

FOR THE WEEKEND:

DIALOG IN THE DARK – South Street Seaport

Web: dialognyc.com
Subway: A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton St (Nassau St)
Cost: $18–$23.50
Hours: Fri – Sat 10am–9pm; Sun 10am–7pm

This exhibit at the South Street Seaport is unlike anything else you’ll find in the city. Go through a pitch black space, led by someone who’s genuinely visually impaired, and encounter tons of sounds and smells quintessential to New York. It’s sort of like seeing the city for the first time again . . . without actually seeing

ALIVE-NESSES: PROPOSAL FOR ADAPTATION – The Highline

Web: thehighline.org
Subway: A, C, E to 14th St (Eighth Ave); L to Eighth Ave (14th St)
Cost: Free
Hours: Today – Sat till midnight; Sun till midnight

If, by chance, the nice weather comes back for the weekend – this outdoor art exhibit should be at the top of your list. Artist Charles Mary Kubricht takes standard storage containers, mixes with a dash of inspiration from WW1 camouflage and comes out with something extraordinary. Best of all . . . it’s free

FLOATING KABARETTE! – Downtown

Web:http://bit.ly/HnOIuG
Subway: Subway: A, C to High St; F to York St
Cost: $20
Time: Sat 10pm until Saturday (through June 30th)

Do you like the circus, burlesque and magic? Floating Kabarette is THE place for you. Galapagos art space is known for their off the wall exhibits and shows, and this night of music and entertainment is no exception. Fair warning, the hosting duo can (performance artists Olga and Bjorn) tend to have a potty mouth. If swearing offends you, steer clear.

Category: Events, New York

Saatchi Cooks

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

We’ve gotten such a positive response from our Saatchi Eats series, that the H/H team thought it might be fun to take a look at what people at the agency were up to when dining IN (yes, some people in NYC do use their kitchen for purposes other than storage). So today, we asked H/H regular Cristina Pansolini to chime in with one of her favorite recipes – her aunt’s Corn Bread Soufflé. It looks delicious . . .

Corn Bread Soufflé

Ingredients

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix – Must be Jiffy
2 cans of corn
2 cans of creamed corn
2 sticks of butter
2 cups of sour cream

Instructions

  1. Mix all together, Spray a 9×12”  pan with non stick spray and dump it all in.
  2. Bake for 45 min- 1 hour at 350 degrees

“I remember this by calling it the 5 two’s and 1.  2 of all ingredients and 1 hour bake time.” – Lisa Cacciato-Dalgaard

Category: Our People, Saatchi Eats

MVAAFF: Now in 3D

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

2011 marked the third consecutive year Saatchi & Saatchi sponsored the NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Producer’s Award at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. This award celebrates the indomitable spirit of Independent Filmmakers, whose achievements often defy the laws of both finance and physics. Their passion, persistence and vision are the very essence of ‘Nothing is Impossible.’

And so we ask you to join us this Friday for our 6th NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Award Screening Series from the 2011 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. This week’s film is Take Too Long (trt 17 min), a beautiful and haunting animated short centered on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. To add to the excitement, we’ll be screening the film twice, both of which will be projected in awesome 3D!

ABOUT TAKE TOO LONG
This film depicts the wake of Hurricane Katrina where a young couple tries to reunite with a lost father, and while doing so witness the panoramic specter of destruction and destitution that was New Orleans. The director, Kwesi Davis, went from writing software for the gaming industry to NYU’s film school, before leaving early to join Pixar’s animation studio. His Nothing Is Impossible film utilized all those skills to tell the story New Orleans/Katrina story in a unique and memorable way.

THE DETAILS
To join us for this very special premier and participate in a Q & A with director/ producer Kwesi Davis please see info below:

When: Friday, March 30th
Where: Boardroom
RSVP: Email Danica Rosen
Screening times: 12-1pm or 1:30-2:30 (max 25 people per screening)

Lunch will be served.

See you in the screening room!

Category: Events, Film & Television

It’s Miller Time

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Remember Miller Time? The much beloved tag line for Miller Lite is back, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Following hot on the heels of the new stuff for Miller 64, the Miller team here at Saatchi NY debuted a new set of spots for Miller Lite last week (one of which is above). For the full story, be sure to head over to the great piece Ad Age did on the brand.

Category: Creative, New York, Our People

Links You Should Give A S#*T About

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

We’re not sure how it happened, but its Friday afternoon again. “What,” you might be asking, “is so great about Friday afternoons?” Well today, it’s that it’s 75 degrees and sunny in NYC despite being just March 23rd. Also great about Fridays? Our roundup of Links You Should Give a S#*t About! Happy browsing . . .

8 BIT MAD MEN

 

We selected this 8-bit Mad Men game because it is both awesome and in celebration of the show’s return on Sunday night.

THE GENTLEMEN’S RANT

The Gentlemen’s Rant is a YouTube channel of the man’s man ranting about things that bother them. It’s pretty hilarious, and chuck full of sarcasm

PSYCHO FACTZ

Psycho Factz is just a bunch of random facts . . . and that’s that. Some are scary, some are funny, and some are just really weird.

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

PRIME from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.

This Must Be The Place compiles short documentaries about places. Sounds simple enough, and that’s the beauty of it. From a waiter who’s worked at a classic diner for 60 years to a Brooklyn artist who makes junk into beauty, the stories are inspiring and shot beautifully.

WANELO

Wanelo is a lot like Pinterest but more focused on buying. You can sign up for weekly emails about trending items associated with your chosen interests. They have everything from cool Chinese iPhone cases to homemade Etsy products.

Category: Links

King St. Q&A w/ Sean Stogner

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

Sean Stogner is a Community Manager at SaatchiNY. He also happens to juggle/spin/flip fire and really awesome glowing hoops and things in his spare time. You can learn more about that side of his personality at GyroPulse, or by following him on Twitter @gyrosean

WHAT DO YOU DO AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI?
I’m currently working as a Community Manager here at Saatchi NY.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
I was a Lifeguard at a summer camp for 4 years, starting when I was 15.

WHAT LED YOU ON THE PATH YOU’RE ON TODAY?
Circus Arts. Theatre. A whole number of weird and seemingly disjointed interests, but this is something I’ve been doing in one form or another since I was in high school.

WHAT ARE YOUR LOVEMARKS?
BetaBrand is by far my favorite. They’re marketing is fantastic, epic, and a lot of other crazy adjectives. Beyond that: Apple, Flowtoys, Brooklyn Salsa, and Momo Falana.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE AD (ALL TIME OR CURRENTLY)?
I’m a big fan of the recent Old Spice commercials. As you can tell I like a little bit of random in my life.

IF YOU NEVER HAD TO WORK AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO DO?
Travel and Play.

FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE BEEN TO?
NYC, which is why I chose to live here, twice! I came here for school, moved away, and quickly realized that was a mistake. 

WHAT’S YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
The only thing that comes to mind with this question is my wife (lady-friend), but I’m pretty sure it’s not cool to call her my “Most Prized Possession”.  

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEO?
I love all the silly auto-tune videos from Schmoyoho, and if I had to pick a favorite, it’d probably be “The Rent is Too Damn High” Song.

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU MAKE REALLY WELL?
A Peanut Butter Sandwich.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COLD-WEATHER NYC ACTIVITY?
Tea Lounge, with a book or my computer. And Tash (my lady).

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHTIME SPOT NEAR THE OFFICE?
I don’t know the name of the deli a few block south. But it’s pretty good and less crowded.

WHAT’S YOUR GO TO KARAOKE SONG? (COME ON, WE KNOW YOU HAVE ONE).
I’m down to rock out with David Bowie.

WHAT’S THE BEST MEAL YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Ethiopian Food at Awash always come to mind with this question.

IF YOU COULD BE THE WORLD RECORD HOLDER OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Being Awesome.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CREATIVE PURSUIT?
Poi, Hooping and Juggling

WHAT BLOGS/MAGAZINES/BOOKS/PAPERS/WEBSITES CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
Mashable, Playpoi, Engadget, Gizmodo, and The Ticket (Dallas Sports Radio).

WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT EVENT YOU WENT TO?
Burning Man 2011

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Carpe Awesome.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE STORY?
Seeing all the awesome people with “superpowers” at the juggling and fire spinning events. They come from all walks of life and everyone is accepting and friendly. It gives me so much hope and belief in humanity.

Category: King St. Q&A, New York, Our People