This week our friends and partners in all things sustainability, Saatchi S, announced a new CEO for North America. It’s always exciting to add some new blood to the family, and Annie Longsworth brings all kinds of great experience from the worlds of business and sustainability. As an introduction, we present you with the above clip of Annie talking sustainability marketing and emotional resonance in 2010.
Sounds like she’ll fit right in at the home of Lovemarks.
In our world of deadlines, meetings and daily pressures we often forget to take a few steps back and reflect on what we give back to the world. There’s truth in the simple philosophy of “paying it forward”; lending a few hours a month to help others can make a difference.
This Tuesday (December20th) we have five open slots for Saatchi employees to volunteer 2 hours of their time to help spread cheer to those less fortunate than ourselves. We’ll be traveling to the New York City Rescue Mission to help serve dinner to shelter residents. It is always a meaningful experience that provides so much to the people you serve, especially during the holiday season.
We welcome any and all to participate!!! Please reach out directly to Daniel Riddick (x3890) to reserve your spot for tomorrow, December 20th.
The shelter is located on the corner of Lafayette and White Streets. Volunteering lasts from 4:30 PM until around 6:30. We typically meet in the lobby of 375 Hudson and walk down as a group. We look forward to you joining us on Tuesday!
Mr Werbach at last year's AAF Hall of Achievement (2nd from the right)
Today’s post is just a quick congrats to fellow-ad folks. Yesterday Adam Werbach, the Chairman of Saatchi S (& recent Influencer Conference speaker) was asked to give the introduction to this year’s AAF Hall of Achievement Awards. The event celebrates 6 inspiring leaders under 40 who are both on top of their field and doing social good. Adam is Co-Chair of event and former inductee, and Saatchi & Saatchi also was a gold corporate sponsor. It’s also worth mentioning that our own Mary Baglivo is also a past inductee. Congrats to this year’s winners, a full list of which can be found – here.
This weekend, some of the Saatchi NY team had the privilege to travel to Los Angeles for the 2011 ADCOLOR awards. While they were there, they accepted this year’s Most Valuable Partnership (MVP for short) award on behalf of the agency. The award went our way as a result of our 12 year partnership with the amazing, wonderful, spectacular, and most importantly, effective, Street Lights program. We’ve provided a little more information on the program for you below, and since Mr. Sheldon Levy had to skype his acceptance speech, we had the chance to include it for you above. Congrats to everyone who’s helped us win this recognition!
ON STREETLIGHTS
For over 10 years, Saatchi has participated in the Commercial Diversity Initiative (CDI) to specifically target TV commercial production. The group, through Streetlights, partners with clients to offer qualified graduates of the program a chance to make that difficult first move up the career ladder to apprenticeships. The majority of Streetlights participants are economically and socially disadvantaged and the ultimate goal is to help advance their professional careers. It’s also building a much needed industry-wide minority talent pool, with jobs ranging from Gaffer to Grip, Producer to Prop Master, Assistant Camera to Assistant Director. Experienced graduate apprentices earn Union eligibility days in order to join their Union local.
At the same time, the financial assistance of the partner companies allows Streetlights to train more Production Assistants, so they can also advance and become part of our minority database. Streetlights enables Saatchi to “speak our hearts with our spend” in a tangible way. Through our partnership with Streetlights, we have been able to target the money we spend on our clients behalf to have a specific and consistent effect on the participants in the program.
Too early to start thinking about long sleeves and jackets? Maybe. But it’s not too early to start your end of summer checklist. While it’s still warm outside, make sure you take a trip to the best outdoor markets in NYC.
NEW AMSTERDAM MARKET
The New Amsterdam Market, located slightly east of the South Street Seaport, is a mix between a green market and a street fair. You’ll find fresh produce, local wines and canned goods in addition to prepared food like lobster rolls, popsicles and even meat pies! Check the website before you go as many times there are themed days (IE Local Wine Weekend or Oyster Fest.) And across the street is the Fulton Street Stall Market which features a smaller selection of prepared goods like jam, coffee and wine.
Hours & Location: Sundays, 11a-4p (except September 4 & November 27) // Fulton Fish Market
Website: http://www.newamsterdammarket.org // Fulton Stall Market: http://fultonstallmarket.com
HESTER STREET FAIR
The Hester Street Fair is a foodie’s paradise. While nearly 75% of the vendors change each week, some of the regulars include Luke’s Lobster, Mighty Balls, Daisy Duke’s BBQ and The Shaved Ice Shop. You’ll still find some local produce, but the emphasis is much more on the culture of the LES and vendors that encompass that culture than plain produce.
Hours & Location: Saturdays, 10a-6p // Hester St. & Essex St.
Website: http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/
BROOKLYN FLEA
Brooklyn Flea is best known for the art of thrifting. The hunt is on for unique vintage items – from furniture to clothes, from jewelry to art. Local artists sell their wares for reduced rates and each vendor has amazing stories to tell.
Hours & Location: 10a-5p
Saturdays: 176 Lafayette Ave (Ft Greene)
Sundays: East River Waterfront (Williamsburg)
Website: http://www.brooklynflea.com/
SMORGASBURG
Smorgasburg is run by the same people who run the Brooklyn Flea, but is entirely food focused. My mouth is watering over Speedy Romeo‘s hand-pulled mozzarella topped with salsa verde and seasonal garnishes that Daily Candy featured in their guide to the market. Like the New Amsterdam Market, many Saturdays are themed (ex: Drinks Day & Meatopia) so check the website for favorites and mark your calendars in advance.
Hours & Location: Saturdays 9a-5p // 127 North Street (at the waterfront)
Website: http://brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg/
UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
If you’re looking to stock up on produce, the Union Square Greenmarket has the largest selection. In addition to loads of fresh-picked veggies and fruits, you’ll also find a great selection of artisanal cheeses & breads, locally produced wine and locally sourced meat. It can be a bit crowded on Saturday, but it’s always worth the chaos.
Hours & Location: 8a-6p Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday // Union Square
Website: http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket
It was rainy in New York yesterday. Really, really rainy. Which is why it made our day when we got the below post from May Madarang about sunshine and fresh vegetables from the rooftop garden here at H/H. Now bookmark the post, then go home and use it to make some margarita pizza from scratch. You’re welcome . . .
Last week it was my turn on our group schedule to water the rooftop garden. The vegetables were blooming and the day was sunny and beautiful. So much so, that I was inspired to take some of them home and use them to make a delicious dinner. Below is a pictoral step-by-step and recipe for margarita RTG:375, a pizza made almost entirely from our rooftop garden.
Margarita RTG:375
Balled up
The flattened dough
Fruit & Veg, fresh from the RTG
Chop
Soak
compile
Cook
Enjoy
Ingredients:
Fresh Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Green Peppers
Fresh Mozzarella
Tomato Sauce with garlic powder
For Dough:
3 cups flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp of Oregano
1 tbsp of Parsley
3/4 to 1 cups of water
Mix dry ingredients. Add water, work in the oil and mix until it forms a ball. Continue to knead with hands. If dough is stiff, add more water. If it is sticky, add more flour.
Shape dough into ball and spread out with the palms of your hand. Lay on a cookie sheet with flour sprinkled so it will come off easily.
Brush olive oil around the crust area and pour tomato sauce in the middle and spread with a spoon. Add layer of fresh basil and cut up green bell peppers. Place fresh chunks of fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes cut in half. With a spoon, dollop a few drops of sauce on the cheese so that it doesn’t burn too easily. Heat at 400° for 20 minutes.
TAH DAH! Delish pizza, my dinner last night and lunch today!
The below posts comes from three of our awesome interns: Kelisha Menon, Catherine Wright, Eve Pollet.
Here’s the thing. ‘Going Green’ means that you have to change your whole lifestyle and that’s hard. It’s such a big ask that it’s actually not efficient at all. You don’t want hard and overwhelming. You want easy and efficient. You want positivity. You want to feel like you’re already a part of something awesome. That’s why Saatchi wants everyone to Go Blue. True Blue. It came to our attention recently that a lot of people around the office haven’t even heard of True Blue, let alone know what it is. But the fact is – it’s awesome! So do your good deed for the day and check out the 101.
WHAT’S BLUE?
A lot of people care green issues but very few actually act on them. Blue is better than green. It’s sustainability, and at the heart of sustainability is people. Sustainability is about working together to make sure we can all coexist, but it’s also about being realistic. After all, it’s not the earth we need to save per se – the earth would do just fine without us – it’s humanity we have to save. True Blue puts people at the center.
Our approach to sustainability is broken into 4 pillars; environmental, society, cultural, and economic efforts. These pillars are used to inspire people to make good choices that may benefit the planet, but also their personal well being. Going blue is attainable. It goes beyond the political to personal. You do not have to be a barefooted granola to be blue, you just have to care about yourself and the world around you – which hopefully isn’t too hard.
THE HISTORY
Saatchi & Saatchi S was founded in 2008 and was the birth of blue at Saatchi. It is designed to inspire clients and “activate companies for good” by encouraging them to engage in and promote Blue practices.
THE IMPACT
True Blue has significantly impacted the way that Saatchi does things and efforts have already shown effect. First of all, Saatchi headquarters is the first (existing – meaning wasn’t built since LEED certification came around) building in the city to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certified. That means alternative wind energy, low-flush toilets to reduce water consumption, and sorting garbage, just to name a few. We also have the beautiful Roof Top Garden (RTG:375), organic options in the atrium, a reusable mug program, and affiliations with charity organizations. Just by being in the building, you are already part of the True Blue effort.
Saatchi.org is a regular feature where the SaatchiNY team shares the charities and non-profit organizations that really hit them on a gut level. We’ve asked the entire agency to tell us about where they volunteer, why it’s such a worthwhile cause and how you can get involved to help out.This week, SaatchiNY AAE Aisha Washington takes a look at a fundraiser she’s planning for the Amy Biehl Foundation.
THE CHARITY: AMY BIEHL FOUNDATION
The Amy Biehl foundation is a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Cape Town, South Africa. The organization is named after a Stanford graduate, Fulbright Scholar, and anti-apartheid activist who was murdered during the final days of apartheid. Amy’s killers were later pardoned during the Truth and Reconciliation committee at the urging of her parents–an event that became fundamental to the economic and racial integration of post apartheid South Africa. Today, the foundation continues to support Amy’s vision by reaching out to thousands of children in South Africa’s townships through after school programs. The programs not only keep youth off the streets, but also help them develop the necessary skills to thrive as productive members of post-apartheid South African society. For more information about the Amy Biehl Foundation please visit: http://www.amybiehl.org/.
HOW TO HELP
Come out for a night of dancing, drinks and live 80s music in support of the Amy Biehl Foundation. On Thursday, June 23rd from 8pm until midnight the ABF will host its first inaugural NY fundraising event at Canal Room. Rubix Kube, the “ultimate 80s tribute band,” will be performing and there will be a top shelf open bar, hors d’oeuvres, door prizes and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the foundation and help to continue the important work being done for the children of South Africa.
To purchase tickets or make a donation, please visit: http://www.ABF-June23.com/.
For more information about the Amy Biehl Foundation visit: http://www.amybiehl.org/
We would love to see you there!