FESTIVAL – DAY SIX

Today I attended my first master class. The first thing I notice was how much more relaxed, hectic, and unorganized the setup was! However, it was nice to be in the Young Lions zone (oh how I’ve missed the colored walls and bean bag chairs!). The master class we attended was HP Graphics Arts & BBDO.

This class focused on the recent, award winning Billboard Magazine campaign. Markos Mederios, the creative director of the campaign (who is apparently a “rockstar”) told us about his Grand Prix work. The initial perspective on the separation between magazines and artists was that magazines were made up of dots and artists were built from their influences/inspirations… so why not put the two together?

The campaign integrated the “influences” of major artists and the “dots” of traditional magazines. The idea culminated in a series of portraits (Eminem, Britney, Michael Jackson, Ozzy Ozbourne) made up of dots. However, the dots were in fact smaller likeness of the artists’ specific idols. For example, Michael Jackson was composed of Diana Ross, and two others artists he claimed inspired him. They also created a specific alphabet for each artist, transforming the letters to represent something from their career. For example, the “T” in Madonna’s alphabet was a cross (symbolizing the iconic “like a virgin” song/music video).

Having combined the “behind the scenes” aspects of magazines and artists, Billboard wanted to make their campaign more interactive and engaging for the consumer. Therefore, they created a website allowing consumers to create their own dot portrait or to “Billboard themselves.” By seeing this portrait of yourself, made up of your favorite artists, the consumer can then discern that they are “made of music”. Mederios really focused on the importance of engagement, entertainment, and interactivity in a campaign.

Directly after the master class, we had our last speaker of the trip: Chris Hall, the President and Chief Executive Officer of BBDO Atlanta. Having heard about both the past and present of BBDO in class, textbooks, and here at the festival, I was very excited to hear what he had to say. In fact, he summed up our experience and what we have learned at the festival in three simple (maybe not so simple…) points:

1.) Creative communication is far more effective and gives the company/client a competitive advantage

2.) We are in the golden age of creativity. The world is thirsty for content and there will be more changes in the next 5 years than have happened in the past 25.

3.) Great work is a team sport.

Finally, he closed with saying that companies and people who collaborate well and are innovative will go far. Hopefully I am one of them! I really respect Mr. Hall, not only for his position in BBDO (a legendary company to students like us) but I also know his stepson.

It is crazy to think to that tomorrow is our last day at the festival: it has gone by in a flash but I feel like I have gained ten years of experience and knowledge.