FESTIVAL – DAY THREE

Today was a very busy day. So as not to bore whoever is reading this, or accidently write a ten page paper, I’m going to go over everything I attended but focus mostly on two presentations!

In order to secure seats for the celebrities of the day, we got there early enough in time to see the presentation Agenciaclickisobar & Fiat. They explained the growth of the automobile throughout history and ended with the unveiling of their newest smart car. Though informative, the subject matter did not interest me at all except for their statement that “brands carry not just ideas but ideals”

I attended Beyond Mad Men: This panel included Martha Stewart, Carol Iam, Gail Heinmann, and Kimberly Kadlec – four women at the top of their industries. They discussed the astounding lack of female presence in high-level positions in the creative industry and how they broke through the ever present “glass ceiling”. Most women averred that they simply ignored that there was a glass ceiling; a job was not a job for a woman or a man, but simply a job. Common qualities they possessed also helped them rise to the top and they iterated how important it was to have them: confidence, competiveness, optimism, persistence, competence, persuasiveness, and many other things. It was inspiring (as a woman aspiring to succeed in the creative field) to hear from these women with such successful careers. I especially liked how they encouraged us to be vocal about what we want – no one can help you and no one will know unless you have clear goals and work hard to obtain them. I was a little disappointed though – we talked about Martha’s cooking and modeling, but not her jailtime!!

The Yahoo: Content as conversation catalyst was exceptionally enjoyable. Not only did it involve my childhood crush (thank you dad for having me watch boy movies) but it examined the creation of personal experiences on every platform. Lucky enough to have had an employee of Yahoo sitting behind us, we knew this presentation would be good. Clearly still possessing his famous charm and wit, Robert Redford exuded intelligence, business saviness, and a passion for creative work. His work with Sundance can easily translate to the ongoing goals of advertising work; he urged us to “create something fresh”, “float with change”, and to take risk. As many other presentations have argued: risk is well… worth the risk. On plain in simple terms, risk is always there – it allows you to take chances, explore new territory, and discover new opportunities. His passion for creativity, authenticity, and quality left me holding him in the highest regard.

I watched the Digitals + Vevo seminar from the viewing TV near the café. Though I tended to get distracted by commotion going on around me, there was one point Pharrell made that I really enjoyed: music is a part of everybody and everything – you don’t have a memory with out a sound in it. I believe the same thing can be said about ads; eating milk and oreos with your granddad, the smell of grandma’s lancome perfume. It is remarkable how much brands play a part in our past, present, and future.

The speakers today I found very entertaining and informative. I wish I could have gotten to speak with them more afterwards and hope to find them later in the festival! All and all a good day.