Sara, Sara, Storms are Brewing in Your Eyes

So, I was googling my name the other day with copywriter on the end of it.  I know, I know, a tad narcissistic but really it was mainly to see if my website and work popped up.  Anyway, a myspace page’s link came up with both Brock Johnson and copywriter in it.  Being no stranger to scoping chicks on myspace, I checked it out and it belonged to a badass copywriter named Sara Shelton that graduated from Miami Ad School in ‘07.  Under heroes was “Brock Johnson” and a video underneath.  Although a leaked video of myself certainly wouldn’t be considered heroic, I cringed while I hit play.  Turns out it wasn’t me.

Nonetheless, I contacted her and she is the proverbial bee’s knees. Evidently, her and a friend made up the name Brock Johnson when goofin’ around…and obviously sauced.  We’ve exchanged emails and she’s been real cool about helping me with names and agencies.  She’s given me some advice about getting a gig as she was in my shoes not too long ago: 

“Your first job determines which club you’ll be in. So you have to decide which club you want to be in, then see who’s willing to take you.”

She works at Johannes Leonardo in NYC.  There is a portfolio review in NYC in early May that I’m trying to make.  I hope to meet her face to face and buy her a drink for being a killer human being. Perhaps then we can come up with an even more hilarious name than my own.  Our work is cut out for us, though.  Barney Huggins?  Dick Le Beau?  Buck Smoker?  Eh, I’ll keep at it.

Funny how the world works sometimes.  Thanks Sara.

Clarity Coverdale Fury

I’m from New Mexico so I keep a pulse on the advertising landscape back home.  One of my favorite up and coming agencies in the country is McKee Wallwork Cleveland, in Albuquerque.  I was fortunate enough to get in contact with Bart Cleveland.  He’s been tremendous in giving me some great advice on my work and the industry.  It was through Bart that I was able to contact Karl Madcharo (AD) at CCF.

Karl was a real cool dude and had worked with Bart in Atlanta.  He spent quite a bit of time looking at my book.  He went over each campaign about three times.  He gave me some  ideas about improving a couple of them.  After looking at my book I picked his brain about being a Jr. trying to get work.  Luckily, he was diggin’ the majority of my book and gave me some contacts around the city.  It turns out he used to work at Kerker, where my buddy and wildly charismatic copywriter, Arthur Tanimoto, works.  He then sent me over to Michael Atkinson’s  office.  I was familiar with his work and considered it a total score to show my book to him as well.

Michael spent just as much time with my book as Karl did and gave me some insights about some of my headlines and my long copy campaign.  You always hear about the egos in advertising, but my experience has been the opposite.  Karl and Michael were so down to earth and willing to help me out.  They said they liked my work and I just feel fortunate to be getting such valuable feedback. My experience here was one of the best I’ve had, regardless of the fact that they aren’t hiring.  Very inspriring people to be around.  Good momentum for sure.

Target

I received word of a job opening for copywriters through my friend and incredibly talented Graphic Designer, Kate Pearson.  I emailed Travis Robertson at Target who had been one of my teachers and it turned out he was the Copywriting Manager and would have a say in the decision.  We had a couple of beers over my book.  I ordered Guiness. It was good to catch up with him. 

 

I was contacted by HR and had a short phone interview a week later.  From that, we set-up a time for me to come in and spend half a day going through their interview process.  Obviously, Target is pretty corporate so the slacks and tie came out.  Dress code really has no bearing on my decision making though. I just want to do great work.  Although, forest green turtlenecks with khaki’s I try to avoid.

 

I rolled in the office at 8 a.m. and got started.  I was put in a room with a computer, calculator, notepad and a pencil for a two hour long assessment test.  I had to do conversion rates, reading comprehension and some character assessment questions all before a cup of coffee. I was able to last through the test and then got to meet two of the writers there, Adam Reynolds and Shawn Boyd. We then got some coffee and I showed them my book.  These guys were great and I liked them immediately.  Good peeps. 

 

After that I met with Travis again and senior writer Steve Chirhart.  They asked me some formal questions about decision making and some experiences.  I’ve worked in sales for the past six years so I felt I handled this portion well.  After that I was free to go.  I hope to hear back from them. If not for a gig, then to smash some beers with Travis again.

Periscope

 

Mike Rook, a writer at Periscope had substituted for one of my classes and luckily I presented some solid ideas that night.  I got his contact info and then set up a time to meet with him.  I had never been inside Periscope but was diggin’ it when I rolled through.  It’s a pretty big shop and I showed my book in a big meeting room with Mike and Zara Gonzalez.  Their feedback was really good and pointed out a couple things to strengthen my book. These two are money.

 

I had learned my lesson and was able to keep it pretty loose.  They were real laid back and they asked me sweet questions like, “Indiana Jones or Han Solo?”  I went Han Solo based on the fact that he bagged Princess Leah.  It occurred to me that people in the industry want to chill with cool people.  Nobody wants to spend day in and day out with a tool.   

 

I got called in for a second meeting and met Quan Hoang (CD).  He was a badass and we pretty much laughed the whole time.  He liked my book but we spent most of the time shootin’ the shit.  I even showed him the cursive “BJ” tattoo on my ankle. They made it known they were anti-douchebag. Perhaps the tattoo showing was a bad move. Anyway, it seems like a cool place to work.

 

I felt really good leaving Periscope.  I’ll continue to keep in touch with the people I met, if not for an opportunity then for the fact that they were good, positive people.  Great experience.

Fallon

I received an email from Fallon to see if I wanted to show my book.  I had no idea how they got my name. I was shocked but incredibly eager to do so.  Perhaps a bit too excited in retrospect.  I greased up the hair, put on a button up, a blazer and rolled in.  It’s a massively impressive agency and tons going on.  I chatted it up in the lobby with a cougar who was there doing a photo shoot until I was called. 

 

I was nervous meeting with Al Kelly.  He flipped through my book and I was pretty stiff.  I’m not sure why, he was quite cool and mellow.  We talked briefly and a couple people came to check it out as well.  My Fuze campaign caught their attention.  But, what do you expect from a banana fucking a peach? 

 

 Then I sat down with senior AD John Nussbaum and we talked about a variety of things.  We tried to figure out who sent him my link.  Turns out it was my friend, Dan Knutson.  He said my book got me in the door but they were looking for cool people to create art with.  Just great.  There I was, sitting like a total douchebag in my Mr. Sweetness get up.  Definitely should’ve rolled in with a sag and a cap. That may have not even been a factor, but when you feel like a cheeseball you’ll probably act like one.

 

I loved the vibe and the people at Fallon.  They all impressed me with how cool and down to earth they were.  They liked my work, I just wish I would’ve relaxed and been myself.  I keep in touch with them, and will be sending more work to them as it comes.  Important lesson though, keep it real.  Would love to have that one back. 

 

Pocket Hercules

 

My first meeting was with Tom Camp at Pocket Hercules.  I sent him an email to see if he’d take a look at my stuff.  And by stuff, I mean portfolio.  He emailed me back requesting I come in later that afternoon.  I was the new guy at work had no time off earned yet and had already burned the sick excuse days earlier to complete a school project.  I didn’t have a book printed and panicked.  So, I did what any sane person would do.  I ran into my boss’s office and told him my roomate just called me and told me she thought my dog was dead.  Hook, line and sinker.  I sped to Kinko’s where my buddy Pedro Assman hooked up a spiral bound book for me.

 

I was pretty intimidated at the prospect of showing my work to Tom.  I was familiar with his work and knew he was a badass writer.  I didn’t know what he’d think of me.  I thought I’d be sitting silently while a stern man glared at my work and pointed out flaws.  It was the total opposite.  Tom is one cool cat.  Zero ego. 

We sat and talked for a bit and then he got to my book.  He put a lot of thought into every campaign he looked at and made sure to pinpoint exactly what I was saying in them.  He gave me some sweet headline advice; to pinpoint irrefutable truths.  People may or may not like them, but they can’t argue with them.  This has made an impression on the way I approach projects.

 

Then he took me around the shop and I met everyone.  It’s a small shop but a sweet space with good energy.  He showed me some projects they were working on.  I was extremely impressed with their ideas and executions.  I considered one of the projects genius.  He didn’t have any work for me, but the feedback and the meeting was awesome.  Tom’s been a great contact so far.  We’ve shared work with each other through the weeks and I consider him one of my favorites in the business.

A Hungry Writer

So, portfolio school is over and now it’s a shot of the real world to my ever-fluctuating gut.  It hurts so good, baby!  Everyone has told me that getting a gig outta school would be a grind.  No doubt.  I thought I’d share my ride through the complex network of advertising.