LEADERS OF THE NEW: Michelle Fargas

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.






Name: Michelle Fargas

Career Path: Project Management

Education: Seneca Creative Advertising - Graduated in 2009 with Honours

Advertising Experience: 4 months interning at Fjord (Cossette); currently working full-time as Project Coordinator at Proximity Canada (BBDO)

One Thing About You: I'm a heavy metal music lover with a penchant for arts & crafts, and kittens.

Contact: michellefargas@gmail.com


Click READ MORE for the full interview!


When did you know that advertising was for you?

I like to think it's in my blood. My father was in advertising. He started out as a graphic designer turned Art Director, and eventually became a professor in marketing. I've been hearing his "lectures" since I was a kid and I guess I actually listened! I was officially set on advertising when I went to Seneca's orientation session. One of the profs sold it to me and I grabbed on - hook, line and sinker.


Based on my personal experience as well as talking to advertising students, not a lot of students are striving for Project Management positions. Many don't even know what a Project Manager does. How did you end up in that field?

I totally fell into Project Management because of my internship at Cossette. I received a call from the HR department requesting my resume (I had left my contact information there after my class pitched to Cossette for our final semester - my team won, by the way!) and a phone interview with the Director of Production of Fjord, Cossette's interactive side. The position was support for the Project Managers and even though I didn't know what it was I jumped at the chance to intern for Cossette.


You were fortunate enough to have interned at Cossette as a Project Manager. What was that experience like? What were the key things you learned to be successful as a Project Manager?

It took me about two days to shake off the awe that I was interning at the biggest Canadian agency in Canada. In that aspect, I was excited and ready to start each day. I absorbed as much as I could from the people around me and asked questions about processes, best practices, formats, etc. Sometimes I just asked "Why?" Understanding the base process for something helps in future situations wherein you can take that practice and apply it to another project.

Part of my learning experience was gathered from where I was sitting - first I sat with the Flash developers and then with the coding dev teams (the office is open-concept and we had the PMs and AMs around us). This helped me learn more about what they do and how they do it, which is important in figuring out project estimates and whether projects are feasible. My boss told me he sat me there on purpose, just to learn things like that.

Key Things I Learned…
Be nice to the developers! They will be the ones who can break you or save you during those looming deadlines.
Write everything down. Everything! Don't go anywhere without a pen and notebook.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Smile, and mean it! :)
Make use of Post-it notes.
Don't take on more than you can chew - pass things up if you need to, and do it waaay before the deadline!


A few months ago, you made the big jump from intern to full-time employee, landing a position at BBDO Proximity. What was the process of securing a job like for you?

I am extremely lucky to be where I am now. For me, it was all about connections. I kept in touch with the Director of Production at Fjord, who was leaving to work elsewhere as I was settling into my internship. Laura and I talked about my future a lot and she had heard from the staff that they were really happy with me and my work. I guess she knew at the time that Fjord wasn’t looking to hire a junior like me so she took my contact information and resume before her last day. A few weeks later I was responding to calls from her agency contacts/acquaintances that were either looking for contract or full-time positions within Project Management.

One of those calls was for an interview with BBDO. I met with the two Project Directors/Brand Directors for my first interview and made sure not to lean on my Laura, my reference, too much but did discuss working and training with her. My second interview was with the PMO Consultant. It was a little tougher on the questions and I actually got to discuss salary options.

Overall it happened really quickly for me. While at Cossette I gathered contacts by letting people know I was looking for full-time work and most were happy to give me an email address or two. I set up a few informationals that way which helped me stay in the “interview mindframe” and work on asking/answering questions. Basically I believe I am in area of "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."


I know a lot of students are curious about the role a project manager plays at an advertising agency. What do you do as a Project Coordinator?

As a Project Coordinator at Proximity, I am dedicated to one major client. I am assigned to the smaller projects Proximity deals with (from online ads, website builds, changes, emails, etc). Working with our Resource Manager, I find a team to complete the job and then we get briefed by the accounting team. I ensure the resources (developers, art directors, designers, and copy writers) get everything we need to complete the deliverables on time. I am the liaison between accounting and the creative/developers for the most part and keep the team on a timeline.

After the project has been completed, we go through a series of Quality Assurance (QA). Sometimes I do this for my PMs or we have a team of QA to go through it checking for errors against our proposed deliverables. We are also checking for functionality when it comes to websites, CMS, flash, etc on different platforms.

For the paperwork, I write up job estimates, process invoices, budget tracking and a few other administration duties. I also do little things for the Project Managers as needed, such as purchasing images, typefaces and sound clips online.


Many people would consider Project Management as a "business" job. What role do you play in the creative side?

Project Management is a great mix of business and creative when it comes to interactive advertising. Even my junior level here at Proximity, I am able to get involved with brainstorming and concepting during briefs, internal reviews and through emails. We are encouraged to give our opinion. PMs are also the people who know what is feasible when an idea is pitched (in terms of the timeline, budget or client expectations).

We often get all-staff emails from staff informing us “what’s cool and new” or just plain interesting articles. This way we all keep up with the pace of the internet and it starts our discussion about using these various tools and interactive methods with our own clients.


When working in Interactive, there's an extra layer of technical knowledge you need to have in order to be successful at your job. How easy or difficult was it for you to grasp that side of the business? Do you think the average advertising student can handle it?

For me, it was very easy to take on the technical side of developing interactive ads. I was one of those teenagers who clamped onto the internet during the dial-up days of the early ‘90s so I have knowledge of html and xml. With that it became a bit easier to understand how CSS and other coding work in terms of the final performance of an ad. My dev team at Fjord was awesome at explaining things to me when I was tasked with a job; instead of just telling me what to do, they explained the system and let me ask questions about its functionality so it made sense to me in cause and effect terms.

I think with the increasing interest in interactive advertising, schools are beginning to take another look at the importance of learning the technical skills needed for this medium. Our semester learned a bit of what goes on for both front- and back-end development but half a semester isn’t enough to grasp it without some kind of interest in manipulating the medium to begin with.


For any students interested in a Project Management position, what would you say to them to sell them on a career in this field?

Project Management is like working for Accounts, without the task of dealing with clients. It’s like being in with the Creatives, except you watch deadlines! The project wouldn't get done on time without a project manager.


What do you do for fun?

I love going to concerts/music festivals; the atmosphere and adrenaline rush from going to heavy metal concerts is incredible! I enjoy reading, cuddling with my new kitten, playing around with the hundreds of apps on my iPod, cooking and baking. I love the internet and its infinite resource of all things inspirational, or all things inane (hey, you need this once in a while!). Friends and family hang-outs are fun, too.


E-elevator pitch (sell yourself in 140 characters or less)

I'm a fusion of the left and right sides of the brain: I can switch from creative tasks to business, bringing organization to imagination.


If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Kathy Lee

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.




Name: Kathy Lee

Career Path: Account Services

Education: B.A: Psychology (York U), Diploma: Creative Advertising (Seneca College)


Advertising Experience: Internship at Cundari Group
Research and Re-branding Toronto Police’s TAVIS program
Internship at Axis Integrated (Dubai, UAE)

One Thing About You: That there’s never just one thing about me.

Contact: klee.ads@gmail.com

Read the interview after the break!


When did you know that advertising was for you?

I’m not gonna lie. I fell in love with advertising after watching What Women Want with Mel Gibson. I remember sitting there and saying, “That’s what I want to do… throw ideas around.. pitch it.. and then make it all happen!” But that was years ago and back then I didn’t know if I had what it took to succeed. But after winning the student IMC campaign for BMW I knew I had what it was the perfect career choice for me.

Everything about it just feels right.


You have a background in volunteer work. Tell us about it.

Most of my volunteer work has been in the community-based level, but as I got older I wanted to extend my services towards third world countries and global causes.

I had my first international experience back in 2007 when I traveled to Haiti with a group called Third World Awareness (twawareness.org). My family and friends were worried about my safety and didn’t think I could handle the rough conditions. And to be honest, I was really scared too but knew I had to just throw myself head on and embrace it.

The experience was tremendous and life changing. And from that I learned to continually challenge myself to the next level in every aspect of my life.


Do you ever plan on incorporating that volunteer experience into your advertising career somehow?

Definitely. I am very passionate about both and I think together exceptional things can come from it.

Advertising is no longer just about selling goods. It’s a communication tool that can be strategically and creatively used to create a cultural movement. And in this case, for the better good- whether it’s globally, nationally or on a community based level.

*This is usually the part when my friends put up their peace sign and flick their lighters for me. They think I’m a bit of a hippie.


You were on a very important trip in Dubai recently trying to encourage the world to “Choose To L.I.V.E.”. What is that all about?

I was selected as one of the international delegates to attend the Education without Borders conference in Dubai. This event was a platform for students from all over the world to share their ideas and solutions to some of our global challenges. And fortunately, I was blessed with the opportunity to introduce my “solution” for cultural exchange.

My concept was to address the challenges that come along with cultural globalization, such as war, violence, hate and racism. Unfortunately, due to so many variables and differences there is never just one solution. But I do believe that through inter-connectivity and positive engagement we can strive toward narrowing the gap of misunderstandings and ignorance to achieve better tolerance, deeper understanding and enduring peace.

Choose to L.I.V.E. is a concept that I developed as a global call to action for human betterment through inter-connectivity. L.I.V.E. is a catalyst representing four elements of effective communication: learning, interacting, volunteering and expression through creativity.
This initiative is called Choose to L.I.V.E. because I want it to be a conscious statement that we make. I want people to understand that the decision to contribute to the survival of humanity is as vital as our decision to live.


You did an internship at an agency in Dubai. What agency is it, and what were you doing with them?

I interned at Axis Integrated in Media City - the advertising hub of Dubai. It’s a small agency so I had the chance to see how the overall operation works. Most of my responsibilities were related to the client servicing side. The type of work I did included market research, PowerPoint presentations, revisions with studio team, writing up briefs and assisting the account manager.
The main account that I worked on was for Heinz baby foods. But since it’s a small agency I had the opportunity to work very closely with the creative team and really share my ideas. I even had the chance to do some copywriting, which is something that I really enjoy doing.


With your experience traveling the world and living abroad, how has that affected your view and approach on life?

My view is that we constantly have to keep aiming for the next level. The only way I see this being done is to do things that are not within our comfort zone. We surprise ourselves of what we are capable of when we throw ourselves into a challenge. Traveling to a foreign part of the world or living abroad is a gateway of growth and learning.

I’m the type of person that embraces an experience for its entirety - emotionally, physically mentally and spiritually. And then I step back and analyze for the faults, improvements, success and hidden lessons in it. I want to be constantly evolving.


Define what success is to you in your own terms.

Success to me is in three folds.

1. Success to me is being able to get up after each time I fall or fumble and continue to fiercely go after what I am passionate about.
2. Being true to myself.
3. Being able to overcome challenges and seeing the lessons in them.


Elevator Pitch:

My psychic says I’m gonna be successful in my career, but I can’t give details. But I’ll give you her number so you can have your own reading done and see how accurate she is.

If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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Leaders of the New Gets Recognized

This really caught me by surprise. My brother was Google searching our family name when he found this article from Marketing And Advertising Internships.com about my website and Leaders of the New.

One word: "Awesome!"

Marketing and Advertising Internships is a great resource for students looking for an internship or employers looking for the best new talent to join their team. It's definitely worth your time.

As I've said since the beginning of Leaders of the New, my hope for the initiative was to help fellow fresh advertising and marketing professionals get their name out there. This is a good start.

Thank you to Marketing And Advertising Internships.com for the shout out. Much appreciated.

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Craig Brandon

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.


Name: Craig Brandon

Career Path: Art Direction.

Education: Graphic Design 05-07 Creative Advertising 08-09

Advertising Experience: Design Internship at Smack Design (Winter 07) Advertising Internship at Soda&Tonic Advertising (Summer 09)

One Thing About You: I have four first names, Craig Normand Drew Brandon.

Contact: 416.791.0705 / cbrandon36@hotmail.com

Full interview after the break!


When did you know that advertising was for you?

I trace my roots to this industry back to a couple things. One, my “big present” one year for Christmas was a giant box of art supplies (which made me a very happy child). Two, my elementary school graduation ceremony presented me with the first ever art award. They felt the need to give this to me based on my level of enthusiasm for arts and crafts time (they also gave me the Science Award, and I’m far short of being a scientist!).

However, I would have never known that Advertising and Design was a career option had it not been for my cousin Adam who looked over my shoulder and said “you know you could be getting paid for that stuff” one day while I was screwing around on Microsoft Paint.


Do you think you could have pursued a career in advertising with just your Graphic Design experience?

I have friends that are currently trying to do that with little success, very talented friends. So not saying that it is impossible to succeed with just the graphic design background, but I would do school the exact same way if I had to do it all over again. At the end of the day having both Graphic Design and Creative Advertising makes me more well rounded and polished as an AD.


Describe your creative process. How do you brainstorm? How do you keep track of ideas? How do you know when one of your ideas is good? What do you do when you're creatively stumped?

Creative process-
Well, I feel every brief creates a unique problem. Therefore, every brief needs a new angle and therefore new creative process.

Brainstorming-
Ideally I have someone to bounce ideas off of. Whether I have someone or not, I generally try and get to the most basic idea and then add a twist of originality to it.
I don’t like using traditional ways of brainstorming like creating an idea web.

Keeping Track-
This varies from the traditional notepad, to a napkin, sometimes even the palm of my hand. I occasionally find myself trying to just remember the idea, like when it comes to me via laying in bed at 3:00 a.m. (I’m trying to break this habit because a lot of ideas have died in this process.) The best and most unique way I’ve ever kept track of an idea is drawing on the shower wall using the steam and glass as my canvas.

Good Idea/ Bad Idea-
This is subjective but I base an ideas effectiveness on the waiting game because if I can look at an idea a week or two later and still like it I generally don’t care what other people think of it. Someone will always hate an idea, but there is always someone who likes it.

Creative Slump-
The best way I have to get out of a creative slump is by looking at it in a new angle. A trick I find myself using a lot is trying to place the product at the centre of a joke where as I am the bully poking fun at it. This trick creates as unique of an idea as the product is. If you have a truly unique product this trick is almost always a winner.


How did you go from being a student to being an intern at Soda & Tonic Advertising?

That was a fun process, one day I’m stressing to find an internship the next I get an email from David Barbuto, a teacher of CAB, basically telling me that he would like to have me as his intern. I jumped at the opportunity and have been having a blast there since. I got the email around week 5/6 of semester 4 of CAB.


Describe a day in the life of Craig Brandon at Soda & Tonic.

I have a nice schedule, 9:30 - 5:30. On a day to day basis I hardly ever know what project I will be working on next. Sometimes its an ad campaign, sometimes its a design project. Regardless of what it is I am generally busy during my time at work. When I’m not and I have down time, I spend time doing spec ads that we later try to set up a meeting and pitch.


What have you learned so far from your experience at Soda & Tonic?

I’d say as a creative person, you never stop learning. I’ve learned new ways to approach things, I’ve learned how to handle client demands, I’ve learned that what a client and what your boss asks for are two very different things. Overall I’ve learned that I made the right decision by joining this industry.


Outside of advertising, how else do you express your creativity?

I constantly keep a notebook on me to scribble art into half of which has nothing to do with advertising. I like to draw/ illustrate on my computer whenever I get some spare time. But I would say my biggest creative hobby outside of design and advertising would be the 2 novels that I have on the go. Both of these novels are being co-written with people more polished in the ways of grammar. They both are fiction based stories, think Peter Pan, or Alice in Wonderland style writing.


Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I want to be as high up on the work latter as possible, at a well known industry. I don’t know the industry process well enough to properly estimate whether I’ll be a senior AD, a CD, a partner in a firm, or whether I’ll still be a Junior AD. I do know that the first 5 years of my career will be an uphill battle and I need to work as hard as possible to get wherever it is I will end up.


What do you do for fun?

Outside of work I spend a lot of time watching sports, mainly football and hockey. I like to roller blade, write, hang out with friends, rock climb, swim/diving.


E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

Passion in a career means you’d work for free. I currently do.

If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Samaneh Sadaghiani

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.



Name: Samaneh Sadaghiani (Sami)

Career Path: Copywriting

Education:
Seneca College - Creative Advertising Diploma Program
Seneca College - Law Clerk Diploma Program

One Thing About You: I wear orange on Fridays.

Contact: sami@shewriteshedraws.com

Full interview after the jump!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

Lisa Atkins’ intro to copywriting class semester one - She was explaining a day in the life of a copywriter and I got goose bumps from excitement!


I remember when I first met you that you had your heart set on working on the business side of advertising. Why the switch?

I’m going to admit to something here: sometimes, I’m really slow. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I guess I never thought I could actually make a living out of it. Again, back to Lisa’s class, after that one lecture, it hit me and I was sold!


Describe your creative process. How do you brainstorm? How do you keep track of ideas? How do you know when one of your ideas is good? What do you do when you're creatively stumped?

For the record, that’s three questions in one!

Brainstorming:

Mind maps! Study the brief/your product/your target. Figure out the ONE thing you want to say. Narrow it down to one word and go from there! Just associate anything and everything that you can with that word until you find your direction.

Keeping track:

I write everything that comes to mind down. I either type things or write them in my giant sketchbook, a notepad or on a piece of paper that I stick on the wall… I’m pretty much all over the place!

Good idea:

The really good ones are the ones that make me super nervous. Then I ask anyone and everyone (sometimes everything) to tell me what they think about it and I go from there.


How has your previous career venture affected your current path towards advertising? Do any of the lessons you learned before cross over?

I’ve been working for a divorce lawyer for 3 years. It has taught me not to get married. Ever.


You’ve formed a creative team called “She Writes. He Draws.” with Art Director Ryan Bannon. How did you two form that partnership? How do you complement each other?

Funny story! Actually not that funny… We went to breakfast at Cora’s one morning and discussed our hopes and dreams for the future. We realized we had many of the same goals and decided to team up as we were both willing to put in ridiculous hours and all our energy. Okay, not a funny story at all…Fail.


You’ve competed in a few advertising competitions. What were those experiences like?

I really enjoy participating in those competitions as the tight deadlines force you to really push yourself. You learn something new about how well you perform under pressure and challenge yourself to do better in the future. I think that’s excellent practice.


What is your biggest accomplishment so far in advertising? What is your biggest accomplishment so far in life?

The thing I’m most proud of in life is my ability to relate. Putting myself in other people’s shoes is a skill I’ve been practicing since I was very young. My circle of friends consists of very opinionated and unique individuals. It helps me appreciate and understand their decisions when I’m able to put aside my own views and see the world through theirs.

I also believe this is beneficial to my career in advertising as it makes relating to the target a tiny bit easier.


What would happen to the universe if you and I ever get to execute our genius Wonderbread campaign for real?

Every other brand of toast would go out of business. Permanently.


Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I would like to run my own agency while I’m young and fresh!


What do you do for fun?

I really enjoy conversing with people who are different than me - whether it’s cultural differences, or religious/ spiritual views. I’m very intrigued by human behaviour, morals, values, etc. and love learning from all sorts of people.

To feed my curiosity, I like to check out different scenes around town. One night you’ll find me at a metal bar hanging out with people sporting bikes and spikes and the next night I’m all dolled up having a Kir Royale in Yorkville.

I also LOVE to travel. The experience/knowledge you gain from traveling is absolutely priceless.


E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

LET ME WRITE FOR YOU! I’LL WORK MY BUTT OFF AND I LOVE ADVERTISING! (I’ll be wearing a hoodie so the exchange will be intimidating and effective.)

If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Jett Landicho

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.



Name: Jett Landicho

Career Path: Creative Strategy for Interactive and Mass Media

Education: Radio Broadcasting at Humber College and Creative Advertising at Seneca

Advertising Experience: On-Air Talent, Promotions Staff and Copywriter for KICX 106, Promotions Staff and Corporate Blogger for Z103.5 and Senior Marketing Associate at Pure Fun Confections

One Thing About You: Before pursuing a career in advertising, I worked almost four years in the radio industry. I did a lot of different types of work in that time, from corporate blogging, to street team work, to being a country radio announcer. If you would like to listen to my old KICX 106 country demo made from live air checks click here.

Contact: jettlandicho@gmail.com

Read the full interview after the jump!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

I took a class in high school called English Media. The final project was to create a product and an advertising campaign around it. My group wanted to come up with the dumbest product to sell, in order to highlight how great our advertising would be. In hindsight, it was pretty bold of us to assume that our advertising was so awesome that we could sell just about anything, but hey, we were young and maybe a bit cocky. We decided to create "Bling", a brand of coloured water.

I had so much fun with that assignment, from building the website to the print ad to producing television and radio commercials that I heavily considered taking advertising in college. But I also hosted a morning radio show at my high school, and when push came to shove, at the time radio won. I was drawn into the whole "celebrity" aspect of it and I'm still just a big music fan in general.

However, what goes around comes around I guess. Through my experience in the radio industry, I've written scripts that went to air, helped out a lot on the promotions side and even worked in corporate blogging. It brought back all the memories of that one high school assignment and how much fun I had doing it that I decided to pursue advertising for real.


How has your previous experience in the radio broadcasting industry helped you?

My experience in the radio industry has helped me grow, both as a professional and as a person. As a professional, the radio industry has taught me a number of things, including the power of opportunity. In an industry that's so small and insular, you need to work so hard for those opportunities. Even when it seems like opportunities fall into your lap because you know someone that knows someone, you helped make that opportunity by knowing that someone in the first place.

As a person, working in the radio industry has been a huge factor in my maturing process. Not to neglect my Z103.5 experience, but in particular, my time at the country radio station was a real coming of age moment for me. I was very hesitant at first to accept the internship at KICX 106 in Waterloo, because country music wasn't my scene and the station was in a city over 100km away from home. But I took the chance because I knew it would be a great career experience.

What I didn't know was that it would also be an amazing personal experience too. Coming out of college, I sort of felt like I had learned everything I needed to know. However, being so far away from home, meeting new people and trying new things made me realize that I still had a lot to learn and it opened my mind up to the bigger picture of the world. During that time, I had to learn about country music, the Kitchener-Waterloo area, and everything about the people that listen to our station. I had a lot of fun doing it, and wouldn't trade that experience in for the world.

Ever since then, I've tried to keep myself open to new knowledge and experiences. If I could learn to appreciate country music and the country lifestyle, what other awesome things am I missing out on that I just don't know about yet? Even though it's been years since I worked there, I still have a little bit of country on my iPod that I like cause I think it's good music.

My KICX 106 t-shirt autographed by the best country artist of all-time, GM Paterson ;)

What interests you most about interactive and social media?

I admit, I'm a bit of a geek. So I already have a bit of a technology slant to me. However, I love interactive and social media, and would be working with them whether I was in advertising or not.

I was one of those kids that made websites on Geocities that grew up into a teenager who wrote in a blog into a young adult that made a podcast when I decided to take my announcing career into my own hands. It's a shame that the podcast had to end the way it did, because we were at 1,000 subscribers! And that was achieved by promoting the show through Facebook, iTunes, YouTube and a blog. I had just as much fun plotting out the strategy to advertise the show as I did recording and editing the show. When we find the time and the right concept, for sure we'll get back into podcasting again. In the world of online, I love the fact that the average person can have a very large impact on the world.

As advertising vehicles, I love the engagement factor that interactive and social media offers. There are so many different ways that advertisers can reach consumers in a way where they feel like you're giving them a valuable experience in return. And the ways to engage consumers grows every day with new technology and techniques.

When I realized that there were opportunities for me to combine my love of advertising with my love of online and social media, it was almost like an epiphany for me. I hope that I can make both aspects connect to make a fun and exciting career path for myself.


How does this blog fit into your career plan?

My initial goal for this blog was to be a place where I could bring my best foot forward to anyone wanting to learn about me, from teachers, to friends, to potential employers. Sort of like a portfolio, but showing a different and wider scope of who I am. But through the "Leaders of the New" initiative, this could prove far bigger than just me. By showcasing a lot of my peers starting out in this business, this blog also becomes a way for them to sell themselves.

I want every person featured on "Leaders of the New" to be proud enough to show their interviews to potential employers as another resource in their arsenal. Even better, I want potential employers to find these interviews and go, "Hey, this person is really good! I think I need to talk to them!" With the power of Google and the power of blog tags, that second scenario doesn't seem too out of reach to me.


How did you go from being a student to working at Pure Fun Confections?

It's a crazy story in hindsight. At the time, I was working really hard to get an agency internship. I'd been in talks with a few agencies and even did a few interviews. During school though, I was working on a group assignment where we were asked to put together a pitch to present to a small company. We were never actually assigned to present it to a company for real.

Our group had chosen Pure Fun after finding an article about the company on the Toronto Star's website. We really liked the company's vision and the idea of working on organic candy, something new and different in the marketplace. While in the process of working on that assignment, Stephanie and I found the President of the company on Facebook. Thinking nothing of it, we decided to contact her, let her know what we were doing and sent her a rough brief we had put together so that she could check the validity of our information. She was really impressed with what we had done, and told us she was willing to meet with us when we were ready.

From there, it really got us thinking that this could be a lot more than just an assignment. We kept in regular contact with the President of Pure Fun, asked for a lot of advice from our teachers and industry contacts on how to approach this pitch, and tweaked our plan to make it just right for the presentation. On the big day, the President of the company came down to the school and we had booked a school boardroom to present to her. Chris De Corneille, one of our teachers, was on hand for support. I was unbelievably nervous throughout the whole thing, but Stephanie and I both proved our worth and were brought in to intern for the company. After two months of interning, I was offered a job.

That was another eye-opening experience in my life. While advertising students tend to focus on working for just advertising agencies, there are a lot of other opportunities out there to do similar work for other types of companies. Despite the tough economic times, Stephanie and I were able to create opportunities for ourselves within a company that didn't have opportunities before. I'm sure that others can find success with an advertising education in a variety of places if they're willing to look outside the box and work hard to make those opportunities happen.

If you want to think bigger, Stephanie and I have already in a way won a client pitch before even graduating and have done the work to prove our worth. Who says we couldn't do it again? Who says we couldn't go as far as starting our own agency should we so choose? Who says you couldn't do the same or better?


What has the transition been like from advertising to marketing?

All of the skills I've learned from Seneca's Creative Advertising have proven relevant to me here. I've had to dabble in account services work, media consulting, public relations, direct marketing, online and even some copywriting and art direction where necessary. I feel like thanks to the education I got at Seneca, I have the tools to get to where I need to go.

What I've learned sort of the hard way is the differences in advertising and marketing. Advertising is primarily marketing communications, but on this side of the fence that's just one aspect of a bigger picture I need to look at. I need to look at everything happening above that, from the distribution channel to product development to retailer relations and more.

One of the aspects of Pure Fun's business I'm going to have to learn more about is the entire organic scene. Just as an example: do you know why high fructose corn syrup is an issue? As an advertiser, I would just think of a way to tell that to generally one target audience. But what I have to do on the marketing side, is communicate that to everybody that makes the company work, from the people in product development, to retailers to consumers and more. It's daunting have to tackle the entire marketing mix and make every element of that mix work together, but I'm up for the challenge.

For those who have an advertising background and are considering making the jump, I'd say go for it. It opens up your scope of potential work opportunities and if you're willing to learn some additional stuff on top of your advertising background you'll do fine.


If you could offer one piece of advice to future advertisers, what would it be?

My one piece of advice isn't so much an advertising-specific piece of advice as it is life advice: always continue to learn. Back to my story about how much of an impact my country radio stint had on my life for a second. It made me realize that I was living life in a small bubble and the world was just so much more than my little slice of reality had grasped up to that point. My personal quest for knowledge from that point on wasn't even driven by a desire to be "smarter". My motivation for learning more about everything was just to be more aware of the world around me.

It's not hard to be more aware, either. You can learn a lot from just reading the headlines in the newspaper or taking off your headphones while you're out in public and paying closer attention to the world around you. Try out new kinds of food. Read any random message board on the Internet and see what people are talking about. You never know when a nugget of knowledge can prove valuable to you in the future.

And if you keep your mind open to new opportunities, who knows what success you could have? I never could have predicted that I would have worked for both a country radio station and an organic candy company, but I was open enough to give it a chance and it worked. I still have a ways to go on my quest for success, but I'll always be on the lookout for the next big thing for me, wherever it may come from.


What do you do for fun?

I love spending time with friends and family. It's been tough trying to make time for the people I love due to school, career ambitions and multiple jobs, but it's important to make time for them too.

I am a life-long gamer. Some of my gaming triumphs/shames include owning E.T. on the Atari 2600, winning over 5000 Tetris DS online matches and being able to play expert plastic guitar behind my head. Like friends and family, finding time to play video games has been hard too. I read about them and listen to podcasts about video games a lot more nowadays than I actually play them.

Speaking of podcasts, I'm a huge fan of the medium. It's not for everybody, but a lot of my day revolves around podcast consuming. Currently, I subscribe to 35 different podcasts, ranging from a variety of subjects from video games, to the How Stuff Works series of podcasts, to news. I don't have time for all of them every week, but I have content that interests me to consume basically anytime, anywhere.

I love to play and watch basketball. Also, I love making music. I've produced over 150 hip-hop instrumentals since I started that in 2003, and have been playing the drums now for 8 months now. I'm not formally trained in either discipline. I was self-taught on the hip-hop side, just struggling to play the instruments, handle the technology and develop the "ear" till I got to a point where I was happy with the music I was making. As for drumming, I learned how to play real drums by playing the video game Rock Band. Sounds crazy, but it's true. You can listen to one of my beats by clicking here, or watch me play the drums below.





E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

I still can't top the original.



If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Kunaal Jagtianey

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.


Name: Kunaal Jagtianey

Career Path: Creative/Copywriter

Education: Graduate of two-year Creative Advertising program at Seneca College

Advertising Experience:
- Completed Creative Advertising at Seneca
- Pitches to live clients
- Educated by professors that are or have been in the industry
- Attended Ad week in New York
- Experienced with Adobe Creative Suite

One Thing About You: An Indian guy born and raised in Kuwait, I was brought to Canada at the age of 13 and six years later, all of my memories are still fresh in my mind. Even though I have been heavily influenced by western culture, I will never toss away my heritage.

Contact: kunaaljagtianey@rogers.com

Full interview after the break!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

There were a couple of experiences in my life that pointed me towards the field. When I was a kid, my uncle used to give me advertising projects to pass the time. Every time I look back at those memories, they make me smile. Over a decade later, I was in grade eleven and attended a course called media. My life wasn’t really where it should have been at that point, but after that class, I was set on studying advertising. It was just something about the influence I would play on someone’s decisions, which drew me to it.

When I started the Creative Advertising at Seneca, I felt lost. Well, for about three days. Then I set foot into my first ever copywriting class. I didn’t really think I was going to be a copywriter when I started (my family history pushed me towards the business side) but Lisa Atkins changed all of that. As I learned about copywriting, I realized that this was what I wanted to do. Like many others, I have doubted myself. I’ve been kicked when I was down but I haven’t thought of another career path since day three at Seneca.


You just wrapped up two years of education in the Creative Advertising program. What did you think about the whole experience?

It was unbelievable for me. Not only because I learned about advertising and found my passion, but because of the way it has influenced my life. I feel like I have grown so much over the past two years and advertising is the only thing I can really thank (along with all the professors) and now I’m going to return the favour but working my (explicit) off to create great advertising.


Describe your creative process. How do you brainstorm? How do you keep track of ideas? How do you know when one of your ideas is good? What do you do when you're creatively stumped?

I don’t have a single creative process that I really rely on. It changes all the time based on a bunch of variables but I will describe the one I have used the most. If I haven’t been educated about a product yet, that is the first thing on my mind. What is the product benefit? What does this have that its competitors don’t? If I am well informed about the product, I give it a test run and then look at what the brief requires me to do.

If I have an Art Director with me, we start throwing around ideas, writing down everything that comes to mind (but I can do this alone too). It might be a bit cliché, but no idea is a bad idea. I go through all these different concepts thinking about possible executions for them and once I get the best three from the lot, time for a break. I come back and look at the ideas to see if they still make sense and then start writing lines in different styles. Emotional or rational, comedic or serious, whatever sells it better. Once that is decided, I focus on the best two and devote most of my time to writing lines to fit all of the requirements.

The final phase is the crucial ‘which idea is best’ phase. It is when I take the best idea and work around that concept. How do I know it’s good? Sometimes you can tell because it follows the brief and gets good reactions when you run it by other people. Other times, you just know. That is the easy part though; it’s getting to that point that can sometimes be a challenge.

A tactic I learned from a fellow Copywriter, that helps me when my mind breaks down on me (as I write headline after headline) is: get anyone that is capable of writing lines (the idea of the lines are more important than the structure of them) and add a header with the required message. Then start writing lines, with each line feeding off the idea and growing from the last line written on the page. Start going over the lines and choose the best ones. At this point, you can tighten the lines up.

Note: It also works for creating a concept.


Is there a medium you prefer to write for? Why?

Just getting a chance to write professionally makes the hairs on my arms stand. If I had to pick one medium, it would be Radio.

I became a writer to write copy, and radio is the only medium where all they have is the words (all the time). I feel like an artist when I write Radio because I try to make the listeners visualize what they are hearing, painting a vivid portrait in their imaginations. It is so much easier to see yourself in a certain position when there isn’t already a face there.


You’re a big fan of video games. What do you think about the current state of advergaming? If you ever get to a position where you could make a difference in that area, what would you do?

I see advergaming as an emerging medium right now. Everyone should be involved but only if they can do it subtly.

This is way too intrusive and once it gets to that point, people stop listening (too much for a game they paid for). This on the other hand, adds realism and doesn’t give the player a chance to even think about the fact that we just advertised to them. I personally prefer this idea of advergaming adding to a sense of realism. You aren’t going to see the McDonalds logo spray painted on some random garage while walking down the street. However, you are going to see the interchanging ads at a hockey game. But console gaming is just one portion of it.

My favourite part about turning into a one-gadget world (see link) is the fact that we can blatantly advertise without raising suspicion from the user. Lets just say we are talking about the iPhone. The average user has put a lot of money into the device, so companies make games for free (kind of). Since I have already mentioned McDonalds once, I’ll do it again. McDonalds realizes that a large portion of the target owns an iPhone. Here are their two options. Sit on thumbs or take this amazing opportunity and advertise on this ‘do it all’ device. What they should do is put out a game or application at no cost to the downloader. Everywhere the user goes, this app follows. When they’re bored and all they have is their iPhone, guess what name pops up. That’s right, Ronald McDonalds hunt for the Big Mac Sauce recipe (or something more subtle like McDonalds bowling). If I were put in a position to help, I would do all of the above. Try to get advergaming to the point where the average Joe doesn’t realize we are advertising to him while he is playing a game, no matter where he is.


Do you have any other creative outlets besides writing copy?

Before I got into copywriting, I often wrote short stories. When I lived in Kuwait, I wasn’t the best English student. My flow was off when I wrote essays and I made simple grammatical errors. But then I got home and started writing these stories, and all of that didn’t matter. It was a way to express my thoughts on paper without being criticized for how I wrote, instead, being criticized for what I wrote. With time came mechanics and it made me a better writer. I don’t think I would be writing this interview if that portion of my past didn’t occur. Or maybe I would have been on the business side of things.


What do you hope to achieve before you retire?

I have answered this question at least ten times in the past month, with a different response each time. The first goal was being hired (set the bar low). The next time, I decided to set my sights a little bit higher with (award winning) Copywriter at a high caliber agency, and then it went to Creative Director followed by CEO in Canada (Alternatives are Mumbai, Dubai and New York). At this point in my life (19 years old) I think that all of my goals are achievable, but you never know what could change once I get a job.


What do you do for fun?

I am a big fan of keeping current, focusing on many popular TV shows so I can make conversation at the local watering hole. I also watch basketball religiously (go Cavs) and play when I get the chance.

I spend a chunk of my time on Advertising blogs, electronics/ basketball forums, music websites, and anything else that catches my interest. Even though I learn a great deal from these websites, it never feels like learning.

I am also an avid gamer, or used to be. Since I started college, most of my past times have taken a back seat but I see that as a sign of dedication rather than a loss.

The one thing I could never give up, is my dog Snickers. He just brightens up my day when I get a chance to see him. (I have friends too, but that is something that everyone talks about ‘I hang out with friends, blah blah blah.)

Kunaal's dog Snickers

E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

Seneca Advertising program+ diverse background + the obsession to advertise + the synonym button (funny on paper) = ready to start tomorrow


If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Scott Boniface

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.


Name: Scott Boniface

Career Path: Copywriter

Education: Seneca College- Creative Advertising Diploma

Advertising Experience: 5-months of internship experience

One Thing About You: I do my best to remind myself daily that life’s too short for the negatives.

Contact: saboniface@hotmail.com, 647-404-3078

Full interview after the break!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

This question provokes a fantastic lie about how an ad, or tagline changed my life forever. Unlike some I don’t have that defining fork in the road that got me hyped on advertising. I was just psyched about the creative writing and sheer brilliance being showcased. Today I’m a groupie of great creative. There’s no better feeling than coming up with a great idea, or reveling in one you wish was yours. I do believe this is one of the best jobs in the world and am blessed to feel the passion everyday.


Describe your creative process. How do you brainstorm? How do you keep track of ideas? How do you know when one of your ideas is good? What do you do when you're creatively stumped.

I stare Hemmingway’s “white bull” in the eyes and jump on it’s back. Then ride it for a couple seconds until I get thrown on my ass. Then I get a coffee.

Joking aside, I think it’s crucial to immerse yourself with the product/service benefits, past advertising and as many google links as I possibly can. Then put my pencil to paper (Not fingers to keys) and start with some terrible unclear ideas I would never show anyone.

A great tactic I often try is one of Luke Sullivan’s tips for getting started. I’ve found it can almost always give you the initial tools needed to get the ideas flowing. “This is an ad about…” then I’ll just write until I’m out of things to say, and ways to say them.

Incubation is also a great tool. Doing anything to separate yourself from the problem at hand. You could watch a movie, ride a bike or do some jumping jacks, whatever your in the mood for. Then return with a fresh mind ready to tackle your previous thoughts. Narrow them down until only the strong survive.

You’ll know you have that bullet proof idea when you’re feeling giddy like a 5th grade school girl meeting The Jonas Brothers.

Good feeling… Good feeling…


How did you get from being a student to being an intern at Fjord?

Well, I would have never heard about the opportunity without Anthony Kalamut’s undeniable ear secured to the industry’s pulse.

I did my best to shake the nerves off, get my book ready and tried to show that I was capable and worthy of the opportunity being presented. I showed my book to the CD who has since become one of the nicest and most supportive people I’ve met in the industry thus far. I got a call back, started two weeks later and am still trying to prove my worth everyday.


Describe a day in the life of Scott Boniface at Fjord.

I stare at people on the GO train and wonder where it is they work, and some potential storylines of their life. Weird I know, but it’s something I’ve always done. Judge me if you must. You’ve done it, I’m sure of it.

I walk from Union to King & Spadina, usually with a big smile just feeling blessed to have the opportunity to come downtown everyday and do something I love.

I arrive and elevate to the creative floor and say hello to the immense talent that fills the building, get a coffee/tea and start the day. Whether its for a brief, helping another writer or some portfolio work on the side. I try my best to dedicate my 8+ hours here a day to learning, growing and writing to the best of my ability.

I’m involved in briefings, conference calls, brainstorming sessions, preparing copy decks and mood boards. Anything they need/want/feel comfortable with me doing I’ll do with a big smile all the while.

Then I head home and stare at some more people on the GO train. But now… as they sleep. (Okay, that was creepy)


What’s the biggest difference between writing for traditional media versus writing for interactive? Do you have a preference?

While attracting attention is what advertising is all about, I feel that the interactive world also relies heavily on the CTA, which is actually the most challenging part. Why would anyone feel inclined to click that banner? I know when I’m online that’s the last thing I want to do. It’s challenging to break through the clutter in an interesting, innovative way when everyone’s so conditioned to online ads.

Although I don’t really have a preference, I know that the way the interactive world is taking charge it’s important to stay involved and updated on what’s being done, and more so, what’s possible.


You’re one of the biggest hip-hop fans I know. Do you have any sort of plans or ambitions of working on something hip-hop related in your advertising career? Has hip-hop influenced your approach to writing or your approach to life in general?

Haven’t thought much about it honestly. About a year ago I approached a couple websites I loved about possibly writing some album reviews or daily blogs but it never really fell through.

I would love to, because there really is nothing I know more about than hip-hop culture, from the very beginning till’ today. Its something that has always been a passion of mine, and it’s never going to stop. Not as long as true hip-hop stays alive.

In terms of my life, the culture has helped shape who I am today.


If you could give one piece of advice for any aspiring copywriters out there, what would it be?

Soak it up like a sponge, Continue to learn and grow daily.


What do you do for fun?

Skateboard, Listen to music, Writing (advertising, poetry, short stories) and I try my best to experience life for everything it offers in some way everyday. I just put my best foot forward and learn something new everyday.


E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

Scott Boniface- Creative Copywriter- Seneca College- Creative Advertising- 5 months+ of agency experience. Passion, Talent, Persistence.

If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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LEADERS OF THE NEW: Ross Webster

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.

Name: Ross Webster

Career Path: Account Executive

Education: Creative Advertising Graduate of Seneca College/Business Marketing Graduate of Humber College

Advertising Experience:
Internship at Integra Foundation
• Client relations
• Research
• Direct Mail
• Organize files
• Attend recording session (Susan Hayes looks exactly how she does on television)

2 years of the Creative Advertising Program at Seneca College
• Various agency pitches
• Volunteer for Marketing Week
• Numerous days of “burning the candle on both ends”

One Thing About You:
I love listening to great, thought-provoking music. Great musicians can paint a picture in their lyrics and are able to make you think. Some musicians that have influenced me have been Jay-Z, Common, Nas, Outkast, John Mayor, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Anthony Hamilton and Kanye West. (The list can get longer). Music keeps me focused, motivated, calmed and really clears my mind.

Contact: rossmwebster@gmail.com / websterross@hotmail.com

Full interview after the break!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

I think ever since I was old enough to watch TV my father always told me, “I should be in advertising.” I always wondered about advertising and what it took for a commercial to air on TV. After my first semester agency pitch to Due North in the Creative Advertising Program (CAB) at Seneca, I was pretty certain that I wanted to be in advertising in some way, shape or form. After all the hours my group put in, down to actual pitch was fun and exciting, even the arguments and stress we had was an experience I’ve never been through, but it excited me and I knew I could handle it and wanted more (laughs).


One expression I’ll never forget you saying is, “Advertising is my hustle.” What do you mean by that?

(Laughs) I had a feeling this question would pop up. Well just to make sure I’m clear I would have to define hustle, because I know that there could be a negative stereotype which surrounds that word.

To me a hustle is something that someone has a great passion for and is something that person dedicates their time to. Ever 1996 I’ve listened to ever single Jay-Z album, and he chronicles his life as a hustler, in his music he would describe the amount of time and effort he put into his hustle. As I grew older I realized that it’s not only “drug dealers” who are “hustlers” but it can be anyone who is passionate about what they do. For example Michael Jordan, yes he’s greatest basketball player ever, but I would label him a “basketball hustler” because he spent so time to perfect his game, becoming basketball’s greatest player ever. Then he turned himself into brand (clothes, shoes, fragrances etc).

Both Jay-Z and MJ throughout their respective career have accomplished so much and they can adapt to the changing environment as well. So when I say, “Advertising is my hustle,” it means I’m trying my best to understand advertising as a whole, the history, the pioneers, all the aspects of advertising. I try to adapt and understand new media, and I embrace the challenges it throws at me. Obviously you may not find me on a Mac creating a logo, but I know I have a creative mind, and hey I can draw! (laughs). I read newsletters from various sources (Adage, Mediaweek, Brandweek etc.) and subscribe to Marketing Magazine to keep myself informed about what is happening in the advertising spectrum.

Lastly and most importantly, I have to mention that even though people like Jay-Z, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Quincy Jones, and other legends are great at what they do, they did because they loved and enjoyed what they did. I wouldn’t force to myself to be an “Ad Hustler” if I didn’t enjoy this, advertising in my opinion is a great art form with so much to offer. I really have to shout out Anthony Kalamut (CAB’s program co-ordinator). His class sessions were really inspiring and gave me confidence and drive. Shout out to all the other professors as well, “it takes a village”.


How did you get from being a student to being an intern at Integra?

Connections my friend. Billy Sharma (DM God) my professor and colleague connected me with the great people at Integra. He has a great reputation for recommending great interns, so I suppose his word is as good as gold. I went in for the interview, which was more like a casual gathering, and at the end of it I was offered the position.


Describe a day in the life of Ross Webster at Integra?

I’m sure you’ve heard this before but, everyday is totally different. At times it can be time consuming conducting client research, and other times could be spent proof reading newsletters, emails, and reading blogs. This past week Susan Hayes from Global came by Integra to record a story on one of the programs at Integra, and she interviewed a few people. Just seeing that whole process of a recording session was great because it’s not every day you get to see that whole process of an interview before it hits TV. The people I work with are great and caring people as well, they’re easy to work with and we spend all day laughing and telling stories (while we do work of course).


What’s unique about working for a not-for-profit company?

The distinctive part about working at Integra is their “cause”. Integra does work for children that have mental health issues, a LD (Learning Disability) and other behavioural problems. Integra has various programs that help and guide these children, which in turn helps them mentally and socially. I think that cause alone makes what I do really worth it. I’ve met some of the children that Integra helps and just talking to them, makes me happy to know I work for a company that cares and does something to help children.


You were networking so hard when we worked together at Marketing Week 2008. What is your whole mindset towards networking? How do you approach it?

This goes back to my mind set of “Advertising is my hustle” and that I have strong presentation skills. During that week as you know, we saw a lot of the industry’s top and best for example, Frank Palmer, Scott Goodson and Paul Lavoie just to name a few. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to watch an opportunity pass me by, because I know if I don’t move on my instinct, I might regret it.

So I tried talking to as much people as possible, let them know I exist and that I’m here trying to make an impact. I remember in my 1st semester in CAB, right before our first agency pitch I was extremely nervous, but it occurred to me that I had nothing to be nervous about; I thought to myself “these people breathe the same air as me” (laugh) as weird as that may sound, it’s true. That helped me to relax, and make an awesome presentation.

I remember talking to Frank Palmer (DDB) about what he thought about the changes in advertising, starting up an agency and other things, and after we finished talking, I realized, “I just talked to CEO of DDB Canada, if I can talk to him what’s stopping me from approaching anyone else?” Anthony Kalamut always reminded me, “What is the worst thing someone can tell you? No.”


What would be your dream client to work with? Why?

I don’t have a dream client to tell you the truth. I hope after having a more experience maybe I’ll gain a “favourite client”. But as of now, I think my dream client would a client that shares the same ideas and values that I have, they’ll be a client that’s fun. I wouldn’t mind working for Jay-Z though.


Before you retire, what do you hope to achieve?

I would be happy having a good reputation and have the respect of people and peers within the industry. Knowing that people respect my voice, thoughts and my ideas is something I would appreciate. I want to be accomplished and successful of course. I want that positive retention in my peers’ mind. I’ll be happy with just that.


What do you do for fun?

I like being around good people who are doing something with their life just as I am, and not sitting around waiting for their life to start. I love to play a good game of dominoes, because in order to win a game of dominoes you need strategy, and that won’t happen if you’re just matching the numbers together (laughs).

I love reading about the history of other countries and just history in general. I used to be a frequent movie goer but due to school I had to cut back, but I think I’ll be starting to go the movies once again. I also love to travel, especially to Barbados to see family and friends and of course to attend Crop Over (similar to Caribana in Toronto/Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago) but better. (laughs) I love to watch sports and attend sporting events, I would love to go to a tailgate party for the Steelers at Heinz Field, or sit courtside and watch Kobe and LeBron go head to head.


E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

Let me show how I can be a great asset to your team. I have great presentation skills, which is why I’m taking this chance to talk to you now. Most of histories greatest moments occurred because someone took a chance. I’m free labour; you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!


If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

READ MORE

LEADERS OF THE NEW: Keely Powell

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.

Name: Keely Powell

Career Path: Radio writing and production

Education: Seneca College

Advertising Experience: Volunteer at ihaveanidea.org portfolio night 6, adweek NYC ‘08, Planet In Focus and Burt’s Bees winners of Seneca College student campaign competition.

One Thing About You: At one point in my life I had 9 body piercings at the same time.

Contact: keelypowell@gmail.com

Full interview after the break!

When did you know that advertising was for you?

I don’t know when I knew that advertising was for me. I still don’t even really know if I’m for advertising. I fell hard for it when I began at Seneca. And then, as these things tend to happen to people my age, I hit a pivotal moment in my life and where I was going and I had to make a lot of realizations about myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel as strongly about advertising after that but I persevered and I decided to find a path for myself to proud of, to back up the education I’ve received, and to revive the strong feelings of love and admiration I used to feel for advertising. Which is a good segway into the next question:


You’ve told me that you want to specialize in radio advertising. Why?

Radio advertising just happened to be the niche I discovered for myself. It is the area of advertising into which I feel I fit best. It just makes sense to me. Now not many people know this but before I decided to come to Seneca College’s Creative Advertising program, I juggled my post-secondary education options between graphic design and radio broadcast and before that point in my life I also had a strong passion for literature and writing.

So since I have always been interested in broadcast and I’ve always loved writing, the Seneca College Creative Advertising program brought that all of my interests together and taught me that I love writing scripts for radio commercials. Specializing in radio advertising and radio production seemed like an incredibly lucky opportunity for me to stumble upon, but really it was the choices I made for myself that led me to where I can be happy and enjoy working for the rest of my life.


Radio, unlike other forms of media, doesn’t have the luxury of visuals to convey the message. What do you do to compensate for that?

Sounds. Effects. Ideas. It’s the clever mixing of internal thoughts and external noise into a perfect form that makes radio interesting and intelligent to write and create. It’s no disadvantage to have to work without visual aids; it is a challenge, an accomplishment.


Describe your creative process. How do you brainstorm? How do you keep track of ideas? How do you know when one of your ideas is good? What do you do when you're creatively stumped?

I brainstorm on the bus and the subway. I brainstorm when I’m not stressed or busy with other things, when I can focus my energy on brainstorming. I keep track of ideas by writing them down with a pen on paper. I can’t work on a computer until I’m through with the heavy thinking and planning process. Some people I know go through their whole creative process on a computer and come up with great work. But I can’t do that. To me, computers are necessary only for research, typing stuff up, editing and revising good work. And I never know when an idea is good. I just work and I think and I write until I’ve come up with something I like and something that works. Then I take it to a friend and I ask for their opinion and go from there.

Every idea is a good idea. Some ideas just need to be cleaned off and fixed up first. And if, after the idea’s been cleaned off and fixed up, it doesn’t work for what I need it for, then oh well. Lastly, if I am creatively stumped, usually I go for a walk or a bike ride.


Do you want to just be a radio copywriter, or venture into the production side?

Well Jett,I don’t want to “just” be anything, but I know that’s not what you meant, so I’ll say: I don’t think I can be 100% happy with the radio I write until I am also producing the spots myself. Think of it this way: A chef can’t create a 5 star meal without knowing what’s in the kitchen first. Plus I am the kind of person who likes to have the reins in my hands when it comes to my own work. Unfortunately right now I have little to no experience or knowledge when it comes to radio recording and production equipment. But! I am currently working on scheduling a day to go in to Think Music to observe the recording and post-production of a radio spot, in order learn the basics and ask some questions.


Outside of advertising, do you express yourself creativity in any other ways?

Yes, I write poetry and short stories. I’ve got one short story in the planning and organizing phase right now and an outline for another idea I want to write about. I bake delicious cakes and cookies (and crepes) from scratch recipes I’ve mostly made up. I like to decorate and design space. And I’m not much for drawing, but I enjoy creating other kinds of art.


What is your biggest accomplishment so far in life? What do you hope to achieve someday?

My biggest accomplishment so far in life, eh? Never flunking out of school regardless of how tempting it seemed at times. In high school I was a big slacker and didn’t really care for much other than partying. But now, on the other hand, I’ve got high hopes; I want to write and be known for writing novels, and also, I want to bring back the old time radio show. (ie. Cloak and Dagger)


What do you do for fun?

Bike! I love my bike. And read. I love to read. And I’m writing short stories in my free time, so that’s pretty fun too.


E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

Script+sound+sales=radioKeely

If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com

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