time travel

I've decided I want to travel through time. Skip the rest of this semester, head straight to my San Fran trip, skip next semester, go to Maui, then start my wonderful, interesting, and high paying job. Anyone got a time machine handy?

My blog still misses me

I know, I know. Been too long since my last post. I've been real busy with school and life, lots of papers due, plus my impending job search of doom. I recently put together a list of the top 20 companies I'd like to work for, and why, so I figured I'd post that here, and that can sort of count as a post, right?

1. Google
This company knows what they’re doing. It also helps that they know how to treat their employees. They got #1 on the Fortune list for a reason. Tuition reimbursement is great, could get an advanced degree. Boston and Washington D.C. Locations a plus. International offices a plus. Plethora of employee benefits a MAJOR plus. A company I’d be stupid to turn down. Advertising Sales or Marketing
departments.

2. Wieden + Kennedy
Probably have one of my favorite client lists of any of the agencies on my list. Love the work they do for ESPN. Like the recent campaigns for Coke. Creativity seems to be a top priority at this agency.

3. Hill | Holliday
Recent campaigns for Dunkin’ Donuts are some of my favorite ads of all time, rate up there with the Mac vs. PC ads. One of the reasons I became interested in advertising. Boston headquarters a plus.

4. ESPN
As a sports fan, this is another dream job, and I know I’m throwing around the “dream job” terminology a lot, but this qualifies. I’d love to work marketing for a broadcast/cable channel, and ESPN would keep me interested and motivated. Love the benefits. Love the on site, free gym for employees at the Bristol location.

5. Arnold Worldwide
Great client list. Would love to get a shot to do something with Amtrak and ESPN. Multiple offices a plus. Seems like they have the right attitude and right outlook when it comes to advertising. Like the brand truth idea.

6. Ogilvy
The agency is a classic. Would be a dream to work for, if only I didn’t have to live in NYC. I think I could learn a lot from this company. Worldwide locations is appealing, hope to work in a foreign market one day

7. TBWA \ Chiat \ Day
Love their creative work. Especially on the Apple ads. Mac vs. PC has to be one of my favorite campaigns, and another one of the reasons I became interested in advertising. Downside is that I’d have to live in LA for the better accounts.

8. Saatchi & Saatchi
I read Lovemarks last year. Thought Kevin Roberts was right on the money. In order for a brand to achieve high levels of success these days, you really need to find ways to form a deep emotional connection with the customer. Worldwide offices a plus. Good list of clients. Some large, some small. I’d get a chance to work on a variety of projects which is a huge plus. I can’t get stuck doing one thing forever.

9. Leo Burnett
Another classic, feel like I could learn much from this company. I like that they have some big name clients like McDonalds and Visa. I think I would benefit from working on large accounts like those. The challenges would be very interesting. Also like that they have worldwide offices.

10. Apple
Big fan of the products. But who isn't these days? Working in the marketing department would be a dream come true. Worldwide offices a plus. Biggest downside is moving to California. Not sure if I want to do that just yet.

11. Red Sox
It’s probably a bit unrealistic, but it’d be my #1 dream job to work in the marketing department for the Red Sox. Not sure how I would get myself into that, but if the opportunity ever presented itself, I could never turn it down.

12a. MLB
Group this into the Red Sox/ESPN category.

12b. NFL
Same as above.

13. Sam Adams
A break from the ad agencies. I really enjoy fine wine and fine beer, and would love to do marketing for a brewery or a winery. Sam Adams is one of the instrumental breweries in the craft/micro brew movement. Seem to have a fun company culture. Plus they’re from my home state.

14. JWT
They seem to have a good read on current and breaking market trends. This separates them from other agencies. I like that. Client list is OK. Multiple offices a plus. International also a plus.

15. Magic Hat
Another brewery I’d like to work for. Toured the factory, seems like it’d be a fun place to work. With plans to expand distribution nationally, things can only get better.

16. Avenue A | Razorfish
Boston offices a plus. Like that they take an integrated approach to what they do. My skills could be a good fit here. Would like to do work in the internet realm. Lack of internet skills like web design a question.

17. Adworks
Love the “us against them, small agencies rock” attitude. The candy emporium is a cool idea. Seems like it would be a great place to get my feet wet in the industry. I think I’d be involved in more aspects of the process then at a larger agency, which I like. DC HQ a plus, as are international offices.

18. DDB
Like some of the creative work. Especially on Phillips Norelco body groom shaver and Monopoly Here & Now. DDB University a big plus, always looking to expand my skills and knowledge. Chicago and worldwide offices also a plus.

19. Draft FCB
Long list of clients means I would have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Worldwide offices a plus. Offices in Chicago a plus. Creative work is OK. Seems like they take care of their employees. Might be a good company to work for.

20. Brand Content
Small Boston based agency. Ability to have larger role in the process a plus.

Honorable mentions:
White + Partners

Catch!

My girlfriend tells me that my blog misses me. I guess it has been a few days since my last post. I've been busy, went to Vermont for one weekend, back home to Massachusetts for another. I got to toss around the football with my dad over the weekend, and that was fun. Made me nostalgic for times gone by, and honestly, times I'll never get to repeat. I have 7 months left until I graduate, and then its off to my adult life. It's bittersweet to think that I won't be spending large chucks of time at home anymore. C'est la vie I suppose. I'm ready, and I'm excited. Now only if I could find that perfect job...

Time Limit

Sometimes, I think baseball needs a time limit. Important Sox games seem to always be marathon affairs.

Fizzy Yellow Beer

Does anyone drink Keystone because they actually enjoy the taste?

Cream Cheese

So I went to one of the local bagel shops last night with my girlfriend. We each got a bagel with cream cheese. Upon receiving our bagels, we sat down, and unwrapped them to find they had been smothered with at least a full pound of cream cheese per side. Why is this necessary? Does anyone actually eat all that cream cheese? We of course had to scrape our bagels down to edible levels of cream cheese, it felt like such a waste.

Just an idea, for all you people who dream of opening up a bagel shop one day... use NORMAL amounts of cream cheese on your bagels. Charge extra if someone wants a pound per side. You'll probably be surprised at how much money you save.

Test explained

So my previous post, "Test" is a copy of my new brewery logo. Kuchenchef is German for "god of cooks" and while I'm not quite a god of cooks yet, I do enjoy cooking, and I like how the name and the logo turned out. Maybe one day you'll be able to buy bottles of Kuchenchef brew at your local beer store!