WE ARE A BAND OF BELIEVERS.
We champion Ideas and never utter words like “can’t,” or “won’t.” We are gifted thinkers who take action. If enough people care, we can do what others say can’t be done. We can pull off the impossible.

WE ARE AN INDISPENSABLE RESOURCE TO OUR CLIENTS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
Know that we are valuable resources for our clients and not just people who are only trying to get an ad out the door. We constantly strive to create the advantage, whether it is in design, copy, presentations, etc. Our best happens to also be our clients best.

WE ARE EXPERTS IN OUR CLIENTS’ FIELDS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OURS.
Clients come to us to solve their problems, so we learn their Brand forward and backward. Always remember that we are not here to parrot back buzzwords in order to sound like we know their business, but to use the combined strength of OUR organization to assist THEIRS. And one of the best ways to go about this is to stay up to date on the latest information, while also building upon a foundation of proven methods.

WE WORK FOR THE CLIENT, BUT WE REPRESENT THE CONSUMER.
Our clients already know all about their Brands or products. Their customers, not so much. Keep the individual creative target in mind. Always try to do what’s best for them. When you keep the focus on the target, you’ll be surprised at the work we can create.

WE BUILD BRANDS. NOT ADS. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE. 
Think BIG. We build Brands through fresh Ideas and breakthrough creative based on enduring human truths that is exciting, compelling and memorable. We do that one piece of communication at a time. Always start with an Idea. Then apply it from there.

GREAT RESULTS ARE THE END RESULT.
We are problem solvers. Keep in mind that we must create great work within the parameters the client sets. It’s not structure, time or technique. What is important is that we achieve great results – and do it consistently, time and time again.

IN ORDER TO DO GREAT WORK, YOU FIRST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT GREAT WORK IS.
Read the award books. Study your ad history. Find your favorite pieces and work backward. Pay attention to how they approached the assignment. Pretend to write the creative brief they used. Break it down, like football coaches. Learn how they think. Learn how they solved certain marketing problems. Eventually, someone else will learn from you.

DEADLINES ARE IMPORTANT. DO NOT MISS THEM.
My mentor used to manage only two things – deadlines and the work. If you’re coming up on crunch time, or have too much on your plate, let me know and I will help you. Things don’t fall through the cracks because we don’t allow cracks in the first place.

UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF CREATIVE COURAGE.
To start with nothing, a blank sheet, and turn it into a piece of communication that moves an audience takes great skill – and guts. It’s achieved by overcoming every mistake and turning every small victory into even bigger ones. The dozens and dozens of headlines it took to finally find that great one, or the thumbnails that lead to the perfect visual execution, never go unwarranted.

THE BETTER YOU ARE, THE BETTER WE ARE.
The goal is to get each of us to maximize our own abilities and talents. When you believe in yourself, it will reflect in your creative, making the work that much more believable, which is great for your career, our agency, our clients and their customers. The best business-building Ideas are conceived in a spirit of partnership between agency and client.

SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM ISN’T THE ACTUAL PROBLEM.
First comes the thinking, the structure, and the logic. It is within that logic where the Idea can be found. Learn how to set up the logical structure first. Doing that will ensure the work will not be trivial and short-lived. It all comes down to figuring out “What is it we’re trying to achieve?”

COVERING THE WALLS HELPS US COVER OUR BUTTS.
Tackling a problem from all possible angles helps us believe in what it is we finally settle on. Putting that much effort into a project automatically provides education – the back and forth conversations that will help sell the final piece in the end. Here’s a great piece of advice: Keep in mind how you intend to make the sale while you’re making the ad.

YOUR JOB IS TO DO YOUR JOB.
There are plenty of talented people who bring multiple abilities/skills to the table. But each of us are here to do a specific job. Don’t be distracted by delusions of grandeur that can sometimes appear as perceived creative briefs and fleeting job titles. We already have people who are responsible for those areas. What we need is for you to do/focus on what you were hired to do.

DO YOUR PART TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.
You may not always work on an assignment you like, but it still needs everyone’s help to move forward. Do your best even if you didn’t come up with the Idea, or whether you like it or not. Marketing is subjective, and we can’t wait till everyone is unanimous about the quality of an Idea in order to work on it. Remember that our client liked it enough to buy it. Now it’s up to us to deliver their Idea (our product) the best way we can. Complementary skills and abilities provide the perfect mix that comes together to produce success.

TAG, YOU’RE IT.
The minute an assignment is handed to you, even if you’re covering for someone, it is yours, so treat it as such. Take ownership immediately. Mutual accountability means each of you will do your part – expertly – each time you are called upon to do so. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What is my job on this planet? What is it that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won’t happen unless I take responsibility for it?” I think he meant Imagining the next great marketing campaign.

UNDERSTAND THAT EACH AD CONTAINS “THREE BRANDS.”
The client and their logo is the main one, obviously. The second one is the agency, this place has a certain standard and a way of doing things we must all adhere to. And the third Brand is you. You provide a product that will help our client’s products succeed. Always demonstrate a consistently high level of ability for all three Brands. We’re all connected.

BRANDS HAVE STANDARDS, MAKE SURE YOU SHOULD TOO.
There is a level of work we all shoot for. Each of us brings our own unique perspective to what it is we do. Live up to those standards every chance you get. But…

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS BUT LISTEN TO YOUR BOSS.
…Each account has an Ownership Team of creative, media, account service, etc. who are responsible for the final end product. Because of that, they will make the final decisions. Do what you think is best, but after a point, accept that that’s all you can do. My advice: Nail it upfront.

USE YOUR CREATIVITY FOR MORE THAN JUST THE CREATIVE.
Is there a better way to hold a presentation? Can collateral be more interesting? Creativity should be part of your problem solving, meetings, presentations, everything. Always do what you can to get a point across in order to get everyone on both sides excited and on board.

BE OF INTEGRITY. THAT’S WHERE EFFORT COMES FROM.
Creativity flourishes in places of safety and acceptance and succeeds in an atmosphere of generosity and support. Being a good creative means being a good person. I’m not looking for saints, but respect for your fellow co-worker is a must. Do your best to be professional and get along.

WE ARE A BAND OF BELIEVERS.
We champion ideas. We don’t use words like “can’t,” or “won’t.” We take action. There are too many people out there who say things can’t be done. We are gifted “Creatives.” That title alone should remind you that you have the incredible ability to take things that are invisible – a thought, an Idea – and make them real, tangible. If enough people care, we can do what others say can’t be done. We can pull off the impossible.

HONOR THE FACT THAT WE EACH GOT HERE.
We’ve all found success in our own ways, so don’t knock someone’s work. It got them to this point, didn’t it? Overall, each of us has demonstrated great determination in order to learn this craft of advertising and marketing – by building a book, looking for a job, interviewing, and sitting in a cubicle for how many years. Our unique paths have led us right here, right now.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. YOU’LL FIND OUT THAT IT MEANS A LOT.
They’ll be bad days. We may not always agree, but we must always work together. Show a genuine respect for the other person’s point-of-view and free exchange of Ideas without fear of intimidation. You each provide a product, which is a necessary part of the team. Stay professional.

IDEAS ARE ALMOST NEVER BORN PERFECT, SO BE A NURTURING PARENT, AUNT, UNCLE, STEP-COUSIN, OR WHATEVER.
While brainstorming, a lot of Ideas and thoughts go in our heads and out our mouths. Some of them are bad. Some are great. All are legitimate. Try not to kill an Idea when you first hear it. Be open to it. There’s a reason a person blurted it out in the first place. Who knows? That “bad” Idea might lead down a path to something great.

GREAT IDEAS COME WITH A PRICE. HAVE THE MEANS TO PAY IT.
We reach for the stars around here, and that doesn’t come easy. Sometimes not at all. But I want to see the effort, whether it pays off or not. Just know that the price is never as high as you might think and is extremely gratifying when you come up with a great Idea.

CONTENT IS KING, THE MEDIUM ISN’T.
When billboards were first introduced on roadways, no one said “Holy Crap, a new medium! We need to hire people who only know the intricacies of billboard technology!” That would be crazy. Well, it’s not too far off from how people and clients think of digital. Everything starts with an Idea. That Idea is then executed to fit the medium. Always have something to say. Then we can figure out how to communicate it best.

SOONER OR LATER, WE’RE GOING TO BE A TEAM. CHOOSE SOONER.
We are all after the same thing. Let’s make sure we get there together, while having fun along the way.