Looking back: a year's worth of lessons

For my final post, I thought I would share some life lessons with you. Please leave your comments at the bottom of the page. I would love to read about some of the lessons you've learned in your time at school. We can all learn from each other, and I plan on continuing my education long after the semester ends.

1) Don't do anything half way

This is a big one for me. At the beginning of the year, I was unsure if I wanted a career in advertising. I decided to enroll in the Advertising Account Management program because I wanted to gain some experience in an unfamiliar field before I went too far down a different road. The problem is that it took a long time for me to take the program seriously. When you think of something as a "plan B", you're guaranteed to get very little out of it. If you're going to try something out, give it your all. Never think of something as a fall-back. For one thing, advertising isn't really a "fall-back" kind of industry. It happens to be one of the most innovative, creative, and collaborative industries out there. More importantly, there's really no point to exploring your options when you've already written off the possibility of doing anything else. My advice to all of you is to dive into new experience--don't just test the waters. If nothing else, it makes for a better experience.

2) You can learn something from any situation

Never believe that you're too good for the work you're doing. Everyone entering the program comes from a different place in life; some of us have experience with marketing, and others have experience with social media. I had a bit of experience with behavioural research. At the beginning of the year, my approach to many of the projects we were assigned was "well this is how I have learned to do it". The response I got was "That's great. Here's how you're going to do it from now on".

There's nothing wrong with learning a new approach. If nothing else, it helps you develop a more comprehensive understanding of the topics you're investigating. It's also okay to do something you're not comfortable with for a little while. My advice is to try approaching a problem from someone else's perspective. For all you know, it could be a better perspective to take.

3) Never tell yourself you're bad at something

Before this year, I would have told you that I'm bad at using Photoshop. I would have told you that I don't really understand social media, and that I have no idea how to make a GIF or a movie. Since then, I have at least partially developed all of these skills. How did I do it, you ask? Well, I watched a lot of online tutorials, had countless sleepless nights, and more than a few panic attacks. In the end, I did manage to improve my performance in all of these areas. The lesson here is that you should always bet on yourself. People like to talk about the things that they're bad at. I find that a lot of the time, they're just making excuses for themselves instead of sitting down and picking up a new skill. You can learn pretty much anything when it really comes down to it. However, I should probably point out that I still don't know how to pronounce GIF even though I can make one.

4) Mistakes are okay

This is a hard lesson for most people to learn. It's okay to make mistakes. The more mistakes you make now, the fewer you will make in the future. And really, making a lot of mistakes really just means that you're coming at the problem from a different angle. Once you're an established industry professional, this will be a seen as a virtue. If you get something wrong, there might still be some merit in the approach you used to arrive at that conclusion. It's okay to make mistakes; just try not to make the same one twice.

5) Take pride in your work

Try not to think of your work as just an "assignment". The great thing about advertising is that most of what you're assigned will be exciting, rewarding work. You'll have the opportunity to be creative and to express yourself. It's easy enough to do the bare minimum and move onto something else. However, it's much more rewarding to give everything your best shot. Not only will you learn more, your professors will start to notice that you're highly motivated. Do not underestimate the power of impressing your professors. After all, they're  the ones with all the industry connections. 

6) Don't be afraid to try something new

This last point is something I learned from attending school Sheridan College more generally, rather than the Advertising Account Management program specifically. The people who attend school here are engaged in such diverse areas of study, from textile design to finance. Students are constantly doing crazy and amazing things. A few buildings away, there's a group of people learning how to use computer animation software. I am never more than a kilometer away from a future Oscar winner. I'm constantly seeing people paint each other's faces in the hallway or design beautiful displays for the windows in the B wing. The culture at Sheridan College is one of creativity, of exploration, and of trying new things. When you're in that kind of environment, it's easy to imagine yourself doing something vastly different from what you're used to. If there's one thing I want to take away from this year, it's the desire to try new things.

The Lord of the Coffee: A Sheridan College Student’s Journey to the Tim Horton’s

Nothing really happens in your advertising classes. Generations of postgrads have lived out their lives in that E wing classroom, never truly seeing the world. Until one day, as fate would have it, a great burden fell upon one little advertising student.

You have been tasked with getting the professor a coffee. She has a “roll up the rim” tab, and would like you to cash it in before the 10 minute break is over.

You have heard rumours of the Tim Horton’s line and how perilous it can be at 4pm on a Wednesday. Everyone needs a boost right about now. And in the height of roll-up-the-rim season, students are willing to push and claw their way through the crowd for a single cup. Surely, the Tim Horton’s is no place for a little advertising student.

 

You ask if you can go to the Second Cup to grab her the coffee. She responds “this roll-up tab can only be returned to the Tim Horton’s, the coffee store from whence it was forged”. 

“One more thing”, she says before she sends you away. “Do not use my roll-up-the-rim tab. I’m serious. I will be really pissed off”.

 

You leave the classroom with a heavy heart. Just as you’re entering the computer lab, you run into a few of your classmates. They have decided to get some coffee as well. You decide to brave the line together. 

"You Have My Sword!"

Just as you’re crossing the blue ramp, you realize that you have never been so far from the E wing before. Why are so many of your classes in the E wing? You don’t know. That’s just the way it always has been, since the beginning of time itself.

You approach the Tim Horton’s. The line is much longer and more perilous than you had anticipated. You are confronted by thousands and thousands of angry undergraduate students, and they start attacking you. The Sean Bean character in your life dies immediately.

The fellowship has been separated, and there is no way you can handle that line without all of your friends there. Just then, a creepy little caffeine-junky creature tells you the Tim Horton’s behind the Learning Commons has basically no line. You are not sure whether to trust the creature…she seems to be after your free coffee. But you decide to follow her for now.

"AAAAH Creepy!"

The road to the Tim Horton’s is long and dreary. You wander through many halls, all seeming to lead nowhere. You wonder who it was who designed this campus anyways; perhaps one of the first year architecture students. Most likely they got an F.

You reluctantly let the Gollum lead you through the Dead Marshes.

Just then, you start thinking about how much you need a cup of coffee. You can't imagine having to sit through another hour and a half of this lecture without one. You start to wonder what it would be like if you simply...claimed the free coffee as your own. The draw of the caffeine is strong.

Finally, you make it to the Tim Horton’s. You fight off a pack of undergraduate students and are almost defeated. But as luck would have it, you reach the front of the line safely.

Just as you are about to put in your Professor’s order, you hesitate. There is only one minute left until the break is over. You think to yourself: did I really go through all this and I don’t even get a free drink?

“The coffee is mine!” You exclaim, consumed by power.

Just then, you find a dollar in your pocket. You buy yourself a second coffee and then get the hell out of there.

The End

Superbowl PSA is Effective and Genius

A PSA about domestic violence aired during the Super Bowl, and it has all the signs of being extremely effective.

In the advertisement a woman calls 911 and orders a pizza. The officer explains to her that she had called 911 and that they were not in the business of delivering pizzas. However, the woman keeps adding details to her order as if she does not understand the situation. After a while, the officer realizes what is happening: the woman is in an emergency situation and unable to talk about it. He asks her "is anyone in the room with you" and she answers "yes". At the end of the advertisement, he finally promises to send help.

There are so many great things about this PSA. For one thing, it aired during the most-watched television event of the year. Domestic violence has been an issue that has been ignored for far too long. Victims have a tendency to stay silent about their situation given all of the societal pressures we place on them to put up with violence, or worse yet, to blame themselves for their situation. As of right now, the issue has been raised in front of an audience of a hundred million people. Needless to say, this advertisement has sparked a great deal of discussion and millions of spectators around the world promise to continue the conversation long after the buzz dies down.

The advertisement is actually based on a true story, which you can read about here. An officer actually received a 911 call like this and the story has been circulating around the internet for some time now. To tell the story, the advertisement adds powerful imagery of what appears to be an ordinary house. After a while, we start noticing small details like a turned up carpet and a dent in the wall as the phone conversation becomes increasingly more ominous. Finally, the true message of the advertisement is revealed: "when it's hard to talk, it's up to us to listen". This message is central to the issue of domestic abuse. In many cases, it is incredibly difficult to remove yourself from an abusive partner. Therefore, it is our job to watch and listen closely to what the people in our lives are trying to tell us.

Finally, what makes the PSA so effective is how well it grabs your attention and manages to hold it right through to the conclusion. PSAs often rely on grotesque imagery or fear tactics to attract the viewer's attention. These ads are often ineffective because they are either hard to believe or off-putting enough to make you criticise the organisation rather than the issue the organization is raising. In contrast, this PSA presents an issue in an understated yet powerful message that no one can ignore.

As an advertising student, I admire what the NFL has been able to achieve with this PSA. Which brings me to my last point--it was a good move by the NFL to release this ad given all of the recent domestic abuse scandals that it's been a part of. Though I'm inclined not to forgive the NHL for ignoring domestic abuse for so long, I'm pleased to see that it's taken a step in the right direction. For now, the organization has done well to spread the word. However, as consumers, it's our job as to make sure that from now on, it "practices what it preaches". At all times, in any situation, we must keep a watchful eye if we ever hope to end domestic violence.