Posts Tagged ‘Creativity’

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Bringing magic and awareness to millions

By April Steffan, December 24, 2009

Canadian-based UGroup Media specializes in the development of web-based personalized video solutions. What better way to generate awareness of their product than to offer it as a free gift to millions of people?

PNP Greeting from Santa

PNP Greeting from Santa

Thanks to some clever production and a handful of survey questions, the “Portable North Pole” (PNP) once again thrilled millions of children this year with personalized video messages from Santa Claus himself.

Introduced last year to Canadians, the largely successful PNP video greeting was upgraded this year to be used internationally, and has been a huge hit in the U.S.

I followed the easy steps and created a video from Santa for my son, Gabe. In addition to some basic questions about where you live, the child’s age, etc… there are fun ways to personalize the message, such as choosing something the child “is working on” from a drop-down menu. I selected “going to bed when you’re told.” Lo and behold, Santa mentioned it!

Bet your child is in Santa's book, too.

Bet your child is in Santa's book, too.

Santa told Gabe he was proud of him, but he needed to keep it up. Is there any greater parenting support than Santa Claus?

It was great watching Gabe’s jaw drop when he saw his picture right on a page of Santa’s book!

Actually, YouTube is packed with clips of children watching their own personalized videos from Santa. Their excitement is priceless… just like the video! Offering these customized videos at no charge was a smart move by UGroup Media.

It’s not too late to create your own video and thrill that special child in your life.

Merry Christmas!

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Happy Holidays

By Josh Hoffman, December 14, 2009

It’s that time of year. Whether it’s the most wonderful, the most hectic, or a combination of both, take the next few minutes to relax and focus on you. You deserve it. Grab a Martini, a White Russian, a Tom Collins or an Old Fashioned (if you are at work, of course skip the drinks…even though it worked in the 1960s) and have a good time.

Cheers!

Cheers!

We wish you and your loved ones a happy Holiday.

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Past HatlingFlint Interns. Where are they now?

By admin, November 23, 2009

Ever ask yourself “hmm, I wonder what happened to her?” or “where is he now?” Well, we took care of that for you. We asked our past interns a few questions about their internship at HatlingFlint.

The  questions were:
1. When did you intern at HatlingFlint?
2. Where did you go to school and what was your major?
3. What are you doing now?

We did ask them what their favorite thing about interning with us was, but the list was endless.

Andrea Snaza
1. My internship was Feb-May 2009- about 4 months
2. I graduated in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Art, concentration Graphic Design from SCSU
3. Currently working as a Contract/Temporary Graphic Designer at Creative Memories Headquarters- St. Cloud, MN

Keith Clobes
1. My internship was 2007 Jan-Apr
2. Graduated with a B.F.A. Graphic Design from SCSU
3. Currently working as a Graphic Designer / Product Designer for Williams Sound

Trysta Lukach
1. My internship was from May 2009 – End of August 2009
2. I graduated from SCTC with an AAS degree in Advertising Communication and Design and an AAS degree in web design.
3. I am working for Granite City Real Estate as the On-site Resident Manager for Hillside. As for the job pertaining to advertising, I designed a new logo for them and I also do the bimonthly newsletter along with flyers as needed. I do freelance work on the side, including senior pictures.

Amber Osowski
1. My internship was April-July 2008
2. I DID graduate (top of my class) and it was with a BFA in Graphic Design
3. Currently searching for a design job while working as a Universal Banker at US Bank in St. Cloud

Eden Zimny
1. My internship was in the winter of 08/09, 4 months
2. Graduated in 09 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis in Graphic Design.
3. I am currently working in advertising at Mimbach Fleet Supply in St.Cloud.  I handle the print ads, some in-store signage, and design and maintain the company web site.

andrea_eden

Andrea and Eden at the Hatling & Flint Circus

We are thankful for our interns over the years. They have helped us with countless projects and, in the process, have hopefully left with an arsenal of skills they can use in all of their endeavors.

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3 Things You Can Accomplish With Good Design

By Ken Zakovich, November 11, 2009
From left to right: Ken Zakovich - Creative Director, David Sadowski - Art Director

WestmorelandFlint Creative Director Ken Zakovich is showcasing Art Director David Sadowski. (We asked them to pose for a picture, but they were too "creative" to just smile for the camera.)

When my colleague Dave Sadowski and I recently spoke to an advertising/marketing strategy class at the College of St. Scholastica, we wanted to emphasize one point: There is a difference between design and good design.

So where does good design come from? It comes from conversation and personal experience, from balancing intuition and facts. It comes from knowing the ‘thing’ you are trying to sell and falling in love with it. It’s knowing the client, their customers and their values—each producing valuable information.

The designer collects information much like a squirrel gathers nuts and uses it to create something that resonates with the customer. We think of the whole customer experience—good design branches out and touches customers in ways you may never have imagined. These are techniques we use every day.

We helped these college students realize how powerful good design is and that it will ultimately:
• Sell more product,
• Create more value, or
• Improve the customer’s experience

These students—these future account managers at advertising agencies, directors of marketing in nonprofit organizations, or public relations professionals in large corporations—went away with a working understanding of the facilitating, collection of data and the listening that good design requires.

Yes, lightning bolts happen. They are real and they are extraordinary. But delivering consistent, timely and relevant creative starts with informed individuals, combined with hard work and ends with a design solution that supports marketing strategy.

What’s your experience with good design?

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Creativity: If you don’t use it – you lose it.

By Alissa Pesta, November 9, 2009

When we were kids we were free of creative inhibitions. Somewhere along the way we started conforming and feeling bashful of our imaginative ways. Just like athletic ability, if you don’t use your creativity or problem solving abilities, you lose it.

A few ideas to help muscle-up:

1) Realize your creativity
Everyone’s got it. The only difference between “creatives” and “non-creatives” is the more imaginative ones admit and embrace ideas while others may discredit thoughts as a frivolous mistake.

2) Find your problem solving style
How are you creative? Do you feed off people in a group or would you rather think internally first? Choose team members that complement your style. Are you detail orientated? Pair up with someone who sees the larger picture.

3) Start innovating
The first thought of solving a problem at work may feel overwhelming. Just like running, you should start with a warm-up. Think of a trivial problem at home to solve first. You’ll have one less thing on your mind, but also the confidence to tackle a larger issue.

clothes pinMy most recent creative break-through:
I always shoved my outgoing mail behind the light switch plate in our kitchen. The letters would fall, but this is the most natural place for me to put them. My solution was to nail a small wooden clothespin above the light switch. It’s not rocket science. Problem = solved. Cost = nothing. My face = smiling.

What is your latest creative triumph?

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An UNparalleled Experience: the Flint Group Creative Retreat

By Phil Hunt, September 29, 2009

Earlier this month, more than thirty Flint Group creatives convened at Lost Lake Lodge near Brainerd, Minnesota. The objective? To share ideas and learn from each other face to face at the Flint Group Creative Retreat. Designers and writers from across the organization spent (roughly) two days and two nights focusing on the future, improving creativity and expanding collaboration.

Things got rolling on Thursday, September 17th with an icebreaker led by SimmonsFlint designer Ann Simmons-Boushey, followed by a wonderful dinner at Lost Lake Lodge and a show and tell of creative work from each agency.

Retreat Begins

Later that night, we had some fun around the bonfire.

Bonfire

The next morning, our group put social media strategy to work. Writer, Lee Ziegler, and Flint Interactive designer, Alissa Pesta, led the workshop, assigning real marketing problems to small groups. Using Jason Baer’s Social Media Worksheet, the Flint Group creatives addressed the problems with strategies and ideas to create awareness, generate sales or encourage loyalty online.

Social Media Strategy

That afternoon, it was time for our own unConference. Flint Communications art director, Frank Stegmaier, and writer, Phil Hunt, attended an unConference presented by One Club and the Society of Digital Agencies this spring. The experience and discussion was so valuable that we decided to conduct a smaller-scale unConference of our own.

There is no pre-determined agenda for an unConference. At the start of the event, we got together and proposed topics related to our industry and agency. After setting a a loose schedule, we talked and talked some more – documenting key points and outcomes along the way.

Some of the topics addressed included:

•    The Future of Flint Group
•    The Future of Print
•    Surviving the Economy and the New Era of Advertising
•    The Business of Design
•    Ethics in the Creative Field
•    Unconventional Printing and Advertising
•    Social Media
•    Video for the Web
•    How Production Design will Change in the Future
•    Interoffice Collaboration
•    Finding Inspiration
•    Presenting Concepts and Ideas
•    Using Creativity to Make the Creative Brief Go Further

The unConference was a big success – and we recommend it to any organization that wants to discuss big, challenging ideas. For more information on the unConference format, check out the unConference Wikipedia entry, unConference.net or Open Space World.

At night we wound down with another great meal, a butter sculpture contest, plus a bonfire and an outdoor screening of the 2009 Addy Reel. On Saturday, we finished up with some brainstorming techniques from copywriter Phil Hunt, and said our goodbyes.

Friday Night Butter Sculpting Contest

It was a fun weekend, and a productive one, too. We came back on Monday with fresh perspectives and solid ideas for the future of our clients and our agency. Stay tuned for more thoughts and outcomes from the retreat.

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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