IT'S TIME TO LIGHT THE LIGHTS ...: Last night was the third annual black-tie D Awards show at the Max. Unlike most staid awards ceremonies, the audience is always mixture of the raucous theater crowd from "The Muppet Show" and the rowdy disciplinary hearing scene in "Animal House." Which means it was great, albeit a little R-rated, fun. All that was missing was live chickens and seltzer bottles.
blog post photoThe sound of beer bottles rolling down the inclined aisles and glass wine goblets shattering on the floor lasted for much of the ceremony. Get some booze into advertising creatives and all bets are off.
There was lots of great work and the freewheeling crowd was happy to cheer their competitors and themselves. Team Detroit and Campbell-Ewald took home the most script letter D trophies.
The boys from Ferndale's Driven Solutions Inc. (I profiled them in 2008) took home several prizes, including a best-in-class in the print category for their campaign for Grand Rapids-based Founders Brewing Co. However, the awards program called them Driven Communications, which is another company altogether. Oops.
A sort of grim undercurrent throughout the show was the sense that that the fun may end at any moment because of the state of the advertising industry -- fraught with uncertainty because of the automaker's woes and Detroit's problems.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/section/c?template=profile&uid=140106&plckPersonaPage=PersonaBlog
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
DRIVEN wins best of show print at the D Awards
Universal Images takes best-in-show at the D Show awards
By Bill Shea
Rated by 2 people
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CORRECTION APPENDED
Southfield-based visual effects and post-production house Universal Images took the best-in-show award Wednesday night at the third-annual D Show advertising awards.
The company was honored for its work on the History Channel's “The Art of War” series. Christopher Wirth was the executive creative director on the work, which was computer-generated, stylized images of warfare through the ages.
The D Awards — everything from traditional print and broadcast ads to guerrilla marketing, cell-phone campaigns and computer effects are eligible and judged by outside experts — must have been produced by a Detroit-based agency or client between June 1, 2008, and May 31 of this year.
Other overall category winners:
• Print: Ferndale-based Driven Solutions Inc. for Founders Brewing Co.
• Out of home: Dearborn-based Team Detroit for Ford Motor Co.
• TV: Warren-based Campbell-Ewald for Kaiser Permanente.
• Digital media: Team Detroit for Ford.
• Integrated branding: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy.
• The Craft Award: Universal Images for the History Channel.
• Ambassador Award: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy (awarded for best marriage of creative content and context innovation).
“The Joe” award, judged by a panel of advertising industry journalists (including this reporter), was given to McCann Erickson for its “Pure Michigan” campaign for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
The journalist award is for the entry the panel believes rose above all others.
The awards event is a production of the D Council, the Adcraft Club of Detroit committee that oversees the awards judging and “creative black-tie” presentation event at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.
About 700 people attended Wednesday.
Winners receive a small metal script letter D and a “bling” D necklace. The full list of winners will be posted in about a week at TheDShow.org.
The awards (other than The Joe) were determined by a panel of judges from advertising and creative agencies outside of Detroit.
The D Awards replaced the Caddy Awards, handed out since 1989 by the now-defunct Detroit Creative Directors Council. The Caddies ended in 2006.
There was a video tribute during the award ceremony for George Katsarelas, an executive creative director at Leo Burnett Detroit who died of a heart attack in June. Katsarelas had been chairman of the panel that oversees the D Awards.
Katsarelas, who had also worked for Doner and Campbell-Ewald, developed the “I'm In” campaign to better declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools.
Leo Burnett's Jeff Cruz, a close friend of Katsarelas who led Wednesday's tribute and took over the chairmanship in his place, helped finish the campaign's most visible physical element, the 172 blue doors in Hart Plaza that represent each of the district's schools.
A memorial scholarship in his name has been established at Michigan State University's Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing within the College of Communications Arts and Sciences.
Mark Ford, a division president at Time Inc., announced during the ceremony that Campbell-Ewald is the winner of an advertising campaign contest, sponsored by the publishing giant's yearlong Assignment Detroit journalism project. The contest was to produce campaigns aimed at keeping young creative people to live and work in Detroit.
All five entries in the Time contest will run in several of the publisher's magazine and Web sites this month in ad inventory worth $1 million.
Correction: earlier online versions of this story, relying on erroneous information from the D Show, misstated the winner of the Print category. This version contains the corrected information.
By Bill Shea
Rated by 2 people
Rate This
Advertisement
CORRECTION APPENDED
Southfield-based visual effects and post-production house Universal Images took the best-in-show award Wednesday night at the third-annual D Show advertising awards.
The company was honored for its work on the History Channel's “The Art of War” series. Christopher Wirth was the executive creative director on the work, which was computer-generated, stylized images of warfare through the ages.
The D Awards — everything from traditional print and broadcast ads to guerrilla marketing, cell-phone campaigns and computer effects are eligible and judged by outside experts — must have been produced by a Detroit-based agency or client between June 1, 2008, and May 31 of this year.
Other overall category winners:
• Print: Ferndale-based Driven Solutions Inc. for Founders Brewing Co.
• Out of home: Dearborn-based Team Detroit for Ford Motor Co.
• TV: Warren-based Campbell-Ewald for Kaiser Permanente.
• Digital media: Team Detroit for Ford.
• Integrated branding: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy.
• The Craft Award: Universal Images for the History Channel.
• Ambassador Award: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy (awarded for best marriage of creative content and context innovation).
“The Joe” award, judged by a panel of advertising industry journalists (including this reporter), was given to McCann Erickson for its “Pure Michigan” campaign for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
The journalist award is for the entry the panel believes rose above all others.
The awards event is a production of the D Council, the Adcraft Club of Detroit committee that oversees the awards judging and “creative black-tie” presentation event at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.
About 700 people attended Wednesday.
Winners receive a small metal script letter D and a “bling” D necklace. The full list of winners will be posted in about a week at TheDShow.org.
The awards (other than The Joe) were determined by a panel of judges from advertising and creative agencies outside of Detroit.
The D Awards replaced the Caddy Awards, handed out since 1989 by the now-defunct Detroit Creative Directors Council. The Caddies ended in 2006.
There was a video tribute during the award ceremony for George Katsarelas, an executive creative director at Leo Burnett Detroit who died of a heart attack in June. Katsarelas had been chairman of the panel that oversees the D Awards.
Katsarelas, who had also worked for Doner and Campbell-Ewald, developed the “I'm In” campaign to better declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools.
Leo Burnett's Jeff Cruz, a close friend of Katsarelas who led Wednesday's tribute and took over the chairmanship in his place, helped finish the campaign's most visible physical element, the 172 blue doors in Hart Plaza that represent each of the district's schools.
A memorial scholarship in his name has been established at Michigan State University's Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing within the College of Communications Arts and Sciences.
Mark Ford, a division president at Time Inc., announced during the ceremony that Campbell-Ewald is the winner of an advertising campaign contest, sponsored by the publishing giant's yearlong Assignment Detroit journalism project. The contest was to produce campaigns aimed at keeping young creative people to live and work in Detroit.
All five entries in the Time contest will run in several of the publisher's magazine and Web sites this month in ad inventory worth $1 million.
Correction: earlier online versions of this story, relying on erroneous information from the D Show, misstated the winner of the Print category. This version contains the corrected information.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
DRIVEN SHIFTS GEARS - MOVES TO FASHIONABLE FERNDALE
Boutique ad agency DRIVEN has moved from its previous location of over two years at 310 Washington in Royal Oak, Michigan to a new location at 320 Nine Mile in Ferndale, Michigan.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to stay on the right track and keep moving forward during these harsh economic times,” says Kevin Woods, Principal and Chief Operating Officer. “Survive is the new thrive, and we’re excited that we’ll be able to continue to grow in Fashionable Ferndale.”
The new location, a former warehouse that had not been used for many years, has been renovated and built out to have a SOHO loft, industrial feel with a lot of open space. “We wanted to create an atmosphere that’s open and relaxed but still gives a nod to our Detroit industrial roots,” says Brian Cusac, one of DRIVEN’s four Principals and Chief Creative Officer.
DRIVEN, which was started by four young Detroit ad agency veterans over four years ago, is full-service agency with 10 full-time staffers and a rotating stable of seasoned creative professionals.
“Our mission is always about producing great creative product and effective solutions for our clients, but it’s always nice to have a killer space to do it in,” says John Cymbal, one of the four DRIVEN Principals. “As the client list continues to grow and the shop gains recognition for its work, we’ll have a great place to grow in.”
DRIVEN’s current client list is made up of many Michigan based companies including Wayne State University, Founders Brewing, United Road, Westborn Markets, Berger Chevrolet and several out of state companies such as Mike Bass Ford in Ohio.
“We just keep it simple, do smart work, and try to have fun,” says Sam Chiodo, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer for DRIVEN. “We work hard and our clients can see the results.”
DRIVEN is a small “think-tank” made up of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “big” advertising. They bring the experience of working on some of the largest brands in the world to the table for each client. Their solid relationships within the industry allow them to draw from the best in ideation and includes award-winning writers and art directors, as well as, artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and dreamers, all of whom are DRIVEN to deliver cutting edge solutions for select clients.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to stay on the right track and keep moving forward during these harsh economic times,” says Kevin Woods, Principal and Chief Operating Officer. “Survive is the new thrive, and we’re excited that we’ll be able to continue to grow in Fashionable Ferndale.”
The new location, a former warehouse that had not been used for many years, has been renovated and built out to have a SOHO loft, industrial feel with a lot of open space. “We wanted to create an atmosphere that’s open and relaxed but still gives a nod to our Detroit industrial roots,” says Brian Cusac, one of DRIVEN’s four Principals and Chief Creative Officer.
DRIVEN, which was started by four young Detroit ad agency veterans over four years ago, is full-service agency with 10 full-time staffers and a rotating stable of seasoned creative professionals.
“Our mission is always about producing great creative product and effective solutions for our clients, but it’s always nice to have a killer space to do it in,” says John Cymbal, one of the four DRIVEN Principals. “As the client list continues to grow and the shop gains recognition for its work, we’ll have a great place to grow in.”
DRIVEN’s current client list is made up of many Michigan based companies including Wayne State University, Founders Brewing, United Road, Westborn Markets, Berger Chevrolet and several out of state companies such as Mike Bass Ford in Ohio.
“We just keep it simple, do smart work, and try to have fun,” says Sam Chiodo, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer for DRIVEN. “We work hard and our clients can see the results.”
DRIVEN is a small “think-tank” made up of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “big” advertising. They bring the experience of working on some of the largest brands in the world to the table for each client. Their solid relationships within the industry allow them to draw from the best in ideation and includes award-winning writers and art directors, as well as, artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and dreamers, all of whom are DRIVEN to deliver cutting edge solutions for select clients.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
DRIVEN - NEVER IDLE
301 w. 4th street, suite 250
royal oak, mi. 48067
p. 248.548.3393
www.drivensolutionsinc.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The spot that got us FIRED
Everyone agency has one. This is ours: The spot that got us fired. With Jet’s Pizza, DRIVEN was hired to create a new brand, increase awareness and grow sales. The strategy was to get noticed, be memorable, define the brand and have fun while doing it. Mission accomplished. For better or for worse.
When this spot hit the airwaves, the phones in the stores started to ring, but so did the phones in the corporate offices. Some people loved the spot, others hated the fact that the guys tongue was hanging out. Some folks even went as far as to say the spot was about oral sex. Wow.
Anyways, the Reader’s Digest version is that sometimes, even when your client asks for something breakthrough and different, even if they sign off on a concept, they’re not always happy with the results. There has to be a tolerance for taking the bad with the good and every client’s threshold is different.
In the end, we’re still very proud of the work that we created for Jet’s, because it was very different from anything else in the market that we were playing in. But, it was a lesson for our agency that even when things are going well for a client, business relationships and tolerance for risk can create a gap that cannot be bridged.
Best,
Your DRIVEN Team
www.drivensolutionsinc.com
Founders Flip Flop In-Store Posters
Driven recently created a series of Flip Flop brand posters for Founders Brewing Company for In-Store signage in the beer section. This example is for their new Double Trouble beer. They have been getting rave reviews from distributors and retailers, Founders sales are up 112% year over year. www.drivensolutionsinc.com
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Quickbooks campaign and small business aid
I praise Quickbooks for their campaign to offer free software to those in need in an effort to promote and help the small businesses which is exactly the right target to spark economic growth.
Additionally, Obama needs to help the entrepreneurial business owners and small to medium sized companies in an effort to help America out of this trying time. It makes all the sense in the world to give those companies tax incentives for new hires vs tax breaks on equipment depreciation which only promotes the old economy. If small businesses could ever get a break things would definitely change, and by offering incentives for new hires, the unemployment rate would go down.
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/index.jsp
Additionally, Obama needs to help the entrepreneurial business owners and small to medium sized companies in an effort to help America out of this trying time. It makes all the sense in the world to give those companies tax incentives for new hires vs tax breaks on equipment depreciation which only promotes the old economy. If small businesses could ever get a break things would definitely change, and by offering incentives for new hires, the unemployment rate would go down.
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/index.jsp
Monday, April 20, 2009
DRIVEN is launching "Project Give Back" to help charities.
OK. I’m sick of everyone being bummed out all the time about the current “situation.” Sure, it’s difficult to grow business in today’s climate. But I think we need to look at the bigger picture. It's about much more than that trying to figure out how to get through these tough times. It's about doing great things every day both personally and professionally. It's about going above to produce cutting edge work that delivers results for clients but also beyond. It's about doing smart work and helping those who help you. It's about giving back and trying to change the world by doing more.
I know. Get to the point Woods. I was watching a show the other evening and it truly inspired me to do try and do something with my expertise. To try and do something no other advertising agency has done, that I know of. It kind of a play off of a belief that we have at DRIVEN, which is, if you can help a business why not try to help make the world be a better place at the same time. By thinking about how work can accomplish a clients goals and giving to society, you can do something for your customers and beyond.
It’s not rocket science. It’s a pretty simple premise. So we’re going to try it. Driven Solutions Inc. is launching: "Project Give Back." For each national advertising client we produce an ad for, a percentage donation on each campaign will be given to a charity of their choice. Ideally, we would include a "Project Give Back" logo on the clients ad representing that a portion of the ad went to charity in an effort to help those in need and make the world better for others.
So that’s our little big idea to try and make a difference. If you would like to participate in this program call Driven at 248 548 3393. Lets do some great work and help others in need.
I know. Get to the point Woods. I was watching a show the other evening and it truly inspired me to do try and do something with my expertise. To try and do something no other advertising agency has done, that I know of. It kind of a play off of a belief that we have at DRIVEN, which is, if you can help a business why not try to help make the world be a better place at the same time. By thinking about how work can accomplish a clients goals and giving to society, you can do something for your customers and beyond.
It’s not rocket science. It’s a pretty simple premise. So we’re going to try it. Driven Solutions Inc. is launching: "Project Give Back." For each national advertising client we produce an ad for, a percentage donation on each campaign will be given to a charity of their choice. Ideally, we would include a "Project Give Back" logo on the clients ad representing that a portion of the ad went to charity in an effort to help those in need and make the world better for others.
So that’s our little big idea to try and make a difference. If you would like to participate in this program call Driven at 248 548 3393. Lets do some great work and help others in need.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Is the economy getting better? The Agency is growing.
Feels like the economy is picking up as companies are beginning to invest in our advertising and marketing services, which is a great sign for the future of our economy. With media deals as good as ever, it is a great time to stand out, grow sales and increase share if your a business owner or marketing director. We have been able to show great returns for our clients this year in a tough marketplace. Those companies who are investing in themselves right now are growing faster than those who are trying to save their way to prosperity. It appears that businesses have waited on the sidelines long enough and are taking matters into their own hands and doing something about it. Those who have weathered the storm are moving forward after a Q1 hiatus.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Seems odd how state goverment can focus on the wrong target growth sectors in an effort to help grow the states economy and not help the small business new economy upstarts with incentives. Seems like we are always left on our own to fight on.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A glimpse of DRIVEN and what they do in the ad world
Founded in 2005, DRIVEN is a privately held Michigan based corporation made up of a small cadre of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “big advertising.” Our team of account management, media planning & buying, and creative thinkers numbers 11, plus four interns brings the total number of staffers to 15. The team at DRIVEN brings with them the experience of working on some of the largest accounts in the world, from global automotive
accounts, to home furnishing retailers, to craft beer brewers, to everything in between. DRIVEN is a flat, transparent company. Don’t be fooled by our size; 20+ years of experience and relations within the industry allows us to draw from the best of the best in advertising and marketing depending on the respective client’s unique need(s). DRIVEN’s stable not only includes award winning writers and art directors, but artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and digital dreamers, all of whom are driven to deliver cutting edge solutions for our clients. And while bottom-line client results are our most prized awards; industry awards we’ve garnered over the years humble us. Included in our trophy case are:
accounts, to home furnishing retailers, to craft beer brewers, to everything in between. DRIVEN is a flat, transparent company. Don’t be fooled by our size; 20+ years of experience and relations within the industry allows us to draw from the best of the best in advertising and marketing depending on the respective client’s unique need(s). DRIVEN’s stable not only includes award winning writers and art directors, but artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and digital dreamers, all of whom are driven to deliver cutting edge solutions for our clients. And while bottom-line client results are our most prized awards; industry awards we’ve garnered over the years humble us. Included in our trophy case are:
- Communication Arts Advertising Annual
- Luzers Archive International Showcase
- Graphis
- Addy’s (Best of Show)
- Tele’s
- Caddy’s
- Mobius
- New York Festivals
- D Show
- Gannett Outdoors Awards
- Adweek Spotlight
- Adage
- Ads of the World
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