how design gets plaid
The September issue of HOW is covered in Plaid. First, our 2007 Plaid Summer Tour won a "Merit" award for self promotion. If that wasn't enough, they featured a two page spread on the tour as a unique self promotional tool. (Matt models the cover above)
The story isn't live on the HOW site yet, but we've scanned a copy for you to see. Read the first page of the spread here, and the second page here. We think that you should buy all of the copies at your local newstand and tell the cashier at Borders that Plaid ROCKS!
Funny side story: We told HOW that one of the clients we were introduced to on tour was the genius team at crayon. They assumed we meant CRAYOLA, and printed that we landed them as a client. I wonder if the marketing team at Crayola is reading HOW and thinking, who's Plaid???
Thanks HOW!!
Labels: design, plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:24 AM
2 comments
this week at Plaid:
Here's what happened this week at the world's most awesome design and branding firm:
This was the first full week of having everyone back from tour, and getting things back to 'normal' state. We announced that our 2009 tour will take place in the midwest. Think the midwest is flat and filled with cornfields? Just wait. We've got a load of surprises planned, and we've barely started the planning process.
We edited a "best of" our Plaid tour - taking key moments from each of the daily wrap up videos. You can still view all of the individual daily wrapups on the tour dashboard, and on Vimeo.
We hired a new designer! His name is Chris, and we'll formally introduce him in the next couple of weeks.
Lots of new clients this week. Maybe it's the tour, maybe it's Plaid fever spreading across the nation. Whatever it is, we're liking where this is going, and love meeting new people. Even when it starts with an NDA.
We're featured in the September issue of HOW Design Magazine! There's apparently a sweet two page spread devoted to Plaid love. We don't have our copy yet (mail is slow here, I guess), and it's not on news stand yet either. Checking the mailbox daily.
Plaidsters will be spending this weekend hunting bigfoot, or doing whatever Plaidsters do at the end of summertime on a weekend. Enjoy.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:08 PM
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stuff that i learned on tour: listen to smart people
We met a boatload of really smart, creative and inspiring people while on the PlaidNation tour this summer. I'm stoked to share with you interviews with three of those people - and three people that I really admire - Robert Scoble, Biz Stone and Cathy Brooks.
Robert Scoble actually invited us into his home. In this interview, we talk to Robert about a personal brands, social media, haters, and his Twitter-stream.
Biz Stone was an awesome host for the Plaid crew, at the brand new Twitter digs, in San Francisco. In this interview, we learn about the origination the fun and unique illustration work now synonymous with the Twitter brand, and how the fail whale came to be a celebrated, fun symbol of - failure.
Cathy Brooks is one of the many recognizable faces of Seesmic. Cathy gave us the royal tour of Seesmic headquarters, and then we sat back in some comfy FatBoys to chat about Seesmic, and how brands could use this wonderful tool in their marketing plans.
Labels: branding, plaid, plaidsummertour, seesmic, social media, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:07 AM
0 comments
Plaid tour 2009: painting the midwest plaid.
It's official. 2009 will bring the Plaid tour to middle America. The landlocked states. Where corn grows high and creativity blossoms.
The planning process has just begun - and there's already a load of new fun surprises for 2009. Middle America may never be the same. Routes haven't yet been established - so if you're situated in the 'middle' of this great nation, give us a shout (darryl AT thinkplaid DOT com).
Plow the fields, put the animals in the barns. Plaid is coming to town.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 2:24 PM
6 comments
stuff that i learned on tour: workplace culture.
Here's the first of what I hope to be a few posts sharing things that we've learned while on tour this summer.
Think cool environments are just for ad agencies and dot coms? Think that your company is too big to maintain a positive, cool culture? Think again. While on our agency's west coast tour this year, we met a host of companies - some in the agency business, most in other industries. And we were inspired but what we experienced.
What we learned: Work culture is everything. Create a successful culture and employees will want to work for you. They'll believe in your brand. And everyone on the outside will want to become a part of it. Great work cultures can exist in large environments just as much as independently owned small firms. I didn't really believe that, until this tour.
Here's an attempt at summarizing what we've seen work for some pretty spectacular brands during the PlaidNation Tour 2008:
Freedom of space.
Great company culture creates employees who want to work. Employees who want to do as little as possible will find their way to the boring, crappy workplaces. And they deserve what they get. Inspired employees believe in what they're doing, and love doing it. So give them space. Space to take naps. Space to goof off. Space to hang and space to explore. Don't worry about downtime. Give them freedom and trust, and you'll inspire them to do more.
Maybe cubicles are a necessity in your company - because of the size, and the number of employees. But do they have to be lame? At iiiDesign, they custom crafted their cubes. At Zappos, every department is decorated in a theme. The upstairs at Jones Soda feels more like a tree fort than office. Aptera decorated their office area like a giant fishbowl. All of these companies have one thing in common: Their workspaces reflect the collective culture of their employees.
Fun.
Great workplaces and workspaces need to be fun. The majority of workers spend their time on boring tasks in boring industries. But that doesn't mean they can't have fun. Fun isn't reserved exclusively for "video game testers."
Are your employees smiling? At this very moment? This is more difficult than most people realize - but it starts with little things. And it almost never has to do with money. Most of the places that we visited were filled with smiles. Humor. Friendships. Lively discussion. Encourage this, and let it grow.
Stop worrying about the board. About the bank. About investors. Your workspace wasn't created for them. It's for your employees.
Greetings are in.
As the phone becomes the most ignored device in the workplace, many companies have removed receptionists from their lobbies. But don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. We experienced some awesome greetings while on tour - and the majority of them weren't people assigned to answering phones. The "greeter" should be a new role in every firm. Sometimes assigned to a single person, sometimes a shared role - but everyone who walks in your door should be greeted as a friend. As a part of the family.
At Jones Soda, we chatted with Chris, and learned about Seattle. And some funny characters at Jones. At Zappos, the front desk friendly squad entertained us and gave us the pre-show to the company tour that would blow us away. At Twitter, whoever is within earshot will greet you with a friendly smile and make you feel welcome. Welcome. That's the key. Security is out. "Hello" is in.
Lobbies can rock.
Your lobby should be impressive. But not in a marble floors and 40 foot ceilings kind of impressive. Your lobby is the very first physical impression of your company's culture. The lobby at Zappos is messy. But you know what? I have never had more fun hanging in a lobby than we did at Zappos. There was food and entertainment (DDR!). Friendly employees. Conversation. Company history. Toys. Books. Drinks. The next time you're in Vegas - stop by and experience it yourself. You'll get the Zappos culture in about 30 seconds.
Get a Mayor.
Your company needs a mayor. Zappos has Jerry. While giving us a tour of the Zappos headquarters, Jerry greeted every single person from every department and every hallway by their name. Jerry knew every detail of the company's history. Jerry understands the industry trends and could remark on where Zappos was going. Jerry knew what couture was. I'm pretty sure that Jerry could replace CEO Tony in a meeting, if he needed to. Who's your Jerry?
I learned as much as I shared on this year's tour. Which is pretty cool. And you don't need a Plaid van or a summer tour to do the same thing. Visit firms outside of your industry. Who are the hot employers inside your market? Just outside of your market? You'd be surprised by what you can learn from a simple company tour.
Thanks to everyone who opened their doors to the Plaid van in 2008!
Labels: branding, plaid, plaidsummertour, workplace
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:31 AM
9 comments
2008 Plaid tour: experience it all.
Phew. Another year on the road has screamed past faster than a Plaid van at 85MPH.
If you haven't had a chance to check in, or missed some key moments, now's a great time to catch up on the most glorious tour ever to hit the highways. PlaidNation 2008.
See all of the daily wrap up videos here. It's the next best thing to being there.
See the interviews and extra footage here. The interviews with Robert Scoble, Biz Stone and Cathy Brooks (coming later this week) are extra remarkable.
Read the Twitter stream. If you're new to Twitter (or just bored at work), this is a great way to see it's value. An entire tour has been documented (and archived) moment by moment, as it was happening. Reading the stream is like re-living the tour.
Watch the 11:40 shows. These vidcasts were recorded live at 11:40, wherever the van happened to be at that moment. You'll see additional discussion about what happened on tour, with extra detail brought to the show by the people on the tour. The most popular episode: Plaid gets kicked out of a popular celebrity cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Check out the Flickr photo stream. Better than your Aunt Lucie's vacation to the Galapagos Islands, you'll see other workplaces, cool locations and Plaid employees mostly avoiding trouble.
We've put all of this and more together for you, on the tour dashboard at PlaidNation.com
Thanks to everyone who wrote about it, talked about it, or became a part of it. We're already in planning mode for next year's tour, and have some incredible surprises. Just wait until 2009!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, smallagency
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM
2 comments
plaid summer tour: fun, information and inspiration
We're still barreling down the west coast, on the last few days of the Plaid summer tour. We've met so many cool, interesting and inspiring people.
Highlights from the last couple of days include:
+ Getting kicked out of the most celebtastic cemetery while broadcasting The 11:40 Show live
+ Interviewing Robert Scoble at his house, and then broadcasting the 11:40 Show from his front lawn.
+ Burritos at Dos Pinas. Hot Dogs at Pinks.
+ Danny Bonaduce smirking to the van on Hollywood Blvd, on the way to the gym.
Watch yesterday's wrap up show above, and then check the tour dashboard for all of the stuff you haven't seen yet!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
0 comments
Plaid tour now in week two.
If you're not already following the Plaid tour, be sure to check out the dashboard at PlaidNation.com. There are daily wrapup videos, live webcams, and oh, so many more things to waste your otherwise productive day away with. The wrapup video from Friday is above. Enjoy.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 PM
0 comments
it's friday. sit back and enjoy the plaid tour
If you haven't already heard, our agency is in the middle of a summer tour.
We're taking a Plaid van down the west coast in the spirit of everything creative, in a rolling social media palooza. We're meeting other creatives, interesting brands, internet workers, and people that we'd like to do more with. And we're hitting donut and cupcake shops, wherever possible. We're blogging, tweeting, photo blogging and sharing in every way possible. You can even watch what's happening in the van on live webcams (when the van is in motion, anyway.)
We're producing a wrapup video of each day on tour (yesterday's clip is above) and shooting a live vidcast titled 11:40, broadcast live from wherever the van might be at 11:40 pacific time.
We've already hit Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and Medford. Today we're in SanFrancisco, and next week we're hitting San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego and Vegas.
If you're on the west coast, come say hi. If not, spend the rest of your day catching up with the tour on our dashboard, and then stay tuned every day next week for even more fun. Don't worry. Just tell your boss that you're exploring new ways to use social media, and learning about what other brands are doing. And seeing some freaky people on video.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:32 AM
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introduce yourself to an interesting stranger today
Yesterday we met Victoria. On the streets of Chinatown, in the heart of Portland. Victoria is a character like no other. With a sweet pink helmet and a banana seat bike. You can read about our encounter on the Plaid tour blog.
Here's the thing - there are interesting people in every town across America. But most of the time we're all too busy or too intimidated to actually stop and say hi to people outside of our circles.
I've learned on tour that having a crew with cameras around increases the comfort zone a bit, when approaching strangers. But this is something that every creative person should be doing, every day. Without cameras.
It's easier than you think. Start with a compliment. And then ask questions. You'll be surprised at the interesting characters awaiting your discovery. And the perspective and stories you'll earn in the process.
Labels: creativeinspiration, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:02 AM
0 comments
life on the road. it's all glitz and glamour.
If you're not already watching, don't forget to check out the Plaid summer tour - happening now over at PlaidNation.com.
There's a handful of Plaidsters barreling down the west coast in a Plaid van. Think life is all glitz and glamour on the road? Not with Plaid. Check out my bathroom for the ultimate in luxury accommodations.
Two good quotes come to mind:
"A picture really is worth a thousand words."
"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
We're in Portland, spreading Plaid love today. Stay tuned for more action!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:37 AM
0 comments
meet parker
Parker the Intern came to Plaid at just the right moment. And by right moment we mean just in time for the Plaid tour insanity to begin. Ever wonder who actually assembled all those key chains and put together those sweet blogger packages? That's Parker. She's an assembling machine. Even better: she claims to like that kind of stuff. She's still giving us the thumbs up, so we'll assume she's cool with it.
But don't let her appreciation for the mundane fool you. Parker has impeccable design skills, too. You can check out some of her Plaidtastic work on our tour site and see for yourself.
Parker will be with us through August, when she returns to a life of cafeteria food, homework and student projects. (Which, after a summer of working with David, she might be looking forward to Salisbury steak and student work.) Welcome Parker!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:14 AM
0 comments
this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week at the world's most incredible design and branding firm:
We finished our first round of interviews for the design position that's open at the agency. Some really awesome talent out there, and we're beginning to narrow it down.
Outside of emergency deadlines, most of the Plaid team was busy getting ready for the upcoming Plaid tour. There's a massive amount of production work necessary prior to sending the team to the west coast. We produced the first tour video. (Guess you could say it's a "pre-tour" video.)
We kicked off pre-tour operations. The pre-production team headed to Seattle to secure the Plaid van and get it wrapped, wired and ready for next week's tour. You can watch it all live on the PlaidNation dashboard starting Monday.
Our local paper did a nice spread on the tour, and even included a callout to the story on the front page. Always cool to make the front page of your local paper, without getting arrested.
If you're not already - be sure to follow the Plaid van on Twitter, too!
See you Monday, live from Vancouver!!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:41 AM
0 comments
this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week at the world's most tour-ready design and branding firm:
Lots of stuff happening in the Plaid house this week. Sadly, coworker Rob is leaving us, for North Carolina. We decided to outfit him with the latest NC gear. A southern suitcase (pictured above), a NASCAR beach towel, hat and car stickers. And a DVD copy of Joe Dirt. And Skoal. We're sure we've officially offended everyone south of the Mason Dixon line. (Which, btw we just discovered is really close to NEW JERSEY.)
There's loads of preparation taking place for the upcoming Plaid Summer Tour. The tour dashboard is nearly complete, where you'll be able to check in and see what's up on the tour at any point in the day. Or all day.
Sara crafted a special foil helmet for RJ, so that he could properly test the tour van's GPS system. We think it worked. And RJ will probably be wearing that helmet at the bars in Block Island this weekend. Cuz that's how he rolls.
Matt completed an intense stop motion show intro for the tour videos. He set up an incredible series of scenes and shot hundreds of stills to animate. Parker prepared our Ustream channels with graphics.
We've begun the interview process for a new designer. Lots of great talent and fun people. Difficult decisions ahead.
There were quite a few new client meetings and phone meetings this week. Definitely something in the air. Really excited about some of the people and brands that we've chatted with.
This weekend will be spent enjoying wonderful summer weather in the northeast, and a few last minute tour preparations. If you haven't already, please follow the Plaid van on Twitter, and become our fan on Facebook. Bookmark the tour dashboard and tell all of your friends. Only about a week till lift off!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:30 PM
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this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week at the world's most famous design and branding firm:
Sara was featured on CNN! She's the star of a piece about tattoos in the workplace. Turns out we're one of a few rare places that welcomes body art. There are at least four Plaidsters well decorated with ink. Do you know who they are? Matt's also planning an awesome tattoo, that we're going to have to talk him into while we're on tour. San Fran is the place, Matt.
We're hiring a designer! See all of the details here. Send us a link to your work, and maybe we could hang with you.
I'm guest blogging on the world famous Todd And blog. Look for my spectacular, world changing post on Wednesday. In the meantime, you can enjoy some really great guest blogging from:
+ Yesterday: Leo Bottary of Client Service Insights
+ Today: Kami Huyse of Communication Overtones
+ Monday: Gavin Heaton of Servant of Chaos
+ Tuesday: Drew McLellan of Drew’s Marketing Minute
+ Wednesday: Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Brand Flakes for Breakfast
The Plaid tour is exactly 30 DAYS AWAY. So many preparations are being made. We've scheduled Tweetups in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Sign up on the tour dashboard. First five to register (it's free - just do it) get a free PlaidNation tour t-shirt!
You're going to want to completely avoid work from July 21 through August 2nd - so start delegating jobs now. In preparation, you'll want to:
+ Follow the Plaid van on Twitter.
+ Join the Facebook fan page.
+ Tell the world you're going on the tour (virtually, of course) on Facebook.
+ Tell the entire world about PlaidNation - where you'll see us sharing Plaid love from Vancouver to Vegas.
Plaidsters are off for a summer weekend of fun. Surfing, sun, bbq's and fun. Or something like that. Have a great weekend.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:48 PM
0 comments
how to get people to asheville
While on Plaid's summer tour last year, some of us ended up spending a weekend in Asheville, NC. Coworker Ryan and I can be seen welcoming the locals, above. We all fell in love with this really cool city. (And had some of the most awesome veggie food. And beer. And beer. Did I mention beer?) Anyway - that's not the point.
Asheville is this little gem in North Carolina that most people don't know about. A challenge for the state's tourism department. How do you inspire people to explore Asheville?
Ask Luckie. Advergirl has an excellent synopsis of the tourism campaign that agency Luckie produced for the city. Tourism campaigns are typically filled with the most horrifically boring creative - and Luckie did a fab job of breaking out of that mold with a multi-faceted campaign. Really nice work.
(One of the other things that I'll always remind Ryan and Rob is that while in Asheville, with too many beers in my system - I kicked their ass in pool. They look really cool, but I'm still the boss. Proof here. Good times, Asheville)
Labels: adindustry, marketing, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:23 AM
1 comments
this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week at the world's most awesome design and branding firm:
Steph came to work on Monday with the oddest sunburn. She went surfing over the weekend, and removed half of her wetsuit in just a way that she now has an upside down sort of sunburn. We laughed, of course, because that's how we treat coworkers.
We survived the heatwave. Our space is on the top floor of our building. Heat rises. Our A/C system was crying.
A handful of us are competing in an agency running contest, through NikePlus. Girls against Boys. So far, the boys are winning. (Likely to change over the weekend.)
We're hiring!! We're going to be looking for a new full-time designer. Details in a new post, soon.
37 days until PlaidNation is in full swing! The biggest, best (and only) rolling celebration of creativity, ideas and social media. Can't wait. Tour buttons arrived today (pictured poorly, above.) We've launched a couple of new exciting things for the tour:
+ You can now sign up for Tweetups on the dashboard, for Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. If you're on the tour route, we want to meet you!! The first five people in each market get a free tour t-shirt, so hurry it up.
+ Subscribe to the Plaid tour Twitter stream. This will be picking up steam a little more with every day.
+ Become a fan of Plaid on Facebook, and we'll keep you updated with stuff from the road.
+ You can now buy the PlaidNation theme song on iTunes! The song was written and produced for us by Pop Heroes, the coolest band in the entire nation. Which makes us cool by association. By the time we get to Los Angeles, we'll probably have paparazzi.
Half day Friday's are in full effect, so we're all off enjoying a wonderful summer weekend in the one place without floods, tornadoes or wildfires. So far.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:55 PM
0 comments
let us take your brand on a social media tour
We're about to embark on our second annual Plaid Summer Tour.
What's it all about? A fun, summertime road trip that greets brands, marketing geeks, internet workers and creative people in markets from Vancouver to Vegas. We'll be visiting brands, having Tweet-ups, and broadcasting every minute over the internets.
This year, we're opening the tour up to sponsors. Anything from banners and ad placement, product placement, or even a title sponsor - where the tour is as much about your brand as it is about ours.
PlaidNation will include features on two of the world's best blogs (BrandFlakes and Make the Logo Bigger), live video (van cams!), video recaps on YouTube, daily vidcast, Twitter stream from the van, photostream on Flickr, and a live GPS/Google map that lets viewers check the van's location minute by minute.
It's a rolling celebration of creativity, ideas and social media. And just a little bit of Plaid love. With bloggers on board. See the action begin to unfold at the tour's dashboard, PlaidNation.com.
Interested in becoming a tour sponsor? Or maybe your brand is on the route and you'd like us to stop by? Give me a shout at darryl (AT) thinkplaid (DOT) com.
Just want to watch the tour? Check in on the dashboard, become a fan of Plaid on Facebook, and follow Plaid on Twitter. You're all set. See you on the west coast.
Labels: adindustry, plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, social media, streetteams
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:19 AM
0 comments
this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week, at the world's most awesome design and branding firm:
Sara got bobbled. Her official Plaid bobblehead arrived, so now she's committed to Plaid forever. The bobble version of Sara will get photographed next week, and then added to the "Meet the Staff" section of our website.
If that wasn't enough Sara love, she was also interviewed by CNN! We're not allowed to talk about the story, but stoked, and can't wait to see it.
Rob, Paul and Matt completed an awesome presentation for Timex. We all learned a lot about technology and innovation, and some stuff that Timex is doing, that we can't tell you about. Or they'll send the black helicopters, and have us erased.
We completed a ton of planning for our upcoming tour. Getting more and more excited about the west coast, and some of the things we have planned.
Rob's off to enjoy a vacation on some secret island next week, Steph is enjoying an extra extended weekend, and the rest of us will be BBQing our asses off for three days of Memorial Day fun. See ya Tuesday.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:41 PM
2 comments
this week at Plaid
Here's what happened this week, at the world's most sweet-as-chocolate-frosting design and branding firm:
Rob, Sara and I enjoyed a really long drive to New Hampshire. The only state with a slogan that you might consider wearing on a t-shirt. Admit it - "Live Free or Die" just rocks. We participated in a worldwide brand summit for Segway. This is a really good idea, for any brand. Pulling together all of the players from across the globe, to learn, discuss, share and brainstorm. Always a pleasure to share the room with other creative and marketing people. And this time - we even met the product engineers/designers for Segway. (More on that, soon.)
Plaid pre-tour shirts arrived. We'll be sharing pics and details over on the Plaid tour blog, momentarily. We also launched the Plaid tour dashboard, PlaidNation. Still very much a work in progress, but if you take a peek, you'll get an idea of some of our plans for this summer's tour.
I was profiled in a regional business paper, the Fairfield County Business Journal. Somehow they saw fit to include me in their series "Profits and Passions", featuring entrepeneurs, and their passions outside of the office. You can learn all about my infatuation with pop culture. And sneakers.
Lots of props coming into the office, for a couple of photo/video shoots. Everyone's really having fun with the night-stick. RJ can actually twirl it around in his hands, without hitting himself in the head. (Can't say the same for other Plaid-workers.)
Steph got a new, cool haircut. And then bought a surfboard. Maybe not in that exact order. Something really fun and crazy happening, over in Steph-land.
We welcomed a new intern, David, who we'll formally introduce on BrandFlakes, next week. Safe to say there's a whole lot of sh*t-work just waiting for his attention.
We welcomed a couple of new clients to the Plaid roster this week - and we can't wait to show you what we're working on. Lots of fun stuff, in the works.
Have a great weekend, and say hi to your mommy.
Labels: plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:01 AM
0 comments
this week at Plaid
We had a proper send-off party for Giuli, who's leaving us, and moving to Ohio. Eliza invited everyone over to her house (on a lake!!). Yeah - pretty bold thing to do. Not only could we have burnt the place down, but everyone knows where she lives now. Trouble.
Eliza: don't be surprised when Rob knocks on your door one night at 3AM, in a drunken stupor, looking for a ride home. Or when you see flyers downtown, promoting a show for Matt's band..."live at Eliza's."
We got some good press and blog coverage. The Fairfield County Business Journal is doing a profile on me, and my obsession with sneakers. Should be pretty pathetic. The social site that we launched for Segway got a nice piece in AdWeek, and some sweet blog coverage.
Plans for the summer Plaid tour are well underway. The tour dashboard will launch (first stage) next week at PlaidNation.com. The tour's blog is live. We're already scheduling a handful of meetings, and even arranged to meet a certain very well known internet blogebrity who will be profiling us. His name might rhyme with "roble". More soon.
If you're from Ohio, please, please, please reach out to Giuli. Show her and her almost-cool husband the town. Let her turn your agency around, into a profit rocket. You can still contact her through her email here: Giuli (at) thinkplaid DOT com.
Labels: plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:12 AM
0 comments
how bloggers vacation.
At Plaid, we love road tours. We're just a little bit partial to them.
So I think we've found some love for Patrick Curl and his wife, who plan on touring 50 states, in 50 days, and visiting a blogger in each state. Wow.
Labels: blogging, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
0 comments
last week at Plaid:
Damn. Two weeks in a row where we forgot to post happenings at the greatest agency in all of the land. Here's what's happened in past days:
I attended Blogger Social '08, and met a few of my favorite bloggers from across the world. A truly inspirational event that took place in meatspace, not internet space, so I was a little uncomfortable.
We normally have a strict policy that says khaki wearing geeks aren't allowed in our studio. But the marketing and brand people from Duracell were so nice, that we made an exception. They included Plaid on their scavenger hunt field trip, that had multiple teams of marketing geeks traversing the area to complete challenges. (Winning team of Mark, Mark, Greg and Dan, pictured above.) We had them navigate a Mac, in our conference room. Hilarity ensued.
RJ is in the midst of making hotel arrangements for our summer tour, which has us totally stoked. Matt's designed the first batch of tour t-shirts. Can't wait to hit the west coast.
We interviewed for some of the open positions here. Interviewed, and interviewed, and interviewed. Almost there. We've met some really awesome, talented people, and it's going to be tough to narrow it down.
We're casting for a part in a video we're shooting, and having a tough time finding just the right person. David, Giuli and RJ continue to work through demo reel after demo reel.
This is going to be a busy week, so stay tuned for more awesome fun.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:09 AM
0 comments
Plaid tour '08. We need sponsors!
It's official. We're doing another Plaid road tour. Last year had us traversing down the east coast into the deep south. This year, we're headed WEST.
The Plaid tour kicks off on July 21, in VANCOUVER. We head south, and make stops in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and ends in LAS VEGAS. Vancouver to Vegas, with California in-between.
Here's the tentative schedule:
Monday, July 21: Vancouver
Tuesday, July 22: Seattle
Wednesday, July 23: Portland
Thursday, July 24: driving day
Friday, July 25: San Francisco
Monday, July 28: San Francisco
Tuesday, July 29: driving day
Wednesday, July 30: Los Angeles
Thursday, July 31: San Diego
Friday, July 31: Las Vegas
All along the way, we'll be visiting brands and other agencies, and sharing our love of the latest social media tools. (If you're on the route, and want us to stop by, let us know!)
We need sponsors! We'd love a hotel sponsor, and/or cash sponsors to help cover at least some of the ridiculous expenses. (You have no idea how much it takes to feed a Plaid van with fuel, and a Plaid staff with food.)
So - if you're working with a brand that could benefit from an audience of over 250,000 blog readers, would love the social media coverage on our blogs, our dashboards, our videos, Twitters and more - let us know. You're welcome to reach out to me directly at darryl AT thinkplaid DOT com, for more details.
Just four months to go!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, self promotion, social media, streetteams
posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:11 PM
3 comments
this week at Plaid:
Here's what happened this week at the world's most superbowl-ready creative agency:
They nearly finished our addition. It's pictured above. The custom wainscoting and lights were installed. All that's left is some staining, and carpet. All due for installation next week, if we're lucky. It's looking AWESOME.
Big news: We've decided to embark on another Plaid road tour, this summer! It's looking like we're coming to the west coast, for a couple of weeks in July. Brian's already mapping out potential routes. We'll begin sharing details real soon.
We were featured in Inc Magazine! Well, if you can call a paragraph in an article on blogging a feature, I guess. Maybe that's a stretch of the word - but we're proud anyway.
A few of us are going to SXSW!! We're totally stoked, as none of us have ever gone before. And we've never been to Austin, Texas, either. Should be a Texas size load of fun. We're planning on sharing the entire experience with you. We're setting up a special edition of Brandflakes, and will be blogging, Twittering, and more live from the show. If you're going, please let us know - we want to buy you a drink!
We're off for a weekend of beer guzzling, SuperBowl watching, and ad criticizing. Happy SuperBowl, everyone.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, superbowl, sxsw, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:16 PM
3 comments
your place looks just like our place
We experienced this big time, while on PlaidNation social media tour this summer. Wherever you go, anywhere in the U.S., certain ugly roads look just like home. The same Burger King-McD's-KFC-Subway-Mattress shop-Supermarket strip malls all across the land.
In fact, that was one of the most disappointing things about Graceland. My expectations were for this wonderful Elivis Presley Blvd splendor. But instead, it's just Graceland, surrounded by fast food joints and diners. (Then again, maybe that's appropriate.)
Anyway - now, there's someone who wants to do something about it. There's a non-profit organization called Scenic America, trying to preserve and enhance “the visual character” of the U.S. It's detailed in this great story from the NY Times about the uglification of America.
My favorite quote:
"Sitting here, suppressing the urge to flee, you begin to notice how the shopping center’s off-white walls and copper-colored top recall a minimum-security prison, and how readily the layout encourages acceptance of small absurdities. For example, people who leave the CVS with a desire to shop at Marshalls pretty much have to get back in their cars and drive across acres of parking lot."
That's so true of suburbia.
(Photo by Ángel Franco/The New York Times)
Labels: architecture, outdoor, plaidsummertour, retail
posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:42 AM
2 comments
plaid: home of the hot guys
Be sure to pick up this month's Cosmo Magazine. Because inside, you'll see Ryan, as the 'Hot guy blooper of the month.'
You may remember Ryan from the PlaidNation tour this summer - who not only shot all of the awesome footage from the road, but entertained everyone with the most amazing stories you've ever imagined. He's a walking book. We want to turn him into a TV show. And now Cosmo has found him.
Now the rest of us will have to submit photos to the ladies magazines. And the Plaid girls can submit photos to Maxim. I'm sending mine to Better Homes and Gardens today. Hat Tip to Bill's daughter, who reads Cosmo. (That's what he claims, at least)
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM
0 comments
donks rock.
When we were on the Plaid nation tour this summer, fellow tour mate Ryan taught us all about the details of donks.
And we saw a few while on tour. While cruising around on Current, I found this sweet video all about donks. Nice. (C'mon Current - why no embed feature??)
Labels: automotive, plaid, plaidsummertour, pop culture, trends, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
0 comments
let's all be on tv
Oh my. I thought that I had let go of Justin.TV. I thought that I was free from having a webcam watch my every move at the completion of our tour.
Well, Make the Logo Bigger has found my new favorite activity. Watching everyone. On BlogTV. I never imagined that watching some dude sit on a couch drinking Budweiser and drunkenly reply to IM's could be so entertaining. But it is.
Make the Logo Bill is onto something. This internet thing is changin'. Used to be, that we all surfed anonymously, and viewed whatever we were into. Now we're all connecting, sharing, and broadcasting our lives like never before. Bring it on.
Labels: plaidsummertour, social media, tv, video, web2.0
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM
0 comments
hotel tomo. not like the hotels we saw on tour.
While on tour this summer, we experienced some of the crustiest, skankiest, most unsightly motels. That's the breaks when you're a small firm paying for almost 100 room nights.
But here's what we should have had. Hotel Tomo, in San Francisco. It's a BEST WESTERN. Which of course begs the question - should style really cost extra?
Thanks Eliza!
Labels: architecture, interior design, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM
2 comments
this week at Plaid:
Here's what happened this week at the world's greatest design and branding firm:
It's the first week we're all back in the office together, following the tour. So much fun. That's me above, getting totally stoked that we had almost made it to Dallas. (Right before losing a shoe in 3 inches of mud, and remembering that Texas has rattlesnakes.)
Ryan is digitizing and editing hours and hours of tour footage, and we should have clips documenting all of the fun people we met live by next week.
We enjoyed the vancam so much on tour that we're going to install it at our office. So that you can keep an eye on us. Especially David. We're pretty sure he's up to no good.
We've started loads of new projects, which we love. Web 2.0 applications, an e-card site, a mapping sweepstakes, several product catalog sites, and some other stuff that I can't remember at the moment. In talks with a few new clients that we've met on tour. THAT'S EXCITING. Proof it worked.
Our office bathroom is getting a new toilet. We've already named it the Flushmaster 4000. Supposedly, it will flush anything. (Our office will be a real test.) Brian is working on having the toilet seat wrapped in Plaid. Because that's what interns do best.
I'm really glad to be sitting at a desk, but part of me also thinks we should be leaving right now, to drive somewhere new.
Have a Plaidlicious weekend!
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 4:54 PM
1 comments
plaid van gets stripped
. Awesome and sad at the same time. Note the nice fall on my ass, after one or two too many Lone Star beers. (I don't recommend van stripping without Lone Star.)
Many more videos to come, as we comb through hours of footage of our journey, and edit out the boring parts.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour, video
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:02 AM
0 comments
this week at Plaid (on tour version):
(Better late than never)
Looks like I missed an exciting week at our office, that included a building fire. Some bum set a mattress on fire, in the rear alley to our building. Firefighters were called, and no significant damage to the Plaid world headquarters.
This week on the Plaid tour has been equally exciting.
Rob and Ryan went parachuting. For real. We have weekends off on the tour, and you know - the Plaid crew isn't content just sleeping in at the Super 8. So early this morning, we drove into the hills of North Carolina to let Rob and Ryan jump out of a plane. Awesome. See the pics of their adventure on our tour Flickr set.
This last week on tour had us driving from New Jersey to North Carolina. In addition to putting boku miles on the van, we met some really awesome brands along the way. Swatch (not so awesome), The Martin Agency, Pep Boys, Wave Riding Vehicles, 17th Surf Shop, Hanes, Inmar/CMS, and Moog.
We're getting really stoked about next week, as we get ready to head into Tennessee. Mostly, I'm psyched about the Graceland souvenirs. Mmmmm. Elvis.
Labels: plaidsummertour, thisweekatPlaid
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:03 PM
0 comments
Plaid tour week two comes to a close. Wait till Rob arrives.
We're at the end of week two of the Plaid tour , and it's been a blast. Today, Justus flies home for a well needed rest (more driving hours than anyone on tour yet) and is replaced by Rob, who will be making a very special entrance tomorrow. (Worthy of checking out the tour blog on a Saturday.)
Anyway, next week will bring us through Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. Sure to be the source of many stories. Elvis, Dolly and cowboys all in one week. Justus contemplates his adventures, above.
Labels: plaid, plaidsummertour
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:00 AM
1 comments
this week at Plaid (on tour version):
Here's what happened this week at the world's most Plaid design and branding firm:
This week's post is dedicated to the Plaid tour. If you haven't already read, we're in the midst of a three week tour from NYC to Dallas, visiting clients, prospects, and interesting things along the way. Here are some of the highlights:
Kicked off in NYC, and met with Sony Music. Loaded the van with promos. And a fresh new project! Left for Long Island.
Stopped by Iron Horse Bikes, and discussed the design of two new websites. And s