I Still Have a Blog?

So I realize that I haven't posted of my blog for some time, and that is due to a few things.

1) This is a design blog, and over the summer I was busy working for a marketing firm that worked for the theatre industry. It was a great experience and I had an amazing summer, but none of the work that I needed to do was design work.

2) I spent a lot of time out enjoying NYC instead of at my apartment designing. I have never spent so little time in my apartment than this summer, which makes sense I guess. NYC kept me busy with theatre, the park, friends, just loving everything about it.

3) I never just found the time while interning full-time, plain and simple.

Now that I am back at Ithaca for my senior year, there have been a lot of things on my mind that I will be posting about in the near future. But I think the big one is graduation. What to do when it happens? Where to go? I would love to go to portfolio school, as I've talked about in previous posts. And awesome news, I got accepted the Creative Circus down in Atlanta! However, I would love to be able to get a job or paid internship in either NYC, Boston or Chicago for the summer following graduation. There are a number of agencies I would love to work for, so I am hoping that I can find something when it comes closer to graduation.

But in the mean time, I have done some design work. Because there is one agency, Spot Co, that I would love to work for, I am tailoring my portfolio for them because they specialize in theatre advertising. I have designed three new theatre posters, for two different shows. The first show is one of my all time favorite plays titled The Cripple of Inishmaan, by Martin McDonaugh.

The second play that I did a set of posters for was Dying to be Thin, a show about a woman's struggle with bulimia. While the posters are graphic, I think that the represent the shows graphic nature as well. It is not a "shock for shocks sake" design choice. It was done because it was appropriate for the show.

As usual, all opinions are welcome. I am trying to get a job in the industry, so I am just trying to get better. More posts will come about other design work, logo redesigns, portfolio school/job news and NSAC's in the spring!

District 2 NSAC Results

This past weekend, Bento (or the Ithaca Advertising team) went to NYC to participate in the 2nd District of the National Student Advertising Competition. We have been working all semester on this campaign, which is for the Century Council (Anti Binge Drinking). This day of district two, after two teams dropped out, had nine schools competing.



After working together this entire semester, it was such an amazing feeling to present our ideas to this great set of judges. The judge panel included the founder of People, Ideas and Culture, an Exective Creative Director from Publicis, as well as a member of the Ad Council, a woman from Ogilvy and a media guy from another one of the big agencies. When it came time to present our ideas, it went over incredibly well. Than it was time for the Q&A section with the judges.

While the member of the Ad Council had one question, none of the other judges had any questions. They just told us how amazing out campaign was and how refreshing it was to not be any form of scare tactics. While most teams had the full 10 minutes taken up by questions and inquiries, ours lasted approximately a minute and a half.

Than three hours it was time to hear the results...Although not as high as we wanted, we got third. With Pace coming in at second and Syracuse taking the win. I wasn't extremely impressed with either campaign, but whats done is done.

Working as an agency, we did an AMAZING job. A great group of people, a refreshing non-profit client to work with, and so many other things made this class the best I have ever taken. It reminds me why I chose my major and why I want to do what I want to do. If anyone out there reading this wants to see our work, just let me know and I can send it out. At the same time, I received a great amount of contacts while doing this. And hopefully I can transition that into a job once I graduate next summer.

I still want to work for an ad agency as a junior art director once I graduate. So much fun. But I have another ad lab left, and hopefully we put together as good a campaign next year as we do this year. But it will be a new group of people and a new client, so we will see what happens.

Website Style

So February of 2008 I registered www.garinbulger.com and did not use it for the next year. About a week and a half ago I finally signed up for hosting, and have since then, been building my website. Thus, below.

That is what I have so far for the main page. Simple. Very me. Very easy. Any comments?

Why I want to work for a beer client someday

So this spot came out for Heineken a few weeks ago, and I think this spot should have been a Superbowl spot. It had that feeling to it. Short, simple, and outrageously funny. When I get out of school and go to work in the advertising industry, and I really hope to work for a beer client, because how much fun would that be?

Sold out in the UK

The Sony Bravia sold out in Britain, and this commericial was downloaded from the website over 20,000 just 2 months after the spot aired. It is amazing.



Try downloading it in high-res, because this spot will blow your mind.

A Different Take of Advertising

FRUIT CHEWS

CHARACTERS
JASON. A young art director, working at an advertising agency in the big city.
CHASE. A young copywriter, has been partners with Jason since portfolio school. He is a bit sarcastic and speaks extremely quickly.

THE SCENE
The curtain rises on the open floor of a highrise office building in New York City. Unlike typical building floors, there are no cubicles or squared off working areas. There are big tables with storyboards and art supplies thrown randomly on them. The walls are covered in framed advertisments, with a modern look to the entire room. The room continues off stage right and there is a door to an office on the back of stage left. Jason is sitting in a chair around the table looking up at Chase who is standing next to him.

SCENE ONE
JASON
This idea sucks. It sucks bad. I mean, wow, this is bad. If we should this horrible idea to the client, we will be laughed out of the presentation.

CHASE
No! It doesn’t! Come on Jason. This is a great idea! Fruit rollers, the fruitiest snack a kid can have!


JASON
The fruitiest snack?!

CHASE
Yeah! I love fruit. Fruit is great. Strawberries. Blueberries. Blackberries. Boysenberries. What’s wrong with fruit?!

JASON
Dammit, Chase!

CHASE
More of a meat guy, huh?

JASON
...I do enjoy a good steak now and than.

CHASE
Of course you do! Who doesn’t enjoy a good steak?

JASON
With some mashed pot- Chase, we need to focus!

CHASE
Right, right. Of course. So I still don’t see what’s wrong with the line we have now.

JASON
It’s horrible! What do you think people are going to think of when they see that?

CHASE
That it is an extremely fruity snack. We’ve been over this.

JASON
No! That it’s a gay snack! No one will eat it if they think it’s a gay snack!

CHASE
It is not a gay snack! It is a fruit snack for children. Kids like fruit, right? I loved fruit as a kid. I loved baseball too. Ooo, maybe we should give the fruit snacks a baseball theme!

JASON
We cannot give these a baseball theme! The product is already out, we just need to make the line a little less suggestive!

CHASE
(Getting more and more excited)
Ok, how about the best snacks under the stars. Moon! Sun! Galaxy!

JASON
Stop refrencing the snacks to outer space!! Chase, I would say you are off today, but that would be a massive understatement. You ideas are SHIT. Not even fair smelling, rich person shit, but the driving through the meadow with the windows down and smell the cows shit!!



CHASE
You are an interesting guy Jason. But we need to focus, try to think.

JASON
What the hell is the matter with you!!

CHASE
Woah, getting a little angry there? You are just being no help to this line re-write.

(beat)

JASON
I don’t know how to deal with you! All we need to do is re-write this line! Just do it! Got milk! Where’s the beef! Think Different! Come on. These are all great lines and we need to create something that doesn't carry an air of a gay fruit snack with it!

(beat)

CHASE
Melts in your mouth, not in your hand?

JASON
(Enraged)
M&Ms!!!




CHASE
(Laughing)
No, I’m just fucking with you. Why don’t we take the line, berrytastic, and build the campaign around it. Sort of the the Drinkability campaign for Bud Light, but for kids.

JASON
I...actually like that. A lot. WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO SAY THAT!

CHASE
We’ve been partners how long?

JASON
7 years-

CHASE
-7 years, and when do I ever give it away for free?

Worst Mascot Ever

I loved Tony the Tiger. Love Frosted Flakes. I do love Cheetos, but I will never buy them again because of the creepiest character ever created. Why???