July 2008

ClubNews

Well I wanted to inform you that you were sorely missed at our July meeting Tuesday the 8th.  Our new Vice president Feray Waggoner has been hard at work finding speakers that deliver value to us as advertising professionals and I am pleased to say Robert Campbell was a homerun. 

Robert brought some humor and interesting advice up from Houston where he works as a Partner and Creative Director of 808 Inc.  He shared with the group how sometimes the worst thing we can do is give our clients what they want or think they want.  His message gave us a boost of confidence to tell our clients to let us be the professionals and handle their advertising with our knowledge and expertise.  He enlightened us on why advertising can sometimes “suck” and how we can remedy this all too common event.

In addition to a great speaker we had some great giveaways as well.  Robert was gracious enough to bring some t-shirts designed by his agency and we also gave away one day pass to our conference this September.  

I encourage you to put our next meeting on your calendar for August 12th at noon and for those who may not know, we are back at the Abilene Country Club and the renovations make for an even better meeting experience.  If you have any questions about AAF Abilene or the upcoming conference call me at 325-670-5284 or check out our newly redesigned website www.aafabilene.com.  

Hope to see you at the next meeting,
Ben Jennings • Membership Chair 2008-2009

ClubNews

AAF Abilene July Club Meeting - Tuesday, July 8th at the Abilene Country Club
Guest Speaker: Robert Campbell
As a writer, one of Robert Campbell’s favorite characters is the hyphen. “It gives those of us who can’t focus something to put on a business card. I’m also fond of the umlaut, because it’s so mysterious.

Robert is Partner (hyphen) Creative Director of 808inc., a creative (hyphen) production studio that offers copywriting, art direction, design, directing, shooting, editing, motion graphics, and 3D animation—serving “agencies and their clients since the turn of the century.

Formerly a senior writer with BBDO Houston, Robert is used to being heavily involved in production. “When you write, you can’t help but think in terms of how an idea will be produced. Things like talent, music, budgets, editing. The idea behind 808 is that there isn’t a clear division between these disciplines.

This approach can be disorienting. “I’m chronically disorganized, so it’s challenging. You write, you produce, you sell, you answer phones—in 30-minute increments. And you still have to find time to be inspired. There’s a squirrel in our parking lot who likes to taunt cats. I try to set aside at least fifteen minutes a day to watch that.

For more than a decade, Robert has created advertising for a variety of national and regional clients, including energy companies, retailers, restaurants, real estate, and finance. He’s written for print, web, broadcast—and has directed numerous commercials. In addition to receiving a Cannes Lion, his work has been featured in Creativity, Adweek, The AdCritic.com Top 10, TBS’s Funniest Commercials on Television and a BBC Documentary on Advertising, which he hasn’t seen.

“I work with a great team. We push each other and ourselves to get the work where it needs to be. A lot of the stuff we do is considered out there, but that’s not our end goal. We just happen to be very aggressive on behalf of our clients. It’s not getting any easier to sell a product or communicate an idea. And if you’re not breaking rules now and then, you’re not doing your job.

See more at Robert's website.