WNW MEMBERS FILM NEW GAP ADS IN THE LA RIVER CULVERT

WNW MEMBERS FILM NEW GAP ADS IN THE LA RIVER CULVERT

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We like to see the different ways in which creative individuals partner up to create exciting work. Sometimes it materializes with new collaborators building chemistry on the go. In other cases, it's a familiar group who all have a shared history, and are excited to reignite the creative sparks. Below we have a roundtable interview with WNW Members Piper Hickman, Kevin Li, and Joyce Lee, who were already well aware what each could bring to the table when they started on the new GAP Cozy ads.

The group offers a lot of insight into the driving themes behind these new ads, which were filmed in the storied LA River Culvert. and how everything ultimately came together but almost didn't. Piper, Kevin, and Joyce all give credit to WNW Member Cheri Anderson, the Head of Production at Untitled Worldwide, and Matt Baron from Alldayeveryday for making it happen. Ultimately, the ads offer a calming antidote to the newest hyperactive trends. As Piper puts it, "In this landscape of more/faster/shorter content, [we thought] that it would be cool to create work that breathes—that just lets a moment be a little more than a moment, both visually and musically."

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Tell us a little bit about your creative backgrounds. Who are Piper, Kevin, and Joyce, and how did they get here?

PIPER: I’m a Creative Director / Writer who’s been working in New York almost nineteen years. My college degree and first job were in journalism, TV news actually. I credit the immediate daily deadlines of just a couple hours back then to my ability to work fast and not sweat writer’s block today. But I quickly grew bored of journalism and turned to advertising—I graduated from Miami Ad School and immediately came to NYC and hit the ground running. I’ve always loved writing of any sort, from telling stories to a good turn of phrase. I never thought I’d live here this long, but the city and the industry have been good to me. Just when I think I’ve done it all, a new creative challenge comes around the corner and I grab it.

KEVIN: I’m an Art Director / Creative Director. I’m also a wannabe chef. Canadian by birth, New Yorker for 15 years. I’ve never been shy to expose myself to different creative challenges. I’ve worn many different hats—when I was 19, my first job in Canada was designing faux swimming pool tile patterns for a vinyl manufacturing company. And now I make commercials about people floating on beds in the LA river. I’d say I got here by saying ‘yes’ more than I say ‘no.’

JOYCE: I’m a Producer with a Jack-of-all-Trades background. I started at reception and moved around filling holes at my first agency while learning about the industry - I was an executive assistant, business affairs, award show manager, creative manager. At a certain point my very understanding bosses gave me a chance to choose my own career path and I decided on production.

How would you describe your creative style?

PIPER: Irreverent, surprising, observant.

KEVIN: Experimental and fun.

JOYCE: Oh boy, there is a reason I am NOT a creative, but I am certainly a creative problem solver on the emotional level. Zero sum game? Can that be a style? Ha.

Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?

PIPER: Every project is different and I tend to adjust my approach depending what the assignment calls for most. Freelancing almost demands this of you.

KEVIN: I like to approach each project separately as its own entity. It keeps things interesting and fresh that way. When you work with different teams the outcome can vary. That’s the fun of being creative, in my opinion.

Can you share a little insight into creating the concept for the Gap Cozy Ads?

KEVIN: The client wanted to showcase the Cozy Lounge Collection, really honing in on how comfortable the clothes are, yet how stylish, too. So the strategy team and Untitled nailed an angle for us: The easiest thing to wear from home to street. Then we brought the idea to life.

PIPER: Gap has such great equity in creating ads that make for great eye candy, so we really wanted to create something people would (hopefully) want to watch more than once, something they could see themselves relating to, or wanting to do themselves. And we also thought, in this landscape of more/faster/shorter content, that it would be cool to create work that breathes—that just lets a moment be a little more than a moment, both visually and musically.

How did the team come together?

PIPER: I was already working at Untitled doing some writing solo, and when some Gap work came my way I knew Kevin would be an awesome partner. He has a designer background, and that’s my favorite type of AD to work with—it’s almost like he has superpowers. Then Untitled’s Head of Integrated Production, Cheri Anderson, brought in Joyce, who I knew from my very first freelance gig, and my head exploded with excitement because she’s so f’ing great.

KEVIN: I knew Piper from Saatchi & Saatchi when we all used to work under Tony Granger. I was a designer back in those days and Piper was a copywriter. We worked together on a Crest project. I met Joyce at Untitled. Funny enough, she and I have very similar tastes in many things like restaurants and food. It’s like we’re related in a weird way. She’s even married to a Canadian. We couldn’t have pulled this off without her. Given the challenges, she went over and beyond to deliver for the team.

JOYCE: Cheri Anderson, the HoP at Untitled Worldwide, is one of my first producer mentors. She was freelancing at my first job and I asked to follow her around on set. Throughout the years I’ve reached out to her for advice or vendor ideas. Luckily she remembered me when it came time to call freelancers! =) Piper & Kevin were already at Untitled when I started. And it is true I did bring in Piper to her first freelance gig.

What was it like filming in the LA River Culvert?

KEVIN: It was a great experience. Our director, Matt Baron of Alldayeveryday brought up the idea to shoot in the river. He wanted a space that was ambiguous as a backdrop, and vast to give our talent enough runway to perform their tricks. We also wanted a location that could give us maximum light throughout the day. It’s tricky trying to check all those boxes. Also, aside from the cool fact of Grease, Terminator 2 and Dark Knight being filmed there, there’s something very beautiful, synthetic and utopian about the river. Did you know there is a group of people who live down there? They fish, eat and have camps. A whole community. Someone should make a movie about them.

JOYCE: Amazing from a film history perspective and also very efficient as there are no real distractions - we were able to shoot 3x spots in one day.

What were some of the challenges of making these ads come together in the way they did?

KEVIN: Our shoot almost didn't happen. The day before, we found out that Marvel's Agents of Shield was shooting in the exact location. The city of LA apparently made a mistake and double permitted the location. We scrambled to find an alt location, but we had our heart set on the culvert. Fortunately, the client was willing to wait two days and everything worked out.

PIPER: Finding the right talent for this was super important to us. We wanted legit skaters, bikers, athletes, etc. So casting took some time. Our final cast includes a professional surfer, a professional fixed-gear bike rider and a former backup dancer for Prince.

JOYCE: We joked a lot about how this shoot was “cursed” - as there were an unusual number of fires that needed to be put out. One great story - our production designer went to the hospital the weekend before the shoot because of a reaction on his mouth after eating a bag of pistachios. He thought he had developed an allergy but after some failed antihistamine trials the doctors diagnosed him with a black widow spider bite -- on his lip. We had a new art department by Monday.

What other work in your portfolio are you proudest of?

PIPER: I’m usually proudest of what I’ve most recently done. The Cozy work isn’t the only thing Kevin, Joyce and I did for Gap—we actually made seven projects for them over the last few months. It’s been fast and furious and fun.

KEVIN: I would say the Uniqlo Recipe App I made with Projector Japan. I mean, it’s not every day you get to make something in advertising that’s functional and beyond a typical ad. It’s also tied to food and cooking which is a huge hobby of mine.

JOYCE: I agree with Piper, I usually am proudest of the work I most recently accomplished as it’s fresh in my memory how much we put into it. Other than the Cozy work we made some for-Snapchat high-fashion animated GIFs for Gap which were fun and a totally new experience for me.

What do you do when Not Working?

KEVIN: I like spending time with my wife and traveling upstate. I love the outdoors and I love cooking. I secretly want to have my own amateur cooking show.

PIPER: I have a dude, a dog, and a daughter, so when I’m not working it’s all about them. The kiddo is a really fun age now, she’s almost 4, so as parents we’re busy discovering the city all over again from her POV. She made us go to Coney Island three times in October! And the rare times that I’m not working during the week, I try to go to museums or movies or some part of the city I haven’t been to in awhile to keep the creative juices flowing. Recently I went to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Who Shot Sports exhibit and it was really inspiring.

JOYCE: Ummm when am I NOT working, is the question. I kid. Sleeping. Eating. Traveling. In that order. I watch a ton of TV & Film but I like to think that is for work.

Who are some WNW Members whose work you admire and why?

PIPER: Aside from Kevin and Joyce...

Donnell Johnson: He and I went to Miami Ad School together and moved to NYC at the same time. He’s such a funny, great and confident writer.

Enrique Mosqueda: Another AD with insane design skills. Amazing eye on that guy. And his knowledge of music/fashion/culture spans all genres and decades. He’s great to work with.

Emily Sheehan & Claire Manganiello: I love finding young creatives that kick ass. I worked with Claire and Emily a couple years ago and their talent blew me away, as did their manicures.

KEVIN: Piper Hickman and Joyce Lee!

Chris Baker - funny guy, smart and has a great sense of humor. One of the best at working in the digital space.

Marques Gartrell -  Great personality and super talented in traditional advertising. Also on of the best dressed in the industry.

JOYCE: Marques Gartrell! Chris Araujo!

Anything else you’d like to add?

PIPER: Kevin usually brings in his own lunches and they are amazing. One time he pulled out homemade chicken liver foie gras—that was pretty impressive. And then there was the day he brought in a ‘dessert’ hot dog...skills.

KEVIN: Piper speaks the truth. 

JOYCE: Thank you! I feel famous.

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Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

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GET SCHOOLED: HOW XQ IS RETHINKING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP

GET SCHOOLED: HOW XQ IS RETHINKING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP

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Whether you were homecoming queen or thought high school royally sucked, there seems to be a consensus that what you learn in the classroom often fails to prepare you for what comes next. "XQ: The Super School Project" looks to change that by entirely rethinking high school. Funded by Laurene Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective, XQ is a $50 million initiative whose goal is to inspire educators and students, as well as leaders from other sectors, to brainstorm, build, and implement new approaches to high school education in an ever-shifting world.

We spoke to WNW Members #9904 Heather Larimer and #10213 Danielle Flagg, who (with a lot of talented support) were tasked with the tall order of creating the brand and voice of XQ. Their goal was to establish an identity that would engage the national community to weigh in on how to evolve high school education from its archaic, factory-based model. It's great to hear that Heather and Danielle, who put so much of themselves into this project, were given just as much in return. As Heather puts it, "I really felt like it was the most holistic, brain-stretching experience of my entire career, or uh, career(s)." Danielle adds, "It’s ironic that this brand is about rethinking education, about teaching and learning--because the process of building this brand radically 'schooled' me (in a good way)."

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Tell us a bit about your creative backgrounds.

Heather: I’ve been a copywriter for about ten years, but before that I’ve been a journalist, a fiction writer, and a writing instructor at a community college. So working on this project was such an incredible, almost serendipitous opportunity for me. I was able to bring a very unique set of skills to the table: the journalistic ability to find a compelling angle and tell a story in a powerful and well-paced way, my first-hand experience with how badly our high schools are failing to educate kids, and then brand-building, conceptual, and copywriting skills. I really felt like it was the most holistic, brain-stretching experience of my entire career, or uh, career(s).

Danielle: I have been in Adlandia for 25+ years, After graduating with an art history degree from a liberal arts college, I began as a creative director’s assistant in NYC, then became the first employee of a creative start-up, where I did a crazy range of things: interior design, HR, office management, I.T., eventually honing in on design and art direction. Next was Wieden+Kennedy for 17 years, followed by 6 months in Ethiopia on the Nike Foundation Girl Effect, and most recently TBWA\Media Arts Lab (Apple) and MAL\FORGOOD!  I’ve realized over the course of my career that I gravitate towards chaos, situations that require a lot of spontaneity, multifaceted skills, and CAN DO spirit. The XQ Project fits my life’s path perfectly in this respect! It was constantly evolving, always challenging, and so meaningful. It’s ironic that this brand is about rethinking education, about teaching and learning because the process of building this brand radically “schooled” me (in a good way).

How did you come up with the name XQ: The Super School Project?

Finding the right name was like threading a needle at arms’ length; it took us months! The education field is pretty cluttered with names. We wanted something modern, enduring, and even “curious”, that didn’t sound like a “product” or, conversely, a government initiative. We had epic naming sessions and, in one of them, Member #1880 Kevin Li threw out the odd-sounding term "XQ." We then started thinking of that as an interesting way of delineating knowledge that diverges from the “fixed” notions of IQ or EQ. To be successful today, students need knowledge that's variable, and flexible, not static or easily quantified--but that’s not what they’re getting in public high school. The ambition of the project is to create a new, more relevant kind of learning and knowledge. And in doing so, supercharge our schools for the future.

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"We then started thinking of [XQ] as an interesting way of delineating knowledge that diverges from the “fixed” notions of IQ or EQ. To be successful today, students need knowledge that's variable, and flexible, not static or easily quantified--but that’s not what they’re getting in public high school."

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What was your creative approach to the 4-minute XQ video that is essentially a pitch of the entire project? 

It’s such a rare opportunity to do a piece this length vs. an “ad”. So that was thrilling, to be able to tell a deep story, and pose an argument. We knew that this video would potentially get used in a variety of ways: to pitch to policymakers and activists, to explain the project to people in the field, to galvanize constituents, etc. So, we felt that the two most important things to establish were that A) American Public high school is in crisis, totally failing to prepare kids for the future, AND that B) the crisis of high school has a massive impact on the entire world- on global technology, public health, economic stability, and so on. Visually, it was interesting to try to find images that were inspiring but not directive or overly specific. Because the whole point of the project is that NO ONE really knows what a Super School will look like--it’s all going to be new and revolutionary. The process of the video was intensely educational for us—we didn’t know how antiquated the system was, or how well-meaning and democratically minded its origins were. Once we started to learn the real story, we felt so passionate about telling the world how ineffective this vital public system is. We really put our hearts into it! 

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"Both of us came from Wieden+Kennedy, so we had a shared language and approach that was really important when things got intense. It almost felt like we were bringing a metaphorical baby into the world, with all the ups and downs and a total inability to 'let go'."

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Who or what inspired you when shaping the voice and brand of XQ?

So many things. Working together was incredible; we learned a ton from each other, and had such complementary strengths. Both of us came from Wieden+Kennedy, so we had a shared language and approach that was really important when things got intense. It almost felt like we were bringing a metaphorical baby into the world, with all the ups and downs and a total inability to “let go” (ha!) And the agency MAL\FORGOOD, and our incredible clients at Emerson Collective, are mostly women. Brilliant, passionate, creative women. It was so completely enlivening to be able to spend time with them and put our brains together on such a critically important project.

There were so many elements to the building of the brand. The look and feel needed to be fairly consistent overall, but the campaign storytelling started with Jessica Williams “landing” in New York City as an urban astronaut, rallying people to wake up and see how damaged this system is (through confrontational humor). So while her parts were fun, the longer format piece needed to be more educational; the social needed to feel intriguing and friendly, but pack a punch. The campaign’s job was to ultimately engage the national community to weigh in on how education needs to change. 

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"The campaign’s job was to ultimately engage the national community to weigh in on how education needs to change."

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The whole vernacular is an optimistic, playful, modern, even “fun” take on the future of education. Visually, #4750 Max Erdenberger and Megan McGinley worked on the brand identity and they were very drawn to the feeling of stencils, which are by nature democratic, scrappy, ad-hoc. #10348 Mike Calvert - the lead art director who blew out the brand design, logo, and campaign - created something that feels as if it being immediately constructed, always evolving, modular. Member #8840 Christian Laniosz made it a conversational and compelling interactive experience. The language needed to be arresting; for example, the headline "America, We Have a Problem." Eventually, we were able to land on the universal call to action as RETHINK HIGH SCHOOL—which is inviting and spotlights some of the systemic problems. We rotated that construct to include lines like, RETHINK SEAT TIME; RETHINK MEMORIZATION. Linda Knight helped spark this direction and #5527 Cat Doran was instrumental in developing the voice and tone.

Is the failure of the current high school system an issue you'd been interested in prior to this project? What was your own high school experience like? 

We both want to be explicitly clear that these were our individual experiences and in no way representative of the brand or opinions of our client or MAL\FORGOOD.

HL: I went to a great public high school in downtown Omaha. It was the best school in the state, housed in the beautiful former state capitol, and anyone in the city could go there. I had a great high school experience, but I learned so much about the state of public high school by teaching community college students for six years. I was disturbed by what they didn’t know, but I was far more disturbed at how deeply they had internalized their negative experiences- they believed that school was stupid, that they were stupid, that teachers were adversaries, and that learning was something to be avoided. When I saw how little positive input it took to turn someone around, it made me realize that they hadn’t been connecting with any of their teachers. That said, it’s dangerously simplistic to blame teachers, who are every bit as victimized by the system as students are.

DF: I did not know the depths of this archaic system until delving into this project. I knew that unfortunately people have to move their entire family or rent a zip code to get their child into a passable and supportive public high school that would prepare them for college. My high school and junior high experiences were both uniquely great, but were not public. I credit my learning to not only creative environments and exposure to new and interesting ways of thinking, but to my extremely impactful teachers. I also was surrounded by great sports programs, which I feel are a huge influence on learning and human dynamics/leadership.

From what you’ve learned throughout this process, why do you think the high school system remains so archaic?

Again, we are speaking from our personal observations, not the position of the brand or our client. 

Money does not appear to be the problem. That’s the greatest misconception. We learned early on in the project that the world “experimental” is not a word any parent wants to hear. As much as people love the idea of a cutting-edge education, no one wants to be a guinea pig. So it seems fear has been a huge factor. And then, there’s standardization and measurement which were once really important tools of democracy, designed to guarantee equal education for all. Now those same well-intentioned ideals are a huge obstacle to change.

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