Time Square, NYC

The Start Of My Adventure

As a third-year Advertising and Marketing student from Centennial College, I had the exciting opportunity to go to New York Ad Week 2018 on behalf of the Sage Global Experience program. Best decision I could have made! I attended the most interesting conferences, learned what’s affecting the industry, networked with so many industry professionals and had lots of time to explore the big city.

New York City is full of so many creative people and our Airbnb host was obviously one of them. Our place was one of the cutest, Pinterest inspired places I have ever been too. I loved it! It was completely affordable and worth the extra travel time.

The Conference Sessions

Meme-ology 101

“If a meme is the unit of an idea, then language is the equation.” – Kenny Gold

This conference was incredibly interesting and entertaining. The speakers spoke about the culture of Memes and how they are the “doppelgängers” of our feelings. They spoke of memes is not only an obvious way but the technical way and really gave us insight into why people connect with it and how brands can genuinely connect with their audiences. This is why it’s become part of our culture of the language. Joe Federer mentioned that “self-deprecating humour is a large part of meme culture.” Katherine O’Brien talked about how memes relate to social currency and the value of community that the culture of memes gives. This conference really gave me a lot of insight into the future of utilizing popular trends like memes in the industry and how it can be used effectively.

Marvel – Power of Podcast

“Podcasting is a long-form storytelling. Wolverine is a man of few words and it takes a lot to get anything out of him. Internal monologues give the listeners that.” – Chris Bannon

This conference focused on Marvel moving into the Podcast world. It was interesting to hear why the big brand decided to move to the Podcast realm and how it was succeeding.  We also got to hear about how they are selling ads into Podcasts and the thoughts behind it. Daniel Fink described the success of the Wolverine podcast interestingly by describing the hook. “I don’t think it’s the murder that’s hooking everyone, it’s the suspense. Silence is used to replace and create tension that captivates listeners.” We got to hear a short clip of the podcast and it was amazing. After that, I considered downloading the Podcast.

The Jump with Will Smith

“A constant confrontation with fear helps create creativity.” – Will Smith

This was one of my absolute favourite conferences because it was lead by the famous actor Will Smith. He spoke about his new Youtube channel and how he is creating success for himself. He gave us advice to “use the stories that are already inside you as creative inspiration. Your pain is such a rich tool to connect with creativity.” He also spoke about how the path for success has changed and how we can get ahead by “finding the current and staying in-tune with that current.”

The Social Evolution

“Use the grey area to go somewhere you never went. That’s how you evolve and create better, more authentic content.” – Mick Petesky

The conference talked about the evolution of social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Linked In and Twitter and how they are used differently to appeal to their audience. They talked about which platforms work better for specific target groups, when to release creative control and what you need to develop organic and shareable content. Nicole Brenton discussed how “branded content is more authentic and is better received when creative control is relaxed.” This was interesting to learn the success of the social giants and how brands adapt to each.

Some of the Perks

On top of learning a bunch of information about industry issues, the future of advertising and ways to succeed, there were tons of free giveaways and vendors handing out food, branded items, games and information. This was a great way to interact with brands and clients and gain exclusive information on what new things are coming to the market.

Exploration

After attending a few interesting conferences each day, we spent the rest of the day site seeing, exploring and eating.

The MET
The MET was one of my favourite experiences and was an absolute must go for me. My favourite part was seeing the Heavenly bodies exhibit. This exhibit featured the work of famous designers that were raised with the Roman Catholic religion and how it inspired and influenced them in the fashion world. Another exhibit I loved was the Greek and Roman Art exhibit, it showcased so many statues and the stories behind them which was so interesting to learn about. I could have spent all day there.

Central Park
Anyone who has ever heard of New York City has heard of Central Park. It’s the best place to get away from the rush of the city directly in the downtown core. I love how there’s a place in the middle of all the chaos to have some peace and quiet. The atmosphere completely changes and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Strolling through the City
New York City is huge and just walking through the streets you just feel a sense of belonging. It’s not hard to understand why so many people dream about living in a big city. It has an indescribable culture and is so beautiful.

My Overall Experience

New York City was unforgettable. It was my first time ever in the city and it certainly won’t be my last. The Sage Global Experience Program has given me an exciting adventure to end my three-year journey with Centennial College, with some of the people I have been friends with since my first day. I got to learn more about the industry and issues that are currently affecting it. I have met a lot of contacts, brands and clients that I will work with and now I can fully prepare for my future in the industry.

Written By: Brienna Monture