DELAWARE >> LONDON
JUNE 4TH - JULY 9TH
From the start of freshman year, the London Study Abroad trip during the summer between Junior and Senior year, is coveted. It is spoken about with admiration and awe, making everyone desire to be a part of it, even if you have no idea what you want to do with every other aspect of your college experience. What you are sure of is that taking advantage of this opportunity is priceless, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
THANK YOU, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
For a long time, I did not think that this trip was possible for me. I knew the cost of the trip and I couldn't even fathom asking my parents, or other family members, to help me cover it. About a year ago though, that changed without notice. My grandmother, who has traveled to many places including London, was recounting her experiences abroad to me, a common occurrence. She proceeded to emphasize the importance of traveling, the unbounded experiences gained by immersing yourself in an unfamiliar culture. And then, she said without any prompting "I want you to travel. If you are given the opportunity, through the University, I will help cover the cost."
THANK YOU, NANNY
I can not express how grateful I am to have the family that I do. They have always supported me and helped shape me into the person that I am today. This trip is just one of countless ways they have done so. So with the help, support, and love of my family, I embarked on a 5 week journey to London. To England. To Great Britain. To the United Kingdom. Whatever you call it, I am thankful to be here.
THANK YOU, MOM & DAD
The following is my adventure in The Smoke.
ABOUT
Williams Murray Hamm. First off, they provided us with food, so they clearly know how to get our attention. I'll admit it, we are all broke college students trying to live off of PB&Js for the next five weeks, so yes, when you offer me croissants and juice at 10 am, I will listen to every word you say. Aside from the edible bribes though, I would have listened anyway. The work that Williams Murray Hamm produces is very interesting and not necessarily the type of work that I currently do, so it makes me that much more interested. Hearing Mark and Chris talk about their journeys to get to WMH, their experiences working there and their creative processes was inspiring as always. Giving us all hope that we CAN make it in this field. We CAN find a job doing what we love. What I really enjoyed hearing from them though, was their experiences after the work was finished. How they completed a project and had the satisfaction of seeing it plastered on a billboard for thousands to see, or posted up in a tube station that endless amounts of people pass on the daily. Even without their names signed below for everyone to see, they are proud of what they created. Proud to see it living in the real world.
That is what I want.
To create something real. Something that will live beyond the confines of a computer, an office, a classroom.
THANK YOU MARK. THANK YOU CHRIS. THANK YOU WILLIAMS MURRAY HAMM.
JUNE 8TH:
WILLIAMS MURRAY HAMM
Today was a day I will never forget. It was a day of many firsts, that included the following:
traveling to Europe
flying without my immediate family
having items confiscated by airport security
carrying luggage onto a public transport system (and then up a flight of steps, which is much harder than you think)
While experiencing all of these firsts, I feel elated. Running the risk of sounding cliche, it still hasn't hit me yet. As I sit here, in my "own" flat, in Europe, in London, with three other people that DON"T include my mom and dad, I still feel like I'm at home. I feel like I was meant to be here. I feel whole. This is me. A blonde, pale, freckled girl from America who has always been curious and wondered about her European roots is finally home.
JUNE 4TH
JUNE 5TH
Well, it's official. I love London. I've only been here for less than 48 hours and I can already say with the utmost certainty, that I will NOT want to leave when these 5 weeks are finished.
We've all finished unpacking, going grocery shopping, getting a general feel for the area. And speaking of the area, we couldn't have been provided with accommodations in a better location! Our flats (I know, "flats", so European, right?) are nestled in a row of gorgeous buildings complete with large windows, wrought iron fences and balconies, and adorable front stoops leading up to the front door.
Right around the corner, and I mean literally a 3 minute walk, we have access to two pubs, Lord John Russell and The Marquis Cornwallis, both of which provide a very authentic British pub experience. Then we have the Costcutters, a very inexpensive corner store with all of the necessities (especially at 11 p.m. when you're craving something sweet, or even at 9 a.m. when you remember that airport security confiscated your shampoo) and an array of other small, eccentric, corner stores from all ethnic backgrounds. We also have access to a Waitrose (don't make the very American mistake of pronouncing it like WAIT-ROSE and not WEIGHT-TROSE, like I did) which is a well-known supermarket here in London, a variety of small restaurants that range from Indian to Greek to American, and then the essentials (I'm being facetious) like Starbucks and a liquor store. Our actual location though, could not be anymore perfect. We are smack-dab in the middle of three tube stations (Russell Square, Euston and Kings Cross/St Pancras), no more than an 8 minute walk to any of them. This guarantees us access to almost all of the lines that make up the London Underground and if we happen to need one of the ones not accessible from one of the three stations, you can get there within one or two stops. This makes traveling through the city effortless. Combined with the bus system, we should have NO problems getting everywhere we need to go and back.
JUNE 6TH: PENTAGRAM
I've decided that jet-lag isn't a thing. Or I guess, maybe, I'm just lucky. Or, maybe, it's because I didn't sleep on the 8 hour flight here, completely exhausting myself so that I had no problem falling asleep at the correct, local time. Either way, I'm feeling great and ready to take on London!
We started our long line of agency visits today with Pentagram. It was raining today, and I was very pleased. While others sadly grabbed their umbrellas and ponchos, I threw on my boots with a smile and bolted out the door, embracing each rain drop as it landed on my face. This is yet another example of why I belong here, I love the rain, and we all know that it rains plenty in London.
When we arrived at Pentagram, or at least the address we were given, we were the first group there, and that didn't bode well for us. The entrance to the building is very hidden from the road, marked only by a tall black gate with a small "Pentagram" printed on it's facade. Walking through the gate, we are presented with a very private looking entrance, one that seems as if is a back, employees only, entrance. Feeling like we're in the wrong place we step back out onto the street and decide to just wait for Bill. As my three flatmates and myself stand on the street, looking like drowned rats at this point, a very pleasant woman comes out from the black gate and motions for us to follow her inside! She must have seen our very confused body language and rescued us from the rain.
Once inside, drying off and warm, I can take in the beautiful interior space we are sitting in. The beautiful front room with floor to ceiling glass windows and walls lined with logos of companies that Pentagram has done work for. The organic sitting area with pebbled planting area and trees standing 15 feet tall under a 40 foot skylit ceiling.
As Domenic Lippa, 1 of 21 partners at Pentagram, speaks to us, I can just feel the expertise, the knowledge, the exclusivity that comes with working at this company. Dominic left us with three words of wisdom:
1. "Solve problems."
2. "Keep playing and experimenting."
3. "Work with people who are better than you."
THANK YOU DOMENIC. THANK YOU PENTAGRAM.
So, after our wonderful visit with Pentagram, we walked back out into the rain, struggled to find WiFi in order to get the directions to our next destination, walked the wrong way/in a circle for about 20 minutes, and then finally found ourselves at the Museum of Brands in the interesting area of Notting Hill. Being a bit early to the planned meeting time, we decided on trying to find a quick bite to eat. With not many options available in the nearby vicinity, AJ, Carly, and Marisa all agreed upon a small corner store selling falafel and kebabs. Definitely not the cuisine that I was used to eating so I passed.
Once we made our way into the Museum of Brands and met the rest of the group, we entered into their exhibit. In floor to ceiling glass cases were an unimaginable number of artifacts from the last century. My eyes were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of colors, typefaces, textures, forms, etc. But it was beautiful and simply intriguing. In the earlier decades it was fun to pick out familiar brands and discuss how they've changed their aesthetic and design. As we moved into more recent decades though, I found myself recognizing objects and brands from my parents childhood that they saved and I found tucked into a corner of the basement. It was like gathering a new insight into my parents, and even grandparents, lives. One that I'm eager to share with them once I return home.
What I found most shocking though was what the museum decided to put into the current decades section. Entire cases of One Direction, Frozen and Minions were disgraceful to me. I couldn't believe that that is what people think represents the 21st century so far. I can only hope that this changes with time, it would be a shame if people, a hundred years from now, looked back on this time with those images in mind.
THANK YOU MUSEUM OF BRANDS.
Stepping out of the Shoreditch High Street tube station and straight into the outskirts of Shoreditch itself was like walking into an entirely different city. This was a side of London we had yet to see. Almost every side of every building was covered in street art, some more professional than others, but beautiful nonetheless, giving each building a story and a life of its own. I've always had an interest and an appreciation for street art. As frowned upon, and I guess illegal, as it may be, it is a form of art like no other. The sheer aspect of its chaotic birth and mysterious history makes it art in its own right.
The people who pass us on the street are much more fashionable than one would expect, given the aesthetics of the streets themselves. These people wear clothing that I have only ever seen on runways, or in the windows of stores I could never set foot in.
As we sit on Redchurch St, waiting to enter Mother, I see multiple dogs enter their building. One after another, following their owners into the matte black building that looms above us. This obviously excites me, because if you know me at all, you know that I love nothing more than dogs. I already had high expectations for Mother, but now those expectations skyrocketed through the roof. Unfortunately though, those expectations weren't upheld for very long.
As we walked into Mother, the interior was beautiful. An industrial seeming space filled with a floor to ceiling mural that read "GRAFFITI IS ADVERTISING TO ME", a wall covered in framed portraits of the mothers of all the employees who work there. Large, red, benches in their lunch area, made specifically to promote socializing. Their one, long, table that everyone sits at (and used to hold the world record for the largest continuous meeting table) is one that I would love to sit at one day. "Mother" spoke about her company with so much love and passion and I could see that her commitment was not only to the company but for the employees who make it all possible. Everything she spoke about promoted inclusivity, acceptance and getting to know one another. Being a family. You can bring you dog to work with you. You can bring you kid. You get your birthday off every year. Mother makes sure you are taken care of. Mother truly cares.
I was left wanting more though once her creative pair/team stepped in to speak to us about a day in the life of a creative at Mother. Unfortunately, they did not hold the same enthusiasm as her. It felt as if we were interrupting their day. Like they had better things to do. I refuse to let their negative attitude affect my opinion of Mother though. I was highly impressed with the way she ran her company and how connected to the public and their clients they were. I even made a point of speaking to her afterwards and letting her know how much I appreciated the work she was doing, how much I would love to work for a company that cared so much about their employees.
She then was sweet enough to give us the name of the woman who runs the NY office and told us to contact her for a tour of that location, as it would be easier for us to work there than to transfer to London, at least to start. She was genuine. She was sweet. She wanted you to succeed and she wanted to help.
THANK YOU MOTHER.
JUNE 8TH:
MOTHER
JUNE 6TH:
MUSEUM OF BRANDS
JUNE 9TH:
TATE
MODERN
WOLFGANG
TILLMANS
JUNE 9TH:
BOROUGH
MARKET
JUNE 14TH:
CAMDEN
MARKET
I am so glad I agreed to adventure to Camden Market today. It is such an interesting place to explore and experience. Lined with a wide array of unique shops both inside and out, there are so many unique items ranging from clothing to antiques to jewelry to food. I honestly can say that I prefer Camden Market to Burough Market. There much more variety here and the location lends itself to a more creative aesthetic. I found myself getting lost in the maze that is inside the building. Wandering through old records, vintage clothing, antique letters and books, I find myself losing track of time. I don't even need to buy any of it, just looking at it is interesting enough.
We have to go back before we leave. I probably didn't even see half of what the market has to offer. It's an easy 10 minutes away from the flat and I would love to explore the surrounding area of Camden Town anyway. So this makes for a good excuse to come back.
PINK FLOYD:
THEIR MORTAL REMAINS
JUNE 14TH:
VICTORIA &
ALBERT
MUSEUM
Okay, I'll admit, before today I wasn't the BIGGEST Pink Floyd fan. I definitely have liked them, could very easily jam to a song or two with my dad in the truck, but I wasn't a die hard far. Not even close.
Well that has definitely changed.
I still wouldn't say that I'm a die hard fan, but after seeing their exhibit today at the V&A, I have gained so much respect and appreciation for the music they created and the differences they made. They were pioneers of their time, unafraid and unphased by the society around them.
This exhibit was incredible. It was so well organized that even though I barely knew any of Pink Floyds history, I was able to easily follow along and understand where they came from and where they ended up. Speaking of ending up, the final room of this exhibition was my absolute favorite installation in an exhibition, ever. In a large, open, room my eyes were overwhelmed by lights, lasers, and an ever-changing video on the walls above me. My ears were blasted with the notes and choruses of Pink Floyds most famous songs, many of which I knew the words to. Looking around the room, watching the other people experiencing this with me, it was almost ethereal. I could almost imagine myself watching Pink Floyd live, on stage. Enjoying every note and pitch that came from Syd Barrett and ended up crashing through my ears.
This has to be my favorite exhibit I have ever seen. And gosh darnit, I can't stop listening to Pink Floyd now.
THANK YOU V&A. THANK YOU PINK FLOYD.
EMMA
FREEMANTLE
JUNE 27TH:
REGENTS
CANAL
JUNE 26TH:
J. WALTER THOMPSON
Wow. What an experience today was. Long story short, we were given the opportunity to attack an actual brief given to J. Walter Thompson by their client, Aspall, and then present our work to Simon Sworn (a creative for JWT) and other members of the JWT community.
When Carly and I first sat down and discussed this brief, we knew immediately that we wanted to highlight the apples. Without the apples, cider would be impossible, and without the high quality apples that Aspall uses, they wouldn't have the prestige that they do, their reputation. So what did we do next? We bought some apples. What better way to gather inspiration than to hold and play with the actual item you're trying to represent. We peeled, sliced and diced the apples and just experimented with the textures and colors we could produce with just the apples themselves. We slapped juicy apple slices onto the glass panes of our back door, allowing the natural light leak through, emphasizing the moisture held within the apples flesh, the unique texture that belongs to a crisp apple, the organic forms created within the core of the apples. Then, without a care about how crazy we must have looked, Carly steamed the apple slices on the window (using our iron) while I stood on a chair and snapped pictures of them.
After just having fun and making a mess of the kitchen, we cleaned up and retreated to the living room to see what we could do with our images. Once we had looked through them all and picked out the ones that we felt were most visually appealing as well as which ones represented the quality of the apples most successfully, we decided that we wanted our posters to do the following:
-
visually communicate the high quality and freshness of the apples used in Aspall Cider
-
incorporate the blue label color of the Premier Cru Cider that we were to be advertising
-
place emphasis on the ingredients that make up the cider and not the cider or the bottle itself
-
give the feeling of "fresh"
-
illustrate the idea that Aspall Cider is almost too good to be true, almost like a fantasy
Once we figured all of that out, we chose the tagline "A FRESH FANTASY" and created 3 print ads that we both are very proud of.
When we finally presented to JWT today, it was such an enlightening experience. While I can't say that I agreed with all of his criticisms, for both our work and others, it was an experience that allowed me to sneak a glimpse of what my life could be like in 18 months. This is how the real world works. You're given a brief and then you have to create the best work you can and then hope that it speaks strongly enough for itself to be chosen. Some people will love what you do and others, well, not so much. While we didn't get the most positive feedback from Simon and his coworkers, we were greeted with many compliments and praises from our classmates, the ones who were technically our competition. Many of them said they disagreed with the critique given to us.
This taught me a valuable lesson.
This taught me to be proud. Just simply be proud of my work. It doesn't matter if one of JWT's creatives doesn't like it because if I am happy with it, then that's what matters. Cliche, I know, but it's true. Carly and I both are very pleased with how these print ads turned out and we like to think that they would be successful if they had actually been implemented.
