Business Up Front: We're On LinkedIn

Facebook has served us well for social posts like photo sharing, but it's not the ideal place for thinky work mode posts. That’s more of a job for LinkedIn. And given its recent enhancements, including a familiar-feeling news feed, as well as a decent, targeted ad system and improved company pages, it’s become more enjoyable to spend time there.

So we'll be utilizing LinkedIn on two fronts. First, through our company page, we'll be sharing notable links related to work and news about local agencies and vendors along with AAF Seattle club news. Second, through the AAF Seattle group, we'll provide a forum to converse about Seattle-specific topics, to continue discussions and networking begun during our events, featuring participation from our speakers and panelists, and for club-related chatter. There may even be gossip.

So follow our company page and join our group, and we'll do our best to make it worth your while.

After Hours

On April 18th we're hosting After Hours: Copacino+Fujikado, and it's coming at just the right time. For one thing, it's their 15th anniversary, and that's a lot to crow about for them. So they may have more than a few fun things cooked up. But for us, we're coming off ADDY season and a blistering pace of four major events in less than two months.

After Hours is an informal social mixer hosted by an agency member. No program, no speakers, just drinks, noms, and a random mix of creative types. It's a great way to get to know your industry peers with a bit more time than you get before one of our bigger programs. Plus it's just $5 (free for AAF Seattle members) with food+drinks (Redhook's new Audible Ale and 14 Hands wines) included.

So what's with the weird pics? Copacino+Fujikado—Italian+Japanese—is a surprising combination. We're featuring other surprising combinations on our Pinterest board. Tag your own surprising combinations with #AAFfterHours to join in.

Update on Friday, April 19, 2013 at 9:46AM by administrator

What a night! At almost 50% larger than our last 50% larger After Hours event, we can't appreciate our community's interest enough. We very much hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

You can see pics from the event using #AAFterHours on Twitter and Instagram, or see our tiny album on Facebook. We'd love to see any pics you may care to share on our wall.

If you attended the event, we'd love your feedback to make the next After Hours even better. It's your chance to tell us what you thought of our second try at this concept. Click here to take our short and easy survey.

Now on Instagram: @AAFSeattle

We thought the Seattle ADDY Awards would be a perfect opportunity to launch our presence on Instagram. No food or kitten pics for us, just some behind-the-scenes and in-progress shots from AAF functions, some teasers, and a few choice glamour shots. It's also a great way to keep up with official event #hashtags to see what others are posting.

Check us out at @AAFSeattle and give us a follow.

2013 Seattle ADDY Awards: Wrap-Up

What an amazing evening! The culmination of five months of planning, tons of entries from agencies old and new in categories old and new, a long weekend of very tough judging, and lots of legwork by committee members and volunteers.

Bell Harbor International Conference Center was packed with Seattle's creative elite (due to massive demand this year's event was over 60% larger than 2012). Booze flowed freely. The crowd were enthusiastic. Mayor Mike McGinn presented the vaunted AAF Silver Medal Award to Bob Peterson after a great intro from Creature's Matt Peterson and Wexley School for Girls's Cal McAllister. Even Sir Mix-a-Lot got in on the action.

Bling
A special shout-out to these outstanding winners:

Judge’s Choice Award:
Digital Kitchen - Stanley Piano - self-promotion.

Best-of-Show – Non-Traditional Advertising:
Copacino+Fujikado - Edwin The Otter e-Book - Seattle Aquarium.

Best-of-Show – Digital/Interactive Advertising:
Cole & Weber United - Group Play Facebook App - Washington’s Lottery.

Best-of-Show – Integrated Campaign:
Wexley School for Girls - Restore The R - Rainier.

All silver and gold ADDY winners advanced to district ADDY judging in Portland with those winners to advance to nationals in Phoenix. We'll be announcing the district winners next week, so stay tuned.

ADDY-quake!
#SeattleADDYs trended all night! Catch up on all the social posts from event attendees at our Storify.

THANK YOU
Thanks for entering, attending, volunteering, planning and sponsoring. We hope you had a great night! We'd love to hear what you thought in our short survey.

Update on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 11:15AM by administrator

Thanks for the support in answering our survey - most responses we've ever received!

We now have updated 2013 Winners Books available for download in PDF form. Enjoy the ADDYs on your iPad!

The District XI winners have been announced. There are too many to list so we've posted a PDF list here, but we're so proud of so many Seattle area winners advancing on to nationals in Phoenix in June. We'll be there cheering you on!

Women in Creativity: Follow-Up

Panelists Kerry Antezana, Mary Knight, Mary Olson, Laurie Fritts, and MC Hilllary Miller

We had an amazing night Wednesday with a packed house that came not just to hear our panel but to engage with them and with each other.

An event like this generates a lot of interest in the topic, the panelists and the attendees, as well as some great social activity that used our #AAFWomen hashtag. We've assembled all kinds of relevant and hopefully interesting information into our Storify entry.

If you attended, we'd love your feedback in our short survey.

Seattle Agency "Harlem Shake" Video Battle

Zumobi knows how to Shake it.

It's a goofy meme that's caught the internet's attention and is already dying a quick death. But as the latest virtual shiny object, the Harlem Shake is momentarily fascinating, especially when local Seattle-area agencies post their own fancy, costumed moves.

We've noticed these agency videos also come with a healthy dose of pride. And agency pride leads to trash-talking. And trash-talking leads to competing agency Shake videos, which leads to VIDEO BATTLES!

So we thought it would be fun to promote a healthy competition via social media under the hashtag #AAFHarlemBattle and compile these videos and the tweets supporting them into a Storify page where everyone can decide for themself which agency has the best moves. We don't know how many entries we'll get before this burns itself out but it should be fun while it lasts.

Check out the current lineup.

If your team wants in on the action, just share your video or trash-talk on our Facebook wall, or tweet it with #AAFHarlemBattle, and we'll be sure to add it.

Speaker Series: Women in Creativity

6:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 27th at Hotel 1000.

Women are a huge part of the workforce in the creative services industry yet recent reports indicate that for all their effort and accomplishments women are dramatically underrepresented in power positions, making up just 3-4% of agency creative leaders.

We've assembled some of Seattle's successful creative women who have been there and done that to tell us about their hiccups and accomplishments as they have navigated their careers in the industry.

Join us for an honest discussion about topics including:

• Why is it important that women have better representation in the creative departments of advertising agencies?
• What keeps women from getting into the creative side? Does the perception of a men's club mentality keep them out?
• Do you have to be a bitch?
• Is motherhood a career killer?
• Are we in this together?
• Women can't do this alone. How can men help?

Panelists:
Mary Knight - Executive Creative Director, Hydrogen
Kerry Antezana - Creative Director/Copywriter, Freelance
Mary Olson - Brand Director, Seattle University
Laurie Fritts - Creative Director/Copywriter, Freelance

MC:
Hillary Miller - VP, Global Strategic Services Director, Wunderman

Speaker list for AAF Seattle Speaker Series: Women in Creativity on Lanyrd

Prizes!
We'll also be holding a raffle for great prizes from our sponsors, including an acupuncture session from Blissful Healing Arts, a full hair treatment from Savoir Faire, and a dozen custom thank you notes from Farewell Paperie.

Agenda:
6:00-6:30 - Cocktail hour
6:30-7:45 - Host-led panel discussion
8:00-9:00 - Networking and socializing

Cost:
$10 - AAF Seattle Members
$20 - Non-members
$30 - Door
Light food is included in the ticket price. Cash bar available.

Links:
RSVP on Facebook
See related links, videos, tweets and panelist info on Storify
Tweet and Instagram with #AAFWomen to be included in the Storify and social stream
Let your social contacts know your plans to attend on Plancast
Get event info and track panelists, the MC and us with Lanyrd

Sponsors:
Farewell Paperie, Savoir Faire, Tacoma Rainiers, and Blissful Healing Arts.

Chalk Talk: Super Bowl Ad Replay 2013

AAF Seattle and PSAMA co-host our annual Chalk Talk Super Bowl Ad Replay at 5:30 p.m.,  February 7th, at 415 Westlake.

Chalk Talk is your chance to hear a panel of ad industry pros praise and tear down what we all saw during time outs in the big game, discussing new trends and questioning strategies in an interactive discussion including the audience.

New This Year
Even more pre-panel fun. We're bringing the tailgate experience indoors, with games and activities straight from the parking lot!

New Audible Ale
We'll be pouring Redhook Ale Brewery's brand new Audible Ale all night - included in the ticket price! Be among the first in the nation to enjoy the beer brewed in cooperation with The Dan Patrick Show.

Win a GoPro Camera
Hand Crank Films will be giving away a GoPro HD camera to a lucky winner.

Panel:
Frank Clark, Creative Director - Square Tomato
Paul Huggett, Design Director - Tether
Mike Hayward, Creative Director - Copacino+Fujikado
Chris Elliott, Executive Creative Director - Wunderman
Jeff Hasen, CMO - Hipcricket

MC:
Chris Copacino - Copacino+Fujikado

Sponsors:
Hand Crank Films, The Seattle Times, Redhook Ale Brewery, and Shake Bartenders.

To get our event and Super Bowl ad-related news, Like the Chalk Talk Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter.

Update on Monday, February 11, 2013 at 9:45AM by administrator

If you attended Chalk Talk, please let us know what you thought by filling out this survey.